GB2607724A - Foundation for equipment enclosure - Google Patents

Abstract

A trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation comprises a base module 24 including a tray component 24a having side walls 32 and a base 30 and providing at least one recess 50 for accommodating ballast material. The tray component comprises support structures 34 carrying brackets 35 for retaining and mechanically supporting an equipment enclosure 10. The foundation may be installed on a solid, level ground surface without the need for excavation. Stability of the foundation is provided by introducing aggregate or any ballast material into the tray component to fill the one or more recesses. Cable access to the enclosure is provided by holes 40, 42. A lid 54 may be provided to cover the tray component. The tray component may be assembled from a base and modular peripheral walls formed of a stack of layers of a laminated wall structure (figures 8 to 11).

Description

FOUNDATION FOR EQUIPMENT ENCLOSURE

The present invention relates to foundations for equipment enclosures such as control cabinets found alongside railway tracks. The invention may similarly be applied to roadside cabinets, such as may house telephone connections, or traffic signal controls and connections, and such like.

Conventionally, such foundations for enclosures are made of concrete, and are constructed by mechanical excavation followed by back-filling with concrete.

The manufacture of concrete is highly energy-intensive, and is responsible for unwelcome generation of atmospheric CO2 resulting from the generation of the required energy. Transportation of concrete to an installation site will also generate unwanted CO2 and machinery will be required to perform the excavation, adding to costs and CO2 emissions.

The present invention aims to provide an alternative type of foundation for enclosures, which may be installed without machinery, which need not involve any excavation, which does not require transportation of heavy materials. Preferably, the foundation is removable and re-useable. Preferably, the foundation is at least partly made from recycled materials.

The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation, comprising: a base module formed of a plastics material, the base module comprising a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess for accommodating ballast material; the tray component comprising support structures for retaining and mechanically supporting a trackside equipment enclosure.

The embodiments of the present invention may be found to provide one or more of the following advantages: -The foundations of the present invention can be installed on a surface, meaning that excavation is not mandatory. This simplifies operation and may mean that no machinery is required on site for installation; -The foundations are light weight, preferably being made from a material such as rubber and/or plastic, rather than concrete. This also assists manual installation; -Stability of the foundation of the present invention is provided by adding ballast material. Any type of ballast material may be used, provided that it is stable and cannot be washed away or otherwise lost from the foundation over time. Ballast material may be used which is already available local to the installation site rather than needing material to be transported there and spoil transported out. This also simplifies manual installation and minimises material transport requirements; - No concrete is required. By avoiding the use of concrete, the installation becomes easily removable and re-useable. The manufacture of concrete is also responsible for significant CO2 emissions, and so reduction in its consumption by using foundations of the present invention may contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions; - Only a simplified civil engineering survey may be sufficient, as no excavation or permanent structures are involved; - The foundation of the present invention can be used for temporary / short duration installation, as it is relatively easy to install, and to remove. This is unlike the conventional foundations which involve excavation, spoil removal, concrete laying; - The foundations of the present invention are re-claimable and re-usable. The foundations may be simply disassembled and removed when no longer required in situ. Conventional arrangements are permanent or would require mechanical excavation to remove, and would not be re-claimable or re-useable; - The foundations of the invention provide a flat, safe platform, on which personnel can work.; - The foundation may be constructed from re-cycled material, which itself may be recyclable; and -By providing a range of mounting locations, the foundations may be made compatible with a range of enclosures for location cabinets.

Preferably, the tray component further comprises internal walls separating recesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure.

Preferably, the base module further comprises a lid covering the tray component other than for a hole for allowing access for cables and other services from a trackside equipment enclosure to the interior of the tray com-ponent.

Preferably, the base module is further provided with means for locating and securing a trackside equipment enclosure.

Preferably, the plastics material comprises a recycled or reclaimed plastics material.

Preferably, the base module is moulded as a single component. Alternatively, the base module may comprise at least two sub-component layers in registration with one another. In this situation, each sub-component layer is preferably provided with alignment holes adapted to receive alignment pins, such that when the alignment pins are passed into the alignment holes the sub-component layers are aligned in registration with one another.

Preferably, the base module is provided with reinforced joints between the side walls and the base.

Preferably, the base module is adapted to sit on an unexcavated surface.

Preferably, the base module forms a temporary trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation.

Preferably, the temporary trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation further comprises at least one platform module located adjacent to the base module and comprising a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess for accommodating ballast material, internal walls separating recesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure, and wherein each of the base module and the platform module comprises interlocking features to retain the base module and the platform module against each other.

Preferably, the platform module further comprises a lid provided with a non-slip coating and handrails.

Preferably, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation is modular and adapted to fit with other trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations.

In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a method of installing trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation; comprising: placing a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation on an unexcavated surface on which a trackside equip- ment enclosure is to be installed, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation comprising a base module formed of a plastics material, the base module comprising a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess for ac-commodating ballast material; the tray component comprising support structures for retaining and mechanically supporting a trackside equipment enclosure, walls separating recesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure; filling the recesses with ballast; placing a lid covering the tray component other than for a hole for allowing access for cables and other services from a trackside equipment enclosure to the interior of the tray component, wherein the base module is further provided with means for locating and securing a trackside equipment enclosure; installing cabling for a trackside equipment enclosure to the hole in the lid of the tray component; and installing a trackside equipment enclosure by securing to the base module of the tray component.

The above, and further, objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following discussion of certain embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows an example location cabinet 10 mounted on a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 according to an example embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a more detailed view of a component of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows an alternative component to the one shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows the component of Fig. 2 at a later stage of assembly; Figs. 5 and 6 show components of an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 shows an example trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 as illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 illustrates an example of a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 shows a location cabinet mounted on the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 illustrates an example of components making up the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 100 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 provides an "exploded" view of one of the components of the embodiment of Fig. 8.

Rather than the traditional concrete designs of the prior art, which are both challenging to instal (due to weight and/or construction methods) and have a significant CO2 footprint due to the nature of the concrete material itself, the embodiments of the present invention take an alternative approach to create a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation. The lightweight foundation comprises a base module formed of a plastics material, which preferably comprises a recycled or reclaimed plastics material. This reduces both the weight (and therefore the installation costs and challenges) and the CO2 footprint of the foundation. The base module comprises a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess for accommodating ballast material.

Ballast is typically available on site next to a railway track where the foundation is required (for example, tracks are laid on sleepers on ballast and this is typically stored close to a site where the foundation will be required), thus reducing the CO2 footprint further, as there is no requirement to ship heavy materials to the installation site. The tray com- ponent comprises support structures for retaining and mechanically supporting a track-side equipment enclosure. This enables an enclosure to be mounted onto the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation and secured in place. The support structures may also be set up to allow the enclosure to be removed, and once the ballast is removed then the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation itself may be taken away. Preferably, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation is modular and adapted to fit with other trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations. This enables several trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations to be installed easily at the same location.

Fig. 1 shows an example location cabinet 10 mounted on a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Optional handrails 22 are shown, fitted to the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation. In this example, trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 comprises a base module 24 and two adjacent platform modules 26, 28 but this may of course be adapted according to the particular requirements of the site in question. Each of the base module and the platform modules is made up of a tray component and a lid.

Fig. 2 shows a more detailed view of a tray component 24a of base module 24. The tray component 24a is provided with a base 30 and peripheral walls 32, to define the essential tray shape. Support structures 34 are provided, carrying brackets 35 to support the vertical loading of the weight of a location cabinet 10 to be installed on the base module 24. The location cabinet 10 may be bolted on to the brackets 35. Cable channels 36 are provided, and allow cable access from a central region 38, below the eventual location of the location cabinet, through holes 40 in the wall 32 of the tray component 24a. Holes 42 may be provided to provide access from the central region 38 to adjacent platform modules 26, 28.

The tray component 24a as shown may be moulded as a single piece, or may be manufactured from several pieces assembled together. Such pieces may each individually be planar, for ease of manufacture. In a preferred embodiment, planar pieces are made from a plastics material comprising a significant proportion of recycled material, held together by metal brackets and fastenings 44. The tray component 24a may be supplied ready-assembled, or may be supplied as a kit of parts, of plastic planar pieces and metal brackets and fastenings. Other assembly methods may of course be provided for.

The plastics material preferably comprises a recycled or reclaimed plastics material. One key requirement for the plastics material is that it is mouldable into a rigid finished product that is sufficiently structural to withstand the weight of an enclosure and to contain ballast. Whilst it may be desirable to include a separate reinforcement, such as reinforced joints between the side walls and the base (which may be the brackets and fastenings 44 as illustrated in Fig. 3 or separate reinforcement pieces), it is also possible for the plastics material to be reinforced by means of additives, such as glass fibres.

Suitable materials include thermoplastic polymers, such as polyethene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). So-called engineering plastics may be particularly suitable, since these are typically more robust due to their polymer blend nature. Examples include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC) and blends of these with other thermoplastic materials.

Recycled plastics materials may comprise the entire polymer or polymer blends of the plastics material or at least a portion of the plastics material. Recycled plastics materials are those that have been processed or reprocessed from plastic waste. Reclaimed plastics materials are those that have been reclaimed as a waste product or by-product of a manufacturing process.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative tray component 24b. Tray component 24b resembles tray component 24a of Fig. 2, but is intended to support a larger location cabinet 10. Support structures 34 are provided further apart than in tray component 24a of Fig. 2, carrying brackets 35, but otherwise all features correspond and are labelled with corresponding reference labels. As illustrated, tray component 24b is assembled from planar components, joined with brackets and fastenings 44. Such arrangement of assembly from planar components may be found to facilitate the provision of variants of the tray component, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to provide for different sizes of location cabinet 10.

In each case, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, cavities 50 are provided. In these examples, cavities 50 are provided at each corner of the respective tray component, but could be provided at other locations if preferred. When the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 is installed, cavities 50 are filled with aggregate or any ballast material to weigh down the structure and to stabilise its positioning. Other cavities in the tray component, such as the central cavity 38, may also be filled with aggregate to improve the stability of the resulting trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation, but such other cavities typically accommodate cables and such like, which would need to be located in the cavity before the ballast material is introduced. All that is required to install the tray component 24a as a part of the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 20 is to provide a suitably-sized, flattened area of ground, place the tray component 24a on the flattened ground, and to add ballast material into the cavities 50. A lid 54 is then provided to close the top of the tray component. The lid may be fixed in position by screws, or moulded lugs, or any appropriate fixing as may be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 4 shows an example, in which a tray component, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, has cavities SO filled with ballast material 52. In a railway implementation, the ballast material may be aggregate commonly used on railway tracks and readily available with little added transportation costs of generated CO2, since the aggregate is typically a quarried material available in large bulk quantities. Alternatively, the quantity of ballast material required for the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation of the present invention may be found so relatively small that the required ballast may simply be taken from the trackside. In a roadside implementation, similar aggregate may be used, or road chippings or scalpings, as examples. The ballast material serves to hold the tray component in place and provide a secure trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation. An appropriate lid 54 may then be placed over the tray component, as discussed above. Preferably, all required cabling and other services needed by the location cabinet 10 are installed before the lid is fitted. The resulting base module 24 is then ready for installation of location cabinet 10.

In addition to base module 24, embodiments such as shown in Fig. 1 include one or more platform modules 26, 28. These may be of similar construction to platform module 24.

Fig. 5 shows an example tray component 28a for a platform module 28. Similarly, Fig. 6 shows an example tray component 26a for a platform module 26. As illustrated, it is manufactured in a similar way to tray components 24a, 24b, from planar pieces joined with metal brackets and fasteners 44. Some of the metal brackets 44 illustrated in Fig. 5 may not be needed in all situations and could be replaced with a simple screwed joint. As illustrated, cable apertures 42 may be provided, located to align with cable apertures 42 in platform module 24 when installed. A closed cable enclosure 56 may be provided, extending between cable apertures 42. Vertically extending components 58 may form sidewalls to cable enclosure 56, and will also support a lid 60 (Fig. 1) which will be applied over tray component 28a in similar manner to as discussed above with reference to tray component 24a of base module 24. The lid preferably has a textured upper surface to provide secure grip for a user to stand on. A composite of plastic and/or rubber filled with glass fibres may provide a suitable material. Cable enclosure 56 may itself have a lid to prevent ballast material contacting cables in a completed structure. Alternatively, conduit could be used to protect the cables, allowing enclosure 56 to be filled with aggregate.

Platform modules 26, 28 are intended to be located adjacent to base module 24.

Fig. 5 shows lugs 62 attached to a side of tray component 28a intended to abut base module 24. Lugs 62 are also shown attached to a side of tray component 26a of platform module 26 of Fig. 6. Recesses 64 are formed in an upper edge of an external wall of tray component 24a/24b of base module 24. During assembly of a platform of the invention, tray component 24a/b of base module 24 is located first. One or more platform modules 26, 28 may be required adjacent to the base module. In which case, a tray component 26a, 28a of a platform module is located adjacent to the tray component 24a/b of the base module. Lugs 62 are hooked over and into recesses 64. This acts to keep all tray components closely together. By having lugs 62 of platform modules hooking over and into recesses 64, the stability of the base module 24 is improved. If the base module had a tendency to lift on one side, for example due to horizontal force applied to the location cabinet 10, that tendency would be resisted by the lugs 62 of the adjacent platform module bearing on the recesses 64 of the wall of the base module 24. If required for extra stability, a bolted connection may be provided between tray component 24 and platform modules 26, 28 after they are fitted together using lugs 62.

Cables and any other required services may be run through cable enclosure 56 and base module 24 to be accessible for the location cabinet 10. Adjacent the cable enclosure 56 in tray components 26a, 28a, are cavities SO. These cavities will be filled with a ballast material, as described with reference to recesses SO of base module 24. Once ballast material has been added, a lid 60 is preferably attached over each tray component 26a, 28a to complete respective platform modules 26, 28. The weight of the ballast material keeps the platform stable and in position. Lids 24, 60 are preferably strong enough in themselves to support expected loading, but extra support to the lids may be provided by filling cavities 50 to their tops with ballast material. Upper surfaces of lids 24, 60 preferably have a textured upper surface to provide grip for a user to safely stand on the lids.

As shown in Fig. 1, handrails 22 may be provided, attached to the sides of the platform modules, for example. Such handrails are conventional in themselves and may add to safety of users.

At some later time, should the location cabinet 10 no longer be required at its installation location, the location cabinet 10 may be removed, lids 54, 60 taken from the tray components 24a, 26a, 28a and the ballast material 52 removed. The base module and platform modules, together with the location cabinet 10 and ballast material 52 may be removed for later re-use. Ballast could alternatively be left on site and levelled out, to avoid the cost and carbon footprint of recovery. No mechanical excavation would be required, and no trace of the installation would be left behind.

Figs. 8-11 illustrate another type of embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 illustrates an example of a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A base module 102 is shown, and is intended to support a location cabinet 109. Platform modules 104, 106 are shown, located adjacent the base module 102, and are provided to provide a secure footing for a user. Optional handrails 22 are shown, conventional in themselves, and may be provided for added user safety. Support structures 110 are shown by way of example on base module 102, as component for retaining and bearing the weight of a later-fitted location cabinet 109.

Fig. 9 shows, by way of example, a location cabinet 109 mounted on the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 illustrates an example of the components making up the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation 100.

In the example of Fig. 10, base module 102 comprises a base 112, being a sheet of material approximately the same length and width dimensions as the base module overall. Walls 114 of the base module define an outer periphery of the base module.

Further walls 114 define interior compartments within the base module. In the illustrated embodiments, some of the interior compartments are cavities 50, intended to hold ballast material 52 in the finished structure. A central cavity 120 is provided, which may accommodate cables and other services to the location cabinet 109. In the illustrated embodiment, each module 102, 104, 106 is provided with vertically oriented lugs 122 and recesses 124 on certain walls. The lugs 122 and recesses 124 on one module may interlock with lugs 122 and recesses 124 on an adjacent module, to retain the modules together in an assemblage such as illustrated in Fig. 8. In addition to lugs 122 and recesses 124, provision may be made for a bolted connection between base module 102 and platform modules 104, 106 after they are fitted together using lugs 122 and recesses 124. Each module is provided with a lid 126, although the lid of the base module 102 is provided with a cable access hole 128. Support structure 110 may be mounted on the lid 126, or may protrude, or be accessible, through the hole 128 in the lid. Walls 114 defining interior compartments also provide mechanical support for the support structure. Location cabinet 109 may be placed on top of the lid 126, over the hole 128, and attached to the support structure to mechanically join the location cabinet 109 to the base module 102.

Fig. 11 provides an "exploded" view of one of the modules. Base 112 is shown, being a sheet of material approximately the same length and width dimensions as the base module overall. A plurality of sub-component layers 130 of a laminated wall structure are shown. In the illustrated embodiment, each sub-component layer 130 is formed of a sheet material of constant thickness, for example by cutting out of a plain sheet of by moulding into the required shape. Preferably, for ease of manufacture and assembly, all sub-component layers 130 are identical, being made to a same pattern in material of a same constant thickness. For example, the material may be 5cm thick, and three subcomponent layers 130 may be stacked to provide walls of 15cm height. As shown, and preferably, alignment pins 132 may be provided, attached to the base 112. Alternatively, alignment pins 132 may be attached to the lid 126 or may be loose. Sub-component layers 130 are provided with alignment holes 134, such that alignment pins 132 can pass into alignment holes 134 to ensure that the sub-component layers 130 are aligned, and remain aligned. Once the sub-component layers 130 are stacked onto the alignment pins 134 and onto the base, the resulting tray component 104a will be as shown in Fig. 10. In this example, in each corner, a cavity 50 is provided, to hold ballast material 52. Central cavity 120 may accommodate cables and other services for the location cabinet 109. Cavity 120 may also be filled with ballast, with conduit used to protect cables within cavity 120, if required. Sub-component layers 130 may be made of any suitable material, but a preferred material may be recycled plastic or rubber, optionally filled with a suitable granular or fibrous filler which may itself be a recycled or reclaimed material. In the illustrated embodiment, no cable apertures are provided in the walls 114 of the tray component 104a. As the sub-component layers 130 are assembled together to make the

II

tray components, sections of the different sub-component layers may be cut out as desired to provide apertures for the passage of cables and other services for the location cabinet 109.

Preferably, all components of all embodiments can be lifted and installed without use of machinery, for example by two workers. Preparation of the ground requires that a solid level surface is provided. This may be achieved by mechanical assistance, or may be achieved by manual tamping.

Each tray component 104a may be assembled on site by first providing a base 112 in the required location, and stacking the required number of sub-component layers 130 onto the base. Second and further tray components may be assembled in similar fashion, but preferably, lugs 122 and recesses 124 of adjacent tray components are made to interlock, to hold the tray components 104a securely adjacent to one another. One whole tray component may be assembled before assembly of the next begins, or two or more tray components may be assembled simultaneously, one sub-component layer 130 at a time. During assembly, parts of walls 114 are cut away to provide access ports for cables and other services as required for the location cabinet 109.

In the illustrated embodiment, support structure 110 may serve as a spacer with through holes that is screwed to the top of the lid to ensure the correct spacing of the mounting foot of the case of location cabinet 109 to the lid 126 to ensure that the bottom of the walls of the case sit at the correct distance from the lid 126 but not bearing on the lid 126. In a preferred embodiment, the location cabinet 109 is secured by bolts to threaded spacers 133, shown in Figs. 10 and 11, that go through all of the sub-component layers 130.

Walls 114 of the base module define an outer periphery of the base module. Further walls 114 define interior compartments within the base module, including compartments 50 for placing ballast material. Layouts other than those specifically illustrated are possible, within the scope of the present invention.

While the present description, and particularly the accompanying drawings, have illustrated certain specific embodiments, the invention may be embodied in various other embodiments, within the scope of the appended claims. While described specifically as trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations for 'location cabinets', the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations of the present invention may be used as trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations for a wide range of equipment.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the tray component may provide a single recess, into which cables and/or other services for the equipment cabinet may be laid, and the recess may then be filled with a ballast material over and around the cables. Some tray components may not need to accommodate cables or other services, in which case, all recesses within such tray components may be filled with ballast.

In some embodiments, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation may be provided without employing the lids 54, 60, 126. In such arrangements, ballast and cables will be exposed. In such arrangements, it may be preferred to fill all cavities with ballast material, to provide a flat ballast surface over the extent of the tray component. Drainage may be provided by holes 140 in base plate 112, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and similarly in other embodiments, to prevent rainwater from collecting in the tray components. Lids, such as shown at 60 and 126 may be grids, to improve surface grip, and so will allow rainwater to enter the trays.

As outlined above, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation may be adapted to sit on an unexcavated surface. In other words, no specific excavation is required to provide a base for the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation. A substantially flat, horizontal surface on which the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation can be placed and filled with ballast forms a suitable location for installation. Any variations in the level or inclination of the surface on which the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation will sit may be dealt with by using shims or levels, or by providing deeper recesses (50) in regions where the unexcavated surface is on an incline, such that the surface of the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation that engages with the enclosure is sufficiently horizontal for installation.

Claims (14)

1. CLAIMS1. A trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation (20; 100), comprising: a base module (24; 102) formed of a plastics material, the base module comprising a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess for ac-commodating ballast material; the tray component comprising support structures (24; 110) for retaining and mechanically supporting a trackside equipment enclosure.
2. 2. A foundation according to claim 1, wherein the tray component further comprises internal walls (114, 58) separating recesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses (50) for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture (42) for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure.
3. 3. A foundation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base module (24; 102) further comprises a lid (54; 126) covering the tray component other than for a hole (128) for allowing access for cables and other services from a trackside equipment enclosure to the interior of the tray component.
4. 4. A foundation according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base module is further provided with means for locating and securing a trackside equipment enclosure.
5. 5. A foundation according to any preceding claim, wherein the plastics material corn-prises a recycled or reclaimed plastics material.
6. 6. A foundation according to any preceding claim, wherein the base module (24; 102) is moulded as a single component.
7. 7. A foundation according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base module (24; 102) comprises at least two sub-component layers (130) in registration with one another.
8. 8. A foundation according to claim 7, wherein each sub-component layer (130) is provided with alignment holes (134) adapted to receive alignment pins (132), such that when the alignment pins (1320 are passed into the alignment holes (134) the sub-component layers (130) are aligned in registration with one another.
9. 9. A foundation according to any preceding claim, wherein the base module (24; 102) is provided with reinforced joints between the side walls and the base.
10. 10. A foundation according to any preceding claim, wherein the base module (24; 102) is adapted to sit on an unexcavated surface.
11. 11. A foundation according to any preceding claim, further comprising at least one platform module (26; 28; 104; 106) located adjacent to the base module (24; 102) and comprising a tray component (24a; 24h; 104a) having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess(50) for accommodating ballast material, internal walls separating re-cesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses (38; 102) for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure, and wherein each of the base module and the platform module comprises interlocking features to retain the base mod-ule and the platform module against each other.
12. 12. A foundation according to claim 11, wherein the platform module (26; 28; 104; 106) further comprises a lid provided with a non-slip coating and handrails.
13. 13. A foundation according to any preceding claim, wherein the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation is modular and adapted to fit with other trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundations.
14. 14. A method of installing trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation (20); comprising: placing a trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation (20) on an unexcavated surface on which a trackside equipment enclosure (10) is to be installed, the trackside equipment enclosure lightweight foundation (20) comprising a base module (24; 102) formed of a plastics material, the base module comprising a tray component having side walls and a base and providing at least one recess (50) for accommodating ballast material; the tray component comprising support structures for retaining and mechanically supporting a trackside equipment enclosure (10), walls separating recesses for accommodating ballast from one or more recesses for accommodating cables and other services for a trackside equipment enclosure; and wherein the tray component has side walls, at least one side wall being provided with a cable aperture for providing cable access for a trackside equipment enclosure (10); filling the recesses with ballast; placing a lid (54, 126) covering the tray component other than for a hole (128) for allowing access for cables and other services from a trackside equipment enclosure to the interior of the tray component, wherein the base module is further provided with means for locating and securing a trackside equipment enclosure; installing cabling for a trackside equipment enclosure to the hole (128) in the lid of the tray component; and installing a trackside equipment enclosure (10) by securing to the base module of the tray component.