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Electrical Cables

What is the maximum pulling tension for a power cable?

Quick answer

There is no single figure; the limit depends on what the pulling force is applied to. When the cable is pulled by a pulling eye fixed to the conductors, the allowable tension is set per square millimetre of conductor cross-section, so a larger conductor can take a proportionally higher pull, and copper takes more than aluminium. When a basket grip (a cable stocking) is used over the outer sheath, the limit is much lower because the sheath, not the conductor, carries the load. The manufacturer's installation data for the specific cable is the only reliable source for the figures, and it should be obtained before the pull is planned, not after.

Two other checks matter as much as the straight-line tension. At every bend the sidewall pressure, which is the tension divided by the bend radius, must stay within the limit for the cable type, and the bend itself must not go below the minimum bending radius. Heavy LV XLPE cables up to 1000 sq mm are normally pulled with a calibrated dynamometer in the line so the tension is measured rather than guessed.

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