Joint-Use Enclosures

Applying a new concept

Imagine streets where all you see is attractive streetlamps! However, the base of each lamppost also contains power lines and other wiring for telephones, TV cable and public lighting. That's the new underground concept made possible by joint-use distribution trenches and enclosures.

This North American first is the result of close cooperation over a two-year period among various partners, coordinated by the Centre for Expertise and Research on Infrastructures in Urban Areas (CERIU). The new joint-use enclosure has the advantage of eliminating quite a few individual pieces of equipment, while reducing the overall cost of implementing underground distribution systems. The first enclosures were installed in new housing developments in the municipalities of Boischatel, Mascouche and Beaupré.

Underground distribution and harmonization of various systems within new neighborhoods-a concrete example of Hydro-Québec's efforts to cut the cost of underground power systems and encourage a growing number of new residential communities to opt for undergrounding.