Ethiopian Standards ES 3961

on
Electrical Installation of Buildings

Awareness creation presentation

Friday 02 June 2017, Addis Ababa

Outline
Essence of the standard
Historical evolution of the standard
The update process
Normative References
Definitions: Building and Installation
Purpose and scope of the code
Content of ES 3961
Added Sections to the new standard
 Essence of the standard
To ensure safe utilization of electricity in buildings avoiding
fire hazards on humans, animals, buildings & properties and
shock hazards on humans and animals.
 Essence of the standard
Other critical issues involving standards and codes for building
electrical installations include
reliability,
efficiency,
economics and
convenience.
However, centering the standard on safety makes logically the
conductors, devices, and other electrical materials used to be of
relatively appropriate capacity, quality and durability.
As a result reliability and efficiency aspects of the installation
will be satisfied.
 Historical evolution of the standard
In Ethiopia the practice on building electrical installations was
introduced, developed and established over a century since 1900s.
Before EBCS-10 was produced, electrical installation practices
were practically derived from European practices.
Henceforth, the design rules and contracting or subcontracting
practices were implicitly based first on either on earlier versions of
IEC 60 364 standards, or later on and more recently on DIN/VDE 0
100 standards and regulations.
 Historical evolution
The first national regulatory document on building electrical
installation was issued by the then EELPA under the theme
Building Electrical Installation Regulation in 1966.
During that time EELPA was acting as a utility engaged in the
generation, transmission, distribution and sales of electric power
but also as a regulator of the same and as building electrical
installations.
This regulatory document was very limited in scope, coverage
and application.
 Historical evolution
This limitation initiated a process and paved the way for
producing an entirely new and wide coverage electrical
installation code and standard.
By far the more wide issues covering, systematized, and
standardized document comparable to international similar
experiences is the Building Electrical Installation Standard and
Code of Ethiopia, referred to as EBCS-10 and developed in 1995.
EBCS-10 has been an integral part of the Ethiopian Building Code
Standard (EBCS) that used to comprise 11 codes.
 Historical evolution
The TC for the 1st ed. of EBCS-10: 1995 comprised of entities
representing balanced interest of all segments of the public:
Ministry of Construction & Urban Development (MoCUD)
Building Design Enterprise (BDE)
Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO)]
Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT)
Ethiopian Standards Agency
 Historical evolution
EBCS 10 was concerned on only issues of electrical installation in
a building.
Its main purpose was ensuring safe utilization of electricity in
buildings.
Some time in between, EELPA was transformed in to EEPCO
whose activity was limited to only operation and not regulatory.
The regulatory aspect has been entitled to various government
agencies through proclamations (such as the Ethiopian Electric
Agency, MoCUD).
 Historical evolution
As to application, because no formal enforcement mechanisms
have been in place, only very few professionals practiced the
EBCS-10:1995.
Most professionals adhered to international codes/standards.
As a result, it was difficult to do impact analysis of EBCS-10:1995
on the quality of Ethiopian building installation practice.
 Historical evolution
The then MoCUD, observing the safety and reliability problems
in many buildings associated to electrical installations, initiated
EBCS-10:1995 to be revised in 2011 after its 16 years of service.
Accordingly EBCS-10: 2013 Edition, a revised version of
EBCS10:1995, has been produced.
This code currently is named ES 3961: ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
OF BUILDINGS
 The update process EBCS-10 code
To come up with EBCS-10: 2013 Edition, the then MoCUD signed
a MOU with AAU in 2012
The MOU mandated to involve stakeholders including industry,
private consultants, contractors and government agencies.
Accordingly, the Building Electrical Installation TC has been
formed from practical as well as theoretically experienced
members from AAiT of AAU and a private consultant.
 The update process
Codes are updated to reflect existing situations manifested in:
rapid technological advancement of devices, appliances, materials,
products, and
their corresponding new standards as well as
installation practices.
In the update process the TC focused mainly on:
Emphasizing the original purpose of the code
Citing updated versions of Normative Reference already utilized.
Incorporation of missing issues requiring codes and standards within the
existing 26 sections of the code
Introducing separate additional Sections in to the code to address
important issues for comprehensiveness.
Correction of typographical errors in the previous code.
Rearrangement of Sections for better logical flow.
 Normative References
EBCS-10: 1995 and EBCS-10:2013 both are
adoptions of codes and standards from Europe, USA and Canada plus
some adaptations to local context.

Both codes have been mainly adopted and adapted from

IEE Regulations (BS/EN:7671),
the Canadian Electrical Code (CSA),
the German standard (DIN and VDE) and
the National Electrical Code (NEC) of the USA
 Normative References
a)IEC 60364-1:2001 - Electrical installations of buildings - Part 1:
Fundamental principles, assessment of general
characteristics, definitions.
b)IEC 60364-1:2001- Electrical installations of buildings Section 131:
Fundamental principles of protection for safety (against
electric shock, thermal effects, overcurrent, fault
currents, and overvoltage)
c) IEC 60050:1982- International Electrotechnical Vocabulary.
d) BS 7671:1992 - Requirements for Electrical Installations, IEE Wiring
Regulations, Sixteenth Edition.
e) C22.1:1992 - Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, Safety Standard for Electrical
Installations, Sixteenth Edition.
Definitions on installation and building

Electrical installation
Is an assembly of associated electrical equipment supplied
from a common origin to fulfill a specific purpose and having
certain coordinated characteristics.
 Building Types Categorization
Prepared by the former Ministry of Infrastructure, 2005
Intended primarily to determine design consultants' and design
checkers service fee.
Building projects are categorized based on function
Three categories are used based on magnitude and complexity.
The categories are
SIMPLE
MODERATE and
COMPLEX
 Simple Projects
Refer to buildings with simple geometry and limited functions.

The geometric feature and functions do not require specialized

design input.

The unit cost in this category may not be much.

However, due to repetitive units and services the project cost can
run into millions.
 Moderate Projects
Refer to buildings with complex geometry and a combination of
two or three functions put together in one.

Complex Projects
Refer to projects with complex geometry and which have more
than three functions.
 Classification of buildings
Based on occupancy, buildings can be classified as follows:
GROUP 1 PROJECTS
Group A : Residential Buildings
Group B : Educational Buildings
Group C : Business Buildings
Group D : Mercantile Buildings
GROUP 2 PROJECTS
Group E : Institutional Buildings
Group F : Assembly Buildings
GROUP 3 PROJECTS
Group G : Industrial Buildings
Group H : Storage Buildings
Group I : Hazardous Buildings
Group A: Residential Buildings
Are those in which sleeping accommodation is provided for
normal residential purposes
May be with or without cooking or dinning or both facilities.

Group B: Educational Buildings

Used for school, college, or day-care purposes for more than 8
hours per week
May involve assembly for instruction education or recreation.
Group C: Business Buildings
Include any building or part of a building used for the
transaction of business such as
for keeping of accounts and records and similar purposes;
doctors' and dentists
service facilities, such as lunch counters serving less than 100 persons,
barber shops and beauty parlors.
City halls, town halls, courthouses and libraries should be
classified in this group in so far as the principal function of these
is transaction of public business and the keeping of books and
records.
Group D : Mercantile Buildings
Include any building or part of a building used as shops, stores,
markets, for display and sale of merchandise, either wholesale
or retail.
Group E : Institutional Buildings
Include any building or part thereof used for purposes such as
medical or other treatment or care of persons suffering from physical or
mental illness, disease or infirmity;
care of infants, aged persons and for penal or correctional detention in
which the liberty of inmates is restricted.
Ordinarily provide sleeping accommodation for the occupants.
are further sub-divided as follows:
Hospitals and Sanitaria
Custodial Institutions
Penal Institutions
Group F : Assembly Buildings
Include any building or part of a building where group of people
congregate or gather for amusement, recreation, social,
religious, patriotic, civil, travel and similar purpose

Examples are theatres, motion picture houses, assembly halls,

auditoria, exhibition halls, museums, skating rinks, gymnasiums,
restaurants, places or worship, dance halls, club rooms,
passenger stations and terminals or air, surface and marine
public transportation service, recreation piers and stadia.
Group G : Industrial Buildings
Include any building/part of a building in which products or
materials of all kinds and properties are fabricated, assembled
or processed
Examples are assembly plants, laboratories, dry cleaning plants,
power plants, pumping stations, smoke houses, gas plants,
refineries, dairies and saw mills.
Group H : Storage Buildings
Include any building/part of a building used primarily for the
storage or sheltering of goods, wares or merchandise, vehicles or
animals
Examples are warehouses, cold storages, freight depots, transit
sheds, store houses, truck and marine terminals garages,
hangers, grain elevators, barns and stables.
Group I : Hazardous Buildings
Include any building/part of a building used for storage,
handling, manufacture or processing of highly combustible or
explosive materials
Used also for storage, handling, or processing of corrosive, toxic
or noxious alkalis, acids or other chemicals producing flame,
fumes and explosive, poisonous irritant or corrosive gases;
Used also for storage, handling or processing of any material
producing explosive mixtures of dust or which result in division
of matter into fine particles subject to spontaneous ignition.
Purpose and scope of the Code
PURPOSE of the Code
i. Practical Safeguarding - of persons and property from hazards
arising from the use of electricity.

ii. Adequacy - Compliance to the code is expected to result in an

installation that is essentially free from hazard.
However, not necessarily efficient, convenient, or adequate
for good service or future expansion of electrical use.

iii. Intention - this Code is not intended as a design specification or

an instruction manual for untrained persons.
Scope (Covered)
This Code
applies to the design, selection, erection, inspection and
testing of electrical installations up to and including 1000.0V
a.c. or 1500.0V d.c and
covers the installation of
electrical conductors, equipment, and raceways;
signaling and communications conductors, equipment, and
raceways; and
optical fiber cables and raceways
 Scope (Covered) .
The scope addresses the following:
i. Public, residential, commercial, and industrial premises, including
buildings,
mobile homes,
prefabricated buildings,
construction sites,
Exhibitions and fairs,
floating buildings and other temporary installations
ii. Yards, lots, parking lots, carnivals, and industrial substations
iii. Installations of conductors and equipment that connect to the
supply of electricity
iv.Installations used by the electric utility, such as office buildings,
warehouses, garages, machine shops, and recreational buildings
not integral part of a generating plant, substation, or control center
 Not Covered
This Code does not apply to:
(1)electric traction equipment,
(2)electrical equipment of automobiles,
(3)electrical equipment on board ships,
(4)electrical equipment in aircraft,
(5)public street-lighting installations,
(6)installations in mines,
(7)radio interference suppression equipment
(8) fixed wiring for telecommunication, signaling, control, etc
(9) internal wiring- of apparatus,
 Not Covered
(10) utility systems for distribution of energy to the public, or power
generation and transmission for such systems.
(11) Installations of railways for generation, transformation,
transmission, or distribution of power used exclusively for operation
of rolling stock or installations used exclusively for signaling and
communications purposes
(12) Installations of communications equipment under the exclusive
control of communications utilities located outdoors or in building
spaces used exclusively for such installations.
(13) Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility
 Content of ES 3961
SECTION 1: PURPOSE, SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS
SECTION 2: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
SECTION 3: ILLUMINATION
SECTION 4: CONDUCTORS
SECTION 5: SERVICE AND SERVICE EQUIPMENT
SECTION 6: CIRCUIT LOADING AND DEMAND FACTOR
SECTION 7: EARTHING, BONDING, AND LIGHTNING PROTECTION
PART I - EARTHING, AND BONDING
SECTION 7: EARTHING, BONDING AND LIGHTNING PROTECTION
PART II - LIGHTNING PROTECTION
SECTION 8: WIRING METHODS
SECTION 9: PROTECTION AND CONTROL
 Content of ES 3961
SECTION 10: CLASS 1 AND CLASS 2 CIRCUITS
SECTION 11: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
SECTION 12: HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS
SECTION 13: FLAMMABLE LIQUID DISPENSING AND SERVICE
STATIONS, GARAGES, BULK STORAGE PLANTS,
FINISHING PROCESSES AND AIRCRAFT
HANGARS
SECTION 14: PATIENT CARE AREAS
SECTION 15: INSTALLATION OF LIGHTING EQUIPMENT
SECTION 16: FIRE ALARM SYSTEM AND FIRE PUMPS
SECTION 17: SIGNS AND OUTLINE LIGHTING
SECTION 18: LIFTS, ESCALATORS AND SIMILAR EQUIPMENT
 Content of ES 3961
SECTION 19: THEATRE INSTALLATION
SECTION 20: EMERGENCY SYSTEMS, UNIT EQUIPMENT, AND EXIT
SIGNS
SECTION 21: MOTION PICTURE STUDIOS, PROJECTION ROOMS,
FILM EXCHANGES AND FACTORY
SECTION 22: DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING INSTALLATION
SECTION 23: ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
SECTION 24: COMMUNITY ANTENNA INSTALLATION FOR RADIO
AND TV RECEPTION
SECTION 25: SWIMMING POOLS, FOUNTAINS AND SIMILAR
INSTALLATIONS
SECTION 26: GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS
 Content of ES 3961
Added Sections to the new standard

SECTION 27: SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

SECTION 28: RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS
SECTION 29: OPTICAL FIBER CABLING
Thanks
Q&A