Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[craigski]

Openreach are in our village, I can see lots of markings on road in white paint, and was wondering what it all means.

Lots of poles with blue rope/draw string nicely tied around pole, ready to pull the fibre.

'ND' is painted on some poles, and on road, I assume this means 'No Duct' ?

Stars painted on pavements, and from the video that CarIT posted this is a blockage in the duct. There seems to be a crew with some duct clearing equipment, inducing water jets, clearing these.

I also see 'GS' next to some inspection chambers, on pavement, any ides what this means?

I'm sure every project is slightly different, but is there a 'rule of thumb' if there is no duct to a pole, do openreach only install a duct if the pole is serving 'X' number of subscribers? Or do they wait for orders before deciding whether to install duct etc?

TIA!

Craig

[j0hn]

I'm sure every project is slightly different, but is there a 'rule of thumb' if there is no duct to a pole, do openreach only install a duct if the pole is serving 'X' number of subscribers?

It's not down to how many properties the pole feeds.
Not all poles are meant to have ducts.

Some poles are fed by ducts, then overhead to the property.
On other poles the feed comes an adjacent pole, then that pole feeds properties.

In the street behind mine there are 4 poles in a row. All the poles feed properties near them.
Only the 1st pole gets a feed from underground. That pole then feeds the other 3 poles.

The issue is when the underground feed to the pole is direct buried in the ground or the duct is blocked/full.

Or do they wait for orders before deciding whether to install duct etc?

Any ducting needed for a pole should be installed before you are able to place an order.

[craigski]

Some of the poles are fed from existing underground cables that run under the road to inspection chambers, I can see the arrow markings that Openreach have made. I can see this coming up the pole, but I'm assuming the 'ND' written on the pole means the cable feeding the pole is not in a duct, ie 'No Duct', so these poles would first need a duct installed to get the fibre to them?

[Black Sheep]

Openreach are in our village, I can see lots of markings on road in white paint, and was wondering what it all means.

Lots of poles with blue rope/draw string nicely tied around pole, ready to pull the fibre.

'ND' is painted on some poles, and on road, I assume this means 'No Duct' ?

Stars painted on pavements, and from the video that CarIT posted this is a blockage in the duct. There seems to be a crew with some duct clearing equipment, inducing water jets, clearing these.

I also see 'GS' next to some inspection chambers, on pavement, any ides what this means?

I'm sure every project is slightly different, but is there a 'rule of thumb' if there is no duct to a pole, do openreach only install a duct if the pole is serving 'X' number of subscribers? Or do they wait for orders before deciding whether to install duct etc?

TIA!

Craig

ND is indeed 'No duct'.

The water jets they shove up ducts are classed as 'De-silt' activities, and the 'GS' markings are to indicate a gully-suck activity is required. Basically, the underground chamber will be full of mud etc, and access to the ducts impossible.

OR's remit it to follow the original copper footprint as near as is possible, but also part of the surveyors task is to look for out civils avoidance techniques when planning each PON. You've hit the nail squarely on the head when you mentioned each project is slightly different. There is NO one way only, of doing things.

[craigski]

Thank you Black Sheep. I have a couple more markings that I have seen today on my walk, 'MW' and 'DS', both near BT man holes/chambers. What would these markings mean?

[Black Sheep]

DS is de-silt, but I have to say - I'm stumped with 'MW' ??

Might come to me in the middle of the night 

[craigski]

DS is de-silt, but I have to say - I'm stumped with 'MW' ??

Might come to me in the middle of the night 

Maybe it will come to you 'M'id 'W'eek ? 

[gt94sss2]

I have started seeing DS and De-silt in our local area as well as stars on the roads, as well as notifications for new OR ducts on certain roads

One road has orange marks on walls next to the pavement which I presume will be for Toby's. There are also markings saying '56' outside several houses. Any idea what that means?

On a broader note, how are blocked ducts etc. identifed? I.e where to put the stars.

Also, how do OR tell which markings are for them and which are from other utilities/other FTTP firms using PIA?

There doesn't seem to be much consistency with the colours used for the road marking!

[craigski]

On a broader note, how are blocked ducts etc. identifed? I.e where to put the stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0C8eHYslIY&t=634s

[Black Sheep]

I have started seeing DS and De-silt in our local area as well as stars on the roads, as well as notifications for new OR ducts on certain roads

One road has orange marks on walls next to the pavement which I presume will be for Toby's. There are also markings saying '56' outside several houses. Any idea what that means?

On a broader note, how are blocked ducts etc. identifed? I.e where to put the stars.

Also, how do OR tell which markings are for them and which are from other utilities/other FTTP firms using PIA?

There doesn't seem to be much consistency with the colours used for the road marking!

'56' relates to Duct 56.

Regarding blockages - the TRR Gangs (Test Rod & Rope) will push their rods down the ducts from both directions, via the underground boxes (chambers). If there is just the one blockage, the rods will stop at the same point when rodded from either side of it, but often there will be multiple blockages.

For example, you could have a 50mtr duct length linking up two JF4 boxes. There may be a blockage just 1mtr away from the first JF4 and another blockage just 2mtrs away from the other JF4 ... this leaves a 47mtr section of what we class as 'unknown'.
This is where decision-making starts to be applied and alternative solutions found - can we do a re-route, do we try and go overhead if possible, do we do one dig and see if the duct is clear all the way then through to the other blockage, do we go for a full overlay (complete new duct). Every job is bespoke.

OR will tend to use grey spray, as opposed to other utilities who have their own choice of colours. Don't get me started on PIA, I'd be ranting for hours.

[gt94sss2]

Thanks both - most interesting.

One further question: someone has marked a square on one of the roads and written 5M in it. Do you know what that is supposed to represent?

OR will tend to use grey spray, as opposed to other utilities who have their own choice of colours. Don't get me started on PIA, I'd be ranting for hours.

Interesting, OR or their contractors seem to be using other colours here. Not just white/gray for markings. One main road seems to a blockage almost every time there is a dropped kerb!

As for PIA - feel free to rant! For the rest of us, it will be an education