From natural gas to water and electricity, much of our utility infrastructure is buried underground. Locating these underground assets is critical for maintenance and repairs and avoiding damage or injuries when adding new facilities. Builders and contractors typically use tracer wire (aka locating wire) to find buried pipes and underground structures. Traditionally, solid copper is the established tracer wire of choice. But the alternative, copper clad steel (CCS) wire offers several advantages that make it a compelling option.
Poly tubing is replacing legacy metal piping, and the poly replacements can&#;t be located with conventional utility locating devices. Instead, tracer wire is buried with the poly tubing. Crews use a frequency generator to send a current through the wire, then pinpoint pipe location by potholing at intervals.
CCS tracer wire is a solid steel core conductor with a concentrically clad copper coating, insulated with a high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE). It is suitable for direct burial use in both wet and dry locations
Copper clad steel wire is made by metallurgically bonding solid steel with solid copper. Two copper strips are fixed to a steel rod, then bonded together by pressure and heat. The wire is drawn to an intermediate size and heat-treated, then the process is repeated to achieve the desired wire specification. The heat, pressure, and drawing process ensures that the final product has a consistent copper to steel ratio and a uniform copper cladding.
While solid copper has long been considered the industry standard for tracer wire, the CCS alternative has several benefits that account for its rapidly gaining popularity:
Strength and durability. Traditional copper tracer wire is more flexible and easier to work with than CCS, but it comes with a trade-off. CCS tracer wire has a much higher breaking strength and is more rugged than copper. This &#;pulling strength&#; is particularly important when tracer wire is machine-pulled over long distances. For example, in a pipeline application, tracer wire may run for many miles, and breaking a wire is costly in terms of downtime and materials.
Lower risk of theft. Copper has a significant aftermarket value, and over $1 billion of copper is stolen every year. Related damage to infrastructure and replacement labor costs add to the financial toll. By contrast, CCS wire has limited value as scrap and represents a much lower theft risk.
Stable, predictable costs. The price of copper is historically volatile &#; it has risen over 17% in the last six months alone. This volatility directly impacts copper tracer wire prices, creating significant budgeting challenges for contractors working on large, long-term projects. Prices for CCS tracer wire, by comparison, are very stable.
Lower costs. CCS tracer wire is typically a more cost-effective option than solid copper. In some cases, CCS can cost 30-50% less than its copper counterpart &#; significant savings, especially for large infrastructure projects.
Lower weight. CCS is lighter than copper tracer wire by approximately 10%, which can reduce handling and shipping fees. There&#;s an advantage in the field as well. 10% may not seem significant, but for a tech carrying a 2,500-foot reel on a large job site, that weight difference can mean faster progress that translates into lower labor costs.
Kris-Tech manufactures CCS tracer wire in four strengths to address virtually any project requirement. Dead soft annealed (DSA) has similar characteristics to its solid copper counterpart, while stress relieved (SR) CCS provides greater durability and pulling strength. High strength (HS) and extra high strength (EHS) CCS tracer wire, our strongest CCS products, are used in the most demanding conditions. EHS tracer wire can withstand over 1,000 pounds of pulling pressure and is often used in blasting environments.
We also manufacture our CCS tracer wire in multiple gauges, a wide range of colors, and available customized print legends and packaging. Kris-Tech also offers non-standard lengths, smaller minimum runs, and no cut or reel charges.
Customers can be assured our copper clad steel tracer wire will perform safely and consistently to all specifications. Our Kris-Tech CCS tracer wire is extensively performance-tested and meets all applicable industry standards, including ASTM, NEMA, UL, and ICEA. All products are also spark tested at .
Builders and contractors are looking for any advantage to meet challenging project timelines and tight budgets. In many cases, copper clad steel tracer wire can deliver an edge in performance &#; and cost savings.
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Copper clad cables are available as either copper clad aluminium (CCA) or copper clad steel (CCS). It means that the conductor is made either of aluminum or steel, with a coating of copper wrapped around it. So, these are not 100% copper cables.
Advantages of Copper Clad Cables: One significant advantage of copper clad cables over solid copper cables is their lightweight nature. Replacing copper conductors with aluminum or steel reduces the cable&#;s weight, making them ideal for lightweight applications. Additionally, copper clad cables are more cost-effective, as the inner copper is replaced with less expensive aluminum or steel.
Disadvantages: Due to the copper coating, these cables are generally better suited for short lengths or distances and transmitting smaller amounts of data. Over longer distances, signal loss will occur and require the signal to be retransmitted multiple times to reach its endpoint. While both perform similarly over short distances, steel is typically more durable, making it especially useful for outdoor applications.
Solid copper cables are composed entirely of copper, with both the conductor and coating made of copper. It is also the most preferred cable over copper clad aluminum. Solid copper cables are also the industry standard for all Ethernet wiring.
Advantages of Solid Copper Cables &#; The primary benefits of solid copper ethernet cables are their durability and flexibility. These cables can bend easily, making them simple to shape and form. Additionally, a copper conductor offers superior performance. Pure copper cables are ideal for transmitting signals over long distances with no signal integrity issues, excelling in transmitting high levels of data with minimal current needed to push the signals to their endpoint.
Disadvantages &#; The main drawback of solid copper ethernet cables is their heavy weight. However, their excellent performance and durability often outweigh this downside.
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When deciding between copper clad and solid copper cables, several factors should be considered: cost, distance, weight, durability, and data load.
Cost: A pure copper cable tends to be more expensive than the more affordable copper clad aluminum cable or copper clad steel cable.
Distance: Copper clad cables are suitable for short-distance signal transmission without any performance issues. For longer distances, pure copper cables are preferred.
Weight: Copper clad cables, particularly those made of aluminum, are lightweight.
Durability: CCS cables offer greater durability, while solid or pure copper cables are also durable and perform well in high heat temperature conditions. CCA is less robust.
Data: Solid copper ethernet cables are ideal for transmitting high volumes of data. For smaller data loads, copper clad cables are usually sufficient, even for longer cables. It&#;s essential to consider the amount of data being transmitted relative to the cable length required.
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