Marinas & Boatyards

[sec_mike]

Not sure if this post was submitted. If so please disregard.

We use guidelines in Article 555 for Marinas and Boatyards for feeder wiring under 600 Volts. We normally use either G Cable without conduit where flexibility is needed and PVC Conduit with XHHW Type wire for Fixed Piers. My supplier wishes to substitute Type XLP-USE in place of the XHHW Cable for the same price. The XLP wire would be harder to pull in this 430' parallel feeder run (3-3/0 with #2 Ground). We have limited space in the under side of a dock so I cannot upsize the conduit any more that 2 1/2". I cannot find any place in the NEC Code that would allow the use of the XLP-USE wire without conduit to be run in the underside of the fixed pier.

Any Comments?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

USE is not even permitted for above grade locations except for terminations. This is not very clear in the 2005 code, but is required by the UL listing and does show up in the 2008 code.

 

[sec_mike]

Thanks Don,

It looks like I am back to the XHHW or XHHW-2. In my case, once I come up from below grade I have another 380 ft to go in under the pier.