ECM Outside Plant

Part 1 - Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design Issues
Jan 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Arlyn S. Powell, Jr., Editorial Consultant
This article kicks off EC&M’s yearlong coverage of how cabling contractors can generate new business in
customer-owned outside plant (CO-OSP) design work.
Although outside-plant (OSP) work has been around for a long time, it is foreign territory to most cabling
contractors. This is not surprising when you consider that all OSP infrastructure fell under the jurisdiction
of the Bell telephone public network for decades. However, with the divestiture of the Bell system in the
mid-1980s, this situation changed drastically. Suddenly, the cabling infrastructure on a customer's
premises (buildings and grounds) became private property. Thus, customer-owned outside plant (CO-
OSP) was born.
However, for a decade following the Bell

breakup, CO-OSP was in limbo: It was no
longer part of the public network, yet the
premises cabling community didn't
recognize it. Two recent events changed
this. The first was the publication of
ANSI/TIA/EIA 758, Customer-Owned
Outside Plant Telecommunications
Cabling Standard, which was developed
by the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA) and “provides the requirements used in the design of telecommunications pathways
and spaces, and the cabling installed between buildings or points in a customer-owned campus
environment.” The second was the recognition by BICSI of CO-OSP as a subspecialty for cabling
infrastructure designers. Today, this niche is an important subspecialty for cabling installations on military
facilities, industrial complexes, business parks, shopping malls, health-care facilities, prisons, schools,
colleges, and universities.
Why is CO-OSP work important for cabling contractors? Understanding how it fits into the overall scheme
of a project gives them an opportunity to gain more business from this specialized subcontract work.
That's why EC&M has committed to a yearlong series on how high-tech contractors can become OSP
experts and generate new streams of
revenue.
To help you learn more about CO-OSP,

EC&M will cover one chapter of the
Second Edition of the Customer-Owned
Outside Plant Design Manual (published
by BICSI and available in hard copy and
CD-ROM versions) each month this year,
followed by a summary and a discussion
of your questions and comments in the
December 2002 issue. Why is this manual
so important? In conjunction with
publication of the technical manual, BICSI
designed a training course for those who
wish to specialize in this type of work.
Holders of BICSI's Registered
Communications Distribution Designer
(RCDD) designation have recently been able to take this course, study the manual, and take an exam.
Those who pass the exam receive a CO-OSP specialist designation, much like BICSI's earlier LAN
specialist designation. Any contractors interested in earning CO-OSP accreditation through BICSI should
contact the organization directly.
Chapter 1 of the manual presents an overview of the CO-OSP network, including a section on the
purpose of U.S. codes and standards. It begins by defining outside plant as all of the cabling
infrastructure between the central office of the telephone company or the head end of the cable provider
and the customer's premises (Fig. 1, above, top). Generally, OSP is broken down into three types of
cabling: aerial, direct-buried, and underground. Aerial OSP cabling is what we've all seen on utility poles.
In densely populated urban areas, it is common for some, if not all, of the OSP infrastructure to run
underground. If the cable is buried in the soil without protection, it's called direct-buried OSP cable; if it
runs in conduit or a tunnel, it's considered underground OSP cable. The point at the edge of a customer's
property is called the demarcation point, or demarc, for short. The changeover between the access
provider's cabling infrastructure and the customer's usually takes place at a nearby site called the
entrance facility.
Chapter 1 also covers other topics, including a listing of CO-OSP planning functions, work prints and
specifications, right-of-way, pathways and spaces, OSP cabling, and air-pressure systems. Readers
exploring CO-OSP for the first time will find the illustration of its components helpful (Fig. 2 above).
Next month, we will review Chapter 2, which details CO-OSP infrastructure.
Powell is an editorial consultant to EC&M. Please send questions or comments to [email protected].
Looking Ahead…
Throughout 2002, Powell will address the remaining 10 chapters in BICSI's CO-OSP second edition
manual, which includes a discussion of the following topics:
• Chap. 2 — CO-OSP Infrastructure, which covers cable types and placement.

• Chap. 3 — Pathways and Spaces, covering underground, direct-buried, and aerial pathways.
• Chap. 4 — Cabling, which covers optical fiber, twisted-pair cabling, and splicing.
• Chap. 5 — Cabling Hardware, including hardware selection and labeling.
• Chap. 6 — Grounding, Bonding, and Electrical Protection, covering bonding requirements,
protectors, and lightning protection.
• Chap. 7 — Air Pressure Systems, covering feed pipe and dryers.
• Chap. 8 — Rights-of-Way, including methods of describing property.
• Chap. 9 — Design Documentation, which includes work print specifications.
• Chap. 10 — Scope of Work, including material list and final acceptance.
• Chap. 11 — Project Management, including project schedules and tracking.
Part 2 - Designing an Outside-Plant Facility

Feb 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Arlyn S. Powell, Jr., Editorial Consultant
A good customer-owned OSP design depends on your knowledge of cable types, placement methods,
and network topologies.
Installers wiring buildings for voice, data, and video (V/D/V) can usually expect to “home-run” their cable
runs, because a star-shaped wiring topology is the preferred infrastructure design for inside wiring.
However, the requirements for customer-owned outside-plant (CO-OSP) network designs are much more
varied than those for premises networks, so many more options than the home-run are available.
The Second Edition of BICSI’s Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design Manual identifies the following
concerns for CO-OSP network designers:
• The characteristics of the cabling media to be pulled.

• The methods by which the cabling media will be installed.
• Restrictions resulting from the geography of the campus, along with the transmission
requirements of the campus network.
OSP cabling media. Although overall cable construction for outdoor installations is likely to be much
more varied than for indoor installations, the actual cabling media used—singlemode optical fiber,
62.5/125- and 50/125-micron multimode optical fiber, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable, and 75-ohm
coaxial cable—are very similar to those employed for premises backbone cabling.
Optical fiber, which carries signals in the form of light pulses, can be used for extended distances and has
much greater bandwidth, or carrying capacity, than copper-wire media. Optical fiber is also lighter and
more compact than copper wire, is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), and offers greater
security because it is difficult to tap. As a result, fiber is well suited to heavy-industrial applications, where
a great deal of electrical interference is common. It is also widely used in military installations for security
reasons.
Copper cabling media transmit electrical signals rather than light pulses, and twisted-pair cable—often in
high pair counts—is the mainstay of many regional and local telephone companies. Although twisted-pair
cable is popular among installers, it’s subject to electrical interference and has distance limitations when it
comes to high-bandwidth applications.
Coaxial cable, or coax, is also a copper-based transmission medium, but it operates on a different
principle from twisted-pair. In addition to being the choice of cable-television providers, coax has found a
place in private broadband video networks like those providing television service to college dorm rooms.
Coax offers higher bandwidth than twisted-pair, and it’s also less susceptible to interference. However, it’s
more expensive than other media, and it presents installation complications because its shielding must be
grounded.
Installation methods. Last month’s installment of this series discussed the three methods of installing
outside-plant cable: aerial, direct-buried, and underground.
Aerial installations, consisting of cables and other apparatus mounted on utility poles, are the least
expensive of the three types and are readily accessible for maintenance. However, they also pose
several problems, from aesthetic concerns and susceptibility to environmental damage to tricky planning
necessitated by considerations of tension, sag, clearance, and wind- and ice-loading.
Direct-buried OSP installations are usually installed by means of trenching, plowing, or directional boring.
They are less expensive than underground installations and don’t clutter the appearance of the property
because they’re out-of-sight. Yet although they can easily bypass obstacles, they are less flexible than
conduit once installed and cannot be upgraded or expanded. They may be difficult to relocate for repair,
they provide less physical protection for transmission media than conduit, and they may provide avenues
for water or gases to enter buildings they serve.
Underground installation, in which cable is pulled through conduit, offers the aesthetic appeal of the
direct-buried method, as well as providing greater cable protection and offering more potential for future
upgrades. However, this method is more costly than direct burial and requires more careful route
planning.
Network topologies vary. The topology of a
network is its layout scheme. It can become
difficult, however, when the physical layout of the
network, or its physical topology, differs from the
way in which the network exchanges information,
or its logical topology. CO-OSP networks are
similar in structure to premises networks. The
three main topologies—star, bus, and ring—can
be combined in a number of ways to produce
hybrid networks offering workable solutions to
many different geographical constraints and
administrative concerns (Fig. 1).
All other factors being equal, the star is the preferred configuration for
outside-plant installations. The star arrangement provides a central
hub from which the network administrator can manage the physical
network. If possible, this main cross-connect (MC) or campus
distributor (CD) should be co-located with the enterprise’s data center.
If the distances spanned by a campus network exceed the

transmission distances allowed by a star topology, the hierarchical
star is a hybrid arrangement that may solve the problem. In this
arrangement, an intermediate cross-connect (IC) or building
distributor (BD) at one “point” of the star links buildings still farther
away from the hub. Ideally, such IC/BDs should be linked to outlying
buildings via a star topology, and no more than five such “hierarchical
stars” should be designed into any one-campus network (Fig. 2).
Hierarchical stars are best used when geographical constraints make a single star configuration
impossible, or when user requirements make it advisable to segment the network. In large networks,
active electronics such as bridges and switches can often be used more effectively to balance bandwidth
requirements and distance limitations with
such a topology.
Ring-shaped networks come in two

varieties: virtual rings and physical rings.
Virtual rings have the physical topology of
a star-shaped network but operate
logically as a ring. Physical rings are
widely used in CO-OSP networks because
the networking technologies employed on
a campus often call for a ring-shaped
infrastructure; examples of such LAN and
WAN technologies include Token Ring,
SONET (synchronous optical networking),
ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) and FDDI (fiber distributed data interface) (Fig. 3 above).
A virtual ring is used when obstacles on the campus prevent a physical star from being implemented, and
when existing star-topology cabling facilitates such a design. Its main advantage is that it concentrates
monitoring, maintenance, and backup operations at a central hub. However, this hub also is the scheme’s
main disadvantage, because it’s a central point of failure in the event of a disaster.
The physical ring topology is used when there is a conduit system in place to support it, redundant cable
paths are provided, and the predominant networking technology is ring-shaped, such as SONET, FDDI,
or Token Ring.
A bus topology (Fig. 1) can be used when a fault-tolerant design isn’t required. The linear bus design is of
limited use because it will fail if a cable break occurs anywhere in the network. It doesn’t provide backup
or redundant transmission paths, so it can’t be used for mission-critical applications.
Other hybrid designs include the clustered star, which combines star and ring networks, and the tree and
branch network, which is used for telephone and video distribution over copper twisted-pair and coaxial
cables. Next month we’ll cover pathways and spaces from Chapter 3.
Part 3 - Selecting a Route for OSP Installations
Knowing the various types of pathways and spaces available to get from point A to B is crucial to a
successful project.
Several of our daily activities involve getting from point A to point B. For instance, most of us climb into
our cars in the morning (point A) and drive to work (point B). Once at work, we determine our tasks for the
day (point A), develop a plan to accomplish them, and then check them off one-by-one as we finish them
(point B). At the end of the day, we all climb back
into our cars (point A) and head home (point B).
This same thinking also applies to customer-

owned outside plant (CO-OSP) cabling systems.
Determining the most efficient and least costly
way to get from point A to point B, and even
points C and D, is critical in the design and
installation of these important
telecommunications systems.
In the first installment of this 12-part series on the

Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned
Plant Design Manual, we introduced the three
methods of installing OSP cable: aerial, direct-
buried, and underground conduit pathways. This
month, we take a more detailed look at these three options and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each.
Preliminary investigations, field surveys, and permits. First, consult available records and contact
local utilities and governmental agencies to pinpoint existing or proposed facilities such as electric, oil,
gas, sewer, water, telephone, and cable systems along your proposed route. In general, you should try
and avoid these systems as best you can when selecting a final route.
Many times, to reduce the cost of multiple trenches and minimize the potential for damage to existing
facilities, the telephone company, CATV provider, and electric utility choose to dig one trench and share it
with one or several parties. If you plan to joint trench, make sure you refer to the National Electrical Safety
Code (NESC) Part 3 for rules on separation of cables.
After you've completed the design, but before beginning construction, obtain all required permits from the
AHJ. If construction is planned on a public right of way, obtain permits from state, county, and city
agencies. If you're working on private right of way, negotiate rights with the landowner.
Underground conduit pathways. Underground conduit construction may be your best option when a
new overhead pole line installation isn't practical, an existing pole line can't support additional cable
placements, or an area is too congested to allow for
a direct-buried installation.
A primary objective of conduit system design is to

make your conduit section lengths as long and
straight as possible, with a minimum number of
horizontal and vertical directional changes (see
photo above). This reduces the number of
maintenance holes (MHs), hand holes (HHs), cable
splices, and associated cable setups required during
the cable-pulling stage of the project. Installing
underground conduit so a slope exists at all points of
the run allows drainage and prevents the
accumulation of water. A drain slope of no less than
1% grade toward the MH is desirable.
Conduit that breaks away from the main duct run

and connects to structures such as buildings,
pedestals, cabinets, or poles is known as branch conduit, of which there are two types: lateral and
subsidiary. Lateral ducts typically run from the sidewall of an MH to the structure. Subsidiary ducts extend
from the end wall of an MH, run along the main conduit run for some distance, and then turn to feed a
structure (See Fig. 1 above).
If constructed at the same time as the main conduit run, subsidiary ducts should be placed on top of the
main run; this is the most economical means of placement. It also affords some top protection for the
main run duct bank. However, make sure these individual ducts enter the sidewall corner of the MH.
Note, however, that this placement reduces racking space in the MH. When this duct is part of a multiple-
duct structure, you should design the upper tiers of the structure (preferably the corner ducts) for
subsidiary use because they are more readily accessible. Generally, 2-, 3-, or 4-wide arrangements are
preferred for single- or double-wall racking.
The advantages of constructing formations using individual conduit is that the material is lightweight;
provides good joint integrity; produces a strong, stable structure if concrete-encased; can be easily
rearranged to avoid obstacles; can be pneumatically rodded; and is available with bell ends to allow ease
of joint connection. In some situations, you may find it more advantageous to use multiple-bore conduit
because it doesn't require long trench openings, select backfill, or ready-mix concrete.
In some special applications, you may need to place conduit in large steel tubes (casings) to protect it or
to facilitate a crossing where an open trench cannot be provided. This may occur at railroads, major state
highways or freeways, or at river or stream crossings. After the conduit installation is complete, you must
fill the casings with fine sand (blown in
under air pressure) and seal both ends with
a 3-in. concrete wall.
For the safety of workers and the protection

of telecommunications equipment, the
NESC requires that you abide by a
minimum set of clearances (Table right)
when installing underground conduit
pathways. In addition to these safety
requirements, you should also install
conduit at a sufficient depth, normally 24 in.
to 30 in. below surface grade so external
bearing loads don't damage the conduit structure.
How do you go about sizing the conduit? As a rule of thumb, make sure the diameter of your duct is at
least 1.15 times greater than the diameter of your cable, or one-half trade size larger in diameter than the
diameter of the largest anticipated cable you plan to install. It's often the diameter of the pulling eye that is
most critical to sizing conduit. Except when working with small cables, you can calculate the diameter of
the pulling eye (de) as follows:
de < 1.1 x dc
where dc is the cable diameter. ANSI/TIA/EIA-758, Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications

Cabling Standard, requires you to use a minimum 4-in. conduit.
Tunnels. Sometimes, a new or existing tunnel may be the only pathway available to provide service into
a building. Aside from being a convenient option, tunnels offer the following advantages:
• Reduced street maintenance.

• Decreased chance of accidental digups.
• Reduced ground corrosion factors.
• Continuous inspection path for all facilities.
• Permanent space allocation.
There are three basic types of tunnels: utility, pedestrian, and vehicular.
Utility tunnels house various utilities such as steam, power, gas, water, and sanitary sewer. Although
these ready-made pathways offer a nice alternative to installing an underground conduit bank, there are
some concerns you need to be aware of:
• Power cables can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI).

• Gas lines can produce a hazardous atmosphere.
• If placed too close together, steam lines can damage telecommunications plant.
• Water (and steam) lines may create a humid atmosphere.
• Sanitary sewer lines can produce a biological hazard if ruptured.
• Storm drains that feed into the tunnels can cause flooding.
Addressing these issues on the front end of the project can save you headaches down the line.
Pedestrian tunnels allow passage of personnel from one part of the campus to another, usually under
streets, railways, or other thoroughfares. These tunnels are usually environmentally conditioned and
contain spaces that can efficiently house pathways for telecommunications cabling and equipment.
Vehicular tunnels provide passage for vehicles from one part of the campus to another, but are not
typically environmentally controlled. In most instances, you can cost-effectively install cabling in these
pathways with relative ease.
Direct-buried pathways. If you don't have access to a pre-existing tunnel, you can install the cable
directly in the ground and forgo the added time and expense of designing and constructing a conduit
infrastructure. A direct-buried installation offers many benefits over an underground conduit system
installation, but it does have its drawbacks, the most obvious being the chance for accidental dig ups.
When crossing under roads, railroads, and waterways, you should place the cable inside either a metal or
rigid plastic duct for added protection.
At a minimum, the NESC requires you to place direct-buried cable 24 in. below finished grade. However,
when installing optical fiber cable it's generally recommended that you place the cable at a minimum
depth of 3 ft below grade. The added depth takes into account the added circuit — carrying capabilities of
the optical fiber cable. In areas of the country where the ground freezes, you should place the cable
below the frost line because frost uplift can damage cables.
Aerial pathways. You may find aerial construction or a combination of aerial and direct-buried
construction to be less expensive in heavily developed rocky areas, especially if a pre-existing pole line
(partial or complete) can be used. The downside of aerial plant systems is the possible damage of poles
and equipment due to vehicular traffic and the risk of damage to conductors or pole structures from falling
tree limbs, high winds, ice loading, and other environmental factors.
When designing an aerial system, you'll have to consider three types of loading.
• Transverse loading is the force exerted on the pole and its attachments by wind blowing at a right
angle to the length of the line.
• Vertical loading is the downward force on the pole produced by the guy wires and weight of the
cable, attachments, and any other equipment mounted on the pole.
• Bending moments are the forces produced by objects like transformers or by unbalanced
tensions at corner structures or dead-end poles.
The NESC sets standards for determining a pole line's storm load requirements by dividing the United
States into three geographical areas based on the severity, frequency, and damaging effects of wind and
ice storms. The divisions reflect the forces exerted on overhead lines by the combination of wind, ice
load, and snow load.
Poles subjected to heavy transverse loads tend to break at the ground level. Therefore, selecting poles
with sufficient strength at ground level is an important design consideration. Each transverse load causes
a moment on the pole that tends to move the pole in the direction of the applied load. The value of the
moment (lb-ft) at any point is equal to the transverse load (lb) times the distance (ft) from the load point to
the point where the moment is being considered. You must sum the moments of each transverse load to
obtain the total load. The rated breaking strength of the pole is based on the resistant moment that the
pole can withstand at ground level.
Vertical loads on poles may be caused by a combination of loading factors. These factors include anchor
guying and the dead weight of wires, cables, and other attachments on the pole. As a general rule,
conductors cause vertical loads on poles and pole attachments need not be considered in pole line
design; however, these loads should be considered in the case of guyed poles. The most severe vertical
load to which a guyed pole may be subjected is the vertical component of the tension in the guy or guys.
Bending moments on a pole are caused by an unbalanced tension in the line. You can calculate these
loads at any point on the pole. The bending moment on an unguyed pole is equal to the sum of the total
unbalance of the longitudinal tensions in the conductors. To find the longitudinal load on an unguyed pole,
apply the following formula:
M=TxL
where M is the total bending moment (lb-ft) at the ground line caused by the longitudinal loading, T is total
unbalanced force (lb) of conductor tensions, and L is the height (ft) of the wire or cable attachment above
the ground.
You must also design the system to meet the minimum horizontal and vertical clearances as noted in the
latest edition of the NESC.
Spaces. In OSP work, MHs, HHs, pedestals, and cabinets perform a variety of functions.
Maintenance holes. Maintenance holes (MHs) are typically designed for main and branch conduit
systems that require more than three, 4-trade-size ducts. Although they can serve multiple uses, MHs are
typically used to aid in underground or direct-buried plant splicing operations. They can be constructed of
either concrete or polyethylene and must be equipped with a sump, corrosion-resistant pulling irons,
cable racks, and ladders.
There are two basic types of MHs: center conduit

entry or splay conduit entry. A center entry MH is
designed such that the main duct run enters at the
center of the MH (see Fig. 2 right). This requires you
to route the cables to the sidewall for splicing. On a
splay entry design, the cables enter the MH near the
sidewalls, allowing the incoming cable to more easily
align with the cable racks. Where practical, when
main conduit enters the sidewall of an MH, it should
be splayed. The splaying of ducts usually results in a
greater racking capacity and simplifies
reinforcements.
You must seal all ducts entering an MH and building

entrance point to prevent the intrusion of liquids and
gases. This can be accomplished through the use of putty sealants, cementitious compounds, or
hydraulic cement. Universal duct plugs are also available in a variety of sizes for use in unoccupied ducts.
The safety of personnel and the general public is a primary concern when selecting MH locations. A
desirable location will:
• Provide a safe work area.

• Allow for adequate traffic control when the MH is open, such as traffic warning devices that alert
motorists of construction.
• Provide sufficient space for cable trailers, pulling trucks, and the like during construction.
• Be located out of the roadway when possible.
MHs should not be located in or near an intersection or near a curve in the road.
Handholes. Handholes (HHs) are smaller than MHs, but their covers provide full access to the entire
space inside the hole. They are typically manufactured of concrete, polyethylene, or composite materials.
They can be placed in the same areas as MHs. When planned for traffic areas, they must be traffic-rated.
HHs are typically used in an underground installation as pull-through points. However, they should never
be used as splice points. HHs can also be used for storing excess optical fiber cable, optical fiber splices,
CATV splices, or CATV taps.
Pedestals and cabinets. Pedestals and cabinets are used in aerial, direct-buried, and underground plant
design. You use pedestals and cabinets to store splice closures and terminals. They provide above-grade
environmental protection, security, and quick access to splice closures, terminals, excess cables, and
optical fiber equipment. You can place pedestals directly in the ground or mount them on concrete pads,
floor stands, walls, or on poles. However, make sure you locate the pedestal away from traffic areas that
could cause injury to maintenance personnel.
Environmentally controlled cabinets provide a suitable environment for electronic equipment. The
cabinets typically provide air circulation with fans and thermostatically controlled heating and cooling. The
air conditioning units may be internally rack-mounted or physically attached to the exterior of the cabinet.
Next month we'll take a look at your cabling options and discuss the basics of splicing.
The material for this article was excerpted with permission from BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside Plant
Design Manual, Second Edition.
Part 4 - Cabling: At the Heart of the System
Cabling is to a voice/data/video network what

arteries and veins are to your circulatory system.
Just as your arteries and veins provide

paths for blood flow throughout your body,
the cabling in a telecommunications system
provides the pathway for voice, data, and
video signals. But unlike the unique nature
of your arteries and veins, there are a
variety of cables you can choose from in
designing and constructing a customer-
owned outside plant (CO-OSP) system. And
depending on what your customer's needs
are, selecting the right type of cable could
be the most important step in the
telecommunications design process.
In the fourth installment of this 12-part
series on CO-OSP, we'll review the three
most popular cable types used in designing
a telecommunications system: coaxial,
optical fiber, and twisted-pair.
Coaxial cable.
By definition, a coaxial cable consists of two
metallic conductors sharing the same axis.
Coax has a metallic center conductor,
coaxially positioned within an outer metallic
conductor and separated by a dielectric
(nonconducting) material. Coax is capable
of delivering full motion video, digital and
analog data with full duplex transmission, and voice over long and short distances.
Coaxial cable is available in many different jacket and armor configurations. While these configurations
are dramatically different in appearance, the cable's impedance and electrical performance will not vary,
given the same size cable.
There are three basic coax cable configurations available for aerial applications (Fig. 1 above).
Bare aluminum.
This is the simplest type of coaxial cable. The cable consists of a seamless aluminum tube (outer
conductor), foam dielectric, and center conductor, which is usually made of copper clad aluminum or
steel. This cable is best used in moderate climates.
Jacketed.
This is the same as bare aluminum cable with the exception that it's encased in a high molecular weight
polyethylene outer jacket. It's best used in hostile climates and offers protection from salt oxidation as well
as ice.
Self-supporting.
Identical to jacketed cable, this design has an additional supporting strand wire fused to the outer jacket
that eliminates the need to separately lash the cable to a separate strand wire. Although this type of cable
lowers overall plant construction costs, it inhibits the future possibility of overlashing a second cable onto
the existing cable plant.
There are two types of coax configurations available for direct-buried applications.
Flooded
This is a jacketed cable with a “flooding” compound inserted between the jacket and the aluminum outer
conductor. The flooding compound offers extra protection from nicks and tears to the outer jacket caused
during the construction process.
Armored/Flooded
This type of cable is similar to a flooded-type cable design, but it has the added protection of a metallic
armor jacket and an additional layer of flooding compound underneath the outer polyethylene jacket (Fig.
1). The “armor” provides additional protection from the construction process and helps combat rodent
damage and cuts from digging and excavation.
In addition to these mechanical factors, there are six electrical characteristics you must consider when
choosing a coaxial cable: capacitance, impedance, velocity of propagation, direct current resistance,
radio frequency (RF) attenuation, and structural return loss. The two most pertinent factors that change
from one cable size to another are DC resistance and attenuation.
Cable manufacturers' literature usually lists DC resistance in one of three ways: center conductor, outer
conductor, and loop resistance. This information, along with cable lengths and amplifiers, is valuable
when calculating the power requirements of the network. You should perform power calculations after the
plant layout is complete using the cable DC “loop” resistance specification.
Attenuation is dependent upon the size of the cable, the dielectric material used, and the frequency of the
system. In general, the higher the frequency, the greater the attenuation. For a given dielectric, the larger
the cable OD, the lower the attenuation. Manufacturers list attenuation in dB/100 ft of cable, dB/1,000 ft of
cable, or dB per meter. Attenuation is arguably the key factor you must keep in mind when working with
coaxial cable. It determines how often the signal has to be amplified in the network.
The subscriber service drop is the last and most important piece of any coax network. Drop cable differs
from semirigid or hard-line cable in that it is much smaller, more flexible, and easier to handle. It also has
higher attenuation. Drop cable is similar to semirigid in its mechanical makeup with a few exceptions. Its
outer conductor isn't a thick seamless aluminum tube, but a thin, flexible, aluminum foil. The foil is
wrapped with aluminum braid, which provides an extra layer of shielding. There is also a super shield- or
quad shield-type drop cable, which offers an additional foil wrap around the aluminum braid and a second
aluminum braid around the second foil wrap.
Optical fiber cabling.

Optical fiber is often used as a backbone between campus buildings to transmit voice, video, data, CATV,
and security and fire alarm signals because of its ability to serve several logic protocols and topologies.
It's also popular because of its:
• Capability to transmit signals over long distances.
• Ability to handle high data rates.

• Immunity to lightning, electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), and
crosstalk.
• Lack of a grounding requirement, as it's an all-dielectric cable.

A backbone that comprises multimode and singlemode fiber is often recommended to satisfy present and
future needs.
Optical fiber cable is categorized by its buffering mechanism and function. The two types of buffering
mechanisms are known as loose-tube and tight-buffered. Loose-tube cables are constructed so the fibers
are decoupled from tensile forces the cable may experience during installation and operation (Fig. 2 on
page 48). Loose-tube cables are generally more robust than tight-buffered cables, making them a good fit
for outdoor applications. They are also less expensive than indoor cables, specifically at fiber counts
above 24. Loose-tube cables are available in armored constructions for use in direct-buried applications,
all-dielectric constructions for use in aerial and underground applications, and riser-rated constructions for
use in riser applications.
Tight-buffered cables are typically designed with a 900-μm coating applied directly to the fiber strands.
They are usually more sensitive to adverse temperatures and outside forces than their loose-tube
counterparts, but are desirable because of their increased flexibility, and in the case of low fiber-count
cables, for their smaller bend radius and easier handling characteristics.
Tight-buffered cables are typically available in a distribution design and breakout design (Fig. 2).
Distribution design cables use one jacket to protect all the tight-buffered fibers. Conversely, breakout
design cables use an individual jacket to protect each tight-buffered fiber. Distribution design cables are
recommended for typical installations because of their lower cost and smaller diameter.
Twisted-pair copper cabling.

In interbuilding backbone environments, twisted-pair copper cabling can be used between buildings to
transmit and receive voice, data, security, and fire alarm signals. The three key factors to consider when
designing a twisted-pair copper cable system are:
• The resistance of the cable in ohms.
• The signaling limits of the telephone and terminating device switch in ohms.
• Loading.
Traditional copper cable selection is based on resistance design of the cable. Use a resistance design
worksheet to determine the appropriate size cable required for your particular project. Copper cables are
typically available in as many as four sizes: 19, 22, 24, and 26 AWG. GACAN limits usage to no more
than two cable gauges.
The second factor to address in loop design is the transmission signaling limits of the switch. These limits
are based on the switch's ability to deliver signaling at various loop lengths. Earlier switch platforms could
service loops that exhibited resistance values as high as 1,300 ohms. However, as switch technology
evolved, the resistance design limits increased to 1,500 ohms, 1,800 ohms, and 2,100 ohms. This allows
you to design systems with greater loop lengths.
The third factor impacting loop design is loading. A load is a device designed to counter the effect of
capacitance buildup in loop lengths greater than 18,000 ft. The capacitance buildup within a twisted-pair
copper cable is the primary reason for the manufacture of low-capacitance cable.
The Insulated Cable Engineers Association, Inc. publishes cable standards to encourage quality and
uniformity in the manufacture of telecommunications cables. Even though the standards don't cover all
specifications for cable design, they do cover mechanical and electrical requirements.
In next month's installment we'll take a look at cable hardware selection, including splices and splice tray
enclosures.
Design Manual, Second Edition
Part 5 - Choosing Cabling Hardware for OSP Splice Protection

May 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
Safeguarding your cabling system should be a primary concern.
One of the most important parts of an OSP system, a splice is also one of its weakest links. Locations like
tap points, taper points, gauge changes, reel ends, future access points, and cross-connection points
need solid protection and a reliable access system, because the splices required at these junctions are
subject to environmental degradation, mechanical use and abuse, and physical stresses. With that in
mind, manufacturers of these closures take rigid measures to ensure their products will endure normal
field situations. But then it's up to you to properly apply these components in the environments for which
they were designed.
In this fifth installment of EC&M's 12-part look at the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside
Plant Design Manual, we discuss how cabling hardware (as defined in the ANSI/TIA/EIA-758, Customer-
Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Standard) is used in outside plant (OSP) systems to enclose
and protect cable splices. Unlike connecting hardware, which joins the individual conductors or fibers,
cabling hardware attaches to the cable sheath.
Splice location is typically the first criterion by

which to decide whether your system needs
above ground, buried, aerial, or underground
cases for use in maintenance holes (MHs) or
handholes (HHs), or pole- or wall-mounted
closures. When determining your needs, keep
in mind that although some splice points may
not require re-entry, others may be located in
high-activity areas or earmarked for future
expansion. You'll need to explore provisions in
size, assignments, and built-in expansion
features when selecting your products.
Some splice case closure environments, like

MHs and HHs, are universal and can
accommodate fiber, copper, and coax cable.
However, in most cases you'll need to use a
different splice closure for each cable type. If
you plan ahead, you might be able to co-locate
the splices in a universal-type product and
reduce the need for multiple closure housings
or structures. Many projects may call for just one cable medium, but when you're involved with a project
that uses more than one medium, universal-type products are very cost effective.
Closures are divided into the following four categories:
• Straight — only one cable can enter each end of the closure.
• Branch — two or more cables can enter either end of the closure.
• Butt — two or more cables can enter only one end of the closure.
• Universal — adapters are included that allow multiple cables to enter either end of the closure.
Three types of splice closures are shown in the Figure above.
Optical fiber closures.
Optical fiber closures typically hold fibers on a splicing tray that is carefully placed in the closure. These
trays must provide adequate strain relief for buffer tubes, pigtails, or pre-terminated modules. Splice trays
are available in metallic or plastic versions, for both singlemode and multimode cables. They provide
protection for both mechanical and fusion splices. A standard splice tray accommodates a 12-fiber splice
capacity for loose-tube or tight-buffered cables. Trays must be large enough to avoid violating the
minimum bend radius requirements of
optical fiber.
When determining the size and type of

closure necessary for an optical fiber
system, you must take into account factors
such as the number of fibers in the bundle,
the mode of the fiber, and whether or not
you'll be using mechanical- or fusion-type
splices to join the fiber. The organization
and labeling of your splices are also critical.
Consider not only the immediate needs of a
project, but also plan for changes or
additions that may occur at a later date. It's
necessary to provide additional coiled cable
loops for fiber optic splice closures, because they typically aren't re-entered where they are mounted. The
photo on page 61 shows a coil example.
Copper closures.
As is the case with optical fiber closures, copper closures store copper splices and protect them from
mechanical and environmental damage. Copper closures can be found in aerial, direct-buried,
underground, and in-building applications. The size of the closure is based on the number of cable pairs,
or splices, you're working with.
Aerial splice closures for copper cable systems are either strand- or pole-mounted. Not only do they
protect the cable splices from the environment, but they also bond and ground the cable. They can even
be equipped with terminal blocks and fusible-link stub cables to allow for the termination of service wires,
reducing the need for two separate products. In rare instances, some existing aerial cables may be
pressurized and require the use of a special pressurized closure.
Encapsulated-type closures are effective for direct-buried applications. The cases are available in
wraparound heat-shrink and solid-preformed styles. Both have proven reliability and re-entry capability. In
the event that these installations may need to be re-entered, you should be very selective when choosing
their location.
In some applications, the copper cable in an underground system may be installed under air pressure. In
these situations, you must install a special pressurized splice case. However, most new underground
systems are designed with non-pressurized cables.
Pedestals can also be used as a means of enclosing spliced copper cable. The connectors used in this
application serve as the primary protection for the copper wire.
The protection of your OSP system should be of primary concern in the system design. And nowhere is
protection more important than at splice points. Choosing the right closure can mean the difference
between a properly running system and unacceptable levels of downtime. Be sure you know what you
need before you dig the trenches.
Next month, we'll take a look at the grounding, bonding, and electrical protection requirements of CO-
OSP systems.
Hite is special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.
Part 6 - Protecting Your Assets with Bonding and Grounding

Jun 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
Your OSP system is an investment you can't afford to lose, so keeping it safe should be a high priority.
Life. Property. Money. Performance. Each one of these important design elements is vulnerable to the effects of stray
currents, so it's important to properly design and install an electrical grounding system on every outside plant (OSP)
project. A good protection system will mitigate hazardous currents and voltage potentials and provide proper
protection for all of those elements.
In this sixth installment of EC&M's series on the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design
Manual, we look at the key design elements of an OSP bonding and grounding system, which must meet the rules of
the NEC and the National Electric Safety Code (NESC).
Is your OSP exposed?

One of the first items to address in designing a protective system is to determine if your plant is considered exposed
or non-exposed. An exposed system is vulnerable to unwanted sources of current and voltage. You must provide
protective measures for aerial, direct-buried, and underground cable when there is exposure to:
• Disturbances from lightning.
• Accidental contact with power conductors operating at more than 300V to ground.
• Ground potential rise (GPR) exceeding 300V.

• Voltage induction, such as AC power, exceeding 300V.
An OSP system subject to electrical disturbances from any of these sources is considered exposed. A system not
subjected to these effects is considered nonexposed, in which case you needn't do anything.
Even though a cable is buried and not located adjacent to other electrical cables, it's still considered exposed to
lightning transients. In rare cases, the cable may even come in contact with a foreign conductive material while still in
the ground. A good rule of thumb is to first assume all system components are exposed unless you can absolutely
rule out any reasonable possibility of foreign potentials or can qualify it by way of policy directed by authorities. Some
AHJs may consider all your cable exposed and force you to treat it as such, so it's important to consult with your local
authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) prior to moving too far along on the project to avoid conflict down the road.
Bonding and grounding.

A good reliable protection system requires effective bonding and grounding. These two separate requirements, make
up a single critical system.
As defined in BICSI's manual, bonding refers to the electrical interconnection of conductive parts designed to
maintain a common electrical potential. You must size bonding conductors to be of sufficient gauge to carry
anticipated fault current. Grounding refers to the electrical connection of telecommunications hardware to an effective
electrical ground, which can be the vertical down lead of a power system multiground neutral (MGN), a grounded
neutral of a secondary power system, or a specially constructed grounding system.
All exposed telecommunications cables that contain metallic components such as a metallic shield, metallic strength
member, or metallic pair require some form of electrical protection at the building entrance. It's critical that you
connect the metallic sheath components and metallic strength members of all cables entering the building to the
telecommunications main grounding busbar (TMGB), which is the location where all grounding conductors must be
connected to the earth electrode.
You should also bond all cable shields at all splice locations as well as to the strand of aerial cables. And you should
bond all buried cables to ground rods or an MGN. Remember, no system is properly grounded if you fail to properly
tie it into an effective grounding system.
Continuity is a must.
When it comes to qualifying your system, check your continuity. Bad connections, broken ground wires, and ground
rods improperly placed or installed in a high resistivity soil will create fallible systems.
Visual inspections may not always reveal these problems. That's why you should use test equipment to verify your
ground system is intact. Every component of the system must be intact and well bonded to provide proper protection.
Unfortunately, continuity weaknesses are found to be the source of equipment damage, electrical noise, or injuries
only after the fault is introduced. Most of the time these situations can be prevented with proper design, inspection, or
test methods.
Protectors.
The foreign currents and unwanted voltage levels that may find their way into your telecommunications system can
be mitigated with primary and/or secondary protectors. Protectors limit the potential difference between conductors
and ground by providing a low impedance path to ground for current, once the voltage of the protector unit is
reached. Protector units are required on all exposed circuits entering a building, which include tip and ring conductors
contained in conventional paired conductor cables and those in hybrid cables. These protectors are typically attached
to the system via termination point hardware.
Most protectors can be classified as either fused or fuseless. The fused protection system may use an air gap
discharge, gas tube, solid state, current-interrupting device, or isolating transformer as methods of application. On the
other hand, fuseless protectors don't offer protection for sustained fault current like fused protectors. In conjunction
with the use of fuseless protectors where power exposure exists, a fuse link is required between exposed system
components and the protector in order to minimize any fire or shock hazard in the event of a sustained power contact.
Fuse links are sections of finer gauge cable shorter than normally required for transmission purposes. In the event of
prolonged current flows caused by foreign potentials, fuse links burn open, protecting terminating equipment or
cabling. For transmission reasons, make fuse links as short as possible.
Consider providing primary overvoltage protection and secondary overcurrent protection for OSP exposed twisted-
pair copper cables. Secondary protection helps protect equipment from continuous stray currents exceeding 0.35A.
These currents typically aren't large enough to engage primary protectors, but can damage equipment and present a
fire hazard. You should install fast response secondary protectors in series between the primary protectors and the
switching equipment at the main building, and between the primary protectors and the station equipment at the
remote buildings.
It's also permissible to use a single assembly that integrates both primary and secondary overvoltages and
overcurrent protection in a single device. If you do, be sure the protector module is equipped with in-service test
points so you can pinpoint faulty or blown modules without accidentally disengaging a working circuit during testing.
Grounding it all together.

With a good understanding of grounding system design and awareness of standard components required to build a
system, you can create the necessary protection for your next OSP network. All it takes is the proper application of
solid design principles, good work practices, and regular testing of your system.
Next month, we'll look at air pressures systems for OSP systems.
The material for this article was excerpted with permission from BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design
manual, Second Edition.
Part 7 - Understanding Air Pressure Systems for OSP Cabling

Jul 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
Although not as common as they once were, air pressure systems do still exist, so you should prepare yourself for
when you encounter one.
More reliable plant designs are now readily available for OSP cabling designs, but every once in a while
you still run across the occasional air pressure system or two. Air pressure systems were intended to
protect air-core cables from water and other liquid contaminants that may penetrate sheath cracks,
breaks, or leaky splice closures. Their purpose was to keep the air-core sheath dry, which would in theory
extend the life of the cable plant. You may run across these systems on large educational campuses or
large commercial complexes.
In this seventh installment of EC&M's 12-part look at the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned
Outside Plant Manual, we discuss the unique nature of air pressure systems and the steps you need to
take to maintain them. This examination will help guide you through issues like placement locations,
system components, and measured pressures to be maintained within these systems.
History of air pressure.
The concept of constructing cables and splice closures to hold air pressure goes back to the early days of
OSP construction and design. In the early days of system design, paper (pulp) materials were introduced
as an efficient and practical way of insulating cables. As a result, protecting the insulation from moisture
and contaminants became critical.
System designers accomplished this by introducing air pressure into the cable from a main distributing
point via large compressor units. These units were supported by additional feeds located at various
intervals along the cable path. Alarms and pressure monitoring systems helped alert the plant owner to
system failures and they isolated problem sections. With good mapping and record keeping, maintenance
personnel could quickly locate and repair failed system components.
Most conduit routes that feed metropolitan areas still use air pressure systems to protect their cables. The
high cost of replacing these large cables would make it difficult to completely eliminate such systems, so
it's more cost-effective to maintain them. Advances in air pressure system technology have changed all of
that, though. The introduction of plastic insulated conductor (PIC) insulation and filled cable designs has
eliminated the need to build or add additional air pressure systems onto a network.
Today, new conduit systems within campus environments are constructed and planned in such a way so
that the installation of an air pressure system won't be necessary. However, there are still several of these
systems in use today that must still be maintained. Therefore, it's best to have a clear understanding of
how the individual components of these systems work and how best to keep them working properly.
System components and specifications.
A pipe system method of cable pressurization is a configuration that applies essentially air pressure
through an air pipe to cables in the cable entrance facility. Air pressure is also supplied at selected
maintenance holes (MHs) or handholes (HHs) along an underground cable route by manifolding an
individual cable to a paralleling air feeder pipe that carries pressurized dry air from an air source.
The following items are the most common components in a typical air system.
• Air pipe (feeder, distribution).

• Air dryer (compressor, dehydrator).
• Manifold assembly.
• Automatic shutoff valve.
• Pressure transducer unit.
• Cable pressure monitoring system.
The Figure to the right shows a diagram of

a typical air pressure system.
Air pipes are generally lined in aluminum

and made of black polyethylene. They
typically come in 2,000-ft to 3,500-ft reels
and can accommodate a maximum pulling
tension of about 150 lb. These pipes are
generally placed to the last manifold
location.
Air dryers come in various sizes, and their

main function is to force air into pipes at a
constant rate. Controls and monitoring
devices maintain consistent generation of
the air. They're also available in remote
models to be pole- or pad-mounted at
locations in the field where main piping
sources have become isolated.
Manifold assemblies distribute air from the main air pumps to the individual cables. They're spaced along
the route to maximize their ability to feed sections between monitoring points.
Automatic shutoffs are also in place to prevent backflow of air when low-pressure conditions exists.
They're generally installed between the air pipe and the manifold assembly.
A well-designed system will have pressure transducer units located at monitoring points along the route
that are capable of converting cable pressure to electrical resistance. These electrical resistance readings
are then sent back to monitoring panels located at the centralized location via a cable pair placed along
the route.
Today's monitoring systems can provide full-time surveillance of various system components like meter
panels, pipes, and transducers. Using computer technology, a monitoring system can provide real-time
reporting and alarm notification to pinpoint damaged sections, take measurements, and automatically
alert you to problem areas on the system.
The Table to the right lists some commonly

used minimum pressures among larger
systems.
Closing the air gap.
As an OSP system designer, you must be

prepared to encounter older system designs
and outdated, but operable, technology on
any future project. It's important for you to
understand that any additions you make to
these systems may impact the future reliability of the network. Your knowledge of these older
technologies will go a long way toward maintaining the integrity of the system. And BICSI's Customer-
Owned Outside Plant Design Manual is a good source for referencing this obsolete, but very important,
method of OSP cable protection.
Next month we'll examine rights-of-way. Sometimes it may be necessary to acquire an easement or
purchase a private right-of-way to “bridge the gap” between several pieces of property that make up the
complex being served. As an OSP designer, you must be aware of how to secure these rights and gain
approval from the proper AHJ.
Hite is a special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.
Part 8 - Understanding Air Pressure Systems for OSP Cabling
Aug 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
When your OSP pathways cross public or private properties, right-of-way permission gets tricky. That's why many
designers are hiring a right-of-way specialist.
There may be no more challenging obligation for a designer than securing a legal right-of-way for the
passage of a proposed outside plant (OSP) system. Many campus designs are confined to a single
property owner, but as you expand your services to connect those buildings that may not be within the
property, you may find your OSP pathways traversing other public or private properties or easements. By
keeping in mind that permission must come from the owners of these other properties in the form of legal
agreements, surveys, and usually monetary compensation, many designers choose to commission
professionals who specialize in these matters.
In this eighth installment of EC&M's 12-part look at the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned
Outside Plant Manual, we discuss this very important first step in taking your OSP infrastructure off
campus. This overview will help guide you through the necessary and fundamental considerations for
securing rights-of-way, permits, and easements.
Bridging the gap.
Gaps between properties that must be served with proposed outside plant pathways might take you
through properties owned by cities, counties, states, federal agencies, the Department of Transportation
(DOT), railroads, utilities, or private property owners. When dealing with these various owners, there are
many different requirements you must consider. For instance, you must independently coordinate and
secure legal documentation from each owner or public agency.
Along with fees and forms to record, most public agencies require permitting and have specified
procedures to follow. You must also be aware of design procedures and construction methods contained
in these agreements to ensure you adhere to them.
Bridging the gap between properties also means you should know exactly where alternative pathways are
located to serve the buildings in your design. Sometimes it's hard to obtain rights-of-way or agreements,
preventing you from using your first choice of pathways. It only takes one small gap in the pathway to
make it an unusable route, so many times you'll have to select an alternate route.
Public right-of-way (land owned by government agencies) is usually more difficult to obtain, especially if
you're not a franchised utility provider. These pathways are generally reserved for power, water, sewer,
telephone, cable television, and gas lines.
The procedures of dealing with railroad right-of-

way (land owned by railroad companies)
typically mirror those of public rights-of-way.
However, when dealing with railroad owners,
you'll frequently have to include additional
limitations and restrictions in the design of
crossing railways.
These special permissions and permits can be

costly and time consuming. You should avoid
any route that takes your OSP across or
parallel to railroads, even if it isn't the most
economical option.
Private right-of-way typically requires you to

secure easement or land purchase agreements from individual owners, corporations, or companies, so
you'll need to secure proper legal notarization and recording. This should be a last resort, though,
because many times the most difficult property or pathway to get can come from private rights-of-way.
The right way to get right-of-way.
The negotiation and purchase of private right-of-way can get complicated. An entire industry is devoted to
supplying professionals qualified in obtaining right-of-way. Certification of these professionals is common
and most respected. The International Right-of-Way Association (IRWA) ensures those who represent
themselves as right-of-way agents meet stringent qualification guidelines. One of the first steps in
securing right-of-way for your next project may be to commission one of these professional right-of-way
agents.
You'll generally have to secure approval to use public right-of-way through a permitting process that is
known as easement procurement. Permitting procedures among government agencies must be
investigated well in advance of any proposed route selection. The option of using public over private right-
of-way should be made as soon as possible.
Don't let restrictions confine you.
Most every right-of-way use agreement will include some type of restriction. These can include the
property owner's right to use the space for activities like farming or equipment and vehicle storage or
otherwise use it under the specified restrictions. As an OSP designer, you must carefully consider these
restrictions and understand how they will affect your future expansion, maintenance, and accessibility
needs.
Always secure the right-of-ingress and egress to access your outside plant, and be sure it isn't included
within your restrictions.
The devil is in the details.
There are numerous details to keep track of during the acquisition of right-of-way, such as knowing the
proper methods of describing property. Accurate and legally acceptable methods of describing property in
use today include the following:
• Rectangular grid system.

• State coordinate system.
• Metes and bounds description.
• Subdivision plat and description.
• Centerline description.
• Point description.
• Reference description.
Another time-consuming and necessary process involves researching the chain of title on a piece of
property. As noted earlier, careful and accurate information is critical and should be left to professionals
qualified in securing this type of information.
Other areas of concern include restrictions, covenants, and conditions that may exist on a piece of
property, which may limit your activities. Sometimes these items can be lifted through a request process
and re-recorded with the proper agencies. However, most of the time you must adhere to these special
requirements and find ways to work around them during your design and maintenance stages.
Liens and encumbrances can also stop the design process dead in its tracks. It's important for you to
make sure all liens and encumbrances are lifted or the rights you secure from the property owner may not
be valid.
Closing the deal.
Attorneys, right-of-way professionals, surveyors, and licensed real estate agents are all important
resources you should rely on when securing the rights to place your OSP on private or public rights-of-
way. You should be prepared to use these valuable resources whenever you undertake a new project. As
a designer, it's important that you're familiar with the necessary steps it takes to properly secure the right-
of-way for your next project.
Next month we'll examine design documentation — an important set of deliverables for the success of
any OSP project that include surveys, schematic designs, and work prints. As an OSP designer, you must
be familiar with the necessary requirements of building these critical documents.
Part 9 - Steps to Building a Solid Foundation for Outside Plant Success

Sep 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist
To succeed with OSP design, start with the documentation.
The documentation of your outside plant (OSP) design requires a set of deliverables that is constructible,
legal, sound, detailed, and legible. Documents with omissions, inaccuracies, or poorly addressed
feasibility issues will cause problems in costs, completion, scheduling, serviceability, and safety. Before
proceeding with any OSP project, determine the documentation requirements like delivery methods,
symbols, terminology, media, and required production time.
In this ninth installment of EC&M's 12-part look

at the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-
Owned Outside Plant Manual, we'll discuss the
critically important issues surrounding your
requirements for design documentation.
Plan for the plans.
First, consider your planned steps in producing

a set of deliverables. The following four
recommended stages appear in the BICSI
manual:
Site survey — At this point, you'll need to

gather general information about the existing
OSP conditions and begin to determine where
to place the proposed OSP facilities.
Field survey — This stage involves drawing

detailed notes about the existing field conditions. You'll also need to produce or collect all corrective
information.
Schematic design — Now use the notes you acquired during your field survey to design the proposed
OSP facilities. You may work directly on the field notes or choose to have drafting personnel develop
preliminary work prints you can use to plot the proposed OSP facilities.
Work prints — These are the final drawings you'll issue to the construction teams for the placement of the
proposed OSP facilities. At this point, you should have plotted all of the proposed information from the
field notes onto the work prints. These changes will be incorporated into the CAD drawings and returned
to you in a final set of work prints.
Site surveying the pathways.
When beginning to design a project, you should make sure the site survey is as detailed as possible to
guide you through the options, obstacles, and pathway choices you'll make when determining the
overview plan of proposals. During this stage, you need to look at these variables at the site and weigh
out the final needs of the project. Site surveys will also include right-of-way needs (see “The Right-of-Way
for Your OSP Design,” August 2002) and other legalities your plan may include. Another issue you need
to consider during this stage is whether your facility will require aerial, buried, or underground cabling.
Predetermine accessibility to these sites by finding ownership and permission requirements.
Sweating the small stuff.
The field survey can begin once the proposed pathway is determined. This will include the technical and
detailed measurements and proposals for the placement, rearrangement, or removal of your OSP. Many
of the tools used during this stage will also be used for the purpose of determining hardware capabilities
and requirements in the field. The field surveyor should also be prepared to alter and conclude any
changes required in the original site survey plan when necessary for project feasibility. Other resources
may require consultation to determine the effects of any changes on the original proposals.
Remember, once you've gotten to this point, the plans for the placement of the OSP system should be
final and concrete. Take a little extra time now to give it a thorough, in-depth review and save yourself the
hassle of fixing things down the road. Providing checklists to your survey group is a step in the right
direction.
The big picture.
A good schematic design conveys the necessary information without unnecessary details. You can
construct the schematic designs once you have documented all the pathway details. During this stage,
the schematic design provides a big picture of the project. This view includes such information as
component sizing, materials, pricing, transmission, and alternate cost analysis. Because this is generally
a working plan instead of a final plan, these may be added right onto your field notes without requiring a
separate set of drawings. If the field notes lack sufficient space for complete information, use a separate
set of drawings to provide detail beyond what's needed for the schematic design.
Work, work, and more work.
The term “work prints” conveys the fact that this is the final set of plans to be issued to the work forces.
It's the certified record and final guideline for the entire project. These documents must include the proper
symbologies, terms, measurements, descriptions, profiles, and other details necessary to construct (and
provide as-build reference for) the in-place OSP. Adding keys to symbols, definitions to terms used, and
specifications to materials will reduce misinterpretation. Scaled drawings are preferable when dealing with
profiles or other geographically related information. CAD systems have made this stage more
manageable when it comes to scaling, modifications, and scenarios you have to consider.
Sharing.
All of this information must get to the people who need it. One way to share files is to send them as e-mail
attachments. Another approach is to send files directly to remote printers and plotters. As-built drawings
and revisions are available in the field, thanks to remote handheld CAD systems. Such systems are
especially useful for delivering GIS-ready information for final posting or comparisons when scaling.
Regardless of the medium you use, the work print must have a master set, and you need rules in place to
ensure document integrity and revision control.
Signed, sealed, and delivered.
The final product of all this work upfront does assist others in building your OSP. It takes careful planning
to include all of these items in your product, and you must make time upfront to prepare for and consider
them. The final step along each of these phases should include quality checks and corrections for
accuracy and completeness. Once you have completed all of this, you're ready for the final step of
signing, sealing, and delivering your design.
Next month, we'll look at expanding the product for your design by including scope of work and
scheduling.
Hite is a special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.
Part 10 - Prepare Your Bidders with an Accurate Scope-of-Work

Oct 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
To ensure an accurate bid on your next OSP project, a detailed scope-of-work is essential.
Building a detailed scope-of-work is a critical step in the design process. Inaccurate bids, confusion, and
misunderstanding can result if you don't give proper attention to this important task. To accurately convey
all that's involved in your next OSP project, you need to assume many roles, including that of author,
scheduler, bidder, designer, material manager, and sometimes even lender.
In this 10th installment of EC&M's 12-part look at the

Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside
Plant Manual, we discuss the suggested items and
methods of building a quality scope-of-work for your
next OSP project. All of the material discussed in the
previous installments of this series has set the
foundation for this crucial step in the overall process.
Who, what, when, where, and why?
Answering the five Ws should help guide you

through the mental checklist of issues to include in
the first part of your scope-of-work, the project
narrative. As a project designer, you should already
have most of the information you need to write your
project narrative. Plan to sum this information up in a
few concise but detailed paragraphs.
Think of this section as the project story. It should

clearly outline why this project is needed, where it
will be installed, who will be working on it, what must
be done, and when the project steps must be
completed. By reviewing your plans, material lists,
and other data you have assembled along the way,
you'll get a sense of what you need to complete the
project. Remember, the narrative's goal is to describe all of the elements of your project in an overview
format. Many of the finer details will be outlined in your scope-of-work package.
A drawing is worth a thousand words.
Proposal drawings give bidding contractors enough information to generate an accurate bid for the
project. At the very least, you need to include sufficient details on support structures, the media plan, and
termination hardware. The document's structures section should both outline the aerial, buried, or
underground placement pathways and specify the sizes and types of cable. The media plan is a portrayal
of the sequence of operations for the splicing and termination of hardware. It's crucial to note the type of
termination hardware so the bidding contractor understands the tooling and craft experience required for
the job. The proposal drawings can take the form of final design documentation or a schematic, as long
as you include the minimum details required for the project.
Method of placement.
Clearly outline the method of placement and pathways to be used on the OSP project. This includes the
notation of critical transition points, from aerial to direct-buried to underground cables. An important factor
to include is the level of difficulty anticipated on the project. No matter what format you choose to include,
this can easily be one of the most important factors in getting accurate bids for your project. Don't leave
this step out of the interpretation.
Not all splices and terminations are the same.
You must include the details of the splices required on your project because various designs can have
considerable differences in set-up time, actual splice time, and equipment requirements. Some of the
issues to address include type of cable, cabling hardware, and connecting hardware to be used, and the
required connection methods. If you're planning on showing the final design documentation to the bidder,
these issues should be clearly visible on the work prints. However, if you plan on presenting a schematic
presentation, you'll need to include this information in the scope-of-work, which will require you to specify
standard methods and any other exceptions to those standards that the bidder must qualify.
For optical fiber splices, you must outline single or multimode, mechanical or fusion splices, cabling
hardware requirements, and connector hardware associated with these splices. The bidder should also
know the acceptable loss factors. This same type of information must also be included for any coaxial-
type cable you've specified for the project.
Specifications for the termination of twisted-pair, fiber optic, and coax cables should be clearly outlined in
your scope-of-work package. These specifications are very similar to your splicing requirements, but may
also include additional hardware and craft experience considerations.
Maintenance holes and conduit.
When specifying these materials in your design, it's to your advantage to inform bidders of some
additional details about these products. The bidder will also want to know the size, shape, racking details,
and location of splices within all maintenance holes. With respect to maintenance holes and conduit,
they'll want to know the installation depth, final elevations, and intended uses. You should clearly outline
these requirements in the scope-of-work.
If the project calls for the contractor to gain access to any leased systems, this too should be clearly
outlined in the scope-of-work. This assists the bidder in establishing scheduling requirements with the
lease holder for access to the maintenance holes.
Material lists.
Your material lists help bring uniformity and accuracy to labor estimates. They include component
descriptions, manufacturers, unit prices, and availability. This information may be omitted if the bidders
are required to provide their own materials. However, you must then furnish in detail the minimum
expectations of the materials to be used on the project. If material lists aren't furnished, make sure all
materials are specified on the final design documentation and provided in the scope-of-work package.
Final acceptance.
Always include the specifics of your expected compliance on substantial and final completion of the
project. This customized information, including all of the codes and standards and/or regulations that
must be met, can be very important in the scheduling aspects of your project.
Next month we'll examine the project management process and the project manager's role.
Sidebar: Taking the Five Ws One Step Further
Who — These are the human resources and affected persons on your project. Be specific and list their
group names when necessary. Group names are important, so be sure to use consistent and acceptable
names.
What — Your project will include several parts, but you don't have to list them all. Your description should
include as much as necessary to cover everything involved in the project without including all the details.
When — The timing and scheduling of your project is most crucial to pricing and availability. You must be
clear about timing issues — when must you adhere to the schedule, and when can you deviate?
Where — The project location(s) you reference in the scope-of-work should include all the areas
involved. A key map is often useful for providing the bidder with a view of the land and surroundings that
factor into the design.
Why — The trigger of the demand for the project can be useful to the background of other plant
conditions. Knowing the final solution is helpful to the plant's construction.
Part 11 - Setting the Right Course for Your Next OSP Project
Nov 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
To ensure an accurate bid on your next OSP project, a detailed scope-of-work is essential.
By planning ahead, stringently tracking labor and materials, and documenting weekly site progress,
project managers can map out their next OSP project to the last detail.
Our forefathers navigated great bodies of water with just hand-drawn maps and a little knowledge of
astronomy and nature's signs. Needless to say, they only reached their original destinations occasionally
— and rarely on any predictable schedule. Obviously, these inefficient but amazing feats aren't necessary
anymore. Today, ship captains have an arsenal of advanced technology tools at their fingertips to help
guide their vessels, including GIS and GPS systems as well as devices that help them avoid difficult
weather or dangerous currents, maintain safety, and meet rigid schedules.
OSP project managers are similar to those long-gone captains. Using advanced scheduling and pricing
software to help build a project map, today's project managers no longer have to rely on notebooks,
calendars, and sticky notes. Now they can schedule pre-surveys, deliver construction drawings, and
define material purchase orders electronically. They can also track them to delivery, assign construction
personnel resources and schedules, build construction sequences, prepare equipment requirements, and
even coordinate scheduling with others with the click of a mouse.
With these complex matters mapped out on a custom-built basis for your OSP project, you can help meet
the required completion schedules and reduce your costs due to unnecessary delays or inefficiencies.
In this 11th installment of EC&M's 12-part look at the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer-Owned Outside
Plant Manual, we'll take you through some of the considerations involved in developing a good project
management plan as they relate to your OSP construction needs. Many of your decisions for the design
or management of the design process should be concluded and documented at this point.
Points on the map
When mapping out your construction plan, the manual outlines the following points to help you reach your
final destination:
• Integration
• Scope
• Time
• Cost
• Quality
• Human resources management
• Communications
• Risk
• Procurement
By using these points, you can organize your plan into clearly defined steps, assigning defined periods of
time, resources, and associated costs to each task. After defining these tasks, you must relate them in
the proper order and create controls on dependent tasks. In other words, you need to complete a task
before starting the next one. This process is
known as work breakdown structuring
(WBS).
A simple plan. Let's say you're building an

aerial pole line and want to attach cable to
it. First, an engineer must survey and stake
the pole line. Second, a pole crew sets the
poles and anchors. Third, a line crew places
the strand and lashes the cable. The
materials required for each task must also
be documented. Now, you can organize the
WBS information into a Table like the one
shown. By developing such an outline, you
begin to map out your project.
Timing is everything.
Because you have to expect the unexpected on OSP projects, it's important to allocate sufficient time and
resources for the routine tasks while allowing lag time between tasks. The amount of time you need for
each task will depend on the length, quantity, and difficulty of the work.
If one task runs behind schedule, all dependant tasks may fall behind, too. The project manager's
responsibility is to track the job's progress and make schedule adjustments accordingly, which in some
cases means doubling your resources or requiring overtime.
Material considerations.
Another important role for an OSP project manager is to stay on top of materials. A good project manager
always assembles a list for the entire project to track materials — starting with purchase orders and going
all the way up through handling and inspection of final placement inventories. Including a checklist with
the schedule helps project managers place crews as well as track supplies. Once material has been
handed out to the crews, they're required to report the usage and completion of the placement of those
materials.
On poorly managed projects, materials often don't meet originally planned deadlines, which creates
critical delays in many task assignments. Because many tasks can't be started without these materials,
it's crucial to meet them. Therefore, project managers shouldn't assign times to tasks before guaranteeing
delivery commitments by suppliers.
Time management.
The project manager has a continuous role in keeping the project's schedule on track. The manual
suggests documenting certain elements of the project on a weekly basis and recording the following
information.
• List of subcontractors.
• Approximate personnel count.
• Accidents and unusual events.
• Meetings and significant decisions.
• Stoppages, delays, shortages, and losses.
• Emergency procedures.
• Change orders — received, implemented, and in-process.
• Services connected and disconnected.
• Equipment or system tests and start-ups.
• Status of material orders.
• As-built documentation status report.
• Punch list status.
• Weather conditions.
• Time sheets.
• Daily job reports.
In the final installment of this series, we'll be including all 11 previous topics in a case study of an OSP
project from beginning to end. This article will feature a customer-owned project example that will require
citing the material and guides in the Second Edition of BICSI's Customer Owned Outside Plant Manual.
Part 12 - Customer-Owned OSP: A Project Review
Dec 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Joe A. Hite, RCDD/OSP Specialist, CT Communications
This article wraps up EC&M's yearlong coverage of how cabling contractors can generate new business
through customer-owned outside plant design work.
In this final installment of EC&M's 12-part series on outside plant (OSP) design, we'll walk through the
various stages of a typical OSP project as seen through the eyes of a project designer. We'll also cover
many of the issues outlined in the series, which is based on BICSI's Second Edition of the Customer-
Owned Outside Plant Design Manual.
Get the job. We begin the journey with the

proverbial telephone call for new business. Our
project designer answers the phone and learns of a
new project lead. A large computer company, which
owns all the buildings on a business campus, wants
to install additional copper and fiber optic cabling
throughout the grounds. Some routes will connect
new buildings and other routes will constitute
upgrades to existing facilities. Our designer must
first try to get on the bidder's short list, so his firm
can be considered for the design project. Since the
computer company is putting out a request for
services (RFS), the designer contacts the company
and completes the necessary paperwork. Several
weeks will go by before he finds out whether his firm
has won the bid for the project.
Getting started.
If his firm is selected, the project designer needs to

set up a meeting with the client to review the project
goals. In this meeting, the parties review minimal
specifications, required material types, and project
deadlines. The client also furnishes the designer
with records in the form of CAD drawings that note
the locations of all the campus' existing cabling and structures. During the meeting they outline which
sections will require new or replacement cabling. At the end of the meeting, the designer should
understand the general requirements of the project. His next step is to use the CAD drawings to develop
a route study and project schedule.
Back at the office, the designer meets with his team of field technicians, CAD specialists, and design
assistants to review the project goals. Next, he must secure the client's permission to access the campus
and inform its security team which days his field technicians will be on site to begin their work. He then
schedules his field technicians to begin the site survey (see “Prepare Your Bidders With an Accurate
Scope of Work” in the October issue of EC&M).
Get out in the field.
The field technicians begin their survey and secure new pathway proposals for the new buildings. Prior to
visiting the site, the technician must request that most or all existing underground cables and other
utilities be located, since the CAD drawings don't sufficiently note cable locations. Several days later the
field technicians begin their work by surveying potential pathway choices. Suppose one new building sits
next to an existing power pole line. Although some poles would need to be changed out to accommodate
the new cabling, the technicians still feel it's a good option to attach the new cabling to it. They find
another route that has an existing conduit system with several vacant conduits, and they make plans to
use it. A third direct-buried route offers limited space to open a trench and install new cable. For this route
they propose using directional boring techniques for the installation. With the pathway choices secured
and noted, the field technicians return to the office and meet with the project designer to update him on
their findings and recommendations.
Getting it down on paper.
The project designer and his assistant designers now take the determined pathway choices and begin
laying out the details of the project on schematic drawings. These drawings will include sufficient
information for the client to approve on the final route selections. The project designer must also submit
paperwork to the pole-line owner to secure the necessary approvals to attach to their facilities. This
paperwork includes the approximate lengths, placement methods, cable sizes, and other pertinent
installation details.
With everything now down on paper, the designer schedules a return meeting with the owner. At this
meeting, the designer presents the final design plan to the owner and answers any questions as to the
proposed pathways, permitting, connectivity, and sizing assumptions in the overall project plan. After the
owner approves the plan, the project designer prepares for the next stage of the project.
Getting back in the field.
The project designer now directs the field technicians to perform a final field survey. During this activity,
the technicians identify the actual lengths of cable and the supporting hardware necessary to complete
the installation by considering such factors as burial depth, mounting height, offset, clearance, and
required separation. The technicians also identify all splice locations, guying requirements, bore pit
locations, and other fine details of the construction process. Their detailed field notes are then added to
the project documentation file and turned over to the project designer and his design assistants.
Getting the specs nailed down.
It's now up to the design assistants to finalize the specifications, which are used to produce the project's
final work prints. These final specifications include material lists, cable counts and descriptions, cable cut
lengths, pole sizes, guy sizes and lengths, splice closure sizes, and miscellaneous materials required to
build the job. They also note final elevation details, coordination or sequencing requirements, placement
specifications, and any deviations from standard construction practices. Once the design assistants
complete the work print mark-up process, they turn the paperwork back over to the designer so he can
perform a final check of the project. When the designer feels comfortable with the final design
documentation he turns it over to the CAD team for final drafting.
Getting the RFP together.
With a completed CAD drawing package and material list in hand, the project designer is now ready to
compile a detailed request for proposal (RFP) package. Within this package the designer identifies the
construction practices and performance requirements. He also includes material specification sheets for
all products and provides proof of insurance and bonding. Quality control measures and penalties are
also outlined in the package. As a final step, the designer uses all of the data to build a project
management plan. This plan outlines the sequencing and timing of the entire project to meet the owner's
deadlines and budget stipulations.
Getting the owners approval and awarding the contract.

Now it's time to turn the package over to the owner for a final review. Once the owner is satisfied with the
design package and approves the final design, the project designer is ready to send out bid packages to
the prospective contract firms. Once the quotes are received and the owner signs off on the final
selection, the construction contract is awarded and the job is ready to roll.
Get it built.
At this stage of the game, the contractor is responsible for delivering the project requirements. The project
designer moves into a quality control role, keeping a close eye on the project's progress and recording
any deviation from the original plan. He must also make himself available to the contractor for decisions
on changes that may occur during the construction phase of the project.
When the job is complete and the project designer is satisfied with the system installation, he completes a
final review of the work and generates a summarization of materials and costs for the entire project.
Typically, this takes place during a meeting with all parties present. That way, everyone is involved in
making final adjustments and payment of services rendered.
Get the best.
Many things can and do go wrong on a project. However, chances are if a project designer is involved
from the start, the job can run rather smoothly. It's the talent and expertise of these professionals that
truly make it a success. A professional OSP project designer is your best overall resource in delivering a
successful project. Pick them wisely.

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Part 1 - Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design Issues

Jan 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Arlyn S. Powell, Jr., Editorial Consultant

However, for a decade following the Bell

To help you learn more about CO-OSP,

Next month, we will review Chapter 2, which details CO-OSP infrastructure.

Powell is an editorial consultant to EC&M. Please send questions or comments to [email protected].

• Chap. 2 — CO-OSP Infrastructure, which covers cable types and placement.

Part 2 - Designing an Outside-Plant Facility

• The characteristics of the cabling media to be pulled.

If the distances spanned by a campus network exceed the

Ring-shaped networks come in two

Part 3 - Selecting a Route for OSP Installations

This same thinking also applies to customer-

In the first installment of this 12-part series on the

A primary objective of conduit system design is to

Conduit that breaks away from the main duct run

For the safety of workers and the protection

where dc is the cable diameter. ANSI/TIA/EIA-758, Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications

• Reduced street maintenance.

• Power cables can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI).

There are two basic types of MHs: center conduit

You must seal all ducts entering an MH and building

• Provide a safe work area.

Part 4 - Cabling: At the Heart of the System

Cabling is to a voice/data/video network what

Just as your arteries and veins provide

Optical fiber cabling.

• Capability to transmit signals over long distances.

• Ability to handle high data rates.

• Lack of a grounding requirement, as it's an all-dielectric cable.

Twisted-pair copper cabling.

• The resistance of the cable in ohms.

Part 5 - Choosing Cabling Hardware for OSP Splice Protection

Safeguarding your cabling system should be a primary concern.

Splice location is typically the first criterion by

Some splice case closure environments, like

Closures are divided into the following four categories:

Three types of splice closures are shown in the Figure above.

Optical fiber closures.

When determining the size and type of

Hite is special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.

Part 6 - Protecting Your Assets with Bonding and Grounding

Is your OSP exposed?

• Disturbances from lightning.

• Ground potential rise (GPR) exceeding 300V.

Bonding and grounding.

Grounding it all together.

Hite is special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.

Part 7 - Understanding Air Pressure Systems for OSP Cabling

History of air pressure.

System components and specifications.

• Air pipe (feeder, distribution).

The Figure to the right shows a diagram of

Air pipes are generally lined in aluminum

Air dryers come in various sizes, and their

The Table to the right lists some commonly

Closing the air gap.

As an OSP system designer, you must be

Hite is a special projects engineer-OSP for CT Communications, Inc., Concord, N.C.

Part 8 - Understanding Air Pressure Systems for OSP Cabling