Thermal Resistivity
Thermal resistivity is a lesser-known property of soils and rock that has a significant impact on the performance of buried electrical cables.
The heat is on
All buried electrical cables need to be able to dissipate heat energy produced when the cable carries electrical current. The ability of the soil to propagate heat away from the soil therefore has a dramatic effect on the performance of electrical cables. Knowing the particular thermal resistivity of the soil or rock allows the designer to select the correct cable rating for the project and/or improve the soils thermal resistivity by using more conductive backfill materials.
