### The Issue of Cable Placement in Stabilized Backfill  
Determining the ampacity of power cables laid in the ground with the use of stabilized backfill is not obvious and the recommended method using the aforementioned standards is inadequate. This is primarily due to the fact that the cited standards are based on the Neher-McGrath approach [27], which provides analytical solutions for simple computational models. In this case, the only accurate solution is to use numerical calculations of the thermal states of power cables, which allows us to obtain the values of the ampacity of power cable lines in the assumed conditions. Therefore, there is a real need to develop computational methods based on numerical calculations of thermal states for power cables laid in the ground with the use of stabilized backfill. This article is dedicated to this issue. It should be emphasized that similar issues have been studied by other scientists, but there are some gaps. The authors of article [1] presented the problem related to the drying out of the surroundings of power cable installations and the possible consequences of this in the form of the aging of the cables' insulation and indicated the possibility of using stabilized backfill with no indication of the load of the power cables in the new configuration/geometry with stabilized backfill. In paper [12], the authors pointed out important factors affecting the ampacity of power cables laid in the ground; however, the influence of stabilized backfill on ampacity was only briefly mentioned. Article [28] included an analysis of various types of stabilized backfill and their impact on ampacity; however, the relationship between the ampacity and the thermal parameters of the soil/stabilized backfill was not developed. Paper [14] contains a description of the work carried out using the system of dynamic line rating (DLR) for underground installations, while also considering various types of stabilized backfill. Nevertheless, such an application is appropriate for smart grids and presents a challenge for the future. Similar conclusions regarding the usefulness of numerical calculations and their comparison with standards are included in article [29], but the authors of the publication did not summarize their calculations with a general relationship. The authors of article [30] presented a computational model of the ampacity of power cables buried in the ground with stabilized backfill, which is based on the thermal circuit model. The article does not provide an assessment of the accuracy of the computational model used. The authors of article [31] undertook research related to the grounding system covered with stabilized backfill and claim that the modern simulation approach, especially in complicated computational cases, gives accurate results which are often impossible to determine analytically. Article [16] addresses the issue of developing analytical methods for determining the ampacity of power cable lines laid in the ground using stabilized backfill (in particular, improving the accuracy of determining the ampacity by using standards). The obtained research results were summarized in analytical relationships (with some limitations). The authors of paper [16] emphasized the importance of using bentonite as a stabilized backfill to improve the ampacity of power cables; however, they did not refer the results of their research to the numerical determination of the increase in the ampacity. Paper [11] contains information on the influence of stabilized backfill material type, particle density and particle dimensions on the thermal properties of the backfill. However, the authors of the article did not consider the direct impact of these parameters on the ampacity of power cables laid in the discussed stabilized backfill. The authors of study [32] examined the influence of soil moisture on the permissible long-term temperature of certain types of power cables.