Laying and protecting cable into existing covering surfaces

• US 8,480,332 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miller, Daniel Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDRISH, SEAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/889,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 405/154.1, 405/155, 405/179, 405/180, 373/52, 373/55, 371/425, 404/90, 404/91, 404/94
• US Class Current: 405/154.1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8816 Mobile land installations
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/02 for digging trenches or ditches machines for making foundation slots E02F3/205, E02F3/475 take precedence; agricultural ploughs for working ridges A01B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/10 with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables laying pipes per se F16L1/00, making pipes in situ F16L1/038; laying electric cables per se H02G1/06; drainage device- laying apparatus E02B11/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/101 forming during digging, e.g. underground canalisations or conduits, by bending or twisting a strip of pliable material; by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/12 with equipment for back-filling trenches or ditches
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/06 for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/00 Installations of electric cables or lines in or on the ground or water

Abstract

To construct an underground cable line in-situ, cut and immediately evacuate a void in the existing covering surface. Next, lay or apply cable(s) into the void. Then, flow a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void around the cable to fill a portion of the void. Upon rigidification the cable is encased in the void by the non-shrinking composition. Last, apply a topping material to the exposed surface of the composition in such volume as to fill any remaining portion of the void.

Claims

1. A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ through an existing covering surface disposed over a subsurface below the existing covering surface, the existing covering surface comprising a first material selected from a group consisting of pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone and brick, and the subsurface comprising a second material different from the first material, the method comprising:

A) cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface and into the second material of the subsurface below the existing covering surface and thereby creating a volume of debris, wherein the void has a depth greater than the existing covering surface and a width between 1.27 cm and 3.8 cm;

B) evacuating the volume of debris from at least the void;

C) laying a cable into the void;

D) flowing a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable; and

E) after hardening of the non-shrinking composition, applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein evacuating the volume of debris from at least the void comprises:

vacuuming the volume of debris concurrently with cutting the existing covering surface to create the void through the existing covering surface and into the second material of the subsurface below the existing covering surface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein vacuuming the volume of debris concurrently with cutting the existing covering surface to create the void through the existing covering surface and into the second material of the subsurface below the existing covering surface comprises:

cooling a cutting blade used in cutting the existing covering surface to create the void through the existing covering surface and into the second material of the subsurface below the existing covering surface and;

capturing a stream of loose debris created by the cutting blade.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable comprises:

pumping said non-shrinking composition into the void.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein flowing a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable comprises:

pouring said non-shrinking composition into the void.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein after hardening of the non-shrinking composition, applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void comprises:

allowing a period of time not to exceed twelve hours to pass for setting and rigidifying of said non-shrinking composition prior to applying the topping material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-shrinking composition is substantially impermeable upon drying.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a hydraulic impermeability of the non-shrinking composition is less than 0.0000001 cm/s upon drying.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface is carried out continuously in one and only one swath from a starting point A to a finishing point B, and wherein the length of the swath is at least 45.72 meters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface comprises cutting the existing covering surface such that the void has a width of approximately 1.5 inches.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to shrink less than one percent upon drying at ambient temperatures.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to begin to rigidify within one hour of being flowed into the portion of the void.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is flowable.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be viscid and have a viscosity that facilitates flowing.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is selected from a group consisting of a grout and a mortar substance.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be non-compressible.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be non-expanding.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the topping material is configured to adhere to the non-shrinking composition.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void comprises:

heating the topping material to 177 degrees centigrade before applying the topping material.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the topping material is selected from a group consisting of blacktop, asphalt, and bitumen.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the topping material includes a mastic material.

22. A method for filling a void in an existing covering surface disposed over a subsurface below the existing covering surface, the existing covering surface comprising a first material selected from a group consisting of pavement, paving, concrete, asphalt, blacktop, cobblestone and brick, and the subsurface comprising a second material different from the first material, the method comprising:

A) flowing a non-shrinking composition into at least a bottom portion of the void; and

B) applying a topping material to a remaining top portion of the void so as to cover and seal the non-shrinking composition and the void,

wherein;

the non-shrinking composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable upon drying;

the topping material is configured to adhere to the non-shrinking composition;

the void has a depth greater than the existing covering surface and extends into the second material of the subsurface; and

the void has a width between 1.27 cm and 3.8 cm.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition includes a non-shrinking grout.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to shrink less than one percent upon drying at ambient temperatures.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to begin to rigidify within one hour of being flowed into the portion of the void.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be substantially impermeable to groundwater.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the non-shrinking composition has a hydraulic permeability of less than 0.0000001 cm/s upon drying.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be viscid and have a viscosity that facilitates flowing.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is selected from a group consisting of a grout and a mortar substance.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be non-compressible.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-shrinking composition is configured to be non-expanding.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the act of applying a topping material to a remaining top portion of the void comprises:

heating the topping material to 177 degrees centigrade before applying the topping material.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the topping material is selected from a group consisting of blacktop, asphalt, and bitumen.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the topping material includes a mastic material.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein applying a topping material to a remaining top portion of the void so as to cover and seal the non-shrinking composition and the void is performed after hardening of the non-shrinking composition.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the void has a width of approximately 1.5 inches.

37. A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ through an existing covering surface, the method comprising:

A) cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface and thereby creating a volume of debris, wherein the void has a width between 1.27 cm and 3.8 cm;

B) evacuating the volume of debris from at least the void;

C) laying a cable into the void;

D) flowing a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable; and

E) after hardening of the non-shrinking composition, applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,

wherein the act of cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface comprises cutting the existing covering surface such that the void has a depth of approximately 12 inches.

38. A method for constructing an underground cable line in-situ through an existing covering surface, the method comprising:

A) cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface and thereby creating a volume of debris;

B) evacuating the volume of debris from at least the void;

C) laying a cable into the void;

D) flowing a non-shrinking composition into a portion of the void so as to encase the cable; and

E) after hardening of the non-shrinking composition, applying a topping material to a remaining portion of the void,

wherein the act of cutting the existing covering surface to create a void through the existing covering surface comprises cutting the existing cutting surface such that the void has a depth of approximately 12 inches and a width of between approximately 0.5 inches and approximately 1.25 inches.

39. A method for filling a void in an existing covering surface, the method comprising:

A) flowing a non-shrinking composition into at least a bottom portion of the void; and

B) applying a topping material to a remaining top portion of the void so as to cover and seal the non-shrinking composition and the void,

wherein;

the non-shrinking composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable upon drying;

the topping material is configured to adhere to the non-shrinking composition; and

the void has a width between 1.27 cm and 3.8 cm, and a depth of approximately 12 inches.

40. A method for filling a void in an existing covering surface, the method comprising:

A) flowing a non-shrinking composition into at least a bottom portion of the void; and

B) applying a topping material to a remaining top portion of the void so as to cover and seal the non-shrinking composition and the void,

wherein;

the non-shrinking composition undergoes rigidification or solidification and is substantially impermeable upon drying;

the topping material is configured to adhere to the non-shrinking composition; and

the void has a depth of approximately 12 inches and a width of between approximately 0.5 inches and approximately 1.25 inches.