Trenching for Telecommunication Cable and Fiber Optic

No doubt that trenching for direct burial cable is hard work but before you get to that you might what to know what method is best for you. Let's get into the 3 methods used for trenching.

First we have your hand dig method and this is used when there is not enough room for machinery or when extra precautions and care must be used to avoid an obstacle.

Here's an example of the hand dig method in action from YouTube.



Your second method is using a backhoe. A trencher might not be accessible in certain areas of your property. Now let's check out a backhoe in action.



When your cable route is open and free from obstacles a trencher is the preferred method for trenching. Smaller trenchers and walk behind types are typically used for small diameter cable installations and short cable runs, larger trenchers are of course for larger cable installations.




Depending on the method you decide to use, trench width can range from 3 inches to 24 inches and up to 7.5 feet deep. Don't forget to check out your Frost Depth Line.

Small cables may be installed using a less cumbersome machine that can be controlled by an individual walking behind it and readily avoiding obstructions. While some machines have limited use for long runs or large sizes of cables, it may be effective in placing smaller lateral cables or service wires. Many different machines are available, and your OSP installation should be focused on determining the best route and not the machinery for cable placement.

"By Mercy Salinas"

How deep should you bury your copper feeder cable, fiber cable?

One of the most common questions we get is "How deep am I going to bury this wire" when it comes to our outside plant copper PE89 cable and outside plant fiber optic cable. Let's find out.

Most OSP cable runs are never as easy as digging a trench, lay cable, done. Your burial depth will be affected by a number of things, for example:

- Crossing under railroad tacks, under roads and highways

- Lakes, ponds and rivers

- Natural obstacles like rocks and trees

- Outside industrial locations with possible soil contamination

- The Frost Depth Line for your location

Now that your thinking about your entire run a bit more, your copper cable should be placed at a minimum depth of 24 inches (610 mm). However, don't only think about what obstacles are in the way of the trencher but find out what future plans the property may have. For example, maybe an area of your run has future excavation on it's mind. Road grading alone takes 24 inches of the top, so you should bury your cable at least 48 inches. You should also double check the requirements of your local code.

If your installing an OSP fiber optic cable, they should be buried at a minimum depth of 3.28 feet (1 Meter) but once again, think about the future!

Site conditions will also be important when selecting your bore depth. Pipelines, sidewalks and roads are just a few examples of what will influence that decision. In these cases the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) and owner set the minimum bore depth.

You also want to install an armored fiber optic cable for direct burial installations. An "Outdoor Rated Cable" is not enough to be warrantied. You must have an armor for direct burial applications.



Enclosures should provide sufficient space for splicing and proper storage. Enclosure can be in-ground or above ground type. Marker post are recommended to be placed at these locations. Don't forget, to prevent rodent and insect damage it's recommended that all in-ground enclosures with an open bottom have at least 6 inches of tamped gravel that covers the bottom of the enclosure. Pedestals should have gravel under it for at least 6 inches as well.

Oh, don't you feel better. Now install that cable!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Outside plant cable, single armored or double armored?

The most popular Cat3 telephone cable for underground direct burial installations is your PE89 constructed cable. You might of also looked into the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Electrical Administration (REA) specification for filled telephone cables with expanded insulation to make sure you had what you're looking for.

Let's take a look at a PE89 Aluminum Single Armored Cable from our YouTube Channel



Now let's look at a PE89 (CACSP) Double Armored Cable.



As you can tell these cables are the exact same except the armoring. In section 9.3 of the REA specification a double armored cable is labeled as a (CACSP) for coated aluminum coated steel polyethylene cable.

When might you consider a double armored cable? On a personal level, I believe that the single armor is more then sufficient to support rodents from getting to this cable. The jacket alone is very durable and my hat goes off to the rodent that chewed through that!

Most of our direct burial cable sales are with a single armored but you might want to spend some time researching the installation area for what kinds of rodents are around and if it's a more populated rodent living area.


You might want to check out the North American Rodents Action Plan for more information.

It might not be a bad idea to also install a double armored cable where it may be submerged in depths of 40 feet or more. Here are some additional tips to consider for underwater installations.
    


I hope we've shed some light on this commonly asked question. Now it's time to figure out what you're more comfortable with, single or double. Wish it was as easy as deciding single or double from In-N-Out burger.


Questions? Don't hesitate to leave them below.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Outside plant copper wire and cable - PE89 vs. PE39

If you're really digging deep to figure out what cable will best suit your facility you might have noticed that two cables are very similar, the PE89 and the PE39. In the video below Mercy Salinas with Discount-Low-Voltage.com talks about what that difference is.


So the difference between these two cables, Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 1753F-205 PE-39 compared to 1753F-208 PE-89 is the method used to insulation the copper conductors. With the similarities so close to one another these cables before installation seemed to get installed based on the preference of the installation contractor.

Feel free to comment below.

Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Tips for networking buildings together with direct burial cable

External wiring to the building is called outside plant cabling. Outside plant cabling can support a wide variety of communications services such as telephone, data transfer, live video, security, building automation control systems and any other low voltage circuitry.

Keep in mind that you must install OSP cable in compliance with National Electric Codes (NEC), National Electric Safety Code (NESC), utility franchise regulations and local building codes.

Before you start laying your cable down OSP cable installation should be based on a 10 year outlook plan. You may consider that the building owner may sell portions of the property so it may be necessary to obtain property easements. Keep an eye out if the cable run is going to cross railroad tracks or other utility company right of way or a natural occurrence such as a pond or stream.


Your OSP cable run will need to be secure. You'll need to provide an alternate route in case of disaster recovery, location of local exchange carrier facilities and the physical terrain of the campus. Extra pathways should be planned for maintenance purposes. It's typically a good idea to check in with your local exchange carrier regarding their facilities within, or adjacent, to the building.

Three pathways are used in outside plant construction. Aerial, underground conduit and direct burial and they can be used in any combination. Today we're going over direct burial installation.

A direct burial cable system is similar to a buried coduit system and has many of the same advantages but, the disadvantage is the capacity cannot be increased. Your cable also doesn't have as much mecanical protection as a buried conduit system.

Things to consider are type of soil and subsurface conditions, the possibility of joint trench use, and the back-filling method. The minimum depth of the trench should be 24 inches unless the local code requirement differs. If a possibility exist of your OSP cable being dug up by accident you may want to bury it deeper for added protection. Continuous planks should be used and placed 1ft below grade level for visual warning. (Trenching in action below).

For direct burial fiber optic cable you need to put down a copper conductor along with your fiber so that your cable can be located by a cable locating instrument in case you need to identify where your underground cable is in the future.

When back filling your OSP cable examine and use clean backfill material. The soil should not have any sharp objects or large rocks that could damage your cable during your backfill. After your backfill is complete your now ready to terminate your cable.

Special thanks to Electrical Construction and Maintenance.

Questions comment below. Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

25 pair and 100 pair Cat5 Burial Cable Overview

With the flood of wire and cable coming in from overseas you have to keep a good eye out on making sure that you select a high quality cable so you can get a solid return on investment for your network.

Over the past few years I've seen many problems with overseas cables, such as the cable specifying that it was a 24 gauge but after the installation contractor installed it and had problems with making a proper connection we found out that the cable was actually a 26 gauge cable. It's hard to notice since the colored insulation is over the copper conductor. This is such a common issue with overseas copper cable that I feel like it's common practice. It's a dirty trick that enables overseas manufactures to offer a lower price for a false product. (Cool book, poorly made in China ).

Another dirty trick that gets pulled on the consumer is copper clad aluminum cable. Because the cost of aluminum is lower versus copper, these cables are lower in price and you may not realize you have purchased this cable until after your installation is complete and your cable tester won't certify that new cable you just installed.

I always recommend purchasing a cable from a manufacture that has been in business before the year 2000. These types of manufactures have been established and many fall under Trade Agreement Acts for the procurement of goods for federal contracts with the United States Government.

Now that we know what to look for let's look at one of the most popular selling Cat5 burial cables.

This cable is most commonly installed in outside plant installations and is your broadband backbone. The Essex Megapic cable provides an extension of the LAN beyond the premises. Installed in direct burial, underground and lashed aerial applications.

Available in a 25 and 100 pair count and because your purchasing from Superior Essex you can count on quality, made in America and Essex has been making cable since the 1930's out of Detroit.

Let's get a better look at the cable from our YouTube Channel.

  

When making an investment in your network, our 13 year track record of selling this cable gives us comfort knowing that we are offering a quality solution that will meet all your needs.

You can order 04-097-31 by the foot. If you have any comments leave them below.

Thanks.

"By Mercy Salinas"