# Aluminum TECK cable in steel ladder tray



## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

I've never run aluminum TECK cable before, but I'm quoting a job that is just *begging* for it. Somebody told me that you need to run aluminum conductor in aluminum, so you need to use aluminum cable tray, aluminum uni-strut, aluminum clips, etc.
This surprised me. Greatly. Can anyone verify this? I've looked through our code (CEC) and can't find anything.


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

Mike in Canada said:


> I've never run aluminum TECK cable before, but I'm quoting a job that is just *begging* for it. Somebody told me that you need to run aluminum conductor in aluminum, so you need to use aluminum cable tray, aluminum uni-strut, aluminum clips, etc.
> This surprised me. Greatly. Can anyone verify this? I've looked through our code (CEC) and can't find anything.


Actually did a very similar thing in July, ran a 3/3 NuAl Teck cable on a steel cable tray, but for a short run from a switchgear.. I can't see having a problem.


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## gardiner (Sep 25, 2007)

Mike in Canada said:


> I've never run aluminum TECK cable before, but I'm quoting a job that is just *begging* for it. Somebody told me that you need to run aluminum conductor in aluminum, so you need to use aluminum cable tray, aluminum uni-strut, aluminum clips, etc.
> This surprised me. Greatly. Can anyone verify this? I've looked through our code (CEC) and can't find anything.


I've run a great deal of teck in aluminum over the years and have never heard of anything like that. If you think of it the outer casing is insulated what difference would it make what the uni-strut or tray would be made off.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

Mike in Canada said:


> I've never run aluminum TECK cable before, but I'm quoting a job that is just *begging* for it. Somebody told me that you need to run aluminum conductor in aluminum, so you need to use aluminum cable tray, aluminum uni-strut, aluminum clips, etc.
> This surprised me. Greatly. Can anyone verify this? I've looked through our code (CEC) and can't find anything.


The only differences you'll run into are in terminating the aluminum conductors and you'll find those rules in section 12-118.

I often hear outlandish BS like that come out of guys mouths and when I dig a little deeper what was done was done was because of spec, not code, and they are just too ignorant of the actual code to know any better.

If it was a sparky that said that, tell him that I have a former customer who can fix his engine for him, if it is repairable. He can reach them at (613) 722-6521. A code book might be cheaper if the work he needs done isn't covered.


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## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's appreciated!


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## crosport (Apr 4, 2010)

Aluminum teck cable is not aluminum teck cable.It's ACWU.


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

crosport said:


> *Aluminum teck cable is not aluminum* teck cable.It's ACWU.


Exactly, it's NuAl


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

crosport said:


> Aluminum teck cable is not aluminum teck cable.It's ACWU.





kevmanTA said:


> Exactly, it's NuAl


Both ACWU and Teck can be bought in either aluminum or copper.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Mike in Canada said:


> I've never run aluminum TECK cable before, but I'm quoting a job that is just *begging* for it. Somebody told me that you need to run aluminum conductor in aluminum, so you need to use aluminum cable tray, aluminum uni-strut, aluminum clips, etc.
> This surprised me. Greatly. Can anyone verify this? I've looked through our code (CEC) and can't find anything.


With that kind of reasoning, you would have to run copper wire in copper EMT. We here in the States don't use TECK cable, or if we do it is called something else. But it makes no sense that an insulated conductor knows, or cares, about what kind of support it has.


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## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

Maybe they're claiming some kind of weird eddy-current thing. I don't know. I *do* know that having to buy aluminum ladder tray and aluminum unistrut and clips and such would significantly reduce the benefits of running aluminum for big amperages. Copper TECK and AC cable both have aluminum armor, anyway, so...? 
I was just looking for opinions. If someone had have quoted chapter and verse for me then I would have gone along with the notion, but I'm just going to run steel for this job.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

No one can quote anything chapter and verse if it doesn't exist.

As far as the OESC goes, 12-2200 to 12-2210 and Table 19 pretty and a couple of references to Appendix B (I'm working off memory here) pretty much cover all you need to know about cable tray and what cables are allowed to be used in them. I can say with 100% certainty that the OESC doesn't make any mention at all of what kind of material cable tray is made of.

Now that I think of it. Despite all that, it is quite possible that there are building codes for specific situations or even ISO, CSA or one of dozens of specifications that exist that the customer might want to meet in order to list their product as produced in environments compliant with those standards, although there are no electrical or building code requirements to do so, that kind of thing would have to be clearly specified by the customer.


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