SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026

• Abstract:

  IEC 60794-1-136:2026 specifies procedures to determine the maximum allowable push force applied on cables during the installation by blowing. Currently this parameter is determined by a separate test on the cable before installation. The methods specified in this document apply primarily to low-diameter cables (microduct cables according to IEC 60794-5) without rigid strength elements (e.g. GRP rods).

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 17-May-2025
• Publication Date: 21-Jul-2026
• ICS: 33.180.10 - Fibres and cables
• Technical Committee: MOC - Mobile Communications
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 07-Jul-2026
• Due Date: 11-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 22-Jul-2026
• Ref Project: EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-136: Generic specification - Basic optical cable test procedures - Determination of the maximum applicable push force during cable installation by blowing

• Refers: SIST EN 60794-1-21:2015 - Optical fibre cables -- Part 1-21: Generic specification - Basic optical cable test procedures - Mechanical tests methods (IEC 60794-1-21:2015)
• Effective Date: 19-May-2026
• Referred By: SIST-TS CLC/TS 50621:2016 - Guideline for the repair of damaged installed optical fibre cables and microducts
• Effective Date: 07-Jul-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN IEC 62148-1:2018 - Fibre optic active components and devices - Package and interface standards - Part 1: General and guidance (IEC 62148-1:2017)
• Effective Date: 07-Jul-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN 3745-505:2018 - Aerospace series - Fibres and cables, optical, aircraft use - Test methods - Part 505: Cable tensile strength
• Effective Date: 07-Jul-2026

SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 is the Slovenian adoption of EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026, identical to IEC 60794-1-136:2026. It specifies test procedures for determining the maximum allowable push force applied to optical fibre cables during installation by blowing, especially for low-diameter microduct cables without rigid strength elements.

What does SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 specify?

SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 specifies how to determine the maximum applicable push force for blown installation of optical fibre cables. In practice, it gives a way to estimate or measure the force used by blowing equipment before the cable is installed.

The document is organized into scope, normative references, terms and definitions, general guidance, sample, apparatus, test conditions, procedure, details to be specified, and details to be recorded. It also includes an informative annex with a practical test set-up and a normative annex for European references.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	Informative test set-up to measure the push force
Annex ZA	Normative references to international publications and their corresponding European publications

The methods apply primarily to low-diameter cables, described in the scope as microduct cables according to IEC 60794-5, and to cables without rigid strength elements such as GRP rods.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026?

The document offers two ways to determine the force limit

SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 gives two methods: E36A as the reference test method and E36B as the alternative test method. That matters because users can choose between a calculation-based approach and a direct experimental approach, depending on their equipment and verification needs.

Method E36A uses bending stiffness and bend radius

Clause 8.1 says Method E36A calculates the maximum allowable push force from the cable’s bending stiffness and the minimum specified bend radius, together with the duct inner diameter and cable outer diameter. In practice, this means the user must first measure bending stiffness using Method E17A of IEC 60794-1-21:2015, then use the calculation for the push-force limit.

Method E36B measures the force while the cable buckles in the duct

Clause 8.2 describes a physical test in which a cable sample is pushed into a fixed microduct until buckling occurs. The reaction force is tracked as insertion length increases, and the maximum allowable push force is taken from the region where the force trend changes and the cable starts to buckle. For users, this is the more direct way to verify how the cable behaves in a blown-installation-like condition.

Sample preparation and apparatus depend on the method

Clause 5 requires three short samples for Method E36A and longer pieces for Method E36B, with the length depending on the equipment. Clause 6 ties Method E36A to the same apparatus used for Method E17A, while Method E36B uses a vertical duct fixture with clamps and a piston. This affects lab setup and helps users prepare the right specimen length and test rig before starting.

Test conditions and surface condition affect results

Clause 7 says the test may be carried out in a temperature chamber when non-ambient temperatures are required, and humidity and ambient pressure should be measured at least once during the test. Clause 8.2 also notes that the cable and duct surfaces should be clean and dry for reproducible results. In practice, this means environmental control and surface preparation can influence repeatability.

Clauses 9 and 10 define what must be specified and recorded

Clause 9 lists the information that the relevant specification must state, including the method, duct and cable dimensions, materials, minimum bend radius, test temperature, and lubrication if used. Clause 10 says the report must include that information and the relevant graphs, plus the maximum allowable push force. This gives buyers, labs, and quality teams a clear checklist for test documentation.

What terms does SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 define?

• Push force - the force applied to the cable by the blowing equipment to support the blowing process; in this document it is applied by a piston.
• Bending stiffness, B - the cable property used in Method E36A to calculate the force limit from the measured mechanical response.
• Minimum specified bend radius, R_b - the smallest bend radius used in the Method E36A calculation for the installation condition.
• Maximum allowable push force - the force limit the document seeks to determine for cable installation by blowing.
• Method E36A - the reference method based on bending stiffness measurement and calculation.
• Method E36B - the alternative method based on pushing a cable sample into a duct until the force behavior shows buckling.

Who uses SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026?

SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 is used by cable manufacturers, test laboratories, and engineers responsible for blown installation performance. Quality managers and buyers can use it to check whether a microduct cable has been assessed for the force it can take during installation. It is also relevant to designers and installers working with low-diameter optical fibre cables in microduct systems.

Which standards are used with SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026?

IEC 60794-1-21 is the main normative reference. It provides the mechanical test method used by Method E36A, including Method E17A for measuring bending stiffness. IEC 60794-5 is named in the scope and bibliography as the part covering microduct cabling for installation by blowing, which helps define the cable type the document is aimed at.

What does the SIST EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 document contain?

The document contains a calculation-based method and a physical test method, each with its own apparatus and specimen requirements. It includes a schematic test set-up, a practical implementation example, and a force-versus-insertion-length graph that explains how Method E36B identifies the force limit. It also gives the items that must be specified before testing and the items that must appear in the test report.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2026
Optični kabli - 1-136. del: Splošne specifikacije - Osnovni preskusni postopki za
optične kable - Določitev največje uporabne potisne sile pri vgradnji kabla z
vpihovanjem (IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
Optical fibre cables - Part 1-136: Generic specification - Basic optical cable test
procedures - Determination of the maximum applicable push force during cable
installation by blowing (IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 1-136: Fachgrundspezifikation - Grundlegende Prüfverfahren
für Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Bestimmung der maximal anwendbaren Einschubkraft beim
Einblasen von Kabeln (IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 1-136: Spécification générique - Procédures
fondamentales d’essais des câbles optiques - Détermination de la force de poussée
maximale applicable lors de l'installation du câble par soufflage (IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026
ICS:
33.180.10 (Optična) vlakna in kabli Fibres and cables
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 60794-1-136

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM July 2026
ICS 33.180.10
English Version
Optical fibre cables - Part 1-136: Generic specification - Basic
optical cable test procedures - Determination of the maximum
applicable push force during cable installation by blowing
(IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 1-136: Spécification Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 1-136: Fachgrundspezifikation -
générique - Procédures fondamentales d'essais des câbles Grundlegende Prüfverfahren für Lichtwellenleiterkabel -
optiques - Détermination de la force de poussée maximale Bestimmung der maximal anwendbaren Einschubkraft beim
applicable lors de l'installation du câble par soufflage Einblasen von Kabeln
(IEC 60794-1-136:2026) (IEC 60794-1-136:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2026-05-22. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026 E

European foreword
The text of document 86A/2669/FDIS, future edition 1 of IEC 60794-1-136, prepared by SC 86A
"Fibres and cables" of IEC/TC 86 "Fibre optics" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and
approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 60794-1-136:2026.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2027-07-31
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2029-07-31
document have to be withdrawn
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 60794-1-136:2026 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
In the official version, for Bibliography, the following note has to be added for the standard indicated:
IEC 60794-5 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-5
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cencenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60794-1-21 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-21: Generic EN 60794-1-21 -
specification - Basic optical cable test
procedures - Mechanical tests methods

IEC 60794-1-136 ®
Edition 1.0 2026-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Optical fibre cables -
Part 1-136: Generic specification - Basic optical cable test procedures -
Determination of the maximum applicable push force during cable installation by
blowing
ICS 33.180.10  ISBN 978-2-8327-1201-6

IEC 60794-1-136:2026-04(en)
IEC 60794-1-136:2026 © IEC 2026
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 2
INTRODUCTION . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 General . 5
5 Sample . 5
6 Apparatus . 6
6.1 Apparatus for method E36A . 6
6.2 Apparatus for method E36B . 6
7 Test conditions . 6
8 Procedure . 7
8.1 Method E36A (reference test method) . 7
8.2 Method E36B (alternative test method) . 7
9 Details to be specified . 8
10 Details to be recorded . 9
Annex A (informative) Test set-up to measure the push force . 10
Bibliography . 11

Figure 1 – Schematic test set-up . 6
Figure 2 – Push force and reaction force versus insertion length . 8
Figure A.1 – Practical implementation of the test set-up shown in Figure 1 . 10

IEC 60794-1-136:2026 © IEC 2026
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Optical fibre cables -
Part 1-136: Generic specification - Basic optical cable test procedures -
Determination of the maximum applicable push force during cable
installation by blowing
FOREWORD
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