Bend radius

Bend radius, which is measured to the inside curvature, is the minimum radius one can bend a pipe, tube, sheet, cable or hose without kinking it, damaging it, or shortening its life.

The minimum bend radius is of particular importance in the handling of fiber-optic cables, which are often used in telecommunications.

The manufacturer should specify the minimum radius to which the cable may safely be bent during installation and for the long term.

The minimum bend radius is in general also a function of tensile stresses, e.g., during installation, while being bent around a sheave while the fiber or cable is under tension.

[1] Besides mechanical destruction, another reason why one should avoid excessive bending of fiber-optic cables is to minimize microbending and macrobending losses.