Thousands of kilometres of underground cable, pipe and fibre optics are being laid in Australian soil through numerous infrastructure projects. This has seen a major increase in the long-term protection measures governments are taking to protect their investments from future damage. One type of long-term protection that has been adopted is the installation of a physical barrier between the ground surface and the cable or pipe. The product is required in the majority of Australian installations and projects to be manufactured in accordance with the Australian Standard AS4702-2000.

The standard has many manufacturing criteria that must be adopted by cable manufacturers. The most commonly recognised of these is the penetration test, which tests the impact resistance of the cable and pipe cover.

For many contractors, the installation of the cable cover is a simple and straightforward procedure. However, it is critical to the long-term requirements of the project to ensure that cable cover used meets the AS4702-2000 standard. Failure to install Australian Standard cable cover for projects on which it is specified runs a risk of future litigation in the event of damage to the protected infrastructure.

Manufactured from recycled plastic, cable and pipe cover can be incorrectly manufactured to reduce cost by reducing the volume of plastic. Manufacturers can also use a ‘foaming’ technique, which refers to creating thousands of air pockets within the cover to create mass and reduce cost. This practice has been seen on numerous imported cable annd pipe cover shipments, and does not comply with the cable cover standard.

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A key strategy to ensure that a cable cover to be installed meets the Australian Standard is to follow a number of simple steps.

1. Purchase cable and pipe covers from a recognised Australian business that is able to supply a certificate of conformity. 2. Ask to receive details from the supplier regarding their impact-testing facilities. 3. Make sure the cable and pipe covers are clearly marked that it has been tested and conforms to the Australian Standard.

Astron is a manufacturer of underground cable cover and is involved in the long-term safety of Australian civil contractors.