MI Cable Hits the Big Apple

In recent years, mineral insulated (MI) cable has become popular with the engineering and property management community in the tri-state area surrounding New York City. The reasons are multiple: the advent of stricter fire codes now requires certain feeders to be fire-rated; MI cable yields space-saving characteristics compared to traditional wiring methods; and engineers now have more choices in selecting different cabling systems to better match their needs.

This was the situation the building operators of Manhattan's J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., found themselves in when it came time for the operation to upgrade its emergency generator system. Space for conduit inside already crowded utility areas was a concern.

John J. Mulvihill, vice president of Hatzel and Buehler Inc., the electrical contractor responsible for the largest aspect of the generator installation, was impressed with the product. "The durability of the cable and its reliability were outstanding, to say the least," he says.

In all, about 75,000 ft. of cable was used at the site. And, because of careful coordination between the contractor, the building operators and the manufacturer, space is still available for future use. "It is a very good product for this type application," adds Joseph Uhric, J.P. Morgan's assistant vice president of property engineering and technical services. In fact, the company is considering using similar cabling in its other buildings. "The product, as well as the support team, exceeded our expectations," says Uhric.