Ever got to the platform to discover that you train has been cancelled? If yes the chances are that thieves or vandals may have stolen valuable copper items, like rail cable or electrical earthing components, without which the trains cannot safely run. In the East Midlands, FM Sudafix’s home region of the UK, the costs in compensation for cancelled or delayed rail services are enormous and rising, and this does not include the costs of remedial action. FM Sudafix Group CEO, Steve Hutchinson, commented, “Whenever I read reports of thefts leading to problems on the railways I can’t help but think that a theft resistant, reduced copper Conducrete system may have prevented the problems. As an Achilles Link-Up supplier to the rail industry we are contacted when remedial works happen and you can’t help but notice the waste; I would always much rather see our products and services used on a new project, which expands and improves the UK infrastructure as opposed to having to put something back that should be there.”

The thieves who steal valuable non-ferrous metal products from electrical safety systems expose themselves to great personal risk as injuries can result in death. Steve further commented, “Anyone who thinks that stealing copper is a good idea should check the internet and search to see the injuries that they could suffer. Desperate people, or those attempting to make cash quickly from stealing, often end up dead. The people who steal copper and get away with it often have the narrowest of escapes from injury probably without realising how lucky they are; in that way by catching and stopping criminals the British Transport Police are probably saving those people from horrendous personal injury.”

The FM Sudafix Group supplies a range of railway electrical safety products and services featured on a dedicated website, where customers can see the range, which includes railway earthing cable, rail contact kits, rail bonds, Voltage Limiting Devices (VLDs) and many others. The company is recognised for its ability to engineer solutions for railway projects, often finding suitable applications for the cost, time and life-saving conductive aggregate Conducrete, which prevents theft and reduces a reliance on copper products to create electrically safe zones.

If you have concerns about the electrical safety, or wish to safeguard operational continuity, then please contact the team.

Power projects of any sort provide vital services to the public and as such operational downtime must be kept to an absolute minimum. But what could lead to operational downtime? Fault currents can cause significant damage to a power infrastructure; however it is not always as serious as that, some maintenance activities may require a proportion of a power network to be temporarily closed down.

The JMI technical team has developed a number of systems over the years to overcome a range of challenges, including establishing safe testing methodologies for live systems, retrofitting new corrosion resistant earthing / grounding measures, along with the obvious need to provide effective earthing / grounding, lightning protection and surge protection provisions for power sites.

Steve Hutchinson, FM Sudafix Group Chief Executive, commented, “I have always pushed our team to offer superior levels of support in the power generation and transmission sector and I think they have done some really great work over the years, and I am really proud of that. We are fortunate to be recognised for our excellent products and services and that significant power companies all over the world know to come to us if they face challenges. I love the power sector, I find it exciting, and being able to visit significant power projects in all of the countries where we operate gives me a great deal of satisfaction, especially when I can recognise the improvements that we contribute.

“Conducrete, a high performance conductive aggregate, always proves incredibly useful in achieving the target resistance value, and it has been a big hit with power organisations all over the world.”

If you have any concerns about the effectiveness of electrical safety systems on a power project then you are welcome to get in touch.

“If people want FM Sudafix standard electrical safety, then they need to use FM Sudafix products and services, it is that simple,” stated company General Manager, Calum Heath. Recently FM Sudafix was alerted to an unknown company in Asia that was claiming to represent the sector leading British electrical safety specialist, and had even started advertising FM Sudafix products on their website. Calum commented, “I can understand why companies may aspire to be like us, but to claim to represent us is a step too far if they do not, and in this case when it transpired that they had sold inferior materials claiming them to be FM Sudafix products we had to step in and stop the situation.”

But what should organisations do if they are contacted by a company claiming to be selling FM Sudafix products? “FM Sudafix staff will frequently visit its agents, distributors, and partners; during those visits they make personal visits to the customers of its associate companies so it is likely that they will have met one of our team members. That being said if ever customers are unsure they should simply get in touch with us directly and we can advise them of the appropriate company to deal with in their locality.”

The FM Sudafix Group is very proud of its range of products and services and encourages companies to get in touch if they have any concerns about other organisations who claim to be involved with the Group.

In the UK the telecommunications infrastructure is mostly provided by BT and their position in the market is largely without comparable rival. Companies such as Virgin Media have competed with BT, becoming the service provider for hundreds of thousands of broadband users, but infrastructure has mostly continued to be owned by BT. Now it seems that Fujitsu is attempting to join in the domestic broadband marketplace and have targeted rural users as their chosen entry point demographic.

The government has a fund to help stimulate rural broadband initiatives and Fujitsu will be seeking to obtain a significant proportion of this finance, as well as relying upon some of BT’s incumbent infrastructure that the organisation has recently been made to make available to competitors.

Fujitsu is likely to be encouraged by significant internet service providers like Virgin Media and Talk Talk have already affirmed that they will use the Fujitsu infrastructure, but the scale of government investment that the company seeks (some £500m of the £530m available) is likely to make their proposal more than challenging.

Whilst Fujitsu’s plan would introduce some real competition to BT in rural areas it is far from certain, it clearly demonstrates that the seeming monopoly that BT has largely enjoyed for decades is going to be challenged from now on.

Whether the telecommunication company is BT, Fujitsu or any other organisation, they can rely upon the expertise of the FM Sudafix Group to help protect their broadband infrastructure. Broadband exchange cabinets face demanding challenges when it comes to electrical earthing due to the restrictive footprint within which earthing systems have to fit, the prospect of vandalism and thieves, whilst achieving the target electrical earthing resistance value. Fortunately the technical arm of the FM Sudafix Group can develop systems meeting stringent performance requirements, and this is made all the more achievable through excellent products like Conducrete, which is a conductive concrete, and has been used in earthing systems in trenches, boreholes, backfilled earth rods, encased plates and lattice mats, and even as foundation slabs.

When it comes to telecommunication earthing systems choosing FM Sudafix as a partner holds numerous advantages and benefits from cost saving to performance enhancements, so feel free to get in touch.

Numerous companies rely upon the FM Sudafix Group and SAE Inc. to protect their projects from the hazards of electrical faults. The partnership between the two organisations represents one of the most reliable and reassuring ‘safety nets’ operating within the electrical safety segment of the construction sector to date, but a question occasionally asked by companies who have not yet worked the partnership ask “is it just the product I need?” or indeed “can I use any products if I get you to design it?”.

In terms of using different products from those specified in a design, any responsible engineer would advise against this unless the products being substituted provide the exact attributes of the replaced item and that replacing it will not adversely affect the effectiveness of a safety system; our designs are always specified with exact products in mind to ensure that the system is effective and safe. Whilst it is certainly true that the products remain as excellent as they are whether the FM Sudafix Group and SAE Inc. have designed the accompanying system, it is worth recognising the impressive electrical safety track record that these companies possess.

The formation of the FM Sudafix Group united two British companies with proven track records, the material manufacture and supply company FM Sudafix, and the technical design consultancy, JMI. With the ability to supply materials and provide full technical support throughout the lifespan of a project, including beyond completion, the FM Sudafix Group has established an impressive reputation and presence on significant earthing / grounding projects domestically, Africa, and in the Middle and Far East. With a focus upon large scale utility and transport infrastructure projects the FM Sudafix Group has the expertise to add considerable value to project teams.

FM Sudafix is partnered in enterprise with SAE Inc., which was founded in 1990 by the renowned Canadian Professional Engineer Brien Sirola, who remains the company President to this day. Sirola’s achievements with SAE Inc. have been staggering and through his vision, and by utilising the decades of experience within the team SAE Inc. undertook the necessary research and development phase for their industry leading earthing / grounding products have been used on a range of prestigious facilities on behalf of organisations such as NASA; each project offered its unique challenges and opportunities to hone the SAE Inc. product range. With key telecoms clients including Bell Canada, Bell Mobility, MTS Allstream, Rogers Communications, Sprint PCS, Telus, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, SAE Inc. is experienced in a variety of telecom applications including central office switching, remote switching, cellular, PCS, microwave and fibre optics; their solutions work for a range of clients and it is for this reason that SAE Inc. earthing solutions have been standardised by Bell Canada. FM Sudafix is enormously proud of its association with SAE Inc. who manufacture a number of the most demanded products in the FM Sudafix product range.

The partnership of FM Sudafix and SAE Inc. enables them to jointly offer their value and performance engineered product and project expertise to create long-life electrical protection systems. These systems are based upon decades of proven, real-world experience engineering and building electrical protection and earthing / grounding systems that work, and their performance offers demonstrable benefits. Their innovative design techniques and product technologies combine the best of leading-edge academic knowledge with extensive field experience. This partnership provides an engineering design process that integrates site geography, soil characteristics and soil resistivity data with advanced computer modelling tools to ensure that their clients benefit from the most effective protection which directly addresses the specific challenges of a site and complete installation and project management services for the deployment of electrical protection and earthing / grounding systems.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of telecommunications in the modern world. Whether the individual concerned is a private person, or if it is a multi-national conglomerate, telecommunications provide access for traditional telephone calls, and also the infrastructure for internet access. With advances such as web-based voice and video conferencing, telecommunication systems continue to represent the portal to the rest of the world for many parties.

Potentially it is this important service to the public and private organisations that demand effective performance in all aspects of their set up, and electrical earthing / grounding and lightning protection systems are certainly no exception. Operational downtime has to be kept critically short as many operators all over the world may be subject to fines if it interrupts the service of large organisations that depend up such infrastructure to function. Also because telecommunications infrastructure elements are often accessible by members of the public, or located in and around public footpaths they have to be carefully managed to ensure that touch and step potentials are kept within safe limits in the event that a member of the public is in contact with the item at the time of a fault.

John Maher, FM Sudafix Group Technical Director, recently stated: “My team and I have supported telecommunications organisations with their electrical earthing systems from Europe, Africa to the Middle East. I really like the challenge that telecommunications networks provide, and I know that the team enjoy the unique demands of such infrastructure elements. Our partner, SAE Inc., possesses a truly ferocious background in telecommunication earthing / grounding. Brien Sirola, the renowned Canadian Professional Engineer who founded SAE Inc. and remains the company President has over 30 years experience in telecom engineering in operating telephone companies such as Bell Canada . He has achieved many great things in the telecommunications segment of the earthing / grounding sector, be it the design and installation of digital local telephone switching systems, design provisioning and installation of telephone long lines related to digital radio, FOTS and switching facilities. Brien has been directly responsible for the effective deployment of a 38 site development as part of the OPP telecommunications project; a 13 site power system upgrade as part of Bell Canada’s second digital route RF upgrade project and the design and construction of earthing systems for Bell Canada’s DMS switching installations. Being able to draw on Brien Sirola’s level of experience and knowledge is fantastic, because as robust as technical expertise of my JMI technical team may be, it is always useful to have a sounding board who has seen and done everything; that being said I still like to find those issues that get his attention for being a bit different!”

Surge protection devices (SPDs) can save lives and assets, and they usually look like a small box. On many occasions I have been asked ‘how can that little thing stop lightning blowing something up’ but the truth is an effective surge protection device can do just that. But lightning is not the only concern. Electrical surges are on the increase due to the increased linking and networking of components, the increased presence of devices that contain microprocessors, and by increased power demands and providing a reliable suitably selected device is installed these electrical surges may never cause loss of service, assets or data again.

Prior to the publication of the lightning protection standard BS EN 62305 there was a widely used lightning protection standard called BS 6651. The old standard addressed surge protection in an appendix, and most people working with that standard opted to out-scope that part. BS EN 62305 has made surge protection an integral part of the standard and the global lightning protection sector is now having to address this electrical safety aspect to continue to certify their systems as meeting the requirements of the standard.

Obviously identifying the correct brand and supplier is an issue, but FM Sudafix customers can be assured that I have satisfied myself that the range is reliable and effective. Indeed, I recently wrote an article for Qatar Construction Sites where I outlined a variety of considerations where the FM Sudafix surge protection devices represent sector leading technology.

I truly hope that surge protection becomes a more regular consideration for installers and facility managers, because for a tiny outlay of money these sorts of devices will provide a fantastic level of protection.

John Maher

Railways have always attracted the attention of criminals and vandals due to the value of the various cables used in the systems, but FM Sudafix is developing solutions to reduce the need for copper in rail earthing / grounding systems. As the value of copper has sold high in recent weeks, following a three year broadly trended increase on the London Metal Exchange, the attraction of stealing copper cable is unlikely to diminish, and this coincides with FM Sudafix Group’s technical team working to reduce the reliance of rail systems on copper items in their earthing arrangements. Police and internal security forces all over the world have to face the problem of copper theft, and this is no exception in the UK, where the FM Sudafix Group operates on a number of systems providing effective design solutions and earthing / grounding materials, including cable.

The British Transport Police have been taking significant steps in pursuing copper thieves and bringing them to justice, which is well documented by the BBC in instances such as: here where a unit from the force undertakes a raid at a suspected copper thief’s home. With copper thefts costing rail systems a rumoured £770m a year, it is reported that the only higher priority for the British Transport Police is terrorism and as such it is evident that their noted efforts are only likely to increase.

It is not only rail systems that fall victim to vandals and thieves who seek copper, as everything from telecommunications sites to power infrastructure and utilities are likely to incorporate some form of copper in its electrical safety provision. As such the FM Sudafix Group is committed to ensuring it remains an effective part of the supply chain to provide earthing / grounding system products, specialist rail and power cables, amongst other products, in the shortest possible lead in time. Whilst the FM Sudafix Group prides itself on its responsiveness, where it really excels is in the proactive development of electrical safety systems which protect copper elements, or remove the need for them entirely. Our technical team will be happy to help so if copper theft and vandalism is a concern then please get in touch.

Rail infrastructure projects are always exciting. Measuring progress on construction projects will obviously vary, however in rail progress is usually measured in kilometres or miles of track, and I think that is incredible, which is one of the reasons that I take great satisfaction the FM Sudafix Group presence on so many rail projects.

But what do rail customers seek when they come to the FM Sudafix Group? It could be a range of things. Usually first contact is made when project consultants or designers require assistance with the notoriously difficult task of specifying and designing effective earthing / grounding systems or to determine bonding / coupling requirements to ensure that lineside infrastructure does not present a hazard to the public. It could also be the task of designing, specifying and determining the requisite quality control and testing measures to establish effective control of stray current; indeed stray current management systems are frequently required. Obviously the JMI technical team has a long history of supporting these projects and I know that I speak for John Maher and his team when I say it is always a pleasure to help and form a safety net of support for project teams.

But let us presume that the conscientious and prudent project team have contacted JMI for its technical services, is that where the FM Sudafix Group ends when it comes to rail projects? No, far from it. These projects require high performance and robust products in order to provide electrically safe zones. FM Sudafix supplies a whole range of rail specific products, as well as materials with attributes that make them ideal for rail projects, such as Conducrete conductive concrete. FM Sudafix rail products include rail drills, rail cable, rail contact kits, pre-made rail bonds, stray current collector cable, surge protection devices (SPDs), voltage limiting devices (VLDs) including products that have been specifically designed to meet light rail / tram performance criteria, rail earthing / grounding materials and testing equipment for a range of rail electrical resistance performance requirements.

Whilst we always like to see the entire range being used on rail projects the best sellers are certainly the rail contact kits, which are used to affix rail bonds to the rail. They have to meet stringent performance and quality standards and are designed to be quick and easy to install. Rail contact kits are sometimes referred to as rail bonding kits or rail coupling kits, but essentially they all describe the same function. If customers decide to use our pre-manufactured rail bonds / rail couplers service they are complete and ready to install to pre-drilled rail using a rail contact kit the second they arrive on site.

Whether it is a sector leading JMI service or a robust and effective product the FM Sudafix Group is an ideal choice of partner for all rail projects, and it is for this reason that the company is sought the world over. Want to know more? Please get in touch with the team.

The Qatari construction industry cultivates and develops an excellent domestic knowledge base whilst attracting some of the best experts from all over the world. A concentration of this standard of expertise has resulted in some of the most impressive construction achievements in the Middle East. The ability of countries in the Middle East, notably Qatar, to set new benchmarks and in many cases pioneer the latest technological advancements in the construction sector is a great motivation for companies to keep improving their capacity to support this market.

A vital and growing section of the construction industry is the light and heavy rail sector. These projects are essential for establishing, improving, and eventually determining the future for any country’s internal infrastructure, and their access to international markets. I have been involved with rail projects for decades and I must confess that whilst I have enjoyed all of the projects upon which I have worked, rail programmes are very close to my heart. Rail projects, of course, are subject to idiosyncratic problems that you would never encounter on any other sort of build programme, which is part of what makes it all so very interesting.

As Qatar has a vested interest in domestic rail performance and rail projects occurring in the wider Gulf region it is important for businesses to respond to this issue and support the country. My close friend, and Chief Executive Officer of the FM Sudafix Group, Steve Hutchinson has spearheaded the development and launch of a range of products specifically to support rail projects. Steve has made his hopes clear from the outset of the initiative: “We embrace new opportunities and a key issue for our organization is redefining ourselves in the eyes of the Qatari market. It is ironic in a way because we are long established and renowned in the rail sector in Europe, and have been very active both in terms of service and product provision on a number of significant rail projects such as the Manchester Metrolink (UK) and Dublin LUAS (Ireland). On numerous projects we are preferred suppliers of practical, easy to install products such as rail bonds, rail cable, VLDs (Voltage Limiting Devices), SPDs (Surge Protection Devices) and many others; all of them obviously meet the robust performance demands of rail projects.”

Issues that may challenge Qatari rail interests include creating safe earthing systems for substations, platforms, cubicles and signalling, whilst ensuring that a robust earth bonding design has been undertaken to mitigate the dangers in cases of unforeseen de-wirement of the overhead line. Earth bonding designs for rail applications should make provision for items that may fall within the potential de-wirement area, or the running path of a carriage, which in the rail sector is referred to as the DKE, or dynamic kinematic envelope. An essential consideration for any rail project is that of the hazards presented by stray electrical current.

Projects may refer to stray current in different ways, but essentially it is when electrical current leaks from the rails, usually due to poor insulation. When direct current discharges from the rail it will seek conductive materials in the ground in a comparable way that lightning seeks conductive elements. If stray current discharges through an underground conductive element it is likely to corrode that item; this can include foundations, bridge supports and many others, and the damage caused can be disastrous. On one project where I was brought in to identify and rectify stray current issues I discovered a twenty-four inch gas main was corroding due to stray current that was discharging over a kilometre and a half away; that could have led to an explosion that would have been a catastrophe. It was also completely avoidable.

Adapting to the demands of Qatari rail concerns is not easy and will be dependent on companies sourcing the appropriate level of experience. In all of the many projects with which I have held responsibility for the electrical safety of the installation team and every future user of a rail scheme I have learned valuable lessons and companies wishing to become involved with these projects cannot take the decision lightly; the consequences of making a mistake could be loss of life on a staggering scale so any company making the move to rail have to sufficiently resource their knowledge base. That is a broader point for any business leader whose company operates in the Qatari construction industry; to survive and thrive it is absolutely essential that enterprises respond to the ever developing market in a meaningful way. All companies make claims relating to continual improvement, making those statements are a vital part of obtaining and retaining ISO 9001 accreditation, but these statements need to be backed by conviction, and even more importantly, action and ensuring that an appropriate knowledge base is obtained.

Ultimately the proving ground for the various claims made by companies is what happens in the market place. Organizations that claim to innovate, to develop and improve have to be able to demonstrate that. Steve Hutchinson feels very strongly about this issue and recently gave a seminar in the UK about this issue. “Meaningful change, such as that we constantly see at the FM Sudafix Group, is not an easy process. Determining new opportunities to enhance any aspect of an organisation, whilst ensuring that business continuity is sustained, then managing the transition and delivering it to market is a challenging endeavour, but for a company like ours we see it as essential to our continual expansion in Qatar, the Middle East, indeed the global market. Because we put so much resource behind it at FM Sudafix, it is disappointing when other organisations make comparable claims but then do not do anything to commence and manage change.

“A lot of the times the reason for the disparity between those claims made and actual performance is due to their marketing departments or public relations partners. These people have to say something and frequently they make throwaway statements that sound impressive but are ultimately misleading or at least not fully substantiated. In truth the most frustrating thing to witness in business is watching long established companies, who have grown and expanded over many years and whose customer base is largely sustained through project buyers following habits, decide that they would like to see an improvement in their business prospects but then do not do anything to change it. Change does not come about through repeating the same process and expecting different results. There are some big players guilty of this, but thankfully we are not one of them,” Steve Hutchinson recently commented.

Making the move into the rail sector is likely to be a rewarding experience for any organization, but I would encourage business leaders to fully evaluate the environment and challenges that face rail projects. With my career’s worth of experience, whether gained through direct responsibility for electrical safety from the outset of a project, or on occasions when my team and I have been brought in to undertake remedial design and re-specification to get a technical aspect right where others have underperformed, or more sadly when an active rail system has failed due to poor performance by others and we are brought in for immediate problem identification and rectification, I have always taken my responsibilities seriously. Qatar demands the best, and companies have to deliver this.