- Business news
The underground telecom vaults in New York City, USA, were frequently flooded, especially after hurricane Sandy. A major Tier 1 carrier turned to Roxtec to prevent future flooding and the associated liabilities.
The concrete walls in the vaults are designed for up to 20 matrixes of penetrations for coax cables and fiber bundles. But the foam and other sealing materials that were used for the cable penetrations were not a good solution for the uneven surfaces of the water saturated walls and could not withstand the high pressure. It was necessary to find a tight and area efficient solution to seal around thousands of cables.
Tested for water-tightness
Roxtec collaborated with design firm Morris & Ritchie A&E and presented a retrofit solution based on a custom-made Roxtec GKOH transit with a stainless steel frame. The transit went through extensive testing for water pressure capabilities before the Tier 1 carrier approved and specified it and Mid-Atlantic Contracting installed it.
Taking care of future problems
This building was being retrofitted to meet the NYC Department of Buildings "Flood Zone Compliance". The Tier 1 carrier was unable to find another solution to meet these standards and maintain client required adaptability of changing cable technology. Using Roxtec sealing solutions could potentially save the Tier 1 provider millions of dollars in penalties if flooding would re-occur.
