INNOVATION AND FLEXIBILITY
THE
INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE TRAINING MANUAL
The launch pit is dug and the blade inserted. The ‘cable’ is fed through the blade, so it will lay neatly at the bottom of the slot to be cut. Then
simply allow the plough to do the installation.
Good progress will be made through sandy or soil substrates, (where moleploughing is ideal) but at road edges or in uncultivated ground, a
good deal of progressive ‘rock removal’ may be required by the installation team.
In standard direct buried applications a sand or pea gravel bed is applied fi rst before laying in the m/d assembly product. This is not possible
with mole ploughing and a more rugged product is generally needed, on the assumption that rocks will be present. However there is no specifi c
backfi lling compacting operation, so pressure on the buried product should be low.
Please consult our technical department for further details.
3.12 Storage & Handling
DI and DB products may be stored outdoors, preferably for less than 6 months before burial. Unsheathed primary microduct should be stored
indoors and well shielded from daylight.
See page 14 for drum handling and storage.
storage and handling / installation
The protected microduct assemblies and packaging materials used in (FU) are resistant to a wide temperature range.
PE products, e.g. DI, DB, DBR are best stored between - 40°C and + 60°C, and handled between - 20°C and + 40°C.
LFH products are best stored between -20°C and +60°C and handled between 0°C and +40°C.
Handling at up to +60°C is fi ne if the product is not subject to heavy loadings or pressure, since softer product may distort due to softening.
Do not be tempted to bend warm soft bundles into lower than recommended bend radius curves.
Remember that after m/d bundle deployment, the operation of fi bre blowing is still to be performed, and smoother (and fewer) curves make easier
blowing. Curves of radius 1 metre are generally ideal for blowing fi bre unit, and the natural stiffness of DB products helps installers remember this.
Remember also that at very low temperatures, polythene ducting is stiffer. It will not generally crack when cold and stiff, but it is advisable to
use increased min bend radius (eg 1.5 times the normal MBR). Products de-reeled and straightened at temperatures well below the low
temperature limits may be susceptible to cracking.
Relaxation
There are two main reasons why it is good practice to leave some relaxation time after the installation of each length of protected
microduct product.
Tensile relaxation
The rule of thumb for the maximum tension has already been mentioned as 0.8W, but note that with DI products containing aluminium, the
grade of aluminium has been chosen to allow some stretching during installation so that the water barrier performance is maintained.
Products without aluminium are likely to stretch more under the same tension, and relax more as well, so please allow relaxation length / time
before cutting.
LFH products, and especially single unsheathed LFH m/ds, are also prone to installation stretch, and pulling limits stated on the MHT should
be observed. They are based on lower fi gures than 0.8W. Allow some time for these to relax, especially if deploying around tight corners, as
restrained LFH may tighten up during relaxation time, and kink on the corners.
Products with glass tapes, e.g. DBR, are likely to exhibit very low elongation, effectively none to the casual observer.
3 Outdoor Installation
“This document is intended as a guide only. Whilst the information it contains is believed to be correct, Emtelle can take no responsibility for actions taken based on the information contained in this document. Emtelle reserves the
right to make changes to this document without notice. All sales of product are subject to Emtelle’s terms and conditions of sale only, which can be found on Emtelle’s website.”
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INNOVATION AND FLEXIBILITY
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