In GSA buildings, general wiring devices must be specification grade. Emergency receptacles must be red. Isolated grounding receptacles must be orange. Special purpose receptacles must be brown. The color of standard receptacles and switches should be coordinated with the architectural color scheme; for example, white, not ivory, devices should be used if walls are white or light gray.
Building standard receptacle must be duplex, specification grade NEMA 5-20R. Special purpose receptacles should be provided as required. Device plates should be plastic, colored to match the receptacles.
Placement of ReceptaclesCorridors. Receptacles in corridors shall be located 15 m (50 feet) on center and 7.5 m (25 feet) from corridor ends.
Office Space. Receptacles for housekeeping shall be placed in exterior walls and walls around permanent cores or corridors. Except for these, placement of receptacles in walls should be avoided to the maximum extent possible. See Chapter 3: Architectural and Interior Design, Building Planning, Planning Module, Floor-to-Floor Heights and Vertical Building Zoning, and Space Planning, Office Space, Utility Placement.
Raised Access Floor. All wiring beneath a raised access floor shall be routed in metal rigid or flexible conduit to under floor distribution boxes. One distribution box per bay is recommended (see section Placing Electrical Systems in Buildings, Horizontal Distribution of Power and Communications). Flush-mounted access floor service boxes should be attached to the under floor distribution boxes by means of a plug-in modular wiring system to facilitate easy relocation.
Number of Receptacles. For initial planning purposes, assume that office space uses systems furniture with a density of two work stations for every 9 m2 (100 square feet). Electrical systems should be designed to allow two duplex outlets for electronic equipment power and two duplex outlets for normal power per work station.
Conference Rooms. Conference rooms shall be served in the same fashion as general office space.
Maintenance Shops. Maintenance shops require plug mold strips above work benches with outlets 450 mm (18 inches) on center.
Electrical and Communications Closets. Electrical closets require one emergency power receptacle that is identified as emergency power at the receptacle. The communications closet will contain power and grounding for the passive and active devices used for the telecommunications system, including at least two dedicated 20A, 120 Volt duplex electrical outlets on emergency power, and additional convenience outlets at 1.8m (6 foot) intervals around the walls and direct connection to the main building grounding system. If uninterruptible power is required in communications closets, it will be furnished as part of the communications system.
Main Mechanical and Electrical Rooms. Main mechanical and electrical equipment rooms shall each have one emergency power receptacle that is identified as emergency power at the receptacle.
Exterior Mechanical Equipment. Provide one receptacle adjacent to mechanical equipment exterior to the building.
Toilet Rooms. Each toilet room shall have at least one GFI receptacle at the vanity or sink.