Steve

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Sometimes the electrician does know the better way- he/she certainly spends a lot more time on-site working than the engineer- but very often, the engineer has a very good reason for the design decisions made.

I agree with you entirely, the reason a smart customer hires an engineer is IMO to think of whole picture and at times prevent the EC from looking at only their own interests.

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As for overruling the code, my experience is all at the federal level where the engineer is the AHJ and is the law; the codes are guidance, but I can overrule them as I wish.

Steve I don't doubt you in the least. [Linked Image]

However that situation is very unusually, of the approx 60,000 ECs in the US very few work on the type of jobs that you are designing.

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I can't speak so much for the city, but NEC and IBC give a lot of authority to the AHJs to deviate,

I have no knowledge of the IBC, it is not used here. As far as the NEC I disagree there is a lot of room for judgment by an AHJ. There are a few specific sections intentionally left up to the AHJ but the majority is not up to interpretation.

That is why many areas feel they have to amend the NEC. If an area adopts the NEC and did not amend it the AHJ can not just ignore the NEC when an engineer (or even the AHJ themselves) decides they want to do something outside the NEC.


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AHJs seems a lot more willing to allow an engineer who's assuming all liability to deviate than sign off work on their own authority.

I don't see that here and it does not sound like John or George Little see it happening either.

If an AHJ allows the deviation from the NEC based on the engineers request wouldn't that in fact open the municipality to more liability?

JMHO, Bob [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 02-09-2007).]

Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts