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2. Loose- and tight-structure fiber-optic cables either permit or don’t permit movement between the strength member and out jacket of the cable.

In addition to understanding some basics of handling fiber-optic cable, including the use of pull-proof connectors with loose-structure cable and non-pull-proof connectors with tight-structure cable, where tight and loose are defined as whether movement is permitted between the outer jacket and the strength member (Fig. 2), there’s also the all-important consideration of bend radius.
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 While this is a concern for Quadrax cables, too, it’s a far greater one for the more delicate optical cable because time-to-failure decreases precipitously with increasing bend stress. Much of this can be ameliorated with the addition of service loops, along with a scrupulous adherence to maintaining the fiber bend radius larger than one inch during installation in addition to final dressing and operation.

However, there’s more than one way to “bend” a fiber, and both installation and thermal cycling can result in internal stresses within the cable that create compression “ripples.” In other words, multiple bends may occur within the body of the cable of extremely small radius, which greatly increases the possibility of cable failure.