Cable & Pipe Ploughing
GT Jones Contracting provides specialist cable and pipe ploughing for utilities, telecoms and infrastructure projects across Wales and the UK. Following the acquisition of ATP Cable Plough and our investment in the Foeck Spider Plough, we continue to deliver one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible methods of installing cables, ducts and pipelines.
What Is Cable Plough Installation?
Cable plough installation is a trenchless method used to install underground utilities such as telecommunications cables, ducts and pipelines. Instead of excavating a continuous trench, a specialised plough machine creates a narrow slit in the ground while simultaneously placing the cable or pipe beneath the surface.
This technique allows long sections of cable or pipe to be installed quickly while minimising disruption to the surrounding environment.
Traditional open-cut trenching can require significant excavation, reinstatement and labour. Cable ploughing provides a faster and more efficient alternative, particularly for long-distance utility routes across fields, rural land and infrastructure corridors.
The Foeck Spider Plough
Our Foeck Spider Plough (FSP 24) is a specialist cable plough built for high-speed trenchless installation where agility, low ground pressure and reduced environmental impact are critical. Its four-wheel hydrostatic design allows installation across varied terrain — including soft ground, uneven land, narrow corridors and environmentally sensitive areas where larger plant may be restricted.
The plough opens the ground, installs the cable or duct, and allows the ground to close immediately behind the blade, leaving only minimal visible surface disturbance.
It is particularly suited to:
Agricultural land
Wet ground
Rural cable routes
Utility corridors
Renewable energy connections
Environmentally sensitive sites
Technical Capability
The Foeck Spider Plough can install cables and ducts to depths of up to 2.2 metres, with interchangeable laying chutes allowing multiple installation configurations. In a single pass it can install:
- Single or multiple ducts
- HDPE pipes up to 280mm diameter
- HV cable systems
- Fibre optic networks
- Warning tape and marker systems simultaneously
The variable-width chassis operates between 2.32m and 5.95m, giving excellent stability while remaining highly manoeuvrable with a turning radius of just 4 metres. With a laying capacity of up to 1,500 metres per hour, it is highly effective for long-distance linear installations.
Foeck Spider Plough — Key Specifications
Why Use Cable Ploughing?
Cable ploughing offers significant advantages compared with conventional trenching methods.
Environmentally Friendly
Cable ploughing minimises disturbance to the surrounding ground. Instead of excavating wide trenches, the plough creates a narrow slit that closes naturally after installation.
This makes it particularly suitable for sensitive environments such as agricultural land, protected countryside and areas where surface reinstatement must be kept to a minimum. The reduced ground disturbance also helps preserve the natural soil structure and drainage conditions.
Flexible Installation
Modern cable plough equipment is highly adaptable and capable of operating across varied terrain and ground conditions.
The plough can navigate obstacles such as rocks, barriers and hedges by adjusting the wheel positioning and blade configuration. This flexibility allows installations to continue across fields, verges and difficult terrain without the need for extensive excavation. Cable ploughing is particularly well suited to long-distance infrastructure routes where traditional trenching would be costly and disruptive.
Efficient Utility Installation
Cable ploughing significantly reduces the time required to install underground utilities.
The machine cuts the ground, installs the cable or duct and backfills the installation in a single continuous process. In suitable ground conditions, installations can be completed at speeds of up to several kilometres per day. This dramatically reduces labour requirements, project timelines and disruption compared with traditional excavation methods.
Cost-Effective
Cable ploughing reduces project costs at almost every stage compared with traditional open-cut excavation.
Because the machine cuts the ground, installs the cable or duct and closes the trench in a single continuous pass, far less labour, plant and time are required to install the same length of route. The reduced excavation also means less spoil to remove, fewer imported backfill and reinstatement materials, and fewer vehicle movements to and from site, all of which lower the overall cost of delivery.
Cable Plough
Applications
Cable plough technology can be used across multiple utility sectors.
Telecom
Infrastructure
- Fibre optic cables
- Communication ducts
- Copper cables
- Roadside communication infrastructure
Electricity Infrastructure
- High voltage cables
- Electrical ducting
- Street lighting infrastructure
- DC cables and duct systems
Gas
Installation
- HDPE gas pipelines
Water and Sewer
Infrastructure
- HDPE water pipelines
Rail
Infrastructure
- Multiple cables and ducting systems installed alongside rail corridors
Winch-Assisted Ploughing
For more difficult ground conditions, the plough is paired with the Foeck FWF 93 crawler winch, which delivers constant pulling force while maintaining low ground pressure. The crawler winch can provide up to 90 tonnes of constant pull — or 180 tonnes with pulley assistance — allowing installation through demanding terrain while protecting soft ground surfaces.
Its rubber tracks spread the load to a bearing pressure of just 0.32 kg/cm², with 700mm of ground clearance, making it suitable for low-impact work on poorly supported ground such as marshland and peat.
Cable ploughing forms part of our wider trenchless and reduced-dig utility installation. Where a more defined trench profile is needed, see our narrow trenching service.
