As part of Network Rail’s substantial Railway Upgrade Plan to increase capacity across the Great Western Main Line, the significant re-signalling project between Paddington and Reading is continuing to make significant progress.
New cabling is currently being installed as part of a variety of infrastructure projects between Paddington and Heathrow junction. These infrastructure projects include Crossrail works on the Elizabeth Line, the upgrading of the signalling infrastructure from track circuits to axle counters and the safer faster isolation works.
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Colas Rail is supporting the signalling infrastructure upgrade works through telecoms, civils, electrification and power support. The project aims to deliver a more reliable railway for London and all passengers travelling to the West and Wales, ultimately putting the passenger first. Many of the cable routes on this section of the infrastructure are reaching capacity and therefore are being upgraded by Colas Rail to accommodate the extra cable required.
As part of the cable installation process, Colas Rail has commissioned Anderton Concrete, market leader in the supply of cable protection products to the UK’s rail industry, to supply over 6000 metres of precast concrete troughing to successfully increase cabling capacity.
Facilitating the seamless transition from existing ground routes to new routes, the Anderlite straight concrete troughs have been manufactured in half lengths of 500mm to increase on-site efficiencies. The troughing lids have been manufactured at a standard length of 1metre to provide further cost and resource benefits.
Over 3000 metres of troughing has already been installed by Colas Rail’s engineers, with the project predicted to be finalised by this summer.
Anderlite 500 Concrete Trough
Daniel Clouth, Project Manager at Colas Rail Ltd., said: “A project of this scale and nature requires optimum communication and collaboration from all parties to ensure its successful delivery. It is therefore crucial that the level of materials we require are on site at the key access points, when we need them.
“Having worked with Anderton Concrete across previous rail projects, we were confident that the team could deliver the volume of troughing we required, whilst also taking a bespoke approach to the specification of the product to ensure on-site efficiencies were increased.”
With the UK’s railway network experiencing a doubling of passenger levels over the last 20 years, Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan will deliver a more reliable railway that ensures new trains can run alongside existing rail services to deliver quicker and easier journeys for passengers.
Neil Cross, National Sales Manager for Anderton Concrete, said: “As a longstanding partner of Colas Rail, it has been fantastic to collaborate with them for the re-signalling of the Great Western Main Line.
“With this project, it was imperative we could meet tight deadlines and supply high volumes of product with just a few days’ notice. As Anderton Concrete is at the heart of building for the UK, our extensive range of precast concrete products are manufactured at our headquarters in Cheshire, which places us in a strong position to guarantee that our troughing solutions can be on site in the shortest lead times, without compromising on quality.”
Anderton Concrete’s extensive portfolio of troughing, signal bases and complementary rail products are designed to comply with Network Rail standards and as a result, have full Network Rail Approval status, Certificate No. PA05/00318 & PA05/05810 and RISQS accreditation.
As the durable Anderlite concrete cable trough range is up to 30% lighter than traditional materials, it offers increased installation and sustainability benefits to reduce manual handling concerns, associated cost and resource implications and the overall environmental impact of the project.
A subsidiary of the Colas Group, Colas Rail are part of over a hundred years of experience in delivering major innovations across our sector. Every day, thousands of trains run on tracks built or maintained by Colas Rail.
Colas Rail is a leading provider of railway infrastructure services – providing design, engineering, project management, construction and maintenance solutions for the light rail, metro, mainline and high-speed markets.
LV MV HV Jointing, Earthing, Substation & Electrical Eqpt
Thorne & Derrick are leading Specialist Distributors & Stockists of LV, MV & HV Cable Installation, Jointing, Substation & Electrical Equipment to the Rail industry. Low, Medium & High Voltages
Power Products ♦ Cables & Accessories ♦ Electrical Equipment
Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV
Guest Article: IMCORP
uploaded by Natalie Lundie – Thorne & Derrick Supply Chain: Marketing Lead
IMCORP is a provider of underground power cable reliability services for medium and high voltage (5kV to 500kV) power cable systems for both aged and new cable installations.
IMCORP’s Factory Grade® technology will access MV HV Cable Systems, identify cable systems in need of rehabilitation allowing the customer to ultimately restore the cable system to like-new status.
OVERVIEW
Oversized joints with installation errors are identified with the Factory Grade® technology.
CHALLENGE
Identifying root cause of multiple cable joint failures and substandard performance after a Factory Grade® assessment.
RESULTS IMCORP’s
IMCORP’s Factory Grade® technology effectively identified incorrectly sized joints and provided critical information to improve product selection and installation practice.
Our utility client asked us to assist in identifying the root cause for the multiple joint failures on several two year old substation exit feeders.
Initial assessments with IMCORP’s Factory Grade® technology revealed several substandard pre-molded joints. The utility asked IMCORP to provide a dissection and root cause analysis for two joints excavated from the field. One faulted in service prior to the assessments and the other was serviceable but showed substandard performance.
The dissection and root cause analysis produced evidence of electrical (or carbon) treeing between the inside surface of the joint and the cable insulation (the joint interface). Electrical treeing was observed at the same location in both joint samples only treeing is much more extensive in the joint that failed in service.
Electrical treeing started near the connector (where the Faraday cage makes contact with the cable insulation) and grew along the interface towards one end of the joint. (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Evidence of electrical treeing was observed on the inside surface of both the serviceable joint with substandard PD activity (left) and the faulted joint (right).
Comparisons of the manufacturer’s catalogue product size selection table and the cable diameter revealed these were the loosest fitting of three models covering this cable size range. A looser fitting joint increases the likelihood of interfacial voids and other installation errors leading to substandard performance.
Voids and stress enhancements in the presence of sufficient voltage stress gives rise to partial discharge, erosion, electrical treeing and eventually failure. Other workmanship issues identified included incorrect dimensions, contamination on the interface, and little to no evidence of void filling grease applied at the cable’s semicon cutbacks.
The utility learned the value of a Factory Grade® assessment since the substandard performance was only observable at 1.5 times the operation voltage and would have been completely missed if the assessment was only performed at operating voltage.
By partnering with IMCORP our client utility gained critical knowledge about their joint performance and soon made significant changes to their joint specification and retrained their installers.
IMCORP is the technology leader in Medium & High Voltage Power Cable Systems life cycle condition assessment and performance – IMCORP have been helping their clients achieve maximum cable reliability for more than 20 years and have assessed over 130,000 5kV to 500kV cable systems spanning in excess of 160 million feet.
T&D are Specialist Distributors to UK Distribution Network Operators (DNO’s), NERS Registered Service Providers, ICP’s and HV Jointing Contractors of an extensive range of LV, MV & HV Jointing, Earthing, Substation & Electrical Eqpt – this includes 11kV/33kV/66kV cable joints, terminations and connectors for both DNO and private network applications.
Contact our UK Power Team for competitive quotations, fast delivery from stock and technical support or training on all LV-HV products.
All international sales enquiries can be serviced and supplied by our Export Power Team.
Key Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV
This article was written by Aaron Morby at Construction Enquirer
Power cable strikes have spiked since lockdown prompting the supply industry’s trade body to raise the alert in construction. Underground powerline strikes from July to September alarmingly jumped 20% to 475 incidents compared with the same time last year. The figures for Q3 are running 46% above the previous quarter (April – June 2020) total of 325.
It is not clear whether the surge has come from a rise in utility and roadworks or whether workers returning from furlough or shutdown are now neglecting basic safety procedures.
Research released today by the Energy Networks Association reveals 93% of construction workers believed they always dig safely, yet almost a third (31%) admitted to not always checking for underground electricity cables before beginning work.
Despite the threat to life, the main reasons workers did not check for underground electricity cables was because they felt it was not their responsibility (15%), or they would not dig deep enough to hit anything (24%).
Worryingly, almost one in six said if they uncovered an underground electricity cable encased in concrete, they would attempt to break them out, which could put them at immediate risk of life-threatening injuries.
To hammer the safety message home the ENA has released new emotive safety film, urging people to ‘Think Before You Dig’.
Peter Vujanic, Chair of ENA’s Public Safety Committee said: “It’s extremely concerning to hear that even though construction workers are one of the most-at-risk groups of injury involving underground electricity cables, more than one in four fail to check for cables before beginning work.
“With the proper education and support, these issues can be addressed and, ultimately, lives can be saved.”
ENA has also released life-saving safety guidelines under the slogan: Plan, Scan, Think Before You Dig.
Spanish grid operator i-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, member of the Iberdrola Group, is using the advantages of the new oil and gas free retrofit cable terminations from PFISTERER for the renewal of its network infrastructure.
They allow the existing cable to be retained when ageing terminations are replaced. Easy to install, they also safeguard the environment in the long term.
Alroc Tools – Cable Jointing Tools (MV HV)
i-DE Redes Eléctricas Inteligentes, based in Bilbao, is one of Spain’s main grid operators. Like many network operators, it faces the challenge of long-term infrastructure renewal.
Networks have to be maintained, updated and brought into line with future requirements. In this case, the task was to replace ageing porcelain terminations on a 132 kV line in the Madrid metropolitan area. A modern solution was sought, but one that did not necessitate changing the existing cable.
“This is a typical requirement that we meet with our push-on EST retrofit terminations. In principle they are suitable for all XLPE cables up to a conductor cross-section of 2,500 mm². However, the solution can also be adapted for other cable types – such as here for i-DE, where an EPR cable is used.
It is compatible with substation and transmission tower installation, is easy to fit and maintain, and it is sustainable,” explains Tarek Fahmy, Senior Product Manager at PFISTERER.
PFISTERER Retrofit i-DE Spain
Whether in the substation (with or without integrated surge arrester), as a flexible solution or on the transmission tower – with its dry retrofit terminations, PFISTERER offers a comprehensive range for all requirements and voltage levels from 72.5 to 170 kV, tested in accordance with IEC 60840.
The advantage with these solid-insulated, oil and gas free terminations is that they are explosion-resistant with no risk of leakage in the event of a fault, and there is no environmental hazard at any time. Plus the terminations are maintenance-free over their entire service life.
“As well as the installation and maintenance cost savings, the environmental aspect is just as important as it allows us to sustainably renew our energy infrastructure,” says Jose Miguel Sánchez Pereira, Maintenance Manager EHV Lines Centre Region at i-DE. The PFISTERER solution meets all of the grid operator’s needs.
It has been in use since November 2020 in a substation and on a transmission tower, each with six terminations. And its flexibility is already apparent: the new terminations can be used as a self-supporting version or in existing support structures, and are also easier and faster to install thanks to their low weight.
The Pfisterer corporate group has been dealing with the interfaces in the flow of electricity ever since it was founded back in 1921.
As a specialist in energy transmission and distribution, Pfisterer offer our customers and business partners a range of sophisticated, future-ready products: For all voltage ranges and wherever reliable, long-lasting systems are needed for powerful energy grids.
As well as the energy sector, they are also active in transport technology and industrial solutions.
The Right Connection for All LV MV HV Conductors – For years, bolted clamps, connectors, and cable lugs have been gaining ground – with good reason. Bolted connectors offer technical and practical advantages that compression technology cannot match.
Bolt type connectors offer not only technical, but also practical advantages over compression technology. All SICON Shearbolt Cable Connectors cover a wide conductor cross-section range so that you always have the right connectors on site for any application.
Main benefits of Sicon Connectors include:
LV MV HV Jointing, Earthing, Substation & Electrical Eqpt
Key Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV
This Document supersedes DNV-RP-J301, February 2014.
Thorne & Derrick can provide Joints, Terminations & Connectors for the safe and reliable operation of subsea power cable systems up to 66kV – this includes cable accessories utilising Heat Shrink, Cold Shrink and EPDM Rubber type connection and termination products from market-leading manufacturers including 3M Electrical, Pfisterer CONNEX, Nexans Euromold and NKT.
Further Reading
Thorne & Derrick are Specialist Distributors to the UK and international Offshore Wind & Renewable industry to provide safe and reliable LV HV Electrical Cable & Power Distribution Systems up to 66kV – we are highly customer responsive and absolutely committed to providing a world-class service.
Contact our UK Power Team for competitive quotations, fast delivery from stock and technical support or training on all LV-HV products.
Key Product Categories: Duct Seals | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Protection | Cable Jointing Tools | Cable Pulling | Earthing | Feeder Pillars | Cable Joints LV | Joints & Terminations MV HV
See how T&D support, supply and service the Renewable Energy industry.
MV HV Cables 11kV 33kV 66kV | Cable Joints, Terminations & Connections
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