Pulling Cable in Trench

[gordonl]

Could anyone share info on the coefficient of friction for pulling PVC jacketed cable on sand. I've had no success with the resources available to myself.

Thank You,
Gord

 

[redtrumpet]

Are you proposing to pull a cable into a trench instead of laying it in?

 

[gordonl]

Yes, if I want to change standard operating procedure here I'm going to need the numbers to prove it.

 

[BJC]

I am sure that the number exist if you keep looking long enough.
Why not get a chunk of the cable just drag it trough some sand? Put a scale on it and drage it through dry and wet sand. I would drag a couple of lengths at different speeds to see variations of tensions with length.
Check the static and dynamic friction.

I don't think you'll get a friction factor in the classic sense. It's going to be a rolling resistance of sand grains to sand grain and will vary with the type and size of sand. It will also vary with the wetness of the sand.

You may have to schedule a field trip to the beach.

I would think sand would have a low friction and be easy to pull through----but then there was that 40 yard sand crawl our DI liked us to do so much. It looked easy until the first time I did it.

 

[gordonl]

I probably would if it wasn't under 3 feet of snow. Thank you though, point well taken.

 

[BJC]

Field Trip!!
Lots of places with sand and no snow.
Florida, Hawaii, Aruba, Virgin Islands
See you travel agent.

 

[powrgen]

Why not avoid the problem and use cable rollers, makes life much easier..
Jb