Directional boring and warning ribbon

[kurrent]

I have two jurisdictions wanting a second bore 12" above a bore feeding the meter/disconnect and warning ribbon installed. I say according to
300.5(D)(3) (Service Conductors. Underground service conductors that are not encased in concrete and that are buried 450 mm (18 in.) or more below grade shall have their location identified by a warning ribbon that is placed in the trench at least 300 mm (12 in.) above the underground installation." it is not required.
The key part being "shall have their location identified by a warning ribbon that is placed in the trench". Except at the tie in at either end there is no trench, therefore, no ribbon is required above the bore. Any comments for or against would be appreciated.Thanks

[ March 06, 2004, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: kurrent ]

 

[charlie]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

I agree with you. However, I am curious about your terminology. Are these really service conductors or feeder conductors? The reason I ask is that we will supply and install the service conductors for services up to 1200 amperes (larger than that and inside switchgear is required). Since our cable is not listed, we will not take it inside a building.

 

[kurrent]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

These are service conductors. Our customer is a communications utility that owns them back to the transformer, utility ped, or pole.

 

[russ]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

The object of this code is to have a warning ribbon in place for future digging.
It,s only to keep someone from getting electrocuted.

 

[kurrent]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

Thanks but trenching is not an option in most cases. The bores may run under roadways and such.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

The following is from the 2001 ROP. The proposal was to add "Horizontally bored service laterals shall be exempt from this requirement" to this section. It was rejected with a panel statement that the ribbon requirement only applies to trenched installations.

(Log #285)
3- 43 - (300-5(d)): Reject
SUBMITTER: Larry T. Smith, Nat'l Electrical Seminars
RECOMMENDATION: Revise the second paragraph to read:
"Service laterals that are not encased in concrete and that are buried 18 in. (457 mm) or more below grade shall have their location identified by a warning ribbon that is placed in the trench at least 12 in. (305 mm) above the underground installation service lateral. Horizontally bored service laterals shall be exempt from this requirement. "
SUBSTANTIATION: How is the installer to provide a warning ribbon above a service lateral that is being horizontally bored under a roadway, or parking lot, or street intersection? The nature of horizontal boring is used in those areas where trenching is impractical. At present, the only way to comply with this paragraph is to bore a second hole above the service lateral for
the warning ribbon. The new wording will exempt horizontally bored services from the requirement of a warning ribbon. The words underground installation are vague; if the warning ribbon is to be placed at least twelve inches above the service lateral, it should just say so.
PANEL ACTION: Reject.
PANEL STATEMENT: Present language only addresses trenching and not boring, thus boring is already excluded from the ribbon requirement.
NUMBER OF PANEL MEMBERS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE: 11
VOTE ON PANEL ACTION:
AFFIRMATIVE: 11

Don

 

[pierre]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

Don
Were you a detective in your past life? Nice work!!

Pierre

 

[kurrent]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

Thank you very much Don. Excellent knowledge.
This may be a dumb question, but, where can I get the original transcript?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

Kurrent,
I don't know if you can still get hard copies from the NFPA, but the document is online at:
2001 ROP by Article

Pierre,
I just remembered that there was a proposal about this in one of the past 2 code cycles, so I pulled out the ROP and looked. It was easy to find in the paper ROP. Then I copied and pasted from the online version.
Don

 

[kurrent]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

Thanks again

 

[tom baker]

Re: Directional boring and warning ribbon

While the idea of a warning ribbon is a good one, in practical sense its not much use. When backfilling you have to have the backhoe operator fill the trench halfway and then drop the ribbon in. Most of the time when I turn my back the trench is backfilled already. And I have seen excavators take out the ribbon and couduit in one bite. But I always use the ribbon, even on feeders.