Cast-in-place fiber technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9466966-B2
Application number	US-201514746508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for installing lines or cables, including, without limitation, power lines, low voltage lines, telecommunications lines or cables (e.g., telephone cables, network cables, television cables, etc.), and/or the like, and, in particular, installing optical fiber and/or other lines, slightly below ground level in a roadway or other ground surface. In some cases, a method might include creating a channel in the ground surface, placing one or more lines (e.g., power lines, low voltage lines, telecommunications lines, and/or the like) in the channel, and placing a capping material in the channel, thereby encapsulating the lines. In some cases, placing the one or more lines in the channel might include placing a conduit (containing the one or more lines) in the channel, and encapsulating the one or more lines might include encapsulating the conduit. The capping material might include polyurea, thermosetting material, and/or any other suitable material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
creating a channel in a roadway, wherein a depth of the channel is less than a depth of the roadway and the channel does not compromise a structural integrity of the roadway;
placing one or more cables in the channel; and
filling at least a portion of the channel with one or more capping materials, wherein at least one of the one or more capping materials encapsulates the one or more cables, and wherein the one or more capping materials comprise a plurality of layers of different capping materials, at least one of which comprises polyurea.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the one or more capping materials is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the roadway.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating a channel comprises milling a channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more capping materials mechanically interlocks with pores in a material of the roadway.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables are one or more conduits into which optical fiber can be fed at a later time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables comprise at least one conduit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one conduit has optical fiber disposed within the at least one conduit.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more optical fibers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more electrical lines.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more television cables.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one cable disposed in a channel in a ground surface in a roadway, wherein a depth of the channel is less than a depth of the roadway and the channel does not compromise a structural integrity of the roadway; and
one or more capping materials filling at least a portion of the channel, wherein at least one of the one or more capping materials encapsulates the one or more cables, and wherein the one or more capping materials comprise a plurality of layers of different capping materials, at least one of which comprises polyurea.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a top surface of the one or more capping materials is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the roadway.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the channel is created by milling a channel in the roadway.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more capping materials mechanically interlocks with pores in a material of the roadway.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cables are one or more conduits into which optical fiber can be fed at a later time.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cables comprise at least one conduit.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one conduit has optical fiber disposed within the at least one conduit.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more optical fibers.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more electrical lines.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cables comprise one or more television cables.

Assignees

• Centurylink Ip Llc
• Louisiana Tech Res Corp

Inventors

• Allouche Erez N
• Cady Bryan
• Elford Michael L

Classifications

• G02B6/504

  Installation in solid material, e.g. underground · CPC title

• E01C23/09

  for forming cuts, grooves, or recesses, e.g. for making joints or channels for markings, for cutting-out sections to be removed; for cleaning, treating, or filling cuts, grooves, recesses, or fissures; for trimming paving edges · CPC title

• E01F11/00 Primary

  {Road engineering aspects of} Embedding pads or other sensitive devices in paving or other road surfaces {, e.g. traffic detectors, vehicle-operated pressure-sensitive actuators, devices for monitoring atmospheric or road conditions}(pressure-sensitive elements G01L; traffic control systems G08G) · CPC title

• H02G9/00 Primary

  Installations of electric cables or lines in or on the ground or water · CPC title

• E02F5/10

  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 title