Construction trailer

[hhsting]

I have construction trailer that is fed from outside panelboard A that is 35 feet away from the trailer.

Between the trailer and Panelboard A they are using SER cables. The SER cables are laying flat on the ground. They are not underground. They are laying flat on the ground upto the trailer and then feed the trailer.

I thought NEC 2017 Article 338.12(A)(3) does not allow SER cables to lay flat on the ground? Am I wrong or not?

 

[Dsg319]

I’m assuming will only be there a few months. Sleeve the part laying in the ground in conduit and call it a day.

 

[hillbilly1]

Ground has to be insulated. Cannot use SER for trailers.

 

[infinity]

Ground has to be insulated. Cannot use SER for trailers.

Code section?

Unless subject to physical damage 590.4(B) would permit SE cable for a temporary feeder installation. It can even be run underground in a raceway.

 

[hillbilly1]

Code section?

Unless subject to physical damage 590.4(B) would permit SE cable for a temporary feeder installation. It can even be run underground in a raceway.

Got turned down many years ago for the exact same thing by Cobb county Georgia inspector. I had it sleeved in pvc for protection, which the inspector was fine with, but he failed me on the ground not being insulated. That was one of the only two times I failed an inspection in 35 years. He gave a code section, but I don’t remember it, it was about 25 years ago. I re-did it in rigid, and buried it 24”. I was pissed. I wasn’t giving him any leeway to fail a second time. There was another temporary a couple of blocks away at a school where they just nailed the temporary to the side of the construction trailer, and it had a meter on it. Found out later, it was the construction company that I was doing the work for pissed off some big shot at the county, and they were getting blocked at every turn. It wasn’t my work they were busting per se.

 

[roger]

In my experience temporary wiring laying on the ground has been an OSHA call more than an NEC allowance.

 

[infinity]

I had it sleeved in pvc for protection, which the inspector was fine with, but he failed me on the ground not being insulated.

So what was the problem with a bare EGC for a temporary feeder?

 

[hillbilly1]

Article 550.4 (A) Mobile Home Not Intended as a Dwelling Unit.
This article tells us that Contractors on site offices shall not be required to meet the provisions of article 550 as far as the number of or capacity of circuits required by the article. IT does state that the contractors office shall meet all other requirements of the article if the trailer is to be energized from a 120 volt or 120/240 volt AC power supply.

Article 550.16 (B) (1) Supply Cord or Permanent Feeder-
States that the green colored insulated grounding wire in the supply cord or permanent feeder........

Article 550.33 (A) (1) Feeder conductors shall consist of either a listed cord, factory installed in accordance with 550.10(B), or a permanently installed feeder consisting of 4 insulated, color coded conductors.

 

[infinity]

Article 550.4 (A) Mobile Home Not Intended as a Dwelling Unit

Do all construction trailers meet the definition of a mobile home?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Do all construction trailers meet the definition of a mobile home?

No and that is why they became part of Article 545 in the 2020 code.

 

[hillbilly1]

Do all construction trailers meet the definition of a mobile home?

Now a lot are converted Conex’s, so they don’t have axles and a tongue.

 

[hhsting]

So then i asked before hand about insulated ground conductor not SER at plan review stage?

 

[infinity]

So then i asked before hand about insulated ground conductor not SER at plan review stage?

First you need to know if an insulated EGC is even required.