1/31/2019 Electrical: Busbar - Table 3: Quick Busbar Selector

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Ampacities and Mechanical Properties of Rectangular Copper

Busbars
Quick Busbar Selector - Knowing the ampacity, designers and estimators can get the approximate bus
bar size. Ampacity of the bus bar selected must then be veri ed by checking Table 1.

Busbar Dimensions, In.**

Required Ampacity,* (Range) Amp 30 °C Rise 50 °C Rise 65 °C Rise

100
1/16x1/2,1/16x3/4 1/16x1/2
(100-149)

1/16x1
150
1/8x1/2 1/16x3/4 1/16x1/2
(150-199)
3/16x1/2

200 1/8x3/4 1/16x3/4

1/8x1/2
(200-249) 1/4x1/2 1/8x1/2

1/16x1 1/2 1/16x1

250
1/8x1 1/8x3/4 1/16x1
(250-299)
3/16x3/4 3/16x1/2

1/16x2
300 1/8x3/4
3/16x1 1/4x1/2
(300-349) 3/16x1/2
1/4x3/4

1/16x1 1/2
350
1/8x1 1/2 1/8x1 1/4x1/2
(350-399)
3/16x3/4

400 1/4x3/4
1/4x3/4 1/4x1/2
(400-449) 3/8x3/4

* For 60 Hz current

** Table gives bus bar cross sections which will probably be large enough for ampacities within each
range. Knowing required ampacity, determine possible bus bar dimensions from the table. Then check
Table 1 to verify that size selected has the necessary ampacity.

Example: Assume that required ampacity is 185 amp at 30 °C rise. Table 3 indicates that 1/16 x 1 in. size
would probably be adequate. This is con rmed by Table 1 which lists the ampacity of 1/16 x 1 in. bus bar
as 187 amp.

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1/31/2019 Electrical: Busbar - Table 3: Quick Busbar Selector
Busbar Dimensions, In.**

Required Ampacity,* (Range) Amp 30 °C Rise 50 °C Rise 65 °C Rise

1/16x1 1/2
400 1/4x1
1/4x3/4 1/8x1
(400-449) 3/8x3/4
3/16x3/4

450 1/8x2 1/16x2

1/4x3/4
(450-499) 3/16x1/2 3/16x1

1/8x1 1/2 1/16x2

500 1/4x1 1/2
1/4x1 1/8x1 1/2
(500-599) 3/8x1
3/8x3/4 3/16x1

1/8x2 1/2
1/8x2
600 3/16x2 1/4x1
3/16x1 1/2
(600-699) 1/2x1 3/8x3/4
1/4x1
1/2x1

1/8x3
1/8x2
700 3/16x2 1/2
1/4x1 1/2 3/16x1 1/2
(700-799) 1/4x2
3/8x1
3/8x1 1/2

1/8x3 1/2
1/8x2 1/2
800 3/16x3
3/16x2 1/4x1 1/2
(800-899) 1/4x2 1/2
1/2x1
3/8x2

1/8x3
1/8x4
900 3/16x2 1/2 1/8x2 1/2
3/16x3 1/2
(900-999) 1/4x2 1/2x1
1/4x3
3/8x1 1/2

1/8x4 1/8x3
3/16x4 1/4x3 1/2
1000 3/16x3 3/16x2 1/2
3/8x2 1/2, 3/8x3
(1000-1249) 1/4x2 1/2 1/4x2
1/2x2, 1/2x2 1/2
3/8x2 3/8x1 1/2

3/16x3 1/2, 3/16x4 1/8x4

1/4x4
1250 1/4x3 3/16x3
3/8x3 1/2
(1250-1499) 3/8x2 1/2 1/4x2 1/2
1/2x3
1/2x2 3/8x2

* For 60 Hz current

** Table gives bus bar cross sections which will probably be large enough for ampacities within each
range. Knowing required ampacity, determine possible bus bar dimensions from the table. Then check
Table 1 to verify that size selected has the necessary ampacity.

Example: Assume that required ampacity is 185 amp at 30 °C rise. Table 3 indicates that 1/16 x 1 in. size
would probably be adequate. This is con rmed by Table 1 which lists the ampacity of 1/16 x 1 in. bus bar
as 187 amp.

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1/31/2019 Electrical: Busbar - Table 3: Quick Busbar Selector
Busbar Dimensions, In.**

Required Ampacity,* (Range) Amp 30 °C Rise 50 °C Rise 65 °C Rise

3/16x3 1/2, 3/16x4

1/4x5 1/4x3 1/2, 1/4x4
1500 1/4x3
3/8x4 3/8x3
(1500-1749) 3/8x2 1/2
1/2x3 1/2, 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2
1/2x2

1/4x3 1/2, 1/4x4

1750 1/4x6 3/8x3 1/2
3/8x3
(1750-1999) 3/8x5 1/2x3
1/2x2 1/2

1/4x8
1/4x6 1/4x5
2000 3/8x6
3/8x5 3/8x4
(2000-2499) 1/2x5, 1/2x6
1/2x4 1/2x3 1/2
3/4x4, 3/4x5

1/4x10 3/8x6 1/4x6

2500
3/8x8 1/2x5 3/8x5
(2500-2999)
3/4x6 3/4x4 1/2x4

1/4x8
1/4x12 1/4x8
3000 3/8x6
3/8x10 1/2x6
(3000-3499) 1/2x5
1/2x8 3/4x5
3/4x4

3/8x12 1/4x10
3500 1/2x6
1/2x10 3/8x8
(3500-3999) 3/4x5
3/4x8 3/4x6

1/4x12 1/4x10
4000 1/2x12
3/8x10 3/8x8
(4000-4499) 3/4x10
1/2x8 3/4x6

1/4x12
4500
3/4x12 1/2x10 3/4x8 3/8x10
(4500-4999)
1/2x8

3/8x12 3/8x12
5000
1/2x12 1/2x10
(5000-5999)
3/4x10 3/4x8

* For 60 Hz current

** Table gives bus bar cross sections which will probably be large enough for ampacities within each
range. Knowing required ampacity, determine possible bus bar dimensions from the table. Then check
Table 1 to verify that size selected has the necessary ampacity.

Example: Assume that required ampacity is 185 amp at 30 °C rise. Table 3 indicates that 1/16 x 1 in. size
would probably be adequate. This is con rmed by Table 1 which lists the ampacity of 1/16 x 1 in. bus bar
as 187 amp.

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