United States 

Department of Agriculture

Rural

Utilities 

Service 

RUS Bulletin 1753F-150 

RUS Form 515a 

Date: September 30, 2010 

Specifications and 

Drawings for 

Construction of Direct 

Buried Plant
Bulletin 1753F-150 

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This page intentionally left blank
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: 7 CFR 1755.97
Bulletin 1753F-150 

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RUS Bulletin 1753F-150 

Specifications and Drawings for Construction of 

Direct Buried Plant, RUS Form 515a 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page

List of Changes .............................................................................................................................. 1 

Part I – Description of Assembly Units and Proposal and 

 Contract Sections 3 

Part II – Specification for Materials ............................................................................................ 28 

 1 Scope .......................................................................................................................... 28 

 2 General ....................................................................................................................... 28

 3 Stub Poles .................................................................................................................. 28 

 4 Miscellaneous ............................................................................................................ 28 

Part III – Specification for Construction and Installations .......................................................... 28 

 1 General ....................................................................................................................... 28 

 2 Buried Plant Housing Stub Poles ............................................................................... 29 

 3 Cable Splicing ............................................................................................................ 29 

 4 Buried Cable or Wire ................................................................................................. 29 

 5 Buried Handholes ...................................................................................................... 34 

 6 Miscellaneous – Buried Plant .................................................................................... 35 

7 Special Requirements for Installation of Serving 

 Area Interface Cabinets (SAIC) ................................................................................. 36 

List of Construction Drawings and Plans .................................................................................... 37

INDEX 

CONSTRUCTION: 

 Buried Cable Plant 

 Fiber Optic Cable Plant 

SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS: 

 Outside Plant 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 1

LIST OF CHANGES 

1 Modification of Section BA as follows: 

(a) Redefined unit to indicate installation of all units must be in compliance 

with RUS BULLETIN 1728F-700, REA Specification for Wood Poles, 

Stubs and Anchor Logs. 

2 Modification of Section BDO as follows: 

(a) Redefined unit to indicate installation of all splicing or fiber termination 

hardware and accessories are included as necessary; 

(b) Redefined unit to add housing sizes comparable to copper plant housings 

sizes: BDO3, BDO4, BDO5, BDO6, BDO7, BDO6000, BDO8000, 

BDO10000; and 

(c) Added suffixes "C" for plastic cone mounted with crushed stone or gravel 

bed, "G" for pea gravel, "H" for handhole mounted with crushed stone or 

gravel bed, and "S" for poured in place sealant. 

3 Modification of Section BDS, as follows: 

(a) Redefined unit to include cross-connect modules, blocks, or bulkheads for 

FTTP; and 

(b) Added suffixes "H" for handhole mounted with crushed stone or gravel 

bed and "S" for poured in place sealant. 

4 Modification of the Section BFO, as follows: 

(a) Redefined suffix "I" for buried cable, to be installed inside a duct placed 

by the contractor; 

(b) Modified suffix " V( )( )" to "V(x)" with the first value in the V suffix 

parentheses must indicate the number of ducts by the second value 

specifying the inside diameter of the ducts in inches or millimeters; and 

(c) Provided suffixes "H" for special conditions or instructions concerning the 

installation as determined by the Engineer, "IE" for buried cable to be 

installed inside an existing duct placed by others, "L" for adding a locate 

conductor to a dielectric cable, "R" for indicating cable of ribbon 

construction, and "W" for a 3" wide, orange warning tape, installed 18" 

above the cable. 

5 Modification of the BM60 unit, as follows: 

(a) To reflect installing buried plastic pipe as the standard installation practice 

for an entire project versus crossings only; and 

(b) Provide suffixes "S" for steel pipe, "R" for specialized rock boring bit, and 

"RR" for larger specialized boring equipment. 

6 Modification of the BM61 unit, as follows: 

(a) To reflect providing a hole as the standard installation practice for service 

entrance cables versus crossings only. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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7 Addition of miscellaneous assembly unit BM51, Fiber Optic Pre-connectorized Multiport 

Terminal Assembly Unit. 

8 Modification of the Section HBF, as follows: 

(a) Modified "HBFO( )" to "HBFO(-)" with the cable strand count and when 

necessary, pre-hyphenated by the number of identical cables to be housed 

in the closure. Ribbon type cables are identified by an attached "R" to the 

cable strand count within the parenthesis; and 

(b) Provided suffix "S( )" for number of splices in the closure specified within 

the parenthesis. 

9 Modification of the Section HO, as follows: 

(a) Modified the section description for complete a ribbon fiber optic splice 

using mass splicing, to connect fiber-terminated ports using patch cords, 

and to terminate one optical splitter pigtail; and 

(b) Provided suffix "HO4" for connecting a splitter pigtail, "HO5( )" for a 

fiber optic connection by patch cord, and "HO#R" for splicing a ribbon 

matrix cable assembly. 

10 In Part II, section 1, clarified for purposes of this specification references to outside 

buried cables include fiber optic or copper type cables unless otherwise specified. 

11 In Part II, section 4, added compliance to the RUS "Buy American" provision for items 

for which categories do not appear in RUS IP 344-2, "List of Materials Acceptable for 

Use on Telecommunications Systems of RUS Borrowers." 

12 In Part III, section 4, added when placing cable or wire by horizontal directional drilling 

(HDD) or boring, the cable or wire bore route must be pre-planned and mapped for the 

most efficient path. 

13 In Part III, section 4, added a underground pipe assembly unit (BM60( )) may use the "R" 

suffix for specialized rock boring or "RR" for heavy rock when specified for proper and 

acceptable use by the engineer prior to the bidding process. All underground or buried 

pipes must be properly capped with or without any cable or wire installed. 

14 In Part III, section 4, added the minimum depth at subscriber premises, 12" (305 mm). 

15 In Part III, sections 1-7, added miscellaneous language for the inclusion of FTTH. 

For editorial or other minor technical changes, refer to the body of the document. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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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 must be listed in the Construction Agreement by the Owner. The sections are as 

follows: 

Section BA - Buried Plant Housing Stub Pole Units 

Section BD - Buried Plant Housing Assembly Units 

Section BDO - Buried Plant Fiber Optic Housing Assembly Units 

Section BDS - Serving Area Interface Cabinet (SAIC) Assembly Units 

Section BFC - Buried Filled Copper Cable Assembly Units 

Section BFO - Buried Filled Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Units 

Section BH - Buried Handhole Assembly Units 

Section BM - Miscellaneous Assembly Units 

Section HBF - Buried Filled Splice Closure Assembly Units 

Section HC - Copper Splicing Assembly Units 

Section HO - Fiber Optic Splicing 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 this Proposal and upon which 

quotations are required, are defined by the following descriptions: 

Section BA – BURIED PLANT HOUSING STUB POLE UNITS

Consists of all labor and material for a stub pole in place. Stub poles must be of the length and 

type designated by the Engineer as follows: 

BA2 6.5 Feet [1.98 meters (m)], Round Wood Stub Pole 

BA3 8.0 Feet (2.44 m), Round Wood Stub Pole 

BA4 10.0 Feet (3.05 m), Round Wood Stub Pole 

BA5 13.5 Feet (4.12 m), Round Wood Stub Pole 

BA21 6.5 Feet (1.98 m), Sawn Wood Stub Pole 

BA22 8.0 Feet (2.44 m), Sawn Wood Stub Pole 

BA23 10.0 Feet (3.05 m), Sawn Wood Stub Pole 

The stub pole plan, kind of preservative, and method of treatment are designated in the Proposal 

in compliance with Bulletin 1728F-700, REA Specification for Wood Poles, Stubs and Anchor 

Logs. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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Section BD – BURIED PLANT HOUSING ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of a buried plant housing stake mounted in place. These units include all labor and 

material to install pea gravel, housing numbers, route letters, load point numbers, directional and 

other markings of buried filled copper cable, except as specifically provided for in other units. 

Includes all labor and material to install bonding connectors, harnesses, and grounding 

connector for terminating external ground wire, in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard 

Bulletin 1753F-401 (PC-2). 

The assembly units are defined as follows: 

BD3 Buried Plant Housing, Type H Stake-Mounted 

BD4 Buried Plant Housing, Type H Stake-Mounted 

BD5 Buried Plant Housing, Type H Stake-Mounted 

BD7 Buried Plant Housing, Type H Stake-Mounted 

BD14 Buried Plant Housing, Type M Stake-Mounted 

BD15 Buried Plant Housing, Type M Stake-Mounted 

BD16 Buried Plant Housing, Type M Stake-Mounted 

BD6000 Buried Plant Housing, Large Count Stake-Mounted 

BD8000 Buried Plant Housing, Large Count Stake-Mounted 

BD10000 Buried Plant Housing, Large Count Stake-Mounted 

Note: The splicing capacity must be in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F401(PC-2). 

Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

A Pole mounted (see guide drawing 905 when increased height is required). 

Pole compensated under BA units. 

F Concrete pad mounted. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

 H Good-housekeeping panel. 

P Plastic pad mounted. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

 R Crushed stone or gravel bed. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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Examples: 

BD3 BD3 housing stake mounted. 

BD4AH BD4 housing pole mounted and good-housekeeping panel. 

BD14R BD14 housing with crushed stone or gravel bed. 

BD8000F BD8000 housing, concrete pad mounted. 

Section BDO – BURIED PLANT FIBER OPTIC HOUSING ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of a buried plant fiber optic housing stake mounted in place. These units include all the 

labor and material to install housing base material, housing numbers, route letters, and 

directional and other markings of buried fiber optic cable, except as specifically provided for in 

other units. Includes all labor and material to install all splicing, or splice case, or fiber 

termination hardware and accessories as necessary, bonding connectors, harnesses, and 

grounding connector for terminating external ground wire, in accordance with RUS Splicing 

Standard Bulletin 1753F-401 (PC-2). 

The assembly units are defined as follows: 

BDO3 Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO4 Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO5 Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO6 Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO7 Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO6000 Large Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO8000 Large Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

BDO10000 Large Buried Plant Housing, Stake-Mounted 

Note: Type of hardware and accessories must be dependent upon the type of fiber optic 

connection(s), splicing, and/or splice case utilized. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

A Pole mounted (see guide drawing 905 when increased height is required). 

Pole compensated under BA units. 

C Plastic cone mounted with crushed stone or gravel bed. Cone compensated 

under BHF units. 

F Concrete pad mounted. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

G Pea Gravel. 

H Handhole mounted with crushed stone or gravel bed. Handhole 

compensated under BHF units. 

P Plastic pad mounted. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

R Crushed stone or gravel bed. 

S Poured in place sealant. 

The following illustrations indicate the method of designating the material required: 

 BDO3 A BDO3 housing stake mounted. 

 BDO4SH A BDO4 housing with a poured in place sealant and handhole mounted 

with crushed stone or gravel bed. 

BDO6SC A BDO6 housing with a poured in place sealant and plastic cone mounted 

with crushed stone or gravel bed. 

BDO8000F A BD8000 housing, concrete pad mounted. 

Section BDS – SERVING AREA INTERFACE CABINET (SAIC) ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of an SAIC stake mounted in place. Includes all labor and materials to complete the 

installation. Included in this unit must be the cabinet; cross-connect modules, blocks, or 

bulkheads; cabinet mounting accessories; internal mounting hardware such as frames, mounting 

brackets, all splicing hardware and accessories; grounding connector for terminating external 

ground wire, bonding connectors and harnesses in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard 

Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2); cabinet base material; interface number and direction markings and 

placement of conduit(s) and such other labor and materials necessary to complete the 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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installation, except as specifically provided for in other units. Detailed plans and specifications 

further defining these units and establishing specific requirements including size of the housing 

for each SAIC location are attached hereto and are identified by the name and location of each 

SAIC. 

The assembly units are defined as follows: 

BDSM( )( )( ) - SAIC equipped with modules. 

BDSB( )( )( ) - SAIC equipped with blocks. 

BDSO( )( )( ) - SAIC equipped with optical modules or bulk heads. 

The number of feeder pairs or fibers to be terminated must be indicated in the first parentheses; 

the number of distribution pairs or fibers to be terminated must be indicated in the second 

parentheses; and the number of electronic pairs or pass through fibers to be terminated must be 

indicated in the third parentheses. Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

A Pole mount. 

F Concrete slab mount. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

 

H Handhole mounted with crushed stone or gravel bed. Handhole 

compensated under the BHF units. 

P Plastic pad mount. Pad compensated under BHF units. 

R Crushed stone or gravel bed. 

S Poured in place sealant. 

The following illustrations indicate the method of designating the material required. 

BDSM(25)(25)(0)A 

SAIC equipped with modules, 25 feeder pairs terminated, 25 distribution pairs, 

pole mounted. 

BDSB(50)(25)(25)F 

SAIC equipped with blocks, 50 feeder pairs terminated, 25 distribution pairs 

terminated, and 25 electronic pairs terminated, concrete pad mounted. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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BDSO(72)(576)(54)SH 

SAIC equipped with optical modules or bulkheads, 72 feeder fibers terminated, 

576 distribution fibers terminated, 54 pass through fibers, with a poured in place 

sealant and handhole mounted with crushed stone or gravel bed. 

Section BFC – BURIED FILLED COPPER CABLE ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of one (1) foot (0.305 m) of buried filled copper cable in place. This unit includes all 

material and labor for installing, ripping (where necessary as determined by the Engineer), and 

backfilling, except as specifically provided for in other units. Where the cable is plowed, ripping 

may be necessary to provide a ripped path to allow placement at the required depth, and may 

require more than one ripped pass. 

Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

D Two or more cables placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench. 

Specify all cables within parentheses ( ) with every succeeding cable on 

the following next line. Each line will break out the length, labor, and 

material. 

H Screened cable designated for Tl carrier systems. 

H1C Screened cable designated for TlC carrier systems. 

I Buried cable, to be installed inside a duct placed by the contractor. The 

placement of the duct will be compensated under other units (BFC_V(x) 

and/or BM60()). 

IE Buried cable to be installed inside an existing duct placed by others. 

P Pre-designated buried filled cable which will, in the judgment of the Engineer, be 

much more difficult to install than normal for this project because of the presence 

of underground facilities or severe right-of-way restrictions. This suffix will be 

specified on the Construction Sheets in advance of bidding, and will not be 

specified later unless changes in the presence of underground utilities, right-of-way 

easement, or route changes occur that would, in the judgment of the Engineer, 

greatly increase the difficulty of cable placement. Also, this suffix will be 

specified during construction when undocumented buried facilities are encountered 

that, in the judgment of the Engineer, greatly increases the difficulty of cable 

placement. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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T Buried filled cable which will be placed at the specified depth by trenching only. 

This unit will be specified by the Engineer on the Construction Sheets in advance 

of bidding. 

V(x) One or more vacant ducts specified by the engineer in the Explanatory 

Notes to be placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench. Specify 

all cables and duct within parentheses ( ) with every succeeding cable or 

duct on the following next line. Each line will break out the length, labor, 

and material. The first value in the V suffix parentheses must indicate the 

number of ducts by the second value specifying the inside diameter of the 

ducts in inches or millimeters. If cable is to be pulled into this duct as part 

of the construction then, cable placement must be compensated under the 

BFC work units suffixed "I". 

W Buried filled cable placed must have a 3" wide, orange warning tape, 

installed 18" above the cable. The tape must be imprinted with the words 

"CAUTION" and "COPPER CABLE BURIED BELOW" every 16 to 36". 

This unit also includes: 

 

(1) Clearing of right-of-way. (The Engineer will be responsible for specifying any 

special conditions or instructions concerning the right-of-way clearing on the 

Construction Sheets.) 

Note 1: Trees that are felled must be cut to commercial wood length and 

placed on the side of the right-of-way for the landowner. Commercial 

wood length means the length designated by the Engineer, but in no case 

must be required to be less than 2 feet (0.61 m). 

Note 2: Brush, branches, and refuse from the clearing operations must, 

without delay, be disposed of by such of the following methods as the 

Engineer will direct: 

Code Disposition

A Chipped and Blown. 

B Removed from the vicinity of the right-of-way. 

C Piled on one side of the right-of-way in such 

manner as to not obstruct roads, ditches, etc. 

D Other as specified by Engineer. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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(2) All labor and material required for the installation of cable guards installed with 

the approval of the Engineer for the convenience of the Contractor. 

(3) All labor and material required in the repair and/or replacement of streets, 

sidewalks, roads, drives, fences, lawns, shrubbery, water mains, pipes, pipelines 

and contents, underground power and telecommunications facilities, buried 

sewerage and drainage facilities, and any other property damaged during the 

installation of the buried cable, except loss or damage to crops, gardens, 

ornamental flowers or trees in the construction corridor necessarily incident to the 

construction of the Project and not caused by the negligence of the Contractor. 

(4) The cable installed in place for aerial inserts in buried plant when specified by the 

Engineer. It includes the miscellaneous accessories such as drive rings, thimbleye 

nuts, etc., in accordance with the Construction Sheets, not included in other units, 

needed to secure the buried cable in place. (This unit does not include poles, 

anchors, guys, riser guards or suspension strand units which will be separately 

specified by the Engineer.) 

(5) The spiraling of buried cable at an aerial insert where indicated by the Engineer 

on the Construction Sheets. 

(6) All labor and material including housings, splice closures, stub poles, trenching, 

backfilling, tamping, cable, straight splicing, and other material and labor 

required for the purpose of joining cable of the same size and gauge in continuous 

lengths (reel ends). The housings or closures and all other associated materials 

and equipment must be of the same type as required at other cable splicing points 

specified in the construction of the Project unless otherwise approved by the 

Engineer. 

(7) The labor and material for buried cable installed in Miscellaneous Assembly 

Units, such as, pipe crossings, rock excavating, asphalt or concrete. The labor 

and material required by these miscellaneous assembly units are specified 

separately. 

The length of buried cable for compensation purposes is determined by taking the sum of 

distances between splice or terminal points specified by the Engineer, paralleling the cable. It 

includes the cable installed in trenches, pipes and non-pipe underground crossings, in sections of 

aerial construction of buried cable and in vertical runs on poles and in stake-mounted or polemounted housings. It excludes lateral and vertical runs of cable required solely for the purpose 

of joining cable in continuous lengths (reel ends) of the same size and gauge. The length of 

buried cable installed must be determined from the sequential number length markers on the 

outer jacket of the buried cable except where the markings are illegible, found to be in error or 

an excessive amount of slack has been provided such as in housings, filled splice closures and 

aerial inserts. Compensation for multiple cables placed in the same plow slot or trench is 

determined on the basis of the lengths of the individual cables involved. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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Each buried filled copper cable assembly unit is listed in accordance with the number of pairs 

and gauge of conductors. Each unit is prefixed by the letters BFC. The following illustrations 

indicate the method of designating the material required: 

(BFC50-24 & BFC25-22)D 

Unit 

No. 

of 

Units 

Unit Price Extended Price 

Labor 

Labor Materials and Materials 

Labor 

and Materials 

(BFC50-24 

& BFC25-

22)D 

 

Two cables placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench; one a 

50 pair, 24 gauge and the other a 25 pair, 22 gauge cable. Quantity, labor 

and material unit prices are to be specified for each cable separately 

(BFO24 & V(2x1)D). 

(BFC50-24 & V(2x1"))D 

Unit 

No. of 

Units 

Unit Price Extended Price 

Labor 

Labor Materials and Materials 

Labor 

and Materials 

(BFC50-24 

& V(2x1"))D 

A 50 pair, 24 gauge with 2 vacant ducts having 1 inch (25.4 mm) inside 

diameters placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench. Quantity, 

labor and material unit prices are to be specified for each part separately. 

Note: To have the contractor place the 50 pair 24 gauge copper 

cable in one of the vacant ducts as part of the construction 

is specified using the BM60 ( ) unit with the standard 

dimension ratio (SDR) or schedule (SCH) specified in the 

parenthesis as necessary i.e. BM60( 2x1" SDR11). The 

cable placement must be compensated under the BFC work 

units suffixed "I". The cable pulled into the duct would be 

specified as BFC50-24I. 

BFC25-24I A 25 pair, 24 gauge buried filled copper cable to be installed in a duct 

placed by the contractor. 

BFC50-24IE A 25 pair, 24 gauge buried filled copper cable to be installed in an existing 

duct placed by others. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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BFC100-22H A 100 pair, 22 gauge buried filled copper cable with a screen designated 

for T1 carrier systems. 

BFC300-24P It indicates a 300 pair, 24 gauge buried filled copper cable which in the 

judgment of the Engineer will be much more difficult to install than 

normal because of the presence of underground facilities or severe rightof-way restrictions. 

Section BFO – BURIED FIBER OPTIC CABLE ASSEMBLY UNITS

Each unit consists of one (1) foot (0.305 m) of buried fiber optic cable in place. This unit 

includes all material and labor for installing, ripping (where necessary as determined by the 

Engineer), and backfilling, except as specifically provided for in other units. Where the cable is 

plowed, ripping may be necessary to provide a ripped path to allow placement at the required 

depth, and may require more than one ripped pass. 

 

Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

D Two or more cables placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench. 

Specify all cables within parentheses ( ) with every succeeding cable on 

the following next line. Each line will break out the length, labor, and 

material. 

H Designated for cables with special conditions or instructions concerning 

the installation methods or handling as specified by the Engineer in the 

Explanatory Notes. This unit will be specified by the Engineer on the 

Construction Sheets in advance of bidding. 

 

I Buried cable, to be installed inside a duct placed by the contractor. The 

placement of the duct will be compensated under other units (BFO_V(x) 

and/or BM60( )). 

IE Buried cable to be installed inside an existing duct placed by others. 

L Designated for adding a locate conductor to a dielectric cable specifically 

for locating the cable. 

P Pre-designated buried cable which will, in the judgment of the Engineer, 

be much more difficult to install than normal for this project because of 

the presence of underground facilities or severe right-of-way restrictions. 

This suffix will be specified on the Construction Sheets in advance of 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 13

bidding, and will not be specified later unless changes in the presence of 

underground utilities, right-of-way easement or route changes occur that 

would, in the judgment of the Engineer, greatly increase the difficulty of 

cable placement. Also, this suffix will be specified during construction 

when unknown and undocumented buried facilities are encountered that, 

in the judgment of the Engineer, greatly increase the difficulty of cable 

placement. 

R Indicates cable of ribbon construction. 

T Buried cable which will be placed at the specified depth by trenching 

only. 

V(x) One or more vacant ducts specified by the Engineer in the Explanatory 

Notes to be placed simultaneously in the same plow slot or trench. 

Specify all cables and duct within parentheses ( ) with every succeeding 

cable or duct on the following next line. The first value in the V suffix 

parentheses must indicate the number of ducts by the second value 

specifying the inside diameter of the ducts in inches or millimeters. If 

cable is to be pulled into this duct as part of the construction then, cable 

placement must be compensated under the BFO work units suffixed "I". 

W Buried fiber optic cable placed must have a 3" wide, orange warning tape, 

installed 18" above the cable. The tape must be imprinted with the words 

"CAUTION" and "FIBER OPTIC CABLE BURIED BELOW" every 16 

to 36". 

This unit also includes: 

(1) Clearing of right-of-way. (The Engineer will be responsible for specifying any 

special conditions or instructions concerning the right-of-way clearing on the 

Construction Sheets). 

Note 1: Trees that are felled must be cut to commercial wood length and 

left on the side of the right-of-way for the landowner. 

Commercial wood length means the length designated by the 

Engineer, but in no case must be required to be less than 2 feet 

(0.61 m). 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 14

Note 2: Brush, branches, and refuse from the clearing operations must, 

without delay, be disposed of by such of the following methods 

as the Engineer will direct: 

Code Disposition

A Chipped and Blown. 

B Removed from the vicinity of the right-of-way. 

C Piled on one side of the right-of-way in such 

manner as to not obstruct roads, ditches, etc. 

D Other as specified by Engineer. 

(2) All labor and material required for the installation of cable guards installed with 

the approval of the Engineer for the convenience of the Contractor. 

(3) All labor and material required in the repair and/or replacement of streets, 

sidewalks, roads, drives, fences, lawns, shrubbery, watermains, pipes, pipelines 

and contents, underground power and telecommunications facilities, buried 

sewerage and drainage facilities, and any other property damaged during the 

installation of the buried cable, except loss or damage to crops, gardens, 

ornamental flowers or trees in the construction corridor necessarily incident to the 

construction of the Project and not caused by the negligence of the Contractor. 

(4) The cable installed in place for aerial inserts in buried plant when specified by the 

Engineer. It includes the miscellaneous accessories such as drive rings, thimbleye 

nuts, etc., in accordance with the Construction Sheets, not included in other units, 

needed to secure the buried cable in place. (This unit does not include poles, 

anchors, guys, riser guards or suspension strand units which will be separately 

specified by the Engineer.) 

(5) The spiraling of buried cable at an aerial insert where indicated by the Engineer 

on the Construction Sheets. 

(6) The labor and material for buried cable installed in Miscellaneous Assembly 

Units, such as, pipe crossings, rock excavating, asphalt or concrete. The labor 

and material required by these miscellaneous assembly units are specified 

separately. 

The Buried Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Unit does not include labor and material for splicing the 

individual fibers. All splice points, including reel end splices, must be specified by the Engineer 

on the Construction Sheets. All labor and material required for splicing the fibers and for 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 15

enclosing the splice, such as, fiber organizers, splice closures, housings and stub poles, and 

miscellaneous hardware items must be included in other assembly units. 

The length of buried cable for compensation purposes is determined by taking the sum of all 

distances between splice or terminal points specified by the Engineer. It includes the cable 

installed in trenches, pipes and non-pipe underground crossings, in sections of aerial 

construction of buried cable and in vertical runs on poles and in stake-mounted or pole-mounted 

housings. The length of buried cable installed must be determined from the sequential number 

length markers on the outer jacket of the buried cable except where the markings are illegible or 

found to be in error. Compensation for multiple cables placed in the same plow slot or trench is 

determined on the basis of the lengths of the individual cables involved. 

Each buried fiber optic cable assembly unit is listed per the number of optical fibers. Each unit 

is prefixed by the letters BFO. The following illustrations indicate the method of designating the 

material required: 

BFO288R A buried fiber optic cable with 288 fibers of ribbon construction. 

(BFO144R & BFO36 & BFC100-24)D 

Unit 

No. 

of 

Units 

Unit Price Extended Price Labor 

and Materials 

Labor Materials 

Labor 

and Materials 

(BFO144R 

& BFO36 

& BFC100-

24)D 

 

A 144 Ribbon and 36 loose tube fiber, buried fiber optic cables and a 100 

pairs, 24 AWG buried filled copper cable, placed in the same plow slot or 

trench. Quantity, labor and material unit prices are to be specified for each 

cable separately (BFO24 & V(2x1")D). 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 16

(BFO24 & V(2x1”))D 

Unit 

No. of 

Units 

Unit Price Extended Price Labor 

and Materials 

Labor Materials 

Labor 

and Materials 

(BFO24 

& V(2x1"))D 

A buried fiber optic cable containing 24 fibers with 2 vacant ducts having 

1 inch (25.4 mm) inside diameters placed simultaneously in the same plow 

slot or trench. Quantity, labor and material unit prices are to be specified 

for each part separately. 

Note: To have the contractor place the 24 fiber in one of the vacant ducts 

as part of the construction is specified using the BM60 ( ) unit with 

the standard dimension ratio (SDR) or schedule (SCH) specified in 

the parenthesis as necessary i.e. BM60(2x1" SDR11). The cable 

placement must be compensated under the BFO work units 

suffixed “I”. The cable pulled into the duct would be specified as 

BFO24I. 

BF0361 A buried fiber optic cable containing 36 fibers installed in a duct placed 

by the contractor. 

BFO36IE A buried fiber optic cable containing 36 fibers installed in an existing duct 

placed by others. 

Section BH – BURIED HANDHOLE ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of labor and material for one (1) buried handhole installed in place, including the base, 

top cover and mounting hardware, and pea gravel. The handhole size, amount of pea gravel and 

the installation must be as specified by the Engineer. The handhole assembly unit must be used 

only in areas of non-vehicular traffic. When required for use in areas of vehicular traffic, the 

handhole must be rated to withstand vehicular traffic. Where specified, vehicular traffic rated 

handholes must be suffixed with the letter "T". Note: When unit is used for handholes and pads 

designed to support a specific pedestal type must be specified by the Engineer in the List of 

Changes and Deletions pages of the contract. 

The assembly units are defined as follows: 

BHC( ) Buried Handhole for copper systems. 

BHF( ) Buried Handhole for fiber optic systems. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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The dimensions of length, width, and depth of the handhole must be indicated in the parentheses 

in inches (millimeters). 

Examples: 

BHC(13x24X24) Buried handhole for copper systems with dimensions of 13 x 24 x 

24" (330 x 610 x 610 mm) (approximate). 

BHF(17x30x30)T Buried handhole for fiber optic systems with dimensions of 17 x 30 

x 30" (432 x 762 x 762 mm)(approximate) which is rated for 

vehicular traffic. 

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 buried cable portions of the Project: 

BM2( )( ) Housing Ground Assembly Unit - Consists of the necessary labor and 

material for the installation of a ground rod (installed in undisturbed soil), 

ground rod clamp and the required length of a bare #6 AWG copper 

ground wire connected to an auxiliary grounding connector (included in 

the housing assembly unit) within the housing (see unit drawing BM2). 

Indicate the desired diameter and length of ground rod. For a 

sectionalized ground rod and coupling device use the suffix "S". 

Examples: BM2(1/2)(5) A 1/2 inch X 5 foot (13 mm X 1.5 m) ground rod. 

BM2(5/8)(8) A 5/8 inch x 8 foot (16 mm X 2.4 m) ground rod. 

BM2(5/8)(20)S Two 5/8 inch x 10 foot (16 mm X 3.1 m) 

sectionalized ground rods and a coupling device. 

Where sectionalized ground rods are required the 

total length should appear on the Construction 

Sheets. 

BM2A Housing Auxiliary Ground Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary 

labor and material for the installation of a ground rod clamp (if required) 

and the required length of a bare #6 AWG copper ground wire connected 

to a pole ground wire using a ground wire connector (see unit drawing 

BM2A). 

BM2B Housing Ground Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary labor and 

materials for the installation of a bonding connector bracket within an 

existing housing. The bonding connector bracket should be the bracket 

that is recommended by the housing manufacturer. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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BM2C Existing Facility Bonding Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary 

labor and material for bonding new or existing cable in an existing 

facility, such as a buried plant housing or splice closure. This unit 

includes a bonding connector, a bonding harness, tie-wraps, replacement 

of gravel and/or sealer, and rearrangement of an existing cable. 

Compensation must be paid on a per bond basis. 

BM2D New Facility Re-Bonding Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary 

labor and material for re-bonding an existing cable in a new facility such 

as a buried plant housing or splice closure. This unit includes a bonding 

connector, a bonding harness, and tie wraps. Compensation must be paid 

on a per bond basis. 

BM6M Suspension Strand Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) foot (0.305 m) of 

6M [6,000 pounds (lbs)—2722 kilograms (kg)] suspension strand, 

supporting hardware, lashing wire, cable straps, and all other accessories 

required for aerial insert construction in buried plant, but excludes the 

buried cable. This unit will be used for short sections of aerial 

construction in buried plant. When such aerial inserts are required, the 

Engineer will specify the pole, riser guard, guy and anchor assembly units 

required, plus the appropriate quantity of this unit. The Contractor will be 

compensated for these units at their respective bid prices plus the 

appropriate cable units including the vertical length on the end poles. 

BM10M Suspension Strand Assembly Unit – This unit is the same as the BM6M 

unit except that the size of the strand is 10M (10,000 lbs--4536 kg). 

BM16M Suspension Strand Assembly Unit – This unit is the same as the BM6M 

unit except that the size of the strand is 16M (16,000 lbs--7257 kg). 

BM21 Cable Entrance – Consists of the necessary labor and material to terminate 

copper and/or fiber optic outside plant cables as shown on the detailed 

drawings as specified by the Engineer. 

BM22 Grounding System – Consists of the necessary labor and material to 

construct a grounding system as shown on the detailed drawings as 

specified by the Engineer. This unit must include all ground electrodes, 

trenching, backfilling, bonding the auxiliary ground electrodes to each 

other and to the primary ground electrodes, and bonding to the master 

ground bar (MGB). 

BM50( ) Buried Service Wire or Cable Installation to Pole-Mounted 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 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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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 must 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 must be compensated under separate units. 

BM51(x) Fiber Optic Pre-connectorized Multiport Terminal Assembly Unit – 

Consists of the necessary labor and material to install a fiber optic 

pre-connectorized multiport terminal from a distribution enclosure to a 

handhole or buried plant housing. This unit includes the installation of the 

stubbed fiber cables, multiport terminal, and the necessary cable work and 

hardware to secure and install the unit. In the parentheses, the number of 

ports must be indicated first by the length of the cable stubs in feet. 

Installation of the buried plant enclosures and any splicing of the stubbed 

fiber optic cables must be compensated under separate units. 

BM52 Re-numbering Assembly Unit – This unit consists of the necessary labor 

and material to remove existing numbers and clean where necessary, and 

re-number an existing housing. 

BM53 Warning Sign Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) staked mounted 

warning sign, in place as shown on the Construction Sheets. This unit 

includes all labor and material to install the stake mounted sign (see detail 

drawing specified by the Engineer). 

BM54 Route Sign Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) stake mounted route sign, 

in place, as shown on the Construction Sheets. This unit includes all labor 

and material to install the stake mounted sign (see detail drawing specified 

by the Engineer). 

BM55 Splice Location Sign Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) stake mounted 

splice location sign, in place, as shown on the Construction Sheets. This 

unit includes all labor and material to install the stake mounted sign (see 

detail drawing specified by the Engineer). 

BM55A Buried Splice Location Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) buried splice 

location assembly unit installed in or above the buried splice case. The 

installation of the buried splice location unit must be in accordance with 

the manufacturer's instructions. If the owner has standardized on a 

specific system, the Engineer must so indicate (see detail drawing 

specified by the Engineer). 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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BM60( ) Underground Pipe Assembly Unit – Consists of one (1) lineal foot (0.305 

m) of Plastic pipe, with the inside diameter in inches (meters) specified in 

parentheses, installed in place. The standard dimension ratio (SDR) or 

schedule (SCH) must be specified in the parenthesis as necessary. This 

unit includes the pushing of pipe and any excavation, backfilling and 

tamping necessary for the installation of the pipe. The pipe must be 

installed at the depth specified by the Engineer. The installed pipe must 

be free of any sharp projections to avoid damage to the outer jacket of the 

buried cable or wire during its installation in the pipe. This unit includes 

all material and labor required in the repair and/or replacement of streets, 

roads, sidewalks, drives, fences, lawns, shrubbery, water mains, 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. 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. 

S Steel pipe required. The wall thickness must be 

specified in the BM60 unit’s parenthesis as 

necessary. 

R Indicates when a specialized rock boring bit or 

reamer is required. The unit consists of the labor 

and equipment required to bore through rock that 

cannot be accomplished with typical equipment 

used for a similar bore where rock is not 

encountered. This unit will only be used when preapproved by the engineer and will be paid on a per 

foot basis only for that portion of the bore that is 

through rock. 

RR Indicates heavy rock that will require significantly 

larger equipment than required for the rest of the 

project and/or specialized dill heads that pump mud 

through the head to remove the rock debris. The 

unit consists of the labor and equipment required 

for the bore. This unit will only be used when preapproved by the engineer and the payment method 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 21

has been pre-negotiated prior to bringing the 

equipment on site. 

BM61( ) Underground Non-Pipe 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 must be specified by the Engineer in the plans 

and specifications. 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. This unit includes all material and labor required in the repair 

and/or replacement of streets, roads, sidewalks, drives, fences, lawns, 

shrubbery, water mains, 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. 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 must be suffixed by the letter "D". 

BM65( ) Guard Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary labor and material for 

installing one (1) lineal foot (0.305 m) of split galvanized steel guard. The 

sections of guard may be straight and or curved. This unit may be used as 

attachments to bridges, abutments, walls, etc., and any below ground 

location. All hangers, bolts, and other attachment hardware along with 

excavation, backfilling, tamping, and restoration are included as part of 

this unit. The diameter of the guard must be indicated in the parentheses. 

The contractor will be compensated for labor and material for the buried 

cable or wire under separate units. (See detailed drawings as specified by 

the Engineer). Where a split plastic guard is required, the unit must be 

suffixed by the letter "P". 

BM66( ) Bridge Attachment Assembly Unit – Consists of the necessary labor and 

material for installing one (1) lineal foot (0.305 m) of galvanized steel 

pipe, of the inside diameter in inches (meters) specified, attached to a 

bridge. Details of the method of installation will be in accordance with 

the Plans and Specifications as determined by the Engineer. The 

contractor will be compensated for labor and material for the buried cable 

or wire under separate units. (See detailed drawings as specified by the 

Engineer). Where a plastic pipe is required, the unit must be suffixed by 

the letter "P". 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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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, water mains, 

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 must be suffixed by 

"E( )", where the required depth in rock must be shown inside the 

parentheses. The contractor will be compensated for labor and material 

for the buried cable or wire under separate units. 

BM72 Asphalt Assembly Unit – Consists of labor and material necessary to 

remove and restore one (1) lineal foot (0.305 m) of asphalt pavement 

(where the removal does not necessitate the breaking up of concrete) 

measured along the route of the cable or wire. Any trenching which may 

be necessary for the installation of buried cable or wire is included in this 

unit. All work must be performed as required in accordance with federal, 

state and/or local construction standards in effect at the time of bid date. 

(Pursuant to these federal, state and/or local standards, restoration may 

include the use of any base and sub-base materials such as concrete, 

crushed stone, etc.). The contractor will be compensated for labor and 

material for the buried cable or wire under the separate units. 

BM73 Concrete Assembly Unit – Consists of the labor and material necessary to 

remove and restore one (1) lineal foot (0.305 m) of concrete pavement (or 

any combination of concrete pavement and other surfacing material) 

where the removal necessitates the breaking up of concrete pavement, 

measured along the route of cable or wire. Any trenching which may be 

necessary for the installation of buried cable or wire is included in this 

unit. All work must be performed as required in accordance with federal, 

state and/or local construction standards in effect at the time of bid date. 

(Pursuant to these federal, state and/or local standards, restoration may 

include the use of any base and sub-base materials such as concrete, 

crushed stone, etc.) The contractor will be compensated for labor and 

material for the buried cable or wire separate units. 

BM80 Riser Guard, 1 inch inside diameter (ID) x 8 feet (25.4 mm x 2.44 m). 

 (See assembly unit drawing BM80.) 
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BM81 Riser Guard, 2 inch ID x 8 feet (50.8 mm x 2.44 m). 

 (See assembly unit drawing BM81.) 

BM82 Riser Guard, 3 inch ID x 8 feet (76.2 mm x 2.44 m, see assembly unit 

drawing BM82.) 

BM91 Pedestal Restricted Access Insert Assembly Unit – Consists of a restricted 

access insert installed within a housing and the labor and material for 

setting up in preparation for installing the insert, such as, opening the 

jacket and bonding of the cable shields. Cable splicing must be 

compensated under the appropriate splicing units. 

Section HBF – BURIED SPLICE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY UNITS

This unit consists of a buried splice closure installed in place. It includes the labor and material 

for setting up in preparation for installing the closure, such as, excavating a splicing pit, 

installing closure in a housing or handhole if necessary, opening the sheath or jacket of the cable, 

bonding of the cable shields, and closing the closure in accordance with the manufacturer's 

instructions. Cable splicing must be compensated under the appropriate splicing units. 

The assembly units are defined as follows: 

HBF( ) Buried Copper Closure - A filled splice closure with pair count and gauge 

for each cable to be spliced. 

HBFOx Buried Fiber Optic Closure - A fiber optic closure, splice organizer, and 

miscellaneous materials adequate for the individual location. Unless 

otherwise specified by the Engineer, the following suffixes designate the 

case size in the series of cases specified by the Engineer. Projects that 

require more than one series of case shall have an additional suffix as 

specified in the List of Changes, Additions, and Deletion Pages to 

designate the series of case. The letter "x" designates the case size as 

small (S), medium (M), or large (L), as specified below by the following 

suffices: 

Suffix Description

S Small splice case with up to two main ports and two 

secondary ports that can accept two smaller main 

cables, two armored drop cables, or up to four flat 

drop cables. The largest fiber count cable this case 

will accept is 96 Fiber. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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M Medium splice case with up to four main ports and 

up to four secondary ports that can accept four 

smaller main cables, four armored drop cables, or 

up to six flat drop cables. The largest fiber count 

cable this case will accept is 288 Fiber. 

L Large splice case with greater than four main ports 

and up to four secondary ports that can accept four 

smaller main cables, four armored drop cables, or 

up to eight flat drop cables. The case should be 

capable of accepting the largest fiber specified in 

the project. If the case is to be placed on an 

existing cable that is larger than the largest cable 

specified in the contract, the Engineer shall 

adequately specify the maximum cable size that will 

be placed in the case. 

The Engineer shall provide additional information in the List of Changes, Additions, and 

Deletion Pages to adequately define the miscellaneous materials (splice trays, cable addition kits, 

etc.) required by the Bidder to complete this project. This information can be provided as a: 

(1) List of cases showing the splice location, case size (S, M, L), cables entering the 

case, and splices taking place in each case,; and/or 

(2) Schematic showing each splice location; and/or 

(3) List of construction prints that show each splice location. 

Examples: 

HBF(100-24)S(100) 

Buried closure enclosing two cables ends same pair count and gauge and 

100 splices. 

HBF(200-24)(100-24)A 

Buried closure enclosing two cable ends with different pair counts 

provided with a treated plank above. 

HBFOS Buried fiber optic closure enclosing up to two main ports and up to two 

secondary ports. The largest fiber count cable this case will accept is 96 

Fiber. 
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HBFOM Buried fiber optic closure enclosing up to four main ports and up to four 

secondary ports. The largest fiber count cable this case will accept is 288 

Fiber. 

 

HBFOL Buried fiber optic closure enclosing up to four main ports and up to four 

secondary ports. The case should be capable of accepting the largest fiber 

specified in the project. If the case is to be placed on an existing cable 

that is larger than the largest cable specified in the contract, the Engineer 

shall adequately specify the maximum cable size that will be placed in the 

case. 

Section HC – COPPER SPLICING ASSEMBLY UNITS

HC1 Consists of the labor and material necessary in the wire work and splicing 

of one (1) cable pair in any cable, including any non-working pair in an 

existing cable in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F401 (PC-2) using individual mechanical splicing connectors. The splice 

may be straight, bridged, or pieced out and bridged. Pairs that are to be 

tested, capped, or tested and capped, when specified by the Engineer are 

considered to be part of this unit. Only those pairs on which splicing, 

testing, and/or capping operations are performed are counted and each pair 

is counted only once at each location. On aerial inserts, each end of the 

fuse link is considered as a splice. 

HC2 Consists of the labor and material necessary for terminating one (1) 

distribution, feeder, and/or electronic pair on a cross-connect block or a 

cross-connect module, including any non-working pair in an existing cable 

in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

Pairs that are to be tested, when specified by the Engineer are considered 

to be part of this unit. Only those pairs on which terminating and/or 

testing operations are performed are counted and each pair is counted only 

once at each location. 

HC3 Consists of the labor and material necessary in the wire work and splicing 

of one (1) cable pair in any cable, including any non-working pair in an 

existing cable in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F401 (PC-2) using splicing modules. The splice may be straight, bridged or 

pieced out and bridged. Pairs that are to be tested, capped, or tested and 

capped, when specified by the Engineer are considered to be part of this 

unit. Only those pairs on which splicing, testing, and/or capping 

operations are performed are counted and each pair is counted only once 

at each location. On aerial inserts, each end of the fuse link is considered 

as a splice. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 26

HC4 Consists of the labor and material for placing and terminating both ends of 

one (1) pair of cross-connect jumper wires on cross-connecting blocks 

and/or modules. 

Section HO – FIBER OPTIC SPLICING ASSEMBLY UNITS

Consists of all labor and material and/or testing necessary to complete a single fiber optic splice, 

complete a ribbon fiber optic splice using mass splicing, to connect fiber-terminated ports using 

patch cords, or to terminate one optical splitter pigtail in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard 

Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). The labor must include initial measurement, minimizing the 

attenuation, splicing and stowing the spliced fiber or patch cord/pigtail in a fiber organizer. The 

labor and material for the fiber organizer is part of the appropriate splice closure unit or fiber 

patch equipment. Options designated by the following suffixes apply: 

Suffix Description

HO1 Fusion Splice 

HO2 Mechanical Splice 

HO3 Connector Splice 

HO4 Connect Splitter Pigtail (Consists of cleaning and terminating one (1) 

optical splitter pigtail. The optical splitter must be provided by the Owner 

or under a separate unit.) 

HO5( ) Fiber Optic Connection (Consists of cleaning and terminating an optical 

patch cord as specified in the List of Changes, Additions, and Deletions 

section of the contract by the Engineer. The parenthesis must be used to 

differentiate between different types of patch cords in the same contract.) 

HO#R Consists of all labor and material necessary to splice and test one (1) glass 

fiber of a ribbon matrix cable assembly to one (1) glass fiber in a ribbon 

matrix cable assembly. This unit is only used when a consecutive group 

of 12 fibers in the ribbon assembly are being spliced to 12 consecutive 

fibers of another ribbon assembly. Splices of partial ribbon assemblies or 

of a ribbon assembly to a buffer tube assembly are compensated with the 

appropriate HO# suffixes 1 – 5( ). 
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Page 27

Section W – REARRANGEMENT UNITS

Specific rearrangement units must 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 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 must 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. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 28

Part II – SPECIFICATION FOR MATERIALS 

1 SCOPE . This part of the specification is concerned with the various materials required 

for the construction of the outside buried cable and wire plant of the rural 

telecommunications system as shown on the Plans, Specifications, and Construction 

Sheets. For purposes of this specification references to outside buried cables refer to both 

fiber optic and copper type cables or wires unless otherwise specified. 

2 GENERAL. All materials used in the construction of the rural telecommunications 

system except those listed in Paragraph 4 below must 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 STUB POLES. The stub pole plan, method of treatment, kind of preservative and 

general procedure applying to all stub poles must be in accordance with the latest RUS 

specifications in effect at the time the bids are received. 

4 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," 

must be of a quality suitable for the application for which they are intended and in 

compliance with the RUS "Buy American" requirement. 

Part III - SPECIFICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION

1 GENERAL 

a All construction and installation work must be done in a thorough and 

workmanlike manner in accordance with the Plans, Specifications and 

Construction Sheets and must be subject to acceptance by the Owner and the 

Administrator. 

b All material to be used in construction of the Project must be stored so as to be 

protected from deteriorating effects of the elements. 

c All buried cables or wires, and accessory materials used in the construction of the 

Project must be handled with care. Each reel of buried cable or wire must be 

inspected for damage. All damage must be repaired to the satisfaction of the 

Engineer and in accordance with the methods or other instructions described in 

the appropriate paragraphs of Part III. If reel wrap is present, the reel wrap must 

remain intact on the reel until the cable or wire is ready to be placed. 

d Deviations from the Plans, Specifications and Construction Sheets must not be 

permitted except upon written permission of the Engineer. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 29

e The latest revision of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and the 

National Electrical Code (NEC) must be followed in every case except where 

local regulations are more stringent, in which case local regulations must govern. 

f The Contractor must maintain conductor polarity (tip and ring) and optical fiber 

strand identification at the main distributing frame, buried plant housings, splice 

closures and in the service entrance, all in accordance with the Plans, 

Specifications, and Construction Sheets (see guide drawing 815-1 for conductor 

polarity). 

2 BURIED PLANT HOUSING STUB POLES 

a The setting depth of stub poles where specified and used as mounting posts in 

connection with buried plant housings, must be a minimum of 3.0 feet (0.91 m) in 

soil and as specified by the Engineer in solid rock. If a greater depth in soil is 

necessary, the Engineer will indicate the required depth in the Proposal. 

b The bottom of the hole must be thoroughly tamped. 

 

3 CABLE SPLICING. Splicing for fiber optic cable, copper cable and wire must be in 

accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

4 BURIED CABLE OR WIRE 

a General

(1) The construction equipment must be subject to the approval of the Owner 

and the public authorities having jurisdiction over highway and road 

rights-of-way. 

(2) The design of the plowshare must be such that the buried cable or wire 

passing through the plow must not bind and must not be bent in a radius 

less than 10 times the outside diameter of the copper cable or wire. Buried 

fiber optic cable passing through the plow must not bind and must not be 

bent in a radius less than 20 times the outside diameter of the cable. The 

plowshare must have a removable gate for the purpose of inspection, and a 

hinged fairlead, which must be equipped with smooth, free wheeling 

rollers or low friction surfaces to prevent damage to the cable or wire. 

(3) The Engineer should periodically inspect the cable or wire as well as the 

installation equipment and procedures during installation to guard against 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 30

damage to the cable or wire when it is being placed in the ground, and to 

see that proper depth is maintained at all times. 

(4) The Contractor must promptly repair any damage to fences, lawns, 

shrubbery, drives and any other property damaged during construction. 

(5) A rock excavating unit (BM71) must be applied where a plow train cannot 

maintain specified depth under the buried cable or wire unit (including 

ripping). To assist in determining the ability of any plowing equipment to 

place the cable at a specified depth, the table below must be used only to 

compare the capability of this equipment with standard minimum drawbar 

pull ratings unless different characteristics are specified by the Engineer 

(greater drawbar pull may only be specified at greater depths than shown 

in the table). 

Minimum Drawbar Pull vs. Cable or Wire Depth at 1.2 MPH (1.93 

km/hr) 

Depth Minimum Drawbar Pull 

Inches Meters Pounds Newtons 

24 0.61 55,000 2.45 x 105

30 0.76 75,000 3.34 x 105

36 0.91 95,000 4.23 x 105

(6) The equipment and construction methods used by the Contractor must be 

such as to cause minimum displacement of the soil. The slot made in the 

soil by the cable plow must be immediately closed. 

(7) Damage to banks, ditches, driveways and roads caused by the equipment 

must be immediately repaired to the satisfaction of the Engineer and 

public authorities having jurisdiction over highway and road rights-of-way 

where involved. 

(8) Where cables or wires are buried near the edge of pavements, the 

Contractor must take particular care to avoid damaging the pavement. If 

such damage does occur repairs must be made immediately to meet the 

requirements of state or local authorities having jurisdiction over the 

pavement involved. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 31

(9) The stub pole or stake portion of stake mounted housings must be installed 

in accordance with the Construction Sheets in a manner not to damage the 

cable or wire placed in the trench. 

(10) To avoid possible damage to buried cable or wire from exposure to traffic, 

livestock and other hazards, trenching of laterals, trenching around 

culverts, construction of aerial inserts and similar operations must be 

completed as soon as practicable behind the plowing operation. 

(11) Trenches must be promptly backfilled with earth and tamped at 6" (15.24 

cm) lifts so that the earth is restored to original grade to assure no hazard 

to vehicular, animal or pedestrian traffic. No trenches must be left open 

overnight. 

(12) When placing cable or wire in a trench in rock, the cable or wire must be 

cushioned by a fill of sand or selected soil at least 2 inch (5.08 cm) thick 

on the floor of the trench. The backfill for at least 4 inch (10.16 cm) 

above the cable or wire must be free from stones, rock or other hard or 

sharp materials, which might damage the cable. Alternate methods are 

permissible subject to approval of the Engineer. 

(13) When placing cable or wire by horizontal directional drilling (HDD) or 

boring, the cable or wire bore route must be pre-planned and mapped for 

the most efficient path. As built bore route maps must serve as records for 

future reference and locating purposes however, alternate methods are 

permissible subject to approval of the Engineer and RUS. 

(14) For proper and acceptable use, the underground pipe assembly unit 

(BM60( )) may use the "R" suffix for specialized rock boring or "RR" for 

heavy rock when specified by the engineer in the Explanatory Notes prior 

to the bidding process. All underground or buried pipes must be properly 

capped with or without any cable or wire installed. 

(b) Handling of Cable

(1) Cables or wires must be carefully inspected by the Contractor during the 

placement operation to be certain that the cables or wires are free from 

defects. 

(2) Bends of small radii and twists that might damage cable or wire must be 

avoided. During the placement operation, copper cable or wire must not 

be bent in a radius less than 10 times the outside diameter of the copper

cable or wire. Fiber optic cable must not be bent in a radius less than 20 

times the outside diameter of the cable. 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

Page 32

(3) Care is to be exercised during the plowing operation, to feed the cable or 

wire into the ground through the plow loosely and at no tension. 

Equipment and construction methods must be such as to assure 

compliance with this requirement. The Contractor must furnish competent 

supervision at all times at the site of plowing operations to assure 

compliance with this requirement. 

(4) If, during the plowing operation, the plow should strike a buried object or 

rock that stops the equipment which necessitates removal of the plow from 

the ground, the plow must be removed from the ground carefully, and if 

practicable without backing the plow, to avoid damage to the cable or 

wire. Should it be necessary to back the plow to remove it from the 

ground, the cable or wire must be uncovered a sufficient distance back for 

inspection by the Engineer to determine whether the cable or wire has 

been damaged. 

(5) Every instance of damaged cable or wire observed at any time whether 

prior to installation, occurring during construction, or discovered by test 

or observation subsequent to installation in plant, must be immediately 

called to the attention of the Engineer. The method of repair or correction 

of such damage must be in accordance with the written instructions of the 

Engineer. The Contractor must promptly repair such damage or make 

such corrections in accordance with such written instructions of the 

Engineer. Minor damage to the outer jacket of the cable or wire observed 

prior to or occurring during construction must be repaired in accordance 

with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

(6) Major damage to cable or wire observed prior to or during construction 

must be corrected by enclosing the damaged section of cable or wire in (1) 

a buried plant housing located as specified by the Engineer or (2) a buried 

splice closure if approved by the Engineer, which are buried to the same 

depth as that required for the cable or wire. If the shield has been broken 

or the conductor insulation damaged, the cable or wire must be restored to 

the equivalent of new condition. This may require cutting out the 

damaged section of cable or wire if required by the Engineer. 

(7) Major damage to cable or wire discovered after placement either through 

test or observation must be repaired as approved by the Engineer. This 

may require cutting out the damaged section and replacing it with a short 

section of new cable or wire with splices made in (1) buried plant housing 

or (2) buried splice closures, if approved by the Engineer, which are 

buried to the same depth as that required for the cable or wire. It may also 

require the replacement of an entire section between housings already 

installed.
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c Depth of Buried Plant

(1) Unless otherwise specified by the Engineer in the Proposal, or on the 

Construction Sheets, the depth of buried cable or wire placed, measured 

from the top of the cable or wire to the surface of ground or rock must be 

as listed in the following table: 

 Minimum depth in soil 24 inch (610 mm) 

 Minimum depth at ditch crossings 36 inch (914 mm) 

 (See guide Drawing 975) 

 Minimum depth in rock 6 inch (152 mm) 

 Minimum depth at subscriber premises 12 inch (305 mm) 

(2) In the case of a layer of soil over rock, either the minimum depth in rock, 

measured to the surface of the rock, or the minimum depth in soil, 

measured to the surface of the soil, may be used at the Contractor's option. 

(3) When rock excavating is specified, width and depth requirements of the 

trench must be as shown below: 

Trench Width Trench Depth

 6 inch (152 mm) or less 6 inch (152 mm) 

 7 inch (178 mm) 9 inch (229 mm) 

 8 inch (203 mm) 12 inch (305 mm) 

 9 inch (229 mm) 15 inch (381 mm) 

10 inch (254 mm) or greater 18 inch (457 mm) 

Either the minimum depth in rock must be achieved or some other method 

may be employed by the Contractor to provide adequate protection to the 

cable or wire as agreed to by the Engineer. 

(4) When placing cable or wire by horizontal directional drilling (HDD) or 

boring, the Contractor must continually control the horizontal and vertical 

movements of the bore to a specified route and depth as planned on the 

bore route map. 
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d Splicing and Terminations

(1) Buried service cables or wires must be spliced directly to the appropriate 

pair or optical strand of the buried cable, or spliced to the appropriate pair 

number or optical strand on a terminal block or optical terminator as 

specified by the Engineer. 

(2) For the purpose of joining buried cable or wire at reel ends, the buried 

cable or wire must be made continuous by splicing the conductors or 

optical strands directly together either in a housing or a buried splice 

closure. The method and location must be specified by the Engineer. 

(3) Splicing and termination of cable or wire must be in accordance with the 

cable schematic drawings issued by the Engineer. 

(4) All copper splices and terminations of cable or wire in buried splice 

closures must be electrically tested to ensure freedom from opens, shorts, 

crosses and grounds and all defects cleared prior to closing the splice 

closure. Shield continuity also must be checked prior to closing the slice 

closure. 

(5) Splicing of copper cable, wire, or fiber optic cable must be in accordance 

with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

5 BURIED HANDHOLES 

a Buried handholes must be installed per instructions given herein unless otherwise 

specified by the Engineer unless state or local requirements are more stringent in 

which case the latter requirements will govern. 

b The Engineer must determine the location of the handhole and must specify type, 

position and depth of installation. 

c A hole must be dug large enough to accommodate the handhole. 

d The handhole must be positioned and a suitable backfill must be tamped around the 

handhole. 

e Pea gravel should be placed inside of the handhole to minimize condensation 

problems. 

f The Engineer must ensure that the dimensions of the handhole must be large 

enough to accommodate the splice case installation and when required, cable 

slack. 
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6 MISCELLANEOUS - BURIED PLANT 

a The separate steel stakes of stake mounted housings must be driven a minimum of 

12" (30.48 cm) in undisturbed earth in a vertical position and faced in accordance 

with the Construction Sheets. Care must be exercised in the installation of stakes 

or housings. Housing covers must be securely closed at all times except when 

work is being performed within the housing. 

b The shields of all buried copper cable or wire and the armor of all buried fiber 

optic cable must be connected together at all splices and termination points, as 

specified in RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2) to ensure a 

continuous metallic connection throughout the buried plant. Buried cable or wire 

shields and fiber optic cable armor must also be connected to the ground 

connectors in buried plant housings and to other ground installations as shown on 

the Construction Sheets and in RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

c Stake mounted warning, route, and splice location signs must be installed in 

accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and in locations as specified by 

the Engineer. As an alternate to the splice location sign, the Engineer may 

specify the use of a buried splice location device (BM 55A). 

d Buried cable and wire, including buried services, terminated or spliced in a 

housing must be directionally marked as specified on the Construction Sheets or 

as specified by the Engineer. The directional markers must be installed at the 

time the cable or wire is placed in the housing and before the lateral trench to the 

housing is backfilled. 

e Where aerial inserts in buried plant are specified by the Engineer, the construction 

must be accomplished if possible without cutting the cable or wire. Where due to 

physical conditions, in the opinion of the Contractor, the cutting and splicing of 

cable or wire are necessary, prior approval to cut the cable or wire must be 

obtained from the Engineer. The splicing of cable or wire must be in accordance 

with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401(PC-2). 

f Junctions between buried cable and aerial circuits must be made in accordance 

with the applicable Construction Sheets. 

g All products utilized to control rodents and/or insects should be specifically 

formulated for the telecommunications industry and applied in accordance with 

the instructions or directions detailed on the manufacturer's product label. 

h Buried cable and wire must be placed in the same trench to the buried plant 

housing, unless otherwise specified by the Engineer. 
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7 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTALLATION OF SERVING AREA 

INTERFACE CABINETS (SAIC) 

a Specific installation instructions for the pad or slab base preparation and 

construction, placement of conduit(s), and the assembly and installation cabinet 

must be provided by the manufacturer and/or the Engineer. 

b A drainage hole must be drilled at the low point of the radius of bend of the 

conduit placed between two cabinets. 

c All vacant or unused conduits must be sealed as specified by the Engineer. 

d Specific installation instructions for mounting the cabinet assembly will be 

provided by the manufacturer and/or the Engineer. 

e The separate steel stakes of stake mounted housings must be driven a minimum of 

12" (30.48 cm) in undisturbed earth in a vertical position and faced in accordance 

with the Construction Sheets. Care must be exercised in the installation of the 

stakes and housings. Housing covers must be securely closed at all times except 

when work is being performed within the housing. 

f All special installation tools for splicing and placing cross-connect jumpers must 

be used as indicated by the manufacturer. 

g Where conventional hard-wire splicing is employed at SAIC locations, the 

splicing and lay-up of conductor pairs must be in accordance with RUS Splicing 

Standard Bulletin 1753F-401 (PC-2) and/or special instructions issued by the 

Engineer. 

h Where conventional fiber splicing is employed at SAIC locations, the splicing and 

required cable slack must be in accordance with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 

1753F-401 (PC-2) and/or special instructions issued by the Engineer. 

i Pair or optical strand counts must be shown on all splice, feeder and crossconnect modules or blocks identifying feeder, distribution, electronic, and pass 

through terminations. 

j Pair or optical strand count tags must be used on bundle counts where hard-wire 

or any fiber optic splicing is employed. On bundle tags, feeder, 

feeder/distribution, distribution and electronic/pass through cable identification, 

pair or optical strand counts must be shown per cable schematics in accordance 

with RUS Splicing Standard Bulletin 1753F-401 (PC-2). 
RUS Bulletin 1753F‐150

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LIST OF CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND PLANS

Assembly Unit Drawings

BM2,-2A Ground Wire Assembly, Buried Plant 

BM50 Buried Service Wire or Cable Installation to 

 Pole-Mounted Wire Terminal 

BM80, BM81, BM82 Riser Guards 

Construction Guide Drawings

815-1 Buried Plant Conductor Polarity Diagram 

905 Installation of Type "M" or Type "H" Pole- 

 Mounted Housings at Increased Height 

907 Splice Closures – Direct Burial 

910 Pea Gravel and Sealer Installation 

 Procedures for Buried Plant Housings 

951 Aerial Insert in Buried Plant Construction 

952 Protection of Buried Cable from Power 

 Contact to Aerial Inserts 

965 Placement of Numbers and Letters on Housings 

971-1 Wiring Arrangement at Junction of New Aerial 

 Cable with Buried Cable or Wire 

971-2 Junction of Aerial Cable with Buried Cable or 

 Wire 

975 Buried Plant Under Ditches 

976 Housing Installation Details 

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." 
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