ESBD_File_340082_Specifications.pdf

Williamson County Fiber Expansion

Introduction:

We are seeking proposals from experienced companies for the installation of outside fiber, consisting of both aerial and underground pathways, connecting our buildings throughout the county. The selected company will be responsible for the full scope project, including survey, permitting, and construction costs, as well as any necessary right-of-way, attaching to existing poles, setting poles, boring and pull boxes. This RFP Will consist of 3 sections as described below.

Project Objec ves:

The objective of the Countywide Fiber Project is to establish a robust, high-speed fiber optic network across the entire county, with the aim of supporting and enhancing government operations, county infrastructure, public safety agencies (such as the Sheriff's Office, Constables, EMS, and the radio network), as well as various other county groups operating throughout the County.

Key Goals:

Enhanced Government Operations: The project aims to provide a dependable and high-capacity fiber network that will facilitate efficient communication and data exchange between different government departments and offices within the county. This will enable streamlined operations, improved collaboration, and enhanced service delivery.

County Infrastructure Support: The fiber project seeks to bolster the county's infrastructure by establishing a comprehensive network that can support various critical services, digital evidence management, emergency response systems, and other essential infrastructure requirements. This will contribute to increased efficiency, better maintenance, and proactive monitoring of the county's infrastructure.

Public Safety Enhancement: The project prioritizes the needs of public safety agencies, such as the Sheriff's Office, Constables, EMS, and the radio network. The implementation of a dedicated fiber network will enable faster and more reliable communication, real-time data sharing, and seamless coordination among these agencies during emergencies, law enforcement operations, and public safety incidents.

Future-Proof Infrastructure: The project aims to establish a fiber network that is not only capable of meeting the current demands but also future-proofed to accommodate the anticipated growth in data usage and technological advancements. By deploying a scalable and adaptable network infrastructure, the county can minimize the need for costly upgrades and ensure long-term sustainability.

Scope of Work:

The scope of work will include the following.

• Fiber will consist of 144 strands to 19 locations within this scope. (List of locations will be provided upon request)

• Termination types will be LC and will be all fusion spliced.

• Installation of aerial and underground fiber pathways.

• Setting of poles or boring where required.

• Service loops no less than 20ft on splices, pole attachments and pull boxes where there will be junctions, as well as every two miles of length of aerial fiber.

• Pull-boxes no more than 500ft from the next pull-box location, and no more than 20ft from any pole pathway into the ground.

• Installation of fiber consumables, including fusion pigtails, enclosures, and any other necessary hardware.

• All fiber and fiber consumables will consist of Panduit products unless otherwise given written permission from the

County Infrastructure engineer to use an alternative.

• All work must comply with Williamson Counties Structured and OSP Cabling Standards

• Supply all necessary deliverables to the project at its closure. Such as integrity tests, as-built documents and any other documentation requested.

Project Schedule:

It is to the awarded company to produce a project schedule with the following milestones. The timeline should include:

• Initial survey and planning stage: (Insert Text)

• Permitting and approvals stage: (Insert Text)

• Construction stage: (Insert Text)

• Project Closure stage: (Insert Text)

• Project Handover stage: (Insert Text)

Submission Requirements:

The following information must be included in the proposal:

• Company profile, including relevant experience in outside fiber installation projects, number of employees, and company certifications.

• Proposed project schedule, including the timeline for each stage of the project.

• Detailed breakdown of costs, including labor, equipment, materials, and any other necessary expenses.

• Proposed approach to ensure compliance with Williamson Counties Structured Cabling Standards.

• Proposed approach to ensure safety during the installation process.

• Any additional information or recommendations relevant to the project.

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and certifications.

• Proposed project schedule and timeline.

• Cost-effectiveness of the proposal.

• Compliance with Williamson Counties Structured Cabling Standards.

• Proposed approach to ensure safety during the installation process.

• Any additional value-added services or recommendations

• Please Include no less than 5 professional references who you have done work for in this field.

EVALUATION CRITERIA WEIGHT

Cost 25

Technical Capabilities 15

Qualifications/Experience 15

Project Delivery 25

Financial Condition of Contractor 10

Innovation of solution 10

TOTAL 100pts

Evaluation Criteria providing Best Value to Williamson County

Cost: The cost including Installation, hardware, maintenance, and support regardless of funding source.

Technical Capabilities: The Evaluation Committee will review the proposal for its completeness, including how the respondent addresses the requirements, presents the approach for project initiation through project implementation and post-production support. The responder's proposal will be evaluated based on technical expertise, experience, and understanding of the requirements.

Qualifications/Experience: The vendor's available resources, including personnel, equipment, and support infrastructure.

Previous success with similar projects, including specific references and point of contact information. Local presence of current fiber infrastructure and knowledge of local fiber plants in Williamson County will be considered.

Project Delivery: The degree to which the response clearly and fully outlines the goals, objectives, requirements, and delivery of the project. The response should present a clear and full outline of how and when the goals, objectives, requirements, and delivery of the project will be accomplished.

Financial condition of contractor: The overall health and stability of their financial resources, assets, liabilities, and cash flow. It is a crucial factor in assessing the contractor's ability to meet financial obligations and successfully execute projects.

Innovation of Solution: The respondent's approach to providing creative, viable options that consider our local and regional opportunities and challenges will be a consideration.

Financial Requirements:

o The Proposer must furnish a reviewed and/or audited financial statement by an outside third party to

WILLIAMSON COUNTY as part of its Proposal. Notwithstanding the stated weighting factors, WILLIAMSON COUNTY reserves the right to reject Proposals from Contractors that are insolvent or at risk of becoming insolvent, that are in receivership or bankruptcy, or that cannot demonstrate sufficient financial strength to be able to provide reliable, timely performance of the project.

o If selected as the Contractor, the Contractor must provide an audited/reviewed financial statement to WILLIAMSON COUNTY annually at the beginning of each contract year and in advance of any Renewal Terms. Financial statements will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by the Texas Public Information Act, chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code.

Experience Requirements:

o The proposer must be a Panduit Gold-certified Partner as of the release date of the RFP, with Competency of Deploy (Install, Build) as indicated on the Panduit website (https://partners.panduit.com/s/partner-locator-search?language=en_US) o c. The proposer must provide a letter from Panduit certifying that proposer is in good standing and able to provide all material purchasing, installation and warranty necessary to certify the system and reference this RFP specifically, dated on or post the RFP release date.

o d. The proposer must be able to provide an extended warranty for a complete and functional OSP/WAN cabling system.

o e. The proper shall provide a full BOM with manufacturer part numbers of descriptions and quantities.

o f. The Proposer shall be a well-established business with a local office and staff located within the Greater

Williamson County area and shall have been in business continuously for a minimum of five (5) years. A physical office must be present within 50 miles of Williamson County’s main offices located in Georgetown, Texas.

o g. The Proposer shall have a minimum of five (5) years prior experience in the construction, installation, and maintenance of outside fiber plant, building entrance, and electrical make-ready work for projects of a comparable size and scope to the WILLIAMSON COUNTY Network.

o h. On the Proposal Form, the Contractor shall provide a minimum of five (5) references for work it has performed on projects comparable to the size and scope of the WILLIAMSON COUNTY Network and the project scope, for which the Contractor has been providing continuous satisfactory services for the last five

(5) years.

Staffing Requirements:

o The Contractor shall identify the following full-time personnel, along with their work experience, training history and applicable certifications that will be assigned to this project. The contractor shall provide WILLIAMSON COUNTY 30 calendar days written notice of staffing changes for personnel the contractor has assigned to WILLIAMSON COUNTY.

o Project Manager o Project Superintendent/Foreman o Field Engineer, if any o It is required that the Proposer have an in-house Registered Communications System Designer (RCDD) on staff.

o All installers shall be certified, trained, and experienced on the specific installation, termination and testing of the systems as specified. The Contractor shall provide a list of installers along with their work experience, training history and applicable certifications. Building Industry Consulting Services International (BICSI) Certified Technicians are preferred.

o The Contractor shall have a minimum of (4) four 3-person crews to support the WILLIAMSON COUNTY project as specified in these Specifications. A minimum of (3) three of the 3-person crews shall consist of full-time employees.

o The Contractor shall have the ability to produce network designs, as-built documentation, etc., utilizing AutoCAD, Google Earth or an equivalent approved by WILLIAMSON COUNTY.

o The Contractor shall have sufficient staff to provide administrative functions including but not limited to network design and documentation, warehouse, and inventory services.

o The Contractor shall supply WILLIAMSON COUNTY with annual criminal history background checks on all personnel working on WILLIAMSON COUNTY Network projects prior to an employee beginning any work on the WILLIAMSON COUNTY Network in any capacity.

o The Contractor shall ensure each employee working on a WILLIAMSON COUNTY project always wears a company photo identification badge. Additionally, a WILLIAMSON COUNTY- authorized badge or entity-specific badge may be required. If required, an appointment will be arranged to create badges.

Equipment Requirements:

o The Contractor shall provide all vehicles, tools, equipment, materials, test equipment and qualified personnel to maintain, service, upgrade, and expand the WILLIAMSON COUNTY fiber optic network in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications contained in the system's maintenance and service manuals.

o The Contractor shall own the following minimum types and quantities of equipment based at its local office and available for immediate deployment:

o Three (3) bucket trucks o Two (2) splicing trailer units.

o Two (2) hydraulic reel trailers.

o Two (2) cable locators and marking.

o One (1) tree trimming equipment.

o One (1) truck with onboard motor generator.

o Two (2) fusion splicers.

o Two (2) OTDRs with OLTS Equipment o The Contractor shall have the following minimum types and quantities of equipment based at its local office

(or at a sub-contractor’s local office) within the Greater Williamson County area.

o One (1) directional bore o One (1) trencher o The Contractor shall provide a list of any other applicable equipment not specifically listed here that the

Contractor has available for the types of work identified in these Specifications. Contractor shall identify the location and availability of this equipment.

WARRANTY: The successful respondent warrants the materials, workmanship, and work to be in conformance with the specifications included in this section for a minimum period of one (1) year from the date of acceptance of the work.

o Detailed warranty information shall be provided with response.

o The warranty binds the Successful respondent to correct any work that does not conform to such Specifications or any defects in workmanship or materials furnished which may be discovered within the warranty period.

o The successful respondent shall, at its own expense, correct such defect after receiving notice from the County by repairing same to the condition called for in the specifications.

o The warranty shall cover parts, labor, travel, and all other expenses.

o Warranty service shall be on a 24-hour/day, 365-day/year basis with an onsite response time not to exceed four (4) hours. The proposer shall certify that its proposed service facility shall initiate, within four (4) hours, repair to any critical system product that fails while under warranty.

Service Under Warranty:

o In the event it becomes necessary for the County to contract out for warranty repairs, due to an inability or failure of the successful respondent to perform such repairs, the successful respondent shall reimburse the County for all invoices for parts, labor, materials, travel, per-diem, consulting fees and all other related expenses such as shipping/handling costs to perform such repairs, within 30 days from presentation of an invoice from the County. This shall only occur after the successful respondent has been given reasonable time and fair opportunity to respond and correct the problem.

EMERGENCY RESTORATION SERVICES: Emergency repair of System or System components shall be available per the following terms:

o Twenty-four (24) hour a day, seven (7) day a week on call coverage.

o Minimum four (4) hour onsite response time to all callouts on Critical infrastructure.

o Immediate repairs to damaged system (permanent or temporary).

If temporary repairs are performed on an emergency basis to restore System, permanent repairs shall be performed within three (3) working days (Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays excluded) from the time the emergency repair request is submitted. Permanent repairs which require downtime to System electronic components will be scheduled with the County based on the affected System components.

o Two (2) bucket trucks, one (1) trencher, cable lashing machine, fusion splicing trailer, and OTDR test equipment must be available on stand-by to meet the requirements of the onsite response time.

o Storage of spare cable, poles, anchors, splice cases, manholes, conduit, etc. shall be at successful respondent-owned warehouse location for pick-up by restoration crews. Timely restoration services are contingent upon availability and access to warehouse facilities where materials are stored.

o Successful respondent will be required to maintain the color-coding scheme developed by the County for the fiber optic cable.

o All materials required for restoration activities (fiber optic cable, strand, pole hardware, lashing wire, consumable kits for splicing, etc.) will be provided by the successful respondent.

PRICE PROPOSAL: Price proposal shall be all inclusive of fiber installation per specification for each location. Hourly maintenance and emergency restoration pricing shall also be provided. No additional fees shall be permitted.

INSTALLATION SCHEDULE: Installation shall be coordinated with and approved by Williamson County Information Technology department. Any required traffic control during installation shall be the responsibility of successful respondent. Respondent shall provide proposed timeline and schedule for installation.

PROTECTION OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY: The Successful respondent shall always exercise reasonable precautions for the safety of employees and others on or near the work and shall comply with all applicable provisions of Federal, State, and Municipal safety laws, building and construction codes. The successful respondent shall be solely responsible for initiating, maintaining, and supervising all safety precautions and programs in connection with the work.

o All machinery and equipment and other physical hazards shall be guarded in accordance with the “Manual of Accident Prevention in Construction” of the Associated General Contractors of America except where incompatible with Federal, State or Municipal laws or regulations. The successful respondent shall provide such machinery guards, safe walkways, ladders, bridges, gangplanks, and other safety devices. The safety precautions actually taken, and their adequacy shall be the sole responsibility of the successful respondent, acting at its discretion as an independent successful respondent.

o Successful respondent shall maintain, at all times, free access to fire lanes and emergency and utility control facilities such as fire hydrants, fire alarm boxes, utility valves, manholes, junction boxes, etc.

o Successful respondent shall take all reasonable precautions for safety of, and shall provide all reasonable protection to prevent damage, injury, or loss to:

Personnel involved in the installation and other persons who may be affected thereby; The work and all materials and equipment to be incorporated therein, whether in storage or off site, under care, custody, or control of successful respondent; and other property at the site or adjacent thereto, including trees, shrubs, lawns, walks, pavements, fences, roadways, structures, and utilities not designated for removal, relocation, or replacement during construction and/or maintenance.

The Successful respondent agrees to indemnify, save, and hold harmless the County and the County’s Consultant(s) against any claim or claims for damages due to the injury to any adjacent or adjoining property arising or growing out of installation or performance of the System.

Successful respondent shall be solely responsible for location and protection of all public lines and utility customer service lines in the work area. The successful respondent shall make proper notifications and exercise due care to locate and to mark, uncover or otherwise protect all such lines within the limits of installation.

INSTALLATION SPECIFICATIONS: Fiber optic specifications shall include but not be limited to:

o Installation shall be in accordance with industry standard practices.

o Terminations are to be made utilizing standard SC-Type connectors. Verify with the County prior to construction.

o The maximum attenuation per connector shall be no greater than 0.4 dB. All splices shall be made utilizing mechanical or fusion, splicing techniques, and shall be mounted on standard splice cards and housed in proper splice closures. The maximum attenuation per splice shall be no greater than 0.2 dB.

o All work shall conform to the latest edition of the National Electric Code, the current Building Code and all local codes and ordinances as applicable. ANSI/TIA/EIA 568A and ANSI/TIA/EIA 569 shall be adhered to during all installation activities.

o Methodologies endorsed by the latest edition of the BISCI Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual shall also be used during installation activities. Should conflicts exist between referenced publications; the County and the County’s Consultant(s) will have the responsibility for making interpretation.

o Successful respondent is required to furnish written documentation of the number of pounds of pulling tension that was applied to each cable reel during installation of replacement spans. Documentation shall include date, location, reel number, type of pull, equipment used, and maximum pounds tension applied to the cable or strand.

SIGNAGE AND BARRICADES: All construction work on City, County or State Right-of-Way will require that proper signage and barricades be used to protect the work sites. All locations will utilize the authorized signage established by either the Texas Department of Transportation, City or County.

SITE MAINTENANCE: All finished equipment installations are to be left in a neat and orderly condition. Only tools designed for each special task shall be used during the installation and alignment of the network components.

Minimal disruption of landscaping will be required at all locations during the installation. Successful respondents are required to pay all costs associated with repairing any damage or returning all land to its original condition before construction began.

FIBER OPTIC CABLING SPECIFICATIONS: Attachment B is herein included to indicate those areas of existing and proposed fiber. Successful respondent shall provide and install fiber to the indicated demarcations. Pathways unless noted will need to be verified, Built or repaired, System shall provide the following:

o Meet or exceed the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) specifications and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) requirements.

o Fiber Optic Cable shall be Panduit® (or equivalent for warranty purposes) 144-Strand, Standard Single-Mode, Metallic Armored cable.

o All termination equipment including but not limited to connectors, splice trays, LIUs, etc. shall be verified with the County prior to procurement and placement.

o HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) 2” Pipe shall be used where boring underground is taken place.

o PVC conduit should be used except as noted. PVC conduit shall be 3” or greater with schedule 40 wall thickness.

o EMT (Electric Metallic Tube) of 3” or Greater will be used when adhering pathways to walls or into buildings.

o The successful respondent shall be responsible for the care, preservation, and protection of all materials, supplies, machinery, equipment, tools, apparatus, accessories, all means of construction and maintenance, and all parts of the work, whether the successful respondent has been paid, partially paid, or not paid for such work until the entire work is completed and accepted.

o Installation shall include all labor, materials, components, and accessories.

AERIAL FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATION: Specific requirements for aerial fiber optic cable shall include but are not limited to the following. Successful respondent shall:

o Verify all applicable OSHA, NESC, and state and local regulations must be observed during the installation.

o Assure the proper bonding or grounding of cable.

o Verify all equipment is in good working order.

o Conduct all required tree trimming. In an effort to limit tree trimming, successful respondent may place "duct-on messenger (DOM)" if the DOM and cable can be placed without trimming or damaging the trees Proper pulling tension must be observed during installation.

o Give careful coordination of cable lengths to avoid unnecessary splicing. No span length shall exceed the maximum recommended for a particular type of cable.

o Install slack points, consisting of 100 feet of fiber optic cable properly looped and bound in accordance with industry standards, shall be placed approximately every 1500 feet nearest a major intersection.

o Verify all aerial fiber optic cable installations over lash to existing messenger or aerial plant or to installed messenger. Any messenger installed for this network shall be of dielectric construction, and dielectric-lashing cable shall be used throughout. Where possible and available, existing messenger strands may be used on utility poles, with the written consent of the existing strand owner. If new messenger is required, it shall be placed on each pole at a minimum distance of 40 inches below existing power lines, and a minimum distance of 12 inches above or below existing communication lines. A minimum of 18 feet of clearance must be maintained above all roadways. The fiber optic messenger strand shall be installed at its recommended tension and shall not be sagged solely to maintain proper clearances.

o Monitor clearance levels. If movement of power lines or communications lines or attachments becomes necessary to obtain proper installation clearances, the successful respondent shall bring this to the attention of the County and the County’s’ Consultant(s). Additionally, if any pole or span encountered during installation will not allow maintenance of proper strand tension clearance, the pole may be changed out with the approval of the County or alternate routing of the fiber optic cable must be obtained. In lieu of changing out poles, cable extension brackets may be used to obtain proper clearances.

UNDERGROUND FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATION: Specific requirements for underground fiber optic cable shall include but are not limited to the following. Successful respondent shall:

o Verify that the sequence of installation provides that no cable trench be left open overnight. The Successful respondent must not trench more in one day than can be placed and backfilled in the same day. Trenching operations must be scheduled in order that no trenching equipment or successful respondent vehicles are left on site overnight.

o Verify that all underground cable is installed in conduit, filled with corrugated innerduct or MaxCell. A metallic cable is to be pulled through the conduit, not in the innerduct, and grounded at each end to allow future location of the cable and conduit.

o Assure the minimum depth of the conduit shall be 36 inches from the finished grade. A detectable orange fiber optic cable warning tape shall be placed approximately 18 inches above the conduit in the same trench. When a trench is in asphalt, successful respondent shall backfill the trench with 2500 PSI concrete up to 2 inches from the surface. All bores shall maintain the minimum depth of 36 inches from the finished grade.

o Terminate underground PVC conduit at a pole, extend the conduit 4" above ground level and locate conduit

90 degrees away from any power or other utility including pole ground wire.

o Verify all vacant conduits or innerducts shall be installed with one 1200 lb pull tape in place and be accessible at each end for pulling future cable.

o Pump out water and clean out all manholes in which work is conducted.

o Verify any manholes or pulling vaults required for long pulls of cable shall be situated so that the maximum pulling tension for the cable will not be exceeded on any run.

o Verify slack points, consisting of 100 feet of fiber optic cable properly looped and bound in accordance with industry standards, are be placed approximately every 1500 feet in the nearest manhole.

o Verify proper precautions are taken during the placement of the conduit and cable. If any obstruction or lack of proper path is encountered during the planning of the installation which will not allow continuation of the placement along the designated route, alternate routing of the fiber optic cable must be obtained.

o Verify all underground fiber optic cable systems are identified with the use of industry standard identifiers including but not limited to marker poles, “Warning: Buried Fiber Optic Cable” signage, “Call Before You Dig” signage, etc. adequately spaced. Verify with the County prior to installation.

o Assure that underground construction on State of Texas Right-of-Way must comply with the following additional specifications:

All driveways and/or street crossings will be bored.

All trees within the construction limits will need to be bored from drip line to drip line.

Any TxDOT signs removed due to fiber installation will be replaced immediately. They will be placed according to TxDOT standards with concrete footings and break-away posts.

CLEAN-UP: Successful respondent shall keep the site and surrounding area free from accumulation of waste materials or rubbish caused by operations under the installation.

o Upon completion of the work and before acceptance and final payment will be made, the successful respondent shall clean and remove from the site(s), all surplus and discarded materials, temporary structures, and debris of every kind as a result of the installation. The site(s) shall be left in a neat and orderly condition at least equal to that which originally existed. Surplus and waste materials removed from the site shall be disposed of in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

UNDERGROUND FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATION: Specific requirements for underground fiber optic cable shall include but are not limited to the following. Successful respondent shall:

o Verify that the sequence of installation provides that no cable trench be left open overnight. The Successful respondent must not trench more in one day than can be placed and backfilled in the same day. Trenching operations must be scheduled in order that no trenching equipment or successful respondent vehicles are left on site overnight.

o Verify that all underground cable is installed in conduit, filled with corrugated innerduct or MaxCell. A metallic cable is to be pulled through the conduit, not in the innerduct, and grounded at each end to allow future location of the cable and conduit.

o Assure the minimum depth of the conduit shall be 36 inches from the finished grade. A detectable orange fiber optic cable warning tape shall be placed approximately 18 inches above the conduit in the same trench. When a trench is in asphalt, successful respondent shall backfill the trench with 2500 PSI concrete up to 2 inches from the surface. All bores shall maintain the minimum depth of 36 inches from the finished grade.

o Terminate underground PVC conduit at a pole, extend the conduit 4" above ground level and locate conduit 90 degrees away from any power or other utility including pole ground wire.

o Verify all vacant conduits or innerducts shall be installed with one 1200 lb pull tape in place and be accessible at each end for pulling future cable.

o Pump out water and clean out all manholes in which work is conducted.

o Verify any manholes or pulling vaults required for long pulls of cable shall be situated so that the maximum pulling tension for the cable will not be exceeded on any run.

o Verify slack points, consisting of 100 feet of fiber optic cable properly looped and bound in accordance with industry standards, are be placed approximately every 1500 feet in the nearest manhole.

o Verify proper precautions are taken during the placement of the conduit and cable. If any obstruction or lack of proper path is encountered during the planning of the installation which will not allow continuation of the placement along the designated route, alternate routing of the fiber optic cable must be obtained.

o Verify all underground fiber optic cable systems are identified with the use of industry standard identifiers including but not limited to marker poles, “Warning: Buried Fiber Optic Cable” signage, “Call Before You Dig” signage, etc. adequately spaced. Verify with the County prior to installation.

o Assure that underground construction on State of Texas Right-of-Way must comply with the following additional specifications:

All driveways and/or street crossings will be bored.

All trees within the construction limits will need to be bored from drip line to drip line.

Any TxDOT signs removed due to fiber installation will be replaced immediately. They will be placed according to TxDOT standards with concrete footings and break-away posts.

Delivery o All material shall be delivered to its proper location and installed by the contractor without additional cost or expense to Owner, which shall not be deemed to have accepted the system until the Date of Acceptance.

o During the time between delivery and acceptance, Owner cannot be held liable for any damages to or theft of any components. It will, therefore, be the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain insurance against loss, theft, and damage.

Contractor’s Responsibilities o The Contractor is required to permit, install, document, and test all systems (procedures are outlined in following sections).

o The Contractor shall be responsible for the acquisition of the appropriate permits, licenses, and/or franchises required to occupy the public right of way of the various permitting authorities and their jurisdictions involved. It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to secure and fund these permits. The Contractor will be authorized by Williamson County to act as its agent for this purpose.

o The Contractor shall provide to Pole Owner a statement summarizing the standards used by the Contractor for its standard pole attachment installations. Such standards shall be signed and approved by a professional engineer representing the Contractor, confirming that the Contractor's standard installations conform to the NESC and good engineering design. With respect to non-standard Attachments, Contractor's professional engineer shall prepare or review plans for such non-standard Attachments and submit such plans to Pole Owner with a statement that such non-standard Attachments comply with the NESC and good engineering design.

o The Contractor shall be responsible to provide a detailed engineering drawing signed and sealed by a professional engineer registered in the State of Texas, that are required for the acquisition of the appropriate permits, licenses and/or franchises required by the Owner to occupy the public rights-of-way of the various organizations (city, county, state, railroads, TxDOT, etc.) involved. The Cabling Proposer will be authorized by the Owner to act as its agent for this purpose.

o Proposer shall survey the proposed cable route and coordinate the route with the representatives from each agency having jurisdiction over items such as the City of Georgetown, Williamson County, the State of Texas, highways, traffic lights, overpasses, etc. prior to construction. All potential problems with cable placement shall be brought to the Owner’s attention a minimum of ten (10) calendar days prior to construction.

When placing fiber cable on poles, the Proposer shall determine the ability of existing pole lines and guys to support the new cable plant, as well as any restrictions imposed by the pole owner. The Proposer shall ensure proper clearance from electric power lines and other cables that may sag near the fiber optic cable at the entire length of the proposed aerial route as well as determine the clearances between the proposed fiber optic cable plant and existing facilities on a case-by-case basis by referring to the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and appropriate local safety codes. The Proposer shall obtain the required right-of-way clearances and ensure that this right-of-way is free of obstacles such as guy wires, trees, etc.

The Contractor shall be responsible for establishing grades and elevations, checking all interference, and shall verify all dimensions and locations in the field.

When placing buried cable on public right-of-way, permits and state licenses will be generally required for the following:

o Boring, plowing, trenching, or excavating on public right-of-way.

o Closing or limiting traffic on a thoroughfare.

o Attaching conduit or cables to bridges, culverts, or public structures.

o Storing materials or machinery on public property or right-of-way.

o Crossing streets and railroads by direct burial or by pipe pushing/road bores.

o Crossing streams, navigable waters, drainage ditches, etc.

The Contractor must re-verify building entrance and telecommunication room locations prior to installation. Prior to the furnishing or installing of any equipment, approval of equipment, locations, layout, and installation shall be obtained from Owner and Consultant.

The Contractor shall specifically note that the drawings are intended to only indicate in diagram format the extent, general character, and locations of work included. The exact routing of duct shall be determined by the existing structural conditions and other obstructions.

The locations of equipment, conduits, etc., as shown on the drawings, are correct to the extent permitted by the scale of the drawings but are subject to such modifications as may be found necessary or desirable at the time of installation to meet any structural conditions. Such changes shall be made by the Contractor without extra charge, subject to the approval of the Owner.

The Contractor shall be responsible for fully coordinating all of the various parts of the work included under this document, and such other work of this contract as it may affect the installation, throughout the various phases of construction and before the ordering or fabrication of the various parts of the work, so as to ensure compliance with the drawings and specifications, and as necessary to provide the installations complete and in satisfactory operating condition.

Shipping delays are the sole responsibility of the Contractor due to flawed planning.

It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to verify the locations of all equipment such as manholes, handholes, pull boxes, and such other apparatus.

Products

Armored Fiber Optic Cable o Fiber optic cables shall meet the following standards: Telecordia GR-20-CORE, ICE 60794-3-11, RUS 7 CFR1755 (PE90 Listed) RoHS Compliant o For underground and aerial installation, the Contractor shall use Armored Fiber Optic Cable and shall incorporate a corrugated Steel Armor Tape to provide for resistance to rodent attack.

o Armored Fiber Optic Cable shall be filled with a dry water-blocking compound.

o The 144 single-mode armored fiber optic cable shall be manufactured by Panduit # FSWN91A

Pathways – Underground/Aerial o All underground boring segments shall be installed with (2) 2” HDPE SDR 11 conduits.

o All underground open trench segments shall be installed with (2) 2” Schedule 40 PVC conduit.

o The unoccupied conduit shall contain measured pull tape. The pull tape shall be a minimum of 1200lbs in tensile strength and shall be placed and accessible on each end for future use.

o The conduit shall be Arnco, Carlon Dura-Line or other approved products, which meet industry standards.

o Underground enclosures and lids shall be constructed of a fiberglass-reinforced polymer material with a minimum tier 15 rating.

o Underground enclosures shall be 17”W x 30”L x 24D”.

o Underground enclosure shall be equipped with cable racks and hooks.

o The underground enclosures shall be Hubbell, Oldcastle, or other functionally equivalent products which meet these specifications.

o Hand Holes shall be buried to grade level leaving lids exposed.

o Aerial pathways consist of ¼” EHS galvanized strand and appropriate galvanized pole attachment hardware meeting industry standards.

o ¼” EHS strand shall consist of 7 wires with a minimum breaking strength of 6,650lbs.

o All wood pole attachment hardware shall be galvanized and appropriately sized.

o All concrete, steel or poles made of other materials shall be banded with 1.25” Heavy-Duty stainless-steel banding with properly size mounting plates and bolt clamps.

o All guying and anchoring shall meet permitting requirements or meet minimum industry standards.

o Aerial Lashing Ties: Select Panduit Ty based on application.

o Insulating Mastic Tape: ST2226-375-10BK, ST2228-200-10BK, ST2228-100-10BK

Fiber Optic Splice Closure o A fiber optic splice closure and associated hardware shall be used to restore the mechanical and environmental integrity of an optical fiber cable following a splicing operation. In addition, a splice closure shall provide the necessary facilities for organizing and storing optical fiber and splices.

o The splice closures shall feature gel sealing technology for cable terminations.

o The splice closures shall be re-usable and enable easy cables removal.

o The fiber optic splice closures shall meet the following requirements:

o Single-ended design.

o Equipped for 144 splices.

o Base and dome shall be sealed with a clamp and O-ring system.

o Six round cable ports shall be available in a wrap-around block with pre-installed gel profile for cable sealing.

o Splice trays shall be hinged for access to any splice without disturbing other trays.

o Each splice trays shall have the capacity to house 72 single fusions splices.

o Enable uncut or expressed fibers to be stored in storage baskets.

o No stress shall be placed on finish splices within trays.

o Accommodate bonding/grounding: Select Panduit G&B product based on application o Fiber optic splice enclosure shall include aerial hanger brackets.

o Fiber Closure: OFCD6517BF or OFCD9519BF o Fiber Splice Tray, 24 Single Fusion splices: OFC24SST o The fiber optic splice enclosure shall be Panduit, or other approved products which meet these specifications.

Fiber Optic Patch Panel o The fiber optic patch panel shall be available in 1U and 4U configuration.

o The fiber patch panel shall be mountable in a 19” cabinet or rack.

o The fiber optic patch panel components shall include front and rear covers, radius limiters, vertical cable guide, and designation labels.

o Designation label areas shall be inside the front cover to record cable and patch cord identification.

o A cable clamp kit shall be provided for outside plant (OSP) fiber cable that enters the patch panel.

o Removable covers shall be mounted at the front of the patch panel. Radius limiters shall enable to maintain a minimum fiber bend radius of 1.5 inches and permit coiling excess lengths of cable fibers or pigtails. .

The patch panels shall be manufactured by Panduit. Part # FCE1U and FCE4U Fiber Adapter Panels o Fiber adapter panels shall be duplex LC style for 12/24 fibers.

o Split sleeve shall be made of zirconia ceramic suitable for SM applications.

o The open position in patch panel shall be filled with adapter panel blanks. Panduit Part # FAPB o The fiber adapter panels shall be manufactured by Panduit. Part #s FAP6WBUDLCZ and

FAP12WBUDLCZ

o Fiber Pigtails – 12 Fiber OS2: F9TBN1NNNSZM001 o Fiber Splice Module Holder: FOSMH1U/FOSMH4U o Fiber Optic Splice Module - 24 Fusion Splices: FOSMF

Fiber Patch Cord, OS2, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, & 5 meter: F92ERLNLNSNM0.5, F92ERLNLNSNM001, F92ERLNLNSNM002, F92ERLNLNSNM003, F92ERLNLNSNM005 Underground Enclosures o Underground enclosures shall be constructed of a fiberglass-reinforced polymer material and have the same strength rating as concrete handholes of the same proportions.

o Underground enclosures shall be available in two sizes: 24"W x 36"L x 36"D and 30"W x 48"L x 48"D.

o Closures: OFCD6517BF or OFCD9519BF o Fiber Splice Tray, 24 Single Fusion splices: OFC24SST

Storage System for Aerial Cable System o Fiber slack management shall be installed in 100’ increments for every 1,000’ of fiber optic cable installed.

o Aerial fiber slack management shall be installed in a 16” storage looper.

o Storage looper shall have a minimal of 8” bending radius.

o In underground enclosures, fiber slack management shall be installed in every other underground enclosure and fiber dressed around enclosure on provided cable racks and hooks.

Unspecified Equipment and Material o Any item of equipment or material not specifically addressed on the drawings or in this document and required to provide a complete and functional OSP/WAN cabling system installation shall be provided in a level of quality consistent with other specified items.

Execution

Inspection o Examine areas and conditions under which the new exterior telecommunication pathways are to be installed.

o Verify field measurement and pathway routing conditions.

o Beginning of exterior telecommunication pathway installation indicates Contractor acceptance of existing conditions.

Directional Boring Operations o All directional boring operations are subject to the following conditions:

o The machine operator shall follow all current OSHA regulations, including the use of grounding mats and other safety measures.

o The machine operator shall have control over the direction of the boring tool.

o The bore crew must have, in their possession, a copy of the permit authorizing the company to perform work and a copy of the approved drawing and specifications for the bore work location.

o When possible, the Contractor shall mark the proposed running line and bore head location.

Mark the proposed running line every 5’ to 10’, using a longitudinal line; mark the actual location with a white paint spot at the end of each stem push. Only white paint is approved for this use.

o The bore is not allowed to deviate more than six (6) inches from the proposed marked running line, and the ends of the bore must be at the designated depth.

o Slurry use shall be kept at a minimum and only used for head lubrication and/or spoils return.

The Contractor shall calculate anticipated slurry use and monitor slurry use during the bore operation to determine slurry loss into the surrounding soil.

o Slurry must be contained during the bore operation and must be removed prior to backfilling, with dry dirt.

o During pull back the mandrels shall be not more than two inches larger than the diameter of the duct or casing.

o Shallow bores or other unsuccessful bores shall be abandoned and filled.

o The bore operation shall be stopped if any damage occurs to a road surface and it shall remain inactive until corrective measures are taken. The Contractor is liable for any damage done to the right-of-way or structures.

o Auger heads are not allowed more than six inches ahead of the casing being inserted.

o Bore stems and cutting heads may have to be left in the ground if they cannot be retrieved through the bore hole. Open excavation to retrieve the parts is not allowed.

o When boring near creeks and streams, silt fences shall be properly installed to prevent disturbed soil from flowing into the waterways and remain in place after the bore has been completed.

Excavation and Trenching Requirements o Make trench sides as nearly vertical (max depth is 36") as practical except where sloping of sides is allowed.

o Remove all rock, boulders, hard material, unstable material, and yielding and unsatisfactory materials within the limits indicated for trench excavation and dispose of off the site. Notify the Owner's Representative immediately in writing if it becomes necessary to remove such materials beyond the trench limits. Where excavations are deeper or wider than the trench limits in order to remove unsuitable materials, they shall be refilled with approved borrowed material.

o Existing concrete or granite curb encountered in excavation shall be temporarily supported or replaced in kind. Bituminous lip curb shall be disposed and replaced in kind.

o Excavation operations adjacent to and below existing structures and utilities shall be done manually.

Start hand excavation on each side of the indicated obstruction and continue until the obstruction is uncovered or until clearance for the new grade is assured. Support uncovered lines or other existing work affected by the contract excavation until approval for backfill is granted by the Owner's Representative. Report damage to utility lines or subsurface construction immediately to the Consultant.

o Place "Road Closed" signs on temporary barricades at approaches to work or uncovered trenches.

o Keep excavated materials and construction equipment and materials a safe distance back from the edge of excavations to avoid overloading the sides of the trench and to prevent slides or cave-ins.

o Grade areas around trench as necessary to prevent surface water from flowing into excavations.

o Walkway and grassed areas left un-backfilled at the end of the workday shall be enclosed with snow fence until restored to grade. Roadway trenches shall not be re-opened to traffic unless either a road plate capable of sustaining HS-20 loading is in place or temporary gravel is placed to bring the trench area to finish grade.

Cutting Pavement o Where trench excavation occurs in paved areas, saw cut existing pavement to obtain sound, vertical edges one foot wider than the indicated trench width on each side of the trench. When the saw cut is within two feet of an existing joint or curb, remove pavement to the existing joint or curb or as required by the Owner or other jurisdictional authority as appropriate.

o Existing pavements and base course beyond the indicated lines for trench excavation which have been disturbed, damaged or undermined shall be restored or replaced by the Contractor to match existing pavements and base course or as requested by the Owner or other jurisdictional authority as appropriate.

Back filling o Construct backfill in two operations (initial and final) as indicated and specified in this section. Initial backfill shall be select backfill material placed in 6-inch maximum loose lifts to one foot above conduit or duct unless otherwise specified. Bring up evenly on each side and along the full length of the conduit or duct structure. Ensure that no damage is done to the conduit or duct structure, or its protective coating or as required by the Owner or other jurisdictional authority as appropriate.

o Place the remainder of the backfill (final backfill) in 9-inch maximum loose lifts to the bottom of the sub-grade, unless otherwise specified. Compact each loose lift before placing the next lift. Do not backfill where the material in the trench is muddy, except as authorized or as required by the Owner or other jurisdictional authority as appropriate.

o Provide a minimum cover from final grade of 2-1/2 feet for fiber…