Long-Haul Fiber Optic Overpull
432-Count Armored Ribbon Cable | San Antonio to Houston, Texas
Kramer Service Group partnered with a national telecommunications carrier to execute a long-haul fiber optic overpull across approximately 215 route miles of existing conduit infrastructure between San Antonio and Houston, Texas. The project involved placement of 432-count armored ribbon fiber optic cable into an existing 1.25-inch ID legacy conduit system spanning four construction segments.
KSG delivered all outside plant construction services for the four-span build, including duct proofing, fiber cable jetting, handhole installation and excavation, test station placement, grounding and bonding, marker post installation, traffic control, and complete as-built documentation with GPS-referenced records.
All cable installation services were performed by KSG in-house crews in accordance with carrier standards, Corning manufacturer installation guidelines, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The project was structured across four sequential spans, each requiring completion verification before authorization to proceed.
- Long-Haul Fiber Optic Cable Jetting/Blowing in Existing Conduit
- Innerduct Proofing Prior to Cable Placement
- Pre-Testing of Fiber Reels Prior to Installation
- Excavation and Exposure of ~496 Existing Buried Handholes
- Installation of ~20 New 30x48x36 Handholes
- Grounding and Bonding at Splice Locations (#6 AWG THHN)
- Test Station Placement and Test Wire Installation
- Marker Post Installation at Handhole Locations
- Slack Coil Management (25–75 ft per location type)
- Duct Repair Using CONDUGRIP w/Seal Couplers
- Bridge Attachment Cable Placement
- Traffic Control and DOT Maintenance of Traffic (MOT)
- Railroad ROW Access (UPRR, BNSF, NSX eRailSafe Certified)
- GPS-Referenced As-Built Documentation
- Fiber Reel Tracking and Placement Documentation
Active Lit Network Protection
The entire 215-mile corridor contained existing traffic-carrying fiber cables. All crews operated under mandatory compliance with carrier conduit repair procedures, with restricted duct windowing tools and immediate escalation protocols for any suspected damage.
Sequential Span Execution
Four spans (San Antonio–Luling, Luling–Weimar, Weimar–East Bernard, East Bernard–Houston) each required full completion and joint verification with the carrier inspector before authorization to begin the next segment.
Controlled Cable Placement
All 432-count armored ribbon cable installed via jetting/blowing machines conforming to Corning guidelines. Maximum cable speed controlled at 150 ft/min with dedicated reel-front personnel at all times.
Multi-Jurisdictional ROW Coordination
Construction spanned Railroad (UPRR, BNSF, NSX), State DOT, County, and City rights-of-way across 215 miles of South-Central Texas, with crew safety certification through each railroad's training provider.
Documentation and Traceability
As-built records maintained on-site including fiber cable size, reel ID, conduit color, slack locations, splice locations, GPS coordinates, and duct repair forms — all signed by the carrier's field inspector.
Materials Accountability
Carrier-furnished materials valued at over $2.3 million received, inventoried, and secured by KSG, with full responsibility for inspection, offloading, and security from receipt through final installation.
Kramer Service Group delivered a 215-mile, 432-count armored ribbon fiber optic overpull across four sequential spans between San Antonio and Houston, installing cable into existing 1.25-inch legacy conduit while protecting active lit network infrastructure throughout the corridor. Span-by-span verification gates, GPS-referenced as-built documentation, controlled cable jetting operations, and grounding and bonding at each splice location ensured the build met carrier standards for backbone network expansion.