Paul M Lurie
New member
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois
Mike Langer from the Hearing Loss Assocation of America Loop Group referred me to you.
I am a partner in a large law firm headquartered in Chicago's Willis (Sears) Tower. As a member of its disability committee, I convinced the firm to start looping our many conference rooms with under carpet wiring over concrete floors. We want to start in our Chicago office. We are doing this not just to accommodate our lawyers and staff, to advertise the loops to others who visit the office. We intend for this to be a important way to promote loops.
HOWEVER, I was told by Keith Hall, electrical head of the City of Chicago Building Department ,that all wiring under carpets must be in conduit or equivalent. Apparently he has not directly confronted the issue of low voltage loop wiring as an exception. Mr Hall was receptive to being convinced that loop wiring is not the same safety issue as 120V wiring.
I am looking for evidence that other building code departments allow loop wiring under carpeting and why they do not consider it a safety issue. My law specialty is construction so I am quite familiar with code variance process. Once we get the variance we need to get the Code amended. Any suggestions about that? Do you know of other cities have this antiquated code provision and had it amended.
Thanks,
Paul
I am a partner in a large law firm headquartered in Chicago's Willis (Sears) Tower. As a member of its disability committee, I convinced the firm to start looping our many conference rooms with under carpet wiring over concrete floors. We want to start in our Chicago office. We are doing this not just to accommodate our lawyers and staff, to advertise the loops to others who visit the office. We intend for this to be a important way to promote loops.
HOWEVER, I was told by Keith Hall, electrical head of the City of Chicago Building Department ,that all wiring under carpets must be in conduit or equivalent. Apparently he has not directly confronted the issue of low voltage loop wiring as an exception. Mr Hall was receptive to being convinced that loop wiring is not the same safety issue as 120V wiring.
I am looking for evidence that other building code departments allow loop wiring under carpeting and why they do not consider it a safety issue. My law specialty is construction so I am quite familiar with code variance process. Once we get the variance we need to get the Code amended. Any suggestions about that? Do you know of other cities have this antiquated code provision and had it amended.
Thanks,
Paul
