Metallics DT3FO 3 x 1000' Detectable ORANGE -

Orange is the APWA uniform color code for communication, alarm and signal lines, plus conduit and telecom duct. Metallics DT3FO is the orange detectable tape, so it is the one you lay over buried comm conduit, not over power (red) or water (blue).

The DT3FO is the detectable type. Detectable tape carries a metallic core so a locator can pick up the run from the surface after backfill, which is what you want on a non-metallic line such as PVC conduit or HDPE duct that a locator cannot otherwise find. Non-detectable tape is a visual warning only for the crew that digs it up later. If the buried line is already a metallic conduit that can be traced on its own, non-detectable is usually enough.

One run of tape per trench is the normal call, laid centered over the duct bank rather than one strip per conduit. At 1000 feet a roll, a single DT3FO covers 1000 feet of trench; order by total trench footage and add a roll for splices and overlap at joints, not by conduit count.

Standard practice is to lay the tape in the trench above the conduit, typically 12 to 18 inches below finished grade, centered over the line and well clear of the duct itself so a backhoe hits the tape first. The 3 inch width on the DT3FO is the common single-duct or small-bank width; wider tape is normally reserved for multi-duct banks.