Session14 CableSupportSystems

CableSupportSystemsinthe
IEC World
IECWorld
AnewIECStandard,IEC615372001hasbeendeveloped

Iffulldetailsofthecablinglayoutareavailablethenthelikelycableloadcanbecalculatedusingeither
If full details of the cabling layout are available then the likely cable load can be calculated using either
manufacturer'spublishedinformationorthetablesofCableWeightsandDiameterswhicharegivenbelow.
Howeveritisoftennecessarytoselectatrayorladderdesignintheabsenceofaccurateinformationonthe
likelycableload.Toassistthisselectionprocessausefulapproachcanbetochoosealikelysizeoftrayor
ladderandthentoestimatethemaximumcableweight
whichiscapableofbeingcontainedwithinit.Thisestimatemaybearrivedatusingthefollowingguide:
Max.cablingcapacity(kg/m)=Cablelayingarea(m2)x2800
 TypicalIECWiringSpecification
Multicorecablesonracksortraysmaybebunchedinamaximumoftwolayers.

HVandLVsinglecorecablesshallbelaidintrefoilgroupswith150mmclearspacing
betweentrefoils.

OntraysorracksHVcablesshallbesegregatedfromtheLVcables.
Individualcablesemergingfromfloorsorsoilshallbeprotectedagainstmechanicaldamagebymeansofgalvanized
steelpipesorrigidPVCpipes.SinglecorecablesemergingfromfloorsorsoilshallbeprotectedbyrigidPVCpipes.
Thesepipesshallextendatleast100mmabovegroundorfloorlevel.

Groupedcablesemergingfromfloorsorsoilshallbeprotectedcollectivelybyaproperlydesignedmetalshieldor
ductinsuchawaythatheatdissipationofthesustainedloadcarryingcablesisnothampered.Thepropagationof
firefromonespacetotheothershallbepreventedbypropersealingofopeningsaroundcables.

Cablesorcablesupportsshallnotbefixeddirectlyorindirectlytoplant,equipmentorprocesspipingwhichmay
requireremovalorreplacement.Cablesshallbelaidonracksortraysstrictlyinaccordancewiththelayingpatterns
statedonthelayoutdrawings.Metalpartsofthecableracksandtraysshallbebondedandconnectedtothe
commonearthinggrid.

Allcablingsupportmaterials,i.e.ladders,traysandrelevantfixingmaterials,usedthroughouttheplantshallbe
hotdipgalvanizedunlesstheenvironmentisconsideredtobeparticularlysaliferousorsulphurous,suchasto
justifytheuseofmaterialsofferingahigherdegreeofcorrosionresistance.Inthelattercasespecificplantsorareas
shallutilizestainlesssteel(grade304).Stainlesssteel(grade316)shallbeusedoffshore.
 TypicalIECWiringSpecification
Bendsandcornersinthecableracks,traysorladdersshalltakeaccountoftheminimumcable
Bends and corners in the cable racks trays or ladders shall take account of the minimum cable
bendingradii.Cableracksandtraysshallbeclosedbyremovabletopcovers,allowingadequate
ventilation,insituationswhere:
mechanicaldamageofthecablesislikelytooccurduringplantmaintenanceactivities,
oilorchemicalspillagesonthetrayscanbeexpected,
sunshieldingisrequiredagainstdirectsolarradiation.

Verticalcablerackrisersshallnotbeinstalledinfrontof,orover,piperisers.

Flexible cabling
Flexiblecabling

Theapplicationofflexiblecablesinindustrialplantsandinstallationsshallbelimitedto:
weldingcables;
trailingcables,e.g.formovableequipment,handtools,handlamps;
winches,hoists,sootblowers,andelectricmotors,ifconnectedbymeansofanearbyintermediate
h h bl d l f db f b d
junctionbox.
Anearthcontinuityconductor,equalincrosssectionalareatothelargestphaseconductor,shallbe
provided.Thisrequirementappliesevenwhenthecableisarmored.

Wiresinconduit

Wiresinconduitsystemsshallbeappliedonlyforlighting,communicationandconvenienceoutlets
inclosedbuildingsinnonhazardousareas.ConduitinstallationsshallbemadeusingrigidPVC
conduit and non metallic conduit boxes Conduit box covers shall remain accessible Where local
conduitandnonmetallicconduitboxes.Conduitboxcoversshallremainaccessible.Wherelocal
regulationspermit,unarmoredroundinstallationcablecanbeusedincableducts.Teeorstraight
throughjointsshallbemadeinconnectionboxes.
 TypicalIECWiringSpecification

Cablemarking/numbering

Cablenumbersshallbemarkedonthecablesalongtheirroutesandatboth
terminationpoints.Forundergroundcabling,thespacingbetweencablenumbers
alongtherouteshouldnotexceed5m,andforabovegroundcabling,25m.Cables
shallalsobenumberedwheretheybranchofffromamainroute.

Forundergroundcablemarkingpurposesnoncorrodingstripsshallbeused,each
having ample length to be wrapped twice around the cable and in which the cable
havingamplelengthtobewrappedtwicearoundthecableandinwhichthecable
numberhasbeenimprintedbymeansofletter/cipherpunches.Foraboveground
cabling,plasticmarkersresistanttothesiteconditionsshallbestrappedroundthe
cables.

Forundergroundcabling,abovegroundroutemarkersshallalsobeprovidedatevery
changeofdirectionintheroutingandatbothsidesofroadorpipelinecrossings,
exceptwhencableroutingisalreadyindicatedbycoloredconcretepavement.
 CableTrayWiring
MoreuseofprotectionbylocationthanistypicalinUSinstallations.Theuseofbasket
trayistypicalforlightweightlastmetercablerunsinonshoreapplications.Theuseof
ventilatedcabletrayiscommonforheavierweightcablesandoffersmoreprotectionin
offshoreapplications.

Cableladderistypicallyusedinfeederapplicationsforlongerrunsofmultiplecablesorof
higherampacityandweight.
 CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld

TypicalCableWeightInformation

PVCUnarmoredStranded
CopperPowerCablestoBS6346

Nom. 2core 3core 4core

Areaof D D
Conductor,mm2 kg/m kg/m D kg/m
mm mm
25 0.7 18.4 1.0 20.4 1.3 22.7
35 0.9 20.0 1.3 22.4 1.7 25.0
50 12
1.2 22 2
22.2 17
1.7 25 4
25.4 23
2.3 28 6
28.6
70 1.7 24.6 2.4 28.4 3.1 32.2
95 2.3 28.2 3.3 33.1 4.3 37.2
120 2.8 30.9 4.0 36.0 5.3 40.6
150 3.5 34.1 4.9 39.7 6.5 45.0
185 4.2 37.8 6.1 44.1 8.0 49.8
240 5.5 43.2 8.0 49.6 10.6 56.2
300 70
7.0 47 2
47.2 97
9.7 55 0
55.0 13 2
13.2 62 5
62.5
400 8.5 53.2 12.6 61.4 16.7 69.6
 CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld
SupportofcabletrayandladderistypicallydoneinthesamefashionasUSinstallationsbut
generallyhasfewerrestrictionsastoloadingdesign.Calculationsforloadingofcableintotrayis
baseduponmanufacturerscabledatacomparedtoloadingdatafortraymanufacturer.
 CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld

Itisnotuncommontouseeitherthecable
tray or ladder to be used as a means to
trayorladdertobeusedasameansto
directlymountlightingfixturestothe
supportstructure.Specialbracketryis
designedforvariousbrandsofproductsto
besupportedinthisfashion.Examplesof
th
thesetypesofinstallationsareshown
t f i t ll ti h
here.

Stretchpreventorsaretypicallyusedto
relievestrainonthecableastheenterlight
g
fittings.
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
CableSupportSystemsinthe
IECWorld Typical
SupportSystemsInstallation
Examples
p
SupportSystemsInstallation
Examples
p
SupportSystemsInstallation
Examples
SupportSystemsInstallation
Examples
 CableCleatsTrefoilsforSingle
CoreCables
Powercablesundershortcircuitconditions(especiallythree
phase,singleconductorcablearrangements)aresubjectto
significantforcesasaresultofinducedmagneticfields.For
threephase,singleconductorcables,theseforcescauseviolent
h h l d bl h f l
thrashingoftheindividualconductors,frequentlyresultingin
inadequatelysupportedcablesjumpingoutoftheircabletray
orracewaysystems.Suchunrestrainedcablemovementcan
causecabledamage,damagetosurroundingequipmentand
g , g g q p
possibleinjury.

AEuropeanStandardnowexists EN50368:2003,Cable
CleatsforElectricalInstallations.ThisStandardwas
approvedbyCENELEC(theEuropeanCommitteefor
El t t h i l St d di ti ) i S t b 2003 d
ElectrotechnicalStandardization)inSeptember2003and
publishedinOctober2003.EN50368:2003hasthestatus
ofanapprovedBritishStandard.
 CableCleatsTrefoilsforSingle
CoreCables
Goodengineeringpracticefortheuseofsinglecorecableswithouttheuseof
conduitsystemsistousecablecleatstominimizedowntimeandpotential
dramaticdestructionofthecablesystemsandsurroundingenvironment
TypicalInstallationofsinglecorecable