HIRD Group
Trough-Tec Systems: Supplying Sustainability, Safety and Efficiency to the Trackside as Standard
This article first appeared in the Railway-News magazine, Issue 2 2023.
Trough-Tec Systems (TTS), part of the Hird Group of companies, prides itself on supplying the Green Trough product range, an environmentally friendly cable management system (CMS) manufactured from 100% recycled polymer. In addition to its core range of CMS products, and in response to clients’ needs, TTS has consistently designed and introduced innovative products including an elevated system for Green Trough, composite replacement lids for existing concrete troughs, and safe, anti-slip walkways.
All products within the Green Trough range are manufactured from 100% recycled household waste, demand for which has increased year on year. Last year alone seven thousand tonnes (or 7 million kg) of household plastic were recycled globally to manufacture Green Trough cable-management and anti-slip walkway systems. In consumer terms this equates to approximately 467,000,000 average water bottles. To help visualise this, the image below shows our colleagues Gary and Kyle holding 14kg of plastic between them – the amount of plastic that goes into every single unit of a 200 series trough, its lightweight nature being demonstrated by Lucy.
Whilst the product’s sustainability credentials are arguably second to none, the boost in efficiency and safety that Green Trough offers should not be underestimated. Green Trough is much lighter than traditional cable management alternatives and offers many material advantages. As a result, installation times are reduced significantly and it is a much safer product to handle, weighing up to 80% less than the concrete alternative. This means less resource is needed on site, and the need for lifting and handling equipment is negated: all of this maximises the costefficiency of possessions or installation programmes. Even with less resource on site, many more units can be laid per hour, resulting in a much more cost-efficient possession cost per metre.
