Building an OSP - A Customer Demonstration

Communicating with customers has always been important to Electric Conduit Construction (ECC). Part of that effort centers on constructability. As a contractor ECC’s field experience with underground and aerial fiber OSP (Outside Plant) construction can help our customers plan and design a project with greater efficiency.

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ECC decided to build an OSP in their yard at Melrose Park, IL. This demonstration OSP contains construction elements that help our customers understand how an OSP is built, how cable (ADSS or Strand) is strung and how cable is spliced, and terminated.

Our customers were engaged in the demonstration stations that were set up for them. They were able to watch and try to splice fibers. This gave them a better sense of how tedious and time-consuming fiber splicing can be. The termination station illustrated what a lineman would do to install a ROP or other equipment on a pole.

In the yard the pole framing, messenger wire installation, temporary rollers, fiber stringing and over lashing were all demonstrated. Our customers came away with a much better understanding of how these plants are built.

Takeaways include:

• Proper pole framing
• Over-lash vs ADSS
• Splice cases and slack placement
• Building a splice closure
• Prepping fiber into an FDP (fiber distribution panel)
• Testing from the FDP
• Minimizing splices in system design
• Testing and troubleshooting from a ROP (Router on a pole)
• Observing a demonstration of the fiber jetting machine

ECC has conducted two demonstrations of OSP construction. Each time our customers have thanked us for taking the time to show them what really happens when a drawing becomes real.

If you are interested in learning more about OSP construction, please click on “Request a Project” or call Carl Oko at 630-360-7903.