
This shows the access hatch to a controlled environmental vault. CEVs are concrete enclosures buried below the ground. There are two sizes of CEVs, the smaller one has outside dimensions of 16 feet in length, 6 feet in width and 9 feet in height. A larger version is 24 feet in length with the same height and width dimensions. A 16 foot CEV can be used to serve up to 3,456 lines. The maximum capacity of the 24 foot CEV is 5,760 lines. CEVs are preassembled and shipped to the construction site. Telecommunication equipment is installed at the factory prior to shipment. The top and bottom sections are built separately and they are joined at the site. A crane with a 100 ton lifting capacity is required to lower the preassembled sections into the excavation.