New electricity service / supply cable trench help

[Upabit]

Hi,

 

We're getting a new electricity supply which requires a trench across farm land / pasture. I'll be doing the excavations myself and want to use a tracked trencher (Ditch Witch RT24).

 

Has anyone out there done this before? I only ask because national grid who will be laying the cable ask for a trench 1m deep (which is fine) and 300mm wide but (trenchers will only manage 100mm). Will they refuse to lay our cable if the trench is only 100mm wide?

 

Many thanks

 

[nod]

Unfortunately you will have to follow there dimensions 

[Kelvin]

They want it 300mm wide because the trench should be back filled with fine fill (sand) at 75mm all around the cable or duct. You can’t achieve that with 100mm trencher. Whether the guys that come to lay the cable will care is another matter but I wouldn’t risk it. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Kelvin

[saveasteading]

12 minutes ago, Upabit said:

if the trench is only 100mm wide?

Yes  you must do as they say.

my thoughts are:

 

in 100mm trench the cable would not be in the centre enough and they couldn't even see it properly in the hole.

in a wider trench it can rest better on a sand bed.

Also in a wider trench the backfill weight rests on the full 300 width and proportionately less on the cable.

[Upabit]

Thanks all