Testing / Data

Trace-Safe® sends strong signals about excellence.

We conducted a directional bore and locate comparison test between Trace-Safe® water blocking tracer wire and 12 AWG copper tracer. The tests were conducted at Staking University in Manteno, IL, using a McGlaughlin Verifier G2 Digital Locator. Two directional bores were completed, each 320 feet long. Comparable lengths of Trace-Safe® and of 12 AWG copper trace wire were installed and pulled back through the bore hole. The Trace-Safe® had a19 AWG copper conductor.

Summary of results:

  • Trace-Safe® proved to be a superior locating means because, with all things being equal (soil, grounding, depth of conductor), it takes less of the transmitter’s energy to energize the “skin” of a smaller conductor than that of a larger conductor.
  • If the transmitter puts out the same amount of energy on a larger diameter conductor as a small diameter conductor (as was the case in our tests and as it does in the real world of locating), then relative to the receiver, the smaller conductor will possess a higher signal strength than the larger conductor.
  • The key is how hard the transmitter has to work to energize a target. It does not work as hard with the smaller gauge tracer wire, therefore there is more energy available to energize the 19 AWG tracer wire and transmit a signal over a longer distance versus the 12 AWG tracer wire.
  • Trace-Safe® provided superior results: 9.5 KH with Far End Ground, 38 / 80 KH with or without Far End Ground.
  • Far End Ground provides the best results.
  • 512 Hrz signal is weak, Far End Ground improves locate performance.

This tracer wire comparison chart illustrate the test results.

It’s important to also note that locating iron or steel pipes without a tracer wire is not the best or safest method related to accuracy, because

  • higher frequency is required due to joints and pipe size
  • higher frequency means signal can be induced on nearby utilities
  • lower frequency induced on small conductor will result in a longer and more accurate locate

Since the cost of Trace-Safe® is less than .005% compared to the cost related to pipeline installations, it makes sense to be safer with Trace-Safe®.

Trace-Safe® earns the “safe” part of its name.

Trace-Safe tracer wire vaporized We were asked by a number of gas companies what would happen if Trace-Safe® was hit by lightning. Since there is no gas pipe industry lightning test standard, we conducted tests that followed the standards for buried fiber optic cables. Lightning strike testing was conducted on site by Lightning Technologies, Inc., of Pittsfield, MA.

Applicable Test Documents:

  • REF 1: TIA / EIA 455-81-92, “Lightning Damage Susceptibility Test for Fiber Optic Cables with Metallic Components”, February 1993.
  • REF 2: ANSI / ICEA S-87-640, “Standard for Optical Fiber Outside Plant Communications Cable, 4th edition”, September 2006.
  • REF 3: ISO / IEC 17025:2005, “General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories”, 2005.
  • REF 4: ANSI / NCSL Z540-1-1994, “Calibration Laboratories and Measuring and Test Equipment-General Requirements”, 1994.

Summary of lightning strike test results:

  • At low- and high-intensity lighting strikes, a small section of Trace-Safe® vaporized at the point of the strike, leaving no path for electric current to travel down the line and potentially electrocute someone working on the pipeline.
  • A new section of Trace-Safe® can be spliced into the remaining section, completing the circuit and providing a path for future locates.
  • In almost every case, 10 and 12 AWG tracer wire remained intact. This is dangerous because an intact conductor will carry current from a lightning strike.
  • There were areas of the 10 and 12 AWG tracer wire where the insulation melted, leaving the conductor wire exposed. This creates an area for corrosion and a weak point in the tracer wire.

Request our full lightning strike test report.