What is a microduct and what are its applications?

What is a microduct and what are its applications?

Microduct is a new passive product for transporting fiber optic cables and other data across networks. It provides concealed and accessible pathways for cables, helping network organization and scalability.

In this article we discuss its advantages and applications.

• High flexibility in network design
• Future-ready pace of network upgrades
• Easy branching
• Low cost and less space required for trenching and installation

Its advantages make it widely used in network maintenance and other contexts. Here we introduce and discuss its applications and benefits.

Advantages and applications of microducts

Microduct is a new product used to transport fiber optic cables, telecommunications data, cameras, traffic control commands, and data transmission in networks. The following sections discuss its advantages and applications. Note that these ducts are widely used in networks and they support maintenance activities as well.

• High flexibility in network design
• Future upgrades in the network are highly scalable
• Branching is very easy
• The cost and space requirements for trenching and installation are low
• Significantly reduces initial investments
• Can be easily injected into existing duct networks
• Extends cable pull distance
• Wide range of sizes and dimensions for diverse use cases
• Resists crushing and breaking effectively
• Color variation and metered length options simplify deployment

For fiber transmission through microducts, micro-fiber cables are used in network support.

Points to consider when using microducts

• The distance between two connection points should not exceed 25 meters
• In a 25-meter path, microducts should not have more than two 90-degree bends or one 180-degree bend; if this occurs, a Pull Box should be used
• For tubes with diameter less than 5 cm, minimum bend radius should be 6 times the inner diameter; for tubes larger than 5 cm, bend radius should be 10 times the inner diameter
• No kinking of cables along the path
• The tensile force on the cable is directly related to duct components; design should avoid tensile force above the nominal fiber capacity. This force can be reduced using lubricants
• The Pull Box should be laid out as a straight path; avoid installation in curved locations; Pull Boxes should have commercial dimensions from 27 inches to 103 inches
• When microducts reach a convergence point, they should be elevated about 2.5 to 7.5 cm above floor level to prevent liquids entering during construction; metallic ducts are not advised
• The number of branches along the path should be via the manufacturer’s instruction
• Concrete pouring over the path can be done in one stage or two stages

How is duct capacity determined?

Generally, more than three connection points along a path are not practical. Therefore, duct capacity should be designed so that at maximum efficiency only about 40 percent of the final capacity is used. When routing ducts to an external path, a duct branch is required. Modern methods use a prefabricated Under Cellular System, and capacity calculations follow the same logic described above.

In practice, engineering requirements must be considered; due to the duct material, dimensions should not exceed 60 mm for embedding in concrete. When a horizontal path connects to a vertical one, the junction follows ATIS0600318 standard regarding automatic information terminal service.

Final remarks

When using microducts, follow the guidelines above to maximize network benefits. Although this is a new technology, improper use can cause serious damage to the network. Thanks for reading.

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