United States

Department of

Agriculture

Rural

Utilities

Service

RUS Bulletin 1753F-153

RUS Form 515d

September 2001

Specifications and

Drawings for Service

Installation at

Customer Access

Locations
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

BULLETIN 1753F-153

SUBJECT: Specifications and Drawings for Service Installations

at Customer Access Locations, RUS Form 515d

TO: All Telecommunications Borrowers

Roberta D. Purcell 8/21/01

Roberta D. Purcell Date

Assistant Administrator

Telecommunications Program

RUS Telecommunications Staff

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 2001

OFFICE OF PRIMARY INTEREST: Outside Plant Branch,

Telecommunications Standards Division.

AVAILABILITY: This bulletin supersedes RUS Bulletin 345-154,

Specifications and Drawings for Service Entrance and Station

Protector Installation, RUS Form 515g, issued May 25, 1989.

This bulletin can be accessed via the Internet at

http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/publications/bulletins.htm

PURPOSE: This specification provides Contractors, Engineers, and

RUS Borrowers with assembly unit descriptions, materials,

construction and installation, and drawings for service

installations at customer access locations associated with RUS

Form 515, Telecommunications System Construction Contract.

Incorporated by reference in 7 CFR 1755.97
RUS Bulletin 1753F-153

Specifications and Drawings for Service Installations at

Customer Access Locations, RUS Form 515d

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

List of Changes................................................ i

Part I – Description of Assembly Units and Proposal and

Contract Sections ......................................... 1

Part II – Specifications and Materials......................... 7

1. Scope .................................................. 7

2. General ................................................ 7

3. Miscellaneous .......................................... 7

Part III – Specifications for Construction and Installation.... 7

1. General ................................................ 7

2. Aerial Service Entrances ............................... 8

3. Buried Service Entrances ............................... 8

4. NID .................................................... 9

List of Construction Drawings and Plans....................... 10

INDEX

ASSEMBLY UNITS:

Underground Cable

CONSTRUCTION:

Service Entrances

Station Protector Installation

SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS:

Outside Plant

WIRE:

Buried Service

Drop Parallel Conductor
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page i

LIST OF CHANGES

1. Addition of BM50 unit, Buried Service Wire or Cable

Installation to Pole-Mounted Wire Terminal Assembly Unit.

2. Provision of suffix "D" to BM60 and BM61 units to indicate

directional boring.

3. Provision of suffix "P" to the BM60 unit to indicate plastic

pipe.

4. Modification of the BM61 unit allowing the Engineer to

specify the maximum bore diameter in parentheses.

5. Provision of suffix "E" to the BM71 unit to indicate extra

depth in rock.

5. Modification of Section NI to become Section NID, Network

Interface Device Assembly Units. Redefined unit to included

protectors as part of the unit, as well as mounting

arrangements for mobile home installation.

6. Elimination of Section P. Protectors are now included as

part of Section NID.

7. Modification of Section SE as follows:

(a) Compensation will be on a per foot basis;

(b) Elimination of the SEK unit. This unit is now

covered under two separate units: the SEA unit and

the BM50 unit.

8. In part III, section 3, changed minimum depth of buried

service entrances from 24 inches to 12 inches in soil.

9. In part III, section 4, modified section to cover NID's in

place of station protection.

10. Modification of the NID2 and NID3 assembly unit drawings to

indicate the Power Company’s method of providing the

electrical system ground connection.

For editorial or other minor technical changes, refer to the body

of the document.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page ii

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Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 1

Part I - DESCRIPTION OF ASSEMBLY UNITS AND PROPOSAL AND

CONTRACT SECTIONS

The Contractor’s Proposal form is divided into sections and the

sections approved for construction shall be listed in the

Construction Agreement by the Owner. The sections are as follows:

Section BM - Miscellaneous Assembly Units

Section NID - Network Interface Device Assembly Units

Section SE - Service Entrance Assembly Units

Section W - Rearrangement Units

Section XX - Nonreusable Materials Removal Units

Section XZ - Reusable Materials Removal Units

Each assembly unit includes only the materials listed on the

corresponding Installation and Construction Guide Drawings or

description of unit where no drawing exists. The various

installation and construction units which are included in the

Proposal and upon which quotations are required are defined by the

following descriptions:

Section BM – MISCELLANEOUS ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of all labor and material to construct and install the

units defined individually below required for the installation and

construction of the service entrance portions of the Project:

BM50( ) Buried Service Wire or Cable Installation to PoleMounted Wire Terminal Assembly Unit – Consists of the

necessary labor and material to install a buried wire

or cable from a buried plant housing to a pole mounted

wire terminal. This unit includes the installation of

pole mounted buried wire or cable, a pole mounted wire

terminal, and the necessary wire work at the wire

terminal (see assembly unit drawing BM50). Pair count

of the terminal size shall be indicated in the

parentheses. Installation of the buried plant housing

and splicing of the pole mounted buried wire or cable

inside the buried plant housing shall be compensated

under separate units.

BM60( ) Underground Pipe Crossing Assembly Unit – Consists of

one (1) lineal foot [0.305 meters (m)] of steel pipe,

with the inside diameter in inches (meters) specified

in parentheses, installed in place. This unit

includes the pushing of pipe and any excavation,

backfilling and tamping necessary for the

installation of the pipe. The pipe shall be

installed at the depth specified by the Engineer.

The installed pipe shall be free of any sharp
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 2

projections to avoid damage to the outer jacket of

the buried cable or wire during its installation in

the pipe. The contractor will be compensated for

labor and material for the buried cable or wire under

separate units. Options designated by the following

suffixes apply:

Suffix Description

 D Directional boring required.

 P Plastic pipe required.

BM61( ) Underground Non-Pipe Crossing Assembly Unit -

Consists of the labor in providing a hole in soil one

(1) foot (0.305 m) in length and of a diameter in

inches (meters) specified in parentheses. The depth

of the hole below the surface of the ground shall be

specified by the Engineer. This unit includes any

excavation, backfilling and tamping necessary for the

installation. This unit may be used where the

permanent installation of a steel or plastic pipe

under the BM60 unit is not required. The contractor

will be compensated for labor and material for the

buried cable or wire under separate units. Where

directional boring is required, the unit shall be

suffixed by the letter "D".

BM71 Rock Excavating Unit - Consists of one (1) lineal

foot (0.305 m) of trenching, blasting, sawing, etc.,

measured parallel to the surface of the ground, in

rock, including excavation, backfilling and tamping

to place cable or wire to the depth specified in the

Specifications. This unit includes all material and

labor required in the repair and/or replacement of

streets, roads, sidewalks, drives, fences, lawns,

shrubbery, watermains, pipes, pipelines and contents,

underground power and telecommunications facilities

and any other property damaged by the excavating,

except loss or damage to crops, gardens, trees or

ornamental flowers in the construction corridor

necessarily incident to the construction of the

Project and not caused by the negligence of the

Contractor. This unit will be specified by the

Engineer only when field conditions at the site show

the existence of rock to a depth required by the

specification, which cannot be trenched, plowed or

ripped. If extra depth is required, the unit shall

be suffixed by "E( )", where the required depth in

rock shall be shown inside the parentheses.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 3

The contractor will be compensated for labor and

material for the buried cable or wire under separate

units.

BM83 Buried Service Guard - Consists of a guard, including

fasteners, mounted in place over the buried wire or

cable and/or ground wire, as shown on the Construction

Sheets (see unit drawing BM83).

Section NID - NETWORK INTERFACE DEVICE ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of a network interface device (NID) installed in place,

with necessary hardware and jumpers connected, and where required,

furnishing and installing a ground and/or bond in accordance with

the Construction Sheets. The assembly units are equipped with

modular jacks and fuseless protectors.

The assembly unit is defined as follows:

NID ( ) Network Interface Device

The number specified in the parentheses shall indicate the number

of modular jacks and the number of fuseless protectors

The mounting arrangement suffixes for the NID unit are as follows:

Suffix Description

 1 Electric System Ground with Bond to Metallic Water

 Pipe System (see unit drawing NID1)

 2 Electric System Ground Rod

 (see unit drawing NID2)

 3 Electric System Grounding Conductor

 (see unit drawing NID3)

 4 Telco Ground Rod with Sub-surface Bond to Electric

 Ground (see unit drawing NID4)

 5 Telco Ground Rod with Above-surface Bond to

 Electric Ground (see unit drawing NID5)

 6 Telco Ground Rod with Bond to Water Pipe - no

 Electric Service at Site (see unit drawing NID6)

7 Mobile Home Installation – within 35 ft of

Electric Service Equipment

(see unit drawing NID7)
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 4

8 Mobile Home Installation – over 35 ft from

Electric Service Equipment

(see unit drawing NID7)

 G Indicates Gas-Tube station protectors are to be

 Furnished

 I Indicates inside mounting (see detailed drawings

 as specified by the Engineer)

Examples:

NID(2)3 NID containing 2 modular jacks and 2 fuseless

station protectors with electric system

grounding conductor

NID(6)G1 NID containing 6 modular jacks and 6 fuseless

station protectors having gas tube arrestors

with electric system ground with bond to

metallic water pipe system.

Section SE - SERVICE ENTRANCE ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of one (1) foot (0.305 m) of service entrance wire or

cable in place from the network interface device (NID) to either

filled terminal blocks in a ready-access closure or buried plant

housing; or buried cable pair. This unit includes all clamps,

rings, hooks and other hardware required for attachment to poles,

buried plant housings and buildings. This unit does not include

the labor and material for connecting the wire or cable to the NID

unless specified by the Engineer and suffixed by the letter "P".

This unit does not include cable splicing. For compensation

purposes, the length of service entrance wire or cable includes

the sum of the distance between supporting structures and when

required the vertical runs on buildings and poles. The service

entrance units are further defined as follows:

SEA Aerial Service Entrance from Aerial Cable Assembly Unit

- This unit includes the labor and material for an

aerial service entrance extending from aerial plant. It

includes the labor and material for the installation of

aerial service wire connected to the filled terminal

blocks of the ready access closure or pole mounted wire

terminal in accordance with the Construction Sheets.

Tree trimming necessary for installing the aerial

service wire is also included and shall be performed in

accordance with the instructions of the Engineer.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 5

SEB Buried Service Entrance Assembly Unit - This unit

includes the labor and material for placement of buried

service wire or cable to the depth set forth in the

specifications and the backfilling and tamping of the

trench and for the repair and/or replacement of all

fences, shrubbery, drives, lawns, watermains, pipes,

sidewalks, pipelines and contents, underground power and

telecommunications facilities, pavements, roadways,

buried sewerage and drainage facilities, and any other

property damaged during the installation of Service

Entrances.

Suffix Description

 P When the units above are suffixed with the letter "P"

the labor and material for connecting the conductors,

and the shield for buried service wire or cable, to the

station protector of the NID are included. This work

shall be done in accordance with the Construction

Sheets.

Each service entrance assembly unit is listed in accordance with

the number of pairs and gauge of conductors. Each unit is

prefixed by the letters SE. The following illustrations indicate

the method of designating the material required.

SEA1-18 Indicates an aerial service entrance assembly unit from

an aerial cable utilizing a one-pair, parallel

conductor, 18 gauge aerial service wire.

SEB2-22 Indicates a buried service entrance assembly unit

utilizing a two-pair, 22 gauge filled buried wire.

SEBP2-22 Indicates a buried service entrance assembly unit

utilizing a two-pair, 22 gauge filled buried wire

connected to the station protector of the NID.

Section W - REARRANGEMENT UNITS

Specific rearrangement units shall be designated and described by

the Engineer on the "List of Special Arrangement Units" table of

RUS Form 515. Existing plant assembly units to be rearranged are

designated by a prefix "W".

Section XX – NONREUSABLE MATERIALS REMOVAL UNITS

These units cover the furnishing of all labor for the removal of

construction assembly units from existing lines, and

transportation of the removed materials for proper disposal. The

Contractor will be permitted to use the most economical method of
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 6

removing these units. The removal units are designated by the

prefix "XX" followed by the assembly unit designation of the unit

to be removed.

Section XZ – REUSABLE MATERIALS REMOVAL UNITS

These units cover the furnishing of all labor for the removal of

construction assembly units from existing lines and all labor and

transportation of the removed materials to a location designated

by the Owner. The Contractor will be charged by the Owner for the

materials removed under this section at the unit material values

shown in column 2 of the "Value and Disposition of Units to be

Removed" table of RUS Form 515. The number of units to be charged

to the Contractor and the extended value of these units are shown

in columns 3 and 4. Such charges will be placed against the

Contractor as assembly units are removed and the unit material

values will be deducted from the total value of assembly units

constructed on this project for determination of the work

accomplished for purposes of the monthly progress payments to the

Contractor. Of the assembly units listed in the "Value and

Disposition of Units to be Removed" table to be removed from

existing lines certain units are to be reused in the construction

of the project. The quantity of such units to be reused is listed

in the "Value and Disposition of Units to be Removed" table,

column 5. These units where installed in the project will be

inventoried as new assembly units and compensated for at the unit

bid prices. The quantity of assembly units listed in column 6 of

the "Value and Disposition of Units to be Removed" table is the

maximum quantity of removed assembly units that are to be returned

to the Owner for credit which will be allowed at the unit material

prices in column 2. Column 7 indicates the extended value of the

units to be returned to the Owner. The Contractor will be allowed

credit for assembly units listed in column 6 which, in the opinion

of the Engineer, have not been damaged by the Contractor in

removal and handling. Such credits will be allowed the Contractor

as the assembly units are returned to a location designated by the

Owner and shall be added to the total value of installed assembly

units for determination of work accomplished for the purposes of

the monthly progress payments to the Contractor. The removal

units are specified by the prefix "XZ" followed by the assembly

unit designation of the existing assembly unit to be removed.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 7

Part II - SPECIFICATIONS FOR MATERIALS

1. SCOPE

This part of the specifications is concerned with the various

materials required for the construction of customer access service

installations of the rural telecommunications system as shown on

the Plans, Specifications, and Construction Sheets.

2. GENERAL

All materials used in the construction of the rural

telecommunications system except those listed in Paragraph 3 below

shall be listed in RUS Informational Publication (IP)

344-2, "List of Materials Acceptable for Use on Telecommunications

Systems of RUS Borrowers," unless specific written approval has

been granted by the Administrator.

3. MISCELLANEOUS

Items for which categories do not appear in RUS IP 344-2, "List

of Materials Acceptable for Use on Telecommunications Systems of

RUS Borrowers," shall be of a quality suitable for the

application for which they are intended.

Part III - SPECIFICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION

1. GENERAL

1.1 All construction and installation work shall be done in a

thorough and workmanlike manner in accordance with the Plans,

Specifications and Construction Sheets and shall be subject to

acceptance by the Owner and the Administrator.

1.2 All material to be used in construction of the Project shall

be stored so as to be protected from deteriorating effects of the

elements.

1.3 All service wires and cables, and accessory materials used in

the construction of the Project shall be handled with care. Each

reel of service wire or cable shall be inspected for damage.

Prior to installation, all damage shall be repaired to the

satisfaction of the Engineer. If reel wrap is present, the reel

wrap shall remain intact on the reel until the wire or cable is

ready to be placed.

1.4 Deviations from the Plans, Specifications and Construction

Sheets shall not be permitted except upon written permission of

the Engineer.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 8

1.5 The latest revision of the National Electrical Safety Code

(NESC) and the National Electrical Code (NEC) shall be followed in

every case except where local regulations are more stringent, in

which case local regulations shall govern.

1.6 The Contractor shall maintain conductor polarity (tip and

ring) identification at the main distributing frame, cable

terminals, wire terminals, terminal blocks, and for Service

Entrances at the network interface device (NID), all in accordance

with the Specifications and Construction Sheets.

2. AERIAL SERVICE ENTRANCES

2.1 Aerial service wires shall be installed in accordance with

RUS Service Installation Standard Bulletin 1753F-801(PC-5A), and

the Construction Sheets.

2.2 All clearances shall comply with the applicable requirements

of the NESC, and NEC, or local laws, or ordinances, whichever are

most stringent.

3. BURIED SERVICE ENTRANCES

3.1 Buried service entrances shall be installed at the depth

listed below unless otherwise specified by the Engineer.

minimum depth in soil - 12 inches (in.)

 [305 millimeters (mm)]

minimum depth in ditches - 36 in. (914 mm)

 (see guide drawing 975)

minimum depth in rock - 3 in. ( 76 mm)

3.2 Buried services shall contact the building as near as

practicable to the NID or proposed NID location.

3.3 Buried services shall be located to avoid damage from lawn

mowers, animals, etc., and, where deemed necessary by the

Engineer, shall be guarded.

3.4 The method of installation is shown on the Construction

Sheets.

3.5 Buried services shall be installed against a foundation wall

or pillar to provide adequate support and mechanical protection.

3.6 The buried service conductors shall be terminated in the NID,

when specified by the Engineer, as shown on the Construction

Sheets.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 9

4. NID

4.1 NID's shall be installed and grounded in accordance with RUS

Service Installation Standard Bulletin 1753F-801(PC-5A), and the

Construction Sheets. They shall also be installed in such a

manner as to coordinate with acceptable, available grounding

electrodes, such as to meet the existing applicable requirements

of the NEC or local laws or ordinances whichever are more

stringent.

4.2 The NID shall be located as directed by the Engineer. The

choice of location shall be chosen to facilitate common grounding

with existing (code) acceptable grounding electrodes by obtaining

the best compromise between the length of horizontal service wire

or cable run and length of protector grounding conductor wire run.

4.3 Where a grounding conductor or a bonding conductor is to be

buried, the trench shall be dug as close to the side of the

building as practicable. Trenches shall be properly backfilled.
Bulletin 1753F-153

Page 10

LIST OF CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND PLANS

Assembly Unit Drawings

BM50 Buried Service Wire or Cable Installation to

 Pole-Mounted Wire Terminal

BM83 Buried Service Guard

NID1 Electric System Ground with Bond to Metallic

 Water Pipe System

NID2 Electric System Ground Rod

NID3 Electric System Grounding Conductor

NID4 Telco Ground Rod with Sub-surface Bond to

 Electric Ground

NID5 Telco Ground Rod with Above-surface Bond to

 Electric Ground

NID6 Telco Ground Rod with Bond to Water Pipe - No

 Electric Service at Site

NID7 Mobile Home Installation – within 35 ft

 of Electric Service Equipment

NID8 Mobile Home Installation – over 35 ft

 from Electric Service Equipment

Construction Guide Drawings

962-1 Buried Service Wire - Termination of Shield

 and Conductors on Station Protector Binding

 Posts of NID

963-2 Bonding Buried Service Wire at Station

Protector of NID - (Service Wire Shield

Bonding Connector)

NOTE: On the Assembly Unit and Construction Guide Drawings an

asterisk (*) in the ITEM column indicates items that are no longer

listed in RUS IP 344-2, "List of Materials Acceptable for Use on

Telecommunications Systems of RUS Borrowers."