Armouring internet cable under grave driveway

[Pallet Fancier]

I'm redoing the driveway with gravel grids/mats. It's already gravel, but it's a mess. I'll be hiring a wacker plate to compress the existing mess down into a firm base, then edging it with block paving, etc. but my question is about the fibre optic internet cable that runs about 6 inches below the existing surface. Do I need to armour it somehow, before wacking the surface? And what to use? I can't thread anything on to it, obviously, and so far can't think of anything that comes in U shaped sections that would be tough enough.

Any ideas?

 

[paulrbarnard]

Fibre cables are very strong in compression but very susceptible to kinking. If there is any risk of a stone applying point pressure to the cable you will break it. One option would be to put a good layer of sand above the cable to ensure an even pressure. Personally I would be looking for something to protect it. Something as simple as an angle iron placed over it would work well enough.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Run it through some HDPE water pipe?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

What are you actually burying to make it a grave driveway?

 

[Bingy man]

Maybe some mini half round guttering , two layers should be more than enough to protect it from a whacker plate especially if you blind the cable with sand 1st ..

 

[Richard_C]

Paul Barnard s idea is a good one. Sand and a 'hat'. Take care not to twist the cable though, or all your streamed movies will be upside down.

 

[Inspector]

I assume you can't disconnect one end to thread it though a pipe laid under the driveway. So I suggest sawing a slit the length of a heavy walled PVC or ABS pipe. Spread it and slip the cable into it a little at a time as you advance along. Then "weld" the PVC back together with the solvent used to join plumbing fittings. That would leave what would basically amount to a solid pipe again. Considering all the work and futzing it might be easier to dig up the rest of the cable to the house and disconnect/reconnect or pay the cable company come and do it.

Pete

 

[Spectric]

but my question is about the fibre optic internet cable that runs about 6 inches below the existing surface.

and not in any duct !! Which company laid the cable because if at some point it does get damaged in the future then you need to dig everything up. I would think getting this cable into a duct now could save a lot of hassle in the future but at what point was the cable terminated ? If the connector into the modem is able to pass back through the access hole into the house then just thread a cable duct over it other wise do what @Inspector has suggested. Use cheap pvc pipe with a cut down it and with two people and some small wedges to keep the gap open lay the cable in it and use some waterproof tape to ensure the pipe cannot open.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Run it through some HDPE water pipe?

Would be ideal but re terminating fibre is not a home handyman job.

 

[Spectric]

Would be ideal but re terminating fibre is not a home handyman job.

You used to be able to buy the kits from RS components, we used fibre cables between the high voltage systems and instrumentation for obvious reasons. The cable had to be cut dead square & polished before the connector was fitted and then we had a tester that measured the propagation delays which for our use were really immaterial but for high speed data then they are.

 

[ChaiLatte]

The proper stuff is called "split duct". The possible problem is that it only comes in 4" diameter, which may be an issue if the cable is so shallow and is rather large for a single fibre optic cable.

Another option might be split convoluted cable seeeving (https://www.mo-kit.co.uk/electrical...luted-cable-sleeving-65mm-213mm-cut-to-length). There is an installation tool that is available to use with it - it looks a bit like a mole plough.

 

[Woody Alan]

The proper stuff is called "split duct". The possible problem is that it only comes in 4" diameter, which may be an issue if the cable is so shallow and is rather large for a single fibre optic cable.

Another option might be split convoluted cable seeeving (https://www.mo-kit.co.uk/electrical...luted-cable-sleeving-65mm-213mm-cut-to-length). There is an installation tool that is available to use with it - it looks a bit like a mole plough.

You are correct 4 inch is duct 54 but you can also get duct 56 used for customer lead in's which is 2 inch in a split duct for repair

 

[John Brown]

What are you actually burying to make it a grave driveway?

Probably a simple typo, like "feasability".

 

[Pallet Fancier]

What are you actually burying to make it a grave driveway?

At this rate, the lazy pipper who didn't run it through a conduit!

 

[Pallet Fancier]

Thanks for the replies. I like the idea of sleeving it with something and also padding it with sand (which would hopefully cushion it from the wacker). For belt and braces, I might see what I can put over the top of the sand, as well. I'll need to do this over a distance of about ten feet.

The cable rises up out of the gravel area and then runs between two paving slabs, which border the gravel, before entering the junction box. It looks like a line of brown grout in between the paving slabs. It has apparently survived like this for many years! I'm not planning to move those slabs if I can avoid it. They're solid, so shouldn't have to.

 

[Woody Alan]

You used to be able to buy the kits from RS components, we used fibre cables between the high voltage systems and instrumentation for obvious reasons. The cable had to be cut dead square & polished before the connector was fitted and then we had a tester that measured the propagation delays which for our use were really immaterial but for high speed data then they are.

That technology is no longer used by Openreach and was probably Multi Mode as it was cheaper over short runs. It is all pre terminated connectorised now in Single mode fibre with the connectorised network distribution point being spliced to the customer connectorised lead in in the wall termination box. That said there is a little legacy blown fibre technology installed about 5 years ago before they switched. City fibre use Blown fibre from distribution cabinets to the customer though. Openreach is all UG or overhead no cabinets for FTTP.
This doesn't sound like an Openreach install as duct would have been laid.

 

[Pallet Fancier]

This doesn't sound like an Openreach install as duct would have been laid.

I think it was originally Nynex.

 

[Jameshow]

Will the cable end not fit through a blue water pipe?

 

[Jake]

Irrespective of the existing, put in a new duct while you are at it, ideal opportunity to future proof.

 

[Richard_C]

Just a thought, as the cable won't generate heat, bog standard polypropylene plumbing pipe insulation which splits easily then a hat of some type over it. The squidgy stuff protects from vibration.