TRAY CABLE

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Alwayslearningelec

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NJ
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Estimator
Why is tray cable for instance a 2/c #10 so much more labor than a regular #10 wire in NECA MLU? is it much heavier?

Another question that ties in. If you have several runs that starts as conduit and then lanbs in cable tray and continues to it's destination and the cable called for is tray cable would/can you.

1. Run the part in conduit as single conductors then splice to the tray cable at a box when it's transistions to the cable tray
2. Run the entire run as tray cable.

I would imagine you have to look at how much the tray cable cost and the labor to splice these cables if you you the transition method. Thanks.
 
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Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
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E
horsegoer said:
Why is tray cable for instance a 2/c #10 so much more labor than a regular #10 wire in NECA MLU? is it much heavier?

Another question that ties in. If you have several runs that starts as conduit and then lanbs in cable tray and continues to it's destination and the cable called for is tray cable would/can you.

1. Run the part in conduit as single conductors then splice to the tray cable at a box when it's transistions to the cable tray
2. Run the entire run as tray cable.

I would imagine you have to look at how much the tray cable cost and the labor to splice these cables if you you the transition method. Thanks.
Click to expand...

depends on the tray cable used.

i've done cable tray in refineries where you had to pull the cable thru a 4" conduit at the end of the run.
it had to go thru about 90' of pipe with a 90 sweep at the very end.

the cable tray cable was UV rated, and had a jacket on it with the texture of SO cord. it was not physically
possible to pull around the sweep. soap, ky lube, didn't matter.

broke the first tugger. snapped the chain. put two tuggers in tandem, one turn around the first capstan,
and a full wrap on the back tugger capstan. broke both tuggers.

two more tuggers, wrapped the same way. broke the greenlee rope.
then the coker blew up, and melted everything to the ground at the end of the next day.

if the whole thing didn't burn to the ground, i don't know how we woulda pulled it. i never went back.
 
sii

sii

Senior Member
Location
Nebraska
Fulthrotl said:
depends on the tray cable used.

i've done cable tray in refineries where you had to pull the cable thru a 4" conduit at the end of the run.
it had to go thru about 90' of pipe with a 90 sweep at the very end.

the cable tray cable was UV rated, and had a jacket on it with the texture of SO cord. it was not physically
possible to pull around the sweep. soap, ky lube, didn't matter.

broke the first tugger. snapped the chain. put two tuggers in tandem, one turn around the first capstan,
and a full wrap on the back tugger capstan. broke both tuggers.

two more tuggers, wrapped the same way. broke the greenlee rope.
then the coker blew up, and melted everything to the ground at the end of the next day.

if the whole thing didn't burn to the ground, i don't know how we woulda pulled it. i never went back.
Click to expand...

Sooooooooo.....it was a raging success then?
 
A

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
Fulthrotl said:
depends on the tray cable used.

i've done cable tray in refineries where you had to pull the cable thru a 4" conduit at the end of the run.
it had to go thru about 90' of pipe with a 90 sweep at the very end.

the cable tray cable was UV rated, and had a jacket on it with the texture of SO cord. it was not physically
possible to pull around the sweep. soap, ky lube, didn't matter.

broke the first tugger. snapped the chain. put two tuggers in tandem, one turn around the first capstan,
and a full wrap on the back tugger capstan. broke both tuggers.

two more tuggers, wrapped the same way. broke the greenlee rope.
then the coker blew up, and melted everything to the ground at the end of the next day.

if the whole thing didn't burn to the ground, i don't know how we woulda pulled it. i never went back.
Click to expand...

What do you mean about the type of cable makes a difference? You start the run with the cable tray at the MCC then halfway through it transitions to conduit and finishes at the load. Actually got pricing on the TC today and it works out to be about 20% higher material per M. Don't think it's worth it to start off with TC then switch and splice to single conductors when it turns into conduit.
 
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
horsegoer said:
What do you mean about the type of cable makes a difference? You start the run with the cable tray at the MCC then halfway through it transitions to conduit and finishes at the load. Actually got pricing on the TC today and it works out to be about 20% higher material per M. Don't think it's worth it to start off with TC then switch and splice to single conductors when it turns into conduit.
Click to expand...

these were individual conductors, three 500 mcm and a 4/0. they were listed UV resistant, and were ran
in a 36" wide existing gutter, 14' in the air, between the substation and the coker. about 900' total, the
last 90 or so feet were in conduit, to a disconnect. this was not in a class one occupancy, as deemed
by the electrical engineer who specified the wire type. the 90' to the switch was GRC, and had a seal off,
and a class 1 division 1 disconnect, as it was a listed occupancy near the ground.

what i mean about the type of cable making a difference, IS THAT SOME TYPES OF CABLE CANNOT BE
PULLED IN A CONDUIT.

but, if you don't think it's worth it, then you go ahead and specify UV resistant cable tray conductor, and
try to pull it in conduit. or use whatever cable you wish to put in the cable tray. to each his own.

you might want to consider using conductors approved for the type of installation you have. that 20%
cost difference gets even larger when the inspector notices you used something not listed for that type
of install, and makes you rip it out.
 
A

Alwayslearningelec

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Occupation
Estimator
Fulthrotl said:
these were individual conductors, three 500 mcm and a 4/0. they were listed UV resistant, and were ran
in a 36" wide existing gutter, 14' in the air, between the substation and the coker. about 900' total, the
last 90 or so feet were in conduit, to a disconnect. this was not in a class one occupancy, as deemed
by the electrical engineer who specified the wire type. the 90' to the switch was GRC, and had a seal off,
and a class 1 division 1 disconnect, as it was a listed occupancy near the ground.

what i mean about the type of cable making a difference, IS THAT SOME TYPES OF CABLE CANNOT BE
PULLED IN A CONDUIT.

but, if you don't think it's worth it, then you go ahead and specify UV resistant cable tray conductor, and
try to pull it in conduit. or use whatever cable you wish to put in the cable tray. to each his own.

you might want to consider using conductors approved for the type of installation you have. that 20%
cost difference gets even larger when the inspector notices you used something not listed for that type
of install, and makes you rip it out.
Click to expand...


Thanks. Can thhn tray cable be used in conduit by code?
 
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