SCSP10406
SCSP10406
CABLE INSTALLATION,
FIELD HANDLING PROCEDURES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 SCOPE
LIST OF DRAWINGS
1.0 SCOPE
The purpose of this standard is to describe the techniques and procedure for installation
of XLPE and LPOF cables in a manner that will not damage them.
2.2. All equipment required for proper installation shall be certified as operational
and strategically placed to avoid interruption of the installation process.
2.3 Prior to commencing the cable pull, all cable drums shall be set in place and all
necessary equipment, tools and hardware set up to start the cable pull.
Cable pulling shall not be started if it appears that climatic conditions will
deteriorate and cause the cable pulling sequence to be interrupted or delayed.
2.4.1 Barricades, warning signs and warning lights shall be provided to comply
with the requirements of the municipality and traffic police. Warning
signs both in Arabic and English, shall be displayed to caution
pedestrians and traffic. Warning list and signs shall be provided along
the trench on both sides. Steel plates or wooden planks shall be provided
across the trench at entrances to residences.
2.5.1 Cables can be seriously damaged if proper care is not exercised in its
storage in warehouse or contractors’ yards. Following factors shall be
considered for cable storage:
a. Cable drums shall be stored on firm and flat surfaces only so that
flanges of the drum do not sink in the ground.
3.1 The trenches and ducts into which the cable is to be installed must be clean and
free of projections. Stones, sharp edges, etc. that may damage the jacket either
during the installing operation or after the cable is placed in its final position.
3.2.1 All part of the cable shall be maintained under a positive oil pressure
because LPOF cables undergoes changes of hydraulic pressure due to
differences in elevation.
The route profile shall be verified and studied before deciding at which
end of the cable route to place the drum.
3.2.2 A flat profile with differences in elevation not exceeding the maximum
oil pressure of the cable drum oil reservoir will normally present little
problem.
3.2.5 Where more than one cable section is involved, the sequence of cable
pulling may require some study. Once a cable has been pulled before the
end is removed from its cable drum, a temporary oil supply is required
either from an oil reservoir or by cross-connection with an adjacent cable
section.
4.1 Prior to cable pulling into ducts, the duct must be cleaned with suitable brushes
and swabs followed by a mandrel test. A 300mm long wooden mandrel having a
diameter 20% less than the inside diameter of the duct shall be pulled through
each duct run. The mandrel must pass through freely and upon leaving the duct
shall not show evidence of scoring. To prevent injury to the cable by scraping
on the manhole frame or at the duct opening or in passing over other cables, a
suitable flexible feeding tube shall be used.
4.2 Before pulling cable into open trenches, the trench shall be graded and
compacted with a minimum of 150mm of the specified backfill material. The
compacted backfill materials shall be smooth and free of stones and projections
which might damage the cable. An adequate number of cable rollers shall be
placed in the trench, spaced at intervals of 1.5 to 2 meters depending on the
stiffness of the cable, sufficient to prevent the cable dragging on the ground
between rollers. Where the cable passes around bends, rollers must be arranged
to provide smooth passage and maintain correct installation bending radii.
4.3 The cable drum is normally set up with the leading end of the cable coming from
the top of the drum. A tendency for turns of cable to become loose and
unmanageable results from pulling the cable from the bottom of the drum. A
ramp of two or more long rollers will assist the cable from the top of the drum
into the trench or manhole. Care must be taken so that minimum installation
bending radii are not exceeded when setting up the rollers leading the cable into
the trench or manhole.
a. Hand pulling
b. Direct wind line pulling
c. Carrier wind line or “Bond Pulling”
d. Motorized rollers and puller drives
The selected method will depend on manpower and equipment available and
upon other considerations of pulling tension, sidewall pressure, route
configuration and cable characteristics.
4.4 Where direct wind line pulling is used, the cable end shall be fitted with a
properly designed pulling eye which transfers the winch line tension to the cable
conductor. Cable stockings or Kellems grips must not be used.
A dynamometer fitted to the cable winch is required so that the pulling tension
on the cable may be checked and that safe pulling tensions are not exceeded. To
reduce tension when pulling cable into ducts, a suitable lubricant shall be
applied to the cable. A recommended lubricant is 80% glycerin and 20% water
by weight with a thickening agent added of 1½% to 2½% hydroxyethyl-
cellulose. The lubricant recommended by the cable manufacturer can be used.
For convenience and cleanliness in splicing, the first and last 1.5m of the cable
shall not be lubricated.
Before completing the pulling-in operation and removing the cable end from the drum, a
temporary oil feed must be connected to the leading end of the cable. A source of
degassed cable oil, either a reservoir or an adjacent cable, must be ready and equipped
with a suitable length of treated and filled copper tubing.
The connection is made to the flared fitting on the end of the cable. Ensure that oil is
flowing from both cable and oil source while making the connection to avoid the ingress
of air. Once this connection has been made, the cable drum reservoir may be shutoff
and the cable removed from the drum.
If there is an excess of cable and it has to be cut and capped, this may only be done with
the cable end elevated to form a ‘U’ or oil trap below the point of cutting and with a
positive flow of oil applied to the remote end of the cable.
In all the operations of oil-filled cable installation, cable pulling, connection and
disconnection of oil supplies, cutting and capping, jointing, terminating, etc., the
following points must be observed:
5.1 No parts of the cable system shall be left without a positive oil pressure.
5.2 A source of pressurized degassed cable oil must be available at all times.
5.3 Consideration must be given to static hydraulic pressures when selecting the
pressure of the oil supply to be applied for temporary oil feeds.
5.4 All connectors must be made with a positive oil flow from both ends to be
connected.
5.5 After cutting and capping cable ends and after disconnecting any oil feed line, a
flush of oil shall be made through the fitting to ensure any trapped air is flushed
out.
5.6 All oil feed points and accessible connections shall be secured from
unauthorized tampering or vandalism.
After the excavation of cable trench, the following works shall be done:
6.1.1 Pump out the water from the cable trench, if necessary
6.1.2 Remove any obstacles out of the trench
6.1.3 Prepare the laying tools, i.e. drum jacks, shaft tension meter and others
stated in Figure 06-02 and 06-03
6.1.4 Set the cable rollers with spaces of about 1.5m
Cable drum lagging shall be carefully removed. Cable can be unreeled form
cable drum mounted on the transporting trailer or an axle supported by jacks.
Unreeling of cable must be done so that the cable is reeled off from top of the
drum. The drum shall be turned by hand to reduce tension in the cable. The
drum shall be rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow marked
on the drum. (Refer Figure 06-02).
6.3.1 It is very important that the cable not be bent to a radius too small nor be
subjected to abnormal tension.
All handling of the cable shall be done smoothly and steadily without any
jerking.
If the trench is sufficiently wide, workers can carry the cable and lay it in
the trench or pull the cable over rollers in the trench by hand.
To carry the cable, the workmen are positioned three (3) to four (4)
meters apart in the trench so the weight shared per person does not
exceed 30kg. If the cable length to be laid is short and the cable coiled,
the cable is uncoiled outside the trench and carefully laid in the trench.
For pulling cable over rollers by hand, the workmen are positioned four
(4) to six (6) meters apart in straight sections of the trench and rollers
with skid plates are used at bends (minimum bending radius of the cable
must be maintained).
After the cable laid in the trench, the cable ends shall be temporarily
supported so that they will not be on ground or in water.
Pulling the cross-linked polyethylene insulated power cable can easily be done
by means of pulling eye previously attached to a cable end of each drum.
The cables shall not be pulled with an excessive tension or excessive sidewall
pressure at curve of the cable route during laying. The tension and the pressure
depend upon the material and cross-sectional area of the conductors. Allowable
pulling tension and sidewall pressure are as follows:
It must be noted that the cable shall be pulled with an appropriate speed to keep
the movements of cable and drum smooth. The drums must never rotate faster
than the cable run. If it is not braked in time, the cable may be drawn in under
the drum and be damaged. The cable must be laid out smoothly and without
interruption.
6.5.1 Description
Typical procedure for the cable pulling work is shown on the following
scheme. Typical positions for cable pulling are shown on Figure 06-02
through 06-05.
UNDERGROUND DUCT
WINCH SIDE BANK, TRENCH/CABLE DUCT CABLE DRUM SIDE
Setting Cable pulling winch Inspection of the trench condition Transportation of cable
and drum of wire rope Cleaning the cable duct1 drum and setting it on
for cable pulling cable drum jack
c. Cleaning the Cable Duct: Prior to the start of cable pulling work,
the cable duct shall be cleaned.
d. Setting Cable Pulling Winch and Drum of Wire Rope for Cable
Pulling: The cable pulling winch is to be fixed firmly so that it
can stand against the pulling force.
The wire rope drum for cable pulling shall be settled at the
available position in order to roll up the wire rope easily.
e. Setting the Cable Drum on Cable Drum Jack: The cable drum
transported to the construction site shall be set on the cable drum
jack.
The cable drum and the cable drum jack shall be settled at proper
position for cable pulling.
The intervals of the rollers shall be kept about 1.5 to 2m. The
rollers shall be maintained to enhance smooth rotation. If the
cable is planned to be pulled through a curve, curve rollers shall
be placed at proper positions in order to keep the allowable cable
bending radius.
k. Pulling Cable: After the facilities and the equipment are properly
set, the portable telephones shall be installed at both ends of the
pull with provision of tapping within the section being pulled.
They are utilized to control the pulling speed and for other
communication.
l. Cable pulling shall start only if all cables required for route’s
section to be pulled are available.
DWG# SC-1040601.00.01
DWG# SC-1040602.00.01
DWG# SC-1040603.00.01
DWG # SC-1040604.00.01
DWG # SC-1040604.00.01