split casing bridge project

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Ironhed’s split steel conduit and split steel casing products have been used for years in a wide range of applications all over the US and parts of Canada. Unfortunately, due to the sensitivity of the cables or contents being carried, we have not been allowed to give detailed information on many of those specific projects. In lieu of that we have decided to start sharing some of the project details while withholding names and locations. 

In one recent example, a technician ran a Google search for split steel casing and located our website. They had a situation in an urban area where a bridge with a foot traffic section needed to be replaced. It was a relatively short span of around a hundred feet. It had been used over the years to attach a variety of critical cabling to. It held the digital heartbeat of a large portion of the city. Most of the conduit and cabling was run through an existing steel casing that would need to be cut open to remove the contents and then moved to the new structure. 

The Solution

Ironhed worked with their technicians / engineers for about 18 months on the requirements, concepts, and final design. The new bridge was to be built next to the old one. It was determined that a .250” thick galvanized steel casing would provide the necessary security. It had to be large enough to accommodate the existing cables with room for future needs. It was determined a thirty-inch casing would be sufficient. 

After their initial contact with us, we were able to look at their plans and work with them to determine the best solution. To provide a smooth transition for the cables, special bends would need to be fabricated.  In this situation we were given plenty of time so that was not an issue.  They devised a structure sufficient to withstand the weight of our split casing.  Upon receiving the Ironhed Split Casing they began the process of installation. 

The stanchions that would hold the casing were preinstalled into the bridge and set at ten foot spacings. A four-foot-long external coupler (or “stiffener” as they referred to it) was laid and perfectly centered in preparation for the ten-foot lengths which would need to be carefully butted together and lined up with the holes in the external couplers. Due to the fact the cables and conduits would need to be pulled over into those bottom pieces and to insure everything stayed in place during that process, the external couplers were temporarily fastened together with the split casing. That all went without a hitch, so the open casing was ready for the next step. 

Installing The Cable

As you can see, there were quite a few cables apparently somewhat tangled together coming up out of the ground and into the old steel pipe. That was not a detail that escaped planning and the telecom company and other utilities had prearranged to provide at least twenty more feet of slack in the manholes. Still, it was going to be a hard pull and any damaged glass fibers could create a real problem.  Workers carefully lifted the heavy cables one by one and placed them in the open Ironhed casing. When all was completed it was a perfect success. All the cabling worked. The final casing sections and external couplers were bolted on. Everything was stored away into a secure casement with plenty of room to add more if / when needed.