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According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were approximately 5,077 proposals submitted for modifications to the 2011 edition of the NEC. Of these proposals, 4,093 proposals were submitted by the public at large, while 174 proposals were developed by the code-making panels themselves during the proposal stage.

Code-Wide Changes

90.5(C) Mandatory Rules, Permissive Rules, and Explanatory Material.
90.5(D) Informative Annexes.
One of the first changes that one will notice is the familiar term fine print notes (FPN) has been removed throughout the Code and replaced with Informational Notes. “Fine print” refers to a type size, rather than clearly portraying its advisory nature.

General Changes
Article 100 Definitions
Just a few of the proposals to add or revise definitions to Article 100. Some are new or revised definitions:

Automatic - Performing a function without the necessity of human intervention.

Bathroom - An area including a basin with one or more of the following: a toilet, a urinal, a tub, a shower, a foot bath, a bidet, or similar plumbing fixtures.

Bonding Jumper, Supply-Side - A reliable conductor installed on the supply side of a service or separately derived system to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.

Ground Fault - An unintentional, electrically conducting connection between an ungrounded conductor of an electrical circuit and the normally non–current-carrying conductors, metallic enclosures, metallic raceways, metallic equipment, or earth.

Grounding Electrode Conductor - A conductor used to connect the system grounded conductor, equipment, communications system protectors, antenna discharge units, communications cables, or network interface units to a grounding electrode or to a point on the grounding electrode system.

Wiring and Protection - Proposed Changes

New: 240.35 Marking with Available Short-Circuit Current.

This is a new provision in the NEC pertaining to field marking requirements that identify the available short-circuit current at equipment enclosures (other than dwelling units) containing service- or feeder-circuit overcurrent protective devices. This change will increase the enforceability of numerous NEC requirements where the electrical equipment is based on the available short-circuit current. This change will simply require that this “already-determined” value be posted on the enclosure. Along with the date on which the short-circuit calculation was performed or obtained, these marking changes apply only to the available short-circuit current as calculated for equipment rating purposes. These marking requirements for available short-circuit current do not apply for arc-flash calculation purposes.

New: 240.87 Non-Instantaneous Trip.

New language was added to Article 240 to allow a circuit breaker without an instantaneous trip to be installed primarily for selective coordination purposes, but only under very specific conditions. One of three conditions must be provided: (1) zone-selective interlocking, (2) differential relaying, or (3) energy-reducing maintenance switching with a local status indicator. Non-instantaneous trip circuit breakers or short-time delay is an industry-proven method to achieve selective coordination of circuit breakers. It delays the opening of an upstream circuit breaker while the downstream overcurrent device clears a short circuit. If, however, a short occurs between the two devices, the upstream circuit breaker will still delay its tripping operation, allowing for more let-through energy than would have been allowed if the upstream circuit breaker had utilized an instantaneous trip. This type of installation is typical for electrical power distribution systems. This extra amount of let-through energy may injure workers or damage equipment.

New: 250.53(A)(2) Grounding Electrode System Installation Rod, Pipe, and Plate Electrodes Supplemental Electrode Required

Provisions were put in place to require rod, pipe, and plate grounding electrodes to be supplemented by an additional electrode of the type specified in 250.52(A)(2) through (A)(8). Currently, the only electrode that is required to be supplemented by an additional electrode is metal underground water piping. This proposed provision will essentially reverse the order of grounding electrode installation for such things as a driven ground rod. Under the current provisions of the NEC, one must install a driven ground rod and prove that it meets the 25-ohms-or-less provisions of 250.56. If the 25 ohms or less can’t be met or verified, a supplemental electrode such as a second ground rod must be installed. Few AHJs and even fewer installers possess the instruments necessary to read the resistance of a rod, pipe, or plate electrode. Under the proposed new provisions, one would start with a ground rod supplemented by perhaps a second ground rod. An exception was developed to allow only one ground rod if the 25-ohms-or-less provisions of 250.56 can be achieved and verified.

New: Use of Equipment Grounding Conductors.

This new provision will prohibit an equipment grounding conductor (EGC) from being used as a grounding electrode conductor (GEC). This new section will clarify that grounding electrode conductors and equipment grounding conductors serve different purposes in the electrical safety system. They are sized differently and have different installation requirements. Equipment grounding conductors do not normally carry current, while a grounding electrode conductor may normally carry current since it is often in parallel with the neutral conductor.

Wiring Methods and Materials

New: 312.10(B) Enclosure Edges.

This new requirement will require all sharp edges of Article 312 metal enclosures that are subject to hand contact during typical installation activity to be protected or de-burred and rounded to minimize the risk of injury. This shall take effect at the time of manufacture. Sharp edges on enclosures have caused numerous injuries to installers as well as thousands of lost man hours. These sharp edges have also caused damage to the integrity of conductor insulation during installation resulting in potential ground-fault conditions or sometimes immediate arc flash. However, it should also be noted that what constitutes a sharp edge is subjective, and with any subjective requirement, the code user is placed at a disadvantage when applying the requirements. CMP-9 would welcome comments on this controversial issue.

We'll update the site periodically with more information as it becomes available. *

Course Description:

• Learn about the latest NEC® 2011 changes and how they impact you!
• Included in the cost of a seminar, you will receive the NEC® 2011 Codebook.

Course Benefits:

• Design and construction teams who know the most current code requirements will:
  • Save their clients money.
  • Keep system incompatibilities from holding up the job.
  • Provide a greater degree of protection for the building owners.

What you will learn:

• Expanded AFCI protection in wiring systems
• Identification of ungrounded branch circuit and feeder conductors
• Reorganized rules in Article 220: Branch Circuit, Feeder and Service Calculations
• New rules for GFCI protection
• New zone hazardous area classification system for combustible dusts and ignitable fibers and flyings
• All-new articles for control panels and speed-drive systems

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