Termite Resistant Cable & Cable Joints

By Chris Dodds on 24th February, 2013

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Anti-Termite Electrical Cable Joints

SPS Cable Joints & Cable Terminations

LV HV Low & High Voltage Electrical Cable Joints

 

T&D have specified SPS LV, 11kV and 24kV Termite Resistant Cable Joints to several international high voltage cable projects this month.

Cable sheathing in Australia, India, South East Africa and Brazil is often modified with anti-termite additives to repel attack by termites. In locations where the possibility of termites exist, assuming that the electrical cables used are specified to be termite resistant, it is therefore logical and very important that any electrical cable joints installed are also resistant to the potential damage that can be inflicted by termite attack.

One of the most successful methods of providing protection to an electrical cable joint, is the application of a flexible stainless steel mesh which is tightly wrapped and secured to the termite proof layer incorporated within the cable. The mesh must have a weave small enough so that the head of the termite cannot penetrate between the gaps.

T&D working with SPS have customised cable joints to splice Prysmian Termitex cables, a revolutionary sheathing compound of cables to deter attack by termites.

 

Prysmian Termitex Termite Resistant Power Cables

Prysmian Termitex is a revolutionary cable protection system from Prysmian that provides the ultimate solution to termite attack. An effective alternative to brass taping or nylon jackets, Prysmian Termitex is a proven termite repellent which can be added to the sheathing compound of many standard cables during the manufacturing process. Prysmian Termitex is the result of years of research conducted in Prysmian laboratories in collaboration with such organisations as the CSIRO. Prysmian Termitex provides a number of benefits over traditional methods of termite protection in its effectiveness against attack, handling and installation, cost effectiveness and compatibility to health, safety and the environment.

Prysmian Termitex protected cables are already in use in a number of major projects throughout Australia including Mica Creek Power Station & the Laverack Barracks in Queensland, the Williamstown RAAF Base in New South Wales, Broome Power Station and the Port Hedland State underground power project in Western Australia.

 

Cable Usage Characteristics

Ambient Temperature	Maximum operating temperature Minimum operating temperature
Min. Bending Radius	Minimum bending radius of installed cables
Mechanical Impact Resistance	1 Light Impact 2 Moderate Impact 3 Heavy Impact 4 Very Heavy Impact
Resistance To Solar Radiation & Weather	Excellent	Permanent
	Very Good	Frequent
	Good	Occasional
	Acceptable	Accidental
	Poor	None
Resistance To Water	Negligible	No humidity
	Water drops	Occasional condensation
	Spray	Water run off
	Splashes	Exposed to water splashes
	Heavy sea	Exposed to waves
	Immersion	Temporarily covered by water
	Submersion	Permanently covered by water
Chemical Resistance	Excellent	Permanent
	Very good	Frequent
	Good	Occasional
	Acceptable	Accidental
	Poor	None
Behaviour In Flame & Fire	Reaction To Fire	Resistance To Fire
	C1 Fire retardant	Level 1 - Ultimate fire survival
	C2 Flame retardant	Level 2 - Two hours fire survival
	C3 No fire performance	Level 3 - Restrained spread & self extinguishing
Low Smoke Emission	AS/NZS 1660.5.2 IEC 61034
Flexibility	Rigid	Flexible
	Semi-rigid	Very flexible
Halogen Free	AS/NZS 1660.5.3 IEC 60754.1

 

Update September 2015 

Elmeridge Cables Now Supplying Termite-Proof Cables

Elmeridge Cables are pleased to announce that they can now supply 100% termite proof cables.

Following a 54-day exposure test in an active termite laboratory, three samples of cables survived fully intact and unmarked. The three cable samples had outer cable sheaths of high-density polyethylene, polyurethane and Hytrel; each sample passed the formal testing with flying colours.

ECL are also able to apply fully-certified mechanical termite protection, in the form of a flexible barrier material, to any item, including cable glands. Therefore, by combining this technology with their termite-proof cable materials, ECL can now provide 100% termite-proofing to cable installations wherever protection is required. 

 

• Further Reading

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