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Bus Duct: 5000 and 4000A Bus Ducts

Bus duct is a sheet metal duct that contains copper or aluminum busbars to conduct electricity as an alternative to power cables. It is used in commercial and industrial settings to distribute large amounts of electrical power. Bus duct segments are assembled and connected by electrical contractors. Where bus ducts penetrate fire-rated walls or floors, they must be externally firestopped to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between compartments.

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494 views6 pages

Bus Duct: 5000 and 4000A Bus Ducts

Bus duct is a sheet metal duct that contains copper or aluminum busbars to conduct electricity as an alternative to power cables. It is used in commercial and industrial settings to distribute large amounts of electrical power. Bus duct segments are assembled and connected by electrical contractors. Where bus ducts penetrate fire-rated walls or floors, they must be externally firestopped to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between compartments.

Uploaded by

sandalee
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Bus duct

In electrical power distribution, a bus duct (also called busway), is a sheet metal duct
containing either copper or aluminium busbars for the purpose of conducting a substantial
current of electricity. It is an alternative means of conducting electricity to power cables or
cable bus.

5000 ampere copper and 4000A aluminium bus ducts

Bus duct inside an electrical service building at a Canadian oil refinery.

Bus duct inside an electrical closet in Mississauga Civic Centre, firestopped along with
electrical conduit using firestop mortar.
1992 Bus duct segment with internal factory firestop that was replaced prior to fire testing
with firestop mortar. To supply such systems, the bus duct manufacturer had to know where
the duct penetrated fire separations required to have a fire-resistance rating.

In electrical power distribution, a bus duct (also called busway), is a sheet metal duct
containing either copper or aluminium busbars for the purpose of conducting a substantial
current of electricity. It is an alternative means of conducting electricity to power cables or
cable bus.

Construction[edit]

Section of copper bus duct with sandwiched bus bars

Section of aluminium bus duct with sandwiched bus bars


Innards of bus duct showing plastic wrappings of sandwiched busbars and hollow
plastic tube spacers.

Individual busbar wrapping

Similar to cable tray, bus ducts have thicker, cold-formed steel side rails and thinner sheet
metal coverings. Busbars inside may be separated with distinct and even gaps between them,
or sandwiched together.

Typically, individual busbars are wrapped or coated with a non-conducting, covalent


material, such as plastic or (in older systems) electrical tape.

At the connection point, busbars flare out to enable connection to the next segment.

Use and application


Bus ducts are used in commercial and industrial settings, both indoors and outdoors.
Manufacturers deliver them assembled in large segments for electrical contractors to connect
and support.

Through-penetration firestopping

Firestop test sample including 2 bus ducts

ASTM E814 test sample after external firestop mortar installation


ASTM E814 test sample after external firestop insulation installation

Bus duct firestop test, furnace view

End of bus duct on unexposed side of firestop test sample, as smoke generation begins

Smoke generation at end of fire test


Bus duct firestop test sample comes out of the furnace

Bus duct firestop test sample during hose stream test

Bus duct firestop test sample unexposed side after fire and hose stream test

Copper bus duct innards after fire testing, with plastic components burned off

Aluminium bus duct innards during post-mortem investigation following ASTM E814
fire testing

Bus ducts are building service penetrants that are required to be externally firestopped where
they penetrate fire separations required to have a fire-resistance rating. Any internal firestops
that are supplied by the manufacturer may be tested as integral components to either UL857
or IEEE C37.23 for North American models, and then via ASTM E814, UL1479 or ULC-
S115. Bus duct-internal firestops mitigate the transmission of internal fires, smoke and heat
between fire compartments through the combustion of bus duct-internal covalent wrappings,
spacers and brackets.

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