solid al. urd cable

[biff2ibew]

has anyone working in the southeast u.s. every heard of using 1/0 solid al. wire ( jacketed urd cable ) SOUTHWIRE has talked the comp. i work for in to using this wire . they say the progress /fpl / and several others have been using for past 10 years . but i worked as tramp hand in s.e. never saw it before. call some old tamp buds they never heard or saw anyone working it. please give any 411 on this comp. name or some one who used it before.

[Trampbag]

I've used solid Al URD cable before in various places. About 25 years ago when I first ran into it it was believed to be unsafe because it would break when switching. I really don’t know if that ever happened, I sure never experienced it. I believe SDG&E uses #2 solid, if memory serves correct. I think it was used by BC Hydro and I ran into it in the N/E somewhere.

I wouldn’t use a knife to strip the insulation for fear of nicking the conductor. A couple of bends and the wire breaks if nicked. Use the proper stripping tool. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with solid wire URD cable.

[JD426H]

We've used it forever and it's good stuff. All of our old #2 solid UG primary has pretty much been replaced with the 1/0 jacketed. The only trouble we've had out of the 1/0 wire is where somebody dumbassed a splice,or where it's been in long enough to have had a pin and socket splice installed early on. Like Tramp said....use the stripping tools and don't ring around it with a knife.

[poletop22]

We use a solid aluminium conductor in our LV URD its a sector cable XLPE insulated with a stranded neutral/earth screen when you get down to the phase conductors they look like 3 pieces of pie(red white and blue) each sector is 120 degrees if you get what i'm saying. Been using it for over 15 years to my knowledge.

[Patriot]

All we use is solid, #2 and solid 1/0. Pretty much everything is 1/0 or larger now. On all voltages to 34.5kv.

[playtime]

1/0 solid Alum. is pretty common to the Rural Electrics in SD. Very easy to work with. I have worked with some 4/0 solid and that is a pain in the ass. It is very stiff and does not "train" well in vaults. Very difficult to handle with a stick, especially if it is cold out.

[thrasher]

We have used solid 1/0 220mil EPR jacketed for over 15 years, as long as you strip it right no problems. Company went to it originally because water cannot track in the conductor and "tree" an entire area.