Plastic Pipes Conference Association # 2021 Amsterdam
Tom Stewart, Richard Hicks, Patrick Vibien, Lance MacNevin
Arguably, broadband technologies have become as vital to society as water delivery, waste removal and energy distribution. However, the role of plastic conduit in broadband is often overlooked within the piping industry and society in general. HDPE conduit is an essential component to the build -out of 5G cell networks, IoT, and Industry 4.0. Plastic conduit, or duct, is the primary pathway for installing and protecting buried cables. These cables are used for delivering broadband communications and electricity, and HDPE conduit, in particular, provides the capability for long uninterrupted distances to link cities, buildings, and data centers. HDPE conduit is used for electricity delivery, fiber-optic telecommunications, cable television (CATV), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH), among other applications. The explosive growth in the broadband infrastructure means that the quality of today’s installations will have ramifications for future generations. Industry efforts in the past 10 years, through research and delivery of technical information and education about products, design methods, and installat ion techniques, have led to the increase in the usage of HDPE conduit and duct in North America. This paper will provide an overview of the US conduit products/market segments and focuses on past and future work, highlighting available industry resources and developments in products. This paper will also present current practices to address design, installation, safety, standards, and sustainability challenges.
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