Abstract
MR. R. W. L. PHILLIPS, borough electrical engineer of Bedford, has an article in the Electrical Review of January 10 on the present prohibition of steel armouring on electric cables. In the early days of electricity supply, the practice of laying cables direct in the ground without conduits or some similar protection was looked upon by many as being risky, principally because in many soils the lead sheathing would be liable to attack by corrosive salts. As a matter of fact, this did occur until a suitable compound was found for impregnating the protective jute covering. Armouring was added as a safeguard against mechanical damage. The usual method that is adopted to protect a cable that is to be laid direct in the ground, is to 'serve’ the lead sheathing with a layer of jute before laying on the armouring, and a further layer of impregnated jute to protect the armouring from the corrosive action of the soil. The first layer acts as a bed for the armouring, thus preventing it damaging the lead; but, in Mr. Phillips's opinion, the success of direct-laid underground cable is due not so much to the armouring as to the double layer of impregnated jute so made necessary.
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Steel Armouring of Cables. Nature 147, 413 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/147413d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/147413d0