Underfloor Raceway and Conduit

[lucastolbert]

I am working in an industrial environment and I am installing a small
control panel. There is an existing trough (underfloor raceway) cut
into the concrete that leads to the master control panel. All the
existing wires in the trough are run in conduit but I am wanting to
run a piece of SO cord alongside the conduit.

I would be running a SO cord for 120V power and a SO cord for
some control signals.

Is there any NEC restrictions on running SO cord inside the trough?
The cover of the trough is plenty stout. There is plenty of room in
the trough so fill percentage is not an issue.

Could multi-conductor tray cable be run in place of the SO cord
that has the control signals?

I have seen this done in other industrial environments by other
people.

Lucas

 

[mcnut]

Take a look at 400.8

 

[kingpb]

Not knowing what the controls are for, you may need to keep a certain distance from power, per manufacturer. i know this is an issue with distributed control systems.

 

[petersonra]

I think it is a perfectly acceptable solution that is not code legal, at least for the 120V power.

 

[eric9822]

I think it is a perfectly acceptable solution that is not code legal, at least for the 120V power.

Are you saying it's ok to use SO cord?

 

[Smart $]

Are you saying it's ok to use SO cord?

He's saying such an installation will be non-compliant.

 

[rrodgers1]

400.8(2)............what you are wanting to do is a Violation

 

[petersonra]

400.8(2)............what you are wanting to do is a Violation

(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings,
suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors

I don't see a problem here. Its not being run thru a hole.

A bigger problem IMO is 400.8(1).

is there some reason you can't run NM in the raceway? that would appear to be legal if you can legally run NM in your building.

 

[petersonra]

He's saying such an installation will be non-compliant.

That is my opinion, despite it being a perfectly safe installation and something that is probably done in just about every factory everywhere in this country.

 

[Smart $]

That is my opinion, despite it being a perfectly safe installation and something that is probably done in just about every factory everywhere in this country.

I do not disagree... but I will not advise anyone to do a non-compliant installation.

There are at least a few other cable types which are compliant.

 

[kenaslan]

I would ask the AHJ. IMO the "trough" cut into the floor, is not the floor, so (2) would not apply. I would however also run it in conduit.