1993 Specifications CSJ 0192-01-080 SPECIAL SPECIFICATION 1663 Fiber Optic Cable 1. Description. This Item shall govern for the furnishing and installation of fiber optic cable in designated locations as shown on the plans and as detailed in the Specifications. 2. Submittal Components. As a minimum, the submittal for this Item shall completely address the following: Strand Quantity Termination Methods Cable Configuration Drawing Attenuation Bandwidth and Dispersion Fiber Core Diameters Core/Clad Concentricity Primary Coating Buffering Tensile Strength Bend Radius Fiber Optic Distribution Enclosures and Accessories Termination Kits and/or Splice Enclosures for Fiber Drop Cable Splicing Kits and Accessories Core Configuration Outside Diameter Color Coding Fiber Optic Jumpers Splice Trays Connectors - Single Mode - Multimode Fiber Optic Pigtails Environmental Parameters Test Procedures 3. Material. (1) General Requirements. All materials furnished, assembled, fabricated or installed under this Item shall be new, corrosion resistant and in strict accordance with the details shown on the plans and in the Specifications. The Contractor shall furnish, install, splice and test all the required fiber optic cable. All splicing kits, fiber optic cable caps, moisture/water sealants, terminators, splice trays, and accessories to complete the fiber optic network shall be provided as incidentals. All equipment for installation, splicing and testing shall be provided by the Contractor. (2) Functional Requirements. The fiber optic cable shall be the primary communications medium for voice, data and video. The cable shall be suitable for installation in an underground conduit environment including constant immersion in water. All fibers in the fiber optic cable shall be spliced and/or terminated as indicated on the plans and as specified herein. 1-10 1663
There are 2 types of fiber optic fibers, namely multimode and singlemode. Fiber optic cables shall be made up of multimode and singlemode fibers as detailed on the plans. All fiber optic glass of a particular type shall be from the same manufacturer. (3) Optical Requirements. (a) Cable Configuration. Multimode glass fibers shall have a graded index profile with a core/cladding size of 50/125 or 62.5/125 microns as shown on the plans. Single mode glass fibers shall have a core/cladding size of (8 to 9 ± 1 micron)/125 microns. (b) Attenuation. For the single mode fibers, the nominal attenuation of single mode coherent light shall be 0.5 db/km or less at a wavelength of 1,300 nanometers (nm) and shall be 0.35 db/km or less at a wavelength of 1,550 nm. For the multimode fibers, the nominal attenuation shall be 1 db/km or less at a wavelength of 1,300 nm. (c) Bandwidth and Dispersion. Multimode fibers shall have bandwidth of 400 MHz per km or higher at 1,300 nm. Single mode fibers shall have a maximum dispersion of 3.5 picoseconds/nanometer/kilometer at 1,300 nm. (4) Mechanical Requirements. (a) Fibers. The quantity of fibers contained in the fiber optic cable shall be as shown on the plans. The following diameters shall be required: Single mode cladding Multimode cladding Single mode core Multimode core 125 microns ± 3 microns 125 microns ± 3 microns 8 to 9 microns ± 1 micron 50 or 62.5 microns ± 3 microns (b) Core/Clad Concentricity. Core/Clad concentricity shall be within plus or minus 1 micron. (c) Primary Coating. Each fiber shall have a minimum primary coating of 250 micrometers to prevent abrasion of the fiber surface. (d) Buffering. Individual fibers shall be enclosed in oversized plastic tubes which are filled with a non-hygroscopic compound, or coated with a heavy polymer coating and enclosed in a tight flexible thermoplastic jacket to provide strength for practical handling, to prevent microbends and to preserve the individual fibers during installation and long-term service. Each buffer tube shall contain no more than 6 individual fiber strands. 2-10 1663
(e) Tensile Strength. The cable shall be designed to withstand a pulling tension of 2,670 N without changing the characteristics of the optical fibers. Requirements for a higher pulling tension shall be provided as directed by the Engineer. Care shall be taken to avoid jerking of the cable during installation. The manufacturer's specification for maximum allowable pulling tension and maximum bending radius shall be strictly adhered to at all times. (f) Bend Radius. The cable shall be designed to withstand a minimum bending radius of 10 times its outer diameter during operation and 20 times its outer diameter during installation without changing the characteristics of the optical fibers. (g) Core Configuration. The fiber optic cable shall have a reverse oscillation or planetary stranding structure. In each cable, the buffered fibers shall be grouped to the degree practical, either in separate unit tubes, layers or sub-bundles grouping shall be distinctly color coded for quick and easy identification, even in dim light. Jacket construction and the configuration of the groups shall be such that they can easily be separated at splice points, permitting 1 set of fibers to be cut and spliced while the others remain continuous. The Contractor shall submit proposed cable designs for the Engineer's approval prior to procurement and installation of cable. All strength members shall be Kevlar, glass filaments, or equivalent and shall provide the cable with the specified strength. A polyethylene inner jacket shall be applied over the cable core, and another polyethylene outer jacket shall enclose the entire cable. The core shall be fully filled with non-hygroscopic water blocking compound to prevent water and moisture penetration. (h) Diameter. The outer diameter of each cable shall be less than 0.71 in. (i) Color Coding. Each fiber buffer jacket shall be color coded separately. Within unit tubes, or sub-bundles, each fiber shall have a distinctly different color coding. (5) Installation Requirements. The fiber optic cable installation techniques shall be such that the optical and mechanical characteristics of the cables are not degraded at the time of installation. (a) Installation in Conduit. The cable pulling operation shall be performed such that the minimum bending radius of the cable shall not be exceeded at any time. Entry guide shutes shall be used to guide the cable into the pull-box conduit ports. Lubricating compound shall be used to minimize cable-to-conduit friction. Corner rollers (wheels), if used, shall not have radii less than the minimum installation bending radius of the cable. A series array of smaller wheels can be used for accomplishing the bend if the array is specifically approved by the cable manufacturer. The pulling tension shall be continuously measured and it shall not be allowed to exceed the maximum tension specified by the manufacturer of the 3-10 1663
cable. Fuse links and breaks shall be used to insure cable tensile strength is not being exceeded. Fuse links shall not exceed 600 lb. per square in. pulling tension. When simultaneously pulling fiber optic cable with other cables, separate grooved rollers shall be used for each cable. Conduits shall be sealed with a 2 part urethane after cable installation. (b) Cable Installation between Pullboxes and Cabinets. When pulling the cable from the nearest ground box to cabinets/buildings the cable shall not be broken or spliced to a second interconnecting cable to complete the run. Instead, a length of cable shall be pulled out of the exit end of the primary conduit in the ground box sufficient in length to reach the designated cabinet. A pull cable shall be used to pull this remaining length of cable through and up into the cabinet with sufficient length to reach and coil in the splice tray in the cabinet, or to be terminated for the fiber optic terminal equipment in the cabinet. Care shall be taken during this procedure to avoid bending the cable beyond its minimum bend radius. (c) Splicing Requirements. All optical fibers shall be spliced or terminated by the Contractor as shown in the splicing diagrams on the plans and in accordance with Section 3(5)(d). Splices shall be allowed only in locations as shown on the plans. All splices shall use the fusion technique. Fusion splicing equipment shall be provided by the Contractor and shall be cleaned, calibrated and specifically adjusted to the fiber and environmental conditions at the start of each shift. Fusion splicing equipment used shall be approved by the Engineer. Splice enclosures, organizers and incidentals, and cable end preparation tools and procedures, shall be approved by the Engineer. All splices shall be tested to the satisfaction of the Engineer. Each spliced fiber shall be packaged in a protective sleeving or housing. Bare fiber shall be completely re-coated with a protective 8 RTV gel or similar substance, prior to application of the sleeve or housing, so as to protect the fiber from scoring, dirt or microbending. Rack mounted splice enclosures shall be used to hold the spliced fibers, with each fiber neatly secured to the enclosure. All fibers shall be terminated or spliced inside rack mounted fiber optic splice enclosures. The enclosure shall be a fully enclosed unit designed to support a minimum of 4 cables, each being 36 strand fiber minimum. The rack mounted splice enclosures modules shall be 19 in. rack mountable or as shown on the plans. Each enclosure shall support up to 72 fiber optic connectors in bulkheads. Each splice tray shall accommodate 12 fusion splices, minimum. 4-10 1663
The splice enclosures shall contain cabinet mounting brackets with 4 cable clamps for strain relief. The cable shall be installed according to the manufacturer's recommended standards for the cable distribution panel selected. A maintenance loop of at least 5 ft. shall be coiled up and tied inside the splice enclosure module. This will allow for future splices in the event of a damaged splice or pigtail. Splice loss shall not exceed 0.06 db. All splice losses shall be recorded in tabular form and submitted to the Engineer for approval. Splices that are made between 2 cables shall be tested using an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR). The OTDR tests shall be in conformance with the procedures described in Section 4(4)(b). The maximum allowable loss shall not exceed 0.3 db (0.15 per splice times 2) plus the kilometer length times the db per kilometer as per the pre-installation test. Example of 1 km of cable @ 3.0dB/Km 0.3dB + (1 x 3.0) = 3.3 db maximum allowable loss These tests shall be taken in both directions and the average recorded. (d) Termination Requirements. In cabinets where the optical fibers are to be connected to terminal equipment, the Contractor shall provide matching connectors with fiber pigtails of sufficient length and shall splice them to the corresponding optical fibers. Fiber pigtails shall be buffered and strengthened with Kevlar to reduce the possibility that accidental mishandling will damage the fiber or connection. All terminal connectors shall use epoxy style connectors. Crimp on connectors shall not be used. All multimode fiber optic cable shall be terminated with ST connectors. All single mode fiber optic cable shall be terminated with FC connectors. The connector loss for complete connection to the terminal equipment shall not exceed 0.4 db. This loss characteristic shall be maintained for a minimum of 500 connections (with periodic cleaning). Connectors will be qualified and accepted on the basis of connector-to-connector mating using similar fibers. At the ends of the system, 5 ft. of the unused optical fibers shall be removed from the buffer tube(s) and the coiled fibers placed into a splice tray. The water blocking compound shall be cleaned from all fibers destined for splice tray usage. (e) Fiber Optic Jumpers. Fiber optic jumper cables shall be provided to cross connect the cable distribution panel to the fiber optic transmission equipment. The jumper shall match the cable in size, type and attenuation. These jumpers shall be orange in color for the multimode fiber and yellow for single mode. The fiber shall have a 900 micron or 1,000 micron polymer coating with tight buffer tube, Kevlar strength member and a PVC jacket. 5-10 1663
Multimode jumpers shall be equipped with ST connectors. Single mode jumpers shall be equipped with FC connectors. The jumpers shall be a minimum of 3 ft. in length or as directed by the Engineer. (6) Environmental Requirements. The cable shall function within specifications over its full life time for a temperature range of -4ºF to 176ºF, and when totally immersed in water for indefinite periods of time. 4. Construction Methods. (1) General. The installation of the cable, the splicing of the fibers, the attachment of connectors and mounting of hardware in cabinets and the methods employed in the above Mechanical Requirements sections shall use the latest available installation machinery, jacking equipment, cable pulling machinery with appropriate tension monitors, splicing equipment, testing equipment and other miscellaneous tools. All installation techniques and fixtures shall result in ease of maintenance and ready access to all components for testing and measurements. (2) Mechanical Components. All external screws, nuts, and locking washers shall be stainless steel. No self-tapping screws shall be used unless specifically approved by the Engineer. All parts shall be made of corrosion resistant material, such as plastic, anodized aluminum or brass. All materials used in construction shall be protected from fungus growth and moisture deterioration. Dissimilar metals shall be separated by an inert dielectric material. (3) Documentation Requirements. Ten complete sets of operation and maintenance manuals shall be provided. The manuals shall, as a minimum, include the following: 1. Complete and accurate schematic diagrams showing the fiber optic cable plant. 2. Complete performance data of the cable plant showing the losses at each splice joint and each terminal connector. 3. Installation, splicing, terminating and testing procedures. 4. Complete parts list including names of vendors. 5. Complete maintenance and trouble-shooting procedures. Two months prior to installation, 10 copies of the Contractors Installation Practices shall be submitted for approval. This shall include practices, list of installation equipment, and splicing and test equipment. Field quality control procedures shall be detailed as well as procedures for corrective action. 6-10 1663
(4) Testing Requirements. (a) General. It is the policy of Department to require performance testing of all materials and equipment not previously tested and approved. If technical data are not considered adequate for approval, samples may be requested for test by the Engineer. The contract period will not be extended for time lost or delays caused by testing prior to final Department approval of any Items. The equipment covered by the Specification shall be tested to determine conformance with all the Specification requirements. The Contractor shall arrange for and conduct the tests in accordance with the testing requirements stated herein. Unless otherwise specified, the Contractor shall satisfy all inspection requirements prior to submission for the Engineer's inspection and acceptance. The Engineer reserves the right to have his representative witness all tests. The Contractor shall provide no less than 2 weeks notice to the Engineer prior to each test. The results of each test shall be compared with the requirements specified herein. Failure to conform to the requirements of any test shall be counted as a defect, and equipment shall be subject to rejection by the Engineer. Rejected equipment shall be replaced. Final inspection and acceptance of the fiber optic cable shall be made after the completion of the installation and testing and approval of the documentation described above. (b) Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) Tests. The OTDR shall be used to measure the fiber optic cable for overall attenuation (signal loss db/km), fiber cable length and to identify fiber cable anomalies such as breaks in the cable. There are 4 OTDR tests that shall be performed. They are as follows: 1. Acceptance test 2. Post installation test 3. Post termination test 4. Final end to end test OTDR Settings: 1. The file name of the fiber scan shall indicate at what location or direction the test was run from. The file name shall also indicate the fiber number being tested. 2. The A cursor shall be set at the beginning of the fiber trace and the B cursor shall be set at the end of the fiber trace. The distance to cursor B indicates the length of the fiber cable segment being measured. 3. The index of refraction shall be set to match the index of the factory report. 7-10 1663
4. The loss indicator shall be set for db's/km for the acceptance test. 5. The reflectance is automatically set internally by the OTDR. 6. The pulse width shall be set at a medium range. The pulse width shall be changed to a slow pulse width when an anomaly occurs on the fiber trace so that it can be examined closely. 7. The average shall be set at a medium speed. Like the pulse width, the average shall be changed to slow when an anomaly appears on the fiber trace to allow for closer examination of the anomaly. 8. The wavelength shall be set at 850 nm and then at 1,300 nm for multimode cable, and 1,310 nm and 1,550 nm for single mode cable so that the cable can be tested at both windows for each type of cable. All of these settings shall appear on all test result fiber scans. (c) Manufacturer's Certification. Each reel of fiber optic cable shall be accompanied by the manufacturer's test data showing the conformance to the requirements described in this Special Specification. (d) Pre-installation Tests. The fiber optic cable shall be tested at the site storage area prior to installation. This test shall be performed within 3 days from receipt of the fiber cable from the manufacturer. The fiber optic cable shall be tested for overall attenuation (db/km), total cable length and for anomalies or cable problems which could have occurred during shipment. The fiber cable shall be tested at both windows (850 nm and 1,300 nm for multimode cable and at 1,310 nm and 1,550 nm for singlemode cable). These test results shall be compared to the factory test results for any discrepancies. If the test results are not identical to the factory test results, the fiber cable reel shall be returned to the manufacturer. If the test results are identical to the factory tests, the test results shall be documented (hard copy and magnetic media). This documentation shall be delivered to the Engineer so that a working history of the cable will be available for future reference. (e) Post Installation Tests. After installation, each optical fiber in the cable shall be tested again for loss characteristics in accordance with this Specification. Both directions of operation of the fiber shall be tested. The post installation test shall be performed immediately after the fiber optic cable has been installed in its trench, conduit, cable tray or aerial route. The fiber cable shall be tested for overall attenuation, cable segment length, and for damage which would occur during installation. The fiber cable shall be tested with the OTDR in accordance with Section 4(4)(b). If any damage is found during this test, then that cable segment shall be replaced. The test results shall be documented (hard copy and magnetic media). This documentation shall be delivered to the Engineer so that a working history of the cable will be available for future reference. 8-10 1663
The OTDR settings shall be the same for the Post Installation Test as for the Pre- Installation Test. (f) Test Procedure. The Contractor shall prepare and submit all test procedures and data forms for the pre-installation and post-installation tests to the Engineer for approval. The test procedures shall have the Engineer's approval before the tests. The Contractor shall furnish data forms containing all of the data taken, as well as quantitative results for all tests. The data forms shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Contractor. At least 1 copy of the data forms shall be sent to the Engineer. A hard copy or floppy disk copy of the OTDR results shall be sent to the Engineer. All software necessary for interpreting the floppy disk OTDR results with a PC shall be supplied. All software packages supplied shall be original software packages. No copied software will be accepted. (g) Post Termination Test. The post termination test shall be performed as the fiber optic cable is being terminated or fusion spliced. This test shall be performed whether there is termination of fiber cable to fiber cable or fiber cable to fiber pigtail. The post termination test checks for attenuation and problems at the fusion or termination point and then for the overall fiber cable segment. The post termination test determines whether the attenuation and quality of the termination meets the specification. If the termination does not meet the specification, then the termination shall be repeated until it meets the specification. Once the terminating is acceptable, then the fiber segment shall be tested for attenuation and anomalies. Once the fiber segment is acceptable, the test results shall be documented in the same manner as the previous tests and delivered to the Engineer. When testing the fusion splices on pigtails, the Contractor shall use a launch reel of the same type of fiber as the cable and pigtail being spliced. This is necessary to extend out the trace so that the fusion splice can be seen and documented properly. The OTDR settings for the Post Termination Test shall be the same as the Pre- Installation and Post Installation Tests, with the exception of moving the B cursor to the middle of the termination or splice point. After the termination, the B cursor shall be returned to the end of the fiber segment to measure overall length and attenuation. (h) Final End To End Test. The final or end to end test shall be performed after all the fiber cable segments of the system have been completely terminated. The final end to end test shall be done using the OTDR in accordance with Section 4(4)(b). The final end to end test is performed: 1. To measure the overall fiber cable system length. 2. To measure the overall system attenuation. 3. And to check for anomalies. Once this test is acceptable, then the Contractor shall document these results in the same way as the acceptance, post installation, and post termination tests. The test documents shall then be forwarded to the Engineer. 9-10 1663
5. Training Class. The Contractor shall conduct a minimum of 40 hours of training for up to 10 representatives designated by the Engineer on procedures of installation, splicing, terminating and testing of fiber optic cable. Training material shall include, as a minimum, code compliance, pulling and installation techniques, use of installation tools, splicing and terminating equipment and test instruments and methods of recording installation and test data. The Contractor shall submit to the Engineer, for approval, 10 copies of the training material at least 30 days before the training begins. 6. Measurement. This Item will be measured by the linear foot of cable furnished, installed, spliced, connected, and tested in accordance with this Special Specification. 7. Payment. The work performed and materials furnished in accordance with this Item and measured as provided under Measurement, will be paid for at the unit price bid for Fiber Optic Cable of the type specified. This price shall be full compensation for furnishing, and installing all cable, for pulling through conduit or duct, testing, splicing, connecting, and for all materials, labor, tools, equipment, documentation, and incidentals necessary to complete the work. 10-10 1663