Infrastructure & Pathway Design: 3.1 General Considerations

California State University
3
3. Infrastructure & Pathway
Design
This section of the TIP Standards identifies specific design and

construction requirements that must be met as the minimum
acceptable level of building infrastructure support.
3.1 General Considerations
3.1.1 Introduction
This section provides detailed information regarding the design of the
telecommunications pathways and spaces in new construction and facility
remodel projects. The CSU expects that it will be used by architects and their
- Focus – sub-consultants during the detailed design phase of a project in the
Architects &
preparation of specifications and working drawings and by campus
subconsultants -
Campus IT & telecommunications and facility planning staff as a checklist for construction
Facility Planners design projects.
Section 3 outlines various sizing and selection criteria, provides sample

designs and "typical" configurations, documents various construction-related
specifications, and highlights recommendations for improving the methods
- Outputs – used to address telecommunications issues.
Plans &
Specifications
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
I N F R AS T R U C T U R E & P A T H W AY D E S I G N Page 3-1
3.1.2 Reference Sources

Refer to Section 2.2, Reference Standards.
3.1.3 Documentation Standards

As the need for greater detail in plans and specifications has become
apparent during more recent construction and implementation of new
facilities and systems, each design firm has developed its own criteria for
developing and documenting telecommunications infrastructure. However, as
a public agency committed to the public works approach in project
contracting, the CSU expects a high level of detail in its plans and
specifications. This subsection provides some direction to be used in
conjunction with the CSU CAD standards, Project Management documents,
and the designer’s professional services contract scope of work in preparing
formal design documents.
Construction documents for all CSU capital projects involving

telecommunications infrastructure are expected to provide at least the
following information:
1. Statement of Work for each building – A brief overview (2 to 3

paragraphs) of the scope of work for each building, the planned method
of transition to the new media, and any restrictions or limitations for
working within the building.
2. Statement of work for the inter-building pathways and media – A brief

synopsis of the scope of work, by pathway, with an indication of any
unique or particularly difficult building entrance sites. Unique restrictions
or limitations of particular routes or building entrance points should be
included.
3. Building floor plans – The floor plans should reflect the location of
telecommunication spaces, all riser or backbone pathways, and any
unique construction requirements. The end result is that the bidder must
be aware of the designer’s expectations for all pathways, and there should
be no question of how cables should be placed to any outlet location.
Required telecommunications outlets must be identified, by type and
location, prior to the start of construction.
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Effective May 2007
4.
Note: Drawings
are examples
only; actuals
should conform
to TIPS and
campus
requirements.
Figure 3 - 1
Typical Design Document Details
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Effective May 2007
Note:
Specification
pages shown are
Telecommunications Infrastructure
examples only;
Table of Contents actuals should
conform to TIPS
BIDDING REQUIREMENTS, CONTRACT FORMS, AND CONDITION OF THE CONTRACT and campus
Table of Contents requirements.
Bid Proposal Form - Sample
Contract General Conditions
Supplementary General Conditions - Changes to Contract General Conditions
Forms
Appendix A—Limited Specifications for Work Around Asbestos-Containing Materials and Lead-Based
Paints During PBX Installation at Various Buildings, EnviroScience, Inc.
Appendix B—Asbestos Locations
DIVISION 3 CONCRETE
Not Used.
SPECIFICATIONS
DIVISION 4
DIVISION 1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (NOTMASONRY
UPDATED)
Not Used.
Section 01010 Summary of Work
01019 Contract Considerations
01039 Coordination andDIVISION
Meetings5 METALS
01045 Cutting and Patching
Section 05520 Handrails and Railings
01090 Reference Standards
01300 Submittals
01310 DIVISION
Construction Schedules 6 Work Plan WOOD AND PLASTICS
and
01400 Quality Control DIVISION 12 FURNISHINGS
Not Used.
01500 Construction Facilities and Temporary Controls
01570 Traffic Regulation Not Used
01600 Material and Equipment
DIVISION 7 THERMAL AND MOISTURE PROTECTION
01700 Contract Closeout DIVISION 13 SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
Section 07210 Wall Insulation
01730 Operation and Maintenance Data
07270 Firestopping
01900 Seismic Considerations Not Used
DIVISION 14 CONVEYING SYSTEMS

DIVISION 2 SITEWORK DIVISION 8 DOORS AND WINDOWS
Section 08110 Steel Doors and Frames Not Used

Section 02070 Selective Demolition 08210 Wood Doors
02220 Excavating, Backfilling, &08310
Compacting for Pavement
Access Doors and Panels
02226 Trenching 08710 Finish Hardware DIVISION 15 MECHANICAL
02230 Base Course Section 15010 Basic Mechanical Requirements
02505 Bituminous Surfacing
DIVISION 9 FINISHES 15066 Copper Piping
02506 Seal for Bituminous Surfacing 15140 Supports and Anchors
02510 Asphalt ConcreteSection
Paving 09100 Metal Support Systems 15190 Mechanical Identification
15250 Piping Insulation
02520 Portland Cement Concrete09260
Paving Gypsum Board System
15290 Ductwork Insulation
09660 Vinyl Composition Tile and Topset Base
02528 Curbs, Gutters, & Driveways 15786 Computer Room Air Conditioning Units
09900 Painting
02912 Tree Protection and Transplanting 15890 Ductwork
02950 Trees, Plants, & Ground Covers 15856 Split System Air Conditioning Units
DIVISION 10 SPECIALTIES 15990 Testing, Adjusting and Balancing
15936 Inlets and Outlest
Section 10270 Access Floor
DIVISION 11 EQUIPMENT
DIVISION 16 ELECTRICAL
Not Used.
Section 16010 Electrical General Requirements
16030 Electrical Acceptance Testing
16050 Basic Materials and Methods
16060 Electrical Demolition
16170 Grounding and Bonding
16180 Equipment Wiring System
16195 Electrical Identification
16470 Panelboards
16510 Lighting
DIVISION 16 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Section 16710 Telecommunications General Requirements

16715 Telecommunications Acceptance Testing
16725 Telecommunications Cable
16730 Underground Structures – Telecommunications
16735 Telecommunications Demolition
16760 Telecommunications Grounding and Bonding
Figure 3 - 2
Typical Telecommunications Specifications
(According to 16-Section MasterFormat Version)
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
4. Building construction and system plans – Details regarding architectural,

electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work must be documented as with any
capital project. Such details should be separate from the
telecommunications design unless the work to be undertaken is very
minor and will not cause confusion to bidders. The CSU expects that
telecommunications designers will fully coordinate their efforts with
designers from other disciplines in pursuing any particular project and
that all designers will recognize the requirements of adopted campus
master plan documents.
5. Interbuilding media and pathway details – All interbuilding media must be

documented following BICSI, EIA, and RUS methods and standards. If
splices are required to relocate specific pairs, either that work should be
documented in sufficient detail to allow a splicer to start work or the
scope of work must outline the need for the Contractor to identify, test,
and document existing cables prior to undertaking any splicing. Details
or typical drawings should be provided defining how conduits are to enter
a vault, how cable is to be placed and racked, and how duct space is to be
utilized.
6. Construction Standards Institute (CSI) format specifications – Until the CSI

MasterFormat conversion from 16 to 50 divisions is fully integrated into
the telecommunications design environment, CSU specifications may be
prepared in either format, although designers are encouraged to consider
the newer version. Construction work such as building a wall or painting
a room should be specified under individual sections, not as part of a
telecommunications specification section.
3.1.4 New Construction vs. Retrofit

Planning and implementing an up-to-date telecommunications infrastructure
has become a relatively straightforward task in new construction. Retrofit
projects, however, are not as simple to address. It can sometimes be difficult
to identify and/or obtain the funds needed for telecommunications
infrastructure improvements in existing buildings because of unforeseen
conditions that can inhibit the placement of the required infrastructure.
This TIP Standards document provides a series of recommendations for

telecommunications infrastructure, pathways, spaces, and media. While the
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Effective May 2007
standards are more easily implemented in new construction, much can be

done within existing facilities to provide a similar level of support for
technology. It will usually be more costly per square foot to provide an
updated infrastructure in an existing facility than to install similar support in
new construction.
The major areas of design impacted in a retrofit situation are the pathways
and spaces within existing facilities. In addition to a detailed understanding
of the existing conditions, the designer must be aware of the limitations
imposed by older electrical and HVAC systems, outdated ceiling systems,
existing wiring methods, and hazardous materials. The CSU expects design
professionals to completely evaluate all such circumstances, including
detailed field investigation of all spaces where doubts exist.
The most frequent and challenging consideration in retrofit design, however,

is often the requirement to continue telecommunications service while a new
system is being installed. With only a few exceptions, university buildings are
occupied almost year-round. There is seldom a time when a building is truly
empty, unless a full-scale renovation is being conducted.
Questions for which the designer must provide answers in programming a

retrofit project include the following:
1. What is the real scope of work when taking into consideration the daily
operation of the facility? Are there limits on noise, dust, movement of
equipment or furniture, specialized systems?
2. How will the current systems be kept running if new media is to be

installed in existing pathways?
3. How will a transition be made from old media to new, assuming a re-use
of pathways and equipment? Which group (Contractor or University) will
be responsible for making the transition, testing and troubleshooting, and
documentation?
4. Will the work have to be undertaken at night? If so, how will it be

managed and tracked? How will the university address the security and
general disruption concerns of faculty, students, and staff?
5. If existing spaces are not adequate, where will space be found and how
will it be assigned and coded?
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Effective May 2007
6. Will the work undertaken within the facility necessitate review in terms of
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements?
7. Will the work undertaken within the facility necessitate review in terms of
current fire code compliance, hazardous materials management, etc.?
8. Will the required changes fit within the university’s mandated master plan
requirements and architectural guidelines? Who will make decisions on
aesthetics?
9. If additional electrical or air handling services are required to support the

telecommunication improvements, should such additions factor in the
impact of all forms of technology throughout the building?
3.2 Telecommunication Space Design
3.2.1 Electrical and Mechanical Requirements

Intrabuilding telecommunications spaces include the rooms and facilities
required to:
1. House the media and related equipment entering a building
2. House terminal resources and specialized equipment
3. Terminate user-level facilities
The minimum configuration for spaces within a standard CSU academic or

administrative facility should include a service entrance room, a separate
equipment room, and one or more telecommunications rooms.
In many existing buildings, telecommunications equipment is found forced

into spaces not suitable to house such sensitive electronic components. Such
poor environments cause equipment failures, limit the ability of users to
obtain the services they need, and can be a hazard to the people who must
maintain the equipment. All such spaces should be located away from sites
subject to flooding or other water intrustion.
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Effective May 2007
This subsection defines the minimum electrical and mechanical support

system requirements for all new and remodeled spaces within the CSU.
3.2.1.1 Electrical Services

The need for additional electrical service to support telecommunications
systems requires a substantial analysis of the capabilities of existing facilities,
structures, and feeder systems. In addition to the increased load for network
(telecommunications) related equipment, the dramatic increase in end-user
equipment imposes a significant requirement for greater capacity in both new
construction and remodel projects.
A particular concern is the electrical power requirements for ITRP 2 network

switches. All switches identified as redundant switches will require two
dedicated circuits; some must be capable of supporting significant ampere
loads. The campus may need to help the design consultant forecast the TR
locations where core or large switches are likely to be located. A good rule of
thumb would be to consider those high-density locations where more than
240 cables are served.
In consideration of ITRP 2 requirements, campus planners and design

consultants must also address power provisions for the following:
1. Network management servers, security devices, VoIP and Video

equipment;
2. Future requirements driven by network convergence (VoIP and Video)

necessitating that the electrical wire gauge selected must be reusable for
higher amperage circuits;
3. Additional UPS and associated requirements created by the E911 issue

related to VoIP deployment; and
4. Convenience outlets located close to equipment for support staff use with
power diagnostic equipment or laptops.
A relatively new technology beginning to be deployed in the CSU is Power over

Ethernet (PoE), various systems to transmit low-level electrical power, along
with data, over standard twisted-pair cable in an Ethernet network. This
technology is useful for powering IP telephones, wireless LAN access points,
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Effective May 2007
webcams, Ethernet hubs, computers and other devices where it would be

inconvenient or infeasible to supply power over traditional electrical wiring.
The current standard, IEEE 802.3af, supports 48 volts DC with a maximum
current of 400 milliamperes (maximum of 15.4 watts), but a new IEEE 802.3at
standard, to provide as much as 56 watts (PoE+), is under development.
Additional telecommunications space design concerns which must be
addressed when PoE deployment is anticipated include increases in both
electrical power demand and heat generation.
Configuration or design of electrical services not directly in support of

telecommunications spaces is outside the scope of this document. Excluded
services include the increases necessary to support specific applications and
user equipment in classrooms, labs, and common spaces. This document
addresses specifically the minimum requirements for services in
telecommunications spaces.
All circuits installed in support of a telecommunications space should be

dedicated to that space and not shared with auxiliary services. A prime goal
of the electrical service design is to reduce or eliminate power-related
problems to the sensitive network equipment, while providing adequate
power for current and future applications. Not all equipment will be powered
through battery backup and/or uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), nor will
it initially be possible to define the specific ratings of the equipment to be
installed.
At a minimum, the electrical service designs for telecommunication spaces

must be as follows:
1. Any telecommunications room expected to use over 7,500 watts and all
equipment rooms should be equipped with an electrical panel dedicated
strictly to telecommunications in that space. The dedicated panelboard
should contain a minimum of 42 circuits and include an isolated ground
bus.
2. Serving electrical panels should be equipped with power suppression

shunts to protect equipment from overloads.
3. Minimum sizing for telecommunication rooms is a 100-amp panel and for

equipment rooms, 225 amps. Smaller equipment rooms without a
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Effective May 2007
forecasted load may initially be served with 100 to 150 AMP service, but
the feeder cables and panel must be sized to eventually support 250
amps. All panelboards should support a minimum of 42 circuits, to
provide operational flexibility. The designer must be aware that much of
this equipment requires special twist-lock plugs specific to the equipment
being installed.
4. Equipment rooms used to house voice, data network, or video distribution

nodes must be equipped with at least one 30 AMP, 208-volt circuit. At a
minimum, this includes all PBX switching nodes and all data backbone
network node sites.
5. All equipment rooms should be connected to backup power generation

equipment using locally specified connectors or hard wiring. The
planning and design process for those rooms should provide space and
connectivity to add the requisite transfer switches with bypass switches,
power panels and transformers.
It is common to utilize batteries of various types to provide a temporary

source of power to communication equipment in the event of a commercial
power failure. Small battery units may power individual computers or
department servers and are designed to last long enough to provide a
controlled shutdown or continued service through a minor outage.
Similar planning should be applied to the backup power needs of network

equipment. While most campuses already have one or more forms of backup
for the telephone system, there is often no backup for network systems. As
voice over IP (VoIP) and other mixed application services are expanded, it
becomes more critical to adequately design and implement a power backup
contingency plan.
At a minimum, the telecommunications infrastructure design must include the

following:
1. All equipment rooms must be equipped with at least a thirty-minute

battery backup system (uninterruptible) capable of supporting three times
planned capacity.
2. All battery backup systems must be equipped and configured to signal the
linked computing equipment prior to power failure and to perform an
unattended controlled shutdown.
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Effective May 2007
3. In all telecommunications equipment or switching node locations (or in

any instance of voice over IP), all equipment and critical support systems
must be served by some form of backup power generation. Provisions for
maintaining that power supply at full system operation for a minimum of
three days must be identified and included in the operating procedures for
the equipment. This backup must be automatic and part of an overall
uninterupted power supply (UPS).
4. In any space equipped with long-term power generation, the air handling
system for that space must also be served by backup power. However,
consideration should be given to adding controls for turning off reheat
and humidification systems during a power outage to reduce the power
demand.
3.2.1.2 Telecommunications Grounding System
Proper grounding of telecommunications related infrastructure requires a very

specific design prepared in coordination with (but separate from) the overall
electrical grounding system within a building. The major sources for details
of required grounding system design are: J-STD-607A Commercial Building
Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommunications, the
BICSITDMM guide, the California Electric Code (CEC, latest edition) , and the 1
International Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Std 1100-1000

Recommended Practice for Powering and Grounding Electronic Equipment.
Neither this document nor any of the referenced material replaces or

supersedes any national or local code. Some of the normal grounding and
bonding issues to be addressed in any telecommunications design are:
1. All cables entering a building must be grounded as close as practical to

the point of entry of the cable into the building. In general terms, this
means within the fifty-foot limit for the extension of an outside plant
cable into a building.
1
The (current) 2004 California Electric Code is based on the 2002 National Electrical Code
(NEC) and incorporates the full NEC text; it shows where the NEC language has been
amended, changed or deleted. CEC is officially referenced as the California Code of
Regulations, Title 24. Part 3.
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Effective May 2007
2. All backbone (riser) cables must be grounded at all splice locations and at
any point at which pairs leave the sheath.
3. All cables must be bonded end-to-end and through any splice.
4. All hardware supporting telecommunications cable, such as ladder racks,

cable trays, and conduits, must be grounded.
Telecommunications
Electrical
Room Panelboard
Telecommunications Bonding
Equipment Conductor
to building
Steel
Telecommunications
Electrical
Room Panelboard
Telecommunications
Equipment
Telecommunications
Grounding
Busbar
Main GD
SD
Cable Electrical
Electrical 1 5
Protectors Panelboard
6 10
Service
11 15
16 20
21 25
26 30
Panel
31 35
36 40
41 45
46 50
190A150 PROTECTOR
GD
Bonding
Conductor
Telecommunications to building
Equipment
Steel
Service Entrance Telecommunications

Room Room
Figure 3 – 3
Schematic of Telecommunications Grounding System
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It is absolutely necessary to design and install the telecommunications

grounding system as defined in ANSI TIA/EIA-607 and to use only a single
point of ground for all services (power and telecommunications) within the
same building.
Much of the major network equipment used on campuses, especially PBX

systems, requires a clean, low impedance ground (defined as low electrical
noise and low resistance to earth ground) to function properly. The
combination of electrical power grounding, backbone cable grounds, and
general equipment and racking grounds can create a situation in which faults
occur and/or electrical interference can become a problem.
The telecommunications ground must provide a direct path to ground for all
telecommunications equipment and media. This does not necessarily require
installation of a new or separate electrode or grid system. An initial step is to
Figure 3-4 determine how well the current grounding electrode/grid system meets the
Typical defined needs.
Grounding Busbar
The CEC stipulates that a building electrical ground provide no

more than 25 ohms resistance as measured between the
grounding electrode system and actual earth reference ground.
This requires the use of a specialized grounding tester and the
temporary placement of reference ground rods.
The target resistance level for a telecommunications ground is

less than 5 ohms. This can be a difficult figure to reach,
especially in particularly dry locations. It is often necessary to
install supplementary electrodes (following NEC 250), chemical
enhancers (such as bentonite or chemical ground rods), or
grounding grids to obtain a suitable measurement. Any supplementary
grounding electrodes must be bonded (directly connected) to each other and
the central ground. Bonding provides a single ground reference into a
building.
The standard for telecommunications grounding contains some key elements:
1. Sometimes attaining the ground resistance value target of 5 ohms or less

is not possible. The ultimate goal is to achieve the lowest ground
resistance value possible that makes sense economically and physically.
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Effective May 2007
2. All grounding conductors must be securely installed in a direct manner

and protected from damage or accidental disconnection.
Telecommunication grounds are not to be served through an electrical
panel grounding bus, but must be directly cabled to the building service
entrance ground, and then bonded to the local electrical panel ground.
3. The connection of all grounding conductors must be made using materials

and methods as defined in the National Electric Code.
4. Specific, stand-alone copper busbars must be installed in all

telecommunications spaces and be bonded to the power service panel
ground and building steel in each location.
5. Other specific grounding requirements that may be more restrictive than

these Standards exist for antennas, some types of radio and video
transmission equipment, and highly sensitive computing and testing
equipment. Provisions for lightning and lightning surge protection should
be considered. Design professionals must be particularly cognizant of
such circumstances.
3.2.1.3 Mechanical Air Handling System Options

This subsection outlines the recommended methods for providing air-
handling services for telecommunications spaces. No single answer will be
appropriate in every situation. Each design will depend upon local conditions,
ongoing support, the type(s) of equipment in place in other campus buildings,
and physical limitations. While the recommended methods are not the only
options that can be used, they define approved approaches to satisfying this
critical design element. Any telecommunications space designed to support
electronic equipment, such as equipment rooms and telecommunications
rooms, requires a provision to remove heat 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. The use of standard building air systems may not be adequate when
the campus shuts down these systems during periods such as term breaks,
summer sessions, or even weekends. Individual buildings are then subjected
to air handling shutdowns that could allow the temperature within the
telecommunication rooms to exceed the limits of heat-sensitive equipment.
Research from the electronics industry indicates that, for every 18-degree (F)
rise above normal room temperature, the life expectancy of most electronics
devices is cut in half. At a minimum, overheating can reduce the life of the
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Effective May 2007
impacted equipment and cause partial or complete failures. In addition to the

cost of replacing failed equipment, other hidden costs result from network
downtime and lost employee work time. Therefore, the installation of
professionally-designed cooling systems in telecommunications spaces is
essential for long-term support of this sensitive equipment.
These suggestions are provided as a guide to the design team. The final
design must take into consideration plans for the long-term use of the space,
the need to maintain a consistent environment, the size and configuration of
the facility, and the availability of on-going campus support. It is also
important for the designer to be aware of the following issues:
1. The potential need for smoke and fire dampers when moving air between
spaces.
2. Any special electrical service needs to support the additional mechanical

equipment.
3. The location of the nearest drain termination point and the routing of the
condensate drainage line.
4. The possibility of condensate drain overflow and water piping leaks if

placed directly above electronic equipment.
5. The impact of the sound from fans and blowers on faculty, staff and
students in nearby areas of the building.
6. The source and destination of air flow at all times of the day. Rooms or
corridors may be closed off at times, eliminating the source of new air and
creating a vacuum effect.
7. The physical security of the equipment, the air pathway, and its electrical
service.
Available options for telecommunications space air conditioning include:
Option 1: Passive Airflow

A passive air flow strategy would involve pulling cooler ambient air from a
space adjacent to the telecommunications facility and expelling it into an
open return air plenum. This approach works only in areas of the state where
the temperature within a closed building does not rise above 80 degrees on
an average “hot” day on occasions when the building air handling systems are
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Effective May 2007
not functioning. CSU campuses in warmer areas of the state, such as those in
the Central Valley, may not be able to employ this option.
Passive air flow can often be used effectively in a small room (under 100
square feet) with equipment generating less than 1,500 BTUH. Under such
circumstances, air movement is provided by a fan controlled with a
thermostat, the unit creating sufficient airflow to maintain the room below the
maximum allowed for the equipment housed therein.
Option 2: Ductless Split Systems

A ductless split expansion system can be an effective solution for smaller
facilities. Such a system is limited by the tolerable distance between the
condenser and the room air handler. In most cases, the applicability of a
ductless split system extends only to two- to three-story buildings.
Option 3: Stand-alone In-Room Air Conditioning Units

A stand-alone rooftop packaged AC unit or a split system package can be
configured so that the prime cooling for the space comes from the general
building source, and the in-room system is controlled by a thermostat to
function only when necessary. As an alternative, such units can be configured
to act as the primary cooling source for the space.
Option 4: In-Rack Air Conditioning Equipment

In some cases, locations with limited equipment may be served with compact
air conditioners designed to fit directly in or on racks of electronics. These
units can be especially useful in areas of limited space or those with security
issues that might prohibit the installation of other air handling equipment.
Units are available that meet the NEMA 12 enclosure guidelines for supporting
electronics generating up to 6,000 BTU, and which are equipped with
condensate management systems to eliminate moisture from the cooled air.
Option 5: Dedicated Water-Source Heat Pump

For multi-story buildings, a water-source heat pump can be utilized to
provide cooling for one or many separate telecommunications spaces within a
single building. Such a system is available in a wide variety of sizes and
capacities. The central components consist of a cooling unit (generally
located on a roof) that is connected to air handlers in each
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telecommunications space with water pipes. The piping carries the heat away
from the recirculated air within the rooms to the cooling unit outside the
building.
OPTION 6: VAV Zone from Central Air Handling Unit
If the surrounding areas are occupied 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is

often practical to serve telecommunications spaces from a central variable air
volume (VAV) air handling system, employing a VAV terminal unit. Should the
VAV system controls be sophisticated enough to shut off unoccupied spaces
and the air handling and cooling systems be capable of operating stably and
efficiently at low loads, it is also feasible to serve telecommunications spaces
off normal classroom or office VAV systems. Under such circumstances, this
option may prove less expensive, more efficient and of lower maintenance
cost than the other options listed.
3.2.2 Service Entrance Rooms

The building service entrance provides a location in which to terminate cables
entering the building by grounding the sheaths as required by code, by
providing electrical protection, and/or converting from outdoor to indoor
cables. Such rooms require sufficient space and structural additions to
support the installation of a variety of cables, as well as space for splice cases
and electrical protectors.
3.2.2.1 Location
The entrance room must be located as close as possible to the point at which
feeder conduits enter the building and to the vertical backbone
(communications riser) pathway. The area must be dry, not subject to
flooding, and free of overhead water, steam, or drain pipes. Access to the
room should be provided directly from a central hallway, not through another
room. For buildings over 10,000 gross square feet (GSF), the building service
entrance room must be a dedicated, enclosed room. For buildings less than
10,000 GSF, a mixed-use room that meets all other requirements may be
utilized as long as no cables entering, terminated in, or leaving the room
come within ten feet of an electrical transformer or major switchboard.
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Effective May 2007
3.2.2.2 Size
In buildings smaller than 5,000 GSF, the telecommunications entrance space
should be a minimum of four (4) feet by five (5) feet. In buildings from 5,000
to 10,000 GSF, the entrance space must be a minimum of five (5) feet by eight
(8) feet. All spaces must be clear of other equipment, access points, or
maintenance areas. In buildings larger than 10,000 GSF, the following table
should be used.
Building Gross Floor Entrance Room

Space Floor Size
10,000 – 30.000 8’ x 8’
30,000 – 50,000 10’ x 8”
50,000 – 75,000 12’ x 8’
75,000 – 125,000 12’ x 12’
Figure 3-5
Entrance Room Space Requirements
3.2.2.3 Layout & Configuration
The service entrance room is not designed to support the placement of

electronic equipment. Electronic equipment must only be placed in properly
equipped spaces, such as equipment or telecommunication rooms, not in
service entrance rooms. At a minimum, the service entrance room or space
must contain the following support items:
1. The walls must be covered with void-free 3/4 inch A-C plywood, sanded
smooth and painted with fire-retardant paint (not fire-retardant plywood
unless required by local fire codes), mounted vertically starting 2" above
the finished floor, and secured to the walls. All plywood panels must be
mounted in contact with one another, leaving no gaps between sheets. All
fasteners must be flush with the surface of the plywood.
2. Sufficient overhead lights must be installed to provide a minimum of 540

lux (50 foot candles) of illumination measured 3 feet above the finished
floor. These lights must be separately switched (within the room) and
must be mounted a minimum of 8.5 feet above the finished floor unless
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Effective May 2007
cable racks or trays are used. If that scenario occurs, lighting should be
placed underneath the trays or at rack height.
3. The door to the room must be a minimum of 36" wide by 80" high and
must be equipped with a separate lock. This room should also be pre-
wired for card key control and intrusion alarm.
4. A telecommunications electrical ground (as defined by EIA/TIA standards)

must be provided on an eight (8) inch (minimum length) busbar mounted
six inches above the finished floor. This grounding bar must be
connected to building steel, the main electrical service panel, and the
central telecommunications ground cable.
TGB FOR TELECOM ROOM

ON THIRD FLOOR
Figure 3 – 6
Typical Grounding Details
TGB FOR TELECOM ROOM

ON SECOND FLOOR
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
MAIN GROUNDING BAR
(TMGB) FOR TELECOM
PROTECTORS EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE
ENTRANCE ROOM
CONNECTION TO
BUILDING STEEL
SERVING ELECTRICAL
PANEL
BONDED TO ELECTRICAL SERVICE

AND EXTENDED TO MAIN
BUILDING GROUND
5. If the service entrance room is stand-alone, meaning there are no active

electronic components to be installed within the space, a separate
electrical panel is not required. There must be a minimum of two 20
Amp, 110 volt ac duplex electrical outlets, each on separate circuits,
installed in the entrance room. In addition, the room shall be equipped
with auxiliary duplex outlets placed 15" above the finished floor, at six-
foot intervals around the perimeter walls. A maximum of four 110 volt
auxiliary outlets may occupy a single 20 Amp branch circuit.
6. All conduits entering the building from outside must be sealed with
reusable compression-style plugs to eliminate the entrance of water or
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
gases into the entrance room. All spaces around conduits through a
concrete wall or foundation must be sealed using a moisture barrier
plastic expansion foam (not insulation) and the outer wall moisture barrier
repaired and resealed. All conduits leaving the entrance room for other
portions of the building must be fire-stopped whether or not they contain
cable.
7. The floor of the entrance room must be sealed concrete or must be tiled
to reduce airborne contaminates. The floor structure should provide a
minimum of 150 lbs. per square foot loading capability.
8. If additional equipment, such as fire alarm panels and/or building

monitoring equipment, is housed in the entrance room, additional space
and plywood backboards must be provided for such equipment. In no
event should such equipment be mounted in the center of a wall or
directly over entrance or riser conduits.
250 AMP HVAC

ELECTRICAL PANEL
SECURE
SECURE12˜
12"LADDER RACKTOTO
LADDER RACK WALL
WALL BRACKETS
BRACKETS WITHIN T ATTACH WALL BRACKETS AT
ATTACH WALL BRACKETS AT STUD POSITI
WITHINTWO
WO FEET OF FEET
EACHOF
ENDEACH END,
AND NO LESSAND
THANNO LESS
EVERY FIVE STUD LOCATIONS
ONS ONLY
ONLY.
FEET
THAN EVERY FIVE FEET.
INSTALL ¾ INCH A/CANDPLYWOOD

PROVIDE INSTALL 3/4ON
INCHALL
A/C WALLS. PRIME 4"
PLYWOOD STARTING AND PAINT
A.F.F.
ALL WALLS. SECURE PLYWOOD TO WALL STUDS EVERY 24 INCHES. FILL
ON AS
ALLDIRECTED
VOIDS, SANDUSING FIRE−RETARDENT
SMOOTH, PAINT.
COVER WITH PRIME COAT, AND TWO COATS
OF FIRE−RETARDENT PAINT.
A FUTURE RACKS
INSTALL EQUIPMENT RACKINGRACKING

INSTALL EQUIPMENT IN THISINLOCATION
THIS LOCATIO B
N
FUTURE RACKS 3’ − 0"
Figure 3 – 7
Typical Telecommunications Equipment Room Plan View
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
3.2.3 Equipment Rooms

The equipment room is the primary space used to house telecommunications
equipment intended to service users throughout the building. Typically, this
equipment might include a PBX or other voice switching systems, campus data
components, or other communications equipment.
SECURE LADDER RACK WITH WALL BRACKETS WITHIN TWO FEET OF EACH EN
D AND NO LESS THAN EVERY FIVE FEET
SECURE PLYWOOD TO WALL STUDS EVERY

24 INCHES
STATION DISTRIBUTION
CONDUITS
12" LADDER RACK
4"
1’ − 6"
VOICE STATION CABLES

LEAVE CLEAR
FOR DOOR
OPEN FOR GROWTH SWING
188 CROSS−CONNECT FIELD
2"
COPPER RISER CABLES 4’ − 0" RUN ELECTRICAL CONDUIT

LOW OR NEAR CORNERS
ONLY
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
GROUNDING BAR (TGB)
KEEP BACKBOARD SPACE CLEAR OF ALL CONDUIT − ROUTE CONDUITS ONLY AT END OF W
ALL AND AT LESS THAN 12 INCHES A.F.F.
Figure 3 – 8
Typical Telecommunications Equipment Room Elevation
Due to the importance of this room to the various campus networks, it is

critical the design be treated as a formal “space utilization” requirement in the
planning and design process. In addition to being equipped as defined, this
room must have access to the service entrance room and must be the starting
point for the building’s backbone distribution system. Such rooms must be
located so as to eliminate danger from flooding or other water intrusion.
It is possible in some cases to combine the service entrance room and the
building equipment room into a single space. However, the requirements for
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
this combined space are additive, requiring the design of a space larger than
outlined in this portion of the document.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
3.2.3.1 Location
The equipment room should be located either near or directly in-line with the
service entrance room and must form the basis for the rest of the building’s
backbone distribution system. The assigned space should be located where
there is a possibility of future expansion and where access to the space from
outside the building can be provided for large equipment (direct hallway
access). The location of the telecommunications rooms on other floors will
impact the site chosen for this space, because these rooms should be
“stacked”. one directly above the other.
Locations that might be subject to flooding (such as basements), electrical

interference (such as adjacent to electrical equipment rooms), or hazardous
situations should be avoided. Designers should not locate
telecommunications equipment in an electrical room, or utilize common areas
providing back-to-back rooms with electrical and telecommunications. The
impact of electrical interference from standard building systems on
communications equipment and cable is simply not well defined. Layouts that
can work in one situation may cause excessive failures in another.
The only reasonable way to address this problem is to separate the electrical
and telecommunications equipment spaces so that they are not within ten feet
of each other. Telecommunications cables must not be routed through an
electrical room to access a telecommunications space.
3.2.3.2 Size
If projected equipment layouts are unavailable, or if no special uses are
defined for this space, the equipment room should be sized as follows:
provide one (1) square foot of equipment room space for every 100 square
feet of work station space (assignable space). However, the minimum room
size is 150 square feet. If the building is expected to support a large number
of workstations (such as computer lab spaces), the room should be sized to
provide 1.25 square feet of equipment room space for every workstation. For
example, a building expected to house 300 workstations should have an
equipment room of 375 square feet.
Where it is known that a specific telecommunications system will be utilized

to service a building under design, a floor plan indicating equipment
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
placement, including growth, should be prepared and compared with the

projected room size. The final room sizing must also take into consideration
issues such as the need for auxiliary power (UPS/batteries), the need for any
12 INCH LADDER RACK

12 INCH LADDER RACK CROSS LINK
TO WALL
OFF−SET SUPPORTS
72 PORT FIBER PATCH

84" Tall 84" Tall 84" Tall PANELS
PROVIDE ONE JUMPER

TRAY FOR EACH PATCH
PANEL
48 PORT CAT 5e PAT
CH PANELS
PATCH CORD ORGANIZER

SD
CISCO Systems
CGS
− ONE ABOVE AND ONE BELOW

STRATAC OM
TH E FASTPAC KET C OM PANY
SD SD
4’ − 0" RESERVED FOR

B ay N e twork s 25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 B ay N e two rk s 2 5 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 10 0 1 00 10 0 10 0
25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10 25 26 10
F Dx F Dx FD x F Dx
Act ivi ty Act ivit y Act vi i ty Act vi it y
EACH PATCH PANEL

13 1 4 1 5 16 17 1 8 19 20 21 22 23 2 4 1 3 1 4 15 16 1 7 1 8 19 20 21 2 2 2 3 2 4
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 00 10 0
Co mm Por t Co mm Por t 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
10 10
P ow er F Dx Pow er F Dx
D iag no s tic s Dia gno stics
Act ivit y Act vi it y
B aySt ack 35 0F- HD 10 /1 00 A u t osens e S wi t ch BayS t ack 3 50 F- HD 1 0/10 0 A u to se nse S wi t ch
CAMPUS USE
SD SD
B ay N e twork s 25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 B ay N e two rk s 2 5 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 10 0 1 00 10 0 10 0
25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10 25 26 10
F Dx F Dx FD x F Dx
13 1 4 1 5 16 17 1 8 19 20 21 22 23 2 4 1 3 1 4 15 16 1 7 1 8 19 20 21 2 2 2 3 2 4
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 00 10 0
Co mm Por t 10 Co mm Por t 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
10
P ow er F Dx Pow er
D iag no s tic s F Dx
Act ivit y Dia gno stics
Act vi it y
RESERVED FOR
SD SD
Bay Networks 25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 B ay Netwo rks 2 5 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 10 0 1 00 10 0 10 0
2’ − 6"
25 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10 25 26 10
F Dx F Dx FD x F Dx
13 1 4 1 5 16 17 1 8 19 20 21 22 23 2 4 1 3 1 4 15 16 1 7 1 8 19 20 21 2 2 2 3 2 4
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 00 10 0
Co mm Por t Co mm Por t 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
10 10
P ow er Pow er
F Dx F Dx
D iag no s tic s Dia gno stics
Act ivit y Act vi it y
CAMPUS USE B ay Networ ks

C on tr o l P ow er Ut il Fw d F ilt e r
%
Col H /F Dx D iag
Po rt 1
Po rt 2
1 5 10 20 35 50 70 >9 0 %
Ba yStack 30 T
Lin k
Fa st E th erne t Sp ee d Con ve rter
TX RX F Dx 1 00 M
1 0/ 10 0 B AS E- TX
1 0/ 10 0 B AS E- TX
SD
B ay Ne twor ks
Co nt r ol P owe r Ut il Fwd
%
Filte r C ol H /F Dx D iag
P or t 1
P or t 2
1 5 10 20 35 50 70 >9 0%
B ay St ac k 3 0T
Lin k
F ast E t h ernet S peed C onv er t er
TX RX F D x 10 0M
10 / 10 0 BASE -TX
10 / 10 0 BASE -TX
SD
19-Inch Rack 19-Inch Rack 19-Inch Rack
Figure 3 – 9
Typical Telecommunications Equipment Room Rack Layout
of the systems to provide service to other buildings (e.g. a remote PBX node
may be used to serve not only the building under design but other buildings
nearby), local requirements for a separate battery room, and any known
special needs.
The specific qualities that should be designed into an average equipment

room are:
1. The equipment room must support an average floor loading of 150 lbs.
per square foot. Specialized services, such as major UPS systems and
batteries, may require floor design loadings exceeding 400 lbs. per square
foot over a specified area; therefore, their design must be closely
coordinated among vendor, university personnel, and design staff. The
floor must be sealed concrete or must be tiled with anti-static tile to
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
reduce airborne contaminates. If raised flooring is used, it must be cross-

braced, and drilled anchors must be utilized to fix the pedestals to the
structure's floor. This is required in order to permit the installation of
equipment cabinets and racks up to eight feet tall while limiting the
potential for damage during a seismic event. The raised floor must also
be designed to support a minimum load of 150 lbs. per square foot.
2. The equipment room shall be situated to reduce the potential for

electromagnetic interference to 3.0 V/m throughout the frequency
spectrum. These spaces must not be located near magnetic field sources
such as power supply transformers, motors and generators, x-ray and MRI
equipment, or radio transmitters.
3. Entrance doors must be a minimum of 36 inches wide by 8 feet tall and

should be pre-wired for card-key access and intrusion alarm connections.
Consideration should be given to utilizing double doors opening out on
larger-sized rooms.
4. Sufficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensors and

control equipment must be installed to provide a consistent environment
in equipment rooms. Unless specific requirements otherwise dictate, the
Adequate air conditioning room environment should be designed to maintain 75 degrees F, and if
is critical. the actual heat rejection from the telecommunications equipment is not
known, then the designer should assume a 25 w/ft2 equipment load.
However, ITRP 2 implementation does require that the designer
accommodate for the additional heat loads associated with increased use
of UPS units and redundant power supplies, particularly where large
chassis-based core switches or redundant switching may be housed. A
series of recommended options to meet air conditioning requirements in
telecommunications spaces is included in Subsection 3.2.1.3 of this
document.
5. The CSU’s preferred fire suppression system is a chemical discharge unit

designed to work specifically within electronic equipment spaces. If that
is not possible, a dry-pipe, pre-action system should be employed to
reduce the potential of accidental discharge or leaks.
If a wet-pipe system is used, a system control link should be provided to

cut power to the equipment in the event water is discharged from the
system, and drainage must be provided to limit the potential of flooding.
At a minimum, the room must be equipped with a fire suppression system
with high-temperature thermal links and cage-enclosed heads.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
6. Additional equipment, such as fire alarm panels and/or building

monitoring devices, must not be housed in the telecommunications
equipment room. Separate space for these services can be provided as
part of the electrical room or in a separate signal space.
7. Lighting must be installed in the spaces to provide a minimum of 50 foot

candles of illumination measured 3 feet above the finished floor. Light
fixtures should be mounted a minimum of 8.5 feet above the floor and
should be located in the middle of aisles between frames or cabinets.
Multi-zone switching for luminaires and occupancy sensors with override
feature should be considered for energy conservation. Equipment rooms
should be equipped with emergency backup lighting sufficient to allow a
technician to service any system operating on emergency power during a
commercial power failure.
8. A separate electrical service panel, sized to support 225 amps, must be

installed in each telecommunications equipment room. The panelboard
should have at least a minimum capacity of 42 branch circuits. A
minimum of two 30-amp (208 volt) and four 20-amp, 110 volt, AC duplex
isolated electrical outlets, each on a separate circuit, shall be installed in
There will be additional the equipment room. These outlets are to be located to support
electrical requirements individual equipment racks and should be placed six feet above the
not initially defined, so finished floor. In addition, the room should be equipped with auxiliary
plan for expansion. duplex outlets placed 15" above the finished floor, at six-foot intervals
around the perimeter walls. A maximum of four of the auxiliary outlets
may occupy a single branch circuit.
Additional electrical needs exist for equipment specific to each campus.

Some PBX systems use 48 volts DC to power the equipment, and the
equipment room must be configured to support directly connected power
to rectifiers, backup systems, or local power supplies frequently needing
multiple 30 amp 208 volt circuits.
9. Care must be taken to determine the long-term potential load (rather than
the initial load) for electrical services in equipment rooms. Often only a
few hubs and routers will initially be installed in a new building, leaving
the electrical engineer assuming a rather light load. However, the
designer must keep in mind the need to look at future requirements to
determine the need for expansion potential within such spaces.
Additional outlets and circuits eventually will be required in almost every
equipment room in most university buildings.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
10. The load on the alternate power supply must be determined using the
active telecommunications equipment plus lighting, room air handlers,
cooling units, and fan or blowers. An automatic transfer switch must be
installed to link the various cooling components to the secondary power
source when commercial power fails. The use of a standard
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) designed to support only sensitive
electronic network equipment is not generally the best solution for the
primary power connection for extensive heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems. Each UPS system needs to be designed to
meet the specific requirements of the project. For all such alternate
power installations, the designer should determine, verify and properly
coordinate the voltage ratings and requirements of the backup generator,
UPS units, batteries, transfer switches, transformers and any other supply
equipment, as well as include space in the design for that equipment.
11. An isolated electrical ground (as defined by Article 250-74 of the NEC)
must be provided on a copper bus bar mounted six inches above the
finished floor, unless otherwise specified. This grounding bar should be
connected with a 3/0 copper wire to the building’s main electrical
grounding grid and may also require a separate concrete-encased
electrode, or a buried ring ground. The isolated ground must be uniquely
identified by a recognized technique, such as the use of green insulation
with yellow stripes for all isolated ground conductors.
12. Conduits for the electrical outlets and any other electrical service must be
contained within the wall structure or routed at ceiling or floor level.
Electrical conduit should not be placed where it might have to be crossed
by a communications cable or where it disrupts backboard utilization.
13. The equipment room should not be equipped with a drop tile or other
false ceiling.
14. If batteries are to be used, the type specified must be verified as suitable
with local codes. Additional ventilation, acid dams, and floor load bracing
may be required. Local codes or campus needs may require batteries to
be housed in a separate room adjacent to the equipment room.
15. All walls must be covered with 3/4 inch A-C plywood, sanded smooth and
painted with fire-retardant paint (not fire-retardant plywood unless
required by local fire codes). The plywood should be mounted vertically
starting 2" above the finished floor, and secured to the walls using flush-
mounted fasteners designed and listed to secure wood to the specific
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
wall/stud material. All plywood panels must be mounted in contact with

one another, with no gaps between sheets. All fasteners must be flush
with the surface of the plywood.
3.2.4 Telecommunications Rooms

The telecommunications room on each floor serves not only as part of the
vertical pathway system on a multi-story building, but also must support all
station cabling and cross-connects, electronics, and specialized distribution
equipment such as wireless facilities, video systems, local area network hubs,
and fiber optic multiplexes. It is extremely important that this room be
designed with an understanding of the role telecommunications provides in
today's educational institutions. These rooms will have frequent access by
technicians installing and maintaining various network services and must be
sized and equipped to meet this demanding role.
3.2.4.1 Location
As one of the primary focal points for all communication services, the
telecommunications room must be designed as an integral part of the overall
building. It cannot be "fit in" wherever there is room left over after all other
Distribution rooms must spaces have been defined. It must be identified as a fixed location similar to
be stacked. an elevator, mechanical shaft, or electrical room. These rooms must be
located near the center of the area they will serve, must be stacked one above
the other in multi-story buildings, and must be sized to accommodate the
university's needs. Access to these rooms should be directly from hallways,
not through classrooms, offices, or mechanical spaces.
1. The telecommunications room must be located within an absolute

maximum distance of 290 cable feet (cable pathway distance) to the most
distant outlet location and should be designed to provide an average
length less than 150 feet for each station cable. Cable-feet distance is
defined as the total distance of the route the actual station cable must
follow, both horizontally and vertically, between the telecommunications
room and the outlet location. An additional room is required if the 290
cable feet maximum distance is exceeded on a particular floor.
2. An additional room must be provided if the floor area to be served

exceeds 10,000 square feet. If a multi-story building requires two or
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
more rooms on every floor, each series of rooms should be stacked one
above the other.
3. These rooms must be dedicated to the exclusive use of

telecommunications equipment to provide a proper environment and
adequate security. They cannot occupy partial spaces within mechanical
or electrical rooms.
4. Multiple rooms located on the same floor must be interconnected with

conduits. Subsection 3.3.2 identifies number and type.
3.2.4.2 Size
Telecommunications room(s) serving an individual floor must be of sufficient
size to support an extensive list of voice, data, and video equipment. This
room must be dedicated to telecommunications and must be at least eight (8)
feet by ten (10) feet in size. Figure 3-4 identifies the required room size for
various gross square footages. This design size criterion assumes average
mixed-use utilization of space (between 60-100 square feet per person). In
facilities with high-density seating, such as computer lab areas, or equipped
with servers and/or fiber optics cabling to the user station, additional space
will be required to meet the increased load. The sizes provided reflect the
minimum room size, not the only room size.
Floor Telecommunications Room

Space Size
5,000 10’ x 8’
8,000 10’ x 10”
10,000 10’ x 12’
Figure 3 - 10
Telecommunications Room Space Requirements

The specific components that should be designed into an average
telecommunications room are the same as defined for an equipment room
with the following modifications:
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
1. The telecommunications room must be provided a floor with a loading

capacity of 100 lbs. per square foot.
2. Unless specific requirements dictate otherwise, the telecommunications

room environment should approximate an office, and the designer should
assume a minimum load of 25 w/ft2 from installed equipment. In some
climates this will require a separate 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week
backup system to augment the normal building cooling system.
3. Additional equipment, such as fire alarm panels and/or building

monitoring hardware, must not be housed in the telecommunications
room.
Figure 3 - 11
Typical Telecommunications Room Layout
10’−0"
Expansion Areas
12’−0"
Equipment Racks & Patch Panels
Cooling
Unit
Ladder Rack & Plywood

Backboard all around room
Electrical
Panel
Backbone Conduits
4. A separate electrical service panel, sized to support 150 amps should be

installed in each telecommunications room. A minimum of two 20 amp,
120 volt AC duplex isolated electrical outlets, each on a separate circuit,
shall be installed. These outlets are to be located to support individual
equipment racks (one circuit per rack) and should be placed six feet above
the finished floor. In addition, the room shall be equipped with auxiliary
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
duplex outlets placed 15" above the finished floor, at six-foot intervals
around the perimeter walls. A maximum of four of the auxiliary outlets
may occupy a single branch circuit.
3.2.5 Other Telecommunications Spaces

There are other telecommunications-specific or related spaces that may only
occasionally need updating or modification. These include the main
distribution frame (MDF), generally the location in which the serving utility(s)
terminate lines and where the campus backbone network originates, network
management and control centers, and video distribution centers.
While each of these and other high technology spaces will require specific
design inputs from other sources, some considerations should be viewed as
common with other segments of the telecommunications infrastructure.
Some of these considerations are:
1. Each space must have clear and direct access into building and campus
backbone pathway systems for a variety of media.
2. Each needs to be part of the telecommunications grounding system for

the building in which it is located.
3. Each should be included in security and support systems such as auxiliary

power generation, backup air handling, emergency lighting, special fire
suppression, and physical security and monitoring.
4. The campus MDF should be designed following guidelines similar to a

telephone company central office facility in terms of structural systems,
support requirements, security provisions, cable entrance support
systems, and future growth capabilities.
3.2.6 Retrofit Space Issues

The primary concern of space design for retrofit projects is simply finding or
creating a space that meets the physical design requirements of the
infrastructure and is acceptable to facility planners and departmental heads.
While the design target and support requirements for retrofit spaces are the
same as those previously defined in this section, the real world will seldom
provide perfectly shaped and sized open spaces stacked directly above one
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
another in an existing building. It is up to the design team to determine the

capabilities and limitations of the available space and to be creative in
meeting the varying needs and restrictions.
If storeroom or office space is not available in a particular CSU campus

facility, perhaps well-located instructional space can be traded with renovated
non-instructional space in another portion of the building in an effort to
maintain required utilization figures. Sometimes display or hallway space can
be used without affecting traffic flow or causing egress problems. A much
less attractive alternative is creating a space on one floor to serve users on
two floors. This alternative not only creates additional problems with
pathways between floors, potential distance issues for the media, and
ongoing maintenance concerns, but it also does not save actual floor space --
it simply shifts it to another location.
One way to resolve this issue is to construct new space on the outside of an
existing building. Although this alternative makes the design and
construction of the new space easier, it may be rejected for ascetic reasons,
cost consequences, or media distance limitations. Network equipment and
media can also be installed within equipment enclosures placed in non-
dedicated space. Although the latter option is technically possible, it typically
produces ongoing maintenance, security, and expansion problems.
Single-use spaces, such as equipment rooms, network node locations, or MDF

facilities can be housed in stand-alone buildings. Such buildings can be
relatively inexpensive tilt-up structures, or even precast buildings delivered
almost completed to the campus site. Such structures are available in a wide
Figure 3 - 12
Precast Telecommunications Structures
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
variety of sizes and configurations, and can be situated above or below

ground. These structures are available to meet even the very stringent new
seismic codes, making them a good choice to house critical communications
equipment.
Backup systems, such as air conditioners and auxiliary power generators, can
be included in the packaged structure’s original design, making it even more
cost-effective to obtain a complete system. It is important to be aware of the
local climatic conditions when determining if and how these structures are to
be used. In a coastal environment, for example, cable connections can
corrode even in a sealed building if there is no climate control system.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
3.2.7 Telecommunication Space Security

Should an attacker or intruder gain access to the physical infrastructure
supporting the campus network, available electronic security options are
limited. To prevent such intrusion, it is imperative that the spaces housing
the infrastructure be provided with substantial controls for restricting access
to authorized individuals. For maximum utility, such controls should include
both the ability to monitor access incidents involving the spaces and the
physical protective devices necessary to prevent unauthorized access.
General requirements for space security pertinent to physical design are:
1. Only individuals who require and are authorized to have access should be
able to enter a telecommunications room;
2. Telecommunications rooms must contain only equipment required to

implement the cable plan, with exceptions being items of diagnostic
equipment or devices for improving security;
3. Telecommunications rooms are not closets or storage facilities, and their

design should not recognize other uses;
4. Telecommunications rooms are not Computer Rooms or Data Centers, and

it is important to assure that other IT equipment (e.g., servers, printers,
etc.) belong in their own specialized rooms; and
5. Physical security must be maintained—to do so, telecommunications room

access must be audited, and keys retired and or changed periodically.
3.2.7.1 Spaces to be Controlled

Physical infrastructure spaces subject to access control can be, but are not
limited to, any of the following:
1. Service Entrance Room

2. Equipment Room
3. Telecommunications Room
4. Network Operations Center (NOC)
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
These are typical physical spaces on a campus where structured cabling

infrastructure is terminated and connected to active network equipment.
Access to such facilities must be limited to authorized personnel only, and the
doors must be locked at all times. Controls for monitoring access, such as
event logging, must be in place. The physical design of the space must
incorporate all necessary provisions to support the required level of security.
Active network devices must reside in locked enclosures to limit and restrict
physical access if they cannot be installed in one of the physical infrastructure
components listed above. Facilities designs must accommodate such
requirements.
3.2.7.2 Other Resources Requiring Access Control
Access control and protection are especially important with regard to station
outlets that provide network services to business units dealing with financial,
personal confidential, health, and student data. Under such circumstances,
the means must be in place to limit the ability of end-users to physically plug
their computer into active technology outlets or active networking equipment.
The design consultant should work with campus planning personnel to
identify building sites where such concerns exist and to assist with feasible
and appropriate physical design solutions.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
3.3 Telecommunications Pathway Design

Telecommunications pathways include the interbuilding conduit and utility
vaults used to transport cables between buildings and the conduit and cable
trays used to distribute cable within a building. Such pathways must be
designed as a integral part of an overall telecommunications infrastructure
plan, not as a vendor-specific system or technology component. For
example, a new building at the edge of campus may only require minimal
voice, data, and video services initially, but future growth in the building or in
that portion of campus can rapidly exhaust the capacity of a small
interbuilding pathway designed only for those initial needs.
3.3.1 Interbuilding Distribution Systems

The interbuilding distribution system consists of the utility tunnel, conduit,
and utility vaults that interconnect buildings on a campus. The selection of
the routes and the sizing of the interbuilding distribution system must be
based upon existing conditions, known problem areas, and the growth
associated with the campus master plan.
In most cases, designers find themselves directed to expand existing

interbuilding distribution systems to serve new construction or to resolve a
congested pathway between specific buildings. Without the ability to conduct
a detailed inspection of the current conditions and identify alternative
strategies for meeting the identified needs, the solution is generally to add
new conduit and vaults. This approach does address the immediate needs,
but frequently leads to cable maintenance problems or additional limitations
in the future.
In some instances, it may be possible to reroute services to other cables,

combine services into a single new cable while removing several older cables,
or simply remove unused cables from congested pathways. The alternative to
trenching several hundred feet across a campus may be a detailed analysis of
the media within the pathway and a couple of evenings or weekends of
splicing. That alternative can be very cost-effective and take significantly less
time to implement.
When a campus undertakes a utility project, it is important that the

telecommunications distribution system undergo both a visual and physical
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
inspection. Historically, when construction of many CSU campuses was

initiated, telecommunications or “signal” conduit was often clay, steel, or
concrete-encased paper. All three of these conduit types have failed in recent
years and, unfortunately, most are damaged in locations that cannot be seen
during a normal inspection.
The only sure way to determine the usefulness of a conduit route is to pull a
mandrel through the conduit to determine the actual cable size that can be
placed. A conduit that appears to be three or four inches in diameter often
has been damaged or corroded over time, reducing the useful size to half or
less the original.
This subsection provides some general guidelines for the design of

interbuilding pathways. More detailed information can be found in the
referenced standards, particularly the BICSI Outside Plant Design Manual. The
designer must also take into consideration the California Electrical Code
(CEC), campus specific constraints, and project funding guidelines.
3.3.1.1 Utility Tunnels

Some CSU campuses have utility tunnels that are used to transport power,
water, steam, and other utilities between core parts of campus buildings.
When utilizing these tunnels for telecommunications pathways, the following
issues must be addressed:
1. Space and supporting hardware, such as eyehooks and T-bar, must be

provided to facilitate the placement of large copper cables within utility
tunnels. A centerline-ceiling rail can be used to attach pulling wheels
designed to bring large cables into the tunnel. Space must then be made
available to allow the cable to be moved from the pulling wheels into a
tray system or attached to the wall of the tunnel. If a centerline rail is
impractical, T-bar may be placed in the ceiling on ten (10) foot centers.
Pulling eyes should be installed at ground level at the end of any long
straight run of the tunnel.
2. The preferred method of distribution within a tunnel is one or more wall-

mounted steel trays (NEMA rated 12 C or better) 18" to 24" in width with
three (3) inch sidewalls. These trays should be mounted no less than 36
inches above the floor and no higher than eight (8) feet above the floor
and should be supported every ten (10) feet. The tray must be solid
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
bottom, galvanized, and must be properly grounded. Changes in

direction, either vertical or horizontal, should be accomplished whenever
possible with wide sweeps. If that is not possible, factory-made ninety-
degree bends of not less than a 36-inch radius can be used. Any vertical
rise or fall should utilize a ladder rack or rack bottom tray to allow lashing
straps to be used to secure the cables into the tray.
3. Spacing as required by code must be observed when placing

communications facilities in a tunnel in close proximity with electrical
power lines. To reduce the potential for electromagnetic interference, a
minimum separation of six (6) inches between signal and high power (≤
480 volts, 5 kVA or less) must be maintained, even when both are
contained in grounded metal conduit pathways. If the communications
lines are in a grounded but open pathway (such as a cable tray), the
minimum separation is twelve (12) inches.
4. Conduits leaving the utility tunnel at right angles must be placed either
above or below the level of the cable tray to allow free passage and
placement of cable. Conduits must be separated by a minimum of three
(3) inches and, if stacked, must be offset and stacked no more than two
rows high. The designer must take into consideration the bending radius
of the cables that could be placed in any conduits leaving a tunnel.
5. Large 1,200 pair cables need a 36-inch radius, which can be difficult to
obtain in a five or six foot wide tunnel section. It may be necessary to
place a vault or extension on narrow sections of a tunnel to provide the
clearance necessary to place new cables.
6. Conduits leaving a utility tunnel to service a specific building must have

the name of the building and the length of the conduit run stenciled onto
the wall of the tunnel directly above or below the conduit. If the conduit
feeds a vault or manhole, the number of the manhole and the distance
must be stenciled on the wall.
3.3.1.2 Conduit and Utility Vault Systems

A conduit and utility vault system is the most common form of interbuilding
pathway used throughout the CSU. They are frequently designed incorrectly
as “signal” or “low voltage electrical” distribution systems. A good quality
telecommunications design using materials and procedures designed
specifically for the industry is required to support the long-term use of this
infrastructure.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
1. Conduits should be Schedule 40 PVC or, if concrete encased, type C signal

conduit with a four (4) inch internal diameter. Conduit runs should be
made in large straight sections utilizing wide (40 foot or more) sweeps
rather than ninety-degree bends. If ninety-degree bends cannot be
avoided, they should be located at either end of the conduit run (not in
the center of a long run) and must have not less than a 60-inch radius (it
is recommended 12½ to 15 foot “street sweeps” be used as the minimum
size whenever changes in direction are required).
2. Buried conduits encased in concrete must be installed using fixed spacers

between all conduits. The orientation of the conduits must be maintained
from end-to-end, and the conduit support system should be secured
within the trench to eliminate the potential of the conduit “floating” when
the concrete is poured.
3. All conduits must be buried a minimum of 24 inches below grade. The

trench must be back-filled with materials that have been sifted and
mechanically compacted. Utility marking tape should be buried 12 inches
below the surface, directly above the conduit.
4. Conduits shall normally be concrete-encased end-to-end; however, small

runs of two or less conduits in good soil may be direct-buried. Conduit
Figure 3 – 13 runs of any size placed in poor soils, under parking lots or other roadways
Example of (not highways), in sections that might be stressed during the placement of
Conduit Spacers cable (such as the low spot at the bottom of a hill), and all bends, must be
encased in a concrete mix. The concrete must be a cement/sand mix with
a minimum compressive strength of 2,500 lbs. per square inch after 28
days, or a Class 2B mix with a maximum aggregate size of three-eighths
inch.
5. Conduits under highways or railroad rights-of-way must be encased in

steel casing pipe consistent with the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials or the American Railway Engineering
Association specifications. The thickness of the pipe is dependent upon a
variety of factors and must be engineered for each specific instance.
6. The minimum separation between communications conduit and power

cable conduits is 3 inches in concrete, 4 inches in masonry, or 12 inches
in earth. The minimum separation from other utilities, such as gas, oil,
steam, water, etc, is 6 inches when crossing and 12 inches when parallel.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
7. A nylon pull rope must be installed and all conduits plugged at both ends
with a neoprene or rubber duct plug to prevent water and/or gas seepage
into a building, tunnel, or vault.
8. Conduit entering a building must transition from PVC to galvanized rigid

steel (GRC) or must be contained within a galvanized metal sleeve from a
distance of 24 inches beyond the exterior of the foundation to six inches
within the building. Conduits entering buildings must slope downward
away from the building to reduce the potential for water entry.
9. The design of a conduit entry through a building’s foundation should be

reviewed by a structural engineer. Some facilities will need the structural
rebar to be located using x-rays, and others may require a significant
space between any new openings to reduce the concerns of seismic
weaknesses.
10. The number of four-inch conduits entering a university building will vary
depending upon building size, location, intended mission, and the size
and type of cables expected to be used long-term. At a minimum,
however, four 4-inch conduits are required to service most permanent
university buildings. The design goal is to always have a conduit open to
provide a pathway for cable reinforcement (growth or replacement). Even
a small campus building of 2-4,000 square feet needs a minimum of two
four-inch conduits. One conduit can contain a copper cable and three
innerducts (one with a fiber optic cable), and the other conduit would be
open to act as a reinforcement pathway.
11. If no reasonable forecast can be agreed upon, or if it will be difficult or

costly to trench to the building site in the future, Figure 3-8 can be used
to determine the number of conduits.
12. Additional conduits are required for buildings over 125,000 square feet,
specialized communication facilities (computer center, library, media
center, or telephone switch site), or buildings that may be difficult or
impossible to reinforce at a later date.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
Building Gross Floor Number of 4 inch conduits

Space
10,000 – 30,000 4
30,000 – 50,000 6
50,000 – 75,000 8
75,000 – 125,000 12
Figure 3 - 14
Number of Serving Conduits
3.3.1.3 Vaults & Pull Boxes

The selection and placement of vaults and pull boxes must be made as part of
an overall distribution plan that includes a complete understanding of the
media to be served, the structures and locations to be linked, the systems and
applications to be supported, and the forecasted growth pattern across the
campus. This understanding allows the designer to approach the problem in
a systematic manner, rather than simply adding capacity in all directions.
One of the major ways to address this process is to prepare the designs using
telephone system design criteria and component designs. Electrical vaults
and distribution systems are different from telecommunications, and the two
systems must not be designed in the same manner. The following subsection
provides a list of the major points to consider when identifying the pullboxes
and utility vaults for the telecommunications infrastructure.
Figure 3 – 15
Typical 1. Pull boxes rather than utility vaults are used only in situations in which the
Standard Pull Box maximum number of conduits in that route is never expected to exceed
two four-inch conduits. A small unit (16" wide by 26" long by 18" deep) is
used exclusively for a single conduit not to exceed two inches in diameter,
such as might serve an isolated coin telephone or parking lot emergency
phone. The standard size unit (3' wide by 5' long by 4' deep) should be
fitted with a hinged, traffic-capable lid (H-20 rating) with a locking
mechanism. In all cases, the conduit feeding pull boxes must enter and
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
leave the pull box in-line parallel with the top of the box. A pull box
should not be used as a location in which to make a turn in the conduit
routing.
2. Utility vaults must be located with both initial cable placement needs
and future expansion requirements in mind. Telecommunications
utility vaults should be pre-cast units designed for traffic loading
and should be located in a major "trunk and feeder" design. Main
runs of nine to eighteen conduits should form the backbone
distribution system and should feed smaller runs of six to nine
conduits. Any building not located within 200 feet of a main or
feeder utility vault should have a separate vault installed to act as a
cable pulling point between the building's entrance room and the
main interbuilding distribution pathway system.
3. The target spacing for the placement of utility holes is 350 to 400
feet. Unlike the more normal utility company placement of 600 feet,
the campus design requires closer spacing to more easily serve
Figure 3 - 16 major buildings, provide flexibility for expansion, and make the
placement of cables easier. Factors that would reduce the recommended
Typical
distance include natural or manmade obstructions, extensive backfeed
Telecommunications Vault
needs, or more than two ninety-degree bends in the serving conduit.
4. All utility vaults must be equipped with dry-sump, corrosion-resistant

pulling irons (one at each end), cable racks on both long sides, standoff
brackets at both ends, a grounding rod, and a ladder. Concrete used for
vaults should be at least 4,500 lbs. per square inch in strength and the
structure must be rated for at least HS-20 (vehicle traffic) according to
A.A.S.H.T.O. standards.
5. The configuration of the placement of conduit into a vault, either in the

center or near the outer area of the end of the vault, is subject to campus
preference and requires an understanding of what systems are currently
used. Conduits should never enter a vault from the long sides, the top, or
the bottom. Vaults of standard size and configuration are not designed to
support the placement of large copper cables with right angle bends.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
6. The determination of the size of telecommunications utility vaults varies

by the expected number of cables to be served and the types of support
services or equipment that must be housed (such as splice cases and/or
amplifiers). The minimum size utility vault recommended for CSU
campuses is 5' wide by 7' long by 7' tall, which is generally sufficient to
serve an individual building. If, however, the utility vault will be expected
to serve as a pass-through point for other conduit or as a splice location
NO for other buildings, the size must be increased. However the final size
and configuration of the vault will be driven by the number of conduits
entering and leaving the vault, the number and type of splices, and the
Yes site in which the structure will be located.
7. Figure 3-18 should be used to size telecommunications utility vaults if no

other forecasting or existing configuration information is available. Where
conditions permit, standard-sized vaults of similar dimensions should be
employed to save time and contain costs.
Figure 3 - 17 Number of Conduits Utility Vault Size
Telecommunications Vault Less than 6 5’ x 7’

Conduit Entry and Exit 6 - 12 6’ x 10” x 7’
13 – 18 6’ x 12’ x 7’
19 – 24 8’ x 15 x 7’
Figure 3 - 18
CSU Recommended Telecommunications

2 3
Vault Size Requirements
3.3.2 Intrabuilding Backbones

The intrabuilding backbone pathways connect the entrance room, equipment
room, and all telecommunications rooms in a given structure. The backbone
elements consist of conduits, sleeves, and trays. The designer should be
aware that open cable trays are not an option for supporting large copper
2
The recommended vault sizes have decreased from the previous version of this document and reflect the
increased use of fiber optic cables between buildings.
3
Specific manufacturer products will vary from the specific sizes shown, but all major manufacturers offer
products conforming to these general guidelines.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
cables from the entrance room to the equipment room or to the

telecommunications room if the ceiling area can be considered a plenum-
rated space. While many systems use fiber optic and/or coaxial cable that can
be purchased with plenum-rated sheaths, the large copper cables used to
support much of today's voice telephone service are generally limited in size
to less than 100 pair in shielded, plenum-rated cable types.
3.3.2.1 Sizing
In determining the proper number of conduits or sleeves required to connect
an entrance room to an equipment room or to telecommunications rooms, it
is important to understand how various types of cables will be utilized. The
primary focus for cable within the building is the equipment room. Here the
electronic components serving users within the building will be
interconnected with the cable feeding in from other parts of campus.
36 inch
minimum In initially sizing conduits between the entrance and an equipment room, the
radius designer should add two to the number of conduits entering the building. For
riser pathways, the starting point is three (3) four inch conduits or sleeves,
with one (1) additional conduit added for each 10,000 square feet of space
above a base 10,000 assignable square feet (asf). For example, a six-story
building with 20,000 asf per floor needs a minimum of three conduits serving
each telecommunications room, plus two additional conduits for pass-
through, and a dedicated conduit to serve future wireless or satellite systems
on the roof. Due to the need to interconnect components on different floors,
the number of conduits should remain constant from the top to the bottom of
the building.
Figure 3 - 19
Always Enter and Exit Additional conduit is required in situations that must be fed by offset conduit
a Pullbox in the Same
runs, such as non-stacked closets. Such conduit can only be utilized to less
Direction
than half of its capacity, and this condition will restrict the number of cables
that can be placed. The final quantity and placement of backbone conduit
must be analyzed in light of the services to be installed, the route taken, and
the potential for expansion of services; however, a minimum of one or two
conduits should be added in these situations.
3.3.2.2 Design Details

1. Sleeves should be used in backbone riser pathways. Sleeves should
extend a minimum of two inches above the finished floor in the upper
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
room and four inches below the true ceiling (or past any obstructions) in
the lower room. All sleeves should be placed to provide short and straight
pathways between floors.
2. Conduits used to interconnect entrance and/or equipment rooms should

be placed above the false ceiling with no more than a total of two 90-
degree bends. These conduits must not be angled down into the
termination space. The conduit should be fixed four to six inches inside
the room at a right angle to the wall. All metal conduits must be fitted
with a collar or end bushing to eliminate damage to the cables during
pulling.
3. Pull boxes must be placed in conduit runs that exceed 100 feet or in
situations that require more than two 90-degree bends. Such pull boxes
must be located to provide free and easy access, in straight sections of
conduit only (pull boxes should never be used for a right angle bend), and
must be installed to allow cable to pass through from one conduit to
another in a direct line. Pull boxes must have a length at least eight (8)
times the trade-size diameter of the largest conduit. Figure 3-20
provides a pull box sizing reference.
Maximum Add to Box Size

Conduit Box Size for Each
Size Additional
Width Length Depth Conduit
1.5 inch 8 inches 27 inches 4 inches 4 inches
2 inch 8 inches 36 inches 4 inches 5 inches
4 inch 15 inches 60 inches 8 inches 8 inches
Figure 3 - 20
Pull Box Sizing
4. Two four-inch conduits must be dedicated from a sealed junction box on

the roof of the building in a direct line to the equipment room for use as
an antenna access point. In addition, a separate earth ground must be
provided at the roof junction box point, and the antenna conduit must be
grounded separately from the isolated ground in the equipment room. A
one-inch conduit terminating in a weatherproof duplex box must be
provided from the roof to the closest electrical panel for electrical power.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
5. All riser sleeves must be firestopped and sealed following code and
manufacturer’s instructions.
3.3.3 Horizontal Pathways

Horizontal pathways are facilities that support the installation and
maintenance of cables between the telecommunications room and the station
outlet locations. In new construction, the designer should use plenum-rated
telecommunications cable supported by a cable tray serving station conduit
stubbed into the false ceiling space.
Telecommunications cables must never be allowed to rest on ceiling tile or be

taped or wrapped to other service utilities or conduits. Whenever cable
penetrates a smoke or fire-rated barrier, that barrier must be returned to its
original rating through the use of one or more listed products. This
subsection outlines the major methods recommended within the CSU for
supporting cables in the horizontal pathways.
3.3.3.1 Cable Trays

A specified cable tray must be sufficient to hold the weight of all the cables
likely to be supported over the life of the system, must be routed correctly,
and must be installed to maximize usage.
1. Unless otherwise specified by the campus, the cable tray should be solid
bottom, aluminum, NEMA Class Designation 12B (75 lbs. per linear foot).
Solid-bottom trays provide better protection from electrical interference
than do ladder-type trays. A corrugated ventilated tray, which provides
some of the benefits of open-ladder trays and some of the improved
protection of a solid-bottom tray, and can be used to meet individual
campus preferences. Trays should be 18 inches wide with a minimum
depth of three inches. Smaller buildings and secondary tray sections
serving fewer than 25 stations may utilize a twelve (12) inch tray. Trays
must qualify under NEC Section 318-7(b) as equipment grounding
conductors.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
Figure 3 - 21
Typical Cable Tray Supports
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
2. Trays should be secured on five-to-ten-foot centers using a single

center-mounted steel supporting rod and bottom "T" connector, angled
wall supports, or a trapeze support. If both sides of the tray cannot be
accessed or other limitations prohibit the placement of cable equally in
both sides of the tray, a trapeze or wall support system should be used.
All tray installations must meet seismic bracing standards for Zone 4 and
must be supported against horizontal, lateral, and vertical movement.
3. The cable tray should be routed in a manner that reduces the need for
long unsupported cable runs. However, the tray need not be extended to
cover all areas of a floor simply to transport cables to one or two
locations. Cable installers can utilize "J" hooks or cable saddles (on 6'
centers) to support individual runs of cable, or a zoned conduit system
can be used to supplement the cable tray.
4. Cable trays must only be utilized over areas with ceiling access and should
transition to a minimum of three four-inch conduits when routed over
fixed ceiling spaces greater than 30 feet or containing any angle greater
than 20 degrees. Trays should be electrically bonded end-to-end.
5. The cable tray, the support method, the bracing system, and the
anchoring components must work together to provide sufficient support
for a wide variety of cable types and sizes. It is unlikely the ultimate
capacity requirements of an individual cable pathway can be defined as
part of a new construction or retrofit project. With the continuous
changes in technology and the expanding role of telecommunications in
the educational process, forecasting and designing to specific weight
capacities is unreasonable. In the absence of campus-provided capacities
use Figure 3-19 to determine the capabilities of specific cable tray and
ladder rack systems:
6. In retrofit projects it is often more cost effective to use a medium-weight

wire mesh cable tray to support the distribution of station cable rather
than standard solid bottom or ladder rack style systems. The wire mesh
systems are often easier to install and to work around obstructions within
existing ceiling space. However, in some cases a solid bottom tray is
required to provide physical or electronic protection for the cables being
placed.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
Pathway Type and Utilization Low High

Usage Usage
Capacity) Capacity)
Light duty Ladder Rack –generally 12 inches

wide made of hollow aluminum. 12 lbs 28 lbs.
Used within telecommunication rooms to per foot per foot
support small feeder and station cables.
Medium duty cable tray (wire style or solid)

generally 9” to 24” wide. 12 lbs 30 lbs per
per foot foot
Used within buildings to distribute station cable.
Heavy duty cable tray – generally 12 to 18

inches wide made of heavy duty aluminum or
solid steel. 18 lbs 50 lbs per
per foot foot
Used in equipment rooms, main distribution
frames (MDF), and service entrance rooms.
Typical cable load for EACH four-inch EMT 4 lbs per 15 lbs per
conduit foot foot
Figure 3 - 22
Typical Cable Tray Load Ranges
7. Trays should enter telecommunications rooms six inches into the room,
then utilize a drop out in a “waterfall” to protect station cables from
potential damage from the end of the tray. All penetrations through
firewalls must be designed to allow cable installers to fire-seal around
cables after they are installed. The use of tray-based mechanical firestop
systems instead of a transition to conduit is encouraged when a tray must
penetrate a fire barrier.
8. Cable trays must not be placed closer than five inches to any overhead
light fixture and no closer than 12 inches to any electrical ballast. A
minimum of eight inches of clearance above the tray must be maintained
at all times. All bends and T-joints in the tray must be fully accessible
from above (within one foot). Trays should be mounted no higher than 12
feet above the finished floor and must not extend more than eight feet
over a fixed ceiling area.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
9. A separate conduit sleeve (minimum of two inches) must be provided as a

pathway through any wall or over any obstruction (such as a rated hallway)
from the cable tray into any room having a communications outlet. Such
conduit runs must be continuous over fixed ceiling areas, but may be
sleeves between false ceiling spaces that have access.
10. A minimum of two four-inch conduits should be dedicated between a

telecommunications room and each (raised floor) computer lab or video
facility it serves.
Conduit 40% Fill * 50% Fill 60% Fill

Trade Size Area # of cables # of cables # of cables
3/4 .44 3 4 4
1 .79 5 7 8
1¼ 1.23 9 11 13
2 3.14 23 29 35
3 7.07 53 66 79
4 12.56 94 117 141
These figures assume an average Cat 6 cable size of .26”
* Industry standard and CEC code is to design for 40% fill
These figures are estimates only and are based upon a number of variables. The
actual number of cables which can be installed in a particular conduit can be slightly
more or significantly less depending upon such factors:
a. All cables must be pulled at the same time to achieve the greater fill levels,
b. Conduit runs must be less than 50 feet in length (reduce the number of cables by
15% for conduit runs between 50 and 100 feet,
c. Pullboxes are placed every 100 feet or if more than 180 degrees of bends are
installed in the conduit,
d. The actual diameter of the cable is greater than or smaller than the .26 inch used
in this table.
Figure 3 - 23
Typical Conduit Cable Fill
3.3.3.2 Station Outlets

The "standard" wall outlet should be a 4 11/16 inch square outlet box served
by a 1¼-inch conduit (with no more than a total of 180 degrees of bend).
Outlets should be mounted as defined by code. Telecommunications outlet
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
boxes should never be daisy-chained or mounted back-to-back using a

common feeder conduit.
In locations without fire barriers or in filled walls where cable can be “fished,”
a faceplate support bracket may be used. Faceplates without the use of the
support brackets are not recommended. The best design provides an EMT
conduit from above the ceiling space to just above the point at which the
faceplate is to be mounted.
1. If flush-mounted floor outlets are required, the designer should

place a dual use (signal & power) preset outlet in the floor surface
and feed the conduit (1¼" for signal only) through the floor slab to
the nearest wall and up into accessible ceiling space. Flush-mount
units must provide a space for telecommunications comparable to
the standard NEMA outlet box.
2. If a large number of such outlets are required, the designer should

consider the use of cast-in-place floor boxes with feeder duct
(Walkerduct) served by multiple two-inch conduits directed into the
Figure 3-24 ceiling space.
Typical Hollow Wall
3. Custom counter or workstation installations requiring
Outlet Frames
telecommunications services should be connected to a wall-
mounted junction box fed by a two-inch conduit. A maximum of
four workstations can be jointly served in this manner.
4. Classrooms, labs and lecture halls will require additional connecting signal
conduit between the faculty teaching position and the room display
system. If the room is to be equipped with a ceiling-mounted projection
system, a 1½” conduit terminating in a quad size junction box must be
linked to the instructor's communications/power outlet. A pulling box
(6x6 minimum) should be provided in line with the conduit to limit the
number of bends to a total of 180 degrees. The display system (overhead
projector, wall-mounted video, ceiling speakers) will require a separate
conduit distribution tied to a control point, generally the instructor’s
position, and must be professionally designed to meet the needs of the
specific facility.
5. In some laboratories, work areas, and/or counter spaces, wall-mounted

wire mold should be utilized to distribute power and signal to a variety of
user locations. This raceway must be metal (and must be grounded) and
at a minimum be 1¾” x 4”. The communications portion of the raceway
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
should be fitted with standard NEMA duplex outlet knockouts for

mounting the communications jacks. The designer should provide for
multiple access points into the raceway, and place a minimum of two 1½”
feeder conduits into every eight feet of raceway section.
3.3.4 Retrofit Design Issues
3.3.4.1 Access & Installation

The single most difficult design issue in retrofit projects, beyond obtaining
space, is identifying ways to distribute station cable within an older building.
Pathways not designed into the original facility now need to be carved out of
spaces that, at times, simply do not exist. One of the most common methods
is to extend a tray or support system down a hallway or through the rooms on
one side of a hallway.
Tray systems above the ceilings of an existing building are sometimes

difficult to install due to the large amount of varied equipment already placed
in that limited space. Existing ductwork, piping, lighting systems, and wiring
can make it difficult or impossible to install large sections of cable tray
without actually demolishing the ceiling material. Given sufficient funding
and support, the installation of a tray system in conjunction with a ceiling and
Figure 3-25
Typical Architectural Cove Molding Wireway
lighting retrofit project is a very attractive way to resolve this problem.
Without that level of support, the following methods may be employed to
install a hallway distribution system:
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
1. If the ceiling is fixed or has limited access, it may be possible to install a

series of additional access hatches positioned to permit the installation of
cable tray or other support structures and thus provide technicians access
to install and support cable placement.
2. A portion of the ceiling may be removed and replaced after installation of

the tray system. This is useful if there is a physical division between
ceiling sections that will permit such work without creating a visible
division after installation is complete. It is important to provide sufficient
clearance to allow technicians on-going access to the horizontal pathways
in the future.
3. A wireway may be installed down corridors and painted to match existing

conditions. This alternative becomes a problem when attempting to
transition into the space on the other side of a hallway. The wireway
needs to be very thick in order to support the minimum bending radius of
high-speed copper cables. Campus planners often eliminate this
alternative based on aesthetics.
4. An alternative to the wireway approach is to utilize an extruded molding,

generally aluminum, designed to look like an architectural cove molding.
This material is available in a variety of sizes and styles and is left open
for the placement of future cable. The downside is a lack of security for
the cable and a limitation on the amount of cable that can be installed.
Figure 3-26
Typical Work Area Cable Raceway
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
However, it is reasonably easy to place additional cable over time.
5. Surface mounted cable raceway has been used for some time on many
CSU campuses to provide a pathway within classrooms and offices. It is
important to select a product which provides cable support and routing
for Cat 5e or better cables (no sharp bends) and has adequate capacity for
both the initial installation and future growth. Generally, metal raceways
should be used within labs and classrooms due to the need for additional
protection and the ability to secure the product. Heavy duty plastic is a
good choice for general usage in staff offices and administration spaces.
6. In fire rated corridors, the designer must develop a specific plan for
penetrating and restoring the ratings of walls, floors, and ceiling spaces in
those corridors. That includes a method to allow technicians to continue
to adequately firestop these penetrations over the life of the facility.
Figure 3-27
4
Typical Cable Support Products
7. The use of individual ceiling hangers to support multiple copper, fiber,

and coaxial cables is not acceptable. With newer media, the weight of
even a very few cables can, over time, cause kinks or bends resulting in
performance problems. Currently available cable support products
designed to depend from ceiling hangers, threaded rods, beam clamps, or
4
Graphics provided by Caddy®
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
wall mounts should be specified. Such products must be rated by the

manufacturer as to the number and type of cables they will support and
the maximum allowable distance between supports. Generally, such
supports may be placed no more than five or six feet apart, providing
capacities of up to a few dozen cables.
3.3.4.2 Firestopping
Firestopping is a critical issue on retrofit projects and must be specifically
addressed by the telecommunications design team. In new construction
projects, firestopping is generally addressed by each member of the
construction team as they complete their portion of the project. The nature
of a telecommunications cable installation retrofit project is such that the
contractor has a significant amount of leeway in determining where and how
cable is to be installed. It is important the design team communicate their
expectations about firestopping to the Contractor before the project is
started.
1. Each type of penetration is different, and the firestopping materials and

configuration must be selected specifically for the conditions in the field.
Although the designer can define in general terms the expectations and
overall methods to be employed, the Contractor must work with the
installer, the designer, and the firestop manufacturer to identify the
correct products for the job.
2. Each firestop must have a manufacturer’s rating sheet outlining the

products to be used, the construction materials to be penetrated, the
penetrating items (cable, conduit, material type), the rating expectation,
and the installation methods. NO SINGLE FIRE STOP MATERIAL WILL MEET
EVERY SITUATION IN A BUILDING-WIDE CABLE INSTALLATION PROJECT.
3. Some incorrect materials have been used in the past, and some common
materials have been used incorrectly. Expanding foam insulation is not a
firestop material and should never be used as such. Newspaper,
cardboard, or old rags are not suitable packing material for a thin film of
firestop caulking. All components relating to a firestop are critical to the
ultimate function of the installation.
4. The designer should identify general types of acceptable fire stopping

materials and methods, including manufacturers, and to identify the types
of fire-rated structures within campus buildings. There are several steps
to this process:
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
a. Define construction types - Campuses must provide the design team with
adequate construction as-built documentation or must conduct existing
site condition surveys of the areas impacted to determine which structures
within the building are rated and to what level.
b. Identify general firestopping methods - The design team must identify the
generally acceptable methods of penetration and firestopping based upon
how the cable will be installed and the plans for its maintenance.
c. Identify special or unique situations - Large openings, such as cable trays,

must be specifically identified, and firestopping materials and methods
defined as part of the design package.
d. During installation, the Contractor/installer must contact their supplier or

firestop manufacturer to obtain UL-approved drawings outlining the
existing field conditions, the products they are installing, and the use of the
firestop manufacturer’s product. Each approved firestop drawing will
include a unique identifier code that must be placed on an identifying tag at
each penetration using that specific product and configuration. The
drawings should be maintained by the campus in order to easily determine
the specific firestop material to be used at each location when additional
cable is placed in the future.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
Figure 3 – 28
Typical Firestop Configurations
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007
KEY
POINTS
For Architects and Sub-Consultants
When updating the infrastructure in retrofit projects, the designer must be
aware of the limitations imposed by older electrical and HVAC systems,
outdated ceiling systems, existing wiring methods, and hazardous materials.
A prime goal of electrical service design is to reduce or eliminate power-

related problems to the sensitive network equipment, while providing
adequate power for current and future applications.
The telecommunications grounding system must be designed and installed as

defined in ANSI TIA/EIA-607. The designer must use a common point of
ground for all services (power and telecommunications) within the same
building.
Any telecommunications space designed to support electronic equipment

requires an air handling system to remove heat 24 hour a day/365 days a
year. Six possible options are discussed in TIPS Section 3 to provide guidance
for the design team.
Telecommunications pathways must be designed as a specific part of an

overall telecommunications infrastructure plan, not as a system or
technology-specific component.
All telecommunications related infrastructure issues must be based upon

published industry standards such as the TIA/EIA series and RUS bulletins.
Vendor-specific requirements must be analyzed in light of an overall
“standards based” approach.
The CSU Infrastructure tracking system software must be used to document

and administer all new telecommunication infrastructure projects.
TIP Standards
Effective May 2007

Infrastructure & Pathway Design: 3.1 General Considerations

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California State University

This section of the TIP Standards identifies specific design and

3.1 General Considerations

Section 3 outlines various sizing and selection criteria, provides sample

3.1.2 Reference Sources

3.1.3 Documentation Standards

Construction documents for all CSU capital projects involving

1. Statement of Work for each building – A brief overview (2 to 3

2. Statement of work for the inter-building pathways and media – A brief

DIVISION 14 CONVEYING SYSTEMS

Section 08110 Steel Doors and Frames Not Used

Section 16710 Telecommunications General Requirements

4. Building construction and system plans – Details regarding architectural,

5. Interbuilding media and pathway details – All interbuilding media must be

6. Construction Standards Institute (CSI) format specifications – Until the CSI

3.1.4 New Construction vs. Retrofit

This TIP Standards document provides a series of recommendations for

standards are more easily implemented in new construction, much can be

The most frequent and challenging consideration in retrofit design, however,

Questions for which the designer must provide answers in programming a

2. How will the current systems be kept running if new media is to be

4. Will the work have to be undertaken at night? If so, how will it be

9. If additional electrical or air handling services are required to support the

3.2 Telecommunication Space Design

3.2.1 Electrical and Mechanical Requirements

1. House the media and related equipment entering a building

2. House terminal resources and specialized equipment

3. Terminate user-level facilities

The minimum configuration for spaces within a standard CSU academic or

In many existing buildings, telecommunications equipment is found forced

This subsection defines the minimum electrical and mechanical support

3.2.1.1 Electrical Services

A particular concern is the electrical power requirements for ITRP 2 network

In consideration of ITRP 2 requirements, campus planners and design

1. Network management servers, security devices, VoIP and Video

2. Future requirements driven by network convergence (VoIP and Video)

3. Additional UPS and associated requirements created by the E911 issue

A relatively new technology beginning to be deployed in the CSU is Power over

webcams, Ethernet hubs, computers and other devices where it would be

Configuration or design of electrical services not directly in support of

All circuits installed in support of a telecommunications space should be

At a minimum, the electrical service designs for telecommunication spaces

2. Serving electrical panels should be equipped with power suppression

3. Minimum sizing for telecommunication rooms is a 100-amp panel and for

4. Equipment rooms used to house voice, data network, or video distribution

5. All equipment rooms should be connected to backup power generation

It is common to utilize batteries of various types to provide a temporary

Similar planning should be applied to the backup power needs of network

At a minimum, the telecommunications infrastructure design must include the

1. All equipment rooms must be equipped with at least a thirty-minute

3. In all telecommunications equipment or switching node locations (or in

3.2.1.2 Telecommunications Grounding System

Proper grounding of telecommunications related infrastructure requires a very

International Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Std 1100-1000

Neither this document nor any of the referenced material replaces or

1. All cables entering a building must be grounded as close as practical to

3. All cables must be bonded end-to-end and through any splice.

4. All hardware supporting telecommunications cable, such as ladder racks,

Service Entrance Telecommunications