C-L-X cable question

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irishnh

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In a recent meeting with a member of our management team (who is NOT an electrician)it was suggested, as a means of saving money and time, that future installations of PVC coated C-L-X not be direct buried but be strung out and laid on the ground between termination points. This cable would be carrying 3 phase 480 V power at 60 amps. According to the code MC cable must be protected from physical damage, is this an issue for the loacl AHJ or do you think it's a no brainer?

Thanks for any and all discussion
 
Do I understand this correctly? You or others are just going to string the PVC coated MC out on top of grade and leave it? I know the code references. But before I do, just wanted to be sure if that were your and others intent. Is this 300 volt c-l-x?
 
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Clx

Clx

Our(electrical staff) intention is always to install according to the NEC.We have always direct buried the CLX, but our management questioned the necessity of this added expense citing that other ski areas have in the past run this type wiring on the ground through the woods from termination point to termination point. I guess that I am writing just for an independent assessment of the legallity of running the cable as management wants. Again the electrical staff would always opt for the installation that offers the most protection and safety. The C-L-X is 600 V rated and would be carrying
480V at about 60 Amps. The power would be feeding snowmaking equipment and be terminated in 60A disconnects along the edge of ski trails.

I hope this clears things up

Thanks for your reply

Irishnh
 
CLX is Okonite's trade name for MC-HL. Good stuff, we use a lot of it. The guiding NEC article is 330

You will have to decide if "on the ground through the woods" installation meets the intent of 330.12. I'd say if the cable can be driven over by snow machine or skiied over, the answer is, "not a good idea".

carl
 
I wouldn't recommend laying cable on top of ground (see table 300.5)! Might consider strategically laying out points with attachment plugs in relation to firing points for your guns. You may also want to visit the entertainment end of the industry to look at gear used for fast set up and disconnects. Might want to think about a "lockable head" for the energized heads, the public is always good at being where they aren't supposed to be.

Winter Park, Colorado used to have a reasonable layout as to where their on mountain utilities were for snowmaking. Try to get the management team to go to real world, rather than work on re-inventing the wheel. Obviously the management seems to have missed the liability/risk assessment factor, perhaps, contacting the insurance underwriter(s) and other more conservative resorts, in their association might be a good place for ideas that are likely to work.
 
thank you

thank you

thanks to all who offered their expertise. Hopefully this will prove to the higher ups that we're only trying to do what is required by the NEC.
 
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