Underground distribution · Georgia
We buy URD cable for underground distribution in Georgia
Underground residential distribution cable, direct buried and concentric neutral, from 600 V secondary up through 35 kV primary. Reviewed on insulation, neutral and the footage left on the reel.
- 600 V to 35 kV
- Concentric neutral
- Direct burial
01Overview
A utility product with a utility review
URD is the cable that feeds underground residential subdivisions and the laterals that run from a padmount transformer to a meter. The secondary class is 600 V, two or three insulated conductors with a concentric neutral wrapped over them; the primary class runs at 15, 25 and 35 kV with a shielded insulation and the same concentric neutral construction.
Almost every reel of URD reaching a buying desk comes out of a utility, a utility contractor or a developer’s yard, and that shapes the review. The material has usually been bought against a subdivision plat and released when the plat changed. It is reviewed on insulation and neutral condition, on footage, and on whether the reel was released by the utility that owns it.
02Specification
What a URD reel carries
- Classes
- 600 V secondary; 15 kV, 25 kV and 35 kV primary
- Conductors
- Aluminum or copper, filled strand on the primary class
- Insulation
- XLPE or HMWPE; shielded insulation on primary URD
- Neutral
- Concentric copper or aluminum wires over the insulation
- Sizes
- 2 AWG through 1,000 kcmil, secondary and primary
- Jacket
- Optional overall jacket; some constructions are unjacketed
- Reels
- 1,000 to 5,000 ft on secondary; shorter lengths on primary
- Standards
- AEIC CS8 for primary; ICEA 600 V constructions for secondary
Primary URD has a semi-conducting screen and a metallic shield under the neutral, and that construction is what a buyer looks for before anything else. A 15 kV reel described as secondary will be reviewed very differently.
03URD we review
URD we review
600 V secondary URD
Two or three conductors with a concentric neutral, the cable that runs from a padmount to a meter base. Reviewed on neutral condition and on whether the reel has been sitting in sun, since secondary URD is not a sunlight-resistant product in every construction.
15 kV primary URD
Shielded insulation with a concentric neutral and usually an overall jacket. The most common primary class in Georgia subdivision work, and the one most often left on a reel when a phase of a project is deferred.
25 kV and 35 kV primary
Thicker insulation and a heavier shield for higher distribution voltages. Reviewed on insulation diameter and on jacket integrity, because a jacket breach on a primary cable admits water that damages the insulation from inside.
Cut lengths and riser tails
Short pieces left after a transformer set or a service change. Useful when they are measured and grouped by class; nearly worthless as an unlabelled bundle, because voltage class cannot be read from a cut end by eye.
04Evaluation
How a URD reel is reviewed
Class first. Secondary and primary URD look alike on a wooden reel and are not remotely the same material, so the reel tag, the jacket print or the insulation diameter has to settle it before anything else is discussed. A 35 kV reel with a damaged jacket is a different conversation from a 600 V reel with the same damage.
Then the neutral. Count the neutral wires, check for corrosion at the exposed ends and look for broken strands where the cable was clamped. Aluminum neutral wire corrodes faster than copper in Georgia clay, and a reel that was stored on the ground rather than on bearers usually shows it first at the bottom of the coil.
Then footage and release. URD reels are long, so footage dominates value and is usually documented on the tag. If the cable came from a utility yard, the release reference and the name of the utility that owned it belong in the first message, because a reel cannot move past review on a verbal claim that it is surplus.
Primary URD is shielded cable and its concentric neutral can be carrying current even when the phase is switched out at one end. A reel is never cut, spooled or moved until the circuit is opened, grounded and proved dead by the utility that owns it.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
07Questions
URD cable questions
Can secondary and primary URD be sold together?
They can travel in one load, but they are reviewed as separate lots. Voltage class governs what the cable can be used for and cannot be established from the cut end alone.
Do you buy URD that was dug up?
Yes, as recovered cable, once it has been released by the utility and is disconnected. Recovered URD is reviewed on jacket damage and on neutral corrosion rather than on the reel tag alone.
Why does storage position matter?
URD stored on the ground wicks moisture into the ends and corrodes the neutral where it touches soil. Reels on timber bearers, with the ends sealed, keep far more of their value.
What identifies the voltage class?
The reel tag and the jacket print, principally. Insulation wall thickness supports the answer but does not replace the print on a cable that has been in storage.
Send the reel tag and the class
Voltage class, conductor size, neutral metal and footage from the tag. Add the utility that released the reel and the site where it sits.