Hey slick and techie whats up?
Let me tell you a little of my experience.
I have been the house electrician for a venue with indoor concerts of about 5000 and outdoor shows of about 8,000 to 10,000.
We had acts ranging from the typical local 'cover bands' to well established acts like Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Scorpions etc.
Now I am actively involved in a 20,000 seat 'shed' with acts from Ozzy to Reba M.
I have seen quite a range of equipment, some very impressive some down right dangerous.
Building of distros is very common practice in the entertainment biz,
I agree, that has nothing to do with the question of if it is legal or not.
I'm wondering since the title of Art 520 is "Theaters, Audience Areas Of Motion Picture And Television Studios, Etc." (NEC 1999) would it be possible that ceretain jurisdictions/AHJ's are under the impression that it does not apply to concert halls, stages, etc?
Art. 530 may be what they have in mind? Art. 530-22(a) reads almost exactly the same as 520-53(k). Hmmm.....
I can not say what AHJs are thinking but if we look at the scope 520 is the article that applies to most touring shows.
520.1 Scope.
This article covers all buildings or that part of a building or structure, indoor or outdoor, designed or used for presentation, dramatic, musical, motion picture projection, or similar purposes and to specific audience seating areas within motion picture or television studios.
Now look at the scope of 530
530.1 Scope.
The requirements of this article shall apply to television studios and motion picture studios using either film or electronic cameras, except as provided in 520.1, and exchanges, factories, laboratories, stages, or a portion of the building in which film or tape more than 22 mm (7/8 in.) in width is exposed, developed, printed, cut, edited, rewound, repaired, or stored.
Unless you are making movies I feel 520 is the article to look at.
I will note that the code limits the number of mated connector pairs in any cable run so as to effectively require the use of 100' sections of cable. We commonly ignore that requirement, due to the inability of a single stagehand to carry a 100' section of 2/5 SO or 4/0 type W by himself.
That statement and this one also
We seldom drive a ground rod, since a lot of our use is on concrete, where there is no place available to drive it, and the generator ends up being completely isolated from ground.
show the problems I have with 'roadies' or 'theater electricians' many are very knowledgeable about the equipment they deal with. However they either do not know the code or simple ignore it when it is difficult to comply with the excuse being 'we always do that'.
The NEC does not care if it takes two stage hands to carry the cable or if you have to drill a hole in concrete to get a rod in.
By the way if the all the equipment is cord and plug connected to the generator you do not need a ground rod. If the generator is hard wired you must ground the unit concrete or not.
I've also done shows where we would bring in a portable transformer, and take a 480v feed from the house, and drop it to 120/208 for our rig.
That portable transformer better be bonded and have GECs run to building steel or a rod.
I feel strongly about this subject and I will tell you why.
Most of these venues are also covered by ARTICLE 518 Places of Assembly which has very stringent requirements to protect the audience. If you have road crews ignoring the NEC you are putting the audience in danger.
Bob
[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 08-08-2005).]
