Schools Division of Parañaque City

TVL- ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE 11

Third Quarter
Week 5 & Week 6

Install wire ways and cable trays

​Let’s Understand

Wireways
Wireways are units of assembly of troughs used for housing and protecting electric wire and cable and in which
conductors are laid in place after the wire way has been installed as a complete system.

Wire ways are designed to protect cables from environmental contaminants such as dust, dirt, oil, and moisture.
Wire ways—sometimes known as "troughs" or "gutters" within the electrical contracting field—are commonly used to
control wiring in environments where contaminants may cause problems. Depending on the product type, they can be
mounted to walls or ceilings, secured under flooring, or laid out in a hybrid design in unique cable management systems.

A wireway is typically produced as a metallic or non-metallic trough with hinged or removable covers, so that the
cables contained are well-protected but still accessible. The high cost of manufacturing and installing wireways limits their
use to small sections of cable management systems, while most systems primarily consist of cable trays, conduit, and
other types of raceway. When connected, wireways must be reinforced using special fittings and gaskets between
sections.

Types of Wireways

1. Metallic Wireway​ – are sheet metal through with hinged or removable covers for housing and protecting
electric wire and cable and in which conductors are laid in place after the wire way has been installed as a complete
system.
2. Non Metallic Wireway​ – are flame retardant, non metallic through with removable covers for housing
and protecting electric wire and cables in which conductors are laid in place after the wire way has been installed as a
complete system.

Provisions for Metal Wireways

1. No conductor larger than that for which the wire way is designed shall be installed in any wireway.
Type Description Image

Lay-in One side of trough opens via hinges; wires may be

laid in instead of pulled through.

Pull-through Wires or cables must be strung through trough;

may still have a hinged lid to allow cable access.

Cable trough Simple trough with no cover.

2. Shall not contain more than 30 amp current carrying conductors at any cross section.
3. Where insulated conductor is defected within the wire way of greater than 30 degrees.
4. Splices and top shall be permitted within a wire way provided.
5. Dead end of wire way shall be closed.
6. Extensions from wire ways shall be made with cord pendants.
7. Wire ways shall be marked so that their manufacturers name or trademark will be visible after installation.
8. Grounding shall be in accordance with the provision of Article 2.50 of PEC.

Provisions for Non-Metallic Wireways

Uses Permitted:
1. Only for exposed work, except as permitted.
2. Where subject to corrosive vapors.
3. In wet locations where listed for the purpose.

Uses Not Permitted:

1. Where subject to physical damage.
2. In any hazardous location, except as permitted
3. Where exposed to sunlight values listed and marked as suitable for the purpose.
4. Where subject to ambient temperature.
5. For conductors whose insulation temperature limitation would exceed those for which the non – metallic wire way is
listed.

Other article for non-metallic wire ways

1. No conductor larger than that which non-metallic wire way is designed shall be installed.
2. Number of conductors shall not exceed 20 percent of the interior cross-sectional area.
3. Splices and taps, shall not fill more than 75 percent of its cross-sectional area.
4. Dead end of non-metallic wire way shall be closed using listed fitting.
5. Extension shall be made with cord pendant.
6. All have limited smoke producing characteristics.

CABLE TRAYS

A cable tray is “a unit or assembly of units of sections and associated fittings forming a rigid structural
system used to securely fasten or support cables and race ways”. Cable trays are used to hold up and distribute cables.

A. Uses of Cable Tray

Conductors support methods somewhat like raceway, under prescribed conditions.
1. Cable trays support cable the way that roadway bridges support traffic.
2. A bridge is a structure that provides safe passage for traffic across open spans.
3. Cable tray is the bridge that allows for safe transport of wires across open spans.
4. Therefore, think of cable trays as the structural component of a building's electrical system.

B. Types of Cable Tray

1. Through type (or expanded metal – type) Tray – provides a sturdy, flexible system for supporting feeder cables
particularly where routing of the runs is devious or where provision for change or modification in circuiting is important.

● Ladder – type trays are used for supporting interlocked – armor cable feeders in many installations.
Solid Bottom – Typically used in applications that generate moderate heat.
● Channel – Features a one piece ventilated or solid bottom. Used for installations featuring small amounts of
cable supported on short to medium spans.
● Single rail aluminum – for light duty application where quick installation ​ is
​ desired.

C. Types of Cable Tray Fittings

Cable tray advantages include wiring system design flexibility, simplicity, and lower installation cost. In plants
where equipment is added, taken away, or is moved, cable trays provide a flexible advantage. Cable trays can typically
adapt to complex configurations with a simple set of tools. The cost of material procurement for cable tray systems is not
necessarily lower than that of conduit systems in all cases. However, compared to labor cost of conduit installation, cable
trays present significant savings.

There are five basic cable tray types:

1. Straight​ is used to tap two end of cable tray to extend its length.
2. L Junction ​is a cable tray fitting which is commonly used when the​ ​junction is made at the corner or to make
right angle turn.

3. T Junction ​is a type of fitting which is used to adopt cable tray in​ ​straight and tee joining

4. 4 – way Junction ​is a type of fitting which is used in multiple wire connections.

5. Reducer ​is a type of fitting which is used to adopt a cable tray when it​ ​changes in size.

Cable Tray Materials

 Let’s Apply

Direction: ​Fill in the blank with a word or group of words that will make the statement complete. Write your
answer on a separate
answer sheet.
1. ___________ are designed to protect cables from environmental contaminants such as dust, dirt, oil, and moisture.

2. A wireway is typically produced as a metallic or non-metallic trough with hinged or ________ covers.
3. A ______________are sheet metal through with hinged or removable covers for housing and protecting electric wire
and cable.
4. A metallic wireway shall not contain more than _______ current carrying conductors at any cross section.
5. A _________ is a unit or assembly of units of sections and associated fittings forming a rigid structural system used to
securely fasten or support cables and raceways.

Let’s Analyze:

Direction: ​Match column A with the correct answer on column B. Write only the letter of the answer on the blank
provided at the right side.

Column A Column B

1. Ladder type tray A.

2. Pull-through wire way B.

3. Lay-in wire way C.

4. Channel Cable tray

D.

5. Straight Cable tray

E.

F.

Let’s Try

Direction: ​Direction: On your answer sheet, write the letter of the correct answer before each number.
1. It is used in applications with intermediate to long support span.
a. Solid Bottom b. Channel
c. Ladder d. Wire Mesh
2. It features a one piece or solid bottom. It is used for installation featuring small amounts ​ of
​ cable supported on short
to medium span.
a. Wire Mesh b. Ladder
c.Trough d.Channel
3. It is used for light – duty application where quick installation is desired.
a. Single Rail b. Wire Mesh
c. Channel d. Solid Bottom
4. Generally used for low voltage, telecommunication and fiber optic application.
a. Wire Mesh b. Ladder
c. Channel d. Trough
5. It is the fitting used when the tray is split in three separate directions?
a. L – Junction b. 4 way Junction
c. Drop d. T – Junction

​Let’s Create

Direction: ​On a short bond paper. Draw the five types of Cable Tray Fittings. On short bond paper, draw a
circuit with four bulbs connected in series circuit and another in parallel circuits that is connected to a 220 V
source.