Project requirements · Environment
Termite protection
The cable resists attack by termites in buried or ducted runs in regions where they occur.
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Constructions that meet it
- Hard polyamide (nylon) jacket over the sheath: changes the cable's layers. Nylon (PA11 / PA12) jacket over the PE or PVC sheath, bonded to it by an extruded adhesive tie layer (PA12 or PA11, UV stabilised). Drawbacks: Physical barrier through surface hardness. Stiffer cable; nylon must be stabilised for UV; bonded jacket complicates stripping.
- Brass tape under the sheath: changes the cable's layers. Brass tape (or other metal tape) under the sheath (brass). Drawbacks: Olex's named physical barrier alongside nylon. Metal to earth.
- Termite repellent in the sheath compound: changes no layer: a property of the sheath compound. Termiticide or repellent additive in the sheath compound (additive in sheath compound). Drawbacks: Offered by Prysmian at one time; Olex says its commissioned tests show repellents do not work. Environmental restrictions on biocides.
- Metal armour (steel wire) or a lead sheath: changes the cable's layers. Metal armour or lead sheath (steel, lead). Drawbacks: Claimed as anti-termite by Helukabel HY-CARBO LEAD GSTA.
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Tests
No international test method: specifications state this in words. Tests that exist:
- AS 1049 (Australia, telecom cable insulation, sheath and jacket materials): cited by makers for the nylon jacket compound; a termite test method in it: not found. Pass: not found
How specifications state it
Only in words in most specifications. Australian practice names the nylon jacket and AS 1049 compliance.
Where it is asked for
- Australia, Africa, South and South-East Asia, Middle East buried networks
- telecom outside plant
- PV and mining sites
Sources
- Prysmian Australia, Central Tube cable page (UV stabilised PE with nylon jacket for termite resistance, AS 1049) (maker's catalogue)
- Prysmian NZ, SM@RTCORE brochure (PE sheath bonded to nylon by an extruded adhesive tie layer) (quoted by others)
- Electrical Connection (AU) trade article: Olex on brass taping or nylon jackets, repellents disputed (quoted by others)
- Kabelwerk Eupen, Materials for specific requirements, Ed. 05/2011, p.1 (polyamide sheath over the standard sheath) (maker's catalogue)
- UL Prospector listings: ASTAMID N-3020X7 (PA12 for termite-resistant jackets, AS 1049) and VESTAMID L1670 (PA12 jacketing against termites) (quoted by others)