Directional Bore Fiber Optic Conduit Installation: The Advantage of HDPE Conduit Material
Directional boring has revolutionized the way in which many of our clients install underground fiber optic cables – particularly for environmentally sensitive areas and many other applications that demand minimal invasion.
From underground utility cables in urban areas to municipal broadband installations to complex industrial facilities, horizontal drilling allows for trenchless conduit placement and prevents surface disruption. Traditional trenching methods would be too costly, too time-consuming, or logistically impossible in many of these modern applications.
The challenge, however, is that the directional boring method subjects the conduit to substantial mechanical stress during pullback and installation. As a result, the fiber optic conduit material must offer both flexibility and toughness, along with long-term durability to protect the high-value fiber optic cabling housed inside.
Choosing the right conduit material is therefore crucial – as is the case with virtually any underground cable installation. Typically, Allwire suggests high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduit due to its unique combination of mechanical strength, flexibility, water/chemical resistance, and exceptionally low coefficient of friction.
HDPE Fiber Optic Cable Conduit: The Ideal Solution for Horizontal Directional Drilling
Like we mentioned, depending on the installation requirements, directional boring can subject the conduit to significant stress when it comes time to lay the cable. Nevertheless, complex fiber optic cable paths often demand outstanding flexibility from the conduit, making fully rigid/metal conduits incompatible.
HDPE conduit provides the necessary mechanical strength to resist damage during tough installations, while remaining flexible enough to prevent kinking, cracking, or damage to the fiber optics once they’re installed. Moreover, HDPE’s low coefficient of friction makes the installation process much easier, preventing damage to delicate fiber optic cables as they are pulled through the conduit’s potentially intricate pathways.
Allwire’s HDPE Conduit for Directionally Bored Fiber Optics:
- Strong Yet Flexible Conduit Ensures Successful Installation – Allwire provides durable HDPE conduit engineered to balance tensile strength and flexibility. It’s an ideal conduit material for navigating all the bends, curves, and variable soil conditions you typically encounter in directional boring. Our HDPE conduit is likewise designed to withstand high pulling tensions and bend without cracking, all of which help ensure a successful installation in even the most complex bore paths.
- Long-Term Resistance to Water, Chemicals, and Corrosion – Our customers’ fiber optic cables are often deployed in environments with heightened exposure to moisture, soil chemicals, and potential chemical contaminants. Allwire’s reliable HDPE conduit provides outstanding resistance to water ingress, corrosion, and virtually all common forms of chemical degradation. Our durable products ensure that the conduit, as well as the fiber optics within, both remain protected for years to come.
- Low Friction Interior for Easier Cable Installation – Our HDPE fiber optic conduits feature a low-friction inner wall designed to reduce cable drag and friction. This allows for longer cable pulls and minimizes the risk of damage during installation, while also saving you extensive time and labor costs.
America’s Leading Supplier of HDPE Fiber Optic Conduit for Directional Boring
At Allwire, we bring over two decades of experience in designing and supplying fiber optic conduit solutions to customers throughout the industry. We offer HDPE conduit products engineered for the challenging requirements of horizontal directional drilling applications – offering unmatched strength, consistency, and installation reliability.
