Excellent request. "Cable calculation" is a broad term in electrical engineering and construction.

It can refer to several different, but equally important, calculations.

I will provide a comprehensive guide covering the four most critical types of cable calculations:

1. Cable Sizing Calculation: Determining the correct conductor size (e.g., AWG or mm²) to
safely carry the electrical load.

2. Cable Tray/Conduit Fill Calculation: Determining how many cables can fit into a tray or
conduit according to code.

3. Voltage Drop Calculation: Ensuring the voltage at the end of the cable is sufficient to
power the equipment correctly.

4. Cable Pulling Tension Calculation: Ensuring the cable is not damaged during installation.

1. Cable Sizing Calculation (Ampacity)

This is the most fundamental calculation. The goal is to choose a wire that will not overheat
under its expected load. The primary reference for this in North America is the National
Electrical Code (NEC), specifically Article 310. In other parts of the world, IEC 60364 is the
standard.

Steps for Cable Sizing:

Step 1: Gather Your Input Data

 Load Current (Amps): The full load amperage (FLA) of the equipment. For a motor, this is
on the nameplate. For lighting, it's the sum of all fixture wattages divided by the voltage.

 Voltage: The system voltage (e.g., 480V, 208V, 240V).

 Phase: Single-phase or Three-phase.

 Conductor Material: Copper (CU) or Aluminum (AL).

 Insulation Type: The temperature rating of the cable's insulation (e.g., THHN/THWN-2 is
90°C, XHHW-2 is 90°C).

 Installation Conditions (Derating Factors):

o Ambient Temperature: Is the cable in an area hotter than the standard 30°C
(86°F)? (See NEC Table 310.15(B)(1)).

o Conduit Fill: Are there more than 3 current-carrying conductors in the same
conduit or raceway? (See NEC Table 310.15(C)(1)).
Step 2: Determine Required Ampacity

1. Apply Continuous Load Factor: For loads that run for 3 hours or more (like lighting or
motors), you must multiply the load current by 125%.

o Required Amps = Full Load Amps × 1.25

2. Apply Derating Factors: You must account for installation conditions.

o Corrected Ampacity = Required Amps / (Temperature Factor × Conduit Fill Factor)

Step 3: Select Cable Size from NEC Table 310.16

 Find the column for your conductor material (Copper/Aluminum) and insulation
temperature rating (e.g., 75°C or 90°C column). Note: Even if you use 90°C wire, most
connection terminals (breakers, lugs) are only rated for 75°C, so you must use the 75°C
column for your final selection unless the equipment is specifically marked for 90°C.

 Go down the column until you find an ampacity value that is equal to or greater than
your "Corrected Ampacity" from Step 2.

 The wire size (AWG or kcmil) in that row is your selected size.

Example: Sizing a Cable for a Motor

 Load: A 460V, 3-phase motor with a Full Load Amp (FLA) of 21A.

 Conditions: Copper conductors, THHN insulation, installed in a conduit with 3 other

1. Required Amps (Motor): Per NEC, motor branch circuits have specific rules, but we'll use
the 125% rule for simplicity.

o Required Amps = 21A × 1.25 = 26.25 A

2. Derating Factors (from NEC tables):

o Temperature (40°C for 90°C THHN wire): Factor = 0.91

o Conduit Fill (6 conductors): Factor = 0.80

o Total Derating Factor: 0.91 × 0.80 = 0.728

3. Corrected Ampacity (What the wire needs to handle):

o Corrected Ampacity = 26.25 A / 0.728 = 36.07 A

o Looking down the 75°C column...

 #12 AWG is rated for 25A (Too small)

 #10 AWG is rated for 35A (Too small)

 #8 AWG is rated for 50A (This is our choice)

Conclusion: You must use a #8 AWG copper conductor. Even though the motor only draws 21A,
the conditions require a larger wire.

2. Conduit & Cable Tray Fill Calculation

This calculation prevents overheating and makes pulling cable easier.

Conduit Fill (NEC Chapter 9, Table 1)

The rule is simple: the total cross-sectional area of all cables (including insulation) cannot
exceed a certain percentage of the conduit's internal area.

 1 Cable: 53% Fill

 2 Cables: 31% Fill

 Over 2 Cables: 40% Fill

Process:

1. Look up the total cross-sectional area for each of your cables in NEC Chapter 9, Table 5.

2. Sum the areas of all cables going into the conduit.

3. Look up the total internal area for your conduit type and size in NEC Chapter 9, Table 4.

4. Divide the total cable area by the total conduit area. The result must be less than the
allowed percentage (e.g., 40%).

Cable Tray Fill (NEC Article 392)

Cable tray fill is calculated differently because trays are open and dissipate heat better. There
are two main methods:

1. For Large Cables (≥ 4/0 AWG): The sum of the outer diameters of all cables shall not
exceed the width of the tray. The cables must be installed in a single layer.

o Example: For a 12-inch wide tray, you can fit three 4-inch diameter cables.
 2. For Small Cables (< 4/0 AWG): The sum of the cross-sectional areas of all cables shall
not exceed the maximum fill area for that tray size and type, as specified in NEC Table
392.22(A).

3. Voltage Drop Calculation

This ensures the equipment at the end of a long cable run gets enough voltage to operate
efficiently. Most codes recommend a maximum of 3% voltage drop for a branch circuit and 5%
for the entire system (feeder + branch).

Formula for Voltage Drop (VD):

 Single Phase: VD = (2 × K × I × L) / CM

 Three Phase: VD = (√3 × K × I × L) / CM (√3 ≈ 1.732)

Where:

 K: Resistivity of the conductor. It's a constant: ~12.9 for Copper, ~21.2 for Aluminum.

 I: Load Current (Amps).

 L: One-way length of the cable run in feet.

 CM: Circular Mils of the conductor (from NEC Chapter 9, Table 8).

Process:

1. Perform the ampacity calculation first to get a preliminary cable size (e.g., #8 AWG).

2. Look up the Circular Mils (CM) for that size. For #8 AWG, CM = 16,510.

3. Calculate the voltage drop using the formula.

4. Calculate the percentage drop: VD % = (VD / System Voltage) × 100.

5. If the percentage is too high (e.g., > 3%), you must go up to the next larger wire size and
recalculate.

4. Cable Pulling Tension Calculation

This is for large projects to ensure the cable isn't stretched or damaged during the pull.

Key Formulas:

1. Straight Pulls: Tension = L × W × f

o W: Weight of the cable (lbs/ft)

o f: Coefficient of friction (typically 0.35-0.5 for lubricated pulls)

2. Bends: T_out = T_in × e^(fθ)

o T_out: Tension leaving the bend.

o T_in: Tension entering the bend.

o e: Euler's number (~2.718)

o f: Coefficient of friction.

o θ: Angle of the bend in radians (1 degree = 0.01745 radians; 90° ≈ 1.57 radians).

The total pulling tension must not exceed the cable manufacturer's maximum rated pulling
tension.

Where to Find Tools:

 Free Online Calculators: Search for "Southwire Calculator," "Prysmian Calculator," or

 Professional Software: For complex systems, engineers use software like ETAP, SKM
PowerTools, or EasyPower.

 Code Books: The NEC Handbook is the ultimate reference and contains all the tables
mentioned above.