Temporary Ballroom Power

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AzViper

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Our resort I have over the last 25 years have built Temporary power disribution 200a panels that we run 2o cables. Everything is connected using Camloks connectors. This system has been in place for 20 years. Recently the fire marshal says the system can no longer can be used due the cables having temporary penetrating firewalls from the back of the ballrooms to the inside of the ballrooms. On the backside of these ballrooms we have installed a cable trap thats 15 feet above the floor. Just above the cable tray we have Camloks installed and piped back to the panels.

The fire marshall now wants 2 hour fire rated electrical boxes recessed into the firewalls on the ballroom side and piped back to the main panels. These boxes have to contain 5 Camlok connections with some having 30A 5 wire twistlock receps. As you can imagine this is going to get very expensive as I have 7 areas within our ballrooms that have to have this temporary power for trade shows and production events.

Question: Where or who makes these type of distribution panels that are designed to be in a fire rated wall?
 
What I had to do in the past which was acceptable was to box out with double Sheetrock around the panel. It had to be fully taped for full fire rating and 3m fire pads around it. Not sure if that helps or works.
 
AzViper said:
Our resort I have over the last 25 years have built Temporary power disribution 200a panels that we run 2o cables. Everything is connected using Camloks connectors. This system has been in place for 20 years. Recently the fire marshal says the system can no longer can be used due the cables having temporary penetrating firewalls from the back of the ballrooms to the inside of the ballrooms. On the backside of these ballrooms we have installed a cable trap thats 15 feet above the floor. Just above the cable tray we have Camloks installed and piped back to the panels.

The fire marshall now wants 2 hour fire rated electrical boxes recessed into the firewalls on the ballroom side and piped back to the main panels. These boxes have to contain 5 Camlok connections with some having 30A 5 wire twistlock receps. As you can imagine this is going to get very expensive as I have 7 areas within our ballrooms that have to have this temporary power for trade shows and production events.

Question: Where or who makes these type of distribution panels that are designed to be in a fire rated wall?
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Some pictures and a floor plan sketch would help a lot. But as far as a panel at a 2 hour wall, I suggest you surface mount the panel on plywood so that all you have to do is protect the penetrations for the conductors.
 
mgookin said:
Some pictures and a floor plan sketch would help a lot. But as far as a panel at a 2 hour wall, I suggest you surface mount the panel on plywood so that all you have to do is protect the penetrations for the conductors.
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...boxes recessed into the firewalls on the ballroom side ....)
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I really do not see why the inspector is insisting on recessed panels in a firewall when surface mount panels with properly fire sealed conductors going through the wall would be much more appropriate. Such surface boxes for power connection ("road boxes") are often kept out of sight behind draperies, screens, etc. and so would not affect the aesthetics of the room.
Is there even such a thing as a two hour rated panel that is allowed to be recessed into the separation layer of a firewall? I have always though that fire resistance would be provided externally.

I can see that conductors coming the short way through a stud wall might present a problem for effective firestopping. It may be that simply mounting a panel mount camlock of the proper construction in the firewall could provide the required protection.
I have also seen references to a fire activated putty mat that can be used to line the back of an otherwise non-fire-rated box.
 
Surface mounted is out. We are talking about finished walls within a 20,000 SF room. These ballrooms are used for wedding, productions, meetings, etc. Someone pissed of the fire marshal and now its a huge issue. The walls are 88 blocks with sheetrock glued and finished. These are not exterior walls to the outside. Kitchens, Foyers, etc surround these rooms. This is a high end resort owned by Hilton. I have seen in Vegas power distribution panels in the walls. I may need to put a call into some of the Hiltons in Vegas and speak to the Chief Engineer of these properties.

I found this company who builds custom floor boxes, but they appear will have their engineers build to fit our needs. There has to be someone out there that build this stuff that's on the shelves somewhere. CUBS

Floor Box.jpg
 
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