Installation of underground HV cable

systems

Tutorial – WG B1.61
2023
Table of contents

▪ Introduction

▪ Chapter 1: Design data

▪ Chapter 2: Construction techniques

▪ Chapter 3: Installation design

▪ Chapter 4: Hazard caused by inappropriate civil works or installation design

Introduction
Introduction
This Technical Brochure is the result of both an updating in the civil construction and cable installation
techniques according to the state of the art, as well as the collection of the design rules for calculation of
thermo-mechanical forces and pulling forces, with some inclusion about the electrical system design.

The work includes the revision (where applicable) to construction techniques and installation techniques
which mean, as previously defined into TB 194, are as follows:
• Construction technique: Technique used to create the cable route, mainly covering the civil works such as
trenching.
• Installation technique: The installation method used (basically air and buried installations) in relationship with
the cable design and the associated cable design issues.

The scope of work covers extruded and self-contained fluid filled cable systems. Submarine cables are not
included in the scope of this WG.
 Chapter 1
Design data
Elements for the design of a successful link
• The life of a cable link can generally be divided into the following stages;
• Clear understanding by the asset owner and the installer of the performance requirements of the link including life
expectancy;
• Selection of a viable route between the terminal points that allows for the most efficient use of resources and the
least disruption to all other affected stakeholders such as the public;
• Identify all possible points along the route that may have an impact on circuit rating;
• Early engagement of third party stakeholders so that everyone, including other utilities come along for the ride;
• Once the preliminary route is selected, trial excavations to be performed for thermal resistivity tests and ground
temperature measurements (these are often performed at the same time as identifying other major service
locations);
• Design of special crossings (such as bridges, roads or rivers);
• Production of a robust cable/accessory/installation specifications;
• Selection of a competent supplier and involvement in the manufacturing and testing process;
• Adequate involvement/supervision during the installation and testing;
• Finally, maintain the link in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
• The design must also ensure the link is maintainable (e.g. link boxes in accessible locations).
Preliminary study
How to go from A to B?

A L1 R1
C1

L2 C2 R2

flooded
area
L3 C3
R3
river
C4
national
park
C5 bridges
R4
hill
C6
L4

L5 C7

B R5
Preliminary study
▪ Methodology
✓ Data collection:
Electrical
• Voltage, Ampacity, Load curve, Cable working temperature during operation
• Short circuit/Fault level and duration, Impulse level, Touch and step voltages
• Cost of kWh, cost of losses
• Estimated length of the link

Environmental
• Type of soil, Soil temperature, Maximum soil temperature at burial depth
• Soil resistivity, density, moisture content, Frost depth
• Environmental hazards (earthquake, flood, …)

✓ Process
• Selection of cables and accessories among available types
Preliminary study
▪ Design
• Cable cross section and material
• Earthing method
• Number of cables per phase and, for HVDC, number of cables per pole and earth return
method (cable, electrodes)

▪ Identification of obstacles to cross

• Roads, railways, rivers, national parks, archaeological sites
• Thermal and Electrical proximities
• Services, trees

➔ Division of the route into sections

Preliminary study
In each section

✓ Local and National regulations

• Permitted civil work techniques

• Permitted times for trench opening and other works
• Right of way
• Available civil work techniques in the country
• EMF compatibility

✓ Soil
• Stability, Hardness, Thermal and Electrical Resistivity, Seismicity, Drying out,
Temperature, Frost, Archaeology etc.

➔ In each section, review of possible different civil work techniques that may be required
 Chapter 2
Construction Techniques
(percentage of usage taken by last survey)
Ducts (50%)
Ducts (50%)
 Ducts (50%)
PROS
The civil work is completely “De-coupled” from the cable pulling and
splicing work leading to less nuisance
Cables are well protected from dig-ins (especially with the use of
concrete)
Cheaper to install than a tunnel The cables can be replaced through
most conditions including temperatures below freezing point.
CONS
Cable failures or jacket faults are more difficult to locate with
conventional tools because of a partial insulation from ground
The ducts must be well assembled, clean and as straight as possible
in order to prevent excessive pulling tensions.
The ducts must be evenly lubricated in order to prevent excessive
pulling tensions

The ducted system allows cable to be easily removed or replaced

with new ones.
Duct Banks can reduce the occupation of corridor, especially for multi
circuits.

Application
This technique is a “main” installation technique as opposed to a special crossing technique which is
designed to avoid obstacles. This technique is best suited for the following situations:
• Urbanized areas (under streets, sidewalks, etc…)
• Under or in the vicinity of roads (as opposed to highway) crossings
• In all areas where an easy cable removal is requested
Direct burial (17%)
Direct burial (17%)
 Direct burial (17%)
PROS CONS
Fastest installation technique The trench must remain open until all cables are pulled and is a
longer nuisance compared to other installation modes
Least expensive installation technique The cables must be readily available once the trench is ready (i.e.,
construction schedule coordination)
Cable failures or jacket faults are easier to locate with fault locating The backfilling and compacting around the cables must be carried
apparatus out with extreme caution
Higher permitted cable ampacity compared to air filled duct banks Cables could be more vulnerable to dig-ins depending on the
for the same cable design and axial distance between cables protective slab design and materials used
Cables are more vulnerable to earthquakes
It is difficult to remove the cables from the ground for replacement
or after the cable useful life
The ampacity needed for the link may lead to bigger cross sections
due possible limitations on the temperature at the contact cable-soil
to avoid any soil drying out
Application
This technique is a “main” installation technique as opposed to a special crossing technique which is
designed to avoid a special obstacle. This technique is best suited for the following areas:
• Agricultural areas • Rural areas
• Sparsely urbanized areas • Highway or Railroad right of ways (if owner approves)
Tunnels (21%)
Open cut technique
Tunnels (21%)
Shielded technique
 Tunnels (21%)
LIMITS OF TECHNIQUE
Air temperature: ventilation may be needed
In some cases, air conditioning and/or water cooling
Water drainage: water collection and possibly treatment is needed
Seismicity: more resistant to earthquakes than other techniques
Work duration: very long
Easy for maintenance
Considered as flexible installation (festoon or snaking) or rigid installation (straight)
Troughs(12%)
Buried - Filled
Troughs(12%)
Surface - Filled
Troughs(12%)
Surface - Unfilled
 Troughs(12%)
PROS CONS
Buried troughs
Cables are well protected from dig-ins The trench and trough must remain open until all cables are pulled
and is a longer nuisance compared to other installation modes
Cables are less vulnerable to earthquakes as their pathway is more The cables must be readily available once the trough is ready
rigid
Cable failures or jacket faults are easier to locate with fault locating The cables can be difficult to remove from the ground after their
apparatus when the trough is backfilled compared with duct / duct useful life.
banks installations.
Surface or above ground troughs
Cables are protected from manual aggression Cables remain vulnerable to vandalism (lockable lids could be used
to prevent these actions)
The cables can easily be removed from the trough after their useful Cables in metallic trays can overheat due to direct sunlight exposure
life
The troughs are susceptible to move upwards in areas with freezing
temperatures
Application
This technique is a “main” installation technique as opposed to a special crossing technique which is
designed to avoid obstacles. This technique is typically used within secure locations such as the perimeter
of substations or generating stations. Some electricity companies are also using troughs into sandy areas,
along railways or highways or into tunnels where the public access is normally restricted.
Bridges and Viaducts
Dedicated bridges and viaducts

• Description of the Technique

• Used for special crossings river, railways, roads, etc.
• Limits of the technique

• Cost

• Temperature of the environment: need a careful study

as the ambient temperature is higher than in soil due to solar
radiation.

• Dilatation : may require a large off set to account for

expansion and contraction.
Trenchless Technologies
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Description of the Technique
• Trenchless technique
• Drilling a hole for special crossings
• Casing pipe (if necessary) HDPE or steel
• Installation of HDPE ducts inside the hole (recommended)
• No local disturbance such as traffic disruption

Limits of the technique

• Length : up to 2000 m, depending on the size of the machine
and pipe size
• Diameter : 0.2 to 1.8 m
• Hardness of the soil, presence of rock outcrops or other
unforeseen objects

Risks
• Damage of other services, No warning
 Pipe Jacking
Pipe jacking is generally referred to as “microtunnelling” below 1.2 metre diameter

• Description of the Technique • Limits of the technique

• Jacking by rotation, pneumatic device, thrusting • Not applicable in hard soils, not recommended in
heterogeneous soils
• Pushing into the soil using prefabricated tubes
• Length: up to 2000 m
• Installation of ducts inside the hole
• Diameter: 0.15 to 3 m
• Soil drying to be considered depending on the position
of the water table
• Need a large working area
• Long work duration
 Pipe Ramming
• Description of the Technique
• Jacking by percussion thrust and piercing tools for small diameters
• Four techniques available:
1. Pneumatic percussive casing thrust
2. Auger boring
3. Piercing tool
4. Down the hole hammer
• Pushing into the soil using steel tubes
• Installation of ducts inside the hole recommended

• Limits of the technique

• Not applicable in hard soils, not recommended in heterogeneous soils
• Length: up to 100 m
• Diameter: 0.1 to 4.5 m
 Mechanical lay
• Description of the Technique
• Simultaneous trenching and laying technique
• Possible to include backfill sand, protective polymeric
cover strips and/or warning tapes simultaneously with
cable/conduit installation process
• Reduction of the size of the trench
• High speed: up to 1000 m/day
• Cost efficient

• Limits of the technique

• Preferable without other services along the route
(rural areas)
• Difficult to take bends
• Sheath damage to cables needs to be monitored
 Mechanical Lay
Construction Process
1. The cables or conduits are installed in a direct buried environment.
2. Possible to include backfill sand, protective polymeric cover strips and/or warning tapes simultaneously with
cable/conduit installation process.
3. The plough works best in soils that can be easily displaced and reused as fill. The mole plough pushes the spoil
removed by the plough back into the opening as the cable/conduit is fed into the opening. This method is not
considered as trenchless when the soil is hard and a cutter chain of disc has to be used.
The ploughing method is mostly used for the laying of lightweight cables and pipes.
 Innovative techniques
Digging box
1. Development of the open trench technology.
2. Possible to complete cable installation from opening the trench, installing the cables, thermal backfilling and installation
of warning tiles are done in a single process, eliminating the risk of a collapsing trench.
The digging box method is mostly used in areas with less to none other infrastructures, and most preferably over open
fields.
 Innovative techniques
HV-cable pushing-flushing
1. Alternative to a normal wire-cable-pull in already installed
ducts. The technique uses pressurized water and simply flushes
the HV-cable into the ducts.
2. First the ducts are installed either in open trench or by HDD
and then calibrated and controlled. After this the cable is
mounted with a pig fit for the size of the duct. It must fit
perfectly to keep the pressurized water behind it. The cable
is guided into the ducts by the Flushing-unit which is already
connected to the duct and the unit is also able to push on the
cable as it has a caterpillar included.
3. The technique uses water; hence it is necessary to have
access to quite a lot of water.
Limitations are represented by sharp bends due to the MBR of
the ducts and steep inclines in the cable route.
Temporary installations
Main purpose is to connect, temporarily, two points of the network in order to restart the service in the shortest time
while maintenance or repair operations are carried out.
▪ Emergency / breakdown conditions; Temporary cable systems installations can facilitate the replacement of
faulted cables/lines or assist with a temporary connection of a transformer or reactor within a substation. The
maximal possible cable lengths are limited by the cable drum.
▪ Planned temporary conditions: Temporary cable systems installations can facilitate planned upgrading of
cables/lines, temporary supply of substations while the permanent cables/lines are still being constructed or can
be used to facilitate upgrades within substations
 Chapter 3
Installation Design
Installation design
• Checking of the Cable Design

In each section
• Identification of the sizing requirement
• Checking of the cable design and ampacity (phase spacing, installation depth, backfill materials)
• Calculate impact of other cables in close proximity on the installation and on the assets of others.

If necessary, modification of
• Cable cross section
• Earthing method
• Cable design
Installation design
• Choice of a Civil Technique
Considerations
• Site prejudice
• Site duration, site working time
• Site access (size and weight of drums and tools according to transportation facilities and regulations)
• Magnetic field
• Laying technique
• Maintenance and repair of system and associated costs
• Cable removal
• Construction cost
• Site prejudice cost
• Operation cost and link non availability cost

➔ Choice of a technique for each section needs to be considered with consideration given to the cost
and safety aspects.
 Installation design
• Cable Installation

Consideration needs to be given to the following aspects

• Laying technique,
• Installation technique: rigid or flexible
• Pulling technique, pulling tensions and sidewall pressures
• Drum transportation
• Cable system performance (ampacity and thermomechanical thrusts)
• Choice of cable, accessories, length on each drum
• Final design of cable, civil works, installation
• Final ampacity according to the selected installation mode
• Commissioning
 Installation design
• Cable Installation Design in Air
Three basic systems
1. Rigid Systems
• No movement due to thermal expansion
• Need for spaced cleats

2. Flexible systems
• Free to move , requiring the installation of horizontal or vertical deflection known as snaking

3. Cable in ducts
• In ducts, the cable installation could be rigid or flexible depending on:
• The ratio duct inner diameter / cable outer diameter
• The filling
• The blocking at the duct extremities
 Installation design

1. RIGID SYSTEMS

Spacing and cleating

The restraining system should withstand:

• Radial forces at curves
• The daily temperature changes
• The short circuit forces

Cleat spacing
• The cable thrust < the critical load
• This depends on the sheath (thick or thin)
Installation design

2. FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS
This system allows for expansion longitudinally and
laterally
• Initially installed in a sinusoidal formation
• Movements should be controlled
• Thrusts are low

Special care needs to be taken

• In narrow bends
• Additional short circuit straps/spacers may be required between
cleats
Installation design
FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS (2/3) (western approach)
• Vertical plane

De2
l (m)
65  W

L = cleat spacing (m)

W l 4
f W = cable weight (kg/m)
=  o De = cable outside diameter (mm)
384  ( EJ ) 5 f0 = initial sag
EJ = Flexural rigidity of the cable (kg/m²)
 = cable deflection due to its own weight (m)

• Horizontal plane
De
l= (m)
20
Installation design
FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS (3/3) (Japanese approach)
• Vertical plane
Vertical snaking calculations

Metal Sheath Low Temperature High Temperature

With Metal Sheath w. L ² 8. E . I  . t 8. E . I  . t
x0.8 − . − .
2. B B² 2 ( B + n)² 2
w. L ²
− x 0.8
2 ( B + n)
Without Metal Sheath 8. E . I  . t w. L ² 8. E . I  . t w. L ²
− . + x0.8 − . − x 0.8
B² 2 2. B ( B + n)² 2 2 ( B + n)
 Installation design
3. CABLES IN DUCTS
Filled ducts
• Ducts may be filled with materials such as bentonite to improve rating. These are considered as rigid
installations

Unfilled ducts
1. Large diameter duct (1.5 to 2 times the cable diameter)
• Considered as flexible installation
• Natural snaking takes place inside the duct
• Low thrust forces at accessories

2. Small diameter duct (< 1.5 times the cable diameter)

• Considered as rigid installation
• No natural snaking inside the duct
• Important to consider the impact of longitudinal cable thrust
Installation Design - Cable Lay
Clearance in ducts
Vertical bend (pulling down)
• Depends on the route profile
• Normally, inner duct Ø ≥ 1.5 external cable Ø T1


R
Pulling tension  T2
R
• Cable weight
• Length of section T3
• Coefficient of friction
• Angle
• Bend radius
Installation Design - Cable Lay

When pulling the cable

• Need to check the tension withstood by the conductor
• Copper: 6 kg/mm² (typical, single-core)
• Aluminium: 3 kg/mm² (typical, single-core)

Side wall pressure

• Need to check compression force between cable and rollers
 Installation design
INSTALLATION DESIGN FOR BURIED CABLES

1. Backfill

• To improve heat dissipation

• Moisture content of backfill is very important
• Thermal resistivity of a good backfill is 1.0 K.m/W even in dry conditions

2. Cooling systems (permanent or during high load periods)

To increase the cable ampacity by:

• The use of forced ventilation
• Water cooling by using ducts laid in parallel containing circulated water. Need cooling stations regularly spaced
Installation design
TRANSITION BETWEEN DIFFERENT INSTALLATION TYPES AND INTERFACE WITH ACCESSORIES

1. Transition between flexible and rigid installations

• ducted section in a directly buried route or rigid or semiflexible sections after
ducted installation
• expansion from rigid section can feed into flexible section

2. Interface with accessories

Thermal expansion forces at terminations and unbalance of forces at joints occur.
• Bends could be used to reduce forces with no expansion and offsets to allow
expansions with resulting lower forces.
• Flexible sections can be used to reduce cable thrust at terminations
 Installation Design - Installation Methods
FOUR TRADITIONAL INSTALLATION METHODS

1. Nose pulling
• Using winch with pulling hawser connected at cable nose
2. Synchronised power drive rollers
• Multiple powered rollers at regular intervals. Difficult to synchronise
3. Caterpillar
• Pushing force directly onto cable outer sheath

Could be used in conjunction with

4. Bond pulling
• Using a bond wire tied to the cable at regular intervals
External Aspects
THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS NEED TO BE MADE:
• The location: whether urban or rural
• Right of way or easement requirements for the width of the cable system and whether
additional construction widths are required
• The impact of magnetic fields and cable arrangements to mitigate effects
• The crossing of other of utilities assets including:
• Electrical cables
• District heating
• Telecommunications
• Steel gas and fuel mains
• Trees
• Railways
• Other utilities
• Protection of the environment from a system fault
• The cable system from a mechanical aggression
• Protection during works
• Protection during maintenance
 Chapter 4
Hazards Caused by
Inappropriate Civil
Works or Installation
Design
Hazard caused by inappropriate civil works or installation design
Some Examples of Inappropriate Civil Work or Installation Design or installation mistakes
• Pipe ovalization/deformity
• Concrete or fluidized backfill intrusion into ducts
• Bad duct jointing
• Wrong cleating pitch
• Lifting by thrust of lids
• Inappropriate bending radius
• Buckling of cable
• Bad backfill compaction
• Fire hazard
• Excessive load bearing pressure
• Shallow installations
• Cable system installations which do not meet national legal requirements
• Accessory failures due to poor jointer training/selection
• Poor link box assembly causing internal flashover or wrong internal electrical connection
Hazard caused by inappropriate civil works or installation design
Some Examples of Inadeqaute Safety Considerations

• Scaffolding collapse
• Risk when working close to big machines
• Risk of being hit by falling materials
• Risk of falling into excavations
• Safety incidents (induced voltage)
• Interface failures or delays due to mismatch of components or designs
• Trench collapse
• Cable run-away during pulling on steep inclines
• Jointer loss of life due to SF6 suffocation
• Poor labelling hazard resulting in disconnection of live equipment earthing
• Poor link box assembly causing internal flashover
 Copyright © 2023

This tutorial has been prepared based upon

the work of CIGRE and its Working Groups.
If it is used in total or in part, proper
reference and credit should be given to
CIGRE.

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