A fibre duct is a protective pipe or channel, also known as a conduit, designed specifically to house and safeguard fibre optic cables.
Fibre ducts serve a critical role in deploying and maintaining telecommunications infrastructure. Ducts (or conduits) offer a highly protective environment for fiber-optic cables. This protection shields the delicate glass fibres within the cables from various external threats, ensuring the longevity and reliable performance of the network.
Key Features and Benefits
Using fibre ducts provides several significant advantages for fibre optic cable installations:
- Physical Protection: They protect cables from crushing, cutting, abrasions, and damage from excavation or environmental factors like moisture and pests.
- Environmental Protection: Ducts shield cables from exposure to UV rays, extreme temperatures, and chemical contaminants found in the soil.
- Ease of Installation: Ducts create a clear pathway, making it easier to install cables over long distances.
- Future-Proofing: Empty ducts can be installed initially, allowing for future cables to be added without the need for new trenching, saving significant time and cost.
- Maintenance and Replacement: Damaged cables can often be replaced by pulling them out of the duct and installing a new one, rather than digging up the entire route.
Installation
Fibre ducts are typically buried, providing a primary layer of security and keeping the cables safely underground. Once the ducts are in place, often running alongside roads or through utility corridors, the cables are air-blown, jetted, pulled or pushed into the duct. These specialized methods facilitate the efficient installation of long lengths of cable into the pre-installed protective pathways.
Different installation methods are used depending on the duct size, cable type, and distance:
- Air Blowing/Jetting: Uses compressed air (and sometimes water) to propel the cable through the duct. This method is very efficient for long distances.
- Pulling: Cables are pulled through the duct using a winch or rope, often lubricated to reduce friction.
- Pushing: Short sections might be manually pushed, especially during initial insertion or for shorter runs.
In essence, a fibre duct acts as a robust shield and a permanent pathway, significantly enhancing the durability, manageability, and future scalability of fibre optic networks.
