Which type of raceway would you avoid in areas subject to severe damage?

• A. PVC Conduit
• B. Rigid Metal Conduit
• C. Electrical Metallic Tubing
• D. Flexible Metal Conduit

Answer: (C)

In areas likely to suffer severe physical damage, you want a raceway with strong mechanical protection to keep the conductors safe. Electrical Metallic Tubing is a thin-walled, lightweight conduit that can be easily dented or crushed by impact or heavy loads. That makes it less capable of protecting cables in harsh environments, so it’s the type you’d avoid in those areas. More rugged options like rigid metal conduit provide superior protection, and even nonmetallic rigid conduit can offer good impact resistance depending on the application. The other raceways listed resist damage better than EMT, which is why EMT is chosen as the one to avoid.