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Engineer54
May seem like a stupid question but I have come across a number of commercial installs such as offices, sports centres etc where the installer has used steel conduit which is embedded into the building fabric. As a result rcd's/rcbo's are not generally required on the lighting circuits.
I'm trying to work out why they wouldn't just plaster over the cables and fit an RCD or rcbo to the circuit. Surely it would be cheaper than using steel conduit everywhere.
The only reasoning that I can think is that if that there would be much less disruption caused if someone drilled through a cable and also by not fitting an RCD/rcbo it alleviates the problem of nuisance tripping.
Obviously these installations are outside of your experience of house bashing. These installations are as you say ''Commercial'' so one expects ''More'' than what you would see installed in an average domestic installation. For a start most decent sized commercial call for and merit a wiring system that is rewirable, and a higher standard of integral safety. Putting everything down to the lowest cost, doesn't work too well, where members of the public are using such facilities with insurance companies.
Apart from anything else, most high end commercial projects, will come with a fully spec'd installation contract, and i can assure you those spec's wouldn't include plastered over T&E cables!!!
As for thinking that all Architects are dummies, and don't know what they're talking about, then you couldn't be more wrong. Many of them know more about the requirements of electrical installations (as well as all the other services) in buildings than you. Few people realise a RIBA architect has studied his profession for a minimum of 7 years to gain that RIBA status!!