This article is about Copper Cable Direct Buried Installation and Commissioning of Outside Plant Telecommunication as per International Codes and standards.
Copper Cable Direct Buried Installation and Commissioning | Telecommunication
Direct Buried Installation
- Verify that prior to the use of any land or right of way for the placement of buried cable, a Client Land Use Permit is processed in accordance with General Instruction GI-0002.716, “Land Use Permit Procedure” and approved by the Manager of the Facilities.
- Verify that all direct buried cables and buried service wires to be placed are of the filled core type and comply with RUS PE-39 or RUS PE-89 or RUS PE-90.
- Verify and ensure that a minimum 50 mm depth bed of clean sand or select fill material is placed in all open (non-plowed) trench bottoms.
- Verify and ensure that all direct buried telecommunication cables are placed so that the minimum cover (on the cable) will not be less than 600 mm.
- Verify that the cable is placed on the sand bed, and covered with 50 mm of additional “clean sand” or with “select fill material” as defined in SAES-M-100, “Saudi Aramco Building Code”. Refer to Standard Drawing AA-036748 for further details.
- Ensure that the first layer of backfill on top of the 50 mm clean sand do not have sharp rocks or rocks larger than 50 mm diameter and no organic material.
- Verify and ensure that Orange colored marker/identification tape is placed at approximately 50% of the cable depth, but no closer than 300 mm to the cable. The following black legend shall be printed on the tape in both Arabic and English: : “CAUTION! – TELECOMMUNICATION CABLE BELOW)”.
- Ensure that the final backfilling layer (lift) have no rocks larger than 100 mm and contain no organic material
- Verify that the surface at grade level of the excavated area is restored to as good or better than the original condition.
- Ensure that telecommunication cables and power cables are not directly buried together in the same trench by the “Random Separation” method. Fixed separation as specified in Table 2 and paragraph 4.5.2.1 of SAES-T-928 is required.
- Verify that separations between buried power facilities (power cable, power pedestals etc.) and metallic member telecommunication cables is maintained and it is not less than 300 mm of well tamped earth.
- Ensure that buried metallic member telecommunication cable is placed inside a buried 4 in. NEMA TC 8 DB conduit where the power exposure at the crossing is greater than 15 kV phase to phase.
- Verify when a metallic member telecommunications cable is buried under aerial power lines having a phase to phase voltage of more than 15 kV, the cable must be placed in a buried 4 in. NEMA TC 8 DB conduit under the aerial power line. The conduit shall extend for a distance of 2-times the power line height on each end of the crossing.
- Ensure that separation of 300 mm is obtained between other subsurface facilities or structures (water, gas, sewer, CATV, etc.) and buried telecommunication cables when paralleling and a minimum of 150 mm separations at crossing.
- Ensure that telecommunication cables that are installed across pipeline corridors is placed below the pipes inside concrete encased buried conduits which have been installed in accordance with SAES-B-064, SAES-T-911.
- Verify that the minimum vertical distance between the bottom of any pipeline and the top of the buried, concrete encased conduit bank is not less than 1.0 m.
- Verify that the concrete encased conduits is continuous and at the same elevation with respect to the natural grade across the entire width of the pipeline corridor.
- Ensure that service point (manhole, pedestal, buried splice, etc.) are not be closer than 25 m to any pipeline in the corridor (refer to SAES-B-064).
- Ensure that telecommunications cables are not closer than 5 m to any pipeline when crossing roads, streets, wadi and railroads.
- Ensure that the length of an individual buried service wire do not exceed 150 m.
- On long straight runs of buried cable, ensure that marker posts are placed no further than 100 meters apart.
- Ensure that marker posts are placed at the ends of conduits used at roads, railroad, pipeline, and utility crossings, and at changes of direction and at 30 meters spacing within plant areas.
Copper Cable Splicing and Identification
- Verify that proper cable racking and preparation for cable opening for the type of splice closure involved is made prior cable splicing. (refer to GTE 632-100-213).
- Verify and ensure that the proper bonding clips are installed on each cable end for making reliable electrical connections to the aluminum shield. (refer to GTE 632-100-213).
- Verify and ensure that a proper splicing crimping tool is provided prior the start of the cable splicing operation. (refer to GTE 632-100-213).
- Verify and ensure that proper type connecter is provided for the required cable splicing operation prior commencing the cable splicing activity.
- If type AMP connectors to be use, ensure that at least one connector is checked for mechanical quality of crimp, with the crimp gauge, at the beginning and end of each shift and after every 100 pairs are connected. ( refer to GTE 632-100-213, para. 5).
- If the 3M Scotchlok type UR, UG or UY discrete connectors are to be used, ensure that only standard E9 crimping tool (E9-E or E9-Y) is used during the cable splicing operation {the use of plier-type tools (needle-nose, wire cutters, etc.) cause incomplete crimp or connector damage. ( refer to GTE 632-100-202, para. 6).
- Verify and ensure that the copper cable is properly identified using applicable Saudi Aramco cable designation symbols as specified in SAES-T-018.
Commissioning
Verify that all Pre-Commissioning Phase Quality Control Activities are complied.
Standards Codes and References for Telecom Ductbank, Plastic Conduit, Sleeves, Innerduct
1. SAES-T-916, Telecommunications Building Cable Systems.
2. Standard Drawing, Buried Telephone Cable /Distribution Wire Installation Details.
3. SAES-T-632, Communications Cable Splicing.
4. SAES-T-928. Telecommunications – OSP Buried Plant.
Telecom Closet / Telecom Equipment Room Size And Location.
Telecommunications Infrastructure Design Process.
ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard.
Telecommunications Outside Plant Systems Design SAES-T-938 Download.