MC Cable, What's the Savings?
By William & Patti Feldman
2/26/2006
Metal Clad cable (MC) is giving traditional conduit and wire insulations a run for the money – and for good reason. Consisting of factory pre-assembled aluminum or copper conductors and metal cladding, the product is shipped ready to install in one pass rather than the two steps required for installing conventional raceway (conduit, then wire). For many
applications, MC cable can be easily unrolled and then positioned and secured in place.
This streamlined installation of a single cable/armor assembly can save an appreciable amount of time in large installations and typically reduces the overall cost to the electrical contractor, who can then competitively pass along savings to the client.
A recent study commissioned by Alcan Cable, a manufacturer of MC cable and other wire, and conducted by R.S. Means Consulting Services, comparing installation times of conventional EMT and pre-assembled MC cable in several representative electrical services in an empty warehouse, showed that using MC cable saved an average of 55% in installation hours. The larger the service, the greater the relative efficiency using MC cable, reducing, on average, the number of steps required by installers from 14 to just six.
MC cable is saving contractors on labor in all types of buildings, including industrial plants and warehouses, stadiums, schools, hotels, multi-family housing, and commercial retail and office spaces. The NEC (Section 334-3) permits uses to include services, feeders, branch circuits, wet locations, and certain hazardous locations.
Unlike with conduit, there are no restrictions on the number of bends in the run between junction boxes, though support is required every six feet rather than every ten feet.
For more information visit http://electricsmarts.com
|
|