Where EMT Stops and IMC Starts on Real Jobs
On commercial and light industrial projects, a single conduit run seldom stays in one environment from start to finish. It might begin above a suspended ceiling in a finished office, drop into a mechanical room, travel a service corridor, head outside for a stretch, and finally connect to vibrating equipment. Because conditions change along the way, the material choice has to follow those changes instead of coming from one blanket rule.
Comparison charts that list wall thickness, weight, and price help with takeoffs. They miss what actually happens once repeated contact or ongoing vibration enters the picture. The real test is how the conduit performs after the building opens and daily use begins.