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Designing distribution systems to provide electrical services
in buildings, requires considerable expertise and experience.
There can be an extensive variety of different services, each
requiring a specific size and type of wire and cable. Choosing
the correct cable means that the electrical equipment, appliances,
motors, machinery, controls, lighting, communications, and so
forth, function properly…without any disruption of services, safety
hazards, risk of electrical fires, shutdowns, discomfort for occupants…in
other words, maximum efficiency and fulfillment.
Copper wires and cables used in buildings, vary from large to
very fine gauge. They must be reliable, which means that it is
essential that they be manufactured to very definite and rigid
specifications. The specifications ensure that the finished products
perform to the design requirements efficiently and safely.
In Canada, the standards for the design and testing of wire and
cable used in buildings, are the applicable requirements of CSA,
AEIC, IEC and the ICEA.
Raw materials used in the manufacture of the cables, are subject
to quality control and evaluation tests. They consist of a variety
of physical, mechanical, electrical and chemical tests, usually
governed by the material purchasing specifications of the wire
and cable company and ASTM Standards.
Testing is carried out during every stage of manufacture, and
upon completion, the routine tests that would be carried out on
each length of cable may include conductor resistance, high-voltage
time tests, spark test of the jacket, and dimensional measurements
of components.
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