Professional cable manufacturer
BS 5467 · 4 × 70 mm² sector-shaped · overall 37 mm · 4000 kg/km · 246 A in air · 188 A direct buried
Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC 4 × 70 mm² 0.6/1 kV Armoured Power Cable
A 4 × 70 mm² armoured LV distribution cable: sector-shaped copper conductors to IEC 60228 Class 2, XLPE insulation, 2.0 mm galvanised steel wire armour and a black PVC over-sheath. 37 mm overall, 4000 kg/km, 246 A in air at 30 °C and 188 A direct buried.
4 × 70 mm²
Sector-shaped conductors
37 mm
Overall diameter
4000 kg/km
Weight
246 A
In air at 30 °C
↓ Download Datasheet (PDF)
Made to BS 5467, IEC 60502
Sector-shaped conductors, 11.7 mm
2.0 mm steel wire armour
MOQ 1,000 m — samples negotiable
4 × 70 mm² ARMOURED POWER CABLE · 0.6/1 kV
4 × 70 mm²Three phases plus neutral
37 mmNominal overall diameter
4000 kg/kmNominal weight
0.268 Ω/kmConductor resistance at 20 °C
8 × DBending radius, ≈296 mm at laying
Key Specifications
The essentials, at a glance
Four-core 70 mm² is the size where a cable stops being a cable and becomes a pulling and drum-handling job. These are the numbers that decide it.
11.7 mm
Conductor diameter, sector-shaped
1.1 mm
XLPE insulation thickness
2.0 mm
Armour wire diameter
188 A
Direct buried at 20 °C
1.2 Ω/km
Armour resistance at 20 °C
≈296 mm
Laying radius, 8 × 37 mm
Product Overview
A four-core 70 mm² cable is an installation project
This is the 4 × 70 mm² member of the BS 5467 armoured LV family — three phase conductors and a neutral, with no separate protective conductor. The published data for this exact size: 11.7 mm sector-shaped conductors, 1.1 mm XLPE insulation, a 1.2 mm PVC bedding, 2.0 mm galvanised steel wire armour, a 37 mm overall diameter, 4000 kg/km, 0.268 Ω/km conductor resistance and 1.2 Ω/km armour resistance, rated 246 A in air at 30 °C and 188 A direct buried at 20 °C.
Start with the weight, because it changes how the job is planned. At 4000 kg/km a 500 m drum holds about two tonnes, and that decides the drum size, the trailer, the winch and the route the drum can physically be taken along. The step from 4 × 35 mm² at 2500 kg/km and 30 mm to this size, and on to 4 × 95 mm² at 5250 kg/km and 41 mm, is not linear in effort — it is the point at which a pull becomes a planned operation with a pulling eye, rollers and a tension limit rather than a few people and a rope. Table 1 sets the four sizes side by side for that reason.
The second thing that catches people out is the conductor shape. At this cross-section the conductors are sector-shaped, not circular: four 70 mm² circular conductors inside a 37 mm cable would not fit. This matters at both ends of the installation. When you strip the cable, the conductor is a shaped segment rather than a round bundle, and it needs a compression lug matched to the sector form or a shaping die — a standard round lug crimped onto a sector conductor can look closed and still be a poor joint. Tell us the lug or the termination you intend to use and we will confirm what the conductor looks like at this size.
Third, the earthing arrangement. A four-core cable carries three phases and a neutral. When the project needs an independent protective conductor, the choice is a five-core cable, or a 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 arrangement with a reduced PE, or using the armour as the protective conductor where it is effectively earthed at both ends and the local wiring regulations allow it. The armour resistance for this size — 1.2 Ω/km — is the figure that assessment uses. Deciding this at the design stage costs nothing; discovering it at the joint bay costs a cable.
On the electrical side the cable is straightforward BS 5467 work: 0.6/1 kV, XLPE at +90 °C continuous and +250 °C for a 5-second short circuit, a 3.5 kV AC / 5 minute routine withstand test on every length, a published operating range of −20 °C to +90 °C and a minimum installation temperature of 0 °C. The laying bending radius at 8 × 37 mm is roughly 296 mm. And to be explicit about it: the steel wire armour is mechanical and rodent protection, not an EMC screen, in this size as in every other. For the full range including the two-core and three-core sections, see the Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC 0.6/1 kV armoured power cable page.
More about the manufacturer: About SORIVO →
Key Features
Eight things that decide a 4 × 70 mm² installation
Sector-Shaped Conductors
11.7 mm across, shaped rather than round, which is what allows four 70 mm² conductors to fit a 37 mm cable. It dictates the lug type and the stripping procedure.
37 mm Overall, 4000 kg/km
A 500 m drum is around two tonnes. Drum size, trailer, winch, rollers and route access all follow from these two numbers.
2.0 mm Steel Wire Armour
The heaviest armour wire in the small-and-medium range, providing the crushing and pulling protection and the rodent resistance the route needs.
246 A / 188 A Ratings
Published at two reference conditions, in air at 30 °C and direct buried at 20 °C. The 24 % gap between them is why the route decides the size.
No Separate PE
Four cores are three phases plus neutral. An independent protective conductor means a five-core cable, a 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 arrangement, or an assessed armour earth path at 1.2 Ω/km.
0.268 Ω/km at 20 °C
The conductor resistance for voltage-drop work, rising by roughly 20 % at the 90 °C conductor temperature — which on a 70 mm² feeder at a few hundred amps is not a rounding error.
≈ 296 mm Laying Radius
8 × 37 mm. On a large four-core cable the minimum bend radius is a route-planning constraint, not a handling note, and it should be checked against the corners on the pull.
3.5 kV / 5 min Routine Test
Every completed length is withstand-tested at 3.5 kV AC for five minutes, with conductor resistance and insulation resistance recorded against the drum.
Applications
Where 4 × 70 mm² armoured cable is used
Four-core LV distribution where the load and the route length both rule out a smaller section.
01
Plant and Factory Distribution
Sub-mains from a main switchboard to MCCs and distribution boards at the sort of load where 35 mm² no longer covers the voltage drop.
02
Transformer to Main Board Feeds
LV connections from a package substation or transformer to the building main board, laid in trench or on heavy tray.
03
Pump Stations and Utilities
Buried distribution to pump sets and process equipment, where the drum weight and the pull plan are part of the civils programme.
04
Data Centre and Comms Room Power
Four-core LV distribution into technical spaces — and the halogen-free version of the same cable where the fire strategy requires it.
05
Solar and Battery Storage Plant
LV collection and auxiliary distribution at renewable sites, in cable trench and on outdoor tray where the armour and the UV performance both matter.
06
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Long buried runs between process buildings, where the length and the load together push the section up to 70 mm².
07
Commercial Building Risers
Heavy LV sub-mains within and between buildings, on tray, in riser or in duct where a four-core armoured cable is the standard engineering answer.
08
Industrial Retrofit and Upgrade
Replacing undersized or damaged four-core feeders, where the existing trench, duct or gland plate sets the diameter that has to be accommodated.
Technical Specifications
Full specification sheet
The complete parameter set — the same data our engineers quote from.
Table 1 Neighbouring four-core sizes — 4 × 35, 4 × 50, 4 × 70 and 4 × 95 mm²
| Cores × size (mm²) | Conductor dia. (mm) | Insulation (mm) | Bedding (mm) | Steel wire dia. (mm) | Overall dia. (mm) | Weight (kg/km) | R20 (Ω/km) | In air 30 °C (A) | Buried 20 °C (A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 35 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 30 | 2500 | 0.524 | 158 | 129 |
| 4 × 50 | 9.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 31 | 2750 | 0.387 | 192 | 153 |
| 4 × 70 | 11.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 37 | 4000 | 0.268 | 246 | 188 |
| 4 × 95 | 13.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 41 | 5250 | 0.193 | 298 | 226 |
The four sizes below are the neighbouring cross-sections a 4 × 70 mm² order is normally compared against. Note how the four-core weight moves from 2500 kg/km at 4 × 35 mm² to 4000 kg/km at 4 × 70 mm² and 5250 kg/km at 4 × 95 mm² — on a long pull that is a winch and drum-size decision, not a detail. The 4 × 70 mm² row is highlighted. Overall diameters and weights are nominal manufacturer values for this construction. The two current-rating columns are the reference conditions the manufacturer publishes, in air at 30 °C and direct buried at 20 °C; neither is a single "rated current", and the actual figure depends on the route.
Table 2 The same 70 mm² in three- and four-core — what the core count costs you
| Cores × size (mm²) | Conductor dia. (mm) | Insulation (mm) | Bedding (mm) | Steel wire dia. (mm) | Overall dia. (mm) | Weight (kg/km) | R20 (Ω/km) | In air 30 °C (A) | Buried 20 °C (A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 70 | 11.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 32 | 3000 | 0.268 | — | — |
| 4 × 70 | 11.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 37 | 4000 | 0.268 | 246 | 188 |
Same conductor cross-section, same 0.268 Ω/km, different physical cable: three cores come out at 32 mm and 3000 kg/km, four cores at 37 mm and 4000 kg/km. That is a 25 % increase in weight and a 16 % increase in diameter for one additional core, and it moves a 500 m drum from roughly 1.5 tonnes to 2 tonnes. The four-core current rating is lower than the three-core rating at the same cross-section for the obvious reason — more loaded cores sharing the same sheath surface. If the fourth core is genuinely needed, plan the drum handling around the larger figure; if it is being added "for spare", the weight is the price.
Table 3 Construction and performance parameters for 4 × 70 mm²
| General Information | |
| Product Name | Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC 4 × 70 mm² 0.6/1 kV Armoured Power Cable |
| Product Family | Four-core copper conductor, XLPE insulated, steel wire armoured, PVC sheathed low-voltage power cable to BS 5467 |
| Reference Standards | BS 5467; IEC 60502 for the 0.6/1 kV extruded-insulation construction; conductor to IEC 60228 Class 2; flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2. |
| Rated Voltage U₀/U | 0.6/1 kV |
| Core Configuration | 4 cores — three phases and a neutral. There is no separate protective conductor; a five-core cable or a 3 + 1 / 3 + 2 arrangement is quoted separately. |
| Dimensional Data (this size) | |
| Conductor Cross-Section | 4 × 70 mm² |
| Conductor Diameter | 11.7 mm |
| Conductor Shape | Sector-shaped stranded (SM), Class 2 — the shaping dies and the lug type must match this form |
| Insulation Thickness | 1.1 mm nominal |
| Bedding Thickness | 1.2 mm nominal |
| Armour Wire Diameter | 2.0 mm nominal |
| Overall Diameter | 37 mm nominal |
| Approximate Weight | 4000 kg/km |
| Electrical Ratings (this size) | |
| Conductor Resistance at 20 °C | 0.268 Ω/km |
| Armour Resistance at 20 °C | 1.2 Ω/km |
| Current Rating, in Air 30 °C | 246 A |
| Current Rating, Direct Buried 20 °C | 188 A |
| Max. Conductor Temperature | +90 °C continuous, the XLPE rating |
| Short-Circuit Conductor Temperature | +250 °C maximum, taken as the IEC 60502-1 short-circuit condition for XLPE-insulated copper cable, limited to 5 s |
| Test Voltage | 3.5 kV AC for 5 minutes on the completed cable |
| Insulation Resistance | Manufacturer routine-test value, confirmed against the report for the supplied drum |
| Voltage Drop | Approximately √3 × 0.268 Ω/km = 0.46 Ω/km for a balanced three-phase circuit at 20 °C. Correct the resistance to the operating temperature and add the reactance term before using it for a final design. |
| Construction | |
| Conductor | Plain annealed copper, Class 2 stranded, sector-shaped and compacted to IEC 60228 |
| Insulation | Extruded XLPE, 1.1 mm nominal |
| Core Identification | Blue, brown, black and grey, confirmed against the drawing for the ordered construction |
| Bedding | Extruded PVC over the laid-up cores |
| Armour | Single layer galvanised steel wires, 2.0 mm nominal diameter |
| Outer Sheath | PVC, black |
| Environment | |
| Operating Temperature Range | −20 °C to +90 °C — the range published for this construction |
| Minimum Installation Temperature | 0 °C. Below this the PVC bedding and sheath stiffen; warm the drum area or postpone the pull rather than forcing the cable. |
| Bending Radius when Laying | 8 × overall diameter, the manufacturer figure for this construction. The final radius should be confirmed against the applicable standard and the actual installation method. |
| Weather Resistance | Rated good for outdoor and buried service by the manufacturer data sheet. |
| Flame Retardance | IEC 60332-1-2 — single insulated cable vertical flame propagation |
| Rodent and Termite | The steel wire armour is the barrier. It is a mechanical layer, not a chemical one, so it resists gnawing rather than repelling it. |
| Configuration & Logistics | |
| Standard Lengths | 100 m / 500 m / 1000 m per drum; cut lengths on request |
| Packaging | Wooden drum or steel-wood drum |
| Customization | Sheath colour, cut length, drum type and customer marking |
| Halogen-Free Variant | The same size is available with a BS 6724 halogen-free sheath — quoted on request |
| MOQ | 1,000 m — sample orders negotiable |
| Lead Time | 15 working days |
| Supply Capacity | 10,000 m per day |
Every value in Table 3 is the published nominal data for this 4 × 70 mm² construction: 11.7 mm sector-shaped conductors, 1.1 mm XLPE, 1.2 mm bedding, 2.0 mm armour wires, 37 mm overall, 4000 kg/km, 0.268 Ω/km conductor resistance and 1.2 Ω/km armour resistance, with 246 A in air at 30 °C and 188 A direct buried at 20 °C. Two points deserve emphasis before the cable is ordered. First, the conductors are sector-shaped, so the compression lug or shaping die has to match that form — this is not a round conductor. Second, the four cores are three phases and a neutral with no separate protective conductor; where an independent PE is required, the options are a five-core cable, a 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 arrangement, or an assessed armour earth path using the 1.2 Ω/km armour resistance. The +250 °C short-circuit figure is a 5-second design condition from the IEC 60502-1 basis for XLPE-insulated copper cable, not a service temperature. Diameters and weights are nominal and re-confirmed on the drawing before production; final selection should be based on the installation method, the ambient conditions and the applicable local requirements.
Certificates & Standards
Verify before you buy — we make it easy
Made to BS 5467
The construction — copper to IEC 60228, XLPE insulation, galvanised steel wire armour and PVC over-sheath — is the BS 5467 arrangement for 0.6/1 kV armoured cable. We quote the standard the cable is built and tested to; we do not write "certified" where the correct statement is "made to". The test certificate and conductor-resistance records for the supplied drum come with the quotation.
Request the test documents →Type test and routine test
A 3.5 kV AC withstand test for 5 minutes is applied to every completed length and recorded, and the XLPE insulation and PVC sheath are type-tested as a system for the 0.6/1 kV rating. If you need the type-test report for the exact construction you are buying, ask for it by the ordered size and we will send the one that matches.
Request the type-test report →CE marking as applicable, DoC on request
There is no CE certification for cable — CE marking is a manufacturer’s declaration of conformity, and which directive applies depends on the installation. We will not print "CE certified": a Declaration of Conformity and a RoHS declaration are provided on request for the construction supplied, together with whatever national approval documentation the destination market requires.
Request documentation →
Transparency note: certification status and exact scope should always be confirmed against the certificate for the selected product configuration. We provide the certificate and test reports with every quotation — no blank promises.
Quality & Factory
Checked on the finished four-core length
At 4000 kg/km the drum is a logistics item as much as an electrical one, so the release checks cover the dimensions the pull plan and the gland depend on.
- 1Copper and compound intake — the conductor is checked for cross-section, class and DC resistance, and the XLPE and PVC compounds are checked against their data sheets, before the insulation is extruded.
- 2In-line dimensional control — conductor diameter, insulation thickness, bedding thickness, armour wire diameter and the final sheath thickness are monitored during production rather than sampled after the fact.
- 3Electrical routine tests — conductor resistance, insulation resistance and the 3.5 kV AC / 5 minute withstand test between conductors and between conductors and the armour are measured on the finished length and recorded against the drum.
- 4Armour and finished-length check — armour wire diameter, lay and continuity are verified, and the completed length is measured against the ordered overall diameter and drum length before the drum is sealed.
19+
countries served
60+
industrial & panel projects
100%
routine test before shipment
How to Order
From inquiry to loaded carton in 5 steps
Send Inquiry
Tell us the load and run length, the quantity and the drum length you need, and the termination you intend to use on the sector-shaped conductors.
Confirm Configuration
We confirm the core configuration, whether an independent PE is needed, the drum length and the termination type, send the construction drawing showing the sector-shaped conductors for approval, and quote against it — normally within one working day.
Sample Evaluation
Sample for qualification — stocked configurations within a few working days.
Bulk Production
Made-to-order lengths at this size are scheduled against the confirmed drawing; the production window is confirmed in the quotation and the routine test is run on every length before the drum is released.
Delivery & Support
Drum schedule and shipping documents, with pulling-tension and bending-radius guidance for a 4000 kg/km four-core cable — the ~296 mm laying radius matters on the corners of the route — plus the routine-test records for the supplied drums.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before ordering
No. Four cores are three phases and a neutral. Where the project requires an independent protective conductor, the options are a five-core cable, a 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 arrangement with a reduced PE, or using the steel wire armour as the protective conductor where it is effectively earthed at both ends and the local wiring regulations permit it — with the armour resistance of 1.2 Ω/km used in that assessment. Deciding this at design stage is free; discovering it at the joint bay means a new cable.
Because four 70 mm² circular conductors will not fit inside a 37 mm cable — the conductors are shaped as segments so the four fit together with only a small amount of filler. It matters at termination: a sector-shaped conductor needs a compression lug matched to the sector form or a shaping die, and a standard round lug crimped onto it can appear to close correctly while making a poor joint. It also changes how the cable is stripped. Tell us the lug or joint you intend to use and we will confirm the conductor geometry for this size.
A nominal 4000 kg/km, so a 500 m drum is around two tonnes of cable plus the drum itself, and a 1000 m drum is around four tonnes. That is the number that decides the drum size, the trailer, the winch and whether the drum can physically be got to the pull. Standard supply is 100 m, 500 m and 1000 m drums, and for long runs it is usually better to plan several pulls with joints rather than one impossible drum. Give us the route and we will suggest a drum schedule that suits it.
Two published reference figures: 246 A in air at 30 °C and 188 A direct buried at 20 °C — a 24 % gap, which is why the route decides the answer. On top of that, the real figure also depends on the ambient or soil temperature, how many cables are grouped, the soil thermal resistivity and the burial depth. Send us the route and the load and we will confirm the size against those conditions rather than against a single catalogue number.
The figure published for this construction is 8 × overall diameter when laying, which at 37 mm is approximately 296 mm. On a four-core cable of this weight that is not a handling note — it is a route-planning constraint, because it decides whether the cable goes round a corner in one pull or needs a joint bay, and it has to be checked against every bend and duct entry on the route. Confirm it against the standard your project works to as well, because some specifications are more demanding than the manufacturer figure.
The steel wire armour is what carries the pulling tension, which is one of the practical reasons this construction is specified for long pulls — but a maximum pulling tension must be calculated from the armour cross-section and the conductor size rather than assumed, and the sidewall pressure at every bend matters as much as the straight-line tension. Send us the route, the number of bends and the drum positions and we will give you a tension and bend-radius assessment for the pull rather than a single number to aim at.
Yes — the same 4 × 70 mm² construction is available with a BS 6724 halogen-free bedding and over-sheath, tested to IEC 60754-1 for halogen content, IEC 60754-2 for acid gas corrosivity and IEC 61034-2 for smoke density, and rated IEC 60332-3 Cat. C for bunched flame propagation. The electrical ratings are the same at this cross-section — 246 A in air and 188 A buried. It is the right choice on any route through a tunnel, basement or plant room, and it is quoted on request.
MOQ is 1,000 m with sample orders negotiable, lead time is 15 working days, and supply capacity for this size is 10,000 m per day. Because a large four-core cable is a drum-logistics item as much as a production one, send the full schedule with the inquiry — the drum lengths and the delivery sequence usually matter more to the programme than the production rate does.
Need a 4 × 70 mm² armoured LV distribution cable?
Tell us the load, run length, drum schedule and termination type — we reply within one working day.
Get a Free Quote
Send your 4 × 70 mm² armoured cable requirement
The more detail you give, the faster and more accurate our quotation. Our engineers reply within one working day.
- Quantity and drum lengths for the 4 × 70 mm² construction, with the delivery sequence if the programme is staged
- Whether an independent protective conductor is required (five-core, or 3 + 1 / 3 + 2)
- The compression lug or joint kit you intend to use on the sector-shaped conductors
- Installation route, pulling method and the tightest bend on the route
- Load, run length and whether the sizing has already been checked for voltage drop
- Whether the sheath has to be halogen-free (BS 6724 version of the same size)
Inquiry received
Thanks — our engineers will reply within one working day.
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