Conductors
ASTM Class B stranded soft bare copper. In sizes 8 AWG to 1000 kcmil, the conductors are compact stranded to reduce cable diameter and weight. Aluminum conductors can be provided on special request.

Conductor Shield
Extruded semi-conducting cross-linked polyethylene conductor shielding is applied to cables rated over

1000 V.

Insulation
Cross-linked polyethylene XLPE, the most widely used polymeric material for insulating both low and high voltage cables. The insulated conductors in the unshielded TECK cables rated 5 kV or less meet the requirement of CSA for RW90 XLPE. Shielded TECK armoured power cables rated 5 kV or higher are insulated with tree-retardant unfilled XLPE meeting the requirements of CSA Standard C68.3-97(R2001).

Designs are also available employing AEIC-CS8-2000 insulated conductors 5 kV shielded and above.

Insulation Shield
Shielded TECK Power cables rated 5 kV and higher have an extruded layer of strippable semi conducting insulation shielding material. In multi-conductor cables, the metallic shield is copper tape, while in the single conductor cables the concentric ground provides the metallic shield. Specific designs of metallic shielding can be provided where required to meet special conditions.

Equipment Bonding Conductor
Class B stranded soft bare copper is the standard equipment bonding conductor material. Sizes are in accordance with Table 16 of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1. In single conductor cables the equipment bonding conductor is in the form of concentric wires over the insulation or shield. In cables with metallic shielding the equipment bonding conductor is in contact with the shields.

Fillers
Where fillers are required, non-hygroscopic materials are used.

Core Binder
Where required, a binder tape is applied over the assembled core.

Inner Jacket
The Black PVC jacket is 90°C, low temperature rated, flame retardant ^(a), and low acid gas emitting ^(b).  See adjacent table for physical properties of this jacket material.

Armour
Interlocking aluminum tape armour is applied directly over the inner jacket. Galvanized steel is also available on request, but only for multi-conductor cables.

Outer Jacket
Low-acid-gas-emitting ^(b) fire-retardant ^(c) PVC rated for low temperature is used. See adjacent table for the physical properties of this jacket material. The standard outer jacket colour is black for 600 V and 1 kV; orange for 5 kV; and red for 15 kV. Other outer jacket colours are available on special request.

(a) “Flame-retardant” means that a cable with this material will pass the “FT1” Flame Test, Clause 4.11.1 of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 0.3–01, Test Methods for Electrical Wires and Cables.

(b) “Low-acid-gas-emitting” means that this material will not exceed the low acid gas evolution limit of 14% when tested in accordance with CSA Standard C22.2 No. 0.3–01. Cables are identified with the designation “AG14”.

(c) “Fire-retardant” means that a cable with this material will pass the “FT4” Requirements of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 0.3–01 (Clause 4.11.4).

Marking and Identification
The outer jackets of TECK Cables up to 5 kV are printed TECK90 XLPE HL FT4 AG14 (–40°C), along with conductor size and voltage rating. Cables rated above 5 kV are designated as POWER CABLE in accordance with CSA C68.3.

Identification of Conductors

* Other methods and colour codes are available on request.

Pulling Tension Limits
It is recommended that TECK Cables be pulled on the conductors using a pulling eye where necessary. The maximum permissible tension is 8 lbf/kcmil (=10,000 lbf/in²) for single conductor cables. For three-conductor cables recommended maximum pulling tension is 16 lbf/kcmil based on the area of one conductor only. To avoid displacing the armour it may be necessary to use a basket grip over the outer jacket as well as the pulling eye. The use of guide rollers or other friction-reducing devices is highly recommended.

Low-temperature Installation
TECK Cables meet CSA cold bend and impact requirements at minus 40°C. These tests are conducted under carefully controlled laboratory conditions to ensure comparability of results from different laboratories.

Since actual field conditions are not subject to such control it is recommended that, wherever possible, provision be made for the heating of cables to at least minus 10°C until the actual cable installation. This will minimize the risk of damaging cables in very cold weather.

Vertical Installation
For vertical installations, the use of a messenger may be necessary to support the cable during installation. Offsets may well be necessary for final positioning of the cable.

Bending Radius, TECK Cables are flexible and can be trained easily. The following table gives minimum bending radius factors for final training. During installation, and especially while pulling, bending radii should be twice the values shown below:

Note: The bending radius is that of the inner surface of the cable at the bend. In all cases these values are for permanent training after installation. Larger radii are recommended wherever the cable is being pulled under tension, preferably not less than twice and in no case less than 1.5 times the values for permanent training.