UniSA Campus Fibre Upgrade Project
Client: University of South Australia
Site Location: Mawson Lakes, City East, City West, Whyalla and Magill Campuses
Value at Completion: $600,000
Year Completed: 2006
Project Description:
The University of South Australia engaged Expert Data Cabling for an Optical Fibre Design & Construct Project in 2004. The project required the replacement of all LAN Fibre back-bone cabling within Magill, City East and Mawson Lakes campuses and also included the replacement of a majority of City West and Whyalla back-bone cabling. The existing optical fibre was proving to be redundant and had been outgrown by the LAN transmission applications & equipment upgrade that UniSA were planning to implement as part of a parallel project (10Gen). The responsibilities that EDC undertook for this project consisted of:
- Assisted UniSA IT Department with the final detailed design phase
- Assisted UniSA with finalizing the budget for the project
- Planned the new fibre cabling routes using existing pathways and defining new underground and internal pathways where required
- Procured and coordinated sub-contractors for Civil type excavation works
- Prepared and presented OH&S plans to allow EDC to work in the UniSA environment during normal hours while the buildings were still operational
- Prepared and presented Installation Methodology & Procedures to interested parties
- Procured materials in a timely manner using the latest optical fibre industry standards (G652.D Single-mode)
- Project manage EDC site staff and sub-contractors (up to 20 at various times)
- Chaired Installation Status Report Meetings with all interested parties
- Provided timely reports via e-mails to the main Project Management Team
- Quality Assured the installation by testing 100% of the fibre, providing As Built documentation, providing trained and experienced staff and by using Mandatory Industry Compliance forms signed by the responsible technicians
Expert Data Cabling Designed the Following Innovations That Will Assist UniSA in the Future:
- EDC designed a redundant loop that required one continuous optical fibre cable run in each campus that traveled the length and breadth of the campus picking up main distribution locations before returning to the main computer rooms. Mawson Lakes had a 2000m x 196 core unbroken loop and City East had a 1500m x 144 core unbroken loop around the campus. If any segment of the loop was damaged and cut the LAN transmission could be fed in the other direction by LAN Equipment Software and/or re-patching fibre cores
- Expert Data Cabling utilised carrier grade optical fibre cable and termination enclosures that would secure all cabling and assist with the addition of more cables to feed other new Communication Racks at a later date if required
- New service Gatic Pits were installed at optimum locations to link existing underground infrastructure to new. This was not only beneficial for the initial fibre installation but also provided upgraded underground service pathways for many future communication services projects