Cables

Practical guides for selecting, sizing, bending, and installing power cables, from low-voltage wiring to MV, HV, and EHV underground circuits. Use the size charts and calculators to choose a conductor, then check the bending radius and installation guides before you pull cable. Browse every article underneath.

Cable Size Charts and Sizing Methods

• Cable Size Chart: Copper and Aluminium Amp Ratings
• Cable Size Chart for XLPE Cables
• Cable Size Chart for Generators
• Cable Size Chart: Polycab
• Cable Size Resistance Chart Explained
• Cable Size Calculation Thumb Rule
• Cable Derating Factors: Grouping, Temperature and Depth

Cable Size Calculators

• DC Cable Size Calculator (Solar, Battery and Off-Grid)
• Armoured Cable Size Calculator
• 11kV HT Cable Size Calculator (XLPE)
• Doncaster Cable Size Calculator

More tools are in our Cables Tools calculators.

Sizing Cables for Specific Applications

• Motor Cable Sizing: Starting vs Running Current
• Metric Cable Diameter for Motors
• How to Size Cable for Street Lighting Circuits
• Street Light Cable Size Chart (NEC and IEC)
• Landscape Lighting Cable Size Guide (12V and 24V)

Cable Bending Radius

• Cable Bending Radius Chart by Cable Size (mm² to AWG/kcmil)
• How to Measure Cable Bend Radius
• IEC 60502 Cable Bending Radius
• Bending Radius of Armoured Cable
• 11kV Cable Bending Radius (NEC and IEC)
• Medium and High Voltage Cable Bending Radius (33kV to EHV)

Underground and High-Voltage Cable Installation

• Underground Cable Laying Guide: Methods and Standards
• Underground Cable Depth Requirements by Voltage Level
• Foot Separation Requirements for Undergrounds by kVA
• EHT Cable Laying Procedure
• 15kV Unshielded Cable Laying on Ground
• Why Power Cable Insulation Is Rated for High Voltage

Cable Glands

• Cable Gland Size Chart: Sizing and Selection
• Cable Gland Size Chart: Hawke

How to Choose the Right Cable Size

A cable has to pass four checks: current capacity (ampacity for the load, after derating for grouping, ambient temperature, and burial depth), voltage drop over the full run length, short-circuit withstand for the protective device clearing time, and installation method. Codes differ by region, so check whether your project follows NEC/NFPA 70, IEC 60364, or BS 7671, and always confirm values against the manufacturer’s datasheet. Minimum bending radius is expressed as a multiple of the cable’s overall diameter and varies with cable construction and voltage, so use the datasheet figure rather than a generic one.

All Cable Articles