7. Horizontal Pathways

Horizontal pathways extend between the telecommunications closet and the work area. A variety of generic pathway options are described. Choice of pathway(s) is left to the discretion of the designer. The most commonly employed pathway consists of cable bundles run from the telecom closet along J-hooks suspended above a plenum ceiling, fanning out once a work zone is reached, dropping through interior walls or support columns or raceways, and terminating at an information outlet (I/O). Other options are:

Underfloor Duct
Single- or dual-level rectangular ducts imbedded in greater than 2.5-inch concrete flooring.

Flushduct
Single-level rectangular duct imbedded flush in greater than 1-inch concrete flooring.

Multichannel Raceway
Cellular raceway ducts capable of routing telecom and power cabling separately in greater than 3-inch reinforced concrete.

Cellular Floor
Pre-formed hollows, or steel-lined cells, are provided in concrete, with header ducts from the telecom closet arranged at right angles to the cells.

Trenchduct
A wide, solid tray, sometimes containing compartments, and fitted with a flat top(with gaskets) along its entire length. It is embedded flush with the concrete finish.

Access Floor
Modular floor panels supported by pedestals, used in computer rooms and equipment rooms.

Plenum/Ceiling
Bundled cables, suspended above a false ceiling, fan out to drop through walls or along support columns to baseboard level.

Conduit
To be considered only when outlet locations are permanent, device density low and flexibility (future changes) not required.

Cable Trays Options include channel tray, ladder tray, solid bottom, ventilated and wireway.

Perimeter Pathways
Options include surface raceway, recessed, molding and multichannel (to carry separate power and lighting circuits).

Rule of Thumb: Typically, size horizontal pathways by providing 1 square inch of cross-section area for every 100 square feet of workspace area being served.

Note: Typically, a pull box, splice box or pulling point is required for any constrained pathway where there are more than two 90° bends, a 180° reverse bend or length more than 100 feet.

Variety of Horizontal Pathways
Access Floor

Ceiling Utility Pole