Which property describes how a fiber cable handles tensile forces in loose-tube construction?

Study for the BICSI OSP Design Test. Prepare using multiple choice questions, with hints and explanations to enhance understanding. Succeed in your exam journey!

In loose-tube construction, the fiber is protected from direct pulling stress by design. The fibers sit inside individual buffer tubes that are loosely filled and can slide within the outer jacket, while the pulling force is carried by strength members and the jacket. This decouples the fiber from tensile forces, so when the cable is pulled, most of the load goes to the strength members and the tube assembly rather than the fiber itself. This minimizes strain on the fiber, reducing the risk of attenuation or breakage during installation and operation. The other ideas describe features that are not the mechanism by which tensile loads are managed in this construction (tight binding to the jacket would transfer load to the fiber, while bend radius and microbending relate to other aspects of performance).