This part of IEC 60865 is applicable to the mechanical and thermal effects of short-circuit currents. It contains procedures for the calculation of – the electromagnetic effect on rigid conductors and flexible conductors, – the thermal effect on bare conductors. For cables and insulated conductors, reference is made, for example, to IEC 60949 and IEC 60986. For the electromagnetic and thermal effects in d.c. auxiliary installations of power plants and substations reference is made to IEC 61660-2. Only a.c. systems are dealt with in this standard. The following points should, in particular, be noted: a) The calculation of short-circuit currents should be based on IEC 60909. For the determination of the greatest possible short-circuit current, additional information from other IEC standards may be referred to, e.g. details about the underlying circuitry of the calculation or details about current-limiting devices, if this leads to a reduction of the mechanical stress. b) Short-circuit duration used in this standard depends on the protection concept and should be considered in that sense. c) These standardized procedures are adjusted to practical requirements and contain simplifications which are conservative. Testing or more detailed methods of calculation or both may be used. d) In Clause 5 of this standard, for arrangements with rigid conductors, only the stresses caused by short-circuit currents are calculated. Furthermore, other stresses can exist, e.g. caused by dead-load, wind, ice, operating forces or earthquakes. The combination of these loads with the short-circuit loading should be part of an agreement and/or be given by standards, e.g. erection-codes. The tensile forces in arrangements with flexible conductors include the effects of deadload. With respect to the combination of other loads the considerations given above are valid. e) The calculated loads are design loads and should be used as exceptional loads without any additional partial safety factor according to installation codes of, for example, IEC 61936-1 [1]1.