Policy for Utility Construction using Direct Burial & Trenchless Technology
Cable- Communication, CATV, Fiber Optic, Electric
Within an area bounded by North Avenue, Erdman Avenue/Pulaski Highway, City Line (East Boundary), Broening Highway, I-895 (Harbor Tunnel Thruway), Middle Branch (Locust Point peninsula), I-95, and Caton Street/Hilton Street (see attached map) and along designated major streets utility construction for cable requires all PVC ducts or conduit to be concrete encased.
Major streets include: Wilkens Avenue; Frederick Avenue; Edmondson Avenue; Liberty Heights Avenue; Reisterstown Road; Falls Road; Northern Parkway; Charles Street; York Road; Loch Raven Blvd; Harford Road; Belair Road; Belvedere Avenue; Hazelwood Avenue; Pulaski Highway and Eastern Avenue. (See attached map)
Outside the above area and major streets, cable construction methods will be considered on a case by case review with the following guidelines:
- Utility construction of cable under roadways requires all PVC ducts or conduit to be concrete encased or installed using trenchless technology (directional boring).
- Utility construction of cable outside of roadways requires all PVC ducts or conduit to be concrete encased, installed using trenchless technology (directional boring), or direct buried in earth.
Cables placed by means of trenchless technology (directional boring) will be installed in PVC or polyethylene duct. Warning tape will be pulled in with the duct with little or no vertical separation.
Cable placed by means of direct burial requires:
- Cable be backfilled and covered with several inches of select backfill or sand. Mechanical protection (PVC split duct or approved equivalent) is to be placed in the trench over the cables to reduce the risk of accidental dig-ins.
- Six inches of sand is placed over the split duct to indicate proximity for future excavators.
- Marking tape is to be placed in the backfilled trench on top of the sand (approximately 12 inches over the cables).
Pipelines-Gas
Within an area bounded by North Avenue, Erdman Avenue/Pulaski Highway, City Line (East Boundary), Broening Highway, I-895 (Harbor Tunnel Thruway), Middle Branch (Locust Point peninsula), I-95, and Caton Street/Hilton Street (see attached map).
Gas pipelines may be installed by direct burial provided that:
- Pipe will be backfilled with at least six inches of sand over the pipe to indicate proximity for future excavators.
- Wiring tape and tracer wire will be installed 12 inches above the plastic gas pipe.
- Where horizontal boring is used to install gas pipe, wiring tape and tracer wire shall be installed with the plastic pipe.
All conduit construction for concrete encased, directional drilled and direct buried construction methods must be performed in accordance with the City of Baltimore Specifications for Materials, Highways, Bridges, Utilities, and Incidental Structures, 2006 and addendums.
All cable and pipelines construction must be in accordance with COMAR Title 12 “Underground Facilities” Subtitle 1: Excavation or Demolition Near Underground Facilities. Also all boring operations must follow the current industry standards.