Vehicles and equipment: our fleet

A considerable part of a site's quality is decided before anyone arrives there, in the choice and upkeep of the machinery. Having the right equipment means being able to use the technique best suited to the context, instead of adapting the context to what happens to be available, and that almost always translates into fewer working days and less disruption for the neighbours.

For excavation we run tracked mini-excavators, suited to confined spaces such as historic centres and mountain roads, and larger machines for open-country sections. Compact loaders with chain trenchers let us open narrow, regular slots in asphalt, with far quicker reinstatement than conventional digging.

For cable installation we use winches, drum stands and fibre blowing systems, which allow the cable to travel long distances inside the duct without being stressed beyond its limits. Pulling tension is a parameter that must be respected: a badly pulled cable can pass its acceptance test and fail a few years later.

For overhead line work we rely on platforms and equipment for work at height, plus the full kit for safe switching operations: isolating devices, voltage detectors, and earthing and short-circuiting sets. For fibre splicing we have fusion splicers and OTDRs with which we certify every section handed over.

Every machine follows a planned maintenance schedule, with periodic checks and inspection of equipment subject to statutory verification. An excavator standing idle through an avoidable breakdown costs far more than the maintenance that would have prevented it, and above all it moves the dates we promised the client.