Featured Project: Utilities Substation Fiber Installation

Industry: Utilities

Services Performed: Fiber Cable Installation

Project Year: 2024

State: Texas

Pipe in a trench with roots.

Project Overview

Our team of experts successfully interconnected a major utility substation via fiber cable. The primary objective was to install 1000 feet of 4-inch conduit, enabling the transmission of fiber from the opposite side of the street into the telecommunications building. A significant hurdle we faced was navigating multiple 90-degree turns.

Grey box in tall grass, fenced yard.

The Performance Communications Process

For fiber installation projects, we typically install handholes every 400 feet to segment the length and facilitate the insertion of innerduct within the conduit. However, the nature of this job necessitated the installation of additional handholes to accommodate the numerous twists and turns of the area. 

Caution: Buried electric line below.

Our team of experts began by boring under the street, from the fiber hub to the substation fence. Once we reached the entry point, we installed the initial handhole and excavated the 4″ conduit trench. The trench must be at least 4 feet deep and 18 inches wide. After placing the conduit, we used a packer to compact the trench during backfilling. Reflective caution tape was placed halfway through the backfilling and compacting process to ensure our team’s and the public’s safety. After the conduit had been installed, we pulled three inner duct conduits inside the 4″ conduit to the Telecom shelter. Then, we terminated them at both ends in coordination with the utility.

Despite the geographic challenges of this project, our team’s problem-solving skills and adaptability allowed us to complete the job on time and within budget. 

Construction worker operating a tamper.

Want to learn more about Performance Communications’s solutions for utilities companies?

We offer comprehensive services, including communication tower construction, site planning, maintenance, and more.