EMT Only Allowed Up to 2”

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publicgood

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EMT only allowed up to 2”. Do you see this restriction often? Thoughts on the matter related to conduit couplings, elbow burn-in, and pulling stress?
 
Whoever wrote that spec just didn't want to spring for the big bender and the pricey table rig..........
So if you have a need for 4 inch raceway you need even bigger bending equipment and it must be able to handle RMC as well?

I see no good reason to put a maximum limit on size other then you can put multiple 2 inch raceways and parallel your conductors in a 2x4 framed wall but unless you flatten out 4 inch raceways they just aren't going to fit into a 2x4 framed wall.
 
EMT only allowed up to 2”. Do you see this restriction often? Thoughts on the matter related to conduit couplings, elbow burn-in, and pulling stress?

No.
Emt is smoother than galv/ridg, pulling is a function of layout and manpower experience.
 
I have never heard of a restriction like this... What type of building is it? If the EMT is going in a two-by-four bearing wall, then I can possibly see that an engineer might not want the top and bottom plates cut to pieces.

I have seen restrictions on ENT running through studs in bearing walls since the maximum hole size there is 40% of the stud depth, which I believe is 1.4" with a 2x4, which is a 1 3/8" drill bit. Iirc the OD of 1" smurf pipe exceeds that, limiting one to 3/4'.

What is the application?

A long time ago, I was watching sprinkler guys put the sprinkler pipe in the building. Everything up to 2" in was plastic, everything above that was steel. I asked them if it was a code requirement to use steel above 2 in, they replied that above 2 inch steel is cheaper than plastic.
 
Many a time I've seen spec's copy & pasted from one project to the next. This goofball spec might be an orphan from the EE's previous project.
 
I have never heard of a restriction like this... What type of building is it? If the EMT is going in a two-by-four bearing wall, then I can possibly see that an engineer might not want the top and bottom plates cut to pieces.

I have seen restrictions on ENT running through studs in bearing walls since the maximum hole size there is 40% of the stud depth, which I believe is 1.4" with a 2x4, which is a 1 3/8" drill bit. Iirc the OD of 1" smurf pipe exceeds that, limiting one to 3/4'.

What is the application?

A long time ago, I was watching sprinkler guys put the sprinkler pipe in the building. Everything up to 2" in was plastic, everything above that was steel. I asked them if it was a code requirement to use steel above 2 in, they replied that above 2 inch steel is cheaper than plastic.

This is in our master spec. We typically perform work above light commercial. I’ve been polling inside our office to understand the origin also.
 
This is in our master spec. We typically perform work above light commercial. I’ve been polling inside our office to understand the origin also.

The only other thing that comes to mind is that a 10-foot stick of 2 inch EMT might be the maximum weight of what one person can safely handle under OSHA regulations.
Even that's a stretch and that's why you don't install large conduit by yourself
 
Given your question, and the answers provided I doubt what I’ll say next applies.

In most of our specs we will require rigid over two inch, and welded HVAC pipe over two inch.
 
The only other thing that comes to mind is that a 10-foot stick of 2 inch EMT might be the maximum weight of what one person can safely handle under OSHA regulations.
Even that's a stretch and that's why you don't install large conduit by yourself

3/4" galvrig would be the most for one person, as 1" is heavier than 2"emt?
 
Talk about an Engineer and old cut and paste. I just did a job in an industrial facility and the outside engineering firm had a line in their specs for the maximum height of the coin slot on a pay phone.
 
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