Background of this project is to improve the current installation process for cables and cable conduits with regard to efficiency and laying precision – and thereby to support the realisation of the major power lines and the energy revolution.
The trench sledge was developed, designed and manufactured by the division drilling technology located in Deggenau/Deggendorf (Germany). The pipeline construction division was responsible for the project management and the subsequent test realisation. The trench sledge has a length of 22 m and a weight of 18.5 t. At a testing area in the district of Deggendorf the first application in practice included the precise laying of two PE cable conduits (da 280 mm), two earthing ropes and two empty conduits for fibre-optic cables (da 50 mm) within one step. In the course of the cable installation embedment material (material mix of fine gravel, sand, silt and clay) was filled into the trench and mechanically compressed in two stages by using the sledge. During the test a 50 t excavator pulled the trench sledge. This excavator also guaranteed the energy supply of the compactors of the trench sledge. Thus the laying performance can be improved significantly while maintaining a consistent quality.