Tray Cable

Status
Not open for further replies.

Silvey Electric

New member
Location
Danville ILL
Can "tray cable" TC-ER be dropped from cable tray to machine - 8' below without conduit?
Art: 368.56B
We are seeing this done more and more. We continually see so-sow type cord run from busway to equipment but we are installing cable tray over equipment. As far as I can tell "bus drop cable" and sow cord are not allowed in cable trays.
TC-ER seems to be our best solution - any ideas or advice?
Exception to (B) (2) We are an industrial establishment.
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
Please see 336.10 Uses Permitted item (7) quoted below...
(7) In industrial establishments where the conditions of
maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified
persons service the installation, and where the cable is
continuously supported and protected against physical
damage using mechanical protection, such as struts,
angles, or channels, Type TC tray cable that complies
with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC
cable and is identified for such use with the marking
Type TC–ER shall be permitted between a cable tray
and the utilization equipment or device. The cable shall
be secured at intervals not exceeding 1.8 m (6 ft).
Equipment grounding for the utilization equipment
shall be provided by an equipment grounding conductor
within the cable. In cables containing conductors
sized 6 AWG or smaller, the equipment grounding conductor
shall be provided within the cable or, at the time
of installation, one or more insulated conductors shall
be permanently identified as an equipment grounding
conductor in accordance with 250.119(B).

Exception: Where not subject to physical damage, Type
TC-ER shall be permitted to transition between cable trays
and between cable trays and utilization equipment or devices
for a distance not to exceed 1.8 m (6 ft) without
continuous support. The cable shall be mechanically supported
where exiting the cable tray to ensure that the minimum
bending radius is not exceeded.
 
Is there an exception to the 6 ft rule??

Is there an exception to the 6 ft rule??

I am researching basically the same question as the original poster, I am trying to design a cable tray system to run through a building and drop the cables off close by to the equipment. The equipment is not always 6 ft or closer to the cable tray route that I am designing due to where my supports that I want to use are located (not my part of the design, but the Mechanical guys saved me space to install cable tray on the pipe supports). I am planning on using MC cable, TC-ER cable and some Belden 1036A Triad TC cable (which has a PLTC-ER spec in the data sheet). So my question, is there any exception to this 6 ft rule that is laid out fairly clear in articles 392.30(B)(3) and 336.10(7)? I would like to just take the cables "exposed" out to where they need to go if it's legal per the NEC.

Thanks,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top