Reinforced cable trays: use for laying communications

Reinforced cable tray is a design that is used quite widely. Usually such products are used for their intended purpose - for laying electrical wiring and communication cables, but in some cases they also place small-diameter pipes.

In the article we will talk about the main types of reinforced concrete trays, as well as specifically focus on those that are best suited to solve our problem.

Main varieties of tray products

When carrying out construction work, as well as when laying roads, it is very often necessary to allocate areas along which communications will pass - wires, pipes, etc. At the same time, an important task is to preserve the integrity of the laid objects, and therefore for their protection a variety of structures are used (find out here how to concrete in the cold).

The most common product in this case is a reinforced concrete tray.

Today in industry and construction are used such varieties:

• Products for prefabricated channels. They are distinguished by the largest dimensions; they are used for the construction of drainage systems and storm sewers. These structures are characterized by high strength and resistance to corrosion.

Note! When buying such products, it is important to pay attention to such a parameter as the price. Trays produced in factory conditions are more expensive, but for their manufacture higher quality heavy concrete is used, in addition, they are much better mated with each other due to exact dimensions.

• Telescopic structures. They are trapezoidal products, which are installed in batches of several pieces on the roadsides to ensure the most effective drainage. The material is characterized by low water absorption, which significantly increases the service life of the trays of this type.

• Gutters. Mounted for effective drainage along the edge of the asphalt pavement. They are usually installed with a slope, so as not to hinder the movement of the flow. For production, the technique of prestressing reinforcement and high-temperature drying is applied, which significantly improves the mechanical parameters.

Most of the varieties listed above are used exclusively by professional builders. But ground and underground boxes for cable products can be installed with your own hands. They differ in smaller dimensions in comparison with water throughput trays, but at the same time do not concede to them on durability.

In the next section we will look at this type of concrete products in detail.

Cable channels

Design and sizes

Chutes for wiring are made in the form of open containers U-shaped.

For their manufacture is used:

• Concrete grades B15, B20 or B25.
• Steel reinforcement class A1 or A2.

These products are able to withstand significant temperature fluctuations due to the fact that components that prevent cracking are added to the solution during their manufacture.

As a rule, when installing communication channels, whole products are used, the benefit in the assortment of most manufacturers is a significant number of additional elements.

The dimensions of cable trays that are most often used are given in the table below:

However, in some situations it is necessary to fit the product to a specific size. In this case, cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles is used, since the gutter material is highly durable, and attempts to process it with other tools lead to their rapid wear.

Features of use

As the name implies, the instruction recommends the use of such products for ground laying of communication wires.

It provides the following benefits:

• The cables are in a housing that reliably protects them from damage, both due to mechanical effects and due to the influence of weather factors.

Note! The case design does not provide for the presence of locking elements, so the risk of theft remains. It is for this reason that the outdoor installation of gutters is justified only within the protected areas.

• If you need access to the conductors simply open the chute. Of course, the plates themselves are very heavy, but still it will be much less expensive than in the case of the placement of wires in a trench covered with earth.
• Finally, in areas with difficult soils (permafrost, quicksand, stone monolith) this is the only way to place cables.

However, in some cases, such structures are buried in the ground.

At the same time we get the following advantages:

• Firstly, all communications are in a relatively dry space without contact with soil moisture. This saves by using cables with a lower moisture protection class.
• Secondly, the connection of several cable lines is facilitated. To insert additional wire into the tray, diamond drilling of holes in concrete is used.

Note! Drilled holes, through which the wire is passed, should be carefully sealed.

• Finally, with proper organization of the internal space (separation of wires by voltage and purpose using partitions and wall-mounting systems), sorting is simplified. Agree, it is much easier to remove the cover from the concrete tray and look for the necessary cable than to dig a hole, risking to cut the conductor with a shovel or excavator bucket.

In principle, both installation options are permissible and are actively used in modern construction.

Conclusion

Железобетонные лотки для кабелей, несмотря на всю свою громоздкость, весьма полезны. Их использование дает возможность сохранить провода в целости, а также облегчает проведение манипуляций после укладки (см.также статью «Пластификаторы для бетона и другие модифицирующие добавки»).

The video in this article contains additional information about these products.