For those of you who have been following additions to the NEC and have missed the impact of the new Article 708. The intention has been to protect facilities and to provide a certain level of survivability to buildings focused on national defense or vital civil operations. What we have found is that this requires a 2-hour rating on much of the electrical system, specifically the power, ventilation and life-safety systems. While concealing conduit under the floor slab helps ameliorate this situation, exposed conduit falls to GRC or IMC.

This is a newer Code section, and will undoubtedly undergo further refinement as it ages (as all Code Articles typically do).

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