Installation of Mini-Cables: Factors that Influence

the Installation Performance of Mini-cables

Ralph Sutehall
Martin Davies
Prysmian Cables & Systems UK Ltd
[email protected] +44 797 432 5714
[email protected] +44 797 112 9603

Abstract

Route Design
Length

Using practical measurements and a computer model, developed

by Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd, based upon the Griffioen1
theory, a greater understanding of the key parameters that
influence the successful blowing of mini-cables into mini-ducts
has been gained. The following key parameters have been
considered:

Quality Of Design
Quality of Mini-duct Installation
Undulations (vertical and horizontal)
Installation Equipment
Blowing Head

Cable Design
Mini-duct Design

Cable Pay-Off

Route Design

Compressor
Lubricant

Quality of Mini-duct Installation

For the computer modelling a route in excess of 1000 mts was

considered necessary. The route configuration should be neither
too long (as the reduced air flow would dominate the results) or
too tortuous (as the route difficulty would dominate the results).
Experience had been gained in installing cables into the test route
detailed in figure 1 and subsequently into live networks.

Installation Equipment
This paper highlights the primary variables and by considering the
whole system gives guidance on how to optimize a blown minicable installation.

Keywords: Optical fibre cable: mini-cable; installation.

1. Introduction
Using compressed air to install optical fibre cables is a well
proven technique. Considerable experience has been gained in
understanding the installation performance of optical fibre cables
being installed using compressed air. The vast majority of these
cables are installed into sub-ducts with a cable/sub-duct fill factor
of below 45%.

25mts
15mts

Start
110mts
180mts

With the introduction of mini-cable systems (typically 6.5mm

diameter cables being installed into mini-ducts with a bore of
8.0mm) the cable/mini-duct fill factor increases to typically above
60%. With the reduction in air flow through the mini-duct that
this increase causes, this paper re-evaluates the overall system
focussing on:

Figure 1. Theoretical route

The route length is approximately 395 mts but for the modelling it
was decided to use 4 laps of the above route, total 1575 mts.
For the practical measurements it was decided to use the route
under consideration by IEC2 and detailed in figure 2:

Cable Design
Coefficient Of Friction Of Sheath Material

Multiple ducts

Diameter
Stiffness

1 mt

Weight
Mini-duct Design
Coefficient Of Friction Of Inner Bore

100 mts

Total route length 1100 mts

Diameter

Figure 2. Blowing trial route

Mini-duct Configuration

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Prior to any blown cable installation trial or live cable installation

it is crucial that a crash test is undertaken to determine the
maximum push force that can be applied to the cable from the
blowing head. This test involves using the blowing head to drive
the cable (at the recommended cable installation speed) through a
length of the mini-duct (typically 10 mts). At the end of the miniduct is a tube end stop. When the cable hits the end stop the
blowing head should stop the cable in a manner that does not
cause any damage to the cable. This is then repeated with an
increase in push force until cable damage is witnessed. The
maximum push force of the cable is then taken to be the highest
push force figure which resulted in the cable being undamaged
when it hit the end stop. This procedure ensures that the cable will
not be damaged in the event of the cable hitting a blockage in the
mini-duct during the installation process.

This will in turn determine the level of air-flow through the duct
at a defined pressure as detailed in figure 5. The lower the fill
factor between the cable and mini-duct is, the more free space for
the air-flow resulting in an increase in the maximum blowing
distance.
450

400

350

Flow Rate (l/min)

300

250

200

14 bar Pressure - 10mm Bore

150

14 bar Pressure - 8mm Bore

100

2. Cable Design

10 bar Pressure - 10mm Bore

50

10 bar Pressure - 8mm Bore

0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Distance Installed (mts)

POLYMERIC
SHEATH

Figure 5. Reduction in air-flow during the installation of a

6.5mm cable into a 12/10mm and 10/8mm mini-duct

POLYMER TUBE
CONTAINING
OPTICAL
FIBRES

A common perceived approach to improving the maximum

distance a cable can be installed is by reducing the diameter of the
cable. In order to achieve this, the central strength member and
optical fibre tubes may have to be reduced in size. This will in
turn reduce the stiffness of the cable which may reduce the
maximum push-force that can be applied to the cable. It has been
found that this reduction in push-force can be as much as 30%
which will have an affect on the maximum installation distance as
shown in figure 6.

NON-METALLIC
CENTRAL
STRENGTH
MEMBER

Figure 3. Typical cable design

2.1 Coefficient Of Friction Of The Cable Sheath

1600

During the installation process the cable will come into contact
with the mini-duct walls therefore the cable sheath must have a
low coefficient of friction to reduce the level of drag when this
happens. If the coefficient of friction is too low then the level of
push-force that can be applied by the blowing head may be
reduced due to slip within the cable pushing mechanism.

1400

300N Push Force

1200

225N Push Force

Distance (mts)

1000

150N Push Force

800

600

2.2 Cable Diameter

400

The diameter of the cable will affect the fill factor of the
cable/duct system as detailed in figure 4.

200

0
0.1

90

0.12

0.13

0.14

0.15

0.16

Coefficient Of Friction

80

Figure 6. Affect of push force on installation distance

(Theoretical).

70

8.0mm Bore

60
Fill Factor (%)

0.11

Additionally, it is important to confirm that cable diameter

reduction does not have a negative impact on other cable
performance requirements, especially at low temperatures during
thermal cycling .Another common way of reducing the diameter
of the cable is to reduce the cable sheath thickness. This will
reduce the contact area in the cable pushing mechanism in the
blowing head and reduce the level of compression that can be
safely applied by the blowing head as seen in figure 8. However
the reduction in radial sheath thickness will also reduce the level
of shear force that can be applied to the cable. These factors will
also have the affect of reducing the maximum push-force that can
be applied to the cable.

50

10.0mm Bore

40

30

20

10

0
5

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6.2

6.4

6.6

6.8

Cable Diameter (mm)

Figure 4. Cable/duct fill factors

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1600

3. Mini-duct Design

6.5mm Cable In 12/10mm Mini-Duct

CoF - 0.1. Push Force 300N

1400

3.1 Coefficient Of Friction Of The Bore Liner

5.7mm Cable In 10/8mm Mini-Duct

CoF - 0.1. Push Force 200N

1200

The majority of mini-duct manufacturers provide mini-ducts with

a co-extruded low friction liner in the bore of the mini-duct. This
liner material varies from supplier to supplier resulting in
variations in mini-cable installation performance as detailed in
figure 9.

Distance (mts)

1000

800

600

400
1600
200

5.7mm Diameter Cable

1400
0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

1200

Amplitude (mts)

6.5mm Diameter Cable

1000
Distance (mts)

Figure 7. Performance of a 5.7mm cable into a 10/8mm

mini-duct with a reduced push force and a 6.5mm cable
installed into a 12/10mm mini-duct (Theoretical).

800

600

400

As can be seen from figure 7 if a reduction in cable diameter is

being considered then it is important to minimise the affect it has
on the ability of the cable to accept the push force.

200

0
0.1

0.11

0.12

0.13

0.14

0.15

0.16

Coefficient of Friction

A smooth sheath will maximise the air-flow passing over it but a

sheath showing the stranding formation (reflective) will increase
the effectiveness of viscous drag of the air. See figure 8.

Figure 9. Affect of coefficient of friction between cable

and mini-duct (Theoretical).
During the installation process the cable will come into contact
with the mini-duct walls therefore the bore liner material must
have a low coefficient of friction to reduce the level of drag
when this happens. This coefficient of friction typically varies
from 0.1 to 0.16 (measured by the Inclined Plane method as seen
in figure 10) for different mini-duct suppliers.

Smooth

Reflective

Highly
Reflective

Figure 8. Different types of mini-cable sheath finishes.

Figure 10. Inclined Plane test apparatus

The coefficient of friction of the bore liner will also affect the
level of air-flow through the mini-duct. Those with a lower the
coefficient of friction having a higher flow rate of air through
them compared with those with a higher coefficient of friction
value.

2.3 Cable Weight

The weight of the cable will affect the ability of the air to carry
the cable along the mini-duct. The lighter the cable weighs the
further the maximum blowing distance of the cable will be.

2.4 Cable Stiffness

3.2 Internal Diameter Of The Mini-Duct

The cable must not be too stiff so that it cannot go around the
bends in the route but must not be too flexible so that the level of
push-force being applied by the blowing head is reduced.

International Wire & Cable Symposium

Providing the compressor has an output suitable to fill the miniduct then the internal diameter of the mini-duct will govern the
level of air-flow through it. This will in turn affect the installation
performance of the cable.

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500

450
5
400

300

250

14 bar

10 bar

12 bar

14 bar

10 bar

12 bar

14 bar

12 bar

10 bar

14 bar

12 bar

10 bar

150

14 bar

200

12 bar

12/10mm Mini-Duct
3

10 bar

Flow Rate (l/min)

Push Force (bar)

350

10/8mm Mini-Duct

100

50
0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Distance (mts)

Figure 11. Push force required to maintain an installation

speed of 60m/min for a 6.5mm diameter cable

200 mts

400 mts

600 mts
Route Distance (mts)

800 mts

1000 mts

Figure 12. Level of air-flow through 10/8mm mini-duct

4.2 Quality Of Design

As can be seen from figure 11 the increase in air-flow, achieved

by using a larger bore mini-duct, has a considerable affect upon
the ease with which the cable can be installed. Whilst the cost of
the 12/10mm mini-duct is more expensive than the 10/8mm
product, typically 30%, in the overall cost of a project the
increase in cost is minimal and this cost increase can be reduced
or eliminated by the reduction in mini-cable installation time.

A cable route goes from A to B and as such there is little that can
be done with the design of the route however consideration should
be given to the number of bends and how the bends are
configured. It is better to have 2 x 45o instead of a single 90o bend
or sweeping bends. When considering the affect of bends it
should be remembered to consider the route in three dimensions.
Loops of mini-duct in manholes for future joint provision will
reduce the installation distance due to the increase in route
difficulty and should be avoided if possible.

3.3 Mini-Duct Configuration

Recent innovations in mini-duct cable designs have led to the
introduction of mini-ducts configured in a horizontal formation.
The main drive for this is the ease of access to the mini-ducts for
route drop-offs. However it has been found that the reduction in
stiffness of the mini-duct cable has resulted in the cable
following any undulation in the trench floor or over-laying of
cables in ducts. This can reduce the installation performance of
the cable.

5. Quality Of Mini-Duct Installation

This is a process which is often overlooked however it has been
found to be, both theoretically and practically, one of most
important factors that govern the installation performance of the
system. A poorly installed mini-duct installation will potentially
drastically reduce the maximum installation distance and probably
cost the most to rectify.

Table 1. Stiffness values (Nm2) for 10/8mm mini-duct

cables
Cable
Type.
Stiffness

1.86

11.3

48.7

152.3

Trench Floor

4. Route Design
4.1 Length Of Route
The length of the route will determine the level of air-flow
through the mini-duct as detailed in figure 12. The higher the
level of air-flow through the route the easier it will be to install
the cable. The will also result in an ability to overcome
undulations in the route caused by poorly installed mini-duct
cable.

International Wire & Cable Symposium

Figure 13. Poor installation

Problems such as those in figure 13 are obvious, however as
mentioned in section 3 the ability of a mini-duct cable to follow
undulations, vertical and horizontal, whether they be as a result of
poor trenching, mole-ploughing or overlaying of mini-ducts
within a congested main-duct will have an affect on the maximum

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high level of push force, the cable should be able to accept it

without being damaged in the event of the cable hitting a
blockage in the mini-duct. For smaller diameter cables this may
require configuring the cable drive mechanism (belts or wheels)
differently. Care should be taken to minimize air leaks around the
air-box within the blowing head.

installation distance of a cable. Another potential cause of

undulations is the set in the mini-duct cable caused by the
manufacturing process and storage on the drum. If a mini-duct
cable is installed into a larger duct using a winch then the
problems will probably be reduced as the tensile force on the
cable will keep it in a reasonably straight line. If the mini-duct
cable is being installed into a trench then during the backfilling
operation care should be taken to ensure that it is as straight as
possible. As can be seen from figures 14 and 15 these problems
can be reduced by increasing the air-flow through the mini-duct
as a result of increasing the mini-duct size or by using a mini-duct
with a low coefficient of friction value.

1600

5.7mm Cable In 10/8mm Mini-Duct

Pitch - 20mts
1400

Distance (mts)

1000

1600

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 300N

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 200N

1400

800

600

5.7mm Cable In 10/8mm Mini-Duct

Pitch - 5mts

400

1200

6.5mm Cable In 12/10mm Mini-Duct

Pitch - 5mts

200

1000
Distance (mts)

6.5mm Cable In 12/10mm Mini-Duct

Pitch - 20mts

1200

800

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

Amplitude (mts)
600

Figure 16. Performance of a 6.5mm cable into a 12/10mm

mini-duct (CoF 0.1) against a 5.7mm cable into a
10/8mm mini-duct (CoF 0.1) assuming 300N push force
(Theoretical).

5 mts Pitch,
Push Force 300N

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 200N

400

200

0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

Amplitude (mts)

1600

Figure 14. Affect of installation of a 6.5mm cable into a

10/8mm mini-duct (Theoretical).

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 200N

1400

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 300N

1200
1600

5mts Pitch, Cof 0.16

Distance (mts)

1000
1400

20mts Pitch, Cof 0.1

1200

800

600
1000
Distance (mts

5 mts Pitch,
Push Force 300N

20 mts Pitch,
Push Force 200N

400

800

200

600

0
0

0.05

0.1

0.15

400

0.3

Figure 17. Performance of a 5.7mm cable into a 10/8mm

mini-duct (CoF 0.1) with different push forces
(Theoretical).

0
0.05

0.25

20mts Pitch, Cof 0.16

200

0.2

Amplitude (mts)

5mts Pitch, Cof 0.16

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

Amplitude (mts)

Figure 15. Affect of installation of a 6.5mm cable into a

12/10mm mini-duct (Theoretical).

From figure 17 it can be seen that the higher push force results in
the ability of the cable to overcome installation problems. Figures
14 to 17 show that for mini-ducts with a high coefficient of
friction this will have a significant effect on the installation
performance of the cable along with the quality of installation of
the mini-duct cable.

Guidance and monitoring of the installation of the mini-duct

cables can reduce these problems and should not be considered as
an extra expense as it potentially will save time and money when
it comes to installing the mini-cable at a later date.

6.2 Cable Drum Pay-Off

6. Installation Equipment

The cable drum pay-off is an often forgotten piece of equipment

but with the reduction in the diameter of the cables and the
subsequent reduction in the central strength member within the
cables the requirement for the cables to be dispensed from the
cable drum at a constant low tension has increased. The use of
small lightweight drums is recommended.

6.1 Blowing Head

The main function of the cable blowing head is to pull the cable
from the drum and deliver it into the air stream within the miniduct at zero tension. At this point the air propels the cable forward
through the route. As the installation continues the cable requires
more push force due to the fact that the level of air-flow is
reducing and the number of bends in the route is increasing. This
means that not only should the blowing head be able to deliver a

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6.3 Compressor

10. Authors

The compressor should deliver clean, oil-free and water-free air.

Due to the high cable/duct fill factors it is recommended that 15
bar compressors should be used in order to maximize the air-flow
through the route.

6.4 Lubricant
The practice of adding a small quantity of a wet lubricant prior to
the mini-cable installation has shown increases of up to 20% in
the maximum blowing distance. This process involves adding a
quantity of lubricant and then inserting a sponge into the miniduct. Using compressed air this is then blown through the route
with the result being that the inside of the mini-duct is coated with
an extra lubricant along its entire length. Whilst this may add an
extra process to the installation practice the benefits far outweigh
the small extra cost. The type of lubricant is critical and should be
specifically designed for use with mini-cables.

7. Conclusions

Ralph Sutehall is a Principal Engineer with the Communications

Division of Prysmian Cables & Systems in the UK, where he is
responsible for installation & applications development. He has
been working with optical fibre cables for 35 years and has
numerous patents and conference papers in this field of study.

What this investigation has shown is that systems providers should

have a holistic understanding of the interactions of the key
parameters that make up an installed mini-cable route. By
understanding these interactions they can install networks most cost
effectively.
What has been shown is that the installation of the mini-ducts and
the coefficient of friction of the mini-duct/mini-cable are the
primary
factors that influence the installation performance of mini-cables.
The other factors are seen as secondary.

8. Acknowledgments
The authors recognise the valuable assistance of colleagues within
Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd, Eden Ltd, Factair Ltd and
Radius Systems.

9. References
[1] W. Griffieon Installation Of Optical Cables In Ducts

Plumettaz, PTT Research 1993

[2] IEC 60794-1-2 Ed. 3.0 (draft) Method E24 (86A/1340/CD)
Martin Davies is Chief Engineer (Telecoms) with Prysmian
Cables & Systems in the UK, where he is responsible for product
design and development. He has been an active member of a
number of standardisation bodies, including BSI, ETSI and IEC
and is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

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