An Update on 05RN Standards

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November 12, 2019

​By Ray Horner

Ray Horner is Director of Codes and Standards at Atkore International.​

As NEMA 05RN (Steel Conduit and Electrical Metallic Tubing) Section Members, our responsibility is to review, revise, and maintain industry Standards for the following products:

  • Rigid metal conduit (RMC), including elbows, threaded couplings, and nipples customarily furnished on or with rigid metal conduit
  • Electrical metallic tubing (EMT), including elbows customarily furnished with electrical metallic tubing
  • Intermediate metal conduit (IMC), including elbows, threaded coupling, and nipples customarily furnished on or with intermediate metal conduit

The committee continuously updates product Standards that play a vital role in the design, production, and distribution of products as well as improving the safety and quality of the product for the end-user. In addition, 05RN committee Members participate in the development and maintenance of industry Standards across various Standards developing organizations (SDOs) such as NEMA, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and CANENA.

NEMA 05RN Members actively meet to review, revise, and maintain the following NEMA Standards:

  • NEMA RN 1—Standard for Polyvinyl-Chloride (PVC) Externally Coated Galvanized Rigid Steel Conduit and Intermediate Metal Conduit
    • This Standard covers the requirements for PVC coatings applied to galvanized rigid conduit, intermediate metal conduit, and aluminum conduit
      • Requirements covered by RN 1 are:
        • Minimum thickness of the coating
        • Coating material properties
        • Application procedures
        • Workmanship and appearances
        • Performance of the coating
  • NEMA RN 2—Standard for the Packaging of Master Bundles for Electrical Rigid Metal Conduit (ERMC)—Steel, Electrical Intermediate Metal Conduit (EIMC)—Steel, and Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT)—Steel
    • This Standard covers the size and construction of master bundles
      • Size of master bundles for 10- and 20-foot lengths of:
        • Rigid conduit
        • Intermediate conduit
        • Electrical metallic tubing
      • It also provides recommended construction of the master bundle to improve safety of the end-user when opening the bundle and shipping

NEMA 05RN Members also participate in revising and maintaining the following Standards through participation in ANSI C80 committee work. The Standards covered by the work of the committee are:

  • ANSI C80.1—Standard for Electrical Rigid Steel Conduit (ERSC)
  • ANSI C80.3—Standard for Electrical Metallic Tubing—Steel (EMT-S)
  • ANSI C80.5—Standard for Electrical Rigid Metal Conduit—Aluminum (ERMC-A)
  • ANSI C80.6—Standard for Electrical Intermediate Metal Conduit 
    • These Standards cover the construction and performance requirements for RMC, ARC, EMT, and IMC. Some of the requirements covered by these ANSI Standards are:
      • General construction requirements, including wall thickness, interior surface of the conduit, welding, and protective coatings for corrosion resistance
      • Detailed construction requirements for exterior coating, interior coating, threading, dimensions, couplings, elbows, and nipples
      • Performance procedures through bending tests, thickness of zinc coatings, and alternate corrosion resistance coatings
      • Product markings

NEMA 05RN Members also promote the harmonization of third-party Standards by participating in CANENA. Harmonization of product Standards helps to minimize differences and redundancies in requirements from one SDO to another. CANENA is an association focused on harmonizing electrotechnical Standards across the Americas. The NEMA 05RN committee is actively involved with the CANENA technical harmonization subcommittee SC23A, which focuses on the harmonization of the rigid steel conduit and electrical metallic tubing Standards.

How Does the NEMA 05RN Standards Work Benefit the Industry?

The development and maintenance of product safety Standards help both the manufacturer and end-users of the product. Standards help manufacturers by specifying the construction, performance, safety, and quality parameters that their products need to achieve certification. The production of products to industry Standards may also provide the following benefits to the end-user: quality, safety, performance, reliability, and consistency of products as well as interoperability between products and manufacturers.

When choosing electrical steel conduit or tubing for your next project, ensure that the product is made to one of the Standards discussed earlier, as this will help provide you with a sense of security that the product will meet your safety and reliability needs.

For more information, check out the NEMA 05RN Toolkit at www.nema.org/Steel-Conduit-Toolkit. 

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