Drain pipe or duct?

[bigchasbroon]

I have uncovered this pipe and I'm not sure exactly what it is. It looks like a regular drain pipe but has these black unions that I'm not familiar with. I just fear it could be a duct for some cabling. I can't seem to trace where it comes from so that's adding to my worry . Any thoughts guys?
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums....MG]

[DNgroundworks]

Looks like a vitrified (i think thats the word) clayware soil/topwater pipe to me, the "black unions" look like plastic collars

[msh paving]

with the couplings i would belive its hepduct, used to duct cable,wires etc etc, clean off along it and see if it has hepduct stamped on it as that is normal for hepduct, is it in the way? MSH

[bigchasbroon]

It is in the way, a house needs to go on it! I'll check if it is hep duct.

[Tony McC]

I'm with Mark - that's HepDuct. It might not be carrying cables or pipework: they were sometimes used for other purposes including a bodged version of land drainage, but most carried either lecky or telecomm cables

[DNgroundworks]

Id say its hepduct

[bigchasbroon]

Thanks guys both Scottish power and BT say it's not there's. I'm going to make a hole in it this weekend and look further. Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing. The major problem is the 8inch gas main next to it

[Tony McC]

Sounds like a job for one of the apprentices! :;):

[bigchasbroon]

Ok here it is broken.
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums....MG]

[msh paving]

Looks like telecom cable possible fibre optic the grey one.have you used a volt stick to see if they are live.whats in the local area, was the site old industrial before demo.this is something that cant be solved by pix alone.
Use a cable detector to possibly find the line , using a genny box to induce a signal if no voltage, you need to do more investigation. MSH

[Dave_L]

I'd be reasonably confident in saying that is one of the latest fibre cables, are you sure BT said what they said?? I'd want to see some plans - or get them out to ascertain.

[bigchasbroon]

Hi
Thanks guys. I have plans they show the cable in the footpath 4 feet over. It was just a grassed area before.
Openreach want £200 to send a guy out to look at it . That seems a bit of a cheek to me. I'll see what they say tomorrow.

[msh paving]

Plans can easly be long way out, ive had it time and time again with utilities, tell BT you belive it to be fibre optic and need it looking at, damage to a fibre optic usually means anything up to a kilometre of cable replaced and will cost you thousands
MSH

[Dave_L]

I wouldn't expect a BT plan to be accurate to any degree, if fibre was indicated anywhere in the proximity of a dig, I'd be very careful indeed. Anyone excavating near this stuff needs to be either very careful (or lucky!!) and/or have good insurance cover as has been said, these cables are replaced in long sections. In reality a £200 site survey charge would be cheap compared to a breakage!

[Dave_L]

Anyway - this will all be a moot point - as these cables are in the direct way of your proposed build! So BT are going to be directly involved to a big degree at some point. I take it these cables weren't picked up on a site survey? Could be costly to move.