INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 - Safety Warnings

Edition 05.12.2002 (REV.1.0) Copyright  Nexans 2002 – All data subject to change without prior notice
2 - Working Practice

3 - Precautions

4 - Storage

5 - Generality
1 - Pre-Installation procedure

6 - Fibre optic cable construction

1 - Fibre
2 - Buffer Types
1 - Tight Buffered fibre
2 - Micro tube fibre
3 - Loose Buffered fibre
3 - Strength members
4 - Ripcords
5 - Outer Jacket

7 - Fibre optic cable specifications

1 -Tensile strength
2 - Bend radius
3 - Crush & Impact

8 - Fibre optic cable installations

1 - Interbuilding / Outside Plant
2 - Direct Burial
3 - Underground Conduit
4 - Aerial
5 - Intrabuilding
1 - Horizontal
1 - Conduit applications
2 - Dropped Ceiling & Raised Floor
3 - Cable in Trays
4 - All Pathways and Spaces
2 - Vertical or Riser

9 - Fibre Optic Cable handling procedures

1 - Pulling Cable
2 - Jacket Removal
1 - Patch Cables
2 – Distribution Cables
3 - Break-out cables
4 - Outside Plant Cables
3 - Core components
1 - Fibre Stripping

Important Remark : Installation is to be performed by qualified service personnel

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1 - Safety Warnings
Risks of inhaling fumes or of allergic reactions to
chemicals used to prepare and process optical fibres.
The installer shall have documented procedures for
the control of substances hazardous to health meeting
the requirements of relevant national legislation.

Risks of optical fibre fragments piercing the skin (and

the eyes), which can lead to infection and
complications due to the difficulty in their removal.

Risks from exposure to the eyes from optical power

either direct from sources (LED , VCSEL or LASER)
or from free interfaces (connectors, fractured optical
fibres, splices, etc.).

If fibre optic cable contains metal (for example:

corrugated steel armour, metallic strength member,
messenger) it is necessary to earth both metallic sides
of the cable. (Relevant national legislation for safe
working practices must be complied with).

2 - Working Practice
Certain chemicals used to prepare and clean optical
fibres may be considered hazardous when inhaled or
ingested by mouth. Other such as the epoxy resins
used in the assembling of connectors may cause
allergic reactions.
The following practices should be adopted, failure to
do so may endanger the health of those involved.

The work should be carried out in well-ventilated

areas or forced ventilation should be provided.
Prolonged and repeated breathing of vapour fumes
should be avoided.

Precautions should be taken to avoid contact with

eyes or skin or clothing.

Eating and smoking should not be permitted in the

vicinity of processing chemicals used since this may
represent an enhanced hazard due to potential
explosion.

In case of contamination a basic First Aid kit should be

available together with a ready supply of water.

All chemicals should be stored in clearly and correctly

marked containers and should be sealed when not in
use.

Exposed optical fibre ends must be kept away from

eyes.

Waste fragments should be treated with care and

collected (not by hand) together with other waste
materials and disposed of in suitable containers.

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 Under no circumstances should a connector end-face,
prepared optical fibre or fractured optical fibre be
viewed directly unless the power received from the
optical fibre is known to be safe under local control.
This allows inspection of components using locally
injected visible light and prevents the inspection of
components using light injection from a remote non-
controlled location.
The provision of the correct safety labelling is a
mandatory requirement on all products where
transmission features an optical hazard. All potential
hazard areas must be similarly marked.

Adaptors within Patch Panel closures and free

connectors should be permanently capped to prevent
accidental eye contact, which might result in injury.

The user should ensure that all authorized personnel

are aware of the relevant safety issues and should
obtain training where appropriate.

3 - Precautions

Never install a fibre optic cable if temperature is below

–5°C (Be aware that in cold environment the cable
jackets are stiffer and more sensitive to bending and
pulling. The range of recommended installation
temperatures of cables is much smaller than the
operating temperature ranges).

For reasons of safety, always unroll cable by the

bottom side of the reel.
(figure 1).
For same reasons, only LSZH-FR cables can be
installed inside premises.
fig ure 1

During the delivery of the optical cable the off-loading

of the reels should be monitored to ensure that no
mechanical damage occurs (kinking, unravelling or
twisting).

If fibre optic cable is installed in the same tray as

copper ones, always place the copper cables below.

At both cable ends, it’s recommended to leave a few

meters of cable for reserve.
It’s also recommended to leave some extra cable (+-
5m) at different places on the cable link (This makes it
easier to repair in case of a broken cable).

Always cut first meters of cable as this part can be

damaged by pulling of the cable, bending, water…

4 - Storage
Fibre optic cable reels must always stand upright.

Never forget to place a wedge to avoid that the reel

can roll.

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 On fibre optic cable stored outside, a cap must be
placed at both ends to avoid water infiltration.

Storage temperature range is specified for each cable

and must be respected.

Indoor cables must not be stored outside to prevent

water infiltration and UV damages.

If several reels are stored at the same place, take care

that flanges of a reel don’t damage the cable of
another reel.

5 - GENERALITY

5.1 Pre-installation procedure

Before laying the different cable sections, all reels
should be visually inspected for possible
transportation damage.

Before pulling the cable, to ensure of the stability of

the pay-off.

To avoid possible damage from a sudden stop, the

pay-off must be equipped with a progressive braking
system. Under no circumstances should the reel be
stopped by hand.

The route defined by the design should be accessible

and available in accordance with the installation
schedule. The users should be advised of all
proposed deviations.

The installer should establish that the environmental

conditions within the routes and the installation
methods to be used are suitable for the optical fibre
cable to be installed (Check the datasheet of the cable
used). If the route contains sections where the optical
cable is subject to high temperatures the necessary
protection should be provided. Look out for heating
tubes, which are not heated all the time.

Any measure necessary should be taken to prevent

the optical cable experiencing direct stress following
installation.

The installer should determine the locations at which

reels are to be positioned during the installation
program.

Where necessary, the minimum quantity of ceiling

tiles, floor covers should be removed.

The installer should ensure that all necessary guards,

protective structures and warning signs are used to
protect both the optical cable and third parties.
Relevant national legislation for safe working
practices must be complied with.
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6 - Fibre optic cable construction
Before more detailed discussion on how to handle
optical fibre cable, some brief discussion of fibre and
cable design is required.
Eliminating confusion between the different terms, and
providing an understanding of the cable construction
will make handling the products less complicated.

6.1 Fibre
The cable cross-section in figure 2 demonstrates a
Aram id streng th
m em b ers two fibre cable for interconnect applications. The
construction of the glass fibre can be looked at
Buffered fib er
separately from the design of the cable, as the fibre
Outer jac ket itself is constructed using distinct materials and is
shipped by the fibre manufacturer as a finished
product. Nexans takes the coated optical fibre and
incorporates it into a multitude of finished cable
fig ure 2
products.

All of the glass fibre used by Nexans is manufactured

Core using the same basic construction. Two layers of
Clad d ing glass are covered by a protective coating. As
demonstrated in figure 3, the fibre’s core and cladding
Coating
are both made of silica glass. It is these two layers
that propagate the light signal and determine the
performance of the fibre. A slight difference in optical
fig ure 3 characteristics between these two layers keeps the
signal within the core region. The glass is protected by
a dual layer of ultra-violet-cured acrylate material. The
coating protects the surface of the glass from abrasion
Glass c ore/ during normal routine handling, thereby ensuring the
c lad d ing Ac rylate c oating Tig ht b uffer
glass maintains it’s high tensile strength. The acrylate
coating, which also functions optically by stripping out
any light, which might enter the cladding region, is
removed for termination and splicing (figure 4).
fig ure 4

6.2 Buffer types

All of Nexans fibre optic cables fall into one of 3
categories: tight buffered or micro tube or loose tube
buffered. The 3 cable buffer styles exhibit different
optical, mechanical, and cost characteristics.
Originally, loose tube cable constructions were
developed for long haul telephony applications, which
required a rugged, low cost, high fibre count outside
plant cable solution. In a premises wiring plan this
cable type is often used between buildings, although
recent developments in cable design have produced
loose tube cable for indoor/outdoor applications. The
tight buffer cable construction was developed for both
indoor and outdoor premises wiring applications. Most
of Nexans tight buffer cables are rugged enough for
many interbuilding applications while offering the tight
buffer design advantages of ease of terminations,
meeting IEC flammability codes, and cable flexibility.
Notice: These tight buffer cables cannot be directly
buried (excepted the TBC cable).

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 6.2.1 Tight Buffered Fibre
A thermoplastic material is extruded directly over the
acrylate coating, increasing the outside diameter of
Glass
the fibre to 900 micron (0.9 mm), an industry standard.
Coating
(figure 5)
Buffer
The tight buffer supplies the fibre with added
mechanical and environmental protection, increased
size for easy handling, and a simple means of adding
fig ure 5 colour coding for fibre identification. During
connectorization, the buffer is stripped back to an
exact length as required by the connector
manufacturer.

6.2.2 Micro tube Buffered Fibre

The fibre at 250 micron is loose inside a micro tube.
Outside diameter of this micro tube is 900 micron (0.9
Glass mm), an industry standard (figure 6). The micro tube
Coating supplies the fibre with added mechanical and
M ic ro tub e environmental protection, increased size for easy
handling, and a simple means of adding colour coding
for fibre identification. During connectorization, the
micro tube is easily stripped back to an exact length
Air
fig ure 6 as required by the connector manufacturer. The big
advantage of this product (In comparison with tight
buffer) is that you can easily strip up to 1 m in one go.

6.2.3 Loose Buffered Fibre

In loose tube cables, the coated fibre « floats » within
a rugged, abrasion resistant, oversized tube, which is
Buffer tub e
filled with optical gel. Since the tube does not have
Op tic al g el
direct contact with the fibre, any cable material
Coating
expansion or construction will not cause stress on the
Glass
fibre. Much of the external stress placed on the tube
also will not be transferred to the fibre. The non-
hygroscopic gel prevents water from entering the tube.
fig ure 7
See figure 7 for a diagram of a multi-tube, gel-filled
outside plant cable.

6.3 Strength Members

Nexans ’s optical fibre cable designs utilise glass yarn
as the primary strength member (Aramid yarns are
also used in some cable designs like patch cables and
Buffer Outer jac ket TB cables). Some designs also use a fibreglass
central strength member. These materials serve as
the load bearing members of an optical fibre cable
during installation. In patch cables the aramid also
Fib re Streng th m em b ers acts as a strength member during connectorization.
fig ure 8 Figure 8 demonstrates a single fibre cable, where the
tight-buffered fibre is surrounded by aramid and
coated with an overall jacket.

6.4 Ripcords
Ripcords are designed to make removal of the exterior
cable sheath easier, preventing unnecessary stress to
the core. Ripcords provide a means of stripping back
the jacket without the use of invasive tools, which
could harm the cable core and damage fibres.

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 6.5 Outer Jacket
The true cable jacket is usually the outermost element
in the cable design. It serves to protect the cable
against environmental hazards and gives the installer
a means of managing the cable. Typical jacket
materials include Polyethylene (PE) or LSZH-FR
material.
Also without selectivity choosing the appropriate
jacket determines the level of fire performance. Outer
jackets are always stripped back to expose the fibres
at the point of termination or connectorization.

7 - FIBRE OPTIC CABLE SPECIFICATIONS

7.1 Tensile Strength

One of the goals in any optical fibre cable installation
is to complete the installation with as little stress as
possible to the fibres themselves.
For this reason, all cables are provided with a carefully
calculated tensile loading value, which should never
be surpassed. For optical fibre cables, the tensile
strength is the value that represents the highest load
that can be placed upon a cable before any damage
occurs to the fibres or their optical characteristics. It is
not the cable breaking strength but a realistic
allowable limit. Nexans specifies two load values,
installation and long term.
The installation maximum load will be a higher value
than the long-term load. The installation or short-term
load is the load the cable can withstand during the
actual installation process. It includes additional
stresses caused by pulling cable through, over or
around stationary objects such as ducts, corner and
conduits. Many installers will carefully meter the force
with which they are pulling the cable throughout the
installation to avoid accidentally pulling on it too hard.
After the cable has been installed it will be subject to
lower loads. This value is referred to as the installed,
long term, static or operating load.
The tensile strength of the cable will depend upon the
cable construction, and the application for which it is
designed. You will find both values in the cable data
sheet.

7.2 Bend Radius

The minimum bend radius is the value determined by
the cable manufacturer to be the smallest bend a
cable can withstand. Bending the fibre beyond
recommended limits could cause an increase in the
fibre attenuation at those points.
Sometimes straightening the cable out will improve
performance, but the best policy is to not over-bend
the cable. Like tensile strength, there are two values
associated with bend radius, installation and long
term.
The installation bend radius, again the higher value, is
the amount of bending the cable can withstand while
under the load of installation. After the cable has been
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 installed and the stress of being pulled is removed, the
cable may actually be bent to a smaller radius. These
values will again depend on the size of the cable, its
construction and intended application.
These are several common handling mistakes that
lead to cable bend radii being surpassed. One of the
most frequent errors is pulling cable through conduit
with too small of a bend radius.
Similarly, cable must never be over-bent going
through trays, between tray sections, or when making
transitions between locations.
CORRECT
Cables should be « swept » to prevent sharp bends or
corners (figure 9). Optical fibre cables are designed
for extra flexibility in closets or work area.
Unfortunately, it is often tempting to bend the cables
IN CORRECT
tightly over corners, to keep the cables closer to
fig ure 9
equipment. Bending cable over corners, sharp or not,
can cause serious damage to the performance of the
cable. Care must also be taken to prevent wrapping
the cable tightly around itself to be stuffed behind
walls at the user end. Cables should never be kinked
or knotted.

7.3 Crush and Impact

Cable crush and impact are often listed but rarely
understood details of optical fibre cables. They do,
however, provide some legitimate guidelines for cable
installation. IEC794-1-E3 (International Electro
technical Commission) details the crush test method
of a fibre optic cable. The intend of this document is to
provide a standard means of testing cables to
ascertain how well they either withstand or recover
from a slow crushing or compressive action. It details
the entire test procedure, which crushes a cable
between two plates while measuring any optical power
loss. The amount of attenuation allowed under a given
compression can be specified by customer
requirements.

Impact testing is documented in IEC794-1-E4 with the

intention of determination the ability of optical fibre
cable to withstand repeated impact loads, as they
might be forced to encounter during installation in
exposed or open access areas. Cables may be tested
simply for fibre breakage, or changes in optical
transmission characteristics. Crush and impact are
important not as laboratory guidelines but as they
apply to real-life installation situations. Optical fibre
cables can be run in the same duct or tray as much
heavier power cable. It is desirable to avoid placing
excessive crushing forces on the fibre cables,
however, by limiting the amount of « crossovers »
(figure 10) or placing the heavier cables to the side or
fig ure 10 beneath the fibre cables. If numerous heavy cables
are placed on top of a fibre cable a force or pressure
is exerted on the fibre cable, pressing it into the rung,
causing potential damage at that point (figure ???).
Moving or shifting already installed cables that have

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 large weights on top of them greatly increases the
chance of damaging the cables.

8 - FIBRE OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATIONS

8.1 Interbuilding / Outside Plant

Much of the truly long-haul optical fibre pulled is for
trunk or telephony applications, and is installed by
trained professionals using special and expensive
equipment.
However, routine cable installations in many cases will
see some amount of cable run outside. This can vary
from campus application with many long outdoor runs
to a simple 20 m segment connecting two buildings.

8.2 Direct Burial

Optical fibre cables can be manufactured in such a
way as to be ideal for long haul buried applications.
Loose tube designs make the cables particularly able
to withstand certain stresses, while the gel filling
prevents water migration. Specially selected jacket
materials are abrasion and UV resistant. Outside plant
cables have high tensile strengths to withstand
environmental abuse and pressures of direct burial
installations.
Trenching simply involves digging a hole, placing the
cable in it, and refilling the hole. Trenches are often
dug with backhoes and visually inspected for rocks or
debris that could potentially damage the cable. (It is
strongly recommended to fill the hole with 20 cm of
sand under and over the cable).
This is not a quick process and is most effective for
shorter distance applications. Cables directly buried in
the ground should be placed deeply enough to provide
adequate protection for the cable. This does seem
obvious, but the depth for different cables may vary
with their application, intended user and construction.
It is usually beneficial to attempt to bury cable below
+ /- 30 c m
Soil the frost line for any given area. One of the major
Cab le w arning
At least Frost
tap e hazards a buried cable faces is the possibility of being
50 c m line
Cab le
dug up. It is usually desirable to place a marker tape
over the cable but below the soil to warn future
fig ure 11 workers in the area that an optical fibre cable lies
below (figure 11). Armoured cables (cables with
corrugated steel or FRP (Fibre Reinforced Plastic))
are rodents resistant.

8.3 Underground Conduit:

The conduit used in outside plant applications is
designed to provide extra protection for the cables, but
can also offer certain installation advantages. Duct or
conduit for underground burial is manufactured using
rigid, very rugged, abrasion resistant material. In many
cities the “underground plant” is a series of ducts
placed under the streets, accessible by utility vaults or
manholes. Installed conduit is advantageous because
it offers a route for new cable installation or old
removal without damage to streets, pavements,
edifices, etc.
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 Conduit should be placed with some sort of pull rope
or tape already installed to ease future runs. Conduits
are sometimes placed with direct burial cable in
trenching operations, again for future use.
Inner duct or duct liner is slightly less sturdy plastic
tubing designed to fit within larger conduits. Without
providing the primary protection for the cable, inner
duct serves several functions. Many manufacturers
offer inner duct in diverse colours to assist in cable
identification and maintenance. Inner duct affords a
clean path for new cable installations: where cables
are already placed in duct it is difficult and often
impossible to pull new cable in the same duct. Cables
Duc t
can become, rub together, and sometimes block the
conduit when new cable is installed along with the old.
Fib re c ab le Inner ducts keep cables separate to prevent future
ct installation cable damage (figure 12).
du
er Duct and conduit are excellent for installing tight-
In n
buffered cables such as Nexans ’s TBW or TB cables
fig ure 12 between buildings. The benefit of these cables versus
standard loose tube Outside Plant cables is their ease
of termination (possibility to directly assemble
connectors on fibres without use of pigtails). Conduit
can also serve, as rodent protection in these short-
interbuilding installations where splicing to armoured
cable is not a reasonable alternative. Conduits can
economically be installed for applications where a
second trenching operation would be impossible.
Conduit may be placed under concrete banks,
landscaping, farmland or private premises where it
would be extremely undesirable to disturb the soil
after some time has elapsed. Cables may be chosen,
added and installed at a later time without disrupting
the environment. When duct or conduit capacity may
be perceived to be constricted, it may be advisable to
run extra fibres in the cable to be installed to be
prepared for prospective uses.
Notice: Conduit diameter must be at least 2 times the
fibre optic cable diameter.

Two ways to install fibre optic cable into conduit:

Cable pulling is the most used method to install a
cable into conduit. First of all, a pulling tape is pulled
in the conduit. The cable is attached to the pulling
tape and then the cable is pulled through the conduit.
Cautions: Always respect the minimum bending radius
and never exceed the maximum pulling force value
specify in the cable data sheet.
Fore more information concerning the cable pulling,
please have a look on the chapter “Fibre Optic Cable
handling procedures – Pulling Cable”.
Cable blowing is another way to install cable in
conduit. It consists of blowing compressed air in
conduit and the air pressure carries the cable through
the conduit. This is a specific installation method,
which needs very specific and expensive material.

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8.4 Aerial:
The full details of aerial cable installations are too
complicated for this discussion but a few key points
should provide some critical guidelines. Like direct
burial installations, aerial installations will often be
executed by utility companies with specialized
equipment for long haul runs. However, many campus
or industrial environments do see shorter links
between buildings that may most efficiently be run
aerially.
Although most optical fibre cables are intrinsically
lightweight, they are subject to stresses caused by the
environment they are installed in. Cables located in
aerial runs can be affected by wind and ice, creating a
situation that can cause the cable to stretch or sag,
pulling on the fibre. Under most conditions aerial
optical fibre cables should be supported by an
external support member, suspension strand, or
“messenger”.
Strong “wires” made of steel are positioned and
secured to utility poles along the desired route. The
cable is then placed along the route under the
messenger, lifted into place and lashed or tied to the
messenger with a steel or dielectric thread. Lashing
can be accomplished using standard lashers designed
for this purpose. Lashing strands should be chosen in
accordance with guides associated with the lashing
tool. As a general rule, there should be at least one
wrap of the lashing wire per 30 cm.
Messenger wires are chosen by their tensile strength
and size and the span distance per the requirements
of each application. Charts for recommended
messenger strands are readily available. Under
certain conditions fibre cables can be “over lashed”, or
tied onto existing lashed cable. Many variables have
to be taken into account, and the inability to place a
dedicated messenger must outweigh the benefits of a
known system.

8.5 Intrabuilding:
Inside a building, it’s strongly recommended to select
a cable with a LSZH-FR jacket (A major part of our
Nexans Indoor and Indoor/outdoor cables are made
using a LSZH-FR jacket material). In case of vertical
installation of Loose Tube cables, it’s necessary to
loop cable at the bottom end.
8.5.1 Horizontal
8.5.1.1 Conduit applications
Intrabuilding conduit runs can be in ceilings, walls or
under floors, with certain limits, as conduit systems
are very flexible. Conduit systems should be used only
when workstation outlet locations are permanent, no
flexibility is required, and densities are low. Under-
floor conduits are often embedded in concrete making
it particularly difficult to do additions, changes or
moves. Pull cords should always be placed in the
conduit to ease installation. Inner duct is an excellent
tool for protecting cables and making future
installations easier.
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8.5.1.2 Dropped Ceiling and Raised Floor
Plenum or dropped ceiling /raised floor runs can
sometimes be the easiest to install. Many dropped
ceilings or raised floors have panels that are easily
removed or opened to provide fast access to the area.
Most new buildings have dropped ceilings, making this
an extremely popular method of installing cables.
Raised floors are usually found in computer rooms,
although they can be used in many different
conditions.
Suspended ceilings consist of low-weight panels
supported by a system of metal frames or grids which
are attached to the ceiling using struts or wires.
Typically the panels are easily moved: When they are
pushed up they are dislodged from the grid and may
be pushed to the side. Although it is not particularly
recommended, smaller cables can rest directly on the
ceiling support grid. This is done at the discretion of
the installer.
Cables should be supported in some manner, ideally
in organized, easy-maintenance trays, wire ways or
racks.
At the very least cables can be supported by bridle
rings.

8.5.1.3 Cable in Trays

Cable trays or “ladder racks” can often provide a
convenient, safe, efficient method of optical fibre cable
installation. Trays can be installed in ceilings, below
floors and even in riser shafts. Some trays are
designed to be aesthetically pleasing, to be placed
BELOW the ceiling, in the line of vision, while still
supporting a multitude of cables. Frequently the tray
installation precedes the fibre cable installation, as
trays can be used for many other cable types. This
means that in many buildings a tray distribution
system exists and if the plan can be followed the
routes may be clear for the new cable installation.
Although the tray provides a sturdy support and basic
protection for the cable, there are still stresses the
cable will be subjected to. Optical fibre cable must
always be run in trays in a way to avoid as much
tension, crush, and over-bending as possible. Routes
should be inspected for possible sharp turns, snags
(sometimes from other cables), or rough surfaces.
Effort should be made to run the fibre cable without
pulling it under or between heavier cables or multiple
cables that will create added forces on the fibre. The
same holds true for moves and adds. It is desirable to
secure the cable to the tray to avoid damage during
future changes.

8.5.1.4 All Pathways and Spaces

If the optical fibre is being installed in wire ways,
racks, ducts, or plenums, some basic guidelines hold
true. Support the cable and avoid crushing, stressing
and over-bending it. Every cable will have values
attached for minimum bend radius and maximum
- 12 -
 tensile loading. In addition to monitoring the cable
pulling tension, additional efforts to support and
protect the cable will greatly lengthen its working life.
Cables should never be allowed to hang freely for long
distances or be allowed to press against edges in any
installation. When pulling cable in conduit all transition
points, such as going from conduit to a pull box should
be kept smooth. Sometimes adding a piece of conduit
beyond the transition will keep the cable from resting
on a sharp edge.
Bushings designed to fit the ends of conduit are also
available. Flexible conduit can also be placed within
boxes or at interfaces to prevent pressure against the
cable or scraping on rough edges. Flexible conduit
can also be added in areas open to frequent access,
such as raised computer room floors, when there is a
higher potential risk to the cable.
Complying with the cable’s minimum bend radius
cannot be overstressed. Many applications will
automatically present conditions wherein the bend
radius of the equipment or its configuration will
damage the cable if precautions are not taken.
Conduit bends pull boxes and joints must be checked
to verify that the radius is not too small. Inner duct or
flexible conduit can be used to ease or sweep the
cable around tight corners. The inside radius of
conduit bends for fibre optic cable should be at least
10 times the inner diameter of the conduit. Pulls
through tightly bent elbow fixtures should be back-fed:
the cable is not pulled from end to end, but out of the
opened junction, coiled loosely on the ground, and fed
through the rest of the run (figure 13). In tray and rack
installations the minimum cable bend radius must also
be monitored, as the cable will be routed around
fig ure 13 corners or through transitions. Where raceway or rack
transitions expose the cable flexible conduit should be
used for protection.

8.5.1.5 Vertical or Riser

The same critical observations must be made when
installing cable in vertical shafts or risers. Cable bend
radii and tensile loading can never be exceeded.
Cables in vertical runs should be supported as well as
possible, in a reasonable number of locations. Optical
fibre cables intended for vertical applications have a
calculated maximum vertical rise value assigned to
them. The vertical rise is the distance the cable may
be pulled (vertically) before being supported. It is
determinated by the weight of the cable and its ability
to resist buckling or kinking.
Split wire mesh grips (figure 14) work like basket or
finger grips, supporting the cable without crushing the
core. Cables should be supported by cable ties, straps
or clamps in wiring closets to avoid damage.
Whenever possible begin the installation from the top,
fig ure 14
allowing the weight of the cable to help rather than
adding more load.

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 Notice: If the cable installed is a Loose Tube one,
don’t forget to loop it at the low end to avoid the jelly
drainage.
Generally, it’s recommended to loop at 10 metre
intervals so the fibre doesn’t fall out or get stressed.

9 - Fibre Optic Cable handling procedures

9.1 Pulling Cable
In many premises network cable installations the fibre
optic cable is going a short enough distance, in a
straight enough path that it can be pulled in by hand
without the use of special equipment. In any fibre optic
cable it is imperative that the load be applied to the
strength bearing members of the cable.
Failure to lock the cable components together can
lead to elongation of the jacket material which when
released will cause the optical fibres to pull back with
the jacket and bunch up in the
Cable. When additional mechanical force is required
to pull a cable there are several relatively standards
tools available to aid in the installation of fibre optic
cable. External pulling grips (figure 15) are designed
fig ure 15 to lock into and tighten around a cable as a tensile
load is applied to the grip. The pulling end of the grip
is a loop or eye for attachment of the pulling tape or
rope.
When pulling Nexans Outside Plant cable with a
pulling grip it is important to remove jacket of the cable
and attach the grip over the top of the glass (or
aramid) yarns strength members surrounding the
cable core in addition to the outer jacket.
NB: If a multitube cable has no glass (or aramid) yarns
around tubes, it will be necessary to use the central
strength member as pulling element.
This can be accomplished by sliding the grip on the
top of the cable jacket past the end of the cable. The
cable jacket is then removed (the length of jacket
removed depends on the length of the pulling grip),
and a friction tape is applied over approximately 10
cm of the cable jacket and cable core. The grip is then
positioned over the cable core and taped in place.
This procedure ensures that the cable strength
members are utilized during installation.
A swivel should be used when pulling to make sure a
twist in the pulling tape or rope is not translated to the
fibre optic cable. It is also important to monitor the
tension being applied to the cable to be certain not to
exceed the maximum specified cable installation load.
Cutting a cable back 3 m from the pulling end should
eliminate any portion of the cable, which might be
damaged during installation.
Assuming the cable has been pulled and all of the
restraints have been properly adhered to, the cable
should now be ready for connectorization or
termination. A reasonable amount of spare cable
should be left at either end, and enough to reach the
work area where the termination will take place. In
some outside plant or factory-type environments the
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 cable end may have to reach a special clean room or
tent: this length must be considered when planning
the cable link length. Before termination,
approximately 3 m of cable should be cut off to
remove any piece that may have suffered stress from
the pulling tape or grip.

After cable pulling, if the cable is not directly

terminated, it’s absolutely necessary to replace a cap
at both ends of the cable in order to avoid water
penetration.

In case of partial use of a cable, both ends of the

remaining cable must be fastened to a flange of the
reel by means of a “bridge nail”.
Under no circumstances should “bridge nail” will be
higher than the thickness of the flange in order to
ensure that the “nail nibs” do not cause injury to
people or damage the remaining cable on the spool.

9.2 Jacket Removal:

For any fibre count or cable type, some amount of the
cable outer jacket will have to be removed to expose
the fibres. For simplex or duplex cables whose jackets
are designed to fit within the connector the length of
jacket removed will be specified by the connector
manufacturer. Typical values for outer jacket removal
for these cables is 4 to 5 cm. Multifibre cables will
have longer lengths of the jacket removed. Outside
plant cables that will be terminated in trays may have
over 2 meters of jacket removed.
Mark the cable with a piece of tape or with an indelible
ink marker to show how far the jacket should be
stripped.

9.2.1 Patch cables:

Simplex and duplex cable jackets are usually removed
no more than a few cm from the point of termination
and are easily taken off using standard buffer or jacket
strippers.

9.2.2 Distribution cables:

Distribution cable jackets can be removed using round
cable slitters or other tools that will not damage the
interior of the core.

9.2.3 Breakout cables:

All Heavy Duty breakout cables contain a ripcord for
jacket stripping. Once several cm of jacket have been
taken off, the ripcord can be used.

9.2.4 Outside Plant cables:

Outside Plant cables have ripcords to aid in the
removal of the rugged outer jacket. Care should be
taken to avoid getting the glass (or aramid) yarns
strength members tangled with the ripcords.

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9.3 Core Components
After the jacket has been removed to the required
location, ripcord can be cut back to the jacket. In
cables that have layers of aramid in the core (Patch or
Distribution style), trim the aramid (or glass) to the
necessary length as specified by the equipment or
connector manufacturer. Aramid is more easily cut by
scissors sold specifically for this purpose. Central
strength members will also be trimmed. Some are cut
back to the jacket so they will not interfere with
termination, other applications will call for the central
strength member to be cut to a specific length and
incorporated in termination (i.e.: some break-out kits).
Central strength members made with fibreglass rod
can be cut using almost any cutting tool. Buffer tubes
on Outside Plant cables are easily removed. Buffer
tube cutters are designed specifically for this purpose,
but it can also be done with a knife. Score one side of
the tube with the knife (not too deeply) and bend the
tube away from score. The separated piece of tube
fig ure 16
can be pulled off the end of the fibre (figure 16).

9.3.1 Fibre Stripping

There are a variety of commercially available tools
that will strip the buffer and coating off 900 µm tight-
buffered fibres or the coating off loose-buffered fibres.
Tight buffered fibres can be stripped either in a one-
step or two-step process. Tools sold for one-step
removal will take off the buffer and coating with one
action (To strip from 900 to 125 µm in one go). The
two-step procedure requires one tool to remove the
buffer (To strip from 900 to 250 µm), and one for the
coating (To strip from 250 to 125 µm). Taking the
coating off loose tube fibres can be done with the
same tool used for tight-buffered fibres, or with some
tools the blades can be exchanged for the two
functions. The amount of buffer and/or coating
removed will depend on the application and
termination procedure. Many connectors will come
with exact templates for this purpose. See the
hardware or connector manufacturer’s specific
instructions.

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