Duct Bank (Concrete Encased)

Concrete encased duct banks are underground structures used for housing and protecting electrical cables or telecommunication lines. They consist of a series of conduits or ducts bundled together and encased in concrete for structural integrity and protection.

Here’s how they typically work:

1. Ducts or Conduits: These are cylindrical channels made of materials like PVC, HDPE (high-density polyethylene), through which the cables are run. These ducts protect the cables from physical damage and environmental elements.

2. Encasement in Concrete: The ducts are arranged together in a bundle and then encased in concrete. The concrete encasement provides structural support and protection against external factors such as moisture, soil pressure vehicular traffic and natural disasters like storms.

3. Installation: Installation involves digging a trench underground to the required depth and width. The ducts are then laid out in the trench with spacers, arranged according to the specifications of the project. Once the ducts are in place, steel reinforcement is cut and installed. Forms are built around the assembly and finally concrete is poured around them to encase and secure them. Once the concrete cures the forms are removed.

Concrete encased duct banks offer several advantages:

• Protection: They shield cables from physical damage, moisture, and other environmental hazards.
• Durability: The concrete encasement provides long-term structural integrity and resistance to soil pressure.
• Ease of Maintenance: Since the cables are organized within ducts, maintenance and repairs are generally easier compared to direct burial installations.
• Space Efficiency: Duct banks allow for efficient use of underground space by consolidating multiple utility lines into a single structure.

These duct banks are commonly used in urban areas, industrial sites, and infrastructure projects where there’s a need to protect and manage a large number of utility lines efficiently.