New Feeders Installation

[north star]

& + &

A question from another Forum:

I have an EC that is proposing to install feeders from an onsite
transformer, ...in to an existing metal trough and then in to 4"
RMC up in to a 400 amp. disconnect [ on the exterior of the
bldg. ].......From the 400 amp. disconnect, the EC plans to
install 4" RMC up in to the "above the ceiling" spaces of an
existing tenant space, then run horizontally through the
one tenant space, ...thru the tenant [ demising ] separation
wall, and down in to the adjacent tenant space, ...in to
the interior electrical panel.

Is Article 230.6, `08 NEC applicable, ...or can the EC install
the feeders in this manner?

Thank you for any input!

& + &

 

[augie47]

The devil is in the details, but it sounds like 230.6 would be applicable for that portion on the outside of the building, provided the trough only has service conductors and the new disconnect is close enough to satisfy 230.72 .
The only time I have seen a problem with similar situations has been if the tenant separation wall is fire rated. Someone with building Code knowledge can advise, but some point the fire ratings would not allow the conduit between occupancies.

(I am told with a 3 hr or 4 hr separation wall, one entire occupancy can collapse without effecting the adjacent structures.)

 

[Smart $]

& + &

A question from another Forum:

I have an EC that is proposing to install feeders from an onsite
transformer, ...in to an existing metal trough and then in to 4"
RMC up in to a 400 amp. disconnect [ on the exterior of the
bldg. ].......From the 400 amp. disconnect, the EC plans to
install 4" RMC up in to the "above the ceiling" spaces of an
existing tenant space, then run horizontally through the
one tenant space, ...thru the tenant [ demising ] separation
wall, and down in to the adjacent tenant space, ...in to
the interior electrical panel.

Is Article 230.6, `08 NEC applicable, ...or can the EC install
the feeders in this manner?

Thank you for any input!

& + &

Article 230 requirements do not apply to anything after the 400A disconnect (and that is assuming it does before the disconnect).

 

[north star]

& + &

Augie,

The location of the 400a disconnect [ RE:230.72 ] will not
be an issue.........It's the "installing in one tenant space and
running thru it to the adjacent space" that prompted the
question........Also, the two separate tenant spaces are of
the the same Occupancy Group [ "B" in this case, `06 IBC ],
so no fire rated assemblies will be penetrated........Even if
it were fire rated assemblies between the two spaces,
the RMC would be an acceptable type of raceway that
could be installed.

Thank you both for your input!

& + &

 

[augie47]

You may very well be correct but, with fire walls, such installations have been rejected by our local building code inspectors, but I have no real knowledge e of the reasoning other than what they told me about the "building collapse" scenario.
I only mention it as it has been a source of trouble here in the past.