Document RjnLn8x8w1bworzJKZpvwo3mV

mMMMm The Vinyl W m Institute NEWS Wayne Interchange Plaza II, 155 Route 46 West, Wayne, New Jersey 07470 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Daniel G. Stanowick 216/376-6500 or Nora Jacobs 216/781-2400 Edward Howard & Co. VINYL CONDUIT COST SAVINGS CONFIRMED WAYNE, N.J., October 7, 1991 -- Builders and contractors can realize savings of up to 33 cents on every dollar by using rigid vinyl conduit instead of metallic tubing in construction applications, a newly completed study shows. The study, based on 1991 material and installation costs and labor rates in estimating the savings advantages of vinyl in electrical raceways, was conducted by EFT Technical Services, Berkeley, California. Updating an earlier cost/benefit report completed several years ago, the new study looked at actual building costs in Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, San Frandsco and Seattle. Concealed lighting and outlet systems were evaluated for four types of structures: a wood frame townhouse, a strip shopping center, a high-rise residential building and a high-rise office building. On average, the vinyl system was found to be between 31 and 33 percent less expensive to install than the metallic system, according to Joseph B. Zicherman, Ph.D., president of EFT Technical Services. (more) CTL007603 The Vinyl Institute, A Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry 2- - "This study reconfirms that there are significant cost advantages in using vinyl electrical conduit in construction," said Roy T. Gottesman, executive director of the Vinyl Institute, which funded the IFT study. "Further, it is significant to note that vinyl's cost advantages endure over time. Our original report, based on data gathered in 1988, also showed significant cost savings -- ranging from 30 to 33 cents per dollar." While vinyl electrical products have a tradition of proven performance and are capable of meeting existing building codes, little concrete evidence of their superior economic advantages existed prior to the IFT studies, according to Richard R. (Rick) Smith, chairman of the Vinyl Institute's Electrical Materials Council. "Moreover, this study doesn't even consider the added safety factor provided by vinyl -- the fact that it does not arc or conduct electricity," Smith stated. "When you weigh these additional features, the advantages of vinyl become even more obvious." Rigid vinyl is used by the electrical industry in conduit, boxes and other components, while flexible vinyl commands 40 percent of the market for wire sheathing and insulation. Further information on this study is available by contacting the Vinyl Institute, 114 Mayfield Ave., P.O. Box 3053, Edison, NJ 08818-3053. The Vinyl Institute, a division of The Society of the Plastics Industry, is a national trade association representing the leading U.S. manufacturers of vinyl, vinyl feedstocks, additives and film and sheet products. It is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. ### CTL007604