Cable tray, basket ?...

[spud1]

Hi guys,

Just designing a commercial newbuild village hall and cant decide how to install the collections of LSF PVC flat cables that will run outside the perimeter of the main hall within the side rooms' accessible roof spaces.
I really want it to be tidy, kept away from other services and away (as much as possible) from the thermal insulation
Was thinking Tray or Basket installation running the lengths of the loft spaces, but someone said to me on the forum the other day that a tray/pvc flat cable installation was unusual? Ive come across a few in my times is basket more appropriate ?

Other ideas welcome !

 

[Adam W]

I'd use basket - easier, cheaper, quicker...

 

[Engineer54]

There is nothing saying you can't use tray or basket with flat T&E cable. It may be a little unusual to see, but that's about it. So if you want to keep your cables clear of any roof space insulation, and prepared to pay a small premium to provide say basket raceways, then good on you, ....your doing your best, to provide the best installation you can, within your contract quote budget...

Personally i would have no problems using the same, with flat cables, if i felt it was necessary for any reason on a job!!

 

[KFH]

A piece of 6"X1" nailed to the trusses for you to clip the cable to. Probably more expensive though. But you did ask for alternatives.

 

[Adam W]

Well if you're after alternatives you could string a bit of catenary wire the full length of the roof space and cable tie a bunch of t&e to it - cheap, quick and easy.

 

[mart8235]

basket all the way. it's cheaper and quicker than tray, plus it's easier to make t&e look nice on.
I always use a large size than is required so I can run the data and fire alarm on the same basket. LV on one side data on other and FP200 fire alarm down centre - nicely spaced apart.

nowt wrong with tray tho, if you want to spend more money.

as for catanery wire, I personally hate it! especially if you've got more than 1 or 2 cables. just MY opinion!

 

[Adam W]

Depends what's going in - in an office you might have half and half, so it's customary to have power & lighting in one, data in the other, and FP on the outer side of the data basket. In a village hall I would imagine data would be kept to a minimum so you might be able to 'get away with' one basket.

Catenary wire seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years, possibly because it looks gash. IMO it's not much better than hammering in a series of tie base anchors and tying a bunch of cables to it, but then it depends how cheaply the job "needs" to be done.

 

[davelerave]

i would have thought 2 baskets would be better than trying to seperate them in one basket

 

[rmc86uk]

should be fine with segregation fitted on the basket.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[mart8235]

i would have thought 2 baskets would be better than trying to seperate them in one basket

Going by the regs the seperartion is now 75mm with no mech seperation. I find it quicker and cheaper to install a much wider basket or tray than is required, than buying and installing twice as much. over engineering costs money.

obviously if there is a huge amount of data then 2 baskets would be better.

FP200 has a sheath which when earthed can run with either LV or ELV or DATA, but I tend to run this down the center, no real need to run it down the outside of the basket/tray anymore, but it cant hurt. (you have to use the proper stuff tho, not the cheap c**p that the copper/tin sheath comes off with the PVC sheath!!)

just my way, and each job on its own merit.

 

[ian]

nothing wrong with basket in this scenario.