Anti-theft solutions for copper cables: questions

[Sempronio1960]

Do you know these

http://bernatom.com/uk_savoir-faire-recouvrement-cables-cuivre.php

http://bazkideblog.eraikune.com/2012/05/sistema-antirrobo-de-cables-de-cobre/

?
Any experiences?
I like the first.
Do you have other suggestions?

 

[cranky108]

There are past threads on this subject. However we are not interested in solutions from out side the US because they don't work as well, and they are harder to purchase. What we do is to paint the copper a gray color so it dosen't look like copper. We also work with the local police, and a securty firm, as well as installing camaras, and other notifying systems.

What we have found is these desprate people usually have an addiction problem, which is why hit substations close to there homes.

 

[rterickson]

In California, a lot of effort has been dedicated to making it harder for thieves to sell stolen copper. For example, printing the utility name and purchase order number on each strand of copper, or copper-clad steel ground cables (worthless as scrap).

Locally, one of the best deterrents has been a new law that recycling centers cannot accept materials carried by bicycle or on foot. You must at least turn up in a registered vehicle.

 

[davidbeach]

Something I think that would help considerably would be that the recycling center was required to mail the payment to a state agency that would then hold it in escrow for 90 days before the payment is forwarded to the person who brought in the material. No more quick cash.

 

[cranky108]

The no more quick cash, and requireing an ID has helped, aling with the police enforcing the law about recieving stolen property.

Turns out the theves want quick cash, and they don't want to go far to get it. Who would of thought that theves are lazy.

Now from the news theves are stealing outdoor air conditioning units, hijacking plumbers trucks, and steeling man hole covers (which we have been welding down).

 

[cvance]

Not sure of your exact problem, but it looks like you are looking for solutions for current carrying conductors. rterickson's suggestions for ground conductors are two suitable methods for bare conductors. Copperweld conductor typically deters thieves at the site (harder to cut). Although if you use copperweld type conductor, make sure your ground calculations reflect the higher resistivity of this material and the commonly used 19/9 size is most equivalent to a 250 kcmil conductor, typically requiring larger compression lugs (if that is your method of attaching to equipment and structures). Tracer type copper condcutor such as Link are good for assisting law enforcement in catching thieves after the fact. Another method is to spray paint bare copper grounds with a bright fluoresent color, which will have a similar tracability as the tracer wire.

As far as current carrying conductors, as your links showed, I would not recommend a foam fill solution if any real power is transferred on your conductors as I would be wary of the lack of heat disapation and the loss of replacing or adding cables in the foam filled trench later on. At that point, might as well use a conduit system with camlock handholes. If you need a trench, you can get cover lock kits in new installations such as Link I don't know if you can retrofit an existing trench with locks. Maybe a call to a few manufactures would be in order.

 

[cranky108]

Another option for cable trench, is to use the heaver cement lids. Either way the substations guys will hate it.

Painting the copper wire is probally the easest and quickest, and it makes it difficult sell without removing the paint. Although I never thought of a floresent color.

 

[Sempronio1960]

Yhans to all for your suggestions. My problems doesn't concern copperweld but insulated cables in cable trenchs, as in

http://bernatom.com/uk_savoir-faire-recouvrement-cables-cuivre.php:

the currents are little.

 

[cranky108]

One is you can tie them into bundles every 15 feet, and include an anchor in the tie. This way if they manage to pull the cable out they will likely only get 15 feet.
We had a simular problem with the safty ground in the cable trench, and between tieing it down, and covering it with sand (and catching the guys who were stealing it), the problem has gone away.

You can also use some of the spare conductors in an alarm circuit.

Or simular to the above, use cable with a steel messanger.

 

[Padlock01]

Hi In South Africa,
Stealing copper wire from substation and the like is rampent here, in 1994 a new cable was designed it is more expensive however read the details below it might help


Kwena Anti-Theft Cables
The ever increasing loss of copper cables throughout Southern Africa and the Far East has led Flexicor Cables to carry out numerous stringent tests on its Kwena earthing conductor cables to prove its effectiveness and quality. Kwena cable has been tries and tested and was patented in 1994. The construction of Kwena makes it uneconomical for bucket shops to recover the copper. The complex weave and steel wires embedded in the cable damages cropping machines situated in bucket shops. Thieves are therefore learning that there is no advantages to stealing this cable as there is no demand. The cable has a distinct appearance that has become recognizable by thieves and scrap dealers. The diameter of Kwena is slightly larger than its conventional copper equivalent due to the complexity of the make-up. Kwena 'anti-theft' earthing strap was developed and patented by Walro Flex, a division of Pomodzi Industrials. Kwena is manufactured under license and distributed by Flexicor Cables.