Title: "Large-Diameter Inorganic High-Performance Fiber Composite Material Cable Ducting Passes Full-Scale Test"

Recently, the large-diameter inorganic high-performance fiber composite material (UHPC) cable ducting, a joint effort by the China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. and State Grid Hubei Electric Power Co., Ltd., successfully passed full-scale testing. This trial confirmed the high strength and crack resistance of the UHPC cable ducting, laying a foundation for its subsequent application in engineering projects.

The cable ducting tunnel serves as a crucial conduit for main network power supply in urban core areas, where duct segments are typically precast from conventional concrete. UHPC introduces materials such as nano-silica, nano-calcium, and steel fibers into regular concrete, endowing the ducting segments made from UHPC with advantages such as high strength, good permeability resistance, and strong crack resistance. These benefits allow for a significant reduction in wall thickness of the duct segments, decrease in unit weight, and increased utilization of the channel cross-section. Previously, UHPC had been used in limited applications in cable trenches and substation firewalls.

A specialized research team was established by the China Electric Power Research Institute in collaboration with State Grid Hubei Electric Power and other units to tackle the technical challenges of applying UHPC in cable tunnels. Over the course of a year, the research team completed various tasks including material optimization, performance testing, new segment design, segment fabrication process research, and mechanical performance testing of the segments.

It was reported that compared to conventional cable ducting, the material consumption for UHPC-made cable ducting was reduced by 30%. The adoption of UHPC cable ducting can extend the lifespan of cable tunnels, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and support the construction of urban electrical grid channels.