National Electrical Installation Standards

Standards as High as Your Own

 
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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Question:

Hi Charlie,

I have a question about using a trade size 1 1/2" RMC as a sleeve for the Grounding Electrode Conductor that will be cadwelded to the building column.  The concrete hasn't been poured so it's just a 2-3 foot sleeve mounted on the concrete.  From my understanding 250.64(E)(1) requires that ferrous metal raceways must be bonded at both ends of the raceway with bonding bushings to the GEC that's being sleeved to eliminate inductive choking.  The wording in the 2011 code makes it seem like the bonding is only required if the GEC enters a enclosure (not a sleeve) and the 2014 NEC the new term "Raceway and" was added which to me implies that ferrous metal sleeves must (and always was intended) be bonded at both ends whether it enters an enclosure or not.  What's your interpretation?

Brandon Butler

A

Answer:

Hey Brandon thanks for your question. I believe that most interpreted the previous language of an enclosure to include a raceway. Take a look at the definition of Raceway in Article 100.

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