3815.1SCOPE
Provide cables and individual conductors for use in traffic control signal systems, L ighting Systems, traffic management systems, sign control systems, automatic traffic recorder systems, and other electrical systems.
3815.2REQUIREMENTS
A General Provide cables and conductors meeting the following requirements, unless otherwise specified in the Contract:
(1)Signal control cable listed by an NRTL as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor and
tested in a laboratory listed by OSHA in its scope of recognition for the tests specified in this section. The Department will not require NRTL listing of loop detector lead-in cable and EVP cable
(2)Stranded copper conductors
(3)Insulation rated for 600 V
(4)Meeting the requirements of ANSI, NEC, ASTM, and ICEA/NEMA Standards Publications
(5)Wire sizes for conductors based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG)
(6)Cables, except loop detector lead-in cables International Municipal Signal Association
(IMSA)50-2 and 3/C 20 AWG EVP Cable, with the following information ink printed on
the jacket:
(a)Manufacturer name
(b)Year of manufacture (date code)
(c)Type of wire or cable
(d)Size and number of conductors
(e)Voltage rating
(f)Conductor insulation rating
(g)NRTL certification mark indicating that the cable is listed
(h)Labeled as sunlight resistant (Sun Res), direct burial (Dir Bur) and oil resistant 1
(Oil Res 1) Provide signal control cable with the following additional markings:
(1)Traffic signal cable
(2)Foot markers
(3)−31°F cold bend
Provide loop detector lead-in cable IMSA 50-2 meeting IMSA marking requirements. Provide EVP detector cable (3/C 20 AWG) surface marked in accordance with NEC and with the following additional markings:
(1)Labeled as sunlight resistant (Sun Res)
(2)Labeled as direct burial (Dir Bur)
(3)Year of manufacture (date code)
(4)Conductor insulation rating
(5)Foot markers
Repeat cable markings at intervals no greater than 24 inches on the jacket surface.
B Individual Conductors B.1 Service, Feeder, and Branch Circuit Conductors Provide individual conductors as specified in the Contract and the following:
(1)Individual conductors with a color coded continuous outer finish insulation
meeting these color requirements:
(a)Black- line voltage ungrounded “hot” conductor
(b)Red- line voltage ungrounded “hot” conductor
(c)White- grounded “neutral” conductor
(d)Green- Equipment grounding conductor (EGC)
(2)Sized as specified in the Contract and the NEC. If conductor size is not specified
in the Contract:
(a)Provide 8 AWG or larger for feeders
(b)Provide 12 AWG or larger for branch circuits.
(3)Type THW, THWN, or XHHW insulation
B.2 PVC Loop Detector Conductors Provide Roadway loop detector conductors used in rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conduit meeting the following:
(1)14 AWG
(2)Stranded copper
(3)Insulated with Type XLPE, or Type XHHW insulation in accordance with UL 44 ,
“Thermoset-Insulated Wires and Cables”
(4)Marked with “XLPE,” “XLP,” or “XHHW” on the conductor
(5)Full compliance with the requirements of International Municipal Signal
Association (IMSA) Official Wire & Cable Specification Manual 51-3 latest version is required B.3 Saw Cut Loop Detector Conductors Provide conductors for Roadway embedded saw-cut loop detectors meeting the following:
(1)14 AWG
(2)Stranded copper
(3)Insulated with filled chemically XLPE, or XHHW insulation in accordance with
UL 44
(4)Contained in a black polyethylene tubing with a 1/4 inch outside diameter
± 10 mils and a minimum average wall thickness of 30 mils with no point less than 25 mils
(5)Marked with “XLPE,” “XLP,” or “XHHW” on the conductor
(6)Full compliance with the requirements of International Municipal Signal
Association (IMSA) Official Wire & Cable Specification Manual 51-7 latest version is required
(7)No binding of the inner insulated loop conductor and the outer encasing tube is
permitted B.4 Grounding Conductors
(1)Provide Equipment grounding conductors (EGCs) meeting the following:
(a)Type THW, Type THWN, or Type XHHW
(b)Green-colored insulated wire
(c)Wire gauge size as specified in the Contract
(d)Stranded (7 strands, Class B Stranding)
(e)Meeting the requirements of ASTM B8, Standard Specification for
Concentric-Lay-Stranded Copper Conductors, Hard, Medium-Hard, or Soft, for stranded wires
(2)Provide bare solid grounding electrode conductors and bonding jumpers as
specified in the Contract meeting the following:
(a)6 AWG, unless otherwise specified elsewhere in the Contract
(b)Meeting the requirements of ASTM B3, Standard Specification for Soft
or Annealed Copper Wire, Soft Annealed Copper
(3)Provide insulated stranded grounding electrode conductors and bonding
jumpers as specified in the Contract meeting the following:
(a)Type THW, Type THWN, or Type XHHW
(b)Green-colored insulated wire
(c)6 AWG, unless otherwise specified in the Contract
(d)Stranded (7 strands, Class B Stranding)
(e)Meeting the requirements of ASTM B8, Standard Specification for
Concentric-Lay-Stranded Copper Conductors, Hard, Medium-Hard, or Soft, 8 for stranded wires C Cables C.1 Direct Buried Lighting Cable 4 Conductor 4 American Wire Gauge (4/C 4 AWG) Provide shielded underground cable meeting the following:
(1)Listed by a NRTL as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor and tested in a
testing laboratory listed by OSHA in its scope of recognition for the tests specified in this section. Provide shielded cable tested by an NRTL and meeting the requirements of UL 44 and UL 1277, Standard for Electrical Power and Control Tray Cables with Optional Optical-Fiber Members
(2)Four conductors
(3)Each conductor is 4 AWG
(4)Class C (19 Strand) soft drawn, bare copper wire conductors meeting the
requirements of ASTM B3, Standard Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire, and ASTM B8, Standard Specification for Concentric-Lay-Stranded Copper Conductors, Hard, Medium-Hard, or Soft
(5)Suitable for use in cable trays, aerial, or direct buried installations
(6)Rated for 600 volts
(7)Heat resistant
(8)Moisture resistant
(9)Sunlight resistant
(10)Insulation acceptable for use in wet and dry locations at 194°F
(11)Insulated conductors with chemically XLPE insulation
(12)Individual conductors constructed with circuit identification in accordance with
Method 1 of ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC-57), “Standard for Control, Thermocouple, Extension and Instrumentation Cable,” Table E-1 (Black, White, Red, and Green)
(13)Single thickness copper tape shielding meeting the requirements of
ASTM B152, Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plat, and Rolled Bar , with a thickness of at least 1/100 inch and a spiral overlap of at least 1/4 inch wrapped around the binder tape and under the outer jacket
(14)PVC outer jacket with an average thickness at least 80 mils and a thickness at
any point at least 64 mils
(15)Constructed using a tape binder
(16)Containing non-hygroscopic fillers used in the interstices of the cable where
necessary to give the completed cable assembly a circular cross-section. Do not use fillers made of jute or paper
(17)Containing a rip cord between the copper tape shield and the outer jacket
(18)Containing an outer cable jacket having a substantially circular cross -section as
specified in ANSI/ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC 57) and not convoluted or having a ropey appearance
(19)Outer jacket surface ink printed with the following information:
(a)Manufacturer name
(b)Year of manufacture (date code)
(c)Type of cable
(d)Size and number of conductors
(e)Voltage rating
(f)Conductor insulation rating
(g)Labeled NRTL listed
(h)Labeled as sunlight resistant (Sun Res) and direct burial (Dir Bur)
(i)Foot markers
C.2 Temporary Overhead Lighting Cable Provide quadruplex cable for the overhead distribution of circuits as specified in the Contract meeting the following:
(1)Four conductors
(2)Each conductor is 4 AWG
(3)Three thermoplastic insulated conductors
(4)The fourth conductor that is an ACSR (aluminum conductor, steel reinforced)
Equipment ground messenger in accordance with the current edition of ANSI/NEMA/ICEA Specification for “Power Cables Rated 2000 Volts or Less for the Distribution of Electrical Energy” (ANSI/NEMA publication No. WC 70 ICEA publication No. S-95-658) C.3 Signal Control Cable __ Conductor 14 American Wire Gauge (3/C 14 AWG, 4/C 14 AWG, 6/C 14 AWG, 12/C 14 AWG) Provide signal control cable listed by an NRTL as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor and tested in a testing laboratory listed by OSHA in its scope of recognition for tests specified by this section. Provide cables tested by an NRTL and meeting the following:
(1)UL 44
(2)UL 1277
(3)UL 1685, “Standard for Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release Test
for Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables”
(4)ICEA T-29-520, “Conducting Vertical Cable Tray Flame Tests with Theoretical
Heat Input Rate of 210,000B.T.U/Hour”
(5)ICEA T-30-520, “Conducting Vertical Cable Tray Flame Tests with Theoretical
Heat Input of 70,000 B.T.U/Hour”
(6)ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC 57)
(7)Suitable for use at 194°F in wet or dry locations
(8)Suitable for direct burial
(9)Sunlight resistant
(10)Rated for 600 Volts
(11)Rated as a Tray Cable
(12)XHHW-2 cable designation
(13)14 AWG
(14)Class B (7 strand) soft drawn, bare or tinned copper meeting the requirements
of ASTM B3, Standard Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire, ASTM B8, Standard Specification for Concentric-Lay-Stranded Copper Conductors, Hard, Medium-Hard, or Soft, and ASTM B33, Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
(15)Constructed with circuit identification meeting the requirements of Method 1
of ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC-57), Table E-1, except as modified below:
(a)3 Conductor:
(i)Black
(ii)White
(iii)Green
(b)4 Conductor
(i)Black
(ii)White
(iii)Red
(iv)Black/red stripe
(c)6 Conductor:
(i)Black
(ii)White
(iii)Red
(iv)Black/red stripe
(v)Orange
(vi)Blue
(d)12 Conductor:
(i)Black
(ii)White
(iii)Red
(iv)Black/red stripe
(v)Orange
(vi)Blue
(vii)White/Black stripe
(viii)Red/Black stripe
(ix)White/Red stripe
(x)Orange/Black stripe
(xi)Blue/Black stripe
(xii)Black/White stripe
(16)Average insulation thickness of at least 30 mil
(17)Constructed using a tape binder
(18)Cable jacket having a substantially circular cross-section as specified in
ANSI/ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC 57), with an outer cable jacket not convoluted or having a ropy appearance
(19)Non-hygroscopic fillers used in the interstices of the cables where necessary to
give the completed cable assembly a circular cross-section
(20)Fillers not made of jute or paper
(21)Rip cord between the outer jacket and the tape binder
(22)May be bare copper or tinned wires
(23)Outer jacket of the 4 conductor cable having a diameter no greater than
0.480 inch. Outer jacket of the 6 conductor cable having a diameter no greater than 0.560 inch
(24)Carries an oil resistance level 1
(25)Meets a −31°F cold bend test
(26)Cables with a PVC jacket with a low migration grade of PVC
(27)Cable jacket passes the 7 Calendar Day [168 hours] oven age test at 249.8°F
meeting the requirements of UL 1581, “Reference Standard for Electrical Wires, Cables, and Flexible Cords”
(28)Cable carries multiple ratings. If the requirements of different ratings conflict,
ensure the cable meets the most stringent Specification Submit to the Department the NRTL test qualification report, provided by the manufacturer, stating that the submitted cable meets the requirements of this section. The Department will not allow substitutions after the acceptance of a cable, unless otherwis e approved by the Department in writing. C.4 Loop Detector Lead-in Cable 2 Conductor 14 American Wire Gauge (2/C 14 AWG) Provide 14 AWG conductor loop detector lead-in cable meeting the requirements of International Municipal Signal Association, Inc. Specification No.50 -2 “Polyethylene insulated, Polyethylene Jacketed, Loop Detector Lead-in Cable” latest version for use in traffic control signal systems and traffic management systems. C.5 Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption/Priority (EVP) Detector Cable 3 Conductor 14 American Wire Gauge (3/C 20 AWG) Provide EVP detector cable for conduit and mast arm pull, direct burial, and exposed overhead installation in traffic control signal systems meeting the following:
(1)Consisting of twisted three-conductor shielded cable with ground drain wire
(2)Suitable for use at 167°F in wet or dry locations
(3)Suitable for direct burial
(4)Sunlight resistant
(5)Rated for 600 Volts
(6)3/C 20 AWG (7x28) stranded, individually tinned copper, color coded yellow,
blue, orange conductors
(7)20 AWG (7x28) stranded, individually tinned copper ground drain wire
(8)Aluminized polyester shield with at least 0.170 inch overlap
(9)Black PVC jacket with a 0.04 inch Nominal wall thickness
(10)Cable outside diameter, Nominal 0.3 inch
(11)Drain and conductor DC resistance no greater than 11.0 ohms per 1,000 feet
(12)Capacitance from 1 conductor to other 2 conductors and shield no greater than
48 picofarads per foot
(13)Cable marked with the following:
(a)Manufacturer’s name
(b)Year of manufacture (date code)
(c)Cable type
(d)Conductor size and number
(e)Voltage rating
(f)Conductor Insulation rating
(g)Sunlight resistant (Sun Res) and direct burial (Dir Bur)
(h)Foot markers
C.6 Telephone Cables Provide voice grade telephone cable for indoor installation, outdoor installation in conduit, outdoor direct buried installation, and telephone drop wire. C.6.a Indoor Installation Provide telephone cable installed indoors in conduit or cable trays utilizing 22 AWG conductors and meeting ANSI/ICEAS-80-576, Standard for Category 1 & 2 Individually Unshielded Twisted Pair Indoor Cables (With or Without an Overall Shield) for Use in Communications Wiring Systems Technical Requirements . C.6.b Outdoor Conduit or Direct Buried Installation C.6.b(1) Telephone Cable Provide telephone cable for direct buried installation or installation in conduit meeting the following:
(1)Gopher resistant
(2)Grease-filled
(3)Using 19 AWG conductors
(4)Meets the requirements of RUS 7 CFR 1755.390, “RUS Specification for
Filled Telephone Cables” and “REA Specification for Filled Telephone Cables” (PE-39), except do not use plastic-coated aluminum-shielded cable with plastic-coated steel-armor (CACSP) C.6.b(2) Cable Shielding Provide one of the following for cable shielding:
(1)10 mil copper
(2)5 mil or 6 mil copper-clad stainless steel
(3)5 mil copper-clad alloy steel
(4)6 mil or 7 mil alloy 194
Provide cable jacket labeled as meeting the requirements of RUS 1755.390. C.6.c Telephone Drop Wire Provide telephone drop wire from the traffic control signal cabinet or other type cabinet to the point of connection with the servicing telephone company conductors meeting the following:
(1)Two-conductor parallel-type drop wire for use on telephone systems
(2)Meeting the requirements of RUS Bulletin 1753F-204(PE7), RUS
Specification for Aerial Service Wires
(3)Approved by the local telephone company
C.6.d Ethernet Cable (Outside Plant) Provide shielded Category 5e Ethernet cable for use in outdoor applications from the traffic control signal cabinet or other type cabinet to the point of connection with required Equipment in the system meeting the following.
(1)Four pairs of conductors
(a)Stranded tinned copper
(b)24 AWG 7/32
(c)Color coded pairs as follows:
(i)Pair 1: Blue, White/Blue
(ii)Pair 2: Orange, White/Orange
(iii)Pair 3: Green, White/Green
(iv)Pair 4: Brown, White/Brown
(2)H.D. Polyethylene conductor insulation
(a)Conductor with insulation thickness of a Nominal
0.046 inches
(3)Inner tinned copper braid shielding 38 AWG with a minimum
75 percent coverage
(4)Outer aluminum / Polyester tape (foil in) shielding
(5)Black Thermoplastic Elastomer outer jacket with a Nominal thickness
of 0.037 inches
(6)Cable assembly shall have an overall thickness of 0.301 ± 0.010 inches
(7)DC resistance maximum of 26.0 ohms /1000 feet
(8)Conductor to conductor capacitance of 13.5 picofarads/foot at 1
megahertz
(9)Impedance of 100 ohms ± 15 ohms at 1- 100 megahertz
(10)A minimum dielectric withstanding of 1500 Volts RMS
(11)A voltage rating of 600 Volts
(12)Temperature rating of -40˚F to 167˚F
(13)Pass a flex life test of 1 million cycles at 10 times the minimum radius
of the outside diameter of the cable
(14)NRTL certified in accordance with UL 1581, section 1080 (VW-1) and
be CMX certified or listed
(15)RoHS Compliant
(16)Label the outer jacket in accordance with 3815.2A, “Requirements,
General,” Note (6) RJ 45 terminal ends used when terminating this cable must be in compliance with the cable manufacturer’s requirements and recommendations. C.7 Fiber Optic Cables Provide fiber optic cable listed on the APL, Traffic Management Systems/ITS. C.8 Armored Fiber Optic Pigtail Provide armored fiber optic pigtail cables listed on the APL, Traffic Management Systems/ITS. C.9 Microwave and Sonic Detector Cable (4/C 18 AWG) Provide microwave and sonic detector cable and conductors meeting the following:
(1)Listed and tested by an NRTL as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor in a
testing laboratory listed by OSHA in its scope of recognition for tests specified by this section and meeting the following requirements:
(a)UL 44
(b)UL 1277
(c)UL 1685
(2)Suitable for use at 194°F in wet or dry locations
(3)Sunlight resistant (Sun Res)
(4)Rated for 600 Volts
(5)Rated as tray cable
(6)Labeled and rated as oil resistant (Oil Res 1)
(7)Labeled and rated for direct burial (Dir Bur)
(8)Cable designation of TC, PLTC, ITC, CL3
(9)18 AWG conductors
(10)Tinned conductors
(11)Class B (7X26 strand) soft drawn, tinned copper meeting the requirements of
ASTM B3, Standard Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire, ASTM B8, Standard Specification for Concentric-Lay-Stranded Copper Conductors, Hard, Medium-Hard, or Soft, and ASTM B33, Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
(12)XLPE conductor insulation
(13)Individual conductors constructed with circuit identification meeting the
requirements of Method 1 of ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC-57), Table E-1 (Black, White, Red and Green)
(14)Non-hygroscopic fillers if used
(15)Do not use fillers made of jute or paper
(16)Aluminum/mylar tape shield with an overlap of at least 0.250 inches
(17)18 AWG, 7 strand tinned copper drain wire
(18)Drain wire installed on the outside of the aluminum/mylar tape shield (drain
out)
(19)Water blocking barrier tape to allow the cable to be used in underground ducts
(20)Jacket constructed of polyvinylchloride meeting the requirements of UL 1277
(21)Black jacket
(22)Cable jacket having a substantially circular cross-section as specified in
ANSI/ICEAS-73-532 (NEMA WC 57), with the outer cable jacket not convoluted and not having a ropey appearance
(23)Cable markings on the jacket surface ink printed with the following
information:
(a)Manufacturer name
(b)Year of manufacture (date code)
(c)Type of wire or cable
(d)Size and number of conductors
(e)Voltage rating
(f)Conductor insulation rating
(g)NRTL certification mark indicating the cable is listed
(h)Labeled as sunlight resistant (Sun Res), oil resistant (Oil Res 1), direct
buried (Dir Bur)
(i)Foot markers
Repeat cable markings at intervals no greater than 24 inches on the jacket surface.
3815.3SAMPLING AND TESTING
The Department reserves the right to sample, test, inspect, and accept or reject all conductors and cables specified in this section. The Department may require Certified Test Reports covering the physical and electrical properties of the signal control cable in addition to the requirements listed in the S pecification.
Minnesota revises spec sections through supplementals and new editions. We check this one every week and email you the day it changes. Free, no account.
Source: Minnesota Standard Specifications for Construction, 2025 Edition. Pages 1011–0 of 1,081.
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