Overcoming Obstacles: Proper Planning Ensures Cable Pulling Success

Before the first inch of cable even leaves the reel, an electrical crew can plan for a successful cable pull. Through advanced planning, contractors and engineers can reduce splices, minimize costs, and safeguard the cable’s integrity and performance.

“It starts with the design of the raceway, the placement of the pull points, and the calculation of pull tension,” said Owen Young, general foreman for Redtop Electric, an electrical contractor in Livermore, California. “After that, it’s about eliminating surprises, confirming bends along with the radius, and making sure the reel, tugger, and crew are all in sync.”

By focusing on planning during the cable pulling process, E-J Electric Installation Co. in Long Island City, New York, is also streamlining work practices and boosting productivity in the field.

“Establishing a thorough cable pulling program is well received by the field workforce and helps them to be more efficient with fewer mistakes,” said Patricia Mohiuddin, vice president and division manager for E-J Electric. “By spending the time early on with engineering, it helps to minimize splices and ensures the cable gets installed — maintaining its integrity and resulting in better performance and cable test results.”

Confronting Challenges in the Field

By investing time and effort into the cable pulling process, electrical contractors not only know what to expect, but they can also have a backup plan if things don’t work out as expected, said Sheri Dahlke, vice president of research and development for American Polywater Corporation.

Often, crews can encounter surprises in the field during construction. For example, an unmapped gas line can cause unexpected challenges during the excavation and conduit installation phase, and even with surveys and USA markings, unexpected issues can still arise, Young said. 

In other cases, crews may discover a damaged duct during the installation of underground cable pulls. For that reason, the field workforce uses techniques such as the camera scope, brush, and mandrel, or pulling rags through ducts prior to pulling, Mohiuddin said.

“It’s important to know when each pull is going to take place and have everything together to set the crew up for a productive shift, including the right cable reels, correct lube, pull cards, and tags,” she said.

Without planning ahead, however, it can lead to not having enough pull points or having to cut in additional boxes after pulling has commenced, Mohiuddin said. At Redtop Electric, Young has discovered that no plans can lead to longer installs, failed pulls, wasted labor and material, and a cranky crew.

“It’s like showing up to a job site without your tools,” Young said. “You may get somewhere, but you’re not getting far. But with proper planning, there’s no holding your breath. We know it will work, so the crew members can focus on speed and precision instead of crossing their fingers.”

Following Best Practices for Cable Installation

When Young first started in the electrical industry almost three decades ago, the golden rule was simple — keep conduit bends under 360 degrees, and installers were “good to go.”

“It took 15 years to learn that ‘good to go’ doesn’t always mean ‘guaranteed to work,’” he said. “Now we map every run in detail, mark pull point locations, and calculate tensions before we even roll the reel into place.”

Other best practices are keeping the wire pristine by not dragging it across gravel or asphalt like a garden hose, calculating pull tension on all major pulls, and ensuring the wire is always protected. The crews also use tarps, lubricant, and front-end packs from Polywater.

“Our philosophy is the cable should go into the conduit looking as good as it did in the factory —maybe better,” Young said. “If it looks wrong, then we stop and inspect it.”

At E-J Electric, the cable pulling process begins with engineering and the production of shop drawings. After the engineers design conduit and raceway runs to minimize pull tensions and indicate bend radius, they perform pull calculations to determine the necessary pull and splice points. Finally, they distribute ID tags and pull cards, which contain information about the source, designation, length, wire type/size, and calculated pull tension. In addition, the team closely inspects cable reel management and ensures the cable is paralleled to make pulling more efficient.

“This planning process ensures that each pull goes smoothly, and the proper cable is installed in the right raceway and does not exceed the maximum pull tension,” Mohiuddin said. “The more we plan and the more planning tools we use, the better success we have.”

Harnessing the Power of Software

Another way electrical contractors can improve productivity is through the use of cable installation planning software called the Polywater® Pull Planner®, which generates pull calculations once shop drawings are produced.

“The Pull-Planner program is easy to use and will guide the engineer to plan for the proper splice locations,” Mohiuddin said. “It also helps to assist the decision on which direction to pull.”

Years ago, Young said a representative gave him a crash course on how to use the software, and it saved him more than a few headaches.
“Pull-Planner keeps projects moving at full speed,” Young said. “I still hand-calculate critical pulls just to back check. It’s not about second-guessing. It’s about making sure everything goes exactly as planned.”

Young said planning turns a “hope-it-works” pull into a “we-know-it-works” pull.

“It saves money, saves stress, and keeps clients happy,” Young said. “Nothing beats the feeling of getting it right the first time and walking away knowing it’s built to last.”

For more information about American Polywater Corporation, visit www.polywater.com/en/pull-planner/.