The rapid growth of content-heavy mobile applications and cloud computing means that the demand for efficient and secure computer hardware to store data is growing exponentially every year. This facility has many miles of fiber fibre optic cabling along with environment and supply cables in precast concrete cable trenches, which must be protected yet easily accessible and identifiable. Originally, heavy concrete trench covers had been fitted over precast concrete cable trenches.

Due to the weight of the previously installed concrete covers, they had to be small in order for them to be removed and replaced. Despite the size, they were still heavy and challenging to move making the process time consuming, requiring specialized specialised lifting equipment and creating potential health and safety risks. The concrete covers had become damaged over time due to frequent heavy loads and environmental factors, making removal even more difficult while increasing the health and safety risks whilst compromising the protection of the cables.

The client was looking for a simple, long-term custom solution which would enable fast, safe manual removal. The replacement covers needed to be able to withstand a maximum traffic load of 40 ton tonne (D400) and harsh weather conditions like flooding, whilst preventing unauthorized unauthorised access. Minimal replacement time was essential to minimize minimise disruption to the emergency route.