The new CALIBRE product range by Marley delivers a unified approach to cable ducting design, manufacturing and installation.
An iconic Kiwi brand, Marley has become one of New Zealand’s largest manufacturers in the plastics industry. Involved with extruded and injection moulded products, Marley manufactures using PVC, polyethylene and polybutylene.
Belonging to the Aliaxis Group, it has also provided Marley with access to thousands of new products around the world. The Aliaxis Group is passionate about creating sustainable innovative solutions for water and energy. Providing people around the world with advanced plastic piping systems, it leads the industry in a way that anticipates the rapidly evolving needs of its customers.
A simplified performance-based range
Marley New Zealand’s most recent innovation – the new CALIBRE™ product range – is only going to further cement the company’s place as a staple infrastructure choice within the New Zealand market.
Having been with the company for several years, Senior Project Manager for Marley New Zealand, Nigel Lee has watched the CALIBRE product range evolve across all stages of its development.
The new range is an amalgamation of the Marley PVC Cable Duct segment (particularly the 700 Power & TC Comms series) and the Marley PE Cable Duct segment from the COMD series. However, the CALIBRE range redefines how underground cable ducting and fittings perform.
As a fully featured PE and PVC cable duct range, CALIBRE cable duct systems are manufactured to the electrical purposed AS/NZS 61386 standard with product classification according to a performance-based mechanical duty rating. In particular where PE cable ducting conformance has been to the pressure based AS/NZS 4130 standard, conformance to pressure, SDR and resin requirements is no longer the case.
Trench or trenchless: CALIBRE has got it covered
There are a range of notable factors that need to be considered when selecting between a trench or trenchless cable duct for electrical utility projects. Dependent on the replacement, renewal or future proofing requirements of an asset, several project parameters and sustainability factors may influence the outcome.
Some of the project parameters which could influence the outcome, includes the design of the cable and ducting as well as the speed of installation. Likewise, the engineering design and reliability, site conditions, preferences of the contractor working on the project in addition to environmental and social complications may also contribute.
“There are really two types of installation methods: trench and trenchless,” says Lee.
“Using a trenchless drilling and installation method, ensures that there is minimal disruption to the surface. This unlocks the potential for works to be undertaken beneath roading, under bodies of water or buildings without disrupting the everyday lives of people – particularly if works are near major roading.”
Similarly, the trenchless method also comes with the added benefit of having a faster installation rate for larger scale project and has the capacity for longer and deeper installations, with fewer joins required than compared to open cut trench.
Alternatively, utilising a trench is ideal for working around unidentifiable services and geotechnical features. The trench method also grants the opportunity for shorter runs, a lower depth of excavation and doesn’t require specialist equipment or personnel when compared to the expertise to operate and facilitate horizontal directional drilling (HDD) works.
“Having the choice between a trench and trenchless option guarantees that there’s a way for projects to reap the full benefits of using the CALIBRE range,” says Lee.
Fully featured and fully formed
“CALIBRE is fully featured,” says Lee. “Which means each product comes with a whole lot a benefits which we at Marley have grouped into three major segments: durability, productivity and compliance.”
When it comes to durability, the CALIBRE product range is certainly built to last: having been designed for over 100 years of in-ground and in-service performance and very heavy duty, heavy duty and medium duty capabilities.
The range also takes into consideration the need for installers’ swift, effective and safe installation and burial by ensuring ease of handling capabilities, with customised lengths, metre marking and colour coded power and/or comms identification. Likewise, the trenchless CALIBRE option offers PE Electrofusion joining and PE Compression fittings with the trench CALIBRE option offering both the aforementioned options in addition to PVC Solvent joining.
When it comes to quality assurance and compliance, Lee reflects, Marley has undertaken extensive efforts to ensure that designers and contractors can be confident that they’re in the right hands selecting the CALIBRE range. Both the trench and trenchless CALIBRE range are 100 per cent recyclable and have undergone rigorous third-party verification and testing to assure that they are up to the task.
“It’s been important to us since the beginning of the development of this range to ensure that it’s up to – or even exceeds – industry standards. By working with a independent third-party organisation to verify the quality of the range, we’re doing our due diligence on behalf of designers to ensure what we’re installing into our infrastructure can last for years or decades to come,” says Lee.
To find out more visit Marley.
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This article appeared in the October edition of Trenchless Australasia. Access the digital copy of the magazine here.