Cables and Enclosures

CABLE TRUNKING

The quantity of electricity used increases every year, and doubles about every ten years. The
corresponding increase in factory and commercial wiring has brought the need for all
types of cable trunking — that in the basic form consists of a simple sheet steel box, two to three metres
in length — to have a screw or snap-on removable lid (figure 7.1). Finishes are
stove enameled, zinc coated, galvanized or left unpainted. Clearly trunking gives a large-volume channel
for housing cables. A further advantage is that there is no need for the making-on and drawing-through
operations demanded for conduit work. It is important, however, to appreciate that grouping of circuits
affects the current-carrying capacity of cables in trunking. Reference to the I.E.E. wiring table shows that,
for eight circuits, the maximum permissible loading of conductors is reduced to almost a half. Spacing
factor (ratio of overall cross-sectional area of cables to cross-sectional area of trunking) is 45 per cent for
cables of 16 mm2 or above for cables or trunking other than that shown in I.E.E. tables 12E and 12F.
Certain manufacturers, in their catalogues, include a guide to the number of cables permitted for each
size of trunking, although situations inevitably arise where calculations are required from a knowledge of
standard overall diameter of cables (table 7.1) and trunking sizes available (I.E.E. table 12F).

FITTINGS

For right-angle turns, tapping-off positions, jointing of the trunking sections, etc., many fitments are
available. In addition to elbows and tee-pieces (figure 7.2) there are bends, combined angle-tee-pieces,
intersection, reducers, 45 degree offsets, and flanges for linking with fuseboards. The fitter with
knowledge and experience of sheet metalwork can often avoid the need for these purpose-made
accessories.

A check should be made, as a routine measure, at all trunking connections to ensure that there are no
sharp edges which can be abrasive and cut into the cable insulation. Long lengths of vertical trunking are
supported by PVC- covered pin-racks or prongs that are fitted to the inside back of the metal trunking.
The prongs also assist in spreading out the cables evenly across the trunking, especially where the
trunking is mounted horizontally.

Palapye technical college/Electrical Dept/Technology – Year 1/Cables and Trunking/Gwamulumba Leonard/15th February 2011
 PRECAUTIONS

The fact that heat rises has to be taken into account when fitting long vertical runs of trunking. Fire arriers
or baffles fixed at each floor level are a positive safety measure, while limiting the temperature rise at the
top of the cable runs. 'Making good' with a fire-resisting cement is also necessary where trunking passes
through floors and walls. Since the various lengths of trunking and fitments may be linked by simple screw
fixings and straps, pop rivets or welding, great care is required to ensure low-resistance bonding. The
parts to be mated must be perfectly clean and fitted very tightly together. Alternating current in a
conductor produces a changing magnetic field. If a live conductor, by itself, is in a steel trunking then the
changing flux cuts the metal casing and generates eddy currents. These eddy currents cause a
temperature rise in the trunking. They also result in a waste of electrical energy. Phase and neutral
conductors must be bunched so as to neutralize the magnetic field and prevent the possibility of external
flux being set up.

SEGREGATION

The I.E.E. Wiring Regulations stipulate three categories of circuits which require segregation into
separate divisions of the trunking (figure 7.3) in order to prevent direct physical contact between the
various categories.
Category 1: Mains voltage.
Category 2: Radio, telephone, sound distribution, intruder
alarm, bell and call, data transmission circuits
as supplied by a source complying with I.E.E.
Regulation 411-3.
Category 3: Fire and emergency lighting circuits.
There are a number of exemptions. Should category 2 cables have insulation which is equal in all
respects to category 1 cables, then they may be contained in the same trunking division. This requirement
also applies to multicore cables containing category 1 and category 2 circuits. Again,
while fire-alarm cables of the mineral-insulated type are permitted to be contained in the same channel as
category 1, it is preferable to place all fire-alarm circuit cables in a separate division. Under no
circumstances may category 1 and category 3 circuits be contained in the same multicore cable or flexible

Palapye technical college/Electrical Dept/Technology – Year 1/Cables and Trunking/Gwamulumba Leonard/15th February 2011
cord. Where category 1 and category 2 cables are taken into a
single outlet-box, for example one in which a bell-push or 13 A socket-outlet is fitted, then a partition of
fire-resisting material must be positioned between the two accessories.

PLASTICS TRUNKING

The advent of plastics conduit has been followed by a range of PVC-trunking fitments corresponding in
most respects to the steel counterparts; a press-on clip device produces tight-fitting lids. Trunking made
of this material is particularly suitable for corrosive atmospheres. For smaller sizes, as used for lighting
and small power equipment, there is a considerable reduction in the cost of the materials as compared
with steel trunking. For most installations, there Is also a saving in labour and this consideration applies to
all sizes. Generally, the plastics material is easier to cut, handle and install.

With plastics trunking the earthing problem is overcome by including a green-and-yellow insulated
conductor (minimum cross-sectional area of 2.5 mm2). Plastics trunking is fixed in the normal way by
screws in fibre wall-plugs or by means of an explosive gun. The screws require steel washers and the
explosive bolt requires rubber washers. To strengthen the fixed trunking, the ends of the PVC tight fitting
clip-on lids should lap over the butt joints of the trunking. Figure 7.4 shows plastics skirting trunking.
PVC trunking has its own characteristic method of retaining cables in position by the use of simple
corrugated bridging pieces.

It is important to note that plastics materials are affected by temperature extremes. Buckling occurs at
high temperatures and the PVC becomes brittle at low temperatures around 0°C.

DUCTING

Cable ducts may be formed in concrete floors, but must not be relied upon so as to be part of the
structure of a building. Non-sheathed cables are not permitted to be drawn or laid into ducts. Purpose
made dueling to be manufactured from noninflammable materials.

Under – floor trunking

Electrical apparatus on factory or laboratory benches, office desks, etc., when fixed away from walls,
requires a special means of supply for these island positions. Underfloor trunking in the form of a criss-
cross grid arrangement, covering the whole of the floor area is becoming a standard method for delivering
such supplies. This is a system of wiring, that must be installed during the building or floor construction
and that avoids the dangers resulting from long flexible leads.

Fabricated false skirtings are yet another form of trunking, and figure 7.5 shows how it can be linked to a
section of underfloor trunking. Boxes form the basis of the underfloor system and are designed to fulfil a
number of purposes
(1) To couple trunking approaching from up to four directions at right-angles.
(2) To enable conduits to be connected to the box. Thus adding enormously to the flexibility and

Palapye technical college/Electrical Dept/Technology – Year 1/Cables and Trunking/Gwamulumba Leonard/15th February 2011
sefulness of these large cable capacities. Conduits from trunking boxes in first or upper floors may be
directed to feed light-points on the ceiling below.
The boxes should be capable of adjustment to allow for a specified depth of floor fill and variations in level
of floor constructions. Anchor screw adjustments permit the necessary raising or tilting of the cover plate.
The latter is usually fashioned in the form of a tray ready to receive the finished floor material; in this way
only a rim of metal (usually brass) is finally seen. Joints between the various components and parts of the
system have to be watertight during building construction and under normal conditions of use. All parts
must provide a close mechanical fit and, in addition, incorporate devices for establishing and maintaining
the electrical continuity between the various parts.

BUSBAR TRUNKING

Steel-cased trunking has proved itself well-suited to give a triple-pole and neutral main supply for high
rise flats or offices. The conductors are generally in aluminium or copper bar form with capacities up to
as high as 2000 A, and are carried on insulators mounted within the sheet steel enclosure. Standard
lengths are 1829 mm (6 ft) or 3658 mm (12 ft) with expansion joints for the bars fitted at appropriate
points.
The rising main would normally be tapped at each floor. Figure 7.6 shows a typical arrangement;
cables linking the busbar and fuse have a minimum cross-sectional area of 4 mm 2 and are enclosed in
conduit or metal trunking. The sub - fusing could be part of a panel which would incorporate floor control
and metering facilities. Insulation of connection cables to the busbars must be stripped to 150 mm from
the busbars and this stripped portion covered with heat-resisting insulation.

Palapye technical college/Electrical Dept/Technology – Year 1/Cables and Trunking/Gwamulumba Leonard/15th February 2011
 For single occupancy only one meter, at the intake, would be necessary. However, it is still advisable to
provide facilities for metering at each floor in order to allow for the possibility of letting to individual tenants
at a later stage. Where the riser serves flats, more than one tapping would probably be taken off the main
at each floor. In all cases, balancing the loads over the three phases is essential so as not to overload the
neutral conductor. For very tall buildings in order to reduce voltage drop, it
may be necessary to provide two separate rising mains, one for the lower half and a separate rising main
for the upper portion.

Air is normally regarded as the insulating medium between the busbars. Actual clearance distances
between phases are stipulated in BS 159. If the bars are close together, then there is:
(1) A reduction of overall dimensions bringing a corresponding reduction in the wall-chase dimensions.
(2) Lower inductive reactance and consequently lower voltage drop.
A reduction in these overall dimensions has been effected by insulating conductors with butyl or silicone
rubber. The use of a tight-packed phenolic insulating material gives an even greater reduction.

Staircase lighting for flats, usually termed landlords' lighting, requires a separate supply from the main
intake.

Overhead busbar trunking

Vertical rising mains have been successfully employed with appropriate modifications, for lateral or
horizontal working. When sited in factories it has become a form of distribution in its own right. The
trunking is arranged for tappings at intervals of 0.6 m which might be by special triple-pole and neutral
plug-in boxes or by wiring connected directly into subfuses. Overhead busbar arrangements allow speedy
rearrangement of plant without shutdown for those machines not involved in the change, and with the
minimum of disturbance to the general running of the factory.

The problem of fixing may be eased, in certain factories, by studying the building construction. The weight
of the busbars and trunking can often be taken by the horizontal cross-members of the frame girders or
roof trusses, The run of busbar trunking on roof trusses through a factory becomes virtually equivalent to
an extended fuse- board. With careful planning, no part of the floor area should be more than a short
distance from a supply point of ample capacity. Figure 7.7 illustrates a straight line of overhead fused

Palapye technical college/Electrical Dept/Technology – Year 1/Cables and Trunking/Gwamulumba Leonard/15th February 2011