Saes T 903
Saes T 903
Saes T 903
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
Communications Standards Committee Members
31 March, 2004
1
2
3
4
5
6
Scope............................................................. 2
Conflicts and Deviations................................. 2
References..................................................... 2
Design............................................................ 3
Installation.................................................... 13
Testing and Inspection................................. 13
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
Scope
This standard prescribes mandatory requirements governing systems planning,
designing and engineering of electrical protection for telecommunications outside plant.
This includes upgrading existing facility when a new cable is being placed.
References
All referenced Specifications, Standards and Codes, Forms, Drawings and similar
material shall be of the latest issue (including all revisions, addenda and supplements)
unless stated otherwise. Listed below are applicable standards.
3.1
SAES-T-435
SAES-T-604
SAES-T-624
SAES-T-629
SAES-T-634
SAES-T-887
SAES-T-903
SAES-T-916
SAES-T-928
3.2
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
NEC
NESC
UL
Underwriter's Laboratories
Design
The GTE 903 series on "Protection - Outside Plant" and GTE 605 series on "Protection
and Bonding" are hereby recognized as Saudi Aramco Engineering Standard SAES-T903. Mandatory items and modifications are listed herein.
4.1
4.1.1
Definitions
Approved Ground: A ground is suitable for connection to the building
entrance facility protector, the entrance cable shield, or the PBX equipment
single point ground. The NEC stresses the importance of bonding together
all available electrodes into a system.
The first choice for grounding of protectors is to the nearest available location
on the system, whichever results in the shortest run (maximum allowable
distance shall be 6.1 m of grounding conductor. Refer to SAES-T-916.
Exposed Facilities: Any outside plant facilities that are subject to the
effects of lightning, power crosses, power induction, or differences in
ground potential. All Saudi Aramco cable and facilities are considered to be
exposed.
Fuse Cable: A length of protective cable of # 24 AWG or # 26 AWG
copper conductors that is inserted in the plant and intended to fuse open on
foreign power currents before damage occurs to the cable, customer terminal
wiring, or apparatus that it protects. It does not protect against lightning
currents and associated voltages.
Protector (Cable): A protector that limits the voltage between the
conductors and shields of the cable. Standard cable protectors are equipped
with 6-mil (blue) carbon blocks.
Protector (User Terminal or Switching Center): A device that limits
voltage between conductors and ground. It is equipped with fail safe solid
state arresters.
Page 3 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
General
4.1.2.1
4.1.2.2
b)
Commentary Note:
The 43 m (140 ft.) is the zone of protection and it is the physical wall-to-wall
distance between buildings.
4.1.2.3
4.1.2.4
Never share a vault, pull box, or manhole with a power system of any
voltage.
Page 4 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.1.2.5
4.1.2.6
4.1.3
4.1.3.1
4.1.3.2
4.1.4
Grounding Electrodes
4.1.4.1
Power ground shall be the preferred ground electrode. If the power service
(first choice ground source) is not located within 6 m (20 ft.) of the
telephone station protector, relocate the telecommunication protector, or use
one of the following electrodes:
a)
b)
c)
4.1.4.2
Ground rods are only allowed to be used when no other ground medium is
available.
4.1.4.3
If more than one ground rod is required to achieve 25 ohms, they must be
greater than 1.8 m (6 ft.) apart, and shall be bonded together with a
minimum of # 6 AWG (16 mm) bare tinned-copper ground wire. Refer to
NEC Article 800-40.
4.1.4.4
Chemical treatments of the earth around ground electrodes shall not be used.
Marl or concrete could be used to assist in maintaining moisture content
around ground electrodes.
4.1.4.5
To provide an electrode that will not readily dry-out, main electrodes shall
consist of a minimum of 2.44 m (8 ft.) ground rod(s). If more than one is
used, they shall be bonded together with a minimum of # 6 AWG (16 mm)
Page 5 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.1.4.7
4.1.4.8
4.2
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
Gauge of
Fuse Cable
24
26
None
26
None
Gauge of
Tip Cable
22
24 or 22
22
24
24 or 22
To each other
b)
4.3
4.3.1
Page 6 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.3.1.1
4.3.1.2
4.3.2
4.3.2.1
All cables entering buildings and containing a metallic shield and/or strength
member shall be grounded and bonded:
a)
To each other
b)
Not more than 15 m (50 ft.) from the point of entrance (refer to Figure 1)
4.3.2.2
A metallic splice case must be used at the first splice point inside the
building for cables of 400 pairs or less.
4.3.3
Metallic Conduits
All metallic conduits (entrance, riser, tie and station), shall be electrically
bonded together and grounded to the main or floor ground bus bar.
4.3.4
4.3.4.1
4.3.4.2
The design engineer shall illustrate the exact grounding arrangements on the
construction drawings, from the ground lug of the protector to the power or
building ground.
4.3.4.3
4.4
4.4.1
General
4.4.1.1
The design engineer shall review the existing distribution plant where
construction activity is to take place (in pedestals and manholes where
Page 7 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.4.1.2
The metallic shields (including any armors) of all cables through splices (in
pedestals, direct buried or in manholes/handholes) splice cases, terminals,
apparatus cabinets, etc., shall be continuous throughout the length of the
cable, except where it is purposely broken by an insulating joint (within zone
of influence of electric power stations). All metallic shields and armors, if
present, of all cables shall be made continuous with #6 AWG (16 mm) or
larger bonding wire. All bonds are to be connected to a common ground to
ensure that all cables are at the same potential.
4.4.1.3
At junctions of cable and distribution and service wire, bond the support
wire or armor of the service wire to the cable strand or shield.
4.4.1.4
4.4.1.5
a)
b)
Page 8 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.4.1.6
In sections that are not jointly used, the cable must be grounded using a
grounding electrode with a resistance of 25 ohms or less at 610 m (2000 ft.)
intervals.
4.4.2
Aerial Strand
4.4.2.1
4.4.2.2
When power lines with voltages in excess of 300 volts (but not over 20 kV
phase to phase) cross over telecommunication cables on a common pole and
a power ground is present, bond the cable strand to the power ground. If
separate poles are used, bond the cable strand to the power ground or a 25ohm maximum man made ground electrode at the first pole on each side of
the crossing.
4.4.2.3
If a power ground is not present, bond the cable strand to a ground electrode
with a resistance of 25 ohms or less on each side of the crossing.
4.4.2.4
Cable shields and armors, if present, shall be bonded to the vertical power
ground conductor within the communication space on joint-use poles.
4.4.2.5
4.4.2.6
4.4.3
4.4.3.1
Where splice cases and splice case-type terminals are used, the metal of the
sheath shall be bonded to the strand through the sheath clamps that are
fastened to the splice case.
4.4.3.2
4.4.3.3
Bond down guys to support strands and vertical ground conductors. Any
existing strain insulators shall be omitted or bonded across with a minimum
Page 9 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
of # 6 AWG (16 mm) copper ground wire unless they have been
specifically placed for isolation in places such as at power substations.
4.4.3.4
Aerial cable shields and strands shall be continuous, bonded together and
grounded to the power ground at intervals not exceeding 305 m (1000 ft.).
4.4.4
Aerial
Cable Gauge
26
24
24
22
22
19
19
Note: (1)
Buried or Underground
Cable Gauge
Any
26
24, 22,19
26, 24
22, 19
26, 24
22, 19
Fusing Required
Yes
No
x
x
(1)
x
x
x
x
x
24
24
If 24 or heavier gauge cable extends to the central office, not fusing at this junction will require fusing
at the central office unless 22 gauge tip cable is used.
4.4.5
4.4.5.1
b)
4.4.5.2
4.4.5.3
When cables run through metallic conduits, bond the cable metallic shield
(and armor if present) to each end of the conduit. Refer to SAES-T-629 for
additional details.
4.4.5.4
The steel armor in wire /or tape-armored cables shall be bonded to its
underlying metallic shield(s) on each side of all splices (in pedestals, direct
Page 10 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.4.6.1
Buried cable shields and armors shall be grounded at points not more than
610 m (2000 ft.) from a ground of 25 ohms or less.
4.4.6.2
4.4.6.3
4.4.6.4
4.4.6.5
4.4.6.6
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
4.4.8
4.4.8.1
All metallic members of a fiber optic cable, shall be bonded together and
grounded at all splice locations. The ground shall meet these requirements:
4.4.8.2
1.
2.
Page 12 of 14
4.4.8.3
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
Bond the support strand to the power ground at intervals of 610 m (2000 ft.)
or less.
Installation
Electrical protection of all types of communication facilities including, but not limited to,
copper conductor cables used for feed and distribution, pulse code modulation (PCM)
cables used for carrier and local distribution, and metallic fiber optic cables (with or
without interstitial copper pairs) is mandatory and shall be according to SAES-T-435,
SAES-T-887, SAES-T-903, SAES-T-916, and other applicable standards as referenced in
this standard.
31 March, 2004
Revision Summary
Revised the "Next Planned Update". Reaffirmed the contents of the document, and reissued
with no other changes.
Page 13 of 14
SAES-T-903
Outside Plant Electrical
Protection and Grounding
Cabinet
189B1 Unit
GRD Connector
Entrance Cable
Protector
Unit
66-Type
Connector
Block
Cable Splice
GRD Connector
# 6 AWG Insulated
Outside Plant Cable
Ground Wire
Cabinet Ground
To Grounding Electrode
Page 14 of 14