câble tenseur

English translation: straining wire (tensioning cable)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	câble tenseur
English translation:	straining wire (tensioning cable)
Entered by:	Tony M

11:44 Mar 4, 2015

French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Electronics / Elect Eng / Cables

French term or phrase: câble tenseur

This is a document about a wire fence around an airport which has an electronic detection system (to prevent unauthorised entry).
Apparently the construction work was not carried out properly and this is a discussion of some of the defects observed:

Here is the context:

Les défauts d'exécution observés, peu importants, sont de type connexions inadéquates (à plusieurs reprises le câble HT a été relié comme un *câble tenseur,* ce qui n'est pas grave mais incorrecte, photo 58).
D'autres défauts de montage sont décrits dans la section 3 .2 « Finitions restantes ».
De plus, le câble d'alimentation arrivant du poste Sud à l'armoire 77 a été déterré puis volé, et de même à plusieurs endroits du poste Nord.

I have looked high and low and cannot find the translation of "câble tenseur" (there are no google hits for "tensor cable" it always comes up as cable tensor, which I think is something else). there are some instances of "Tension cable" (as in Tension cable system) but it does not seem possible to me that someone could make the mistake of connecting a High voltage cable as a tension cable which, from what I can see is not an electric cable at all.

I would greatly appreciate your input and/or explanations.

Cassandra Delacote KudoZ activity Questions: 550 (none open) (17 without valid answers) (31 closed without grading) Answers: 0 France
Local time: 01:25

tensioning cable

Explanation:
Despite your thinking it would be illogical, I think this is indeed what they mean — and why it is a defect! Normally, the electrical supply cable shouldn't be under tension, and should not fulfil any mechanical role at all. But it seems this is perhaps not the case here!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 minutes (2015-03-04 12:07:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, as long as they are not the ONLY cables providing mechanical tension, it wouldn't do that much harm — they will probably be the sort of cables that are relatively strong (e.g. not flimsy little telephone cables!) and so will take the strain; but of course it's not good practice, and they oughtn't to be subject to such tensile stress. It really all depends on the exact nature of each element, but that's the only way I can interpret the source text as we have it, and it DOES make sense — cutting corners by using the electircal cable to do the mechanical job as well!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 27 minutes (2015-03-04 12:12:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Afterthought: of course, the 'tensioning cable' could just be one of those cables that runs along chain-link fencing to hold it up — those cables too are tensioned, albeit not perhaps quite so much as the ones at the end that stay the posts. So it could just be that as the HT cable was running along the line of the fence anyway, someone didn't see much harm just attaching the chain-link mesh to it as they went...

Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 01:25

Grading comment

Thank you for this answer
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

straining wire

B D Finch

3 +1

tensioning cable

Tony M

stress-bearing cable

Ronald van Riet

Answers

12 mins confidence:

stress-bearing cable

Explanation:
I don't think "tension cable" is so bad, but if you want something else, then "stress-bearing cable" might be a good alternative.

Ronald van Riet
Local time: 01:25
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Dutch,

English
PRO pts in category: 23

Notes to answerer

Asker: But would professional electricians make the mistake of connecting "stress-bearing cables" as if they were high voltage cables? The idea behind it does not quite make sense to me, although it is true that I am entirely ignorant in this field. Surely the 'câbles tenseurs' must also be some kind of electrical cable? Or maybe you could give me some clarification on this point?

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

tensioning cable

Tony M
France
Local time: 01:25
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 2116

Grading comment

Thank you for this answer

Notes to answerer

Asker: Even though they add that this is not a serious defect?

Asker: Ok thanks!

Asker: Yes, that sounds very likely, as in fact it was a chain-link fence that was being erected.

50 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

straining wire

Explanation:
Even if the person who wrote the ref below doesn't know the difference between "taut" and "taught", they do know that the correct fencing term is "straining wire".

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/chainlink.htm
"If erected properly, chain link can be a solid, cheap way of fencing off a garden but it does rely on the preparatory work. The chain link itself is literally hung onto straining wires.

"Chain link is heavy and if the staining wires are not taught [sic!], or the posts that hold the wire are not strong or stable enough, the chain link will sag and look dreadful as well as being totally useless for the job it is supposed to be doing."

B D Finch
France
Local time: 01:25
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations