Cable capacities of conduit and

A number of variable factors affect any attempt to arrive to a standard method of assessing the capacity of conduit or trunking.

Some of these are:     Reasonable care (of drawing it) Acceptable use of space available Tolerance in cable size Tolerance in conduit and trunking.

The following guidance on the maximum number of cables of which should be drawn in. The size should ensure an easy pull whit low risk of damage to the cable. Only the ease of drawing-in is taken into account. The electrical effect of grouping is not. As the number of circuits increased the installed current-carrying capacity of the cable decreases. Cable size has to be increased with consequent increase in cost of cable and conduit. It may be some time be more attractive economically to divide the circuit concerned between two or more enclosure. If thermosetting cables are installed in the same conduit or trunking as thermoplastic (PVC) insulated cables, the conductor operating temperature of any of the cable must not exeed that of thermoplastic (PVC), thermosetting cables must be rated as thermoplastic(PVC).

The following three cases are dealt with. Single-core thermoplastic insulated cables in: i. ii. Straight runs of conduit no exceeding 3 m in length Straight runs of conduit exceeding 3 m in length, or in runs of any length incorporated bends or set iii. Trunking

For cables and conduits not covered by this appendix, advice on the number of cables that can be drawn in should be obtained from the manufacturer