ISPs and contractors are being urged to consider smaller and more remote rural communities under the new £5bn Project Gigabit scheme which was extended earlier this month. The reminder comes from Paul Churm, Fibre Optic Specialist at REHAU, whose organisation is working relentlessly to develop innovative cabling infrastructure products that are designed for longevity and to create efficient installations, halving time and engineer workloads. Paul also warns that the centralisation of the scheme puts smaller ISPs at risk as they will have to bid against each other within each county, potentially causing overbuild in already-congested areas of the UK. Paul said: “Overall the extension of the scheme is welcome news for the industry, but caution needs to be paid to some of the more difficult areas to reach. While local councils are now able to top their vouchers up, the increase is variable between jurisdictions. Businesses will inevitably go for the easy low-hanging fruit, however this voucher should encourage ISPs and contractors to move further out into the rural community. It’s up to the supply chain to make a conscious effort to ensure more of the extreme rural hamlets in the UK are acknowledged and brought up to speed, as well as levelling competition for ISPs.” Local authorities are also now expecting ISPs to build redundancy within new networks to allow for an open-market approach, this is in some cases a pre-requisite for the funding schemes. In which case, REHAU says more innovative installation solutions are required if the UK is to meet its ambitious fibre rollout targets.  Paul continues: “More redundancy means more cable, which means more installation time, and ultimately more risk of things going wrong – particularly when situated in large remote areas. Solutions that are robust and easy to install are therefore critical to minimise inconveniences in these scenarios.” Some of the most common barriers to implementing fibre cables in rural locations are long horizontal directional drills or direct bury applications without sand bedding. Micro duct design is therefore an important factor in a fibre installation project, yet designs can vary significantly, either enabling or hindering the installation process. Most micro ducting requires additional materials (i.e. waterproof seals or containers) to cover up connections or break out points, however new generation designs, such as RAUSPEED from REHAU, come with thick-walled micro ducts which means they can go straight into the ground. RAUSPEED’s success in rural areas has already been demonstrated across the continent, with one such success story coming from a project in Switzerland, whereby the micro ducts used produced great blowing-in results in Europe’s highest valley. The project involved installing high-speed optical fibre connections for a remote village located in the mountains. Naturally, this presented unique challenges associated with rural areas, such as the lack of infrastructure and the practical limitations of laying the miles of cable required, through difficult terrain. These challenges were overcome by using a 288-fibre count cable in a RAUSPEED 16/12 micro duct, which achieved a record single blow length of more than 5km. Paul added: “You only have to look at the Switzerland case study, which enabled fibre connections with a length of over 80km, to see that choosing appropriate technology with positive properties proves beneficial for any challenging project. With innovations like this, we hope ISPs and contractors can feel empowered to go beyond the low-hanging fruit of Project Gigabit.” For more information on fibre broadband and REHAU’s telecommunications products, visit: www.rehau.com/uk-en/rehau-uk-telecommunications-and-fibre-networks-fttx

The design of Camden Highline, the UK’s latest green infrastructure project, has been awarded to a team led by James Corner Field Operations, the firm behind South Park at Q.E. Olympic Park and New York High Line, in collaboration with vPPR Architects, following a two-stage international competition. They will now work with the local community to reimagine a three-quarter mile of disused railway viaduct as a new walking route, park and open space for community activity. Grassroots charity, Camden Highline, has announced a winner following their five-month search for the design team who will deliver London’s new elevated park, linking Camden Town to King’s Cross. The highly sought-after prize saw a distinguished jury deliberate 76 entries and 5 shortlists before allocating the successful bid to James Corner Field Operations. First stages will see the winning design team consult with the local community and key stakeholders to create an inclusive design plan for the ambitious new walkway and advance it through the planning process. Camden Highline will be a positive example of London’s post-Covid recovery, connecting neighbourhoods, increasing local access to green space, and enticing national and international tourists back to the capital. It will build community pride and sense of place, providing much-needed greenery and opportunities for cultural programming. “Camden Highline has the potential to become a really important new asset for the local community in Camden and people across the capital. This is exactly the sort of innovative, environmentally sustainable and locally-driven project which could make an important contribution to London’s recovery from the pandemic. I really look forward to seeing these ambitious plans take shape,” commented Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The competition winners have brought together an alliance of applied and creative specialists, including Kentish Town-based vPPR Architects, London artist Hew Locke, community consultation organisation Street Space and Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, among others. This multidisciplinary team incudes newly emerging local talent and internationally experienced firms, working together to design the Camden Highline as a considered resident amenity and ground-breaking visitor’s destination.

If you run a construction, civil, or mining company, then you understand that road maintenance is one of the hardest tasks. Vehicles that are subjected to moving along unpaved roads are more susceptible to becoming damaged. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the roads at your worksite in good condition to cut on potentially expensive repair costs. It is, consequently, diligent in implementing dust control and road maintenance to help you protect your fleet as well ad increase the site’s efficiency. Using dust control systems on the unsealed roads will be beneficial because the vehicles and trucks will not need to work harder to get to the destinations. These techniques will also ensure that these same vehicles are not contributing to dust production at the worksite. Here are some of these strategies. 1. Reduce traffic When vehicles use an unpaved road, they stir up dirt. Therefore if there is high vehicle traffic on these roads, it is bound to increase the level of dust production. Similarly, when the traffic is reduced dust production will decrease. You can achieve that by imposing a limit on the number of vehicles allowed to use the unpaved road or restricting the weight of the cars using the unpaved roads.  2. Palliative 3 (Binding particles together) This kind of Innovative surface solutions Involves using dust palliatives. The palliatives in this technique include chemicals that bind fine dust particles onto each other or larger particles. The chemicals comprise of different groups. There are petroleum-based, electrochemical stabilizers, synthetic polymers, as well as organic non-petroleum chemicals. Petroleum-based binders thinly coat the particles with asphalt causing an increase in particulate mass, therefore decreasing any chances of these particles becoming airborne. They include cutback asphalt, Bunker C, and emulsified asphalt. Electrochemical stabilizers, on the other hand, neutralize soil particles, therefore, preventing them from attracting water and, instead, bonding together. These stabilizers are worked into the surface using equipment; and include ionic stabilizers, bentonite, and sulfonated petroleum. Synthetic polymers bind the soil together, therefore, forming a semi-rigid layer on the road. They are applied in liquid form and need time to dry up undisturbed. An example is polyvinyl acrylics. Organic non-petroleum suppressants are water-soluble and include resins. 3. Imposing low-speed limits Dust production increases with speed, hence when vehicles are moving at high speed, they stir up more dust. By putting up signs and enforcing these speed limits, you can significantly reduce the level of dust production. Setting up bumps and drainage channels along the unpaved road will also help slow down the vehicles. However, for these speed limits to work, members of the surrounding community need to agree on and follow them. Proper drainage channels will also play a significant role in reducing dust. Proper drainage ensures that once it rains, water doesn’t stagnate on the road; and cause accumulation of displaced soil along the sides of the road. Poor drainage causes and an urgent need for resurfacing, due to dust production once the water dries up as well as numerous potholes. 4. Reducing the exposed ground When the ground is covered with vegetation, very little dust is not produced and blown up. Any footpath or dirt parking lot is a source of dust. The more they are at the worksite, the worse the dust-issue becomes. Therefore to minimize dust, maintain the natural vegetation at the worksite, and ensure that vehicles are only being driven along designated trails. This dust control strategy is effective because apart from plants covering the ground, their roots also hold the soil particles in place. 5. Slowing down the wind Having windbreaks will help ease dust production in your area. Effective barriers break the forward movement of wind and redirect the flow without generating excess wind eddies. The windbreaks also slow down the wind. Examples of windbreaks are snow fences and rows of plants. To ensure that you are getting the best results, purchase windbreaks that are designed for particular wind directions. 6. Sealing unsealed roads with impermeable material Although it is the most expensive technique, paving is undoubtedly the best way to control dust on unpaved roads. There is a wide range of effective and durable surfaces in the market to choose from. These impermeable surfaces prevent any soil surfaces from breaking down and producing dust. This paving method is especially helpful on busy roads that are used by hundreds of vehicles on a daily basis. Chip seals are another kind of impermeable material that can be used on unsealed roads, although they are not as effective as paving. Finally, fiberglass can be used to seal the roads and trails of oilfields in a cold climate. They provide a useful temporary solution. These fiberglass interlocking plates can support huge loads for short distances without the need for structural roadbeds. They also have a long lifespan. These are some of the most effective techniques to manage dust production at your worksite. The cost of each technique varies, therefore you can solve your dust problem using a technique that suits your budget and needs.