Cable theft prevention company Cable Theft Solutions reports that it has the exclusive rights to a locally patented cable-theft-prevention product that makes use of redundant truck tyres to create a durable tamperproof shield for underground cables.

The product, which was patented by a South African inventor, prevents cables from being directly accessed or dragged from the ground, as is the case in the majority of underground cable theft instances.

It also thwarts the common occurrence whereby small lengths of exposed cables are cut by thieves.

Cable Theft Solutions regional manager Patrick Wharton-Hood says the extra reinforcement and strength of truck tyres made this the ideal material choice. He explains that high-pressure hydraulic cutting machines are used to cut the tyres into usable pieces.

The product is installed by placing a length of the flattened reinforced tyre under the cable and a second length of tyre on top of the cable. The two sections of tyre are bolted together with coach screws, which are then welded together.

Further, processed tyre side walls are installed above the protected cable to prevent tampering and extraction. The cable is then buried and compacted to specification. “A team of six installers can complete around 200 m a day,” says Wharton-Hood.

Each tyre can provide around 3.2 m of coverage.

“Without heavy-duty equipment, the correct tools and plenty of time, the cable cannot be accessed by thieves.”

The solution is modular and can be implemented across the entire length of a cabled network, or progressively applied to sections as the need arises. Owing to this technique, the protection mechanism can be applied to existing underground cables and new cable networks.

In addition, the product is safe and environment friendly. The protection mechanism is an innovative method of recycling truck tyres without causing further damage to the environment. Wharton-Hood says it is well known that tyre rubber does not decay or decompose when buried underground.

Conventional methods of tyre recycling include burning – as an alternative to coal – processing to allow remanufacturing of composite products and discard in landfills.

Unprocessed and uncut tyres take up large amounts of space in landfills and, in their original form, are prone to rise to the surface, resulting in cluttering at landfills.

“All these processes have a distinct negative impact on the environment,” he says.

He notes that the disposal of tyres has caused international concern and, as a result, local laws are being proposed whereby a tax will be levied on new tyres to pay for the collection and recycling of old tyres.

“Owing to the pressure placed on trucking companies, many are now willing to deliver used tyres to Cable Theft Solutions for recycling.”

Meanwhile, the detection of electrical faults in the cable network remains a priority. The protection mechanism does not affect the conventional methods of fault detection, says Wharton-Hood.

The company provides postinstallation training, which enables the client to remove the protective barrier to make the necessary repairs.

Power utility Johannesburg City Power, State-owned freight logistics group Transnet and the Lesedi municipality, in Heidelberg, Gauteng, already use the cable protection system.

“The solution was tested for 18 months before Johannesburg City Power started using the product in September,” he says.

Wharton-Hood adds that the power utility has not experienced any incidents of cable theft in the areas where the protection mechanism is installed.

Further, he highlights that, in June, the company discovered that a section of Transnet’s unprotected cables had been stolen, while the cables alongside that have the theft barrier were untouched.

The company also has several pilot sites in the pipeline with other parastatal entities, corporate companies and private network owners in other provinces.

The product can be installed at a cost of between R200/m and R280/m, depend- ing on client and site requirements. The price includes an insurance policy, which will ensure that the product and cable are replaced in the event of theft, concludes Wharton-Hood.