Quick Tray

Fill and Load Calculations

The folllowing tables and formulas are provided to help determine how many cables can be safely carried by
each size wire mesh cable tray tray and to determine the appropriate distance between supports for the load,
based on number of cables, cable tray size, and bracket type.

Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Ratio Use the following formula to calculate the number of
cables that will result in a particular fill ratio, where:

Fill ratio = Cross section of cable

Cross section of tray A = Inside tray area, in in.2
D = Cable diameter, in inches
According to NEC 392.9 (B), when using ventilated tray F = Fill ratio in %
with multiconductor control cable, the sum of the cross- N = Number of cables
sectional areas shall not exceed 50 percent of the interior
cross section of the tray. The formula is
The Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Table below N= F
shows the number of cables and the load in lbf/lineal foot ( 100 ) * ( [(D/2)A2 * ])
developed by typical 4 pair and 6 pair cable weighing 20
lb/kft and 40 lb/kft, respectively.While this table is a
useful guide, actual loads must be calculated using the
cable specified.
EXAMPLE:
The installation will use CAT cable at .19 in. diameter, 20 lb
per 1000 ft2.The desired fill ratio is 40%.The wire mesh
cable tray tray is 2 in. (51mm) high by 2 in. (51mm) wide.
A = 3.5 in.2
D = .19 in.
F = 40%
N= 40 3.5 = 49 cables
( 100 ) * ( [(.19/2)2 * ])

Load/foot = 49 cables * 20 lb = 0.98 lb/ft

1000 ft.

Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray Fill Table at 50% Fill
CAT Cab Type (4 pair), .19 in. diameter, 20 lb/kft CAT Cab Type (6 pair), .26 in. diameter, 40 lb/kft
Catalog Height Width Area No. Cables Load No. Cables Load
Number in. in. in.2 at 50% Fill lbf/lineal ft at 50% Fill lbf/lineal ft
QT2X2 2 1.75 3.5 62 1.24 32 1.28
QT2X4 2 3.75 7.5 133 2.66 70 2.8
QT2X6 2 5.5 11 195 3.9 103 4.12
QT2X8 2 7.5 15 266 5.32 141 5.64
QT2X12 2 11.5 23 408 8.16 216 8.64
QT2X16 2 15.5 31 550 11 291 11.64
QT2X18 2 17.5 35 621 12.42 329 13.16
QT2X20 2 19.5 39 692 13.84 367 14.68
QT2X24 2 23.5 47 834 16.68 442 17.68
QT4X4 4 3.75 15 266 5.32 141 5.64
QT4X8 4 7.5 30 532 10.64 282 11.28
QT4X12 4 11.5 46 816 16.32 433 17.32
QT4X16 4 15.5 62 1100 22 583 23.32
QT4X18 4 17.5 70 1242 24.84 659 26.36
QT4X20 4 19.5 78 1384 27.68 734 29.36
QT4X24 4 23.5 94 1668 33.36 885 35.4

16 Data subject to change without notice 763 422 2211 FAX 763 422 2600 www.hoffmanonline.com 2005 Hoffman Enclosures Inc.
 Quick Tray
Fill and Load Calculations
Supporting Quick Tray Wire Mesh anchor must be evaluated separately. Supports should be
Cable Tray placed within 24 in. (610mm) of a splice on straight
sections, and the span between supports should not exceed
The Quick Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray is sized based on the length of tray. Additional supports will be required
the number and type of cables required for the current around bends and when the cable tray level changes.
and future need. A 50% fill ratio should equal the maximum
number of cables pulled in a given cross section. Straight The load ratings of the hardware that supports the Quick
section supports installed at 5-foot (1.5m) centers are Tray Wire Mesh Cable Tray must also be considered. Load
typical. For support spans greater than 5 feet (1.5m), cable ratings for some commonly used supports are shown in the
loads must be evaluated to ensure that the span between Support Maximum Load table below.
the supports is suitable for the load.The support and Once the load/foot has been determined, the weight on
each support can be determined by multiplying the
Cable Tray Maximum Load in lb/ft According to Span load/foot by the number of feet between supports.
Catalog Number 5 ft 6 ft 7 ft 8 ft 9 ft 10 ft
QT2X2 17.17 12.54 7.51 6.04 4.77 3.86
QT2X4 18.10 14.00 11.30 9.30 7.40 5.10
EXAMPLE:
QT2X6 25.10 19.80 16.00 13.40 11.00 9.00
QT2X8 25.10 19.80 16.00 13.40 11.00 9.00 Weight of span = Load/foot * No. ft between supports
QT2X12 36.00 27.70 22.10 18.10 14.60 10.50
QT2X18 65.00 45.50 33.80 26.10 19.40 15.00
Load/foot figure from the 2 x 2 in. cable tray with 40% fill
QT2X20 65.00 45.50 33.80 26.10 19.40 15.00
ratio example: .98 lb/ft
QT2X24 67.00 48.70 37.80 30.30 23.70 17.00 Weight of span = .98 * 5 = 4.9 lb
QT4X8 43.80 35.90 30.10 25.40 21.20 17.00
QT4X12 57.95 43.77 27.77 22.94 18.12 14.68
Weight on support = weight of span / 2
QT4X20 89.80 71.00 57.70 47.60 38.50 22.00
QT4X24 89.80 71.00 57.70 47.60 38.50 22.00

Cross section- load versus span

100
90
80 QT2 x 2
QT2 x 4
70 QT2 x 6(8)
Load in pounds

60 QT2 x 12
50 QT2 x 18(20)
QT2 x 24
40
QT4 x 8
30 QT4 x 12
20 QT4 x 20(24)

10
0
5 ft 6 ft 7 ft 8 ft 9 ft 10 ft
Distance betw een supports
Support Maximum Load

Catalog Bracket Width Max. Load

Number Description in. mm lbs
QTCB4 C Bracket 4 102 259
QTCB8 C Bracket 8 203 216
QTCB12 C Bracket 12 305 108
QTLB4 L Bracket 4 102 259
QTLB8 L Bracket 8 203 216
QTLB12 L Bracket 12 305 108
QTTH Trapeze Hanging Clips 216

Data subject to change without notice 763 422 2211 FAX 763 422 2600 www.hoffmanonline.com 2005 Hoffman Enclosures Inc 17