Wiring Requirements - Hospital -517.30(C)(3)

[DougW1958]

NEC 70 2014

So we are pricing a project at a local Hospital. The owner is citing article 517.30(C)(3) mechanical protection of essential electrical systems to support his requirement that EMT conduit be used throughout the facility in lieu of metallic flexible Hospital grade MC cable. The branch circuits we are running will feed IDF closets
which house IT switches and the like and are backed by UPS and generator power. First question is do these circuits qualify as essential?

According to:

517.30(C)(3)mechanical protection of essential electrical systems
sub bullet (3) Listed flexible metal raceways and listed metal sheathed cable assemblies in any of the following:
sub bullet c. Where fished into existing walls or ceilings, not otherwise accessible and not subject to physical damage

Second question, since the MC cable would be fished across hard ceilings and in other areas above suspended ceilings not subject to physical damage we feel this article supports the use of MC as an acceptable wiring method in healthcare facilities. The cost difference in labor between running EMT and MC in this environment is astronomical.

Comments?

 

[Mr. Serious]

If you really want to push for MC, you need to sit down with the hospital CEO, facilities/electrical manager, anyone else that has a stake in this, and explain the cost difference and see what they want to do. And if they still want conduit, go with conduit.

I have experience working for a hospital as a journeyman electrician. We ran EMT conduit everywhere except where it literally could not be done such as above a hard ceiling or fishing through existing walls. And, they had 4 branches of the electrical system: normal, emergency, critical, and life support; and they required each branch to have its own conduits, not share wiring space with any other branch.

 

[d0nut]

If the wiring is on the life safety or critical branch, it needs to be separate from all other wiring and mechanically protected by the options listed in 517.30(C)(3). If it is on the equipment, normal, or optional standby branches, this requirement does not apply.

Fishing across the hard ceilings in MC could be acceptable if those areas are not otherwise accessible and not subject to physical damage. The area above the suspended ceiling would be accessible, so MC would not be permitted in that location.

This requirement is a code requirement, and is not something that the facility can waive. The cost of EMT over MC does not matter.

 

[steve66]

The branch circuits we are running will feed IDF closets
which house IT switches and the like and are backed by UPS and generator power. First question is do these circuits qualify as essential?

That's a decision that has to be made by the facility or engineer. If they come from an essential ATS, then chances are they have to be essential.
Agree that this would not be allowed above any grid ceilings. Any hard ceilings would be iffy, especially if they have access panels.

Also, the owner can elect to have it installed in EMT even if not a code requirement. Some specs and engineers would require rigid conduit for essential circuits.

Why not bid it the way it was designed.

 

[roger]

Why not bid it the way it was designed.

Roger

 

[roger]

We worked at a hospital with a strict Infection Control policy (they had actually had a death from Aspergillus) which required RMC or IMC for Emergency systems feeders, you get creative when running 2" and larger above exisiting spaces, a lot of dust barriers and after hours work.

Roger

 

[david]

subject to physical damage of wiring methods in general results in someone evaluating the environment and condtions surrounding a wiring method

that in effect as an e nd resultbecomes a judgment call

 

[david]

mechanical protection of a wiring method
is called out as a min and there is no judgment call regarding the need for physical protection

kind of protect it this way a d we will never have a need to find out if physical protection was needed or not