Signals-R-Me
Cabinet foundation
This intersection is going to have an Ethernet radio connecting it to the signal, to the west.
I have received comments about conduit in the foundations. In general, we ring each intersection with either 2 3-in conduits to a large J-box on each corner, or 1 3-in and 1-4 in conduit. Then the total number of conduits is calculated from the J-box nearest the cabinet, then I add one more empty 3 or 4-in.
This is a lot of conduit. It is easy to make sure that the NEC fill is not exceeded. Most importantly, It is easy to pull more wire, if necessary for new equipment. This may seem like overkill, but in 2008, the draft MUTCD was published where they were going to require that nearside heads be provided at all signals where the posted speed was 40 MPH or greater, without regard to the physical size of the intersection. This became a recommendation in the final 2009 MUTCD, but with all things MUTCD, when you see a new requirement that is suggested, it is only a matter of time before it slips in as a requirement.
I have worked on too many signals where we could solve a safety or congestion problem... if we only could pull in a single 5-conductor from the cabinet to a pole. But because the existing conduit is choc full of wire already, there is no way to pull in any new wire, the potential improvement has to be put off, because instead of just pulling a wire and installing a head, the lack of empty space in the conduit requires that new conduit be directional bored, and we don't have the budget to hire a contractor to do that, at an additional $5,000 to $10,000
Cabinet foundation
This intersection is going to have an Ethernet radio connecting it to the signal, to the west.
I have received comments about conduit in the foundations. In general, we ring each intersection with either 2 3-in conduits to a large J-box on each corner, or 1 3-in and 1-4 in conduit. Then the total number of conduits is calculated from the J-box nearest the cabinet, then I add one more empty 3 or 4-in.
This is a lot of conduit. It is easy to make sure that the NEC fill is not exceeded. Most importantly, It is easy to pull more wire, if necessary for new equipment. This may seem like overkill, but in 2008, the draft MUTCD was published where they were going to require that nearside heads be provided at all signals where the posted speed was 40 MPH or greater, without regard to the physical size of the intersection. This became a recommendation in the final 2009 MUTCD, but with all things MUTCD, when you see a new requirement that is suggested, it is only a matter of time before it slips in as a requirement.
I have worked on too many signals where we could solve a safety or congestion problem... if we only could pull in a single 5-conductor from the cabinet to a pole. But because the existing conduit is choc full of wire already, there is no way to pull in any new wire, the potential improvement has to be put off, because instead of just pulling a wire and installing a head, the lack of empty space in the conduit requires that new conduit be directional bored, and we don't have the budget to hire a contractor to do that, at an additional $5,000 to $10,000