Grundomat success in Oman

The driving force at Oman Fiber Optic Company is its people. OFO employs people of various nationalities and provides the ideal environment for the blending of cultures as well as an atmosphere where people can share experiences, discuss ideas and grow together. Avenues are provided for enhancement of technical skills, keeping abreast with changes in world markets and for bringing innovative ideas to the workplace

Due to the increased demand for Broadband Telecommunications and Internet access the Oman Fiber Optic Company has been challenged with the task of laying a fibre optic cable network into the major cities of Muscat and Sohar and the entire Batinah Region

In order not to disrupt the flow of traffic the Oman Fibre Optic Company decided that wherever possible a Trenchless Technology No-Dig policy would be adopted.

Cable distribution engineers and Mr R Gunaseelan, Manager – Services Department of Oman Fiber Optic Co. was given the task of sourcing a suitable product and company to supply and carry out the best installation method. Having reviewed all alternative Trenchless methods/products the reliable and accurate GRUNDOMAT mole soil displacement technique supplied by TT-UK/TT Middle East was the ideal choice to carry out this high profile project.

This new machine generation GRUNDOMAT was developed to meet the customers' requests for easier reversing and even higher dynamic impact efficiency. One main feature of the GRUNDOMAT-P-Generation is the improved chisel head system. First, the percussion piston, running ahead in advance to produce a pilot bore in the first cycle, strikes the chisel. This allows the GRUNDOMAT to work with extreme boring underground accuracy, even in the most challenging grounds, compacted sands, gravels and small rocks. Immediately after the stroke on the chisel, the piston also strikes the protective casing directly, which is then pulled in together with the cable ducts or pipes attached. Even resistance peaks eg stones and boulders and casing friction from compacted sand are easily overcome - therefore the propulsion speed is greatly increased.

Switching the GRUNDOMAT models 130P over from forward to backward motion, and vice versa, is performed with a lever of the control unit outside the pit and no longer with the twisting of the compressed air hose. Recommended accessories: Grundoscope aiming frame and starting cradle, tensioning plate for simultaneous duct/pipe installations. Using ram cone attachments, the GRUNDOMAT soil displacement hammers can also act as rammers for larger steel pipe installations.

Therefore to deal with the changing and often difficult soil conditions varying from running sand, clay and compacted gravels and to enable the PE110mm (SDR11) cable ducts to be installed in just one pass, the highly powerful and accurate GRUNDOMAT 130P, with it’s remote reversing control, was selected by the Oman Fiber Optic Company. This easily reversible GRUNDOMAT impact moling machine is particularly useful when operating in confined exit trenches near or beside cable connection properties.

TT-UK/TT Middle East prides itself on after sales service, operational training and technical support sent their Customer Services Manager, Jim Albarella, to visit Oman to show the management and workforce how to operate the GRUNDOMAT on various jobsite locations, at the same time instructing the operators how to bore successfully in the variable soil conditions.

Following many successful under-road crossings, it was felt beneficial that the operating companies received the correct instruction in the service and maintenance of the GRUNDOMAT product thus offering reliable and cost effective trenchless cable and duct installations for many years to come.

This early project was so successful that Oman Fiber Optic Company went on to purchase a GRUNDOMAT 180 to add to their Trenchless technology equipment base.