If a commercial building has wood framing, does that mean you can use romex?

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infinity

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Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
I believe that first it would need to fall under one of these construction types:

II. Installation
334.10 Uses Permitted.
Type NM, Type NMC, and Type NMS cables shall be permitted to be used in the following:
(1) One- and two-family dwellings.
(2) Multifamily dwellings permitted to be of Types III, IV, and V construction except as prohibited in 334.12.
(3) Other structures permitted to be of Types III, IV, and V construction except as prohibited in 334.12. Cables shall be concealed within walls, floors, or ceilings that provide a thermal barrier of material that has at least a 15-minute finish rating as identified in listings of fire-rated assemblies.
FPN No. 1: Types of building construction and occupancy classifications are defined in NFPA 220-2006, Standard on Types of Building Construction, or the applicable building code, or both.
FPN No. 2: See Annex E for determination of building types [NFPA 220, Table 3-1].

(4) Cable trays in structures permitted to be Types III, IV, or V where the cables are identified for the use.
 

RICK NAPIER

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
This is an edited version from the 2009 IBC.

602.2 Types I and II. Types I and II construction are those types of construction in which the building elements listed in Table 601 are of noncombustible materials, except as permitted in Section 603 and elsewhere in this code.

603.1 Allowable materials. Combustible materials shall be permitted in buildings of Type I or II construction in the following applications and in accordance with Sections 603.1.1 through 603.1.3:

1. Fire-retardant-treated wood shall be permitted in:
1.1. Nonbearing partitions where the required fire-resistance rating is 2 hours or less.
1.2. Nonbearing exterior walls where no fire rating is required.
1.3. Roof construction, including girders, trusses, framing and decking.

Exception: In buildings of Type IA construction exceeding two stories above grade plane, fire-retardant-treated wood is not permitted in roof construction when the vertical distance from the upper floor to the roof is less than 20 feet (6096 mm).
9. Where not installed over 15 feet (4572 mm) above grade, show windows, nailing or furring strips 11. Partitions dividing portions of stores, offices or similar places occupied by one tenant only and that do not establish a corridor serving an occupant load of 30 or more shall be permitted to be constructed of fire-retardant-treated wood, 1-hour fire-resistance-rated construction or of wood panels or similar light construction up to 6 feet (1829 mm) in height. 12. Stages and platforms constructed in accordance with Sections 410.3 and 410.4, respectively. 13. Combustible exterior wall coverings, balconies and similar projections and bay or oriel windows in accordance with Chapter 14. 18. Nailing or furring strips as permitted by Section 803.4.
19. Heavy timber as permitted by Note c to Table 601 and Sections 602.4.7 and 1406.3.
21. Sprayed fire-resistant materials and intumescent and mastic fire-resistant coatings, determined
on the basis of fire-resistance tests in accordance with Section 703.2 and installed in accordance
with Sections 1704.12 and 1704.13, respectively
 
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cowboyjwc

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Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
The code has never said that you can't use NMC in a commercial building, but many cities have ordinances against it.

Now there are some restrictions, but that should be addressed at plan check. And until all of the codes finally get together and chat remember that an assembly in the NEC is 100, but in the IBC it's 50, so make sure that you check with your AHJ.
 

kiddrock

Member
Location
VA
Whats the point? Around here a 250' roll of 12-2 romex is about 94.00 and a 250' roll of 12-2 mc is about 104.00. So i guess run mc and there is no question. Gotta love copper!!!! Thinking about going to Nevada to the copper mines.
 

fireryan

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
This is an edited version from the 2009 IBC.

602.2 Types I and II. Types I and II construction are those types of construction in which the building elements listed in Table 601 are of noncombustible materials, except as permitted in Section 603 and elsewhere in this code.

603.1 Allowable materials. Combustible materials shall be permitted in buildings of Type I or II construction in the following applications and in accordance with Sections 603.1.1 through 603.1.3:

1. Fire-retardant-treated wood shall be permitted in:
1.1. Nonbearing partitions where the required fire-resistance rating is 2 hours or less.
1.2. Nonbearing exterior walls where no fire rating is required.
1.3. Roof construction, including girders, trusses, framing and decking.

Exception: In buildings of Type IA construction exceeding two stories above grade plane, fire-retardant-treated wood is not permitted in roof construction when the vertical distance from the upper floor to the roof is less than 20 feet (6096 mm).
9. Where not installed over 15 feet (4572 mm) above grade, show windows, nailing or furring strips 11. Partitions dividing portions of stores, offices or similar places occupied by one tenant only and that do not establish a corridor serving an occupant load of 30 or more shall be permitted to be constructed of fire-retardant-treated wood, 1-hour fire-resistance-rated construction or of wood panels or similar light construction up to 6 feet (1829 mm) in height. 12. Stages and platforms constructed in accordance with Sections 410.3 and 410.4, respectively. 13. Combustible exterior wall coverings, balconies and similar projections and bay or oriel windows in accordance with Chapter 14. 18. Nailing or furring strips as permitted by Section 803.4.
19. Heavy timber as permitted by Note c to Table 601 and Sections 602.4.7 and 1406.3.
21. Sprayed fire-resistant materials and intumescent and mastic fire-resistant coatings, determined
on the basis of fire-resistance tests in accordance with Section 703.2 and installed in accordance
with Sections 1704.12 and 1704.13, respectively

For some reason these articles are really confusing to me:confused:
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
if you do use NM, make sure you look at 334.12(A)(2).
334.12 Uses Not Permitted.(A)(2) Exposed in dropped or suspended ceilings in other than one- and two-family and multifamily dwellings
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Whats the point? Around here a 250' roll of 12-2 romex is about 94.00 and a 250' roll of 12-2 mc is about 104.00. So i guess run mc and there is no question. Gotta love copper!!!! Thinking about going to Nevada to the copper mines.

That's just the cable. A plastic box costs 20 cents, a metal box is at least 10X that price.
 

Bill Annett

Senior Member
Location
Wheeling, WV
Occupation
Retired ( 2020 ) City Electrical inspector
I would like to add that we have also been enforcing the same NM requirements for the installation of type SE cable. In the 2008 NEC art 338.10B4 states that Type SE cable shall comlly with the installation requirements of Part 2 of article 334
 
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