Projects

# Aerial Construction Projects

TLDR

Aerial construction projects place fiber on existing pole plant using strand and lash or overlash methods. Work includes messenger strand installation, cable lashing and aerial placement, with make-ready support where existing attachments must move before new attachment can proceed.

## What an aerial project involves

The pole line is surveyed to establish what is actually attached and what has to move. That survey drives make-ready, which is performed by the pole owner or existing attachers and is usually the item controlling the schedule.

Once poles are released, messenger strand is installed and tensioned, then cable is lashed to it. On routes with existing strand, overlash adds the new cable to what is already there without a new strand run.

## What does make-ready involve and who performs it?

Make-ready is the work needed to create room on a pole for a new attachment. It can mean moving existing communications cables up or down, correcting clearance problems, adding hardware or, in some cases, replacing a pole that cannot carry the added load.

The pole owner and the existing attachers perform most of it, because each party works on its own plant. The new attacher pays for it and documents what is needed, but cannot simply move someone else's cable. Clearances follow the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), which separates the electric supply space at the top of the pole from the communication space below it.

## Why the schedule behaves differently from underground work

Underground work is largely within the contractor's control once permits are issued. Aerial work depends on third parties: the pole owner and every existing attacher whose plant needs to move.

That means an aerial schedule has an external dependency that no amount of crew availability can compress. Planning around it honestly, and sequencing attachment to follow partial pole release, recovers more time than pretending it is not there.

## How are aerial to underground transitions handled?

Transitions happen at riser poles, where cable comes down the pole into conduit and continues underground. The riser is protected with a guard where it is exposed, the conduit is sealed, and slack is stored so the transition can be re-entered for repairs.

Transitions are where aerial and underground scopes meet, so they are the most common point of confusion between separate contractors. When one team builds both sides, the riser location, conduit entry and slack length are settled once and recorded once.

## Where aerial is the right choice

Where a pole route already exists, where surface restoration would be expensive or unacceptable, and where deployment speed matters more than long term storm exposure.

It is the wrong choice where the route crosses areas with high storm exposure and no redundancy, where aesthetics are governed by a municipality that has moved to undergrounding, or where make-ready would take longer than simply boring the route.

## Key takeaways

- Make-ready, performed by the pole owner and existing attachers, is usually the item that controls an aerial fiber schedule.
- Overlash adds cable to existing strand without a new attachment, while strand and lash installs a new messenger first.
- The NESC separates the electric supply space at the top of a pole from the communication space below it.
- Riser poles, where aerial cable transitions underground, are the most common coordination gap between separate contractors.

## Key terms

**Messenger strand**: Messenger strand is a steel support wire installed between poles that carries the weight of aerial cable. It is tensioned and bonded, and the fiber cable is lashed to it so the cable itself is not under span load.

**Lashing**: Lashing wraps fiber cable to a messenger strand using a thin lashing wire applied in a continuous spiral by a lasher that travels along the span. It holds the cable tight to the strand across every span on the run.

**Make-ready**: Make-ready is the work that prepares a pole for a new attachment: moving existing cables, fixing clearance problems, adding hardware or replacing the pole. It is performed by the pole owner and existing attachers and paid for by the new attacher.

**Communication space**: The communication space is the section of a utility pole, below the electric supply space and its safety zone, where telecom and fiber cables attach. Required separations between these spaces are set by the National Electrical Safety Code.

*Strand and lash compared with overlash*

| Factor | New strand and lash | Overlash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New attachment point | Yes, a new strand position on each pole | No, uses an existing strand |
| Approvals | Pole owner attachment approval | Pole owner and existing attacher approval |
| Typical use | New routes or where no suitable strand exists | Adding capacity along an existing aerial route |
| Make-ready exposure | Higher, a new position must be cleared | Lower, but load on the existing strand must be checked |
| Deployment speed | Slower, strand goes up before cable | Faster once approvals are in place |

*Aerial strand and lashed fiber*

## What this means for your project

On an aerial project, the schedule risk you cannot control is make-ready, so the most useful thing you can do is start it early and track it pole by pole. A contractor who delivers an accurate field survey and clear make-ready documentation shortens the time other parties need to act.

Cost risk sits in the poles that need more than a cable move. Pole replacements and heavy make-ready can change the case for aerial altogether, and in some segments boring the route will be faster. Identifying those segments early keeps a mixed aerial and underground plan from turning into a redesign.

For documentation, a pole by pole attachment record is worth insisting on. It supports attachment agreement audits, speeds up storm repair and tells the next crew exactly what is on each pole without a fresh survey.

## Related reading

- [Strand and lash installationMessenger strand, tensioning and lashing for new aerial routes.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/strand-and-lash)
- [Make-ready supportField survey and documentation that help pole owners release poles sooner.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services/make-ready-support)
- [How aerial cable construction worksThe full sequence of an aerial fiber build from survey to slack storage.](https://strillacommunications.com/resources/guides/how-aerial-cable-construction-works)
- [Aerial or underground fiberHow cost, speed and storm exposure compare between the two methods.](https://strillacommunications.com/resources/aerial-vs-underground-fiber)
- [Make-ready in aerial buildsWhy pole preparation decides how fast an aerial project moves.](https://strillacommunications.com/blog/how-make-ready-work-supports-aerial-fiber-builds)
- [Directional drilling projectsThe underground side of routes that move between poles and conduit.](https://strillacommunications.com/projects/directional-drilling-projects)

## Typical scope

- Pole line field survey recording actual existing conditions
- Make-ready documentation prepared for the pole owner
- Messenger strand installation and tensioning
- Cable lashing to new or existing strand
- Overlash where existing strand carries the new cable
- Aerial to underground transitions at riser locations
- Slack storage placement at splice and transition points

## What you receive

- Cable placed and lashed across the agreed pole run
- Pole by pole record of attachment positions
- Photographic documentation of attachments and transitions
- Slack storage locations recorded
- As-built route data reflecting the installed configuration
- Make-ready status record where applicable

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What controls the schedule on an aerial fiber project?**: Make-ready almost always controls it. Before new cable can attach, existing attachments may need to move and some poles may need replacement, and that work is done by the pole owner and existing attachers. Crew availability cannot shorten it. Sequencing construction to follow poles as they are released, rather than waiting for the whole route, is the most effective way to recover time.

**What is the difference between strand and lash and overlash?**: Strand and lash installs a new steel messenger strand between poles, then wraps the fiber cable to it with lashing wire. Overlash adds new cable to an existing strand and cable bundle, so no new strand or new attachment point is needed. Overlash is often faster, but it adds load to the existing attachment and usually needs the pole owner's and the existing attacher's approval.

**Who performs make-ready on the poles?**: The pole owner and the existing attachers perform make-ready on their own plant. A new attacher identifies what has to change, documents it and pays for it, but generally cannot move another company's cable. The contractor's role is an accurate field survey and clear make-ready documentation, plus timely construction once each pole is released for attachment.

**Is aerial fiber cheaper than underground?**: Often, where a usable pole line already exists and make-ready is light. Aerial avoids surface restoration and usually deploys faster. The comparison changes when make-ready is heavy, when poles need replacing, or when the route faces high storm exposure. The fair comparison covers installation, make-ready, restoration and the long term cost of storm damage repair.

**How do storms affect aerial fiber in Florida?**: Aerial plant is exposed to wind, falling trees and damaged poles, so storms are the main long term risk. Florida's hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Good construction practice, correct tension, clearance from vegetation and stored slack all make storm repair faster. Routes with no redundancy in high exposure areas are often better placed underground.

**What records do we receive for an aerial build?**: You receive a pole by pole record of attachment positions, photographs of attachments and transitions, slack storage locations, as-built route data reflecting what was installed and a make-ready status record where applicable. These records support your pole attachment agreements and make future repairs and audits faster, because each pole's configuration is documented rather than remembered.

## Related services

- [Aerial Cable ConstructionPole line construction, strand placement, lashing, and aerial fiber installation with make-ready coordination and NESC clearance verification.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction)
- [Strand and LashStrand and lash aerial cable construction in Central Florida: messenger strand framing, tensioning to sag, machine lashing, and clearance checks.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/strand-and-lash)
- [OverlashOverlash new fiber onto existing messenger strand in Central Florida. Strand condition inspection, loading review, and clearance verification.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/overlash)
- [Make-Ready SupportField survey, documentation and coordination support for pole make-ready, with honest reporting when make-ready is the item holding your schedule.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services/make-ready-support)
- [Aerial Fiber PlacementAerial fiber placement in Central Florida: lashed loose tube, figure-8, and ADSS cable placed with tension control and planned slack storage.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/aerial-fiber-placement)

---
Source: https://strillacommunications.com/projects/aerial-construction-projects