Tension and Sag

The 2007 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) addresses Tension and Sag in Sections
235. 251. 252. 253, 21, 23, and 277
Table of Contents:
!. "efinitions of Tension and Sag
#. Engineering "esign "escri$tion
C. %ethods of Tensioning
". &ed'ced Tension Constr'ction
E. ('y Tension
). *ine of Site
(. Sag Charts
+. *oading ,one
-. (rades of Constr'ction
.. &eso'rces
A1. Definition of Tension: Tension is defined in the NESC as /The longit'dinal force
e0erted on a ca1le d'ring installation2. -n other 3ords tension can 1e e0$lained as force
$'lling the ca1les or 3ires at either end 1y 3hat they are attached to or the 3eight of the
ca1le itself. Tension is also a$$lied to ins'lators
There are t3o 4ain ty$es of tension
-nitial is defined in the NESC as / The longit'dinal tension in the cond'ctor $rior
to the a$$lication of any e0ternal load2 -n other 3ords the characteristics of the
ca1le 1efore ti4e, te4$erat're, 3eight etc. of the cond'ctor stretch or shrin5 the
3ire
)inal is defined in the NESC as /The longit'dinal tension in a cond'ctor after it
has 1een s'16ected for an a$$recia1le $eriod of the loading $rescri1ed for the
loading district in 3hich it is sit'ated, or e7'i8alent loading, and the loading
re4o8ed. -n other 3ords 3hat the characteristics of the ca1le are e0$ected to 1e
after ti4e, te4$erat're, 3eight and other factors ha8e effected it.
A2. Definition of Sag : Sag is defined in the NESC as /The distance 4eas'red 8ertically
fro4 a cond'ctor to the straight line 6oining its t3o $oints of s'$$ort.2 -n other 3ords
sag is 's'ally the lo3est $oint on a ca1le or 3ire 1et3een t3o $oints. This lo3 $oint is
4eas'red as tho'gh there 3ere a straight line 1et3een the attach4ent $oints on either end
and the distance 1et3een this lo3 $oint and the straight line is the sag.
B. Engineering Design: The a$$ro$riate sag and tension is deter4ined 1y
S$an lengths
Strand si9e
*oad
Stor4 loading area
Te4$erat're
:ertical clearances a1o8e grade
:ertical clearances fro4 other 'tilities
;ole lengths
Class of $ole
C. Methods of Tensioning:
Ty$es of Tensioning
"yna4o4eter are the $referred
4ethod for testing tensioning
Electronic
%echanical
"yna4o4eter
A light rope tossed over the conductor near one end of
a span and give it a good hard jerk down. At the same
instant press the button on the watch to start it. You
then feel for return pulses in the rope as the shock wave
you created runs up and down the conductor. At the
instant you feel the third or fifth return you stop the
watch. Read the number on the appropriate scale on the
face of the watch and you have your sag in feet. The
scales are direct reading and no math is needed.
Third 3a8e ret'rn
The s4aller ca1les re$resent the
difference in sag after
en8iron4ental changes< notice ho3
the sag 1et3een cond'ctors differs.
NESC clearances 4ay not 1e 4et
d'ring different te4$erat'res, ice,
3ind, etc. or o8er ti4e.
This 4ethod is not reco44ended
%atching sag
D. Reduced Tension Construction ( Slack Span : &ed'ced tension is 3hen traditional
g'ying is not $ractical. This sho'ld 1e a8oided if $ossi1le. &ed'ced tension 's'ally
re7'ires g'ying in the sa4e direction as the red'ced tension s$an. ('ying can 1e
a8oided 3ith stronger $ole
('ying in sa4e direction =sing larger class $ole
"o'1le Slac5 S$an to $ro8ide corner $oles and street clearance
E. !u" Tension: ;er NESC 21C2 (in lay4an>s ter4s) the g'y sho'ld 1e considered a
$art of the str'ct're and designed and installed 3ith the $ro$er tension to s'$$ort the
tension of the attach4ents it s'$$orts. The g'y can create an i41alance in tension if
installed to tight. The note for this section also clarifies that g'ys 4'st not 1e loose.
#. $ine of Site: ;er NESC 235C3 (in lay4an>s ter4s) $ri4ary $o3er ca1les cannot sag
1elo3 the attach4ent $oints of the highest co44'nication ca1le in s$ans o8er 150 feet.

Secondary, )i1er etc is ?@ ;ri4ary 1elo3 line of site< :iolation
!. Sag Charts: Sag Charts are 'sed 1y 4ost aerial 'tilities in one for4 or another to
deter4ine ho3 4'ch tension to 'se to $'ll the 3ire '$ to the a$$ro$riate sag. They co4e
in 4any for4s 1ased on a 8ariety of for4'las. So4e are co44ercially $ro8ided li5e
those 4entioned in &eso'rces, so4e are created in ho'se. They all consist of so4e 1asic
infor4ationA
Bire "ia4eter
S$an *ength
Bire Beight
S'$$orting Ca1le Characteristics
Te4$erat're
&ated #rea5ing Strength
Tension
%. $oading &one: :arying en8iron4ental conditions create ha9ards that effect aerial
ca1les differently. Bhen loo5ing at the =nited States %a$ the loading 9one a$$ears that
all of ?regon has a /%edi'42 loading 9one. S$ecial Bind &egions change the standard
/%edi'42 *oading ,one to /E0tre4e2 loading. There are 3C ty$es of loading 9ones
+ea8y, %edi'4, *ight and E0tre4e.
?regon a$$ears to 1e only %edi'4
.
Notice the S$ecial Bind &egions
Nor4ally ?regon can e0$ect D5 4ile 3inds< ho3e8er in /E0tre4e2 areas those 3inds
4ay increase to 120 4iles or 4ore. The *oading ,one or district deter4ine so4e of the
o8erload factors 'sed for engineering.
%. $oading &one (cont.)
%ea'" *oading "istricts are generally in the central and northeast =.S. states.
There is an ass'4$tion of lo3er te4$erat'res and greater ice 1'ild'$ on ca1les
and cond'ctors. This 4ay re7'ire ad6'st4ents 4ade s'ch as o$en<3ire
cond'ctors ha8ing 1rea5ing strength red'ced 1y 50E. Bhere there are co$$er or
steel ca1les or cond'ctors s$an lengths sho'ld 1e 5e$t to a 4ini4'4
Mediu( *oading "istrict co8ers 4'ch of the north3estern states incl'ding
?regon. Bhere the standard for ice in the +ea8y *oading "istrict is F inch, in
the %edi'4 9one it is ass'4ed G inch. This 4ay re7'ire ad6'st4ents are 4ade.
?ne e0a4$le is an o$en<3ire cond'ctors ha8ing 1rea5ing strength red'ced 1y
33E. Bhere a li4iting s$an length in the +ea8y 9one is 150 ft it 4ay 1e increased
to 175 in a %edi'4 or *ight 9one.
$ight *oading "istrict co8ers 4ost of the so'thern =S!. -t has the lightest, 4ost
fle0i1le loading 9one. Bhere the %edi'4 *oading "istrict ass'4es G of ice. The
*ight *oading "istrict ass'4es no ice.
E)tre(e *oading "istrict co8ers the entire coast, Col'41ia (orge and so4e
other areas of ?regon. This 9one does not ha8e ice 1't has higher than 's'al
3inds. The c'rrent code ass'4es 3ind a1o8e 0 feet 4'st 3ithstand e0tre4e
3ind. The 0 feet e0ce$tion 3ill li5ely 1e re4o8ed in the NESC 2007 code.
%. !rades of Construction: There are 3 ty$es of grades of constr'ction. !1o8e
gro'nd 'tility constr'ction 4'st 4eet one of the 3 de$ending on en8iron4ental concerns.
!rade * constr'ction $er NESC 23 is the 4ost red'ced ty$e. ;er NESC 01C!2
grade N 4ay 1e 'sed for e4ergency constr'ction. This constr'ction 4'st 1e
'$graded to (rade C or a1o8e as soon as $ossi1le. Constr'ction 4'st al3ays 4eet
the 4ini4'4 of grade N. ! $lanned (rade N constr'ction 4ay 1e re7'ired 3hen
installing and re4o8ing facilities o8erla$. ;lanned (rade N re7'ires a$$ro8al of
the ?;=C. (rade N does not 's'ally a$$ly to co44'nication facilities 3here no
s'$$ly facilities e0ist. (NESC 23()
!rade C constr'ction is the 4ost co44on ty$e of constr'ction. (rade C
$ro8ides the standard of 4ini4'4 re7'ire4ents for ite4s s'ch as strength of
$oles, str'ct'res, hard3are, cross<ar4s, g'ys, anchors, fo'ndations and si9es and
sag for s'$$ly cond'ctors. (rade C also $ro8ides the o8erload factors needed to
4eet the 4ini4'4 standard.
!rade B is the highest or 4ost stringent ty$e of constr'ction. (rade # $ro8ides
the standard of 4ini4'4 re7'ire4ents at greater 8al'es then (rade C. This ty$e
of constr'ction is the 4ini4'4 for installations crossing o8er railroads,
co44'nication lines or li4ited access high3ays. -t is also 'sed 3hen the high
8oltage of the s'$$ly cond'ctor 3ill not 1e de<energi9ed d'ring 1rea5er
o$erations. (rade # 4ay 1e 'sed in E0tre4e Bind loading areas. (rade # has
4ore stringent strength and o8erload factors than either grade N or C.
Engineering for (rade # 4ay re7'ire do'1ling cross<ar4s, 1rac5ets, ties and $ins.
+. Resources:
!lcoa Sag 10 (S'$$ly Ca1les)
Co44Sco$e (Co44'nication Ca1les)
NESC 2007