Mule tape
Mule tape turns up in 2 fields: electricians, fiber optics. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Mule tape in electricians
Flat woven polyester pulling tape printed with footage marks, used for long pulls and to measure runs.
Mule tape is flat woven polyester tape with sequential footage printed along it, strong and low-stretch, used to pull cable through long or underground conduit and left in empty ducts as a pull line. Being flat, it is less likely than round rope to saw into PVC elbows under tension, and the footage marks measure the run as it comes through. Ratings of 1250 and 2500 pounds are common.
"Pull the mule tape through the duct bank first, the footage on it tells us exactly how much wire to cut."
Mule tape in fiber optics
Flat, low-stretch polyester pull tape with printed footage marks, left in conduit to pull cable later.
A woven polyester tape rated for loads such as 1250 or 2500 pounds, preinstalled in duct or innerduct during construction. When cable goes in, the cable is attached to the tape and the tape is pulled out with a winch or capstan. Its sequential footage markings show how much cable has gone in, and its low stretch avoids the slingshot effect of rope.
"Every conduit gets mule tape and a tagged end, I don't want to rod a hundred feet of duct again next spring."