Advantages of EMT over MC Cable

[milo]

Please settle an office discussion. Are there any advantages of using EMT
over interlocked MC cable for 20 Amp branch circuit wiring. Note: An
equipment grounding conductor will be pulled in each. The application is in
commercial construction in of all types (block walls, metal stud walls, some
exposed conduit runs). I am interested in the engineer's, electrician's, as
well as cost perspectives.

Thanks in advance

 

[volts500]

Please settle an office discussion. Are there any advantages of using EMT
over interlocked MC cable for 20 Amp branch circuit wiring. Note: An
equipment grounding conductor will be pulled in each. The application is in
commercial construction in of all types (block walls, metal stud walls, some
exposed conduit runs). I am interested in the engineer's, electrician's, as
well as cost perspectives.

Thanks in advance

In my area most electrical contractors these days will use MC whenever and
wherever possible. In fact, if EMT isn't specified in the contract, MC is
pretty much what you will get........like it or not. Small commercial jobs
are just about all MC these days.. Larger commercial jobs will usually have
EMT from the distribution panels to boxes set in strategic locations, with
MC for the rest of the wiring. This method is particularly advantageous in
office buildings (where tenants come and go)........usually the floor is
gutted and built to suit the new tenant.....or an existing tenant just wants
a change in layout. The homeruns in the EMT are simply reused, or
additional HR's pulled in. While EMT and Rigid Metal Conduit still have
their uses, MC has replaced EMT as the "preferred" wiring method pretty much
the same way that EMT replaced RMC (GRC at the time)......ease of
installation and reduced cost.

As an electrician I personally think MC sucks because of the way it gets
terminated, but hey, if that's what I'm told to install, and it meets code,
that's what goes in. I'm sure that if baling wire were "legal", that's what
would be getting installed.