Underground Cable Trenching

Underground 11kV/33kV
Cable Trenching Manual

Special Requirements
for Areas with Dedicated Utility Trench
and No Digging Policy
August 2011
Asset Management Department, TNB Distribution Division
Acknowledgement
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Engineering Services Unit,

Asset Management Department, TNB Distribution Division, for giving us the
dE d D
Special Requirements for Areas with Dedicated Utility Trench and No Digging
Policy.
Special thanks to Ir. Wan Nazmy Wan Mahmood for his single-minded
dedication to complete this Manual which will be a useful guide to states and
regions. Acknowledgement also goes to Ir. Tan Chow Heang, Ir. Toh Kim Beng,
En Hairil Azli and Puan Hannah Rosli, all from Asset Management Department,
for their valuable contribution and assistance in developing this manual.
Our appreciation to Dr. Ahmad Basri Abdul Ghani and Puan Zairul Aida Abu
Zarim of TNB Research for their help in determining the ampacity of cables
under different circumstances, and Mohd Zamri Abdul Manap from Asset
Planning and Development on his comments about the structural strength of
the concrete installation and ducting.
The project team would also like to express its gratitude to the Medini
Development Consultant, Ranhill Sdn Bhd, especially Ir. Noraini Abdul Majid,
for their input on the trench design.
The Manual would be incomplete without the up-to-date comments from
Shahabudin Zakaria and Ridzwan Yusof Ghani from NusaJaya on the cable
trenching problems faced in Medini, even as this Manual was being prepared.
Our appreciation also goes to the Uniten Team, comprising Ir. Ali Askar Sher
Mohamad, Mohd Zafri Baharuddin, Fareha Mohd Zainal and Jazreel Tang, for
their untiring efforts and patience towards the successful completion of this
manual.
Page | i
Foreword
VP Distribution Division, Hj. Hussin Othman
As the country moves towards greater urbanization, some

high end development areas will have special
requirements of the electricity infrastructure, not only in
terms of reliability and quality of supply, but also cable
laying provisions due to restrictions on digging and
trenching.
The Federal Government Administration Centre in Putrajaya was the first Mega
Development area in Malaysia with special cable laying requirements. In that
case, the developers had provided a Central Utilities Tunnel for all the utilities,
including power cables. The Medini Township, located in Iskandar
Development Region in Johor, is the second development that has imposed a
No Digging policy within its boundaries. It is expected that there will be other
developments in future with similar restrictions.
It is thus imperative to devise a special cable laying method that will remove
the necessity of mechanized digging and trenching while maintaining reliability
and safety, at reasonable cost.
Engineering Services Unit of Distribution Asset Management Department, in
collaboration with UNITEN and TNBR, has developed this new cable laying
manual for immediate implementation in Medini, and all similar development
areas in future.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the project team from
Asset Management Department, as well as UNITEN and TNBR, for their
splendid effort in developing this useful guide for implementation of cable
laying in areas with special requirements.
Thank you.
Page | iii
Contents
Chapter 1:
1.1
Underground Cable Systems
1.2
Scope: Areas with Special Requirements
1.3
TNB Distribution Experience in Special Trenching
Requirements
1.4
New Development Areas
1.5
Outline of this Manual
Chapter 2:
Cable Trenching Criteria
2.1
Issues to Consider
2.2
Factors Affecting Cable Ampacity
10
2.3
Depth of Cable Trench and Backfilling Material
10
2.4
Use of Ducts
12
2.5
Cable Formation
13
2.5.1
3 Core Cables Formation
13
2.5.2
Single Core Cable Formation
14
2.5.3
Cross-bonding of Cables Sheaths
16
2.5.4
Cable Bending Radii
17
2.5.5
Link Box
18
2.5.6
nPVC Cable Slab
20
Reference Conditions
21
2.6
Chapter 3:
Page | iv
Introduction
Concrete Trench Design
22
3.1
Reinforced Concrete Trenches
22
3.2
Culvert Dimensions
23
Contents
3.3
Cable Arrangement
26
3.3.1
Three-Core Cables, Single Layer Formation
28
3.3.2
Single Core, Trefoil Formation
29
3.3.3
Arrangement of Joints
30
3.4
Trench Design
31
3.4.1
Location of Cable Trench along Roadside
32
3.4.2
Road Crossings
33
3.4.3
Service Pits for Substation Loop-in, Loop-out
34
3.4.4
Joint Pit
36
3.4.5
Link box for Joints in Reinforced Concrete Trenches
36
3.5
Concrete Trench Installation by Developers
37
3.6
Excavating for Cable Laying & Maintenance by TNB
39
Chapter 4:
Duct Bank Design
44
4.1
Duct Banks
44
4.2
Reinforced Ducts Dimensions
46
4.3
Cable Arrangement
51
4.4
Duct Design
52
4.4.1
Location of Ducts along Roadside
52
4.4.2
Road Crossings
53
4.4.3
Service Pits for Duct Banks
54
4.4.4
Sand Bags
57
4.4.5
Service Pits Cover
58
4.4.6
Link box for Joints in Duct Banks
60
4.5
Duct Bank Installation by Developers
61
4.6
Cable Laying in Duct Bank by TNB
66
Appendix
67
Glossary of Terms
68
References
70
Page | v
Cable Trenching: Special Requirements
List of Tables
Page | vi
Table 1: Variation of cable ampacity of three circuits

in a trench with different surroundings
Page 10
Table 2: Summary of reinforced concrete trench

capacity to fit cables
Page 26
Table 3: Ampacities of each cable based on total

number of circuits in a trench
Page 27
Table 4: Typical duct bank widths
Page 47
Table 5: Ampacity of each cable based on total

number of circuits in a bank
Page 47
Table 6: Variations in Reinforced Concrete Trench

Cable Laying Options
Page 67
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1
Underground Cable Systems
IDdE medium voltage (MV) network is

underground. This is because Malaysia has one of the highest
incidences of lightning in the world and an underground system offers
good protection against lightning. However, many electric utilities
prefer overhead systems for their transmission and distribution
networks due to cheaper cost and ease of maintenance.
The other major reasons for our underground system are public
the difficulty in
getting rentice reserve for the overhead line. Underground cable
systems are expensive to construct but should have minimum
maintenance costs since they are protected from the elements of the
weather.
However, this is not the case with dE
where 60-70 % of TNB medium voltage breakdowns are
due to cable faults. This is of course partly due to the large volume of
installed cable systems compared to other parts of the medium voltage
network. Most of these faults can be traced to third party digging or
poor workmanship in cable installation and jointing. It is thus critical
for TNB Distribution to implement a standardized system of trenching
and cable installation which will address these problems.
Figures 1 to 3 show TNB Distribution existing overhead line
and underground cable practices.
Page | 1
Figure 1: Overhead 33 kV aerial bundled cable (ABC) installation
Figure 2: Overhead 33 kV bare wire installation
Page | 2
Introduction
Figure 3: A typical trench for underground cables during construction
Page | 3
1.2
Scope: Areas with Special Requirements
New growth areas can have even more stringent requirements for
utility installations. The local authority and/or developer may impose
several conditions that require more sophisticated cable trenching and
installation practices. Some of these conditions include:
x
x
x
dE
mechanized excavators for cable trenching.
The developer provides the infrastructure for cable laying.
All cable installation and maintenance work may only use manual
labour or small machines which do not damage the road surface or
pavement.
No possibility of accidental third party digging leading to
breakdowns
These special conditions need a separate set of guidelines for cable

trenching and installation practices. In the absence of these, TNB
Distribution Regions and States may unknowingly agree to cable
trenching and installation practices which will create problems in the
future
A major advantage of these conditions is there would be no possibility
of accidental third party digging leading to breakdowns.
Page | 4
Introduction
1.3
TNB Distribution Experience in Special Trenching

Requirements
The first major development with special trenching requirements was

W ^ government
administrative centre, the Government did not want any digging by the
roadside after infrastructure development was completed. The
developer provided a common utility tunnel where all the utilities,
including power, communications, and water were to be located as
shown in Figure 4. Ducts were provided for the power cables which
would be installed in the future as demand grows. The cost to the
developer of providing such a tunnel system is enormous.
However, the cost of installing cables in pre-installed ducts can be
equally high to TNB if the cables are laid many years after the ducts
have been installed. Ducts can be completely filled with earth and mud
due to rainy weather, vandalism or lack of maintenance on the
manholes such as in Figure 5. TNB will end up spending a large amount
of money to clear the ducts. Some ducts just cannot be cleared, so TNB
will have to resort to new ducting to lay cables for new loads.
It is thus timely for TNB to explore new options in cable trenching
practices.
Page | 5
Figure 4: Common Utilities Tunnel (CUT) in Putrajaya
Figure 5: Blocked ducts are very costly to repair or replace
Page | 6
Introduction
1.4
New Development Areas
As the nation progresses and becomes more sophisticated, it is

expected that there will be more areas which will
An example of major development with
this requirement is Iskandar Malaysia, specifically the Medini township
in Nusajaya.
This manual has been prepared to provide a standard guideline to all
Regions and States on the type of trenching and ducting which are
allowed in such areas. The designs approved here are a result of
detailed discussions between Asset Management Department of TNB
Distribution, consultants and developers to comply with the seven
conditions as stated in Section 2.6 for areas with special requirements.
Turf and
decorative trees
Local drainage
Sand-filled
reinforced
concrete trench
Figure 6: Underground MV cable trenches should blend with the

surroundings. The picture above shows the practice in Medini, Nusajaya
Page | 7
1.5
Outline of this Manual
This manual is a mandatory guide for special cable trenching/laying

requirements in any Region or State. The contents cover the following
points of interest:
x
Chapter Two Cable Trenching Criteria

o The different cable laying formations of single layer flat
spaced and trefoil with the respective de-rating factors
o De-rating of cable capacity due to soil parameters and depth
of cable trench
o De-rating of cable capacity due to ducting
Chapter Three Concrete Trench Design
o Covers the design aspects of the reinforced concrete trenches
o Includes various circuit configurations and ratings
o Specifications for joint arrangement
Chapter Four Duct Bank Design
o Caters for certain sections of the development area where the
sidewalks are permanently paved and even manual digging is
not allowed.
o Specifications for the duct bank in these areas
o Allowances for cable pulling
o Specifications for Service Pits
Any deviation from the designs provided here must

first be referred to the Asset Management
Department (AMD), Distribution Division for approval.
Page | 8
Chapter 2: Cable Trenching

2.1
Criteria
Issues to Consider
There are a number of issues to consider when laying one circuit or a

number of circuits of underground cables in a trench. Cables carrying
current generate heat which must be dissipated efficiently or else the
cables need to be de-rated. The laying formation may also lead to
mutual heating and induced voltages which cause further de-rating of
the cables. The following parameters will determine the de-rating for
the cables in terms of current carrying capacity:
x
x
x
x
Depth of cable trench

Material used for backfilling
Use of ducts
Formation and number of cables laid in trench
Ultimately, the design of the trench is to provide sufficient mechanical

protection for the cables while maintaining the ampacity of the cables
to the maximum possible.
Turf
Washed river sand
Slab marker
Sand bed marker

Cable slabs
Scupper pipe
MV Cables
Local drainage
Culvert
Figure 7: Cable in a reinforced concrete trench
Page | 9
2.2
Factors Affecting Cable Ampacity
Current carrying capacity or ampacity of power cables is affected by

the method of installation such as the medium in which it is installed.
Table 1 shows sample variations in ampacity due to cable laying in
different surroundings with 3 circuits in one cable trench. The
calculations are based on an ambient temperature of 30C, a depth of
1m, and soil resistivity, C/W.
Table 1: Variation of cable ampacity of three circuits in a trench
with different surroundings
Cable size (3 circuits)

2
11 kV 3C 240 mm
Air
Air + duct
Sand
Sand + duct
420 A
335 A
289 A
243 A
638 A
418 A
453 A
363 A
777 A
500 A
516 A
424 A
11 kV 1C 500 mm
Trefoil formation
2
33 kV 1C 630 mm
Trefoil formation
The above table, calculated by TNB Research, shows how different

cable environments affect the cable ampacity.
2.3
x
x
Page | 10
Depth of Cable Trench and Backfilling Material

TNB Distribution cable laying guidelines provide for a depth of
1.0 1.2 metres for normal cable trenches.
However, for special areas with digging restrictions, the minimum
depth of the trench is fixed at 600 mm, with another 100 mm of
topsoil and turfing. The total depth is 700 mm, thus reducing the
soil thermal resistance and increasing the current carrying capacity
of the cables.
For special areas, the cable trench backfilling material allowed is
washed river sand only. It has the lowest thermal resistivity after
concrete and air, thus reducing the thermal resistance and
increasing the cable current carrying capacity.
Cables laid underground can only dissipate their heat through

conduction between the various coaxial layers of the cable to the
external surface.
The rate of heat dissipation depends strongly on the thermal
resistance of the soil between the cable surface and the ground
level.
Thermal resistance, in Thermal Ohms/meter, is

Where
e = thermal soil resistivity

h = depth of burial of the cable
a = cable overall outer radius
Ground Level
Figure 8: Calculation of soil thermal resistance based on cable depth
x
x
It can be seen that the soil thermal resistance depends on the

depth of burial as well as the thermal resistivity of the soil used for
backfilling the trench.
The greater the depth of burial, the higher the thermal resistance.
The higher the soil thermal resistivity, the higher the thermal
resistance.
Page | 11
2.4
x
x
x
x
x
Use of Ducts
As mentioned above, heat generated by the cable needs to be
conducted through the layers of soil to the ground surface.
When cables are laid in ducts for a considerable distance, the
ducts become a barrier to heat conduction
An additional de-rating factor needs to be introduced when cables
are laid in ducts.
If use of ducts is unavoidable, they should be used in duct banks,
or installed with suitable mechanical protection.
The ducts should be clean and smooth to reduce damage during
cable installation.
Service pits
Pavement
Service pit
covers
Ducts in a bank
Figure 9: Cables in concrete encased ducts will go through service pits
Page | 12
2.5
Cable Formation
When more than one cable is laid in the same trench, the cable
formation becomes very important. Cables in the same trench will
affect each other in the form of mutual heating. For single core (1C)
cables, there will also be induced voltages due to different phases of
the same circuit, or cables of different circuits. 1C Cables are either
laid single layer flat-spaced or in trefoil formation, while three core
(3C) cables are always in single layer.
2.5.1
x
x
x
x
3 Core Cables Formation
Only single layer is allowed for 3C cables.

An absolute distance of 100mm for any cable size must be
maintained between the cables as shown in Figure 10.
There must also be a 50mm clearance from walls.
It is the collective responsibility of the project engineer/
technician/cable laying supervisor to ensure this minimum
requirement is adhered to.
3-core cables
Trench walls
Figure 10: Cross-section view of three-core cables in a trench. Each cable

must have 100mm spacing between each other
Page | 13

2.5.2
x
x
x
x
x
Single Core Cable Formation
All single core cables must be laid in compact trefoil formation

unless there are site constraints for which special permission must
be obtained.
The trefoil formation saves space so that more circuits can be laid
in the same trench.
The trefoil formation for 1C cables removes the necessity of
transposing the cores. However requirement for cross-bonding of
sheaths is still maintained.
The distance between each circuit for the trefoil formation must
be maintained at 100mm apart as shown in Figure 11.
There must also be a 50mm clearance from walls.
Single-core cables
Trench walls
Figure 11: Cross-section view of single-core cables in a trench.

Distance between each circuit for the trefoil formation must be maintained
at 100mm apart
Page | 14
x
x
Cable ties are to be used at every one meter (1000mm) interval.

This is to ensure the trefoil formation will always hold.
Cable ties
1000mm
Figure 12: Trefoil formation of 3 single core cables held together with
cable tie at every one meter interval
Page | 15

2.5.3
Cross-bonding of Cables Sheaths
To limit the sheath voltage, all single core cables in a circuit need to be
cross-bonded every 1 kilometre (1 minor). Cross bond connections are
made in a link box as shown in Subsection 2.5.5.
Induced sheath voltage occurs due to induction across cables carrying
current. This only occurs in single core cables as three-core cables
cancel out the effect due to internally connected copper tape screens.
The induced voltage is directly proportional to the length of the cable
and the maximum voltage allowed by TNB Distribution Division is 50V.
A graph of this relationship is shown in Figure 14.
To keep the induced voltage below 50V, the sheath must be crossbonded at every 1 kilometre (1 minor) and cross-bonded with earthing
at every 3 kilometres (1 major).
X Bond Joint
ST Joint
500m
500m
1000m = 1 minor
X Bond Joint
ST Joint
ST Joint
500m
500m
1000m = 1 minor
500m
X Bond Joint
& earth
500m
1000m = 1 minor
3 minor = 1 major
Figure 13: Diagram of a major span
(3km, 3 minors, 1 cross-bond at each one km joint)
The diagram in Figure 13 shows an example of a 3 kilometre long single

core cable circuit with straight-through joints and cross-bonding joints
arrangement.
Page | 16
(1,000 m)
X bond joint
(1,000 m)
X bond joint
with earthing
(1,000 m)
X bond joint
Sheath
core
Sheath
Voltage
Major
Minor
Minor
Minor
Max Voltage
= 50V
Distance
Figure 14: To keep the induced voltage below 50V, the sheath must be
cross-bonded at every 1 kilometre (1 minor) and cross-bonded
with earthing at every 3 kilometres (1 major)
2.5.4
Cable Bending Radii
Service pit design shall take into consideration the required bending
radius of the largest possible cable size to be laid.
According to the BICC Electric Cables Handbook, the nominal bending
radius for XLPE 33kV cables is 15 times the cable diameter. To simplify
the calculations for all cable types a general rule is derived from this
value.
The rule of thumb to calculate the bending radius of distribution cables
is:
Bending radius = 15 x cable diameter
Page | 17

2.5.5
Link Box
Cross-bonds are made at 6+1 link boxes specified here.

Link boxes are required to perform the following functions:
x
x
x
To allow for sheath voltage and sheath current measurements

To simplify the cross-bond connection
To isolate earth links and to reconnect cable sheaths of the
same phase for cable fault location and partial discharge (PD)
measurement
All link boxes must be precisely and clearly labelled with circuit number
and feeder names.
The link box shall be installed near the trench above ground level so
that it can be easily located during breakdowns and also for ease of
maintenance.
Cable sizes for connection of sheath to link box are as below:
x
x
11kV 70 mm Cu PVC/PVC cable

2
33kV 300 mm Cu PVC/PVC cable
Link box
Connecting
cable to link box
Joints
Figure 15: Typical link box location next to a reinforced concrete trench
Page | 18
Figure 16: Typical example of 11kV, 6+1 Link box. A 70mm Cu PVC/PVC
cable is used to connect sheath to the link box
Figure 17: Typical example of 33kV, 6+1 Link box. A 300mm Cu PVC/PVC
cable is used to connect sheath to the link box
Page | 19

2.5.6
nPVC Cable Slab
nPVC Cable Slabs are used as visual warning indicators, while at the
same time providing mechanical protection for underground cables in
the event of accidental or unauthorized excavation/digging work.
x
x
x
x
The Cable Slabs are buried below the ground level and above
the underground cables.
Cable slabs will be placed at the Slab Marker Level which is
visible at the wall of the culvert. Diagrams for the installation
location are shown in Chapter 3.
Nylon cable ties are used to lock/tie together a string of nPVC
cable slabs.
nPVC cable slab dimensions are 1000mm (ln.) x 250mm (wd.)
x 4.5mm (th.), red in colour.
Figure 18: The standard nPVC cable slab
Page | 20
2.6
Reference Conditions
Having regard to all that has been discussed above, this Manual has
been designed with the following conditions in mind:
1.
dE
normal mechanized excavators for cable trenching.
2.
The developer provides dedicated routes and infrastructure

for cable laying.
3.
All cable installation and maintenance work may only use

manual labour or small machines which do not damage the
road surface or pavement.
4.
Minimum mechanical protection is required due to the no

digging policy. Thus there is no need for thick BRC wire mesh
or concrete slab.
5.
h h
topsoil of 100mm on top of it. No sealant to be used between
hp out.
6.
Trench 100% filled with washed river sand for:

a. Bedding
b. Arc quenching properties
c. Good thermal resistivity for heat transfer
7.
The introduction of condition 4 6 above will reduce derating

and thus increase cable ampacity. Condition 4 will facilitate
the implementation of Condition 3.
Page | 21
Chapter 3:
3.1
Concrete Trench Design
Reinforced Concrete Trenches
Based on the requirements from the previous chapter, the reinforced

concrete trench is designed to follow the seven conditions stated in
Section 2.6. Trenches that utilize reinforced concrete culverts are
known as reinforced concrete trenches.
Reinforced
concrete culvert
Washed river sand
Cable slabs
MV 3 core cables
Figure 19: Cross-section diagram of a 600mm wide concrete culvert block

used in the Medini, Nusajaya project
Components involved in a reinforced concrete trench are:

x
x
x
x
Reinforced concrete culverts for mechanical protection.

Washed river sand as the backfill material.
Underground Electrical cables: 33kV and 11kV cables and their
joints, as well as LV.
Communication cable for SCADA such as fibre optic cables.
Cable identification and mechanical protection using nPVC slabs.
Page | 22
Reinforced Concrete Trench Design
3.2
Culvert Dimensions
To accommodate different ratings and number of circuits, four

reinforced concrete trench widths are specified based on the culvert
widths. Culverts for the trench are to be fabricated from reinforced
concrete (RC).
RC culvert blocks /RC U-Shape Drains specifications:
x
x
x
Length:
Internal Depth:
Internal Width:
Thickness:
x
x
x
Material:
Reinforcement:
Loading criteria:
Markings:
1000 mm
600 mm
600, 1200, 1500 mm
1000 mm (used in Medini)
70, 95, 100 mm
80 mm (used in Medini)
Concrete characteristic strength of 30 MPa
Design to the requirements of BS 8110 : 1997
Live load of 10KPa or special design for
other loading conditions.
Sand Bed and nPVC Slab Level Marker (Red)
Slab level
marker
Sand bed
level marker
Figure 20: Detail of 600 mm wide culvert with sand bed marker for typical
Reinforced Concrete Trench
Page | 23
Slab level
marker
Sand bed
level marker
Figure 21: Detail of 1200 mm wide culvert for typical

Figure 22: Detail of 1500 mm wide culvert for typical

Page | 24
Slab level
marker
Sand bed
level marker
Figure 23: Detail of culverts used with fixed thickness of 80mm used in the
Medini site in Nusajaya, Johor
Page | 25
3.3
Cable Arrangement
Cables need to be laid according to the guidelines in Section 2.5. Some

important notes are:
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cables to be laid on 100 mm of washed river sand bedding.

Space between cables must be 100 mm.
Minimum space between the cable and the trench sidewall must
be 50 mm.
All cables need to be installed in the single layer formation as
shown in Subsection 3.3.1.
All single core cable installations must be in the trefoil formation
as shown in Subsection 3.3.2.
Trefoil formation held together using cable ties at every one meter
interval.
Cable slabs must be installed at the slab marker level.
The number of cables allowed in the different trenches depends on the

size of the cables. A general guideline for allowable number of cables
in a trench is provided in Table 2.
Table 2: Summary of reinforced concrete trench capacity to fit cables
Number of circuits fitting trench
Voltage & type
cable
area
2
(mm )
cable
diameter
(mm)
600
mm
1000
mm
1200
mm
11kV 3-core
240
70
2
5
6
single layer
11kV single-core
500
54.4
2
4
5
trefoil
33kV single-core
3
4
630
71.4
1
trefoil
* Detailed variations in cable laying options are shown in Appendix A.
Page | 26
1500
mm
7
6
5
Table 3: Ampacities of each cable based on

total number of circuits in a trench
Maximum number of
circuit (total)
11kV 3C
2
240mm
11kV 1C
2
500mm
33kV 1C
2
630mm
220 A
330 A
390 A
230 A
340 A
410 A
240 A
370 A
430 A
260 A
400 A
470 A
300 A
420 A
500 A
* Use this table together with Appendix A for other variations of cable mix.
Example:
If 2 cables of 33kV 1C, 3 cables of 11kV 1C and 1 cable of 11kV 3C to be
2
installed inside 1500mm trench, so the loadings for each cable are:
Total number of circuits is: 2 + 3 + 1 = 6
Using Table 3 for maximum number of 6 circuits, the ampacity for each
cable is:
1.
2.
3.
33kV 1C maximum it can carry is 390 A each

11kV 1C - maximum it can carry is 330 A each
11kV 3C - maximum it can carry is 220 A
The following diagrams show samples of 3-core (single layer formation)

and single core (trefoil formation) underground cable installations in
varying trench widths.
Page | 27

3.3.1
Three-Core Cables, Single Layer Formation
Cable slabs
3C cable
Figure 24: Sample position of three-core cables.

Three-core cables are to be laid in a single layer
Page | 28

3.3.2
Single Core, Trefoil Formation
Cable slabs
1C cables in trefoil
Figure 25: Sample position of 11kV single-core cables.

Single-core cables must be laid in the trefoil formation
Page | 29

3.3.3
Arrangement of Joints
Joint locations for each phase should be staggered as illustrated below

because making joints for all phases next to each other at the same
place may not fit the trench width.
Local Drainage
Trench
Local soil
Red Phase Joint

Yellow Phase Joint
Blue Phase Joint
Figure 26: Top view of joints for a trefoil circuit in a trench.

Joints have to be staggered to fit into the Joint Pits
Page | 30
Turf
3.4
Trench Design
For most installations, the culverts are to be laid on sand bedding. In

bad conditions, it may be necessary to excavate deeper and place a
hardcore layer or other foundation designs before placing the sand
bedding.
Sealants are NOT to be used between culverts to allow rainwater to
seep out into the ground.
Slab level marker

Sand bed level marker
Figure 27: The trench is to be prepared at a suitable depth to properly fit in

the required reinforced concrete culvert
The culvert shall be installed with a clearance of 100mm from the top
of the culvert for topsoil and turfing as shown in Figure 28.
Page | 31

Turf
100mm
Culvert
Washed River Sand
Native Soil
Top Soil
Figure 28: Turf, topsoil, washed river sand and culvert in a cable trench
3.4.1
Location of Cable Trench along Roadside
Cable trenches should be located on the outermost position from

roads and drainage, whenever possible. This is to avoid scupper
drainage pipes crossing over the cable trench.
Turf
Road
Scupper pipe for drainage

Drainage
Cable
trench
Figure 29: Location of cable trench along roadside should be placed to avoid
intrusion of other utilities such as drainage
Page | 32

3.4.2
Road Crossings
Cables that need to go across road structures must be laid through

ducts. Ducting for road crossings shall use 150 mm diameter Class B
polyvynil chloride (PVC) ducts.
Ducts directly under roads
should additionally be encased in 50mm concrete to provide extra
mechanical strength.
Briefly, road crossing ducts have the following specifications:
x
x
x
x
150 mm diameter Class B PVC ducts.

To install sufficient ducts according to distribution planner.
Ducts shall be installed 1000mm below the road surface.
Ducts directly under roads should be additionally encased in
50mm of concrete to provide extra mechanical strength as
shown in Figure 30.
Road
Ducting
Concrete encased duct
Local drainage
Figure 30: PVC ducts may need to go through or around other local utility
trenches such as drainage or telecommunication lines
Page | 33

3.4.3
x
x
x
Service Pits for Substation Loop-in, Loop-out
An area without concrete trench or duct banks, known as Service

Pits are required for substation loop-in and loop-out.
The service pits should be sufficiently large to provide a safe
working area to pull and bend cables.
The pits are to be filled with washed river sand.
Service pits for

cable pulling and
bending.
Figure 31: Service Pits for substation
Ducts for looping

into substation
Service pit
Ducts going into road crossing
Figure 32: Duct banks are to be used for connections between the substation
and the trench
Page | 34
PPU
Ducts to PPU
Service pits
Concrete trench
Figure 33: Typical service pit, trench and duct bank connections for
Main Distribution Substations (PPU)
PMU
Ducts to PMU
Service pits
Concrete trench
Figure 34: Typical service pit, trench and duct bank connections for
Main Intake Substations (PMU)
Page | 35

3.4.4
Joint Pit
There are no specific locations for joint pits in reinforced concrete

trenches. Joints can be made anywhere along the trench in the
formation suggested in Subsection 3.3.3.
3.4.5
Link box for Joints in Reinforced Concrete Trenches
Cross-bonds are made at 6+1 link boxes with connections explained in

Subsection 2.5.5.
Link boxes should be placed next to the trench on a 50 mm thick
concrete slab base as shown in Figure 35.
Link box
Concrete slab
Connecting cables
to link box
Joints
Figure 35: Typical installation of a link box on a 50mm thick concrete slab
next to the cable joint
Page | 36
3.5
Concrete Trench Installation by Developers
The following are step-by-step diagrams showing a guideline for

construction and installation of a concrete reinforced trench.
1) Excavation of trench to required length, width and depth
according to the size of the culvert to be used.
2) Install the culvert evenly and at the same level. Sealants are NOT
to be used to allow rainwater to seep out.
Page | 37

3) Fill the culvert with washed river sand.
4) Install 100 mm of topsoil for the turf.
Turf
Topsoil
Washed river
sand
Native soil
5) Place concrete cable route markers at 50m intervals.
Page | 38
3.6
Excavating for Cable Laying & Maintenance by TNB
The sand and topsoil needs to be stacked neatly beside the trench
during cable installation. When laying cables, the topsoil and washed
river sand must be removed from the trench by using handheld tools
or a small mechanised excavating machine as below.
Figure 36: Small mechanised excavating machine to be used

only when necessary
Page | 39

The following are step-by-step diagrams showing a guideline for
excavation of soil and laying of new cables.
1) Remove the topsoil with the turf and stack it neatly beside the
trench.
2) Remove the washed river sand until the sand bed level marker is
seen (about 500 mm deep).
Slab level marker

Sand bed level marker
Page | 40

3) Lay the cable in single layer or trefoil formation, according to site
requirements. Cable need to be on 100mm of sand bedding.
4) Backfill with washed river sand until the slab level marker.
Slab level marker
Page | 41

5) Place PVC slabs at the slab level.
Cable tie connection
Cable slabs
Slab level marker
6) Backfill the washed river sand until level. Any shortfall of washed
river sand must be topped up.
Installed cable slabs
Page | 42

7) Install topsoil for turf. Any shortfall of topsoil must be topped up.
8) A TNB Cable Route Marker will be installed every 50m. The marker
will be in the form of a concrete slab installed on the turfing.
Page | 43
Chapter 4: Duct
4.1
Bank Design
Duct Banks
If the aesthetic requirements are very important, a method to have

covered trenches with cables via ducts may be employed. These are
known as duct banks. Examples of aesthetically important areas are
highly dense commercial districts and government municipal districts.
Cables will be laid into reinforced concrete ducts. Ducting for road
crossings are to use 150 mm diameter Class B polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Figure 37: Class B polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Ducts
Dimensions options for reinforced ducts are shown in Section 4.2.
Page | 44
Duct Bank Design
Pavement
Duct bank
Native soil
Figure 38: A 4 x 3 duct bank with one circuit of single-core cables, six threecore cables, and a fibre/pilot cable as installed in Medini, Nusajaya
Service pits need to be made available at every 25 meter intervals

along the length of the duct bank. Cable joints and duct bank tee-offs
are made in these service pits which are filled with nylon sand bags
and covered with concrete slabs. Dimensions for service pits are shown
in Subsection 4.4.3.
It is the collective responsibility of the project engineer/
technician/cable laying supervisor to ensure that joints are staggered
at the many different service pits to accommodate cable jointing space
constraints.
Page | 45
4.2
Reinforced Ducts Dimensions
Ducts will be arranged in three layers of 150mm diameter Class B

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Ducts or Double-wall Corrugated HDPE Pipes.
Each duct will be spaced 50mm apart and the whole structure will be
reinfoced with wire mesh (BRC No. 10) and encased by 100mm thick
concrete.
Figure 39: The 950mm wide, 4 ducts x 3 layers reinforced ducting.

Ducts must be 50mm apart and the duct bank encased in
100mm thick reinforced concrete
Figure 39 shows the standard 950mm wide duct bank. Reinforced duct
banks will have three layers for flat formation and two layers for trefoil
formation, and the number of ducts laid in a single layer depends on
the trench width.
Trefoil duct banks are also specified and are shown in Figure 43
through to Figure 46.
Page | 46
Duct Bank Design
To accommodate different ratings and number of circuits, four typical

duct bank widths are specified in Table 4.
Table 4: Typical duct bank widths
Depth
Width
Number of ducts in trench
Length (meters)
(mm)
(mm)
950
4 ducts x 3 layers = 12 ducts
Approx. 22 meters
1350
since service pits
750
are required every
2150
25 meters
2550

carrying capacity. Table 5 shows a guideline to calculate cable
ampacities based on different number of circuits in a duct bank.
Table 5: Ampacity of each cable based on total number of circuits in a bank
Maximum number
11kV 3C
11kV 1C
33kV 1C
2
2
2
of circuit (total)
240mm
500mm
630mm
10
200 A
380 A
430 A
9
210 A
390 A
450 A
8
220 A
400 A
460 A
7
230 A
410 A
470 A
6
240 A
430 A
490 A
5
250 A
460 A
530 A
4
260 A
500 A
570 A
3
280 A
520 A
600 A
2
310 A
550 A
640 A
Page | 47

The following figures show duct banks with different widths.
Figure 40: The 1350mm wide, 6 ducts x 3 layer duct bank
Page | 48
Duct Bank Design
Communications
duct
Figure 43: A 1000mm wide, 2 x 2 layer trefoil duct bank.

Each trefoil should be 50mm apart and the duct bank encased in
100mm thick reinforced concrete
Communications
duct
Figure 44: A 3 x 2 layer trefoil duct bank
Page | 49
Communications
duct
Page | 50
Duct Bank Design
4.3
Cable Arrangement
Each duct can only accommodate one power cable as shown in Figure
47 and Figure 48. Communication cables may share a single duct.
The fibre/pilot cable for communications shall be placed at the lowest
duct, furthest away from the road so that power cables can be
installed at the upper ducts for better ampacity.
Figure 47: Communication cables installed at the bottom layer,

furthest away from the road
If ducts are installed in trefoil formation, the cables will have to follow
the duct formation.
Figure 48: Cross sectional view of ducts installed in trefoil formation

with separate duct for communications cable
Page | 51
4.4
Duct Design
Similar to installation of concrete trenches, the duct banks are to be

installed on suitable foundation. In bad conditions, it may be necessary
to excavate deeper and place a hardcore layer or other foundation
designs before placing the sand bedding.
4.4.1
Location of Ducts along Roadside
Duct banks should be located on the outermost position from roads

and drainage, whenever possible. This is to avoid scupper drainage
pipes or other utilities interfering with the mechanical protection of
the duct bank.
Road
Pavement
Duct bank
Scupper pipe
Local drainage
Figure 49: Location of a duct bank along a road or drainage
Page | 52
Duct Bank Design

4.4.2
Road Crossings
Cables that need to go across road structures must be laid through

ducts. Ducting for road crossings shall use 150 mm diameter Class B
polyvynil chloride (PVC) ducts.
t. Ducts directly under roads
should additionally be encased in 50mm concrete to provide extra
mechanical strength.
Briefly, road crossing ducts have the following specifications:
x
x
x
x
150 mm diameter Class B PVC ducts

To install sufficient ducts according to distribution planner
Ducts shall be installed 1000mm below the road surface
Ducts directly under roads should be additionally encased in
50mm of concrete to provide extra mechanical strength as
shown in Figure 50
Road
Pavement
Ducting
Concrete encased duct
Local drainage
Figure 50: Ducts for road crossings must be encased in 50mm thick concrete
to withstand heavy road conditions
Page | 53

4.4.3
Service Pits for Duct Banks
Service pits are used for pulling, bending and jointing of cables.
Service pits need to be made available at every 25 meter intervals
along the length of the duct banks. Cable joints and duct bank tee-offs
are made in these service pits.
These pits are filled with nylon sand bags and covered with concrete
slabs. Sandbags assist in arc-quenching and are detailed out in
Subsection 4.4.4.
Specifications of the service pits are as follows:
x
x
x
x
x
Length: 3 meters (minimum)

Width: According to duct bank width
Depth: According to duct bank depth
Drainage connection to discharge rain water
The service pits may be cast in-situ or from pre-cast concrete
blocks such as culverts specified in Section 3.2
Figure 51: Standard service pit dimensions
Page | 54
Duct Bank Design

Service pit types are shown in Figure 52 to Figure 55 and are specified
according to number of branches:
x
x
x
Standard service pit no branch-off, used for jointing, crossbonding and earthing.
T-junction service pit single branch-off
Cross-junction service pit multiple branch-off
Figure 52: Standard service pit, usually as location for cable joints
Figure 53: Service pit with a T-junction connection, usually for branching off
into substations or road crossings
Page | 55
Figure 54: Service pit with a cross-junction connection, usually for branching
off into several locations at the same place
Figure 55: A see-through view of a service pit
Page | 56
Duct Bank Design

4.4.4
Sand Bags
Washed river sand is used for its arc-quenching capabilities. Instead of

backfilling with sand, the sand should be placed inside sandbags. The
sandbags serve two other purposes:
1) To firmly position the cables leading to the joint itself, so that
when the service pit is backfilled, the cable will not shift. The sand
should also have the same thermal resistivity of the sand/backfill
surrounding the cables in the concrete trench.
2) The use of sand bags will enable faster and easier re-opening of
pits for cable pulling, jointing works and minimize the risk of
existing cables being damaged during re-opening (compared with
excavating normal loose backfilled sand).
Specifications of the sandbags are:
x
x
Nylon material
Not heavier than 10kg once filled with sand
Figure 56: Service pits must be filled with sandbags to assist in arc quenching
Page | 57

4.4.5
Service Pits Cover
The service pits shall be covered with concrete slabs with the following
dimensions as shown in Figure 57.
Service Pit Cover / Concrete Slab Dimensions
x Thickness:
50 mm
x Length:
1000 mm per slab
x Width:
According to duct bank width
Figure 57: Dimensions of three 1500 mm wide concrete slabs to form the
service pit cover
Figure 58: Service pit cover sitting on the sides of the service pit
Page | 58
Duct Bank Design
Suitable lifting ears are to be included in the service pit cover to

accommodate ease of removal during servicing of the pits.
Figure 59: Plan view for lifting ears
Figure 60: Section Y-Y view for lifting ears
Figure 61: Isometric view for lifting ears
Page | 59

4.4.6
Link box for Joints in Duct Banks
Cross-bonds are made at 6+1 link boxes with connections explained in

Subsection 2.5.5.
Waterproof link box for duct banks are to be mounted on the wall of
the service pit.
Connecting cable
to link box
Link box
Joint
Figure 62: Typical link box embedded in the ducting concrete for duct banks
Page | 60
Duct Bank Design
4.5
Duct Bank Installation by Developers
The following diagrams will show step-by-step installation of the duct

bank.
Reinforcements of concrete with wire mesh (such as BRC) are to be
made in-situ. Duct banks with BRC protection refers to IEEE Standard
PAR971 Guide for distribution cable installation method in duct
system.
1) Excavation of trench to required length, width and depth
according to site requirements.
2) Prepare trench walls that are 50mm thick.
Page | 61

3) Install protective wire mesh such as BRC.
4) Add another 50mm layer of concrete.
5) Place ducts 50mm apart.
Duct
Page | 62
Duct Bank Design

6) Fill up the gaps with concrete to have 50mm of concrete for the
next layer of ducts.
7) Repeat the process for the following layers, one layer at a time.
8) Add another concrete layer.
Page | 63

9) Add another ducting layer.
10) Add another concrete layer.
11) Install the top protective wire mesh such as BRC.
Page | 64
Duct Bank Design

12) Add the final concrete layer.
13) Install pavement

Pavement
Page | 65
4.6
Cable Laying in Duct Bank by TNB
Cable laying and maintenance work will be done in the duct banks via
service pits. Cables can be laid according to site requirements into any
available ducts.
Note that the communication cables will utilize the lowest duct,
furthest away from the road.
Please refer to Section 4.3 for diagrams of cable arrangement for duct
banks.
Figure 63: Cables are to be laid according to arrangements in Section 4.3
Page | 66
Appendix
Appendix A
Table 6: Variations in Reinforced Concrete Trench Cable Laying Options
These tables are to be used with Table 3.

Select the cable type and number of circuits
used. Calculate the total number of circuits to
fit the trench. Compare with Table 3 to find
the ampacity for each cable.
3C 11kV
240mm2
0
0
1
1
2
600 mm
1C 11kV
500mm2
1
2
0
1
0
1000 mm
3C
1C
1C
11kV 11kV 33kV
0
0
3
0
1
2
0
2
1
0
4
0
1
0
2
1
2
1
1
3
0
2
0
2
2
1
1
2
2
0
3
0
1
3
1
0
5
0
0
1C 33kV
630mm2
1
0
1
0
0
1200 mm
3C
1C
1C
11kV 11kV 33kV
0
0
4
0
1
3
0
5
0
1
3
1
1
4
0
2
1
2
2
2
1
2
3
0
3
0
2
3
1
1
4
1
0
6
0
0
3C
11kV
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
7
1500 mm
1C
11kV
0
1
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
0
1
2
3
4
0
1
2
4
0
2
3
0
1
2
0
1
0
1C
33kV
5
4
3
2
1
0
4
3
2
1
0
4
3
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
1
0
0
Page | 67
Glossary of Terms
Ampacity
Current carrying capacity.
Cable
Assembly consisting of:

one or more cores,
their individual covering(s) (if any),
assembly protection (if any),
protective covering(s) (if any).
Cable Slab
Visual warning indicators and as a mechanical

protection for underground laid cables in the event
of excavation/digging work.
Concrete Slab
A flat, reinforced-concrete structural member.
Cross-bonding
Special bonding in which the cable shields in

consecutive elementary sections are cross
connected so that each continuous shield circuit
surrounds the three-phase conductors
consecutively.
Duct
Class B polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe.
Duct Bank
Method to have covered trenches with cables via

ducts may be employed.
Fibre/pilot cable
Control cable laid in parallel with a power cable and

intended for transmitting signals related to the
operation of that cable.
Flat formation
Formation of a number of cables laid in a plane,

usually with equal spacing between adjacent cables.
Joint
Accessory making a connection between two cables

to form a continuous circuit
Link box
Box in which bonding and/or earthing connections

are made through removable links and which may
also contain shield voltage limiters
Page | 68
Glossary of Terms
Reinforced Concrete
Concrete in which reinforcement bars (rebars),

reinforcement grids, plates or fibres incorporated to
strengthen the concrete in tension.
Sand bedding
Cushioning layer or layers applied to a cable

immediately beneath a metallic layer such as the
armour or the reinforcement.
Scupper
Opening in the side walls of an open-air structure,

for purposes of draining water. They are usually
placed at or near ground level, and allow rain or
liquids to flow off the side of the open-air structure,
instead of pooling within the walls.
Service Pit
Service pits are used for pulling, bending, duct bank

tee-offs and jointing of cables.
Sheath
Uniform and continuous tubular covering of

metallic or non-metallic material, generally
extruded.
Thermal resistivity
d
Topsoil
The upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top 2

inches (5.1cm) to 8 inches (20cm).
Trefoil formation
Formation of three cables so laid as to be mutually

equidistant.
Washed river sand
Premium grade clean river sand.
Page | 69
References
[1] />Electric Cables HandbooktLondon
3rd Edition 1997.
[2] Pekeliling Pengurus Besar Kanan (Pengurusan Aset) Perkhidmatan Dan
Amalan Kejuruteraan, Bil A21/2010, Penggunaan Slab Kabel nPVC Baru
Untuk Menghindar Kerosakan Kabel Bawah Tanah Akibat Korekan Pihak
Ketiga, TNB 4 Oktober 2010.
[3] Pekeliling Pengurus Besar Kanan (Kejuruteraan) Bil A44/2009,
Penggunaan Paip Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) atau Paip Galvanized Iron (GI)
untuk Rentangan Kabel Baru Di Sepanjang Jambatan/Jejambat (Bridge
Crossing), TNB 26 Oktober 2009.
[4] Edaran Kejuruteraan Bil 60/95, Timbalan Pengurus Besar, Kejuruteraan
(Pembahagian), Laying and Jointing Of Single Core, 500mm2 Aluminium
11Kv AND 22Kv XLPE Cable, 16 Disember 1995.
(Pembahagian), Mengesan Kerosakan Kabel Voltan Tinggi Satu Teras Yang
Mempunyai Sambungan Jenis Cross Bonding, TNB 10, Februari 1995.
(Pembahagian), Jarak Optima Untuk Cross Bonding Bagi Kabel 33kV Jenis
XLPE dan Lokasi Yang Paling Sesuai Untuk DK>
Di Tempat-dE:.
[7] Panduan Kejuruteraan Bil 67/2001, Penggunaan Kaedah Merentang Kabel
11kV Bawah Tanah Di Dalam Peparit Kabel Tetap (Berkonkrit), TNB 14
March 2001, KEJ-PEM-01-01-01.
[8] XLPE Insulated Cables Catalogue, Tenaga Cable Industries Sdn Bhd (TCI).
[9] Electropedia: The World's Online Electrotechnical Vocabulary,
Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC), 2011.
Page | 70

Underground Cable Trenching

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Underground Cable Trenching

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Underground 11kV/33kV

Cable Trenching Manual

Asset Management Department, TNB Distribution Division

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Engineering Services Unit,

As the country moves towards greater urbanization, some

Underground Cable Systems

Scope: Areas with Special Requirements

TNB Distribution Experience in Special Trenching

New Development Areas

Outline of this Manual

Cable Trenching Criteria

Factors Affecting Cable Ampacity

Depth of Cable Trench and Backfilling Material

3 Core Cables Formation

Single Core Cable Formation

Cross-bonding of Cables Sheaths

Cable Bending Radii

nPVC Cable Slab

Concrete Trench Design

Reinforced Concrete Trenches

Three-Core Cables, Single Layer Formation

Single Core, Trefoil Formation

Location of Cable Trench along Roadside

Service Pits for Substation Loop-in, Loop-out

Link box for Joints in Reinforced Concrete Trenches

Concrete Trench Installation by Developers

Excavating for Cable Laying & Maintenance by TNB

Duct Bank Design

Reinforced Ducts Dimensions

Location of Ducts along Roadside

Service Pits for Duct Banks

Service Pits Cover

Link box for Joints in Duct Banks

Duct Bank Installation by Developers

Cable Laying in Duct Bank by TNB

Cable Trenching: Special Requirements

Table 1: Variation of cable ampacity of three circuits

Table 2: Summary of reinforced concrete trench

Table 3: Ampacities of each cable based on total

Table 4: Typical duct bank widths

Table 5: Ampacity of each cable based on total

Table 6: Variations in Reinforced Concrete Trench

Underground Cable Systems

IDdE medium voltage (MV) network is

Cable Trenching: Special Requirements

Figure 1: Overhead 33 kV aerial bundled cable (ABC) installation

Figure 2: Overhead 33 kV bare wire installation

Figure 3: A typical trench for underground cables during construction

Cable Trenching: Special Requirements

Scope: Areas with Special Requirements

These special conditions need a separate set of guidelines for cable

TNB Distribution Experience in Special Trenching

The first major development with special trenching requirements was

Cable Trenching: Special Requirements

Figure 4: Common Utilities Tunnel (CUT) in Putrajaya

Figure 5: Blocked ducts are very costly to repair or replace

New Development Areas

As the nation progresses and becomes more sophisticated, it is

Figure 6: Underground MV cable trenches should blend with the

Cable Trenching: Special Requirements

Outline of this Manual

This manual is a mandatory guide for special cable trenching/laying

Chapter Two Cable Trenching Criteria

IDdE medium voltage (MV) network is