Specification for Outside Plant Housings and Serving Area Interface Systems

Federal RegisterOct 21, 1994

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SUMMARY: The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) is amending its

regulations on telecommunications standards and specification for

materials, equipment and construction by codifying REA's specification

for outside plant housings and serving area interface systems. The new

specification informs manufacturers and users of outside plant housings

and serving area interface systems of the engineering and technical

requirements that are considered necessary for satisfactory performance

in outside plant environments. A significant requirement of the

specification involves the changing of the bonding and grounding system

associated with outside plant housings from a 14 gauge system to a 6

gauge system. The change to the 6 gauge bonding and grounding system

will help to assure that REA housings will be manufactured in

compliance with recognized industry safety standards which will result

in improved electrical protection of outside plant telephone equipment,

craft personnel, and the public to hazardous voltages.

DATES: Effective date: November 21, 1994.

Compliance date: Manufacturers of outside plant housings and

serving area interface systems will be allowed until July 21, 1995, to

supply borrowers with products already produced or currently in the

process of manufacturing.

Incorporation by reference: Incorporation by reference of certain

publications listed in this final rule is approved by the Director of

the Federal Register as of November 21, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garnett G. Adams, Chief, Outside Plant

Branch, Telecommunications Standards Division, Rural Electrification

Administration, room 2844, South Building, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-1500, telephone number (202) 720-

0667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This final rule has been determined to be not significant for the

purposes of Executive Order 12866 and therefore has not been reviewed

by the Office of Management and Budget.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

The Administrator of REA has determined that this final rule will

not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small

entities, as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et

seq.). This final rule involves standards and specifications, which may

increase the direct short term costs to REA borrowers. However, the

long-term direct economic costs are reduced through greater durability

and lower maintenance over time.

Information Collection and Recordkeeping Requirements

In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

regulations (5 CFR part 1320) which implements the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-511) and section 3504 of that Act, the

information collection and recordkeeping requirements contained in this

final rule have been approved by OMB under control number 0572-0059.

Comments concerning these requirements should be directed to the Office

of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer

for USDA, room 10102, NEOB, Washington, DC, 20503.

National Environmental Policy Act Certification

The Administrator of REA, has determined that this final rule will

not significantly affect the quality of the human environment as

defined by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.). Therefore, this action does not require an environmental

impact statement or assessment.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The program described by this final rule is listed in the Catalog

of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs under No. 10.851, Rural

Telephone Loans and Loan Guarantees, and No. 10.852, Rural Telephone

Bank Loans. This catalog is available on a subscription basis from the

Superintendent of Documents, the United States Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402.

Executive Order 12372

This final rule is excluded from the scope of Executive Order

12372, Intergovernmental Consultation that requires intergovernmental

consultation with state and local officials. A Notice of Final rule

titled Department Programs and Activities Excluded From Executive Order

12372 (50 FR 47034) exempts REA and RTB loans and loan guarantees, and

RTB bank loans, to governmental and nongovernmental entities from

coverage under this Order.

Executive Order 12778

This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12778,

Civil Justice Reform. If adopted, this final rule will not: (1) Preempt

any State or local laws, regulations, or policies; (2) Have any

retroactive effect; and (3) Require administrative proceedings before

parties may file suit challenging the provisions of this rule.

Background

REA issues publications titled ``Bulletin'' which serve to guide

borrowers regarding already codified policy, procedures, and

requirements needed to manage loans, loan guarantee programs, and the

security instruments which provide for and secure REA financing. REA

issues standards and specifications for the construction of telephone

facilities financed with REA loan funds.

REA has rescinded REA Bulletin 345-26, REA Specification for Buried

Plant Housings, PE-35, dated July 23, 1976, and REA Bulletin 345-77,

REA Specification for Serving Area Interface Housings, PE-79, dated

January 24, 1978. REA is incorporating and updating the information

previously contained in those bulletins in 7 CFR 1755.910, REA

Specification for Outside Plant Housings and Serving Area Interface

Systems.

The specification contains mechanical, electrical, and

environmental requirements, desired design features, and test methods

for evaluation of outside plant housings and serving area interface

systems.

The test procedures described in the specification are required to

demonstrate the functional reliability of outside plant housings and

serving area interface systems. The test procedures satisfy the

requirements of housings as well as the requirements of terminals that

may be installed within housings.

Outside plant housings are fabricated of either metallic or

nonmetallic materials in different sizes and configurations to suit a

variety of applications. The purpose of a housing is to protect its

contents from environmental elements, rodents, insects, or vandalism

and unauthorized access. Outside plant housings accommodate cable

splices, bonding and grounding connections, cable terminals, cross-

connect facilities, load coils, and optical and electronic equipment.

Serving area interface systems serve as the connecting terminal

between feeder cable and distribution cables.

A significant requirement of 7 CFR 1755.910 involves the changing

of the bonding and grounding system of outside plant housings from a 14

gauge system to a 6 gauge system. The change to the 6 gauge bonding and

grounding system in the housings will help to assure that REA housings

will be manufactured in compliance with recognized industry safety

standards that are considered critical to the protection of outside

plant telephone equipment, craft personnel, and the public.

Comments

On September 1, 1993, REA published a proposed rule at 58 FR 46110

on 7 CFR 1755.910, REA Specification for Outside Plant Housings and

Serving Area Interface Systems. Comments on this proposed rule were due

October 1, 1993. Comments and recommendations were received from

several companies by this date. The comments, recommendations and

responses are summarized as follows:

One respondent recommended that paragraph (d)(3)(xxx) of this

section be changed to allow the use of locknuts as well as nuts with

captive lock washers.

Response: REA has reviewed the recommendation. The requirement for

the captive studs and nuts with captive lock washers was initiated in a

letter to all Telephone Borrowers by Mr. Michael M.F. Liu, Acting

Administrator, dated April 24, 1992. Captive studs and nuts with

captive lock washers replaced the spade clip and terminal as the means

for grounding and have proven to be very efficient. Because of concern

that the locknut will become loose after repeated lifting of ground

connections on cables that require frequent locating, REA will not

change the requirement in this paragraph.

One respondent recommended that paragraph (d)(6)(v) be modified to

add color 4.4GY 6.74/1.5 under the gray-green color.

Response: REA has reviewed the recommendation and as a result of

the review will add color 4.4GY 6.74/1.5 under the gray-green color as

proposed by the commenter.

Several clarifying and editorial changes in paragraphs (d)(3)(v),

(d)(3)(vii), and (d)(3)(xiii) were made in response to comments from

two respondents. These changes did not alter the intent or technical

requirements of the affected paragraphs.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1755

Incorporation by reference, Loan programs--communications,

Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Rural areas, Telephone.

For reasons set out in the preamble, REA is amending chapter XVII

of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 1755--TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR

MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION

1. The authority citation for part 1755 continues to read as

follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., 1921 et seq.

2. Section 1755.98 is amended by adding a new entry to the table in

numerical order to read as follows:

Sec. 1755.98 List of telephone standards and specifications included

in other 7 CFR parts.

* * * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section Issue date Title

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*****

1755.910. November 21, 1994.. REA Specification for Outside Plant

Housings and Serving Area Interface

Systems.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Section 1755.910 is added to read as follows:

Sec. 1755.910 REA specification for outside plant housings and serving

area interface systems.

(a) Scope. (1) The purpose of this specification is to inform

manufacturers and users of outside plant housings and serving area

interface (SAI) systems of the engineering and technical requirements

that are considered necessary for satisfactory performance in outside

plant environments. Included are the mechanical, electrical, and

environmental requirements, desired design features, and test methods

for evaluation of the product.

(2) The housing and terminal requirements reflect the best

engineering judgment available at the present time and may be subject

to change due to advances in technology, economic conditions, or other

factors.

(3) The test procedures described in this section are required by

REA to demonstrate the functional reliability of the product. However,

other standard or unique test procedures may serve the same function.

In such cases, REA shall evaluate the test procedures and results on an

individual basis.

(4) The test procedures specified herein satisfy the requirements

of housings as well as the requirements of terminals that may be

installed within housings. Some of the requirements are interrelated to

several tests designed to determine the performance aspects of

terminals and are directly affected by testing required for housings.

Therefore, the manufacturer should carefully review all the test

requirements in order to develop a testing schedule that is

comprehensive, efficient in terms of the number of test specimens

required and can be accomplished in an orderly and logical sequence.

(5) The specified tests may require special facilities to comply

with Federal, State, or local regulatory requirements. Some test

procedures are potentially hazardous to personnel because of the high

voltages and mechanical forces involved. Safety precautions are

necessary to prevent injury.

(6) Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) 94, Tests for Flammability

of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances, fourth

edition, dated June 18, 1991, referenced in this section is

incorporated by reference by REA. This incorporation by reference was

approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5

U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. A copy of the UL standard is available

for inspection during normal business hours at REA, room 2845-S, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-1500 or at the Office

of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700,

Washington, DC. Copies are available from UL Inc., 333 Pfingsten Road,

Northbrook, Illinois 60062-2096, telephone number (708) 272-8800.

(7) The American Society for Testing and Materials Specifications

(ASTM) A 109-91, Standard Specification for Steel, Strip, Carbon, Cold-

Rolled; ASTM A 153-82 (Reapproved 1987), Standard Specification for

Zinc Coating (Hot-Dip) on Iron and Steel Hardware; ASTM A 366/A 366M-

91, Standard Specification for Steel, Sheet, Carbon, Cold-Rolled,

Commercial Quality; ASTM A 525-91b, Standard Specification for General

Requirements for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) by the Hot-Dip

Process; ASTM A 526/A 526M-90, Standard Specification for Steel Sheet,

Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) by the Hot-Dip Process, Commercial Quality;

ASTM A 569/A 569M-91a, Standard Specification for Steel, Carbon (0.15

Maximum, Percent), Hot-Rolled Sheet and Strip Commercial Quality; ASTM

A 621/A 621M-92, Standard Specification for Steel, Sheet and Strip,

Carbon, Hot-Rolled, Drawing Quality; ASTM B 117-90, Standard Test

Method of Salt Spray (Fog) Testing; ASTM B 539-90, Standard Test

Methods for Measuring Contact Resistance of Electrical Connections

(Static Contacts); ASTM B 633-85, Standard Specification for

Electrodeposited Coatings of Zinc on Iron and Steel; ASTM D 523-89,

Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss; ASTM D 610-85 (Reapproved

1989), Standard Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted

Steel Surfaces; ASTM D 822-89, Standard Practice for Conducting Tests

on Paint and Related Coatings and Materials using Filtered Open-Flame

Carbon-Arc Light and Water Exposure Apparatus; ASTM D 1535-89, Standard

Test Method for Specifying Color by the Munsell System; ASTM D 1654-92,

Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Painted or Coated Specimens

Subjected to Corrosive Environments; ASTM D 1693-70 (Reapproved 1988),

Standard Test Method for Environmental Stress-Cracking of Ethylene

Plastics; ASTM D 2197-86 (Reapproved 1991), Standard Test Method for

Adhesion of Organic Coatings by Scrape Adhesion; ASTM D 2247-92,

Standard Practice for Testing Water Resistance of Coatings in 100%

Relative Humidity; ASTM D 2565-92, Standard Practice for Operating

Xenon Arc-Type Light-Exposure Apparatus With and Without Water for

Exposure of Plastics; ASTM D 2794-92, Standard Test Method for

Resistance of Organic Coatings to the Effects of Rapid Deformation

(Impact); ASTM D 3928-89, Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Gloss

or Sheen Uniformity; ASTM D 4568-86, Standard Test Methods for

Evaluating Compatibility Between Cable Filling and Flooding Compounds

and Polyolefin Cable Materials; ASTM G 21-90, Standard Practice for

Determining Resistance of Synthetic Polymeric Materials to Fungi; and

ASTM G 23-90, Standard Practice for Operating Light-Exposure Apparatus

(Carbon-Arc Type) With and Without Water for Exposure of Nonmetallic

Materials, referenced in this section are incorporated by reference by

REA. These incorporations by references were approved by the Director

of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 7 CFR

part 51. Copies of the ASTM standards are available for inspection

during normal business hours at REA, room 2845-S, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250-1500 or at the Office of the Federal

Copies are available from ASTM, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania 19103-1187, telephone number (215) 299-5585.

(b) General information. (1) Outside plant housings are fabricated

of either metallic or nonmetallic materials in different sizes and

configurations to suit a variety of applications. The purpose of a

housing is to protect its contents from environmental elements,

rodents, insects, or vandalism and unauthorized access. Housings are

designed with internal brackets for accommodating splicing, bonding and

grounding connections, cable terminals, cross-connect facilities, load

coils, and optical and electronic equipment.

(2) Pedestals are housings primarily intended to house, organize,

and protect cable terminations incorporating terminal blocks, splice

connectors and modules, ground lugs and load coils. Activities

typically performed in a pedestal are cable splicing, shield bonding

and grounding, inductive loading, and connection of subscriber drops.

(3) Serving area interface (SAI) cabinets are housings intended to

perform some of the same functions as pedestals but are primarily

intended to serve as the connecting terminal between feeder cable and

distribution cables.

(4) Outside plant housings shall be manufactured in accordance with

National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements, Underwriters' Laboratories

(UL) requirements, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health

Administration Standards (OSHA), and all other applicable Federal,

State, and local requirements including, but not limited to, statutes,

rules, regulations, orders, or ordinances otherwise imposed by law.

maintenance instructions. (i) Each product shall have available a set

of instructions designed to provide sufficient information for the

successful installation of the housing, cables, auxiliary equipment,

and the associated splice preparation. The instructions shall be of

sufficient size to be easily read and shall be printed using waterproof

ink. Pedestal instruction sheets shall include a list of miscellaneous

replacement parts that may be purchased locally. SAI systems shall be

supplied with complete instructions for installation and use.

(ii) When requested by REA, or an REA borrower, the manufacturer

shall prepare a training package for the purpose of training

technicians in the use and installation of the product and its

auxiliary equipment.

(iii) The manufacturer shall provide ordering information for

repair parts. Repair parts shall be obtainable through a local

distributor or shall be easily obtainable. Information describing

equivalent parts and their sources should be provided for those parts

that may also be obtained from other sources.

(2) Quality assurance. The manufacturer shall demonstrate the

existence of an ongoing quality assurance program that includes

controls, procedures, and standards used for vendor certification,

source inspection, incoming inspection, manufacture, in process

testing, calibration and maintenance of tools and test equipment, final

product inspection and testing, periodic qualification testing and

control of nonconforming materials and products. The manufacturer shall

maintain quality assurance records for five years.

(3) REA acceptance applications. (i) The tests described in this

specification are required for acceptance of product designs and major

modifications of accepted designs. All modifications shall be

considered major unless otherwise declared by REA. The tests are

intended to show the inherent capability of the manufacturer to produce

products which have an expected service life of 30 years.

(ii) For initial acceptance the manufacturer shall:

(A) Submit an original signature certification that the product

complies with each section of the specification;

(B) Provide qualification test data;

(D) Provide a detailed explanation concerning the intended use and

capacity of the product;

(E) Provide a complete set of instructions, recommendations for

equipment organization and splicing;

(F) Agree to periodic plant inspections;

(G) Provide a certification that the product does or does not

comply with the domestic origin manufacturing provisions of the ``Buy

American'' requirements of the Rural Electrification Act of 1938 (52

Stat. 818);

(H) Provide user testimonials concerning field performance of the

product;

(I) Provide product samples if requested by REA; and

(J) Provide any other data required by the Chief, Outside Plant

Branch (Telephone).

(iii) Each requirement of this section must be addressed in

submissions for acceptance. The designation N/A may be entered when the

requirements do not apply.

(iv) Acceptance requests should be addressed to: Chairman,

Technical Standards, Committee ``A'' (Telephone), Telecommunications

Standards Division, Rural Electrification Administration, Washington,

DC 20250-1500.

(d) Functional design criteria for housings--(1) General

requirements. (i) The functional requirements for housings concern

materials, finishes, environmental factors, and design features that

are applicable to most above ground housings used in the outside plant.

(ii) Housings shall be of sufficient size to permit easily managed

installation, operational, testing, and maintenance operations. The

general shape of outside plant housings is usually comparable to that

of a rectangular column or cylinder, with the shape of any particular

housing being left to the manufacturer's discretion. Each design is

subject to acceptance by REA.

(2) Housing types and capacities. (i) Housings used in outside

plant are either the smaller housings generally known as pedestals or

larger housings known as equipment or splice cabinets. Both categories

may have designs intended for stake mounting, pole mounting, or pad

mounting.

(ii) The classifications of pedestals are the general purpose

channel Type (H) and the dome Type (M). The Type H pedestal has either

front only access or back and front access while the Type M pedestal

has top only access. Pedestals are further designated as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pole mounted

Stake mounted Type Pole mounted (extra high)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

BD3 H BD3A

BD4 H BD4A

BD5 H BD5A

BD7 H BD7A

BD14 M BD14A BD14AG

BD15 M BD15A BD15AG

BD16 M BD16A BD16AG

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iii) The minimum volume associated with the pedestal designations

shall be as shown in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minimum volume

-----------------------

Pedestal\1\ housing designation Cubic (Cubic

centimeters Inches)

cm\3\ (in.\3\)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

BD3, BD3A \2\................................... 9,000 (550)

BD4, BD4A\2\.................................... 15,000 (900)

BD5, BD5A\2\.................................... 35,000 (2,100)

BD7(\2\)........................................ 72,000 (4,400)

BD14, BD14A, BD14AG\3\.......................... 9,000 (550)

BD15, BD15A, BD15AG\3\.......................... 27,000 (1,600)

BD16, BD16A, BD16AG\3\.......................... 38,000 (2,300)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1: Housings designed for unique purposes will be evaluated on a

case-by-case basis.

Note 2: For Type H pedestals, the minimum volume is that space as

measured 5 centimeters (cm) (2 inches (in.)) below the top of the

housing to a point 40 cm (16 in.) above the bottom of the lower cover

plate.

Note 3: The minimum volume of the Type M pedestals shall be the space

within the dome measured from the lower edge of the dome to a point 5

cm (2 in.) from the top.

(iv) Equipment cabinets intended for use as SAI housings shall be

assigned size designations according to their maximum pair termination

capacities. The capacity will vary depending on the type of terminating

equipment used. SAI cabinets shall be suffix designated with an ``A''

for pole mounting, ``X'' for pad mounting, and ``S'' for stake

mounting.

(v) Large pair count splice cabinets are classified according to

their splice capacity. Approximately 48 cm\3\ (3.0 in.\3\) of splice

area per pair straight spliced shall be permitted.

(vi) The minimum volume associated with large pair count splice

cabinets shall be as shown in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Minimum volume Maximum

----------------------- splice

Splice cabinet\1\ designation capacity

(cm.\3\) (in.\3\) (pairs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

BD6000 295,000 (18,000) 6,000

BD8000 393,000 (24,000) 8,000

BD10000 491,000 (30,000) 10,000

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1: Additional sizes of splice cabinets shall be considered by REA

on a case-by-case basis.

(3) Design and fabrication requirements for housings. (i) Type H

pedestal housings may consist of an enclosed channel incorporating an

integrally mounted stake that serves as a backplate, or they may be

designed for universal mounting on stakes or poles. The body of the

housing shall have two major components; an upper cover and a base

cover. The upper cover shall have a top, front and back plate with the

front cover removable to permit entry and provide increased work space.

The base cover shall consist of a front plate and back plate. The base

cover back plate may be an extension of the upper back plate cover.

(ii) Type M pedestal housings shall consist of a one piece upper

sleeve designed to fit over the base cover trapping air to prohibit

water from entering the splice area when installed in locations prone

to temporary flooding. Pedestals designed to be mounted extra high on

poles for locations susceptible to deep snow shall have a bottom close-

off option available to prohibit the ingress of birds, rodents and

insects.

(iii) The external housing components on all outside plant housings

shall provide reasonable protection against accidental removal or

vandalism. Housings shall be equipped with a cover plate retaining bolt

and cup washer that may be opened only with an industry accepted socket

type can wrench. Housings may be equipped with provisions to allow the

purchaser to install a padlock.

(iv) Installed housings shall resist the disassembling force of

frost heaving applied to the bottom of ground line cover plates. The

base cover must remain stationary to stabilize the contents of the

housing cavity.

(v) In an effort to provide protection against dust penetration,

blowing snow, rain, and ultraviolet light degradation of internal

components, all mechanical gaps shall be restricted. The use of seals,

overlaps, gaskets, and/or dovetailing is required to assure

satisfactory protection of housed equipment.

(vi) Knockouts, cutouts, or notches designed to accommodate aerial

service drops shall not be permitted. A design option for housings

intended to accommodate service drops shall include a separate channel

or equivalent in the base cover to allow future additions of service

drops without the removal of gravel or the moisture barrier in the base

of the housing. Service wire channels must be designed to prevent the

entry of birds, reptiles, rodents and insects.

(vii) Minimal venting of SAI housings may be necessary to relieve

internal pressure and condensation.

(viii) There shall be no aluminum housing components that will

become buried in the soil when the housing is properly installed.

(ix) Housing components may be assembled using rivets, welds, glue,

bolts and nuts, or other techniques suitable for the materials

involved.

(x) Housings and their components that require field assembly must

be capable of being assembled with tools normally available to outside

plant technicians.

(xi) Hinged doors on SAI housings and large pair count splice

housings shall be equipped with a device that restrains the doors in

the open position.

(xii) Outside plant housings shall be free of sharp edges, burrs,

etc., that could present a safety hazard to personnel involved in

installation and use of the product or to the general public. Surfaces

inside housings must not allow pinching of conductors during

installation of cover plates or the opening and closing of doors.

(xiii) A ground line mark shall be provided, approximately 15 cm (6

in.) below the top edge of the housing base cover plate on housings

intended for ground level mounting. Base cover plates shall have a

minimum height of 31 cm (12 in.).

(xiv) Any housing, which weighs in excess of 91 kilograms (kg) (200

pounds (lb)), including its contents, shall be equipped with lifting

brackets for attaching hoisting cables or chains.

(xv) Housing stakes shall be a minimum of 107 cm (42 in.) in

length. If fabricated from steel, they shall have a minimum thickness

of No. 13 gauge as measured according to American Society for Testing

and Materials (ASTM) A 525-91b. Stakes shall be formed into a ``U''

channel with a minimum depth of 2 cm (0.75 in.). The stake shall be a

single part of suitable design strength for driving 91 cm (36 in.) into

the soil with hand tools without damage such as bending or warping. The

stake shall have adequate mounting holes having a minimum separation of

15 cm (6 in.) for mounting the housing baseplate. The stake material

must resist corrosion and deterioration when exposed to soil and

atmospheric conditions.

(xvi) The housing design must permit a logical progression of

installation steps that would normally be encountered in typical field

installations.

(xvii) Provisions for attaching housings to stakes, poles, walls,

other housings, or pads shall be provided for each design intended for

those purposes. Locations of holes for mounting attachments may be

provided by knockouts on above ground components. Mounting hole

locations for below ground components may be predrilled.

(xviii) Pole mounting hardware shall provide at least 1.3 cm (0.5

in.) clearance from the pole to the housing. Pole mounting brackets

shall accommodate the wide range of pole sizes used in the telephone

industry.

(xix) Pad-mounted housings shall have hardware available for

anchoring the housing base to the pad. A template may be provided to

assist in the location of mounting attachment details for pad

preparation.

(xx) Housings equipped with stub cables shall have strain relief

devices to permit shipping and handling of the housing without damage

to the housing or stub cables. Only REA accepted cable shall be used

for stub cables. The cable manufacturer's recommendations concerning

minimum bend radius shall be observed. The minimum bend radius for most

copper cables is 10 times the cable diameter.

(xxi) Cable supports shall be provided near the top of the ground

line cover and other appropriate locations within the housing to

provide cable stability consistent with the intended use and capacity

of the housing. Cable supports shall be capable of holding a minimum

load of 23 kg (50 lb).

(xxii) An adequate supply of nonmetallic retainer clips or tie

wraps capable of supporting a minimum load of 23 kg (50 lb) shall be

provided with the housing. Adequate spaces for installation of the

clips or tie wraps must be provided on the housing backplate and cable

supports.

(xxiii) Housing chambers designed for splicing operations shall be

equipped with insulated supporting straps or rods suitable for

supporting splice bundles. The insulation on the straps or rods shall

extend for the entire length of the device and shall have a dielectric

strength of 15 kilovolts (kv) direct current (dc) minimum. Housings

having an ``H'' frame design where both front and rear covers may be

removed may incorporate insulated tie bars to be used as cable

supports.

(xxiv) Housings designed to contain equipment in addition to

splices shall be equipped with a device for physically separating the

splice area from the service area of the housing.

(xxv) A dielectric shield rated at 15 kv dc shall be provided to

enclose the cable splice area. The shield shall extend from the lower

cable supports to within 2.5 cm (1 in.) of the top of the housing. The

shield shall be equipped with Velcro or equivalent fastening devices

designed to hold the shield in both the open or closed positions. The

fastening devices shall extend along the entire vertical edge of the

dielectric shield.

(xxvi) Mounting arrangements for a variety of terminal blocks and

other equipment shall be provided by means of good housekeeping panels

or other devices that may enhance the service aspect of the housing.

(xxvii) Housings designed for SAI cabinets may be shipped with

terminal blocks installed and stub cables attached. If this option is

exercised, the stub cables and terminal blocks must be REA accepted. In

all cases, SAI cabinets must be equipped with appropriate mounting

devices for installing the peripheral equipment required for a serving

area interface.

(xxviii) SAI cabinets shall be designed to provide physical

separation between the splicing area and the area provided for running

cross-connect jumpers.

(xxix) SAI cabinets and large splice housings must have an external

feature for attaching a padlock to prevent unauthorized entry.

(xxx) Each housing shall have a tinned or zinc electroplated copper

alloy or equivalent connector plate or bar to be used for terminating

ground and cable shield bond connections. The device shall be equipped

with captive studs and nuts with captive lock washers designed for

attaching 6 American Wire Gauge (AWG) copper bonding harness wire or

braid and a 6 AWG copper ground wire. Connector plates shall be

equipped with enough studs and nuts to provide individual connections

equivalent to the maximum number of cable sheaths recommended for the

housing. Housings shall incorporate design features that enable the

field installation of at least one additional connector plate for

service conditions that require numerous connections. A bonding and

grounding system capable of providing support and strain relief for

service wires shall be provided for housings intended for use as

distribution points. The bonding system shall be designed to provide

sheath continuity as cable and service wires are installed, and prior

to any other operation being performed. The bonding arrangement shall

provide electrical continuity between all bonds and the ground

connector plate. The bonding and grounding arrangement shall permit the

lifting of individual cable ground connections for testing and cable

locating activities without jeopardizing the grounding potential of

other cables that may enter the housing. The bonding and grounding

system shall be capable of conducting a current of 1000 amperes for at

least 20 seconds.

(4) Warning sign. (i) A buried cable warning sign shall be securely

attached to the outside of each housing. The lettering information on

the sign shall be permanent.

(ii) For pedestals, the sign shall be centered horizontally on the

front cover and the top of the sign shall be not more than 10 cm (4

in.) from the top of the housing.

(iii) For SAI cabinets, the sign shall be centered horizontally and

vertically on the door. If there are two doors, the sign shall be

mounted on the left door.

(iv) Deviations from warning sign location requirements are

permitted only for housing design constraints. Alternate sign locations

will be considered by REA.

(v) The REA standard sign design is shown in Figure 1.

(5) Housing materials. (i) Materials used in housings shall present

no environmental or safety hazard as defined by industry standards or

Federal, State, or local laws and regulations. Figure 1 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.000

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(ii) All materials are required to have fire resistance ratings

consistent with recognized industry standards. External materials must

be flame resistant.

(iii) All materials used in the manufacture of housings or

component parts must achieve the required strength properties, resist

deterioration when exposed to outdoor conditions, and be acceptable to

REA for the specific application. New materials or materials not

familiar to the REA staff shall be supported by test and performance

data which demonstrates their suitability for the intended use.

(iv) Nonmetallic housing materials shall have a fungus growth

rating no greater than one according to ASTM G 21-90.

(v) Metallic components shall be either corrosion resistant or

protected against corrosion and must not produce galvanic corrosion in

wet or humid conditions on other metals that may be present in the

housing environment.

(vi) Mill galvanized steel used in the manufacture of housings

shall comply with the appropriate requirements of one of the following

standards:

(A) ASTM A 109-91;

(B) ASTM A 366/A 366M-91;

(D) ASTM A 526/A 526M-90.

(vii) Hot rolled steel shall comply with the appropriate

requirements of one of the following standards:

(A) ASTM A 569/A 569M-91a; or

(B) ASTM A 621/A 621M-92.

(viii) Cold rolled steel shall comply with the appropriate

requirements of one of the following standards:

(A) ASTM A l09-91; or

(B) ASTM A 366/A 366M-91.

(ix) Steel parts used for internal housing brackets shall be

hexavalent chromate coated or zinc plated in accordance with ASTM B

633-85.

(x) Hardware items used for assembling or fastening housing

components shall be 300 series or passivated 400 series stainless steel

or hot dip galvanized in accordance with ASTM A l53-82 (1987). Other

materials will be considered by REA on an individual basis.

(xi) Aluminum components shall be fabricated from alloy types 5052

or 6061 or other types that have been recognized as having acceptable

corrosion resistance and formability and weldability features.

(xii) Nonmetallic parts must be resistant to solvents and stress

cracking and shall be compatible with metals and other materials such

as conductor insulations and filling compounds used in the manufacture

of cable. Plastic materials must be noncorrosive to metals and resist

deterioration when exposed to industrial chemical pollutants, ultra-

violet rays, road salts, cleaning agents, insecticides, fertilizers, or

other detrimental elements normally encountered in the outdoor

environment.

(xiii) Housing door seals and gaskets may be manufactured from

rubber or synthetic rubber-like elastomer materials. Seals and gaskets

shall exhibit a high degree of weatherability with an effective life of

at least 30 years in the outdoor environment. The material shall be

tear resistant and have a low compression set.

(6) Housing finish requirements. (i) All interior and exterior

surfaces of housings shall be free from blisters, wrinkles, cracks,

scratches, dents, heat marks, and other defects.

(ii) There shall be inherent design provisions to prevent

objectionable deterioration of the housing such as rusting, exposure of

fiber or delamination. Secondary protection, such as galvanizing over

steel per ASTM A 526/A 526M-90 or anodizing over aluminum, shall be

provided to ensure reliability over the projected 30 year design life

of the housing.

(iii) Painted metal housings shall have a minimum gloss of 60

(60 deg. specular) in accordance with ASTM D 523-89.

(iv) All painted surfaces shall have a uniform color and texture in

accordance with ASTM D 3928-89. Nonmetallic housings shall meet

recognized industry standards concerning optical appearance for gloss

and haze as applicable for the material.

(v) The colors of housings that REA will consider for acceptance

shall be as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Color Standard

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gray-Green...... Munsell 6.5 GY 6.03/1.6

Munsell 4.4 GY 6.74/1.5

Green........... Munsell 8.8 G 2.65/5.3

Orange.......... Federal Standard 595A

Color Number l2246

Munsell 0.15YR 5.26/13.15

Chocolate....... Munsell 5.27YR 2.40/2.60

Color Number 835

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(7) Installation requirements. (i) The design of the housing must

provide for a logical and normal installation sequence, i.e.,

excavation, installation of a foundation or base and anchoring devices,

addition of hardware, installation and bonding of cables, splicing,

addition of service, and final closing.

(ii) No special tools or equipment other than that usually carried

by outside plant technicians and construction crews must be required

for installation of the housing. Security devices are the exception to

this requirement.

(iii) Installation hardware shall maintain housings in an erect and

stable position when subjected to normal storm loads. Pad-mounted

designs must accommodate precast or cast-in-place reinforced concrete

or other suitable prefabricated material. Brackets, inserts for

fastening, conduit openings, or other items necessary for a pad-mounted

installation must be provided. The manufacturer shall provide detailed

drawings or a template for locating inserts, conduit openings, or slots

for cast-in-place pad construction.

(e) Performance criteria and test procedures for housings--(1)

General information. (i) The housing manufacturer shall perform

adequate inspections and tests to demonstrate that housings and housing

components comply with REA requirements.

(ii) Testing shall be performed at a room temperature of

243 deg.C (755 deg.C). Temperatures for

testing performed at other than room temperature shall be determined as

near the center of the product under test as practical.

(2) Description of test housing. (i) Each distinctly designed and

configured family of housings intended to perform a particular function

shall be tested.

(ii) The typical test sample shall consist of the exterior housing

components such as covers, backplates, good housekeeping panels, cap

assembly, anchor posts, decals, etc. Interior components must include

the bonding and grounding hardware for cables and service wires and the

dielectric shield. The housing may include terminal blocks or cross-

connect modules, cable splices, or the typical outside plant equipment

the housing is designed to contain and protect.

(3) Environmental requirement for housings--(i) Thermal shock. The

test housing shall be placed in a test chamber and exposed to the

temperature cycle of Figure 2 for five complete cycles. The step

function nature of the temperature changes may be achieved by insertion

and removal of the test housing from the chamber. The soak time at each

temperature shall be four hours. The housing shall be removed from the

test chamber at the conclusion of the five-cycle period. After the test

housing temperature has stabilized to room temperature, the housing

must be inspected for deterioration of materials and satisfactory

operation of mechanical functions. Figure 2 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.001

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(ii) Thermal shock and humidity. The test housing shall be placed

in an environmental test chamber at 95 3 percent (%)

relative humidity (RH) and temperature cycled per Figure 3 for a period

of 30 days. At the end of the test there shall be no rust or corrosion

of any closure components. Minor corrosion due to surface scratches,

nicks, etc. is permitted. If the closure is made of a nonmetallic

material, there shall be no signs of degradation. Figure 3 is as

follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.002

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(iii) Humidity and condensation. Test panels shall be placed in an

environmental chamber and subjected to 1,008 hours (42 cycles) of

exposure per ASTM D 2247-92. One cycle consists of 24 hours of 100%

humidity (with condensation on the panels) at a cabinet temperature of

381 deg.C (1002 deg.F) and an ambient

temperature of 251 deg.C (772 deg.F) without

heat input. Upon completion of cycling, the test panels shall be

subjected to an 11 newton-meter (N-m) (100 pound-inches (lb-in.))

impact test using the Gardner-Impact Tester or equivalent. Test panels

shall show no substrate or coating cracking or loss of coating adhesion

on either side.

(iv) Weatherability. Three test panels shall be tested for

weatherability in accordance with the appropriate procedures of either

ASTM D 822-89 or ASTM G 23-90. Total exposure time shall be a minimum

of 800 hours. Failure is defined as fading, cracking, blistering, or

delamination on any of the three test panels.

(v) Low temperature durability. Low temperature durability shall be

proven by exposing the three test panels from (e)(3)(iv) of this

section to at least 25 continuous cycles of the following test

sequence:

(A) To insure complete saturation of the three test panels, soak

them for 96 hours in a container of distilled water 222

deg.C (71.64 deg.F);

(B) Lower the temperature of the water and the immersed test panels

to -282 deg.C (-18.44 deg.F) and stabilize

for 24 hours;

(71.64 deg.F) and stabilize for 24 hours;

(D) Repeat the procedure 24 times. Any cracking, crazing,

deforming, or delaminating on any of the three test panels shall be

considered a failure; and

(E) Remove the samples from the water and impact test the three

panels by delivering a force of 11.3 N-m (100 lb-in.) using a Gardner-

Impact Tester to each specimen at 71, 22, and -282 deg.C

(159.8, 71.6, and -18.44 deg.F), after stabilizing them at

those temperatures for at least two hours. Visual inspection shall

reveal no deformation or perforations on any of the test panels.

(vi) Corrosion resistance. Corrosivity shall be tested in

accordance with the requirements of ASTM B 117-90. Both scribed and

unscribed panels shall be evaluated following the procedures of ASTM D

1654-92. Scribed panels shall have a rating of at least six, following

500 hours of exposure to salt fog, and the unscribed panels shall have

a rating no lower than 10, after 1,000 hours exposure. Visual rust

inspection shall confirm no more than 0.03% rusting (rust grade 9) of

the surface area of the test sample when evaluated in accordance with

ASTM D 610-85(1989). The unscribed samples shall be impacted with an

11.3 N-m (100 lb-in.) force, using a Gardner-Impact Tester or

equivalent. Visual inspection of the impacted samples shall reveal no

loss of adhesion between the base material and the coating or cracking

at the finish on the test panels.

(vii) Fungi resistance. Fungi resistance of nonmetallic housing

materials shall be tested according to the procedures of ASTM G 21-90.

Any rating greater than one shall be considered a failure.

(viii) Stress crack resistance. The stress cracking characteristics

of nonmetallic housing components shall be tested in accordance with

ASTM D 1693-70 (Reapproved 1988). The tests shall be performed at

492\1/2\ C (1204\1/2\ F) for 14 days and

exposed to the following materials:

(A) Industry recognized filling compounds;

(B) Isopar M;

(D) Industry recognized encapsulants; and

(E) Commonly used insect, pest, and weed control products and

agricultural fertilizers.

(ix) Chemical resistance. (A) Chemical resistance shall be

determined by immersing representative nonmetallic material samples in

each of the following solutions for 72 hours at 222 deg.C

(71.64 deg.F):

(1) 3% sulfuric acid;

(2) 100 parts per million (ppm) trichloroethane in water;

(3) 0.2 N sodium hydroxide; and

(4) Unleaded high octane gasoline.

(B) There shall be no swelling, deformation, or softening of the

material samples or any discoloration of the solution.

(x) Ultraviolet resistance. Test panels of metallic and nonmetallic

outer housing materials shall be subjected to 700 hours exposure per

ASTM D 2565-92 using the type BH apparatus. The panels shall not

exhibit fading, blistering, checking, or delamination.

(xi) Weathertightness. The housing shall be mounted in its typical

field installation position and sprayed with water. The temperature of

the water shall be adjusted to be equal to or warmer than the

temperature of the cabinet interior to avoid the possibility of

condensation. A water spray head shall be used to direct water at the

housing so that the water stream will strike the assembly at a downward

angle of 45 degrees. The flow of the water shall be 3.8 liters per

minute (one gallon per minute), with 276 kilopascals (40 pounds per

square inch) head of pressure. The spray head shall be held 1.8 meters

(m) (6 feet (ft)) from the test cabinet. The spray head shall be

adjusted so that water impinges uniformly over the housing surface. The

duration of the test shall be five minutes. All vertical cabinet

surfaces shall be tested by this procedure. The exterior of the cabinet

shall be thoroughly dried with towels (no heat drying) prior to

examination of the housing interior. The interior of the housing shall

be checked for presence of water. Wetting of over-lapping surfaces is

permitted. There shall be no presence of water inside the housing.

(xii) Wind Resistance. (A)(1) Stub pole or wall mounted SAI and

large pair count splice housings shall be subjected to a load (F) as

shown in Figure 4 and the following table to simulate the turning

moment equivalent to a uniform wind load of 161 kilometers per hour

(km/h) (100 miles per hour (mi/h)) perpendicular to the largest surface

area.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Load

Maximum area of largest surface square centimeters -------------------

cm2 (Square inches) (in.2) kg (lb)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

5,200 (800) or less................................. 18 (40)

5,201 to 9,100 (801 to 1,400)....................... 32 (70)

9,101 to 13,000 (1,401 to 2,000).................... 45 (100)

13,001 to 16,200 (2,001 to 2,500)................... 57 (125)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: The procedures for housings with larger surface area will be

evaluated by REA on a case-by-case basis.

(2) The housing shall remain in its original mounting position

throughout the test and exhibit no mechanical deformation.

(3) Figure 4 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.003

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(B)(1) Pad or ground mounted SAI or splice housings shall be

subjected to a load (F) as shown in Figure 5 and the following table to

simulate the overturning moment equivalent to a uniform wind load of

161 km/h (100 mi/h) perpendicular to the largest surface area.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Load

Height cm (in.) Maximum area of largest surface cm2 (in.2) ---------------------

kg (lb)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

122 (48) or less.................. 11,000 (1,700) or less................................ 91 (200)

11,001-13,000 (1,701-2,000)........................... 104 (230)

13,001-14,900 (2,001-2,300)........................... 118 (260)

123-152 (49-60)................... 11,700 (1,800) or less................................ 91 (200)

11,701-14,300 (1,801-2,200)........................... 109 (240)

14,301-16,200 (2,201-2,500)........................... 127 (280)

16,201-18,800 (2,501-2,900)........................... 145 (320)

18,801-20,800 (2,901-3,200)........................... 163 (360)

20,801-23,400 (3,201-3,600)........................... 181 (400)

153-183 (61-72)................... 14,300 (2,200) or less................................ 109 (240)

14,301-16,900 (2,201-2,600)........................... 127 (280)

16,901-19,500 (2,601-3,000)........................... 150 (330)

19,501-22,700 (3,001-3,500)........................... 172 (380)

22,701-25,300 (3,501-3,900)........................... 190 (420)

25,301-27,900 (3,901-4,300)........................... 213 (470)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: The procedures for housings with larger surface areas will be evaluated by REA on a case-by-case basis

(2) The housing shall remain in its original mounting position

throughout the test and exhibit no mechanical deformation.

(3) Figure 5 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.004

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(xiii) Fire resistance. (A) The test housing shall be installed in

a manner typical of field installation. U.S. No. 1 wheat straw shall be

placed on the ground around the housing base in an one meter (3 ft)

radius at an approximate depth of 10 cm (4 in.). The straw shall be

ignited and permitted to burn fully. After the housing has cooled, its

contents shall be inspected for evidence of ignition, melting, burning,

or structural damage. Damage sufficient to impair service constitutes

failure.

(B) Polymeric materials shall be tested in accordance with the

Underwriters Laboratories Publication (UL) 94, dated June 18, 1991.

Materials used in housing components shall have a rating of P94V-0 or

94V-1 and shall not sustain combustion when an open flame source is

removed.

(4) Mechanical requirements for housings--(i) Impact resistance.

The test housing shall be subjected to the following impacts according

to its minimum volume or minimum width and depth as shown in the

following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Impact force

Minimum volume cm3 (in.3) Minimum width or depth cm ----------------

(in.) N-m (lb-ft)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Less than 35,000 (2,100)... Less than 13 (5).......... 68 (50)

35,000 (2,100) or greater.. 13 (5) or greater......... 136 (100)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(A) The impact force shall be delivered to the front, back, and top

surfaces. Circular housings shall be impacted on side surfaces 180 deg.

apart and on the top. The device used to deliver the force shall be

spherical and approximately 25 to 31 cm (10 to 12 in.) in diameter. A

typical test procedure may include the use of a hard rubber bowling

ball, weighing 6 to 7 kg (13 to 16 lb), enclosed in a mesh bag,

attached to a rope with a metal ring. The load shall be dropped

vertically on the top surface and applied to the sides with a pendulum

motion using the appropriate height and extension arm to achieve the

required impact force. The housing must be impacted at the approximate

mid-point of the surface area.

(B) Housings shall be conditioned for a minimum of eight hours at

-40 deg.C (-40 deg.F) in an environmental chamber prior to testing. If

the chamber is insufficient in size to conduct tests within the

chamber, the housing may be removed and shall be tested within 10

minutes after removal.

or ruptured surfaces sufficient to allow the ingress of moisture or

dust. The housing shall not exhibit mechanical damage that would impair

the functioning of hinges, latches, locks, etc.

(ii) Load deflection. Free standing buried plant housings shall be

tested for load deflection in accordance with Figure 6. The assembled

housing shall be rigidly held in place by a mechanical means to

simulate a normal field installation. A length of wire or cable, or

other suitable material, shall be placed around the top section of the

housing and deadended. The wire or cable shall be initially tensioned

to 23 kg (50 lb). A measurement shall then be taken of the deflection

of the housing at the top as shown in Figure 6. The deflection shall be

recorded at incremental loads of 23 kg (50 lb) until destruction of the

housing occurs. The average load for the three directions shall not be

less than 136 kg (300 lb) and the minimum load in any direction shall

be 113 kg (250 lb). Failure is defined as housing component fracture or

crazing of the housing's surface finish. Figure 6 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.005

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(iii) Vibration requirements. The test housing and its contents

shall be subjected to acceleration at a sine wave frequency sweep rate

as shown in Figure 7 for a housing packaged for shipment and Figure 8

for an unpackaged housing. The frequency sweep may be performed

continually or sequentially. The test shall be conducted once along

each of three mutually perpendicular axes of the housing. There shall

be no mechanical or electrical degradation of the housing or its

contents. Noticeable damage to the housing constitutes failure. Figure

7 and Figure 8 are as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.006

TR21OC94.007

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(iv) Drop test requirements. Housings shall be subjected to

appropriate drop tests according to their weight. The drop tests shall

be performed on housings and their contents as normally packaged as

well as on unpackaged housings. The tests shall be conducted on a

smooth level concrete floor or similar unyielding surface. For corner

drops, the packaged housing and its contents shall be oriented at

impact such that a straight line drawn through the struck corner and

package geometric center is approximately perpendicular to the impact

surface.

(A) Packaged housings and their contents weighing 91 kg (200 lb) or

less shall be capable of enduring a single drop on each face or corner

without damage from a height specified as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drop

Packaged housing including contents weight kg (lb) height cm

(in.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

0 to 9 (0 to 20)............................................. 76 (30)

10 to 23 (21 to 50).......................................... 61 (24)

24 to 45 (51 to 100)......................................... 53 (21)

46 to 91 (101 to 200)........................................ 46 (18)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(B) Packaged housings and their contents weighing more than 91 kg

(200 lb) shall be capable of enduring a single drop on each of two

diagonally opposite corners of the package without significant damage

from a height specified as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drop

Packaged housing including contents weight kg (lb) height cm

(in.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

92 to 453 (201 to 1000)...................................... 30 (12)

Over to 453 (1000)........................................... 15 (6)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) The packaged housing and contents shall be placed on its normal

shipping base with one corner supported 15 cm (6 in.) above the floor

and the other corner of the same end supported 30 cm (12 in.) above the

floor as shown in Figure 9. The unsupported end of the package shall be

raised so that the lowest corner reaches the height listed above and

then allowed to fall freely. Figure 9 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.008

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(2) The procedure of paragraph (e)(4)(iv)(B)(1) of this section

shall be repeated for the diagonally opposite corner.

(3) The packaged housing and contents shall be capable of enduring

a single drop on each edge of the base of its normal shipping position

from the required height without damage and shall remain operational

without function impairment. The packaged housing and contents shall be

placed on its base with one edge supported on a sill 15 cm (6 in.) high

and the unsupported edge raised to the required height as shown in

Figure 10 and allowed to fall freely. Figure 10 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.009

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(4) The procedure of (e)(4)(iv)(B)(3) of this section shall be

repeated for all edges of the base.

or less shall be capable of enduring a single drop on each face and

adjacent corners without significant damage from a height specified as

follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drop

Packaged housing including contents weight kg (lb) height cm

(in.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

0 to 9 (0 to 20)............................................. 10 (4)

10 to 23 (21 to 50).......................................... 8 (3)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(D) (1) Unpackaged housings and their contents weighing more than

23 kg (50 lb) shall be capable of enduring a single drop without

significant damage when lifted by its normal hoisting supports as shown

in Figure 11 and with its lowest point at a height specified as

follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drop

Packaged housing including contents weight kg (lb) height cm

(in.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

23 to 45 (51 to 100)......................................... 5 (2)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2) Figure 11 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.010

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(v) Firearms resistance. All housings shall be tested for

resistance to penetration by direct impact from a 12 gauge shotgun

equipped with a modified choke and the use of a 3\3/4\ dram equivalent

powder charge and 35 grams #6 lead shot fired from a distance of 15 m

(50 ft). The 12 gauge shotgun shall be fired from a normal standing

position at the front side of the housing. Penetration through the

housing wall by the lead shot shall constitute failure.

(vi) Lifting hardware requirements. The lifting hardware on

housings and their contents that weigh more than 91 kg (200 lb) shall

be tested. The housing shall be fastened to a restraining device such

as a concrete slab and subjected to loading through the lifting

attachments to simulate the lifting load. For the first test a lifting

line equipped with a dynamometer shall be attached to the housing

lifting hardware and a load applied equal to three times the weight of

a fully equipped housing. Deformation or damage to the housing or

lifting hardware constitutes failure. A second test shall be conducted

with the same arrangements as for the first except that a load shall be

applied equal to six times the weight of a fully equipped housing.

There shall be no catastrophic failure of the lifting hardware or

housing.

(vii) Stub cable strain relief tests. Housings equipped with cable

stubs and cable shipping retainer shall be tested by lifting a test

housing, with the maximum length and weight of cable orderable, in a

manner causing the full weight of the cable to be supported by the

cabinet. Examination of the cable sheath after lifting shall reveal no

tearing, rupturing, or other damage. The cable conductors and shield

shall be tested for shorts and opens. Electrical defects to the stub

cable or damage to the housing constitutes failure.

(viii) Door restrainer evaluation. (A) The housing shall be

positioned with the door held in the open position by the door

restraining device. A load, determined in accordance with the following

table, shall be applied to the center of the door, perpendicular to the

door and in each of the opening and closing directions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Load kg

Maximum area of door surface cm2 (in.2) (lb)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

5,200 (800) or less........................................ 72 (160)

5,201 to 9,100 (801 to 1,400).............................. 127 (280)

9,101 to 13,000 (1,401 to 2,000)........................... 181 (400)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: Test procedures for housings with larger doors will be evaluated

by REA on a case-by-case basis.

(B) There shall be no functional failure of the restraining device

nor mechanical damage to the housing.

(ix) Security evaluation. The security locking device shall be

capable of withstanding a maximum torque of 2.8 N-m (25 lb-in.) without

incurring physical damage to the closure, thereby resulting in a

condition where the closure cannot be either accessed or locked.

(5) Electrical requirements for housings. Each bonding stud and nut

location shall be evaluated by attaching one lead from a dc or

alternating current (ac) power source to a bonding stud with the nut

torqued as specified by its manufacturer and the other power source

lead connected to the closure grounding conductor connector. The

current path thus established must be capable of sustaining a current

of 1,000 amperes root-mean-square for at least 20 seconds without

fusing or causing any damage to the closure or its contents.

(6) Finish requirements--(i) Impact resistance. The finish on

painted metal surfaces shall not exhibit radial cracking on the impact

surface (intrusion) when indented at 18 N-m (160 lb-in.) with a 1.6 cm

(0.6 in.) diameter spherical indentor. This test shall be performed in

accordance with ASTM D 2794-92 with the exception that the test panel

shall be of the same material, thickness, and finish as the pedestal

housing being evaluated.

(ii) Finish adhesion. Painted finishes shall be tested for adhesion

of finish in accordance with ASTM D 2197-86 (Reapproved 1991), Method

A. There shall be no gouging in the top coat when tested with an 8 kg

(17.7 lb) load. Gouging is defined as removal or separation of paint

particles or breaking of the finish by the scraping loop to the extent

of exposing base metal.

(iii) Color evaluation. The color of the housing finish should be

compared against the Munsell system of color notation, as described in

ASTM D 1535-89 to determine color consistency with that desired.

(iv) Gloss evaluation. The finish on painted housings shall be

tested on two approximately 20 cm x 20 cm (8 in. x 8 in.) samples

for each color used in accordance with the procedures of ASTM D 523-89.

The finish shall have a minimum gloss of 60 (60 deg. Specular).

(v) Secondary finish evaluation. Evidence of secondary protection

shall be required for REA acceptance. Typical secondary protection is

galvanizing per ASTM A 526/A 526M-90 for steel surfaces.

(f) Functional design criteria for binding post terminal blocks

used in SAI cabinets--(1) General description. A conventional binding

post terminal consists of a metallic element or post, one end of which

is configured for the permanent connection of 22, 24, or 26 AWG solid

copper conductors and the opposite end is configured for recurring

connections and disconnections of solid copper cross-connect wire using

a threaded screw or stud and nut combination for gripping the wire. The

terminal is usually housed in a SAI cabinet. However, the terminal may

receive limited use in smaller pedestal-type housings and pole mounted

cabinets in the outside plant environment.

(2) Design and fabrication requirements. (i) Terminal blocks used

in outside plant housings are expected to perform satisfactorily for a

nominal design life of 30 years.

(ii) All individual terminals or terminal fields must be enclosed

and the terminal enclosure must be totally filled with an encapsulating

grease or gel which prevents connection degradation caused by moisture

and corrosion. The encapsulant must provide complete encapsulation of

terminal metallic connections and surfaces and totally fill all voids

and cavities within individual terminal enclosures or terminal field

enclosures to prevent ingress of moisture. The encapsulant must not

restrict access to the terminal or restrict craft personnel from making

connections. The encapsulant must be compatible with the standard

materials used in cross-connect hardware and wiring.

(iii) Binding post terminals shall not be susceptible to damage

under normal use of standard tools used by outside plant technicians

such as screwdrivers and test set clips. In addition, use of other

tools such as scissors, diagonal cutters and long nose pliers for

tightening and loosening screws shall not result in damage to the

terminal.

(iv) Terminals shall be designed so that a typical technician using

customary tools shall be able to terminate cross-connect wire on a pair

of terminals, or to remove it, without causing an electrical short

between any two terminals or any other adjacent terminals.

(v) The terminal count sequence shall be indicated using numerals

of at least 0.25 cm (0.10 in.) in height.

(vi) A means shall be provided to distinguish feeder terminals from

distribution terminals.

(vii) A means shall be provided to identify tip terminals and ring

terminals in a terminal field. The identification convention shall

indicate tip on the left with ring on the right for horizontal spacing

and tip on the top with ring on the bottom for vertical spacing.

(viii) The preferred height of the highest terminal in the

connector field in a ground mounted SAI unit shall be 168 cm (66 in.)

or less as measured from the top surface of the mounting pad. The

bottom or lowest terminals in the connector field shall be at least 46

cm (18 in.) from the top surface of the pad.

(ix) Pole mounted aerial units shall be 84 cm (33 in.) or less in

width. The maximum allowable height of the highest terminals in a pole

mounted aerial unit is 168 cm (66 in.) as measured from the top surface

of the standard balcony seat used with the interface. For computation

purposes, 15 cm (6 in.) shall be allowed for the distance between the

bottom of the interface and the top of the balcony seat.

(3) Auxiliary features. (i) SAI cabinets with terminal designs

which do not permit direct attachment of common test instrument clips

to terminal pairs without the occurrence of shorts shall be equipped

with single pair auxiliary test contacts. The auxiliary test contacts

shall attach to a terminal pair and provide a set of secondary

terminals which will accept typical test instrument clips without the

occurrence of shorts. Wire used to connect the auxiliary test contacts

to the secondary terminals shall be 20 gauge minimum stranded conductor

copper wire with a minimum dielectric strength between conductors of 15

kv. The test connector shall be functional on all terminal pairs.

(ii) A 25 or 50 pair test connector shall be available which can be

used to make reliable electrical contact to terminals associated with

discrete 25 pair binder groups. The multi-pair test connector shall be

provided with a minimum of 1.8 m (6 ft) of suitable cabling terminated

to a connector, for interfacing with test sets common to the industry.

The multi-pair test connector shall be functional on all terminal

groups.

(iii) A special service marker shall be available which must attach

to a binding post terminal to identify special circuits and insulate

exposed metal parts from accidental shorts from tools and wires. A

supply of 25 special service markers shall be provided with each SAI

cabinet. The color of special service markers shall be red.

(iv)(A) A supply of twisted pair cross-connect wire shall be

supplied with housings that are equipped with cross-connect terminals

or that have provisions for mounting cross-connect terminals. The

minimum length of cross-connect wire supplied is dependent on the SAI

cabinet terminal capacity as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cabinet termination capacity (pairs) Wire length

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 to 600............................................. 60 m (200 ft)

601 to 1200.......................................... 120 m (400 ft)

Over 1200............................................ 180 m (600 ft)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(B) The cabinet shall be equipped to store the length of wire in a

manner designed for convenient dispensing. The cross-connect wire

supply shall be easily replaceable.

(g) Performance criteria and test procedures for binding post

terminal blocks used in SAI cabinets--(1) General. Many of the tests

described in this section require that the terminal block be installed

in an appropriate housing in its typical field configuration.

(2) Environmental requirements--(i) Insulation resistance/high

humidity and salt fog exposure. A test specimen shall consist of a

standard ground or pole mounted housing equipped with a full complement

of binding post terminals equipped with 25 special service markers. The

minimum number of terminals to be tested shall be 100 pair (100 tips

and 100 associated rings). The test terminals shall be selected to form

a terminal array of approximate square dimensions. A 1 cm (36 in.)

length of cross-connect wire shall be installed on each test terminal.

All tips shall be joined together and all rings shall be joined

together with a 48 volt dc potential applied as shown in Figure 12

during the high humidity/salt fog and simulated rain exposures. The 48

volt dc may be temporarily removed from the test samples during the

measurement process and the ring terminal being measured shall be

isolated from the remaining ring terminals. The terminal insulation

resistance shall be measured at a potential of 100 volts dc using

suitable instrumentation with a minimum measurement range of 10\4\ to

10\12\ ohms. Figure 12 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.011

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(A) High humidity. The test housing shall be placed in an

environmental test chamber at 953% RH and the temperature

cycled as shown in Figure 3 in paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section for

a period of 30 days. The cabinet doors shall remain in the fully open

position. The insulation resistance between the ring terminal of each

sample and all the common tip terminals shall be measured each 24 hours

when the temperature is between 38 and 57 deg.C (100 and 135 deg.F)

and increasing. The minimum insulation resistance when measured in

accordance with paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section shall not be less

than 1 x 106 ohms.

(B) Salt fog. A test housing with its doors closed shall be placed

in a salt fog 35 deg.C (95 deg.F) test chamber and exposed to a salt

fog spray per ASTM B 117-90 for a period of 30 days. The insulation

resistance should be measured every 24 hours as indicated in paragraph

(g)(2)(i) of the section and shall not be less than 1 x 106 ohms.

The special service markers shall exhibit no sign of fading, corrosion,

swelling, warping, running color, or other signs of deterioration.

(ii) Insulation resistance/simulated rain exposure. (A) A test

housing as described in paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section shall be

tested for water infiltration. The test shall be conducted using the

method described in paragraph (e)(3)(xi) of this section. The cabinet

doors shall remain closed for the duration of the test. The insulation

resistance between the ring terminals and the common tip terminals

shall be measured during and immediately following the spray

application as indicated in paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section and

shall not be less than 1 x 10\6\ ohms.

(B) With the cabinet doors open, a spray of tap water at a rate of

3.8 liters per minute (1 gallon per minute) at 276 kilo-pascals (40

pounds per square inch) shall be directed on the terminal array for a

period of 1 minute saturating all of the terminals. Following the spray

application the doors shall be closed. The cabinet shall be maintained

in a temperature environment of 26 to 28 deg.C (78 to 82 deg.F) at

953% RH for 6 hours. The insulation resistance shall then

be measured as specified in paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section. The

minimum insulation resistance shall not be less than 1 x 106 ohms.

(iii) Contact resistance. A minimum of 100 terminals equipped with

cross-connect wire that has been installed in a manner typical of that

used in the industry shall be temperature cycled.

(A) The test shall consist of eight-hour temperature cycles with

one-hour dwells at extreme temperatures of

-40 deg.C to +60 deg.C (-40 deg.F to +140 deg.F), and temperature

changes at an average rate of 16 deg.C (60 deg.F) per hour between

the extremes. The relative humidity shall be maintained at

953%. The eight-hour test shall be conducted for 512

cycles. Millivolt drop measurements shall be made initially and after

2, 8, 16, 32, 64, 256, and 512 cycles with the samples at room

temperature. The resistance measurement technique must conform to ASTM

B 539-90. The measurement method must have an accuracy of at least

30 microohms for resistances less than 50 milliohms. The

change in contact resistance shall not exceed 2 milliohms.

(B) A minimum of 100 terminals equipped with cross-connect wire

installed in a manner typical of the industry shall be maintained at

118 deg.C (245 deg.F) during the test period, except during

disturbance measurement periods where each wire connection to the

terminals shall have a 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) force momentarily applied in a

manner to stress the connection. Initial millivolt measurements shall

be made without disturbing the joints in accordance with paragraph

(g)(2)(iii)(A) of this section with the samples at room temperature.

After initial measurement each sample shall be disturbed followed by a

millivolt drop measurement after 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 33 days. The

change in contact resistance should be less than 2 milliohms when

compared to the initial measurement.

(iv) Fire resistance. A fully equipped cabinet including a full

complement of cross-connect jumpers shall be installed in the standard

field arrangement and tested for fire resistance in accordance with

paragraphs (e)(3)(xiii) introductory text through (e)(3)(xiii)(B) of

this section. After cooling, the cabinet, terminals, and associated

wiring shall be inspected for signs of ignition, melting, burning, or

structural damage of sufficient consequences such that the results are

service affecting.

(v) Encapsulant material compatibility. The terminal connection

encapsulant compound must be compatible with the standard materials

used in cross-connect hardware and wiring when aged in accordance with

ASTM D 4568-86 at a temperature of 801 deg.C

(176 2 deg.F). The conductor insulation shall retain a

minimum of 85% of its unaged tensile strength and elongation values.

The cross-connect hardware shall exhibit no visible material

degradation.

(vi) Encapsulant flow test. Terminal connection encapsulant must

remain stable at 801 deg.C (1762 deg.F) when

tested in an environmental chamber. Test specimens shall be suspended

in a preheated oven over a glass dish or other drip-catching medium for

a period of 24 hours. At the end of the test period, the glass dish

shall be examined for evidence of flowing or dripping of encapsulant

from the cross-connect terminal. More than 0.5 gram of encapsulant in

the dish at the end of the test constitutes failure.

(3) Mechanical requirements--(i) Vibration. A test housing equipped

with a full complement of cross-connect terminals and jumper wiring

shall be subjected to vibration testing in accordance with paragraph

(e)(4)(iii) of this section.

(ii) Torsional capacity of binding posts. The test specimens shall

consist of the complete binding post terminal consisting of the screw

or nut, washers if required, and threaded post or stud respectively.

(A) Test specimens shall include the terminals along the matrix

edge at mid-span locations as well as centrally located terminals.

Tests shall be conducted using a torque indicating screwdriver, or

wrench, with an accuracy of 0.17 N-m (1.5 lb-

in.) or better. The torque indicating device shall be used to tighten a

screw or nut until failure of the screw or nut is achieved. Tests shall

be conducted while the test specimen is stabilized at temperatures of

-40 deg.C, 20 deg.C, and

71 deg.C (-40 deg.F, +68 deg.F, and at +160 deg.F). Record the

torques at terminal failure. At least 10 test specimens shall be tested

at each temperature. The failure torque shall not be less than 2.8 N-m

(25.0 lb-in.) for each temperature.

(B) The post or stud of the binding post terminal shall not fail

before the screw or nut when increasing torque. The faceplate or

receptacle restraining the post or stud shall not fail before the screw

or nut when increasing torque.

(iii) Lateral loading capacity of binding posts. A minimum of three

sets of 25 terminals shall be tested with the test specimens stabilized

at temperatures of -40 deg.C, 20 deg.C and 71 deg.C (-40 deg.F, +68

deg.F, and 100 deg.F). The test arrangement shall include the

terminals along the matrix edge at mid-span locations as well as

centrally located terminals. A force measuring device, such as a

dynamometer, shall be attached to the end of a binding post terminal

and a 16 kg (35 lb) force applied orthogonally to the terminal axis in

4 perpendicular directions as shown in Figure 13. Permanent deformation

in excess of 0.08 cm (0.03 in.) or any structural damage in either the

terminal or faceplate constitutes a failure. Figure 13 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.012

BILLING CODE 3410-15-C

(iv) Axial pullout resistance. A minimum of three sets of 25

terminals shall be tested with the test specimens stabilized at

temperatures of -40 deg.C,

20 deg.C, and 71 deg.C (-40 deg.F, +68 deg.F, and 100 deg.

F). The test arrangement shall include the terminals along the matrix

edge at mid-span locations as well as centrally located terminals. A

force measuring device, such as a dynamometer, shall be attached to a

terminal and a force of 16 kg (35 lb) applied on axis as shown in

Figure 14. There shall be no permanent deformation in excess of 0.08 cm

(0.03 in.), any structural damage, or terminal pull-out in either the

terminal or the faceplate. Figure 14 is as follows:

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

TR21OC94.013

BILLING CODE 3510-15-C

(v) Test connector reliability. (A) A single pair connector shall

be capable of making a minimum of 100 successive connections to binding

post terminals without the occurrence of an open circuit. The test

shall include terminals along the matrix edge, center, top, and bottom.

(B) A multi-pair test connector shall be attached to the binding

post terminal field and tests for opens between the binding post

terminals and the test connector shall be conducted. All circuits must

prove good. The test shall be repeated along the terminal matrix edges,

center, top, and bottom.

(vi) Service cycle reliability. A torque indicating device or

wrench with an accuracy of 0.17 N-m (1.5 lb-

in.) or better shall be used to tighten the terminal screw or nut as

appropriate to 1.7 N-m (15.0 lb-in.). The terminal nut or screw is then

loosened and retightened to 1.7 N-m (15 lb-in.). After 50 repeated

connections and disconnections, the terminal shall be placed in an

environmental chamber at 95% RH where the temperature shall be cycled

as indicated in Figure 3 in paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section for a

duration of 72 hours. The terminal shall then be momentarily removed

from the chamber and the test procedure repeated. After a total of 250

loosening and retightening cycles have accumulated, the terminal must

be capable of withstanding a torque of 1.7 N-m (15 lb-in.).

(4) Dielectric strength. All housing components in the vicinity of

unsheathed field cable conductors, unsheathed housing stub cable or

harness conductors, terminals, or cross-connect wire paths shall have a

minimum dielectric strength of 500 volts ac to the cabinet grounding

and bonding bracket. Dielectric strength is tested by connecting one

lead from a 500-volt ac at 0.5 ampere source to the cabinet ground

connector and the other lead is passed along the surfaces of all

cabinet components in the vicinity of unsheathed cable or harness

conductors, cross-connect wire paths, and in the splice area where

unsheathed field cable conductors may be located. Sparkover constitutes

failure.

(5) Operational requirements--(i) Durability. In order to verify

the durability requirements while minimizing the number of test

housings required to complete the test program, the binding posts

selected for tests shall be separately identified and then checked to

establish compliance after the various tests have been conducted.

(ii) Twenty-five jumper connections shall be made on each of two

binding post connectors chosen at random from a representative sample

in an assembled interface unit. After exposure to this test, these and

adjacent connectors shall be inspected for damage such as cracks or

chips in metal or plastic parts. Failure consists of structural damage,

open circuits through the connector, or inability to pass the

torsional, lateral loading, or axial pullout tests described in

paragraphs (g)(3)(ii) through (g)(3)(iv) of this section.

(iii) Select six binding posts at random in a representative

interface. On each connector, attach any test cord included with the

unit and then remove the test cord as follows. On binding post sample

1, remove the cord normally ten times. On binding post sample 2, remove

the cord ten times by jerking the test leads straight out. In these and

the remaining tests, do this without releasing any manual attachment

mechanisms. On sample 3, remove ten times by jerking downward at

45 deg. from horizontal; sample 4, upward at 45 deg. ten times; sample

5, left 45 deg. ten times; sample 6, right 45 deg. ten times. Check for

opens and damage in the test cord, clips, and connectors. Failure

consists of structural damage, open circuits through the connector, or

inability of the terminal blocks to pass the torsional, lateral

loading, axial pullout, test connector reliability, or dielectric

strength tests described in paragraphs (g)(3)(ii) through (g)(3)(v)(B),

and paragraph (g)(4) of this section.

(iv) Use craft tools such as scissors, diagonal cutters, and long

nose pliers to loosen and tighten screws where the binding post design

does not prohibit the possibility. Failure consists of severe

structural damage.

(h) Functional design criteria for insulation displacement type

cross-connect modules used in SAI cabinets--(1) General description.

Cross-connect modules normally consist of multiple metallic contact

elements that are retained by nonmetallic fixtures. The contact

elements are spliced with permanent wire leads compatible for splicing

to 22, 24, or 26 gauge cable on one side and configured for the

acceptance of recurring connections and disconnections of plastic

insulated cross-connect wire on the other side. Cross-connect modules

are usually housed in a SAI cabinet. However, modules may receive

limited usage in smaller pedestal-type housings and cabinets in the

outside plant environment.

(2) Design and fabrication requirements. (i) All individual

terminals or terminal fields must be enclosed and the terminal

enclosures must be totally filled with an encapsulating grease or gel

which prevents connection degradation caused by moisture and corrosion.

The encapsulant must provide complete encapsulation of terminal

metallic connections and surfaces and totally fill all voids and

cavities within individual terminal enclosures or terminal field

enclosures to prevent ingress of moisture. The encapsulant must not

restrict access to the terminal or restrict craft personnel from making

connections. The encapsulant must be compatible with the standard

materials used in cross-connect hardware and wiring.

(ii) The cross-connect module manufacturer shall make available any

nonstandard tools and test apparatus which are required for splicing,

placing of jumpers, and the performance of maintenance operations.

(iii) The module shall be designed so that a typical outside plant

technician using tools shall be able to terminate cross-connect wire on

terminals, or to remove them without causing electrical shorts between

any other terminals.

(iv) The pair count sequence terminated on a module shall be easily

visible and shall have numerals of at least 0.25 cm (0.10 in.) in

height.

(v) Feeder terminations shall be easily distinguished from

distribution terminations.

(vi) Tip and ring terminations shall be easily visible and shall be

identifiable as described in paragraph (f)(2)(vi) of this section.

(vii) The preferred locations for cross-connect modules to be

mounted inside a housing is the same as those for terminals and are

described in paragraphs (f)(2)(vii) and (f)(2)(viii) of this section.

(3) Auxiliary features. (i) Housings equipped with cross-connect

modules shall be equipped with auxiliary test contacts as described in

paragraphs (f)(3)(i) and (f)(3)(ii) of this section.

(ii) Special service markers shall be available for cross-connect

modules as described in paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of this section.

(iii) Housings equipped with, or designed for, cross-connect

modules shall contain a supply of cross-connect wire as described in

paragraph (f)(3)(iv) of this section.

(i) Performance criteria and test procedures for insulation

displacement type cross-connect modules--(1) General. Many of the tests

described in this section require that the cross-connect module be

installed in an appropriate housing in its typical field configuration

for testing. Resistance measurements should be made with an electrical

device which measures changes in resistance for each test parameter

measured. The tests specified provide an indication of the stability of

the electrical connections under the test conditions encountered.

(2) Environmental requirements. (i) A fully equipped arrangement of

cross-connect modules having approximately 25 special service markers

shall successfully complete environmental testing in accordance with

paragraphs (e)(3) introductory text through (e)(3)(xiii)(B) of this

section.

(ii) Insulation resistance/high humidity and salt fog exposure.

Insulation resistance measurements shall not be less than 1 x 10\6\

ohms when cross-connect modules are tested by a procedure similar to

that described in paragraphs (g)(2)(i) introductory text through

(g)(2)(i)(B) of this section.

(iii) Insulation resistance/simulated rain exposure. Insulation

resistance measurements shall not be less than 1 x 10\6\ ohms when

cross-connect modules are tested by a procedure similar to that

described in and paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) introductory text through

(g)(2)(ii)(B) of this section.

(iv) Contact resistance. The change in contact resistance should

not exceed 2 milliohms when cross-connect modules are tested by a

procedure similar to that described in paragraphs (g)(2)(iii)

introductory text through (g)(2)(iii)(B) of this section.

(v) Fire resistance. A housing fully equipped with cross-connect

modules and jumper wiring shall be tested for fire resistance by a

procedure similar to that described in paragraph (g)(2)(iv) of this

section.

(vi) Encapsulant material compatibility. Cross-connect wire

insulation and cross-connect hardware shall exhibit no visible material

degradation when tested by the procedure described in paragraph

(g)(2)(v) of this section.

(vii) Encapsulant flow test. The cross-connect contact encapsulant

shall drip no more than 0.5 gram when tested by the procedure described

in paragraph (g)(2)(vi) of this section.

(3) Mechanical requirements--(i) Vibration. A housing fully

equipped with cross-connect modules shall be vibration tested in

accordance with paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section.

(ii) Test connector reliability. The test connectors supplied with

housings intended for cross-connect modules shall successfully complete

100 successive connections as described in paragraphs (g)(3)(v)

introductory text through (g)(3)(v)(B) of this section.

(iii) Service cycle reliability. A combination of multiple

insertions of jumper wires, vibration, and temperature cycling shall be

performed on cross-connect modules. The multiple insertions on

approximately 100 connections shall be accomplished by 300 operations

consisting of insertion, removal and reinsertion of new jumper wire.

Contact resistance shall be measured and the final insertion of jumper

wire shall not be removed from the connectors but must be subjected to

vibration testing in accordance with paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this

section and temperature cycled as indicated in Figure 3 in paragraph

(e)(3)(ii) of this section for a duration of 72 hours. After vibration

and temperature cycling, the average change in contact resistance shall

be no greater than 2 milliohms.

(iv) Jumper wire pull-out resistance. Test modules that have

received no prior conditioning shall be equipped with 100 38 cm (15

in.) jumper connections of the gauges recommended for use with the

module using the insertion tool recommended by the cross-connect module

manufacturer. With the test samples suitably supported, wires from each

sample shall be pulled, one at a time, by a tensile machine at a cross-

head speed of 6 centimeters per minute (cm/min) (2.4 inches per minute

(in./min)). Wires shall be pulled both perpendicular and parallel to

the plane of the cross-connect field and shall withstand a load of at

least 1.1 kg (2.5 lb) before pulling out.

(v) Cable conductor pull-out resistance. Test modules that have

received no prior conditioning shall be equipped with 100 26, 24, and

22 AWG 38 cm (15 in.) cable conductors using the insertion tool

recommended by the cross-connect module manufacturer. With the test

samples suitably supported, conductors from each sample shall be

pulled, one at a time, by a tensile machine at a cross-head speed of 6

cm/min (2.4 in./min). Wires shall be pulled both perpendicular and

parallel to the plane of the face of the splice module and shall

withstand a load of at least 1.1 kg (2.5 lb) before pulling out.

(4) Electrical requirements--(i) Dielectric strength. A housing

fully equipped with cross-connect modules shall be tested for

dielectric strength in accordance with (g)(4) of this section.

(ii) The dielectric strength of a contact within the cross-connect

module to contacts on either side shall be tested. The module shall be

tested in a dry environment with an ac power source capable of

supplying 8 kv at a rate of increase of 500 volts per second, a circuit

breaker to open at breakdown, and a voltmeter to record the breakdown

potential. Cross-connect modules shall be prepared in accordance with

industry accepted splicing techniques with leads trimmed to

approximately 38 cm (15 in.). The dielectric strength of each contact

to the contacts on either side shall have an average dielectric

strength of approximately 5.0 kv.

(5) Operational requirements--(i) Durability. In order to verify

the durability requirements while minimizing the number of test

housings required to complete the test program, the contacts selected

for tests shall be separately identified and then checked to establish

compliance after the various tests have been conducted.

(ii) Twenty-five jumper connections shall be made on each of two

contacts chosen at random from a representative sample in an assembled

interface unit. After this test, these and surrounding contacts shall

be inspected for damage such as cracks or chips in metal or plastic

parts. Failure consists of structural damage, open circuits through the

connector, or inability to pass the jumper wire pullout tests described

in paragraph (i)(3)(iv) of this section.

(iii) Select six contacts at random in a representative interface.

On each of these contacts attach any test cord included with the unit

as specified under normal use of that cord and then remove the test

cord as follows. On sample 1, remove the cord normally ten times. On

sample 2, remove the clip ten times by jerking the test leads straight

out. In these and the remaining tests, do this without releasing any

manual attachment mechanisms. On sample 3, remove ten times by jerking

downward at 45 deg. from horizontal; sample 4, upward 45 deg. ten

times; sample 5, left 45 deg. ten times; sample 6, right 45 deg. ten

times. Check for opens and damage in the test cord, clips, and cross-

connect modules. Failure consists of structural damage, open circuits

through the connector, or inability of module to pass the test

connector reliability, jumper wire pullout, and dielectric strength

tests described in paragraphs (i)(3)(ii), (i)(3)(iv), and (i)(4)(ii) of

this section.

(j) Packaging and identification requirements--(1) Product

identification. (i) Each housing, terminal block, or cross-connect

module shall be permanently marked with the manufacturer's name or

trade mark.

(ii) The date of manufacture, model number, serial number and REA

assigned designations shall be placed on a decal inside housings. The

product identification nomenclature must correspond with the

nomenclature used in the manufacturer's quality assurance program.

(2) Packaging requirements. (i) Buried plant housings shall be

packaged securely in an environmentally safe container to prevent

either deterioration or physical damage to the unit during shipment,

handling and storage.

(ii) The product with all the necessary parts shall be shipped in

one container unless significant advantages to the user can be obtained

otherwise. Packaging of parts in the carton shall be such that the

parts become available in the order in which they are needed. The

package should be clearly marked as to which end to open. Packages

shall be clearly labeled, and correspond to the names given in the

instructions.

(iii) Products packed in shipping containers shall be cushioned,

blocked, braced, and anchored to prevent movement and damage.

(iv) All products shall be secured to pallets with non-metallic

strapping. The strapping and the manner employed shall be of sufficient

quantity, width, and thickness to preclude failure during transit and

handling.

(v) The use of shrink or stretch film to secure the load to the

pallet is permitted. However, such film must be applied over the

required strapping.

(vi) Containers that are too large or heavy to be palletized, such

as crates, shall be shipped in their own containers. When practical,

these containers shall be provided with skids to facilitate fork-lift

handling.

(vii) When packaged, the outer cartons shall meet the requirements

of the Uniform Freight Classification and the National Motor Freight

Classification.

(3) Container marking requirements. (i) The package shall be

readily identifiable as to the manufacturer, model number, date of

manufacture, and serial number.

(ii) The REA assigned housing designation shall be stamped or

marked on the outside of the package container with letter and number

sizes large enough for easy identification.

(iii) Each package shall be marked with its approximate gross

weight.

(iv) All containers carrying delicate or fragile items shall be

marked to clearly identify this condition.

(v) All marking shall be clear, legible, and as large as space

permits.

(The information and recordkeeping requirements of this section have

been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control

number 0572-0059.)

Dated: October 12, 1994.

Bob J. Nash,

Under Secretary, Small Community and Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 94-25758 Filed 10-20-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.