SECTION 16450

RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item No Title Page No

PART 1 GENERAL............................................................................................................ 1

1.01 DESCRIPTION OF WORK .................................................................................. 1

1.02 SECTION INCLUDES .......................................................................................... 1

1.03 RELATED SECTIONS ......................................................................................... 1

1.04 REFERENCES..................................................................................................... 1

1.05 DEFINITIONS....................................................................................................... 2

1.06 SUBMITTALS....................................................................................................... 3

1.07 QUALITY CONTROL ........................................................................................... 4

1.08 HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS...................................................... 4

1.09 FACTORY TESTING ........................................................................................... 4

1.10 SERVICE CONDITIONS...................................................................................... 5

1.11 DELIVERY, HANDLING AND STORAGE ........................................................... 5

PART 2 PRODUCTS ......................................................................................................... 7

2.01 GENERAL ............................................................................................................ 7

2.02 PANELBOARDS .................................................................................................. 7

PART 3 EXECUTION ...................................................................................................... 11

3.01 GENERAL .......................................................................................................... 11

3.02 INSTALLATIONS ............................................................................................... 11

3.03 TESTING AND COMMISSIONING .................................................................... 12

Rev 0 i Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

PART 1 GENERAL

1.01 DESCRIPTION OF WORK

A. This Section specifies minimum technical requirements for designing, manufacturing,

supplying, installing, storing, handling, testing and commissioning of Panelboards,
used specifically for residential projects.

1.02 SECTION INCLUDES

A. Construction of Panelboards

B. Circuit Breakers

C. Bus Bars for Panelboards

D. Wiring and Terminations

E. Nameplates

1.03 RELATED SECTIONS

A. Section 01320 Construction Progress Documentation

B. Section 01330 Submittal Procedures

C. Section 01410 Regulatory Requirements

D. Section 01450 Quality Control

E. Section 01650 Product Delivery Requirements

F. Section 01660 Product Storage and Handling Requirements

G. Section 16060 Grounding and Bonding

H. Section 16130 Raceway and Boxes

I. Section 16140 Wiring Devices

J. Section 16160 Conductors and Cables

1.04 REFERENCES

A. The referred codes and standards are intended to provide an acceptable level of
quality for materials, products and workmanship. In case of conflict between these
standards and the text of this Specification, the Specification text shall govern.

B. The latest revision of the referred Codes and Standards shall be used wherever
applicable. In case of conflict, the Contractor shall propose equipment, materials and

Rev 0 1 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

processes confirming to one group of Codes and Standards.

C. ANSI/UL American National Standard Institute/ Underwriters Laboratory

1. ANSI/UL 50 Enclosure for Electrical Equipment

D. ASTM American Society of Testing and Materials

1. ASTM A47M Standard Specification for Ferritic Malleable Iron

Castings

2. ASTM A123M Standard Specification for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized)

Coatings on Iron and Steel Products

3. ASTM B187M Standard Specification for Copper, Bus Bar, Rod,

and Shapes and General Purpose Rod, Bar, and
Shapes

E. IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

1. IEC 60439-3 Low Voltage Switchgear and Controlgear Assemblies

- Part 3: Particular Requirements for Low-Voltage
Switchgear and Controlgear Assemblies Intended to
be Installed in Places where Unskilled Persons have
Access for their Use - Distribution Boards

2. IEC 60529 Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures

(IP Code)

3. IEC 60617 Graphical Symbols and Diagrams

F. NEMA National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association

1. NEMA PB1 Panelboards

2. NEMA 250 Enclosures for Electrical Equipment (1000 Volts

Maximum)

G. NFPA National Fire Protection Association

1. NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

H. UL Underwriters Laboratory Inc.

1. UL 1332 Organic Coatings for Steel Enclosures for Outdoor

Use Electrical Equipment

1.05 DEFINITIONS

A. dead front: Equipment without live parts, exposed to a person on the operating side
of a panelboards.

Rev 0 2 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

B. listed: Equipment, materials, or services included in a list, published by an

organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with
evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of
the listed equipment or periodic evaluation of services; and whose listing states that
the equipment, material or services, either meet appropriate designated standards, or
have been tested and found suitable for specified purpose.

C. live parts: Energized conductive components.

D. low voltage: A voltage level less than 690 V.

E. panelboard: A single panel or group of panel units designed for assembly in the
form of a single panel, including buses and automatic over-current devices, and
equipped with or without switches for the control of light, heat or power circuits,
designed to be placed in a cabinet or cut-out boxes placed in or against wall, partition
or other support and accessible only from the front.

1.06 SUBMITTALS

A. The Contractor shall submit to the Royal Commission, under the provisions of
SECTION 01330, the following items for review and approval before commencing
Work:

1. Shop Drawings shall include:

a) Legend Drawing
1) A drawing showing Legend, Symbols and specialized terminology
used in Shop Drawings.

b) General Arrangement of Panelboard

1) Arrangement drawings showing physical arrangement of all
panelboards mounted devices for each panelboard furnished. The
function of each panelboard mounted device shall be shown on
these drawing.

c) External Terminal Connection Diagram

1) Terminal connection drawings showing the terminal blocks where
the Royal Commission is to make its field connections, shall be
furnished.

2. List of Panelboard manufacturers.

3. Maintenance Data and Operating Instruction

a) Manufacturer’s catalogs, giving description of the equipment and its

components.

b) Manufacturer’s installation instructions.

c) Part List.

Rev 0 3 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

d) Recommended list of spare parts along with price list.

e) Factory Test Report.

4. Quality Program as specified in SECTION 01450.

B. The Contractor shall submit Field Test Report after completion of testing and
commissioning.

1.07 QUALITY CONTROL

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for the quality of work and shall develop and
propose programs and methods of construction and testing to achieve the specified
quality to the approval of the Royal Commission in accordance with
SECTION 01450.

1.08 HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

A. All works undertaken in relation to this Specification are to be completed in full

accordance with the respective health and safety requirements established by the
following:

1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

a) Legislation, Regulation, Standards and Codes.

2. Royal Commission Regulations

a) Standards, Contractual Conditions, and Health and Safety Systems.

3. Contractor

a) Health and Safety Standards and Systems as accepted by the Royal

Commission.

B. In the absence of any of the above, best accepted industry practice shall be
employed throughout.

1.09 FACTORY TESTING

A. The Panelboard shall be tested at the factory in accordance with latest applicable
codes and standards as specified in 1.04. All type tests shall be performed on first
unit of every new design, as per applicable codes and standards. The Contractor
shall notify the Royal Commission in writing not less than 30 days prior to the
scheduled starting date of the factory tests.

B. The Royal Commission reserves the right of deputing their representative for
witnessing the factory tests.

C. Upon completion of factory tests, and before shipment of the equipment or materials,

Rev 0 4 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

the Contractor shall submit 5 certified copies of the test reports not later than 10 days
after completion of all factory tests, for review and approval of the Royal
Commission.

1.10 SERVICE CONDITIONS

A. Panelboards installed indoor shall be suitable for continuous operation under the
following conditions:

1. Ambient Air Temperature

a) A maximum of 40°C.

b) A minimum of 0°C.

c) Average temperature measured over a period of 1 month is 35°C.

2. Average Value Relative Humidity

a) For a period of 24 hours does not exceed 95%.

b) For a period of 1 month does not exceed 90%.

B. Panelboards installed outdoor shall be suitable for continuous operation under the
following conditions.

1. Ambient Air Temperature

a) A maximum of 50°C.

b) A minimum of 0°C.

c) Average temperature measured over a period of 1 month is 45°C.

2. Altitude is less than 1000 m, unless a higher altitude is specified on the

Contract Drawings.

3. Average Value of Relative Humidity

a) For a period of 24 hours does not exceed 95%.

b) For a period of 1 month does not exceed 90%.

4. Relative Humidity may be temporarily 100%.

1.11 DELIVERY, HANDLING AND STORAGE

A. The Contractor shall deliver, handle and store equipment and material units in
accordance with SECTIONS 01650 and 01660, and the following requirements:

1. Provide marking on each item in accordance with referenced standards. Ship

Rev 0 5 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

each unit securely wrapped, crated and wrapped or packaged, and listed for
safe handling in shipment and to avoid damage.

2. On arrival at site, the equipment shall be checked for completeness and

physical condition.

3. Store equipment in secure and dry storage facility, close to operating condition
and as recommended by manufacturer.

4. Protect the equipment from physical damage from work of other trades.

5. The Contractor shall be responsible for damages occurred during

transportation and storage of the equipment.

Rev 0 6 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

PART 2 PRODUCTS

2.01 GENERAL

A. All goods and products covered by these Specifications shall be procured, when
available, from an in-Kingdom manufacturer. Procurement of all goods and products
manufactured out-of-Kingdom must be approved by the Royal Commission.

B. All parts and material shall be new, good quality, and shall be selected to perform as
specified herein.

C. The Equipment supplied shall be:

1. In compliance with, or exceed the minimum requirements of this Specification.

2. Product of original manufacturer.

3. Factory tested and assembled to the extent possible, so as to minimize the

field erection.

D. Items and component of the equipment not specifically covered herein shall be in
accordance with latest edition of the referenced codes and standards.

E. The components of the assembled unit shall meet the requirement of standard listed
in par. 1.04, or approved by testing laboratory acceptable to the Royal Commission.

F. Reliability and maximum service continuity shall be the fundamental consideration of

engineering, design, operational functions and materials used in the design of
components and manufacturing.

G. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure that testing and inspection of

Panelboards shall comply with all regulatory codes, standards and regulations,
applicable to the specified services, and to the requirements of this Specification.

2.02 PANELBOARDS

A. General

1. Electrical system for residential projects includes Panelboards comprising of

incoming and outgoing circuits utilizing Moulded Case Circuit Breakers
(MCCB), Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB), and Isolating Switches etc.

2. Panelboards are generally classified into 2 categories as follows:

a) Lighting and Appliance Panelboards

1) A lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboard is one having
more than 10% of its overcurrent devices, protecting lighting and
appliance branch circuits.

b) Power Distribution Panelboards

1) A power distribution panelboard is one having 10% or fewer of its

Rev 0 7 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

overcurrent devices, protecting lighting and appliance branch

circuit panelboards.

3. Panelboards shall have rating not less than the minimum feeder capacity
required for the load, as computed in Article 220 of NEC.

4. Panelboard shall be durably marked by the manufacturer with the voltage and
current rating, and the number of phases for which they are designed and with
the manufacturer’s name and trademark. These markings shall be visible after
installation, without disturbing the interior parts or wiring.

B. Construction of Panelboards

1. The Panelboard shall be manufactured as specified in the Contract Drawings

and relevant standards listed in par. 1.04.

2. The Panelboard shall be dead front type with rigid self-supporting structures,
with suitable structural galvanized steel reinforcement, stiffening and bracing.
The Panelboard shall be tamperproof.

3. When the structures are assembled, the surfaces shall be flat and smooth and
shall have ample strength to withstand all stresses encountered in shipping,
installation and operation without any malfunctioning, vibration or other
damage.

4. The material used for construction of the Panelboards shall be non-flammable,

non-hygroscopic and vermin proof material.

5. The Panels shall be cleaned, de-greased and pre-treated with a phosphating

process to inhibit rust. The Panelboards shall then be primed with zinc and
finished with 2 coats of ANSI Z55.1 No. 61 gray paint.

6. The front door of the Panelboard shall be provided with concealed hinges. All
door locks shall be corrosion proof with retractable latches. All door locks shall
be keyed for a single key.

7. The Panelboard shall be suitable for top/bottom cable entry, or as shown on

documents.

C. Circuit Breakers

1. All circuit breakers shall meet the requirement of standard listed in par. 1.04,
and shall have trip rating as indicated on the Contract Drawing.

2. The breaker shall have quick-make and quick-break toggle mechanism,

inverse-time trip characteristics, and shall be trip free on overload and short
circuit. Automatic release shall be secured by a bi-metallic thermal element
releasing the mechanism latch. Circuit Breaker shall be ambient compensated
to 50°C, allowing breaker to carry full rated current with uniform tripping
characteristics throughout temperature range from 25 to 50°C.

3. Molded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) shall be bolt-on type. Miniature Circuit
Breaker (MCB) used on 120/240 V circuit shall be plug-in or bolt-on type as
specified on the Contract Drawing. MCB used on 277/480 V shall be bolt-on

Rev 0 8 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

type only.

4. Two or 3-pole circuit breaker shall have internal common trip cross bar for
simultaneous tripping of each pole.

5. Circuit Breaker shall have standard ON/OFF escutcheon marking. All breaker
handles and face plates shall indicate rated ampacity.

6. Panelboard shall be equipped with a minimum of 10% spare breakers and a

minimum of 10% spare pole spaces. The size of the circuit breaker shall be
representative of the connected breakers within the panelboards.

7. Number of overcurrent devices provided on Panelboard shall comply with NEC

Article 408.15.

D. Bus Bars for Panelboards

1. The bus bars shall be tin-plated, except where joints are overlapping surface
that shall be silver plated.

2. The phase arrangement of 3-phase buses shall be A, B, C from left to right as

viewed from the front of the Panelboard.

3. The bus bars shall be so located, as to be free from physical damage, and
shall be held firmly in place.

4. The arrangement of the bus bars shall be such as to avoid overheating due to
inductive effect. The bus bar bracing shall comply with the Contract
Drawings/Documents.

5. A neutral bus bar of the same rating as that of phase bus shall be provided,
and shall have numbered terminals for connection of neutral wires.

6. A ground bus shall be secured inside the panelboard. Panelboard cabinets

and panelboard frames shall be in physical contact with each other, and shall
be bonded to ground bus.

E. Wiring and Terminations

1. An insulated conductor used within the panelboard shall be listed, flame

retardant, and shall be rated not less than the voltage applied to it, as well as
other conductors or bus with which it may come in contact.

2. The enclosure of the Panelboard shall have top and bottom wire bending
spaces sized in accordance with NEC Table 312.6(B), for the largest
conductor entering or leaving the enclosure. The side wire bending space shall
be in accordance with NEC Table 312.6(A), for the largest conductor to be
terminated in that space.

3. Each Panelboard shall have a minimum number of cable terminations equal to

that of the number of individual circuits that the Panelboard has been designed
to take. The termination shall be of the size sufficient to accept the largest size
cable, which could reasonably be expected to be used on an outgoing circuit.

Rev 0 9 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

4. The neutral and ground bus bar shall have minimum number of cable
terminations equal to that of the number of individual circuits that the
Panelboard has been designed to take.

F. Nameplates

1. Panelboards shall be identified by laminated plastic nameplates that are

attached to the panels by self-tapping screws. The nameplates shall be
aligned properly.

2. Panelboard branch circuit’s purpose and use shall be legibly identified on a

circuit directory located inside the Panelboard door. The directory shall be
covered by clear plastic or glass plate and metal frame.

Rev 0 10 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

PART 3 EXECUTION

3.01 GENERAL

A. The Contractor shall provide all materials, equipment and labor as deemed
necessary for complete and proper execution of the work.

B. After the installation is completed and properly adjusted, the Contractor shall conduct
operating tests. The various equipment and systems shall be demonstrated to
operate in accordance with the requirements of the specifications. Tests shall be
performed in the presence of the Royal Commission’s representative. The Contractor
shall provide electrical power, instruments and personnel necessary for performing
the various tests.

3.02 INSTALLATIONS

A. General

1. All installation details, write up on handling the equipment, instruction manuals

and latest revised drawings furnished by the manufacturer shall be available at
the site, prior to installation of the equipment. These details shall be reviewed
by Royal Commission’s representative. The details and instruction furnished in
these documents shall be implemented during the installation of the
equipment.

2. All facilities required for transportation of electrical equipment from store to the
site, such as vehicles and competent manpower, shall be supplied by the
Contractor.

3. All equipment moved to the site shall be inspected for damage or deterioration
during storage. Tag numbers and nameplates shall be verified with the details
given on the Contract Drawings.

4. Installation of the equipment shall be in accordance with the relevant

standards listed in par.1.04, manufacturer’s instructions, and as shown on the
Contract Drawings.

B. Installation of Panelboards

1. Installation of Panelboards shall be in accordance with relevant standards

listed in par. 1.04, or as manufacturer’s instructions.

2. The Panelboard shall be installed in dedicated spaces and protected from

damages.

3. The Contractor shall mount Panel on wall, or flush in wall, or as shown on the
Contract Drawing.

4. Surface mounted Panels shall be securely fastened to the wall, utilizing

expansion bolts or mounting channels.

5. The Panel shall be mounted square to the building lines.

Rev 0 11 of 12 Contract No:

 SECTION 16450
RESIDENTIAL PANELBOARDS

3.03 TESTING AND COMMISSIONING

A. General

1. The Contractor shall carry out all site tests in accordance with approved test
procedure, to ensure that the equipment and materials comply with the
specifications and operational requirements. All tests are subject to witnessing
by the Royal Commission’s representatives.

2. 4 weeks prior to scheduled tests, the Contractor shall submit to the Royal
Commission the outline of the plan and procedures to be used in performing
site inspection and site tests. The outline shall include a brief description of the
test equipment, connection diagrams, proposed tests and procedures, test
sheets, reference drawings and minimum/maximum test and performance
values, in conformance with the specification and acceptability of the
equipment and installation.

3. The Contractor shall provide all test instrumentations, equipment and

accessories necessary for demonstration, and putting the equipment into
operation.

4. All testing equipment shall be calibrated by approved authorities, and

calibration certificate shall be provided to the Royal Commission for review and
approval.

5. Upon completion of all testing, the Contractor shall submit 5 copies of a

certified report attesting that each test has been performed in accordance with
the approved test procedures. The report for each test shall include the name
of the person in-charge of the test and the date of performance. All factory and
field test reports shall be included in Operation and Maintenance Manuals.

B. Test and Checkout on Panelboards

1. Test the Panelboard enclosure for continuity to the grounding system.

2. Test that the insulation resistance to ground of ungrounded conductor is a

minimum of 10 Megaohms.

3. Check all connections for tightness.

END OF SECTION

Rev 0 12 of 12 Contract No: