Quick Trenching and Multiduct
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Networks
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Networking
Cellular networks
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Quick Trenching & Multi Duct
Interactive/loginAlpitel proposes two innovative techniques for the infrastructure miniaturization:
1.
The excavation technique called QUICK-Trenching
2.
The project methodology called MULTI-Duct
QUICK-Trenching Technique
This is a new integrated system for the excavation and the layout of the telecommunications infrastructure. This system allows carrying out excavations in an automated way and with reduced dimensions which results in greater economies and cost reduction compared to traditional excavations techniques.
To carry out excavation with the quick trenching technique, a new innovative piece of equipment has been designed, tested and patented (in the major industrialized countries).
This innovative quick trenching machine is a mobile”construction site” that allows to carry out the excavation, layout the cables or the pipes and refill the trench in a single operation and in a totally automated way.
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The QUICK-TRENCHING machine
The excavation is of reduced dimensions (just 6-7 cm wide and 40 cm deep at most). This has the great advantage – especially in urban areas - of allowing about 250 meters of work to be completed in a day (compare with the few dozen meters of a traditional site). This performance is possible thanks to the reduced excavation volumes compared to traditional trenching techniques and thanks to the automation of the majority of operations. Another advantage is that both the cables/pipe to layout and the small quantity of trench filling material are kept onboard the quick trenching machine. This allows reducing traffic disruptions and the noise levels for the residents living near the site. Despite the shallow excavation, the security and the protection of the cables and pipes against damages created by successive works is assured by filling the trench with a special material made of cement grouting compatible with the road underground and colored to be spotted easily. In the event subsequent works, once the asphalt or pavement is removed, the colored cement grouting will be very visible, just 5-7 deep in the ground, indicating the presence of cables and pipes.
Quick trenching machine at work Sectional view of finished trench
For the Public Administration, quick trenching offers specific and important environmental advantages, such as: - Minimal size of excavation in the road surface and underground which is minimally disrupted, preserving long term structural durability and resistance.
Traditional excavations are instead more disruptive. - reduced impact on the traffic by the working site which is of smaller dimensions and able to progress excavations for 200-250 meters a day (up to 350 meters in suburban areas and in non-urban areas).
This minimizes traffic disruptions. - reduced impact on the environment. Quick trenching produces minimal excavation waste (about 1 m3 every 50 m of excavation) to be transported in a dump, and also requires minimal quantities of soil to refill the trench.
This reduces environmental impact as there is no need to open new quarries for the extraction of trench refill materials. - air pollution reduction. Compared to traditional excavation sites, Quick Trenching reduces the use of heavy site machinery and minimized soil disruption.
This in turn reduces air pollutant emissions (gases and dust) by site machinery but also reduces automobile traffic pollution since traffic is less disrupted by deviations, queues and traffic jams. Many Public Administrations have taken advantage of these innovative techniques.
Among them, we would like to mention the Emilia region, where a 60 km interconnection and distribution network has been planned and completed in the three municipalities of Sassuolo, Formiggine, Maranello, on behalf of the local carrier SATCom.
The multi-duct methodology
MULTIDUCT
The second technique of infrastructure miniaturization proposed by Alpitel to its customers is the multi-duct system, which is complimentary to the Quick-Trenching excavation method which we discussed in the previous section.
The concept of multi-duct consists of a combination of new materials, new network planning methodologies and new methods for the installation of cables.
The synergy of QUICK-Trenching and multi-duct resides in the installation of groups of small pipes – up to 21 pipes of 15mm (each can potentially hold 96-fiber cables) or 28 pipes of 12 mm (each with 72-fiber cables).
This method has clear advantages compared to the traditional installation of empty pipes (3x50 mm, 4x40 mm etc.) Multi-duct allows stacking up to 28 optical cables with a total capacity up to 2,016 optical fibers in a mini trench.
This is a remarkable performance, especially if we add the advantages discussed previously: lower costs, faster execution of works, minimal environmental impact and advantages for traffic and people living near sites.
The proposal is then to invest in optical fibers and take advantage of the flexibility offered by this innovative planning system.
The layout of “mini pipes”
The adoption of the multi-duct methodology only requires the setup of a single infrastructure made of several pipes of small diameter, which are sufficient to cover an entire building with just one pipe.
This approach allows separating the owner of the infrastructure from the optical fiber network administrator or multiple administrators. Substantially, the technique is based on the layout of several pipes of small dimensions (chosen in line with the type of cables to be used) assemble together in groups of 7 in the same sheath (to optimize space, but it is also possible to bring pipes together in groups of 3, 4 or 5).
The pipes are then directly place underground, on aerial supports or placed under pre-existing pipes. The mini-pipe is then made continuous by using easy to install joints, capable to maintain pressure, and installed from the point where the secondary cable starts and through the branch point from the main multiduct pipe and the end-user location.
This method allows pushing the cables using compressed air to distances over 1000 meters (the distance limit is set by how straight the line is).
Conclusions:
By using this methodology proposed by Alpitel, it is sufficient to use the mini pipes contained in the main assembly by inserting inside the pipes as many low capacity cables as needed to cover all the buildings to be served by the network.
These cables are derived from a few joint points where a cable with higher capacity linked to the service provider POP is divided into smaller cables, each designed to reach a building.
To derive a mini pipe from the multi-duct when the need arises is more cost effective then derive a certain number of optical fibers from a high capacity.
This method reduces costs in the long term where planned projects meet technologies available on the markets.
Advantages offered by a multi-duct solution:
To defer the time of purchase, the layout of cables and relative accessory work and the execution of related “optical” cables works. The branching of a mini-pipe from the multi-duct assembly (a non fiber assembly) is carried out after a customer has been acquired.
To concentrate active network components in a monitored or remotely controlled main site easily accessible by the le network operator.
To avoid expenses related to the necessary implementation of shafts, layout of cables, bulky and costly joints and optical fibers joints
To have maximum flexibility, with many possible solutions available, and the possibility of replacing cables already laid out with higher capacity cables in order to free some mini-pipes.
Possibility of hosting cables of different network operators, each with its own network strategy, in a multi-duct infrastructure setup by the same network operators in different areas but with the possibility of mutually lease out the pipes contained in the infrastructure.
Pipe rental by an independent agency to a network operator or between network operators. The pipe rental will lead to profits and return on investments for those companies that invest and setup this type of infrastructure. If rental fare were not leading to a profit, investments would diminish, which is the current situation.
This technology has been adopted by Hera – Bologna for the setup of the urban cabling infrastructure in order use older existing infrastructures which were reclaimed thanks to the multi-duct technique. The technique allowed inserting extremely small pipes which freed up spaces and at the same time allowed reaching a high number of users.