Methods of ADSS Optical Cable Installation

ADSS optical cable, short for all dielectric self-supporting cable, is a type of optical fiber that is strong enough to support itself between structures without using conductive metal elements. Designed with excellent tensile and crush performance that impervious to ice, wind, moisture, corrosion and electromagnetic interference (EMI), it is recommended for harsher environments, aerial or direct burial applications near high-voltage power distribution lines. Regarding the complexity and significance of ADSS optical cable installation, we typically offer some practical information from two aspects: general installation methods and safety considerations.

ADSS Optical Cable Installation Methods

Let’s start this section with the principal question: how to efficiently install ADSS optical cable? Generally, there are two primary methods used for installing ADSS optical cable. The first method is called the stationary reel, or the “Stationary Reel Method,” and the second is called the moving reel, or the “Drive-off Method.”

ADSS Installation with Drive-off Method

The drive-off method (the moving reel) is the simplest way to install ADSS optical cable. This method of cable placement is primarily used during the construction of new lines where there is a clear right-of-way and with no obstructions to vehicles. Here we offer some tips for installing ADSS optical cable with this method.

1. Attach the cable to pole-line hardware at the first pole of the cable run. Leave enough excess cable to facilitate splicing. The cable should be able to reach the ground, enter a splicing trailer/truck and be placed in an enclosure.

2. For the cable length, always leave more rather than less. Cap the open cable end to prevent contamination from dirt or moisture. Coil the cable being careful not to exceed the minimum bend radius and tie the loop to the top of the pole.

3. Ground and bond the armor at the first pole. The armor is contacted by means of a clamp (sometimes called “shark jaws”) that pierces the jacket to reach the armor.

4. Cable blocks should be installed at all poles not framed in dead-end hardware configurations. Pay the cable off the top of the reel and manually place it into the cable block. Continue to pay-off the cable slowly and uniformly to keep the pulling tension even.

5. Lift the cable from the cable blocks and place it into the suspension clamp once the cable route has been tensioned as required. Tension the cable wherever there are dead end hardware configurations. Ground and bond the armor at these locations once the cable is tensioned.

ADSS Installation with Stationary Reel Method

The stationary reel method typically contains three steps, which are explained below for your reference.

Step One: Trailer Set-Up

The trailer should be positioned in-line with the strand and twice the distance of the set-up chute to the ground from the chute. This prevents the cable from rubbing on the pole (or reel) or binding on the chute. If the trailer cannot be positioned there, move the set-up chute and cable trailer to an adjacent pole.

The cable should pay-off the top of the cable reel. The pay-off of the cable from the reel should cause a downward force at the hitch of the trailer.

Chock the trailer wheels. Adjust the reel brakes as needed. Place protective barriers and cones as needed to protect pedestrians.

Step Two: Pulling Set-Up

Attach the correct-sized cable grip. Then attach a swivel and a pulling line to the grip. Attention should be given to the tension that is being placed on the cable. There is not a practical method to monitor the tension in the cable itself.

Step Three: Cable Block Placement

Use cable blocks designed to be attached directly to the pole hardware. Pull the cable out along the pole line and lift it into the cable blocks with a cable lifter or by hand from a bucket truck.

Safety Considerations for ADSS Optical Cable Installation

Along with the right installation methods for ADSS optical cable, there is another factor that we can never neglect: safety. For each and every cable installer, especially those work for outside plant construction, personal safety is always prior to all. Hence, in this section let’s discuss some basic safety precautions applicable to ADSS optical cable installations.

Point One: Use protective leather gloves when climbing or descending a pole, and when working with sharp instruments. Wear rubber gloves when working near exposed electrical circuits.

Point Two: Use a safety harness on all bucket trunks and aerial lifts. A body belt and safety strap for the bucket or platform must be used when the equipment is in operation to minimize the chance of injury.

Point Three: Carefully inspect the cable reels for any imperfections that might cause damage to the cable. A “figure-eight” configuration should be used when the cable is removed from the reel and piled on the ground. Remember to protect cable with barricades or cones when placing it on pavement or other surfaces.

Point Four: The transmission characteristics of ADSS optical cable can be degraded when subject to excessive pulling force, sharp bends and crushing forces. So keep the maximum pulling tension and span tension in mind, as well as the minimum bend radius.

Point Five: Temporary or permanent guys should be installed at any location where the self-supporting cable is tensioned, in order to avoid placing an unbalanced load on the support poles.

Conclusion

ADSS optical cable installation can be rather complicated since it is partly influenced by local conditions and environments. Do remember to take your safety as a priority before working on the installation task. The methods described for installation of ADSS cable in this article are intended to be used as guidelines, moreover, the specific circumstances, existing engineering and customer requirements should as well be taken into account.

Source: http://www.china-cable-suppliers.com/ways-adss-optical-cable-installation.html

Tips for Successful Outside Plant (OSP) Installation

Outside plant installation (OSP), as the name indicates, is to install cable in outdoor applications, like placing cable underwater/underground, into buildings and at the top of poles. The process of OSP installation can be complicated and diverse owing to its complex conditions and environments. There are some important factors to consider before and when conducting OSP installation. And this is what we are going to talk about in this article: what exactly we could do to make the process seamless and flawless?

Prepare for OSP Installation

Well begun is half done. So the preparation work matters significantly. Let’s see what preparations are needed before installing OSP cables.

Hardware and Equipment

Before placing the cables, you may need to position those supporting structures, including new conduit, inner-duct manholes or sometimes even vaults. Then installers should consider all the hardware needed to be installed, as well as to schedule the specialized equipment required: trenchers or cable plows, backhoes, bucket trucks, cable winches, etc.

Once the infrastructure is in place and the cabling pulled, fiber optic splicing work begins.Each splice must be verified with an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) test. And do make sure to place each fiber properly in the splice closure and seal the closure carefully to protect it from degradation. Also, marking is necessary for easier fiber identification when problem arise.

Cable Termination

The OSP cables must be terminated or spliced to indoor cables soon after entering a building. Some OSP cables have double jackets, an outer one for outdoors and an inner one rated for indoor use. The outer jacket can be stripped off inside the building. Generally, single-mode OSP cables will be terminated by splicing pigtails onto each fiber, and splices will be placed in a splice closure. Multimode fibers can be handled the same way or terminated directly onto the fibers.

Safety

Safety is an important issue and always prior to all. Call before you dig to ensure no buried cables or pipes are in the proposed route. And Installers need to be well trained to operate the machinery safely. Every OSP job should have posted safety procedures and all personnel should be briefed in their use.

Considerations for Installing OSP Facility

Just as we stated at the beginning of the article. OSP installation is much more varied than those for premises. So, when installing OSP facility, besides making full preparation, you should also consider the following factors:

Choose the Right Cabling Media

Although the overall cable construction for outdoor installation can be various, the actual cabling media employed in OSP installation consisting of four basic types: single-mode optical fiber, 62.5/125- and 50/125-micron multimode optical fiber, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable, and 75-ohm coaxial cable.

Optical fiber carries signals in the form of light pulses, which can be used for extended distances with greater bandwidth. Optical fiber is also lighter and more compact than copper wire (see the main differences) and is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) while offers greater security. 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. The twisted-pair cable (often in high pair counts) —is the mainstay of many regional and local telephone companies. However, twisted-pair is 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. It is always the choice of cable-television providers and private broadband video networks. Coax offers higher bandwidth than twisted-pair, and it’s also less susceptible to interference. However, it’s more expensive, and it presents installation complications because its shielding must be grounded.

Deciding Installation Method

Three methods generally involved in installing OSP cables: aerial, direct-buried, and underground.

Aerial installations are the least expensive and are readily accessible for maintenance. Cables and other apparatus are mounted on utility poles in this method. However, they also pose several problems, including aesthetic concerns, susceptibility to environmental damage, and considerations of tension, sag, clearance, and wind- and ice-loading.

Direct-buried installations are usually installed by means of trenching, plowing, or directional boring. They are less expensive than underground installations. But they are less flexible than conduit once installed, because they cannot be upgraded or expanded. Moreover, they may be difficult to relocate for repair, and they provide less physical protection for transmission media than conduit.

Underground installations pull cable through conduit, thus offer the aesthetic appeal as well as provide greater cable protection, and offer more potential for future upgrades. However, this method is more costly than direct burial and requires more careful route planning.

Conclusion

To sum it up, to ensure the OSP installation process is smooth and efficient, get fully prepared is a fundamental yet essential part. Moreover, choose the right cabling media and installation method also counts for the whole process. Your choice should base on your specific situation and OSP environment. Hope what we presented in the article is informative enough.

Originally published: http://www.china-cable-suppliers.com/tips-outside-plant-osp-installation.html