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Product

fiber optic cable seriesIEC 60794-3-10CST / SWA Armoured3,000–5,000 N Crush

Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic CableCST or SWA metallic-armoured gel-filled loose-tube outdoor optical cable

Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable (4 to 144 fibres) with SZ-stranded PBT gel-filled buffer tubes, longitudinal water-blocking and corrugated steel tape (CST) or galvanized steel wire armour (SWA) for direct burial, ducts and.

Direct Burial & Duct
IEC 60794 F5B Blocked
HDPE or LSZH Sheath
Rodent & Crush Proof
Order designation
ALT-CST-024B1.3
Outer Ø ≈
10.5 mm
Weight ≈
124 kg/km
Max. pull load
2,700 N
Min. bend R
131 mm
All sizes (9)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Fibre count
4 to 144 fibres
SZ-stranded PBT loose tubes
Attenuation
≤ 0.35 / 0.21 dB
per km @ 1310 / 1550 nm (G.652.D)
Armour options
CST or SWA
Corrugated steel tape or wire
Tensile rating
2,700–5,000 N
Installation pulling load
Crush rating
3,000–5,000 N
per 100 mm (IEC 60794-1-21 E3)
Temperature
-40 to +70 °C
Outdoor duct & buried operation

Typical values for this cable type, based on IEC 60794-3-10 / IEC 60794-3-11 / ITU-T G.652.D — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable right for your machine?

Engineered for long-haul campus backbones, direct-buried utility trenches, petrochemical pipe racks, and rodent-exposed railway or highway ducts.

Fixed installation

Suitable

Direct burial in trenches, concrete ducts, cable troughs, and industrial pipe bridges.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

Thixotropic tube gel plus water-swellable tape passes IEC 60794-1-22 Method F5B water block.

TBM gantry & advancing tunnel reel

Suitable

Available with double sheath (PE + LSZH) and steel armour for rail and road tunnels.

Motorised monospiral reel

Not suitable

Rigid metallic armour and gel-filled loose tubes are for static installation, not dynamic reeling.

Use Rubber Crane FO Cable
Typical machinesPetrochemical & Refinery PlantsRailway Trackside Troughs & TunnelsPower Utility Substation LinksMining & Quarry Surface BackbonesCampus & Industrial Park Ducts

Construction

Layer by layer

SZ-stranded Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable showing central phosphated steel/FRP rod, gel-filled PBT buffer tubes, water-blocking tape, corrugated steel tape (or SWA wire) armour, and HDPE/LSZH outer sheath.

123456
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
1Optical fibresITU-T G.652.D / G.657.A1 single-mode or OM2/OM3/OM4 50/125 µm multimode silica fibres (250 µm colour-coded primary coating)Up to 12 fibres per buffer tube
2Loose buffer tubesHigh-modulus hydrolytically stable PBT tubes filled with thixotropic non-dripping water-blocking gel, SZ-stranded around central memberStrain-free excess fibre length (EFL) window
3Central strength memberPhosphated high-tensile steel wire or dielectric FRP rod (PE-upjacketed on higher tube counts)Prevents thermal buckling and absorbs axial pull
4Core water-blocking barrierWater-swellable yarns and longitudinal swellable non-woven tape over SZ coreBlocks longitudinal moisture migration per IEC 60794-1-22 F5B
5Metallic mechanical & rodent armour0.15 mm double-sided copolymer-coated corrugated steel tape (ECCST) or galvanized round steel wire armour (SWA over PE inner bedding)3,000–5,000 N/100 mm crush and 100 % rodent immunity
6Outer protective jacketUV-stabilised carbon-black High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) or flame-retardant LSZHAbrasion-, chemical- and environmental-stress-crack resistant

GYTA / CST Single-Sheath

Corrugated copolymer-coated steel tape armour with HDPE or LSZH outer jacket (3,000 N/100 mm crush)

GYTA53 / SWA Double-Sheath

PE inner sheath + galvanized steel wire armour (SWA) or CST + HDPE/LSZH outer jacket for direct rock burial (5,000 N/100 mm crush)

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on IEC 60794-3-10 / IEC 60794-3-11 / ITU-T G.652.D. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Armour earthing
Metallic CST/SWA bonded at entry glands
Dielectric core option
FRP central rod + glass-yarn / CST hybrid
Sheath spark test
8 kV DC / 5 kV AC on outer PE jacket

Thermal

Operating temperature
-40 °C to +70 °C
Installation temperature
-15 °C to +60 °C
Storage temperature
-40 °C to +75 °C
Thermal attenuation change
≤ 0.05 dB/km (-40 to +70 °C)

Mechanical

Tensile rating (CST)
2,700 N installation · 1,000 N long-term
Tensile rating (SWA)
5,000 N installation · 2,500 N long-term
Crush resistance
3,000 N/100 mm (CST) · 5,000 N/100 mm (SWA)
Min. bend radius
12.5 × OD (unloaded) · 25 × OD (loaded)
Impact resistance
25 J, 3 impacts (IEC 60794-1-21 Method E4)

Optical

Single-mode fibre
ITU-T G.652.D low-water-peak (9/125 µm)
Attenuation @ 1310 / 1550 nm
≤ 0.35 dB/km / ≤ 0.21 dB/km
PMD link design value
≤ 0.10 ps/√km (M = 20 cables, Q = 0.01 %)
Cabled fibre tensile strain
≤ 0.05 % permanent · ≤ 0.25 % @ max pull

Resistance

Water penetration
1 m water head, 24 h, 3 m sample: zero leak
Rodent protection
Full steel tape or steel wire mechanical barrier
UV & environmental cracking
Carbon-black HDPE (≥ 2.5 %) per ASTM D1693
Compound drip test
No gel drip at +70 °C for 24 h (Method E14)

Reference standards

Outdoor duct & buried std
IEC 60794-3-10 & IEC 60794-3-11
Optical fibre standard
ITU-T G.652.D / IEC 60793-2-50 Type B1.3
RoHS & REACH
2011/65/EU & EC 1907/2006 compliant

Identification

Outer sheath colour
Black (HDPE outdoor) or Orange/Black (LSZH)
Tube & fibre colour code
12-colour TIA-598-D / IEC 60304 sequence
Sheath marking
TEBAOFLEX ARMOURED LOOSE-TUBE FO <COUNT>F G.652.D
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.7000

Sizes

9 standard CST & SWA armoured loose-tube configurations (4 to 144 fibres)

Nominal outer diameter, tube layout, cable weight and tensile rating for Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable per IEC 60794-3-10.

Dimensions & mechanical ratings
Order designationFibre count & tubesOuter Ø ≈
mm		Weight ≈
kg/km		Max. pull
N		Min. bend R
static mm		Enquiry
Corrugated Steel Tape Armoured (CST / GYTA53)
ALT-CST-006B1.36F (1 × 6F + 4 fillers)10.21152,700128
ALT-CST-012B1.312F (2 × 6F + 3 fillers)10.21182,700128
ALT-CST-024B1.324F (4 × 6F + 1 filler)10.51242,700131
ALT-CST-048B1.348F (4 × 12F + 1 filler)11.21382,700140
ALT-CST-096B1.396F (8 × 12F tubes)13.61883,000170
ALT-CST-144B1.3144F (12 × 12F tubes)16.42653,000205
Galvanized Steel Wire Armoured (SWA / GYTA33)
ALT-SWA-012B1.312F (2 × 6F + SWA)13.42855,000168
ALT-SWA-024B1.324F (4 × 6F + SWA)13.82985,000173
ALT-SWA-048B1.348F (4 × 12F + SWA)14.63355,000183
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • All configurations available with ITU-T G.652.D single-mode or OM3/OM4 multimode optical cores, and HDPE or LSZH outer jacket.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
Bidirectional OTDR attenuation & continuity check≤ 0.35 dB/km @ 1310 nm and ≤ 0.21 dB/km @ 1550 nm across 100 % of fibresEvery manufactured drum length
Sample tests
Longitudinal water penetration test (Method F5B)No water emergence at far end of 3 m sample under 1 m head for 24 hPer production lot
Tensile strain & excess fibre length test (Method E1)Zero residual attenuation change after 2,700 N (CST) / 5,000 N (SWA) pullType qualification
Plate crush & impact test (Methods E3 & E4)3,000–5,000 N/100 mm crush and 25 J impact with Δα ≤ 0.05 dBType qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

IEC 60794-3-10 / IEC 60794-3-11ITU-T G.652.D / IEC 60793-2-50RoHS 2 (2011/65/EU) & REACH

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX ARMOURED LOOSE-TUBE FO <COUNT>F G.652.D CST/SWA IEC 60794-3-10
Delivery form
Fumigated export wooden or steel drums
Standard drum lengths
1000 m · 2000 m · 4000 m (or custom cut lengths)
MOQ
500 m (standard) · 1000 m (custom build)
Lead time
2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFArmoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable – technical datasheet9 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXArmoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable spec data (Excel)All 9 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

When should we select Corrugated Steel Tape (CST) versus Steel Wire Armour (SWA)?
Corrugated Steel Tape (CST) provides full radial rodent immunity, 3,000 N/100 mm crush resistance, and a lighter, smaller outer diameter for duct pulling and cable troughs. Galvanized Steel Wire Armour (SWA) over a PE inner bedding provides 5,000 N pulling tension and 5,000 N/100 mm crush withstand for direct rock burial, steep slopes, and vertical mine shafts.
How does SZ-stranded loose-tube construction prevent fibre strain during temperature swings?
Optical fibres sit inside gel-filled PBT buffer tubes with a controlled excess fibre length (EFL) window and are stranded in alternating S-Z helices around a central anti-buckling rod. Under axial pulling tension or -40 °C thermal contraction, the fibres shift radially inside the gel without experiencing tensile stress or microbending loss.
Can this cable be supplied with a non-metallic central member and LSZH outer sheath?
Yes. For indoor-outdoor transitions entering substations or rail tunnels, we supply an FRP dielectric central rod and a flame-retardant LSZH outer sheath compliant with IEC 60332-3-24 Category C while keeping the corrugated steel tape rodent barrier.
What continuous drum lengths are available for long-distance trench projects?
Standard manufacturing drum lengths are 2,000 m and 4,000 m, with continuous splice-free lengths up to 6,000 m available on export wooden or steel drums to minimise field splice enclosures.

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Armoured Loose-Tube Fiber Optic Cable

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