A Module for

ENGINEERING UTILITIES 1 (ENUTI 1)

ENGR. NEIL SAMUEL G. SAMSON, MEng’g.

Instructor 1

October 2020

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This material is intended exclusively for this instructor’s Third Year Bachelor of Science in Civil
Engineering students in Engineering Utilities 1 (ENUTI 1) for the first semester of Academic Year 2020-
2021.
This material may subject for revision and updates any time the instructor deemed necessary.
This material is for the intended student’s personal use only. This must not be reproduced in any form
for any other intended purposes.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

Study:

First step in developing and understanding of building electrical systems is to examine

the means by which electric service is brought into a facility.

I. ELECTRIC SERVICE

The codes and standards that apply to electric service include:

1. National Electrical Code

2. National Electrical Safety Code
3. Standards of the utility supplying electric service

Public utility franchises require only that service be made available at the private property line.

The service tap may be a connection on

 A pole with an overhead service drop or

 An underground service lateral to the building, or
 a connection to an underground utility line with a service lateral to the
building.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 Service from a utility line to a building may be run overhead or underground,
depending upon the following factors:

1. Length of the service run

2. Type of terrain
3. Customer participation in the cost of service installation
4. Service voltage
5. Size and nature of the electric load
6. Importance of appearance
7. Local practices and ordinances
8. Maintenance and service reliability
9. Weather conditions
10. Type of interbuilding distribution, if applicable

II. OVERHEAD SERVICE

The principal advantage (to the utility) of overhead electric lines is low cost. Overhead
lines are easily maintained and repaired and faults easily located, service continuity with
overhead lines.

Reliability of overhead service can be improved markedly by taking service from two separate,
and preferably separated, overhead lines.

Overhead cables are of several types:

 Bare
 weatherproof
 preassembled aerial cable.

III. UNDERGROUND SERVICE

The advantages of underground electric service are attractiveness (lack of physical and
visual clutter overhead), service reliability, and long life.

The principal disadvantage is high cost.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 Because direct buried cable cannot be pulled out if it faults, as is the case with
raceway-installed cable, restoration of service after a cable fault is time-consuming.

It is recommended that the decision on which technique will be used be based upon the
consideration of these factors:

1. The cost premium for underground raceway installation, including handholes if

required.
2. The history of outages for direct burial installation by this installer, in the immediate
area.
3. Cost and availability of repair service (utilities frequently will repair customer-owned
underground service laterals for a fee).
4. Impact of electric service outage in terms of time delays, inconvenience, necessity of
digging up lawns and paved areas, and cost impact in the case of a commercial facility.

IV. UNDERGROUND WIRING

The methods available for underground wiring are:

 Direct burial

Offers low cost and ease of installation, with the disadvantage

regarding repairs.

 Installation in Type I, concrete-encased duct

Offers high strength and permanence, but at the highest price

 Installation in Type II, direct burial duct

Offers median cost but little strength. It is applicable only for

installations on undisturbed earth and/or under light paving.

V. SERVICE EQUIPMENT

Referring to given figure below, note that a block labeled “transformer” is interposed between the
high-voltage incoming utility lines and the secondary service conductors.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 This equipment item is required whenever the building utilization voltage is different from
the service voltage. A transformer may be pole- or pad-mounted outside the building or installed
in a room or vault inside the building.

VI. SERVICE EQUIPMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND METERING

Metering must be provided ahead (electrically) of the building’s service entrance

switch(es). The metering is accomplished either at the utility or the facility voltage, and either
at the service point or inside the building.

Although in increasingly large numbers of facilities regular meter reading is accomplished

remotely, the meter equipment must still be available for utility company inspection and
service. For a single-occupant building or a building in which electric energy is included in the
rental charge, only a single meter is necessary. Where submetering is required, such as in
apartment houses, banks of meter sockets are installed to accommodate the multiple meters.

Three-section commercial submetering switchboard

comprising a center service-entrance section rated 4000-A,
3-phase, 480-V maximum, equipped (usually) with a main
switch or circuit breaker. Each of the end cubicles will accept
six tenant meters, each on a 320-A 3-phase circuit,
maximum, protected by an integral circuit breaker or fused
switch. Tenant wiring enters the top or bottom of the board.
Switchboards of this type can be installed on every floor of a
large multitenant commercial office building. (Photo
courtesy of Cutler-Hammer.)

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 A low-voltage underground service detail as it would appear on a set of contract
drawings, including relevant details, is given in figure below. Note that here the service
switches and meters are separately mounted.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 SERVICE SWITCHES

The purpose of electric service switches is to disconnect the normal service to the
building. This disconnecting apparatus must be located at a readily accessible spot near the
point where the service conductors enter a building. If such a location is not feasible, service
conductors may be run in concrete encasement under a building— and are considered “outside
the building” up to the point at which they emerge from the floor in the building.

(a) Typical switch configurations. Note that switches are always shown in the open position.

(b) Graphic representation of switch (contact) positions in a contactor or relay. Note that a latching
contactor shows the switch in one of two positions to indicate the latching nature of the contactor.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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VII. WIRING AND RACEWAYS

The major components of a building electrical system can be grouped into three major
categories: wiring and raceways, power-handling equipment, and utilization equipment. The
first category includes conductors and raceways of all types; the second includes transformers,
switchboards, panelboards, large switches, and circuit breakers; and the last includes utilization
equipment such as lighting, motors, controls, and wiring devices.

VIII. SYSTEM COMPONENTS

The figure above illustrates that power distribution equipment proceeds from the
service point to the utilization points in a progression of decreasing circuit capacity.

This is analogous to the arrangement of water supply systems and HVAC systems; the
distribution equipment is largest at the supply point, and decreases in size on its way to the
farthest utilization points.

A typical single-line diagram does not differentiate by line weight between heavy and light
(large and small) conductors (the heavier the conductor, the greater the amount of power
being carried), but the single-line diagram of the figure above does differentiate in order to
show relative power levels throughout the system.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 This “size” differentiation is more clearly shown in figure below, which is a pictorial
representation of a system similar to that of previous figure but in somewhat greater detail and
omitting items beyond the panelboard.

Diagrammatic (pictorial) representation of a typical building electrical power system with relative power capacity indicated by the size of the
conductors. This diagram does not extend beyond the local panelboard and includes only commonly used items. Note also that the entire wiring
system is, in effect, jacketed in steel. (Courtesy of General Electric.)

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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IX. NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE

Defines the fundamental safety measures that must be followed in the selection,
construction, and installation of electrical equipment and systems. This code is used by all
inspectors, electrical designers, engineers, contractors, and operating personnel.

In order to ensure a minimum standard of intrinsic electrical safety for electrical equipment, a
single organization was needed to establish standards and to test and inspect electrical
equipment.

Search for Philippine Electrical Code and know the primary purpose and objective of the code.

X. ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

The selection of electrical materials involves not only choosing a material or assembly
that is functionally adequate and, where necessary, visually acceptable, but also the
consideration of costs. In most cases, final selection of a device or approach hinges upon cost.
Ideally, “cost” would be life-cycle cost; more realistically it is often first cost.

Often, however, the choice is not so simple, because materials and equipment may vary
considerably in characteristics other than functional suitability, demanding a more detailed
cost study.

Life-cycle system/equipment costs (over the life of the structure) are expressed in present-
value dollars, or annual owning and operating costs, including equipment amortization costs.
The type of analysis used will depend upon the situation. Such comparisons are useful,
however, only when both the initial cost and the operating costs will be borne by the same
individual—that is, an owner-operator.

It is often difficult to perform a life-cycle cost analysis because accurate data regarding service
life and maintenance costs for electrical equipment may not be readily available.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 Energy costs are a major factor in economic analysis. Energy considerations, however,
are at least as important in and of themselves because of ever increasing concerns about
limited energy and natural resources.

This concern is addressed in the context of building energy budgets and their components,
including lighting, elevators and electric motors that are a part of many building systems.

No explicit recommendation regarding electrical system design is provided in any of the current
green building guidelines.

XI. INTERIOR WIRING SYSTEMS

Electrical Power System - When the primary purpose of a system is to distribute

electrical energy.

Due to the nature of electricity, its distribution within a structure for power use poses a single
basic problem:

How to construct a distribution system that safely provides the energy required at the
desired locations.

The safety consideration is all-important because all parts of an interior distribution system are
connected to the utility’s powerful network, and the very real potential for physical damage,
injury, and fire is always present.

The solution to this problem is to isolate all electrically conducting elements from the building
structure, except at those specific points, such as wall receptacles, where contact is desired.
This isolation is generally accomplished by insulating the conductors and placing them in
protective raceways.

The principal types of interior wiring systems in use today are:

1. Exposed Insulated Cables

This category includes (using the NEC nomenclature) cable types NM

(“Romex”) and AC (“BX”). Also included are other types where the cable
construction itself provides the necessary electrical insulation and mechanical
protection.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 2. Insulated Cables in Open Raceways (Trays)

This system is specifically intended for industrial applications, and it relies on

both the cable and the tray for safety.

3. Insulated Conductors in Closed Raceways

This system is the most general type and is applicable to all types of facilities.
In general, the raceway is installed first and the wiring is pulled in or laid in
later.

The raceways themselves may be:

 Buried in the structure—for example, conduit in the floor slab or underfloor

duct.
 Attached to the structure—for example, all types of surface raceways,
including conduit and wireways suspended above hung ceilings.
 Part of the structure—for example, cellular concrete and cellular metal floors.

4. Combined Conductor and Enclosure

This category is intended to cover all types of factory-prepared and factory-

constructed integral assemblies of conductor and enclosure. Included here are
all types of busway, busduct, and cablebus; flat-cable assemblies and lighting
track; flat cable intended for undercarpet installation; and manufactured wiring
systems.

XII. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR RACEWAY SYSTEMS

The function of a raceway in such systems (electrical power systems, empty

raceways intended for signal, data, and communications wiring) is largely the same as it
is for power wiring: protection and isolation of the wiring.

Prior to the widespread use of computers in buildings of all types, raceway space
requirements for communication and signal wiring were easily established because
such wiring consisted of small telephone cables plus miscellaneous signal and alarm
wires.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 Today, when virtually every commercial/institutional building uses some type of data-
processing equipment, and communication networking is commonplace even in small
facilities, raceways for communication cabling have become a major design
consideration. Their space requirements are sometimes so great that they, like
ductwork, have substantial architectural impact and must therefore be considered
early in the design process.

Design of raceways for data and communication system wiring includes the following
considerations:

1. Number, type, and location of data-processing terminals.

2. Networking requirements:
I. The type of local area network largely determines the
communication media (i.e., coaxial cable, shielded and unshielded
wire, and fiber-optic cables), which affects the raceway space
requirements. The cable type also determines the type of
connectors needed (and their space requirements) and the type of
floor outlets used for machine connection.
II. Cable topology (i.e., interconnection arrangements). This item is
frequently not within the domain of the architectural designer,
although the raceway space availability seriously affects the
cabling arrangement and vice versa.
III. Requirement for interconnection of networks and connection to
remote networks.
3. Number, location, and characteristics of major peripheral devices, such as
mass storage, printing, and plotting.
4. Location and type of major subsystems, such as computer-aided
design/manufacturing spaces.
5. Location of presentation spaces that require interconnection to computer
networks.

In view of these highly technical and rapidly changing requirements, engaging the
services of a consultant with specialization in this area is suggested.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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XIII. UNDER-CARPET WIRING SYSTEM

This system, which is covered in NEC Article 328, was originally developed as
both an inexpensive alternative to an underfloor or cellular floor system and as a
means for providing a flexible floor-level branch circuit wiring system. Essentially, the
system consists of a factory-assembled flat cable (NEC type FCC), approved for floor
installation only under carpet squares, plus the accessories necessary for connection to
120-V power outlets.

Pictorial representation of a full-access floor designed to provide complete electrical, data, and signal services to a modern workstation
layout. The infinite access and unlimited space are ideal for heavily wired, rapidly changing workstation arrangements.
(From AIA: Ramsey/Sleeper, Architectural Graphic Standards, 11th ed. 2007. Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons.)

The cable itself consists of three or more flat copper conductors, placed edge
to edge and enclosed in an insulating material. The entire assembly is covered with a
grounded metal shield, which, like a metal conduit, provides both physical protection
and a continuous electrical ground path. In addition, a bottom shield is required, which
is usually heavy PVC or metal.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 The cable, when properly installed on a hard, flat surface, is approximately 0.03 in.
(0.8mm) high, and thus essentially undetectable when covered with carpet. Because
carpet squares are designed to be readily removable, the entire system can be
repositioned to meet changing furniture layout requirements with a minimum of
disruption and no structural work. The cable is designed to carry normal physical loads
such as office traffic and furniture placement without affecting its electrical
performance.

The problems inherent in this type of on-the floor wiring system, such as cable
crossings, splicing, interfacing with round cable systems, interconnections at floor
boxes and fittings, feed connections from cabinets, underfloor ducts, floor cells, and
through-the-floor fittings, have all been solved by a full line of manufactured devices
designed for specific situations.

Because under-carpet wiring systems are separate and distinct from wire and
conduit systems, they, like underfloor duct systems, are usually shown on a separate
electrical plan. Although these systems, at least in their simplest form, are particularly
applicable to retrofit work, their low cost, combined with the inherent advantages of a
flexible floor-level wiring system, particularly in open office areas, has made them a
widely used first choice in new construction as well.

XIV. CEILING RACEWAYS AND MANUFACTURED WIRING SYSTEMS

The need for flexibility in a facility’s electrical system coupled with the high
cost of underfloor electrical raceway systems encouraged the development of
equivalent over-the-ceiling systems.

These systems are actually more flexible than their underfloor counterparts because
they energize lighting, provide power and telephone facilities, and even supply outlets
for the floor above, in addition to permitting very rapid layout changes at low cost.

Beyond the extremeflexibility made possible by the ceiling raceway system, it has the
additional advantage that the system itself, not being cast in concrete like its
underfloor counterpart, can be altered at will. Thus, not only layout changes (as
mentioned previously) but also changes in space function can readily be
accommodated.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T.
Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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 Details vary among manufacturers but the systems are essentially the same and, in
principle, resemble underfloor systems. A typical system is constructed of metallic or
nonmetallic surfacetype raceways arranged in a tree formation (i.e., large trunk
[header] raceways feed multiple smaller branch [distribution] raceways, and so on).
The raceways are hung in the ceiling plenum from the concrete slab above. The hung
ceiling must consist of lift-out panels because this type of wiring system is not
permitted in spaces rendered inaccessible by the building structure. Header ducts
(large area raceways) are fed from electrical panels and from signal, data, and
telephone cabinets in the electrical and low-voltage wiring service closets, respectively.
Data headers are normally larger than the power header and can carry other low-
voltage, low-power signal wiring as well. Distribution ducts (laterals) tap onto the
headers. These laterals act as subdistribution raceways, feeding lighting fixtures and
data, signal, telephone, and power outlets on the same floor and, via poke-through
fittings, outlets on the floor above.

The result is a wiring system of extreme flexibility in which even extensive changes can
be made very rapidly with minimal disruption and virtually no mess. Manufactured
wiring systems are only permitted in accessible areas, for logical reasons. They are also
applicable to access floor spaces. The additional cost of manufactured wiring elements
is frequently offset by the labor savings, even upon initial installation and certainly
after one or two field changes. To take full advantage of the potential laborcost savings
inherent in the system, field labor must be minimized. This is accomplished by factory-
equipping all utilization equipment, including lighting fixtures, with appropriate plug-in
connectors.

*Excerpted from Chapter 26 and 27 of Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by
Walter T. Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S. Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

REFERENCE:
Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings by Walter T. Grondzik, Alison G. Kwok, Benjamin Stein, John S.
Reynolds - Wiley (2009)

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