553-Floating Buildings

You are here

I. General

Extra-hard usage portable power cable listed for both wet locations and sunlight resistance shall be permitted for a feeder to a floating building where flexibility is required. Other raceways suitable for the location shall be permitted to be installed where flexibility is not required.
FPN: See 555.1 and 555.13.

553.1 Scope. This article covers wiring, services, feeders, and grounding for floating buildings.

553.2 Definition.

Floating Building. A building unit as defined in Article

100 that floats on water, is moored in a permanent
location, and has a premises wiring system served
through connection by permanent wiring to an electrical
supply system not located on the premises.

553.3 Application of Other Articles. Wiring for floating buildings shall comply with the applicable provisions of other

articles of this Code, except as modified by this article.

II. Services and Feeders

553.4 Location of Service Equipment. The service equipment for a floating building shall be located adjacent to, but not in or on, the building or any floating structure.

553.5 Service Conductors. One set of service conductors shall be permitted to serve more than one set of service equipment.

553.6 Feeder Conductors. Each floating building shall be supplied by a single set of feeder conductors from its service equipment.

Exception: Where the floating building has multiple occupancy, each occupant shall be permitted to be supplied by a single set of feeder conductors extended from the occupants service equipment to the occupants panelboard.

553.7 Installation of Services and Feeders.

(A) Flexibility. Flexibility of the wiring system shall be maintained between floating buildings and the supply conductors. All wiring shall be installed so that motion of the water surface and changes in the water level will not result in unsafe conditions.

(B) Wiring Methods. Liquidtight flexible metal conduit or liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit with approved fittings shall be permitted for feeders and where flexible connections are required for services.

III. Grounding

553.8 General Requirements. Grounding at floating buildings shall comply with 553.8(A) through (D).

(A) Grounding of Electrical and Nonelectrical Parts. Grounding of both electrical and nonelectrical parts in a floating building shall be through connection to a grounding bus in the building panelboard.

(B) Installation and Connection of Equipment Ground- ing Conductor. The equipment grounding conductor shall be installed with the feeder conductors and connected to a grounding terminal in the service equipment.

(C) Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductor. The equipment grounding conductor shall be an insulated copper conductor with a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes. For conductors larger than 6 AWG, or where multiconductor cables are used, re-identification of conductors as allowed in 250.119(A)(2)(2) and (A)(2)(3) or 250.119(B)(2) and (B)(3) shall be permitted.

(D) Grounding Electrode Conductor Connection. The grounding terminal in the service equipment shall be

grounded by connection through an insulated
grounding electrode conductor to a grounding
electrode on shore.

553.9 Insulated Neutral. The grounded circuit conductor (neutral) shall be an insulated conductor identified in compliance with 200.6. The neutral conductor shall be connected to the equipment grounding terminal in the service