Feature – Cable Ladders and Trays
Design and specification of a
cable support system
The specification of cable support
systems generally falls under the
jurisdiction of the electrical or
instrumentation engineer, due to the
fact that he controls the cabling. As a
well designed cable support system
requires expertise in structural and
corrosion engineering, it is necessary
for the specialist supplier of cable
support systems to offer technical
support in these areas to ensure that
their products are correctly specified for
each particular application.
Suppliers of cable support systems
offer the market a wide range of
products with varying cable carrying
capabilities, manufactured in many
materials and finishes (e.g. graded
stainless steels, 3CR12, aluminium,
fibre reinforced plastic, hot dip
galvanized mild steel, duplex coated
hot dip galvanized mild steel and
industrial paint systems on mild
steel), to cater for every type of
corrosive environment imaginable.
We believe that, as there are ‘horses for
, similarly this range of products
courses’
enables the designer to select the best
option that will satisfy a specific set of
structural and environmental design
requirements for the life of the plant.
Structural design considerations
for a cable support system
Reputable suppliers of cable support
systems should be able to predict the
load carrying capability/performance of
each of their products at different
support spans in order to recommend
the most suitable product for a
particular use. In order to do this, all
cable carrying products should be
designed and categorised in accordance
with local and international standards.
The real challenge in the design of a
cable support system lies in the
industrial market, where cables often
have to span long distances without
intermediate supports. The design also
depends on the preference of the
electrical engineer to support the cables
by laying them on a horizontal cable
ladder/tray (bed), or tie them to an edge
mounted cable ladder/tray (wall).
Because South African engineers
generally prefer the latter method of
supporting cables, a cable ladder was
locally developed some eighteen years
ago, which is structurally superior when
carrying design cable loads over long
spans when mounted on its edge. This
product has all but replaced the use of
angle and flat bar cable ladders in
mining and heavy industrial
applications. The outstanding features The cable tray on the right (hot dip galvanized
to SANS 121) will out last the tray on the left
of this product are full welding at the (continuously hot dip galvanized material) by
junction of each cross rung with the upwards of 4 times!
side rail and extended bottom flange,
thus creating a rigid fixed joint. In horizontal plane. When mounted in
addition, the end of each cross rung is this position over long spans, the cable
cut back at an angle in order to allow a ladder or tray requires a deeper side rail
generous opening for zinc flow during profile in order to satisfy the design
hot dip galvanizing. load requirements. The fact that very
few locally marketed cable ladders or
In other parts of the world, engineers trays have side rails or turn ups greater
favour laying their cables on a cable than 76mm seems to prove my belief
ladder or tray, which is mounted in the that South African specifiers support
DESIGNERS AND
MANUFACTURERS
OF ELECTRICAL
HEATING
G ZINC BATH HEATING
ELEMENTS AND G ZINC BATHS COMPLETE
SYSTEMS G TEMPERATURE SENSORS
G PRE-CLEANING BATH
HEATING
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G GAS - ELECTRIC
CONVERSIONS
PO Box 53483 Troyeville 2139
Tel: [011] 894 3937
Fax: [011] 894 3954
www.hi-techelements.co.za
Email: andre@hi-techelements.co.za
Volume 3 Issue 3 2006 Hot Dip Galvanizing Today 37
Feature – Cable Ladders and Trays
cables in the edge mounting position in
industrial application.
Contact with overseas engineers/
specifiers who require horizontal
mounted cable support systems in long
spanning applications, will certainly
influence the availability of suitable new
products in order to satisfy this demand.
Corrosion protection system
When selecting the most suitable
products for a cable support system, it
is essential to select the correct material
and/or coating system, which is capable
of lasting for the life of the building or
plant in which it is to operate.
Should the cable support system fail
prematurely, the exorbitant costs of
shutting down the plant to install a new
support system far exceeds the
additional cost of choosing the correct
corrosion protection system rather than
the wrong one.
We focus hereafter on corrosion
protection systems involving hot dip
galvanizing.
Hot dip galvanized coating
The coating of choice for ninety per cent
of our stock of cable support system
product is hot dip galvanized to ISO
1461 in the case of our mild steel
manufactured items and continuously
hot dip galvanized sheeting’s Z275 for
some of our commercial cable trays and
wiring ducting where no welding is
required during fabrication. Even
considering the massive increases in
the cost of zinc in recent times, I cannot
envisage a more ideal coating for our
products than hot dip galvanizing to an
agreed standard of quality required by
the electrical specifier.
Any hot dip galvanizer wishing to coat
cable support products has to realise
that his coating is part and parcel of the
product. This, of necessity, means that
surface roughness and spiking on the
cable bearing surfaces and at splice
mating surfaces are unacceptable,
whether otherwise acceptable to SABS
38 Hot Dip Galvanizing Today Volume 3 Issue 3 2006
and ISO 1461, or not. It has been my
experience that whereas some plants
are unsuited to galvanize our products,
others are unwilling to go the extra
mile, regardless of price. To those
galvanizers who are willing to work
together with manufacturers and
suppliers like ourselves in order to
produce a quality product, which meets
all of the design requirements of our
industry, your positive attitude will
serve to retain hot dip galvanizing as
the preferred coating of cable support
systems into the future.
Duplex coating system (hot dip
galvanizing plus powder coating)
Where cable support systems are
installed for maintenance free extended
life span the above duplex coating
system has proved to be highly
effective.
For a number of decades, till the end of
the 1980’s, ninety five per cent of all
steel cable management products were
either hot dip galvanized (cable ladders,
cable trays and metal framing systems)
or powder coated (power skirting, some
ladders, trays and metal framing for
aesthetic purposes). It is thus
understandable why the industry
developed its interest in duplex systems
almost exclusively on the use of hot dip
galvanizing and powder coating.
In early use, the final powder coating
was applied to the hot dip galvanized
coating, only after application of a
strontium chromate primer. As the
strontium chromate coating was
proving extremely costly, attempts were
made to eliminate the primer by
mechanical and/or chemical
transformation of the hot dip galvanized
substrate. Resulting from these efforts
a number of powder coaters today are
able to achieve the necessary adhesion
between the hot dip galvanized
substrate and the powder without the
strontium chromate wet spray.
Resulting from a number of duplex
failures, notably at Zimbali
(continuously galvanized wire coated
with epoxy powder) and on the West
Coast of Namibia (hot dip galvanized
Edgemounted cable ladder.
commercial grade mild steel and
polyester powder), sound reasoning
would suggest exercising extreme
caution in offering duplex coating
systems for severe corrosive
environments, unless fully supported by
the powder (or paint) manufacturer
concerned as well as the specifier. It is
encouraging to notice that at least one
powder manufacturer has entered the
precarious area of specifying a duplex
solution with hot dip galvanizing for
severe corrosive environments.
It is my view that duplex coating
systems of hot dip galvanizing and
powder/paint will only come into their
own when both the specifier and the
manufacturers of paint and powder
systems take full responsibility for their
products for all corrosive environments,
as well as the correct application
thereof through the appointment of
approved applicators, particularly where
coating on hot dip galvanized steel is
concerned. Rather than to continue
marketing the obvious merits of duplex
coating, I would much rather see the
HDGASA embarking on a joint venture
with a number of recognised industrial
paint manufacturers and powder
manufacturers to test duplex coatings
in severe corrosive environments where
failures are known to have taken place.
This will give those of us who believe
that hot dip galvanizing is a wonderful
corrosion protection system for steel,
another product that we can market
with total confidence.
The Association would like to thank Pieter Uys
of Strutfast, an affiliate member, for this article.