Inflatable sealing technology: "Innovative and economical solutions for cable entries"

• Prevention of personal injury caused by gas diffusion
   
• Prevention of damage to property in buildings and technical rooms
   
• Prevention of short-circuits caused by water entry
   
• Prevention of network failure caused by optical fibre breakage
  (optical fibres are particularly sensitive to water entry or immersion in water)
   
• Cable manhole facilities do not have to be pumped out
   
• Prevention of costly repair and renovation measures

Regulations governing the closure of cabled ducts against the entry and further passage of water,
and the requirements for the sealing elements used for this purpose, are to be found in the following:

• Deutsche Telekom TS 0307/96
• British Telecom pls LN584
• France Telecom (RAD) ST/FTR/7644
• Bell Canada 2017-05-23 (Rev.)
• DOI Japan
• Fibre Optics CT GmbH - Prüfgrundsätze E-PG-DMPK-1 und E-PG-DMPK-2

(also to be found in Fibre Optics CT GmbH – Test principles E-PG-DMPK-1 and E-PG-DMPK-2)

Examples of requirements are:

• •Tightness against 3 m water column and gas diffusion
  (* after removal and re-installation without damage to conduit or cables)

• Service life (defined by the total leak rate)
   
• Tightness after temperature cycling from -15°C to +30°C (ageing)
   
• Tightness despite vibration
   
• Resistance to chemicals, petrol, diesel or kerosene mixtures, paraffin oil, cable lubrication agents

* A more stringent demand from France Telecom, Fibre Optics CT GmbH

• Reliable sealing against water entry and gas diffusion for round or
  oval boreholes, or concrete, plastic, cast iron or stoneware cable conduits
   
• Universal application, independent of cable and duct diameters  or
  cable configuration, i.e. the diameter and number of cables in a duct)
   
• Reusable sealing cushions
   
• Additional sealing  solutions are available against smoke penetration or fire propagation
   
• Installation, removal and retrofitting are quick and easy
   
• CO2-free inflation with compressed air

These include:
T-Com TS 0307/96, France Telecom RSD CSE C75-11H, British Telecom LN584,
Testing for power cables VDE 0278-629-1/A1 and DIN EN 61442, as well as the DVGW*
provisions in VP601 for service entries for gas and water in houses, etc.

*standardization body for the gas and water industry
 

• Sealing effectiveness against pressing water up to 5 m water column
   
• Tightness against gas diffusion < 0.1 bar, in acc. with DVGW-VP601
   
• Fulfilment of the demands of temperature cycling tests
   
• Resistance to various chemicals with pH2 to pH12, petrol, diesel, kerosene…
   
• Reusability, with a removal time of < 1.5 min, in acc. with FO PB 179/2011

Extract from Test Report FO 076/2010 und FO 176/2011. Short-circuit requirement and tightness tests after ageing (temperature cycling)