Quick Tray Fill and Load Calculations

The folllowing tables and formulas are provided to help determine how many cables can be safely carried by
each size wire mesh cable tray tray and to determine the appropriate distance between supports for the load, based on number of cables, cable tray size, and bracket type. Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Ratio
Fill ratio = Cross section of cable Cross section of tray According to NEC 392.9 (B), when using ventilated tray with multiconductor control cable, the sum of the crosssectional areas shall not exceed 50 percent of the interior cross section of the tray. The Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Table below shows the number of cables and the load in lbf/lineal foot developed by typical 4 pair and 6 pair cable weighing 20 lb/kft and 40 lb/kft, respectively.While this table is a useful guide, actual loads must be calculated using the cable specified. Use the following formula to calculate the number of cables that will result in a particular fill ratio, where: A = Inside tray area, in in.2 D = Cable diameter, in inches F = Fill ratio in % N = Number of cables The formula is N= F A ( 100 ) * ( [(D/2)2 * ])

EXAMPLE: The installation will use CAT cable at .19 in. diameter, 20 lb per 1000 ft2.The desired fill ratio is 40%.The wire mesh cable tray tray is 2 in. (51mm) high by 2 in. (51mm) wide. A = 3.5 in.2 D = .19 in. F = 40% N= 40 3.5 ( 100 ) * ( [(.19/2)2 * ]) = 49 cables

Load/foot = 49 cables * 20 lb = 0.98 lb/ft 1000 ft.

Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Table at 50% Fill
Catalog Number
QT2X2 QT2X4 QT2X6 QT2X8 QT2X12 QT2X16 QT2X18 QT2X20 QT2X24 QT4X4 QT4X8 QT4X12 QT4X16 QT4X18 QT4X20 QT4X24

Height in.
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Width in.
1.75 3.75 5.5 7.5 11.5 15.5 17.5 19.5 23.5 3.75 7.5 11.5 15.5 17.5 19.5 23.5

Area in.2
3.5 7.5 11 15 23 31 35 39 47 15 30 46 62 70 78 94

CAT Cab Type (4 pair), .19 in. diameter, 20 lb/kft No. Cables Load at 50% Fill lbf/lineal ft
62 133 195 266 408 550 621 692 834 266 532 816 1100 1242 1384 1668 1.24 2.66 3.9 5.32 8.16 11 12.42 13.84 16.68 5.32 10.64 16.32 22 24.84 27.68 33.36

CAT Cab Type (6 pair), .26 in. diameter, 40 lb/kft No. Cables Load at 50% Fill lbf/lineal ft
32 70 103 141 216 291 329 367 442 141 282 433 583 659 734 885 1.28 2.8 4.12 5.64 8.64 11.64 13.16 14.68 17.68 5.64 11.28 17.32 23.32 26.36 29.36 35.4

16

Data subject to change without notice

763 422 2211 FAX 763 422 2600 www.hoffmanonline.com

2005 Hoffman Enclosures Inc.

Quick Tray Fill and Load Calculations

Supporting Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray
The Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray is sized based on the number and type of cables required for the current and future need. A 50% fill ratio should equal the maximum number of cables pulled in a given cross section. Straight section supports installed at 5-foot (1.5m) centers are typical. For support spans greater than 5 feet (1.5m), cable loads must be evaluated to ensure that the span between the supports is suitable for the load.The support and
Cable Tray Catalog Number
QT2X2 QT2X4 QT2X6 QT2X8 QT2X12 QT2X18 QT2X20 QT2X24 QT4X8 QT4X12 QT4X20 QT4X24

anchor must be evaluated separately. Supports should be placed within 24 in. (610mm) of a splice on straight sections, and the span between supports should not exceed the length of tray. Additional supports will be required around bends and when the cable tray level changes. The load ratings of the hardware that supports the Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray must also be considered. Load ratings for some commonly used supports are shown in the Support Maximum Load table below. Once the load/foot has been determined, the weight on each support can be determined by multiplying the load/foot by the number of feet between supports. EXAMPLE: Weight of span = Load/foot * No. ft between supports Load/foot figure from the 2 x 2 in. cable tray with 40% fill ratio example: .98 lb/ft Weight of span = .98 * 5 = 4.9 lb Weight on support = weight of span / 2

Maximum Load in lb/ft According to Span 5 ft 6 ft 7 ft 8 ft

17.17 18.10 25.10 25.10 36.00 65.00 65.00 67.00 43.80 57.95 89.80 89.80 12.54 14.00 19.80 19.80 27.70 45.50 45.50 48.70 35.90 43.77 71.00 71.00 7.51 11.30 16.00 16.00 22.10 33.80 33.80 37.80 30.10 27.77 57.70 57.70 6.04 9.30 13.40 13.40 18.10 26.10 26.10 30.30 25.40 22.94 47.60 47.60

9 ft
4.77 7.40 11.00 11.00 14.60 19.40 19.40 23.70 21.20 18.12 38.50 38.50

10 ft
3.86 5.10 9.00 9.00 10.50 15.00 15.00 17.00 17.00 14.68 22.00 22.00

Cross section- load versus span

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 5 ft
Support Maximum Load
Catalog Number
QTCB4 QTCB8 QTCB12 QTLB4 QTLB8 QTLB12 QTTH

QT2 x 2 QT2 x 4 QT2 x 6(8) QT2 x 12 QT2 x 18(20) QT2 x 24 QT4 x 8 QT4 x 12 QT4 x 20(24)

Load in pounds

6 ft

7 ft

8 ft

9 ft

10 ft

Distance betw een supports

Description
C Bracket C Bracket C Bracket L Bracket L Bracket L Bracket Trapeze Hanging Clips

Bracket Width in. mm

4 8 12 4 8 12 102 203 305 102 203 305

Max. Load lbs

259 216 108 259 216 108 216

Data subject to change without notice

763 422 2211 FAX 763 422 2600 www.hoffmanonline.com

2005 Hoffman Enclosures Inc

17