Designing distribution systems to provide electrical services in buildings, requires considerable expertise and experience. There can be an extensive variety of different services, each requiring a specific size and type of wire and cable. Choosing the correct cable means that the electrical equipment, appliances, motors, machinery, controls, lighting, communications, and so forth, function properly…without any disruption of services, safety hazards, risk of electrical fires, shutdowns, discomfort for occupants…in other words, maximum efficiency and fulfillment.

Copper wires and cables used in buildings, vary from large to very fine gauge. They must be reliable, which means that it is essential that they be manufactured to very definite and rigid specifications. The specifications ensure that the finished products perform to the design requirements efficiently and safely.

In Canada, the standards for the design and testing of wire and cable used in buildings, are the applicable requirements of CSA, AEIC, IEC and the ICEA.

Raw materials used in the manufacture of the cables, are subject to quality control and evaluation tests. They consist of a variety of physical, mechanical, electrical and chemical tests, usually governed by the material purchasing specifications of the wire and cable company and ASTM Standards.

Testing is carried out during every stage of manufacture, and upon completion, the routine tests that would be carried out on each length of cable may include conductor resistance, high-voltage time tests, spark test of the jacket, and dimensional measurements of components.