Thursday, December 27, 2012

Trenching for Telecommunication Cable and Fiber Optic

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

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

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



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



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




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

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

"By Mercy Salinas"


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