What Is Innerduct?_
Innerduct provides a dedicated pathway within a main conduit, allowing multiple fiber cables to be run separately and reducing friction during pulls. It also offers additional mechanical protection and simplifies future cable additions or replacements without disturbing existing fibers. Typically made of polyethylene or similar materials, innerduct can be smooth or ribbed and may include pre-lubricated versions.
Technical Details
Innerduct is commonly used in data center structured cabling to segregate fiber runs for different networks, such as InfiniBand and Ethernet, within the same conduit path. It is available in various diameters, with standard sizes like 1 inch or 1.25 inches, and can be installed as individual tubes or multi-duct assemblies. The material is chosen for low friction and compatibility with cable pulling lubricants, and it must meet flame-retardancy standards for plenum or riser spaces per local codes. When pulling fiber through innerduct, care must be taken to avoid exceeding the cable's minimum bend radius and tensile load limits as specified by the OEM.
How Leviathan Systems Works with Innerduct
In our field work, innerduct is used when routing fiber bundles from the GPU rack to the top-of-rack switch or to the central patch panel, especially in high-density deployments where multiple fiber trunks share a common cable tray or conduit. We often install innerduct with pull strings pre-installed to speed up future fiber adds or swaps.
Related service
Structured Cabling Services →