The typical bend radius for unshielded category cable is 4 times the cable’s outside diameter. The typical bend radius for a shielded category cable is 8 times the cables outside diameter. This is to ensure the shield and the relationship between the shield and the conductors is not compromised during installation.
To better clarify what a bend radius is, picture a circle with a point in its center. The radius is the distance from the center to the edge of the circle. Now envision the circle as a pipe. When you know the radius of a circle, you can double it to get the diameter of the pipe. This size pipe would be the smallest size pipe you would want to bend the cable around.
For example, if the bend radius for a .25 inch cable is 4x the cable diameter it means that when being pulled in, the cable should not be pulled around a pipe any smaller than 2.0 inches. However, it is not recommended that a cable be pulled around a pipe. The information is intended to identify just how small of an angle a cable should subject to when installed and static.
Speak with an Expert
To Discuss Your Application Needs
