Roxtec underground seals for the Australian market

“We have listened to our customers and adapted our round seals and knock-out sleeves to match specific Australian cable and conduit sizes,” says Zoran Skoric, Managing Director of Roxtec Australia. “We were able to customise seals and sleeves before but now we keep good stock levels for most solutions. This allows Roxtec Australia to cut costs and lead times and make it possible to use Roxtec seals as a standard solution.”

Roxtec UG™ (underground) mechanical sealing solutions protect against environmental ingress in both normal and flood conditions. The penetration seals are IP 68 rated and tested to resist standing water up to 0.3bar or 3m, catastrophic water pressure up to 1bar or 10m and gas pressure up to 0.3 bar.

Reduce the risk of arc flash

Roxtec solutions are used in applications within power, renewables, rail, infrastructure and advanced facilities to ensure a long-lasting barrier against water ingress, gas and rodents. By keeping basements and pits dry and clean, they help maintain optimum operating conditions for electrical equipment. Uncontrolled conditions could lead to failure due to corrosion or damage to sensitive equipment such as switchgear.

“You can avoid downtime, power outages and costly repair works,” says Zoran Skoric. “More importantly, you can reduce the risk of fatal events occurring because of partial discharge or arc flash.”

User-friendly flexibility

Roxtec UG™ seals are available for single or multiple cables as well as for trefoil arrangements with an additional earth cable. They are easy to install even in wet conditions and in environments with running water. They can be used within the most common conduits and bellmouths used on Australian sites or in the standard Roxtec cast-in knock-out sleeve (KOS). The seals are equipped with Multidiameter™, the special Roxtec invention for adaptability to cables of different sizes based on removable rubber layers.

Impressive cable retention

While foams and mastics may degrade with time due to the harsh underground environment, Roxtec UG™ seals can handle significant ground movements and changes in soil conditions. The seals comprise of 316 stainless steel which makes them suited to perform in complete submersion in ground water or high salinity tidal water. They withstand extreme cable bending and are both corrosion and rodent safe.

“Our underground seals are ideal for conduits with cables entering buildings via concrete foundations. You can use them in pits, conduits and bellmouth fittings,” says Zoran Skoric.

Roxtec UG™ seals are used by several Australian utilities. They have realised that it is better to install a robust long-term system than to continuously reinstall failed foams, mastics or CO2 bags which then leads to expensive water pumping out costs. These clients see the benefits of combining the Roxtec cast-in sleeves with seals for new-build constructions.

Cast-in knock-out sleeve

The Roxtec knock-out sleeve is made to fit HD PVC conduits. It is a cast-in solution for securing planned conduit entries into buildings and pits. Users get an IP 68 rated seal that keeps the site dry during construction – for weeks, months or years, until it is time to knock out its middle plate, pull cables through and put a seal within the knock-out sleeve. There is no need for additional foams or other filling materials for the opening as is required with bellmouth fittings.

“By casting the Roxtec knock-out sleeve into buildings, shelters and pits, you can make sure your site remains dry during the entire construction period without any need for temporary sealing,” says Zoran Skoric.

The civil construction team can hand over a nice, clean and dry site to the mechanical and electrical installers. The knock-out sleeve is also a simple way of adding spare capacity for expansion. When additional cables are to be installed, the plate is just knocked out and replaced by a Roxtec UG™ seal.