Generating an assessment of the suitability of cables, ducts, tubes, pipes and/or other hollow-type of conduits to extraction of cores, conductors, insulation, etc. included therein while still buried in the ground or otherwise positioned out-of-sight so as to be unavailable for visual and/or physical inspection is contemplated. The assessment may be used to indicate a suitability of a cable buried in the ground of a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable plant to extraction of the type whereby a core of the cable may be extracted using hydraulics while still buried.

A method and reel design enables blowing cable from a reel into a mid-span access point within a cable conduit. The cable reel includes a central hub, a first flange located proximate one edge of the central hub, a second flange located proximate an opposite, second edge of the hub, and a third flange located between the first and second flanges. A continuous communications cable has first and second portions spooled on first and second reel sections. The technician inserts a first end of the communications cable into a mid-span opening in the conduit, so that the first end of the communications cable is directed toward the first end of the conduit. The first portion of cable is blown off of the first reel section. The technician inserts a second end of the communications cable into the opening in the conduit so that the second end of the communications cable is directed toward the second end of the conduit. The second portion of cable is blown off of the second reel section. Then, a mid-portion of the communications cable is separated from the third flange of the cable reel and resides proximate the opening in the conduit.

Novel tools and techniques for direct cable expansion are provided. A system includes a pump, a probe, and a coupler. The pump is coupled to a reservoir holding a fluid. The probe is in fluid communication with the pump, and is configured to introduce the fluid into a cable such that a channel is created, by the fluid, between an outer sheath of the cable and a core of the cable. The coupler is configured to attach to a cable, receive the probe, and position the probe at an interface between the outer sheath and an inner material of the cable adjacent to the outer sheath.

An apparatus and methods for pushing conductors into conduit and other structures are disclosed. The apparatus (pusher) can include rollers to apply a pushing force to one or more conductors or bundles of conductors. One or more rollers can be coupled to a drive mechanism. The pusher is configured to pull conductors or bundles of conductors off of one or more spools, and push the conductors or bundles of conductors without de-bundling or sorting the conductors. The conductors can be fed through the pusher in any format including side-by-side, vertical on top of one another, twisted together, or other formats. The pusher can include a guiding device that is configured to route the conductors from the pusher to a conduit through which the conductors are being pushed or pulled.

Method for installing an elongated element into a duct (6), comprising the steps of: pushing the elongated element into the duct (6) through a pressure chamber (12), introducing pressurized fluid into the duct at a nominal pressure, applying a driving force (F.sub.a), the method comprises the steps of: monitoring at least fluid pressure (p.sub.d) into said duct (6) and said driving force (F.sub.a), reducing said fluid pressure (p.sub.d) to a predetermined value lower than the nominal pressure,

A method for operating an elongated element through a full length of a bended duct being bended over a major part of its length, the method comprising the steps consisting in: introducing a liquid into the bended duct and maintaining predetermined flow and pressure conditions of the liquid into the bended duct, compensating a friction between the bended duct and an end of the elongated element being bended by the bended duct, by locally applying a predetermined axial effort to the end of the elongated element.

Provided is an offshore structure, especially offshore wind turbine, including a platform that is connected to the seabed, especially via a foundation that carries the platform, and an appliance, wherein it comprises guiding means for guiding at least one tube or cable along a guidance path from a respective entry point at which the tube or cable enters the platform to a respective connection point at which the tube or cable is connected or connectable to the appliance.

A method of laying an optical fiber comprises providing a continuous optical fiber, a first segment of optical-electrical hybrid cable having a first fiber receiving tube, and a second segment of optical-electrical hybrid cable having a second fiber receiving tube. The optical fiber is laid into the first fiber receiving tube using an air-blowing device. A leading end of the optical fiber is fixed in a transfer apparatus after the leading end passes through an outlet of the first fiber receiving tube. A portion of the optical fiber which has passed through the first segment is wound in the transfer apparatus until the optical fiber is completely laid in the first segment. The leading end of the optical fiber is detached from the transfer apparatus. The portion of the optical fiber which has passed through the first segment is laid into the second fiber receiving tube using the air-blowing device.

Method for installing an elongated element, in a submarine duct, the submarine duct having an entry port and an exit port located in outer liquid (OL) at a second depth, the method comprising the steps of: introducing the elongated element into the entry port, introducing propelling liquid (PL) into the entry port,
characterized in that the method comprises a step of sucking propelling liquid (PL) out of the exit port of the duct with an immerged suction pump being operated at a predetermined suction pressure drop (?P.sub.pump) of propelling liquid (PL) so that the predetermined suction pressure drop (?P.sub.pump) applied to propelling liquid (PL) is smaller than a hydrostatic pressure (P.sub.hydro) of the outer liquid (OL) at the second depth.

A device for use in removing a conveyance member from a material includes a displacement element (12, 1012) and a self-propelling driving element. The displacement element (12, 1012) is for being placed at least partly around a conveyance member (16) and for displacing material as the displacement element (12, 1012) is advanced along a conveyance member (16). The driving element is coupled to and movable with the displacement element (12, 1012) to advance the displacement element along a conveyance member (16).