1. Telecom Cabling
Cable pathways

2. Telecom Cabling
Now it is time to learn how our cable goes from the faceplate in the wall to the telecommunication closet where it will terminate.
We install our wires based on a pattern called the “star topology”. In this way, if one wire fails the rest of the network still functions.

3. Telecom Cabling Cable pathways are covered by TIA/EIA 569.
TIA/EIA 569 establishes all of the rules that we are going to look at, what isn’t covered by 569 is covered by NEC.
The bottom line is all cabling systems must have their own independent support system and can not be attached to any other support system.

4. Telecom Cabling
Pathways will compose 70% of your thought process and take 50% of your labor. Most of your time will be spent figuring out how to get your wires from point “A” to point “B”.

5. Telecom Cabling
When technicians enter a facility, they will begin to look upwards and get ladders set-up to look above the drop ceiling. They are determining what kind of day they are about to have.

6. Telecom Cabling
Our cable may run up the wall to the ceiling thru a section of pipe called a stub-up.

7. Telecom Cabling
Stub-ups are usually pre-installed for us on new construction projects by the electricians.
They provide an easy pathway for are cables to come down from the ceiling to the wall outlet.

8. Telecom Cabling
In some instances, we have to provide our own means of supporting cable in walls.
This usually means we install a couple of cable tie-down buttons and support the cables with ty-wraps or velcro.

9. Telecom Cabling
Remember! According to the standards (568 to be specific) our cables should not be exposed to more than 25 ft. lbs. of force. So we try to support them every 4-5 ft.
The 4-5 foot rule applies to all cable support systems including trays.

10. Telecom Cabling
If we are running cables thru any type of metal such as a stud wall or metal box, we must cover the hole in the stud with a plastic grommet (per NEC).

11. Telecom Cabling

12. Telecom Cabling
If the metal studs are not pre-punched with holes, then we punch the holes ourselves with a special tool and always install grommets afterwards.

13. Telecom Cabling
To get thru the metal header plate (the top stud holding the wall together) we use a vari- bit which allows us to cut several different sized holes depending on our needs.

14. Telecom Cabling
After the cable leaves the top of the wall it will now head towards the hallway. We normally enter each room from the hallway thru a fire-stopped sleeve. When we make a hole in a wall, we must by code return the wall to its original fire-rated integrity.

15. Telecom Cabling NEC article 300.21:
Electrical installations in hollow spaces, vertical shafts, and ventilation or air handling ducts shall be made so that the possible spread of fire or products of combustion will not be substantially increased. Openings around electrical penetrations through fire resistant rated walls, partitions, floors, or ceilings shall be fire stopped using approved methods to maintain the fire resistance rating.

16. Telecom Cabling
After we get thru the wall, now we must support our cables as they head towards the telecom closet. We must do so independently of the building structure itself per NEC.

17. Telecom Cabling
We use a variety of devices to support our cable. Cable tray, ladder rack, J style hooks, straps, etc.

18. Telecom Cabling
Cable tray is sometimes installed in the hallways of a building for us to use as supports for our wires.

19. Telecom Cabling
Basket tray.

20. Telecom Cabling
Snake tray is a popular solution for cable pathways, it is easily bent by hand and installs quickly.

21. Telecom Cabling
When there is no tray we oftentimes install our own J-style hooks.

22. Telecom Cabling
The use of J hooks also requires beam clamps and in some instances to lower the hooks to a usable height we us threaded rod.

23. Telecom Cabling
If we don’t have I beams or metal purlins to attach beam clamps to then we may have to use a powder actuated gun to shoot anchors into the concrete ceiling.
These tools come with different caliber shoots, middle picture, 22, 38 etc.

24. Telecom Cabling
For those military vets milwaukee makes a special tool just for you.

25. Telecom Cabling
These are the fasteners that are used with the powder actuated guns, we would bend a J hook place it over the fastener and shoot it into the deck.
You do have to get certified by the vendor before using one of these tools on a construction site.

26. Telecom Cabling
On some projects the cable support system will be installed by the electricians, they usually provide an aluminum ladder rack system or conduit.
Per TIA/EIA 569 conduit systems for low voltage cabling must have a pull box every 100’ and no more than two 90 degree bends per 100’

27. Telecom Cabling
Some projects require conduit from the station location directly to the TC.
These types of projects present a different type of challenge, we have to get all of the cabling from point “A” to point “B” through conduit.
This involves the use of pull boxes or junction boxes and a combination of different conduit sizes.

28. Telecom Cabling
Here are some examples of junction boxes.

29. Telecom Cabling
Below is an example of a junction box that might be located at end of a hall way in the ceiling. We have 9 smaller conduits going to 9 different offices and one 4” conduit for all of the cables to feed back to the TC.

30. Telecom Cabling
If the 9 offices have two voice and two data locations at a face plate then that would be 36 cables that will have to be pulled through the 4”.
Many times it is easier to pull the cable from the TC down the hall, by-passing the 4” conduit and place them directly into the conduits feeding the offices.
We would continue to do this until all of the locations are installed and then back feed one big bundle of cable back to the TC.

31. Telecom Cabling
The reason we do this is once you have the equivalent of two pulls in a conduit it becomes very difficult to go back into it even if the 4” conduit is less than half full.
These types of jobs always require cable lube or aqua gel.

32. Telecom Cabling
At the location the stub up or conduit must be trade size ¾” and attached to a double gang work box with a single gang adapter ring.
A double gang work box with a single gang adapter ring, this is the typical set up on the majority of projects

33. Telecom Cabling
One of the most important things you can do when establishing a cable pathway is to check the blueprints to make sure you’re not using space in the ceiling that is already allocated to the other trades.
The trade that uses a lot of space in the ceiling is the HVAC systems, if you cross their duct paths they will cut your work out to make room for the HVAC ducts.