1.1 GENERAL

This section provides the necessary guidelines to install service entrances to buildings and information for the termination of cables entering buildings. Topics addressed are voice, data and video.
All outside plant voice, data, video cabling, communication conduits and manholes, shall be designed and/or approved by the University's Telecommunications Center.

• 1.2.1 GENERAL
  Prior approval and coordination with Telecommunications Center, and concerned parties is necessary when the situation requires pulling cable through any communications conduit.
  All cables associated with campus telecommunication networks (telephone, data, LAN, WAN, campus TV, and fiber optics) shall be connected and disconnected by Telecommunications Center or its designee.
  All trunk cables requiring splicing will be done in accordance with current industry standards. Project specifications will indicate who will be responsible for supplying and installing trunk cabling and splice closures.
  There shall be no cable with voltages higher than 90 volts AC in communications duct banks.
  Note: Hard-line coax cable for backbone CATV networks may carry voltage as high as 90 VAC.
  All twisted pair cables entering a building shall be terminated on protection blocks. Only gas and solid state protectors shall be used. See specifications in Section 5. Project specifications will indicate who will be responsible for furnishing and installing protectors. A grounding block will be provided at the telecommunications backboard and connected to the main electrical ground for the building.
  Repair or replacement of damaged cable is the responsibility of the party involved in causing the damage. Repairs or replacements will be done at no cost to the University. All repairs to damaged cables must be approved by Telecommunications Center. All damages shall be reported immediately to Telecommunications Center. Facilities Planning and Physical Plant shall also be notified for damages due to activities of project contractors.

• 1.2.2 LABELING
  All cables in each manhole shall be identified by the cable number, cable type, number of pairs and the termination point. The tag shall be made of plastic or other such material designed to be used in such an application.
  Whenever possible, all abandoned cable shall be removed from tunnels, manholes and conduit. If it is not feasible to remove abandoned cable, it shall be clearly tagged as abandoned, with appropriate labeling as above, and shall be reported to Telecommunications Center and Physical Plant.
  
  
• 1.2.3 AERIAL
  Most university low voltage structured cabling is underground. No aerial wiring shall be installed on campus unless approved by the Telecommunications Center, Facilities Planning, and Physical Plant. Information shall be obtained from Telecommunications Center in reference to ownership of aerial communication cables and poles.

• 1.3.1 GENERAL
  Conduit sizing and quantities between buildings shall be determined by Telecommunications Center and will be communicated to Facilities Planning and Physical Plant for inclusion in the project specifications. Minimum requirements are outlined in the following paragraphs.
  All campus buildings shall be connected to the nearest manhole or new manhole.
  Prior approval and coordination with Telecommunications Center, Facilities Planning, and Physical Plant and other concerned parties is necessary when the situation requires any modification to the conduit system.
  Repair or replacement of damaged conduit is the responsibility of the party involved in causing the damage and at no cost to the University. All repairs to damaged conduits must be approved by Telecommunications Center All damages shall be reported to Telecommunications Center, Facilities Planning and Physical Plant immediately.
  If an adjacent building is planned near the new constructed or renovated building, communications facilities should be placed from the main equipment room in the new or renovated building to the exterior of the building on the side of the adjacent building. Specifications will be the same as those installed for the new or renovated building.
  
  
• 1.3.2 REQUIREMENTS
  All new facilities or renovations will be required to meet minimum requirements. Minimum voice, data, and video conduit required for each building shall be 3 conduits. Whenever feasible, buildings larger than 200,000 square feet shall have two means of access to existing campus facilities.
  One (1), two inch, Schedule 40, PVC, and
  Two (2), four inch, Schedule 40, PVC.
  No more than the equivalent of 180 degrees of bends is allowed in a run, including offsets.
  A mule-tape with footage markers shall be installed and tied off for each innerduct and/or conduit. Mule-tape shall also be used for inside facilities and innerducts.
  
  
• 1.3.3 UNDERGROUND
  All underground conduit, duct bank and raceways shall be steel reinforced, and concrete (3500psi minimum) encased PVC. Additional reinforcement is to be used when crossing roadways.
  The minimum separation for communications ducts and power ducts in a joint trench environment is 3 inches (8 cm) of concrete, 4 inches (10 cm) of aggregate or 12 inches (30 cm) of well-tamped earth. All communications ducts shall also be a minimum of 12 inches from steam pipes and condensation lines if crossing perpendicular. The minimum depth for buried conduit and ducts is 30 inches below grade or underside of road bed to top of duct/conduit.
  Rigid steel conduit, encased in reinforced concrete, shall be used in any location subject to abuse, such as under slabs or foundations.
  All necessary precautions shall be taken by the contractor during construction to prevent the lodging of dirt, plaster or trash in all conduit, tubing, flow duct, fittings and boxes. All conduit in floors, concrete or below grade, shall be swabbed free of debris and moisture before wires are pulled. Conduits installed for inside plant type communications wiring are not to be below grade where moisture can seep through pipes.
  All diggings and excavation on the University of Mississippi campus shall be approved by the Facilities Planning and Physical Plant.
  When pulling cable in existing underground conduits, innerduct shall be installed to complete filling the duct. The number of innerducts to be installed will be based on the amount of space in the conduit. An empty conduit will be required to have enough innerducts installed that fill the conduit to complete capacity. All conduits and innerducts shall be sealed. Sizing of innerducts is determined by the Telecommunications Center.
  Prior to pulling cable in existing underground conduits, innerduct shall be installed first. The number of innerducts to be installed will be based on the amount of space in the conduit if there is cable already present. An empty conduit will be required to have enough innerducts installed that fill the conduit to complete capacity. All conduits and innerducts shall be sealed.
  
  
• 1.3.4 CONDENSATION
  Duct banks shall be pitched to drain to manholes and away from building entrances.
  
  
• 1.3.5 TRAPS
  All conduit, tubing, raceways, ducts and duct banks shall be installed in such manner to insure against collection of trapped condensation. Raceway runs shall be arranged to be void of traps.
  When conduit passes through exterior concrete walls of any facility, the entrance shall be watertight. Provide pipe sleeves in the concrete with 1/2 inch minimum entrance seal.
  All conduits shall have watertight connections and be sloped properly so they will drain into the manhole and away from the building entrance.
  
  
• 1.3.6 TYPES
  Gas pipe and water pipes shall not be used for conduit under any circumstances.
  Three types of conduit are accepted for underground conduit systems. Project specifications will detail the types of conduit to be used in the various locations covered by the project.
  Rigid galvanized steel conduit with threaded fittings -- This conduit shall be installed with reinforced concrete casing in areas subject to abuse.
  Schedule 40 PVC conduit -- This conduit shall be installed with reinforced concrete casing. No PVC conduit is acceptable without reinforced concrete.
  The duct envelope shall be rectangular in the cross section and be a minimum concrete thickness of three (3) inches around any conduit. The duct envelope shall be sized and placed as shown on construction documents. ll conduit and ducts must be terminated with bell ends at the manhole, facility or other termination point. Where trench walls are unstable or the trench width is wider than the envelope, the envelope shall be formed as required.
  Duct spacers shall be provided at a maximum of seven feet intervals. Conduit shall be anchored at three (3) foot six (6) inch intervals and at each spacer to prevent duct floating during concrete installation.
  Each duct run shall be done with a continuous concrete pour. Broken pours are not allowed without written exception from University Planning, Design, and Construction and provided #4 re-bar or larger is extended twelve (12) inches beyond the end of the envelope at the end of each day's pour and at all stub-outs.

• 1.4.1 GENERAL
  Manholes shall not be smaller than 7 feet wide, 7 feet long and 7 feet high.
  The maximum depth of all manholes shall be ten (10) feet from the manhole cover to bottom of the manhole, unless otherwise approved by Telecommunications Center.
  The manhole cover and opening shall be round, 36 inches in diameter and shall be engraved with the word "Communications." Manhole covers shall not have recessed handles that pull out when needed for removal. Notched type covers shall be used. The manhole number shall be assigned by Telecommunications Center or Physical Plant.
  The maximum distance between manholes connected in any one run shall not exceed 400 feet.
  Pullboxes will be used only with the agreement and permission of the Telecommunications Center. Specifications will be provided to installer on a per use basis.
  
  
• 1.4.2 INTERIOR
  All materials used in a manhole shall be resistant to corrosion. All steel shall be galvanized or zinc coated. All racks in manholes shall be galvanized or zinc coated steel.
  Manholes shall have pulling rings opposite to the conduit entrance on each wall.

• 1.5.1 GENERAL
  Detailed diagrams can be obtained from the University of Mississippi Department of Physical Plant or Telecommunications Center if available. Refer any questions specifically not addressed in this document to Telecommunications Center.