Data Cabling Containment Varieties and Design - Cable Containment Systems
Channel: NM Cabling Solutions
Date: 12/03/2021

Data Cabling Containment Varieties and Design

Cable containment systems
Structured cabling designs vary in their requirements of what is required in the current situation. Furthermore, what could potentially be required in the future. A tenant space may only be patricianly occupied when they first move in. Therefore, only installed for current cabling purposes when the tenant initially moves into the building. However, considerations should be made for allowing the correct communications room, containment routes and cabling capacity for the potential uplift in staff. Therefore, an increase in the requirements for structured cabling installation and electrical sockets
Communication Room Size
The communications room should be built to provide enough space and cabinets for the largest amount of expected data outlets that the communications room will service. For example, if the tenant space could potentially have 500 employees and 1200 data outlets the space should be built for that allocations. Thus, this allowance even if 400 staff and only 1000 outlets are first installed.
As an outline of size against number of data outlets in the building the following guidelines apply
 
User Service points
Containment and termination points at the user end can vary depending on the construction of the tenant space. Furthermore, the requirements of moving the installation to suit new layouts or staff. In addition, the cost of the installation and the trade-off between installing what’s required now against what’s required potentially in the future
Common Types of User termination points
• Floor Boxes
Floor boxes are commonly installed in a removable false floor and cut within the individual removable tile. However, these can also be installed into solid wooded flooring or encased in concrete screed. Furthermore, the power can either be hard wired in a circuit from box to box or attached to an under floor busbar system allowing easy click on and off to relocate. At the same time the data cabling can also be direct connected or connected to sub floor termination points (MUTOA / Consolidation Point)
• Grommets
Similar to a floor box in that they are commonly used in false floor environments. Thus, they are seen less in screen and solid floors. Similar to floor boxes they can also be directly connected or attach to a sub floor termination for both power and data. Specifically, the connection boxes for power and data are brought out of the grommet and connected to the desk.
• Power Pole Cabling containment
These are commonly used to access island desks. Furthermore, when access is only possible from the false ceiling or overhead tray work.
A rectangular pole is installed from floor to ceiling in the middle of a bank of desks. Subsequently the power and data drop down through the middle of the pole. Then they are terminated on its exterior to access the desks.
• Surface Dado Trunking Cabling Containment
Commonly a 2 compartment or 3 compartment plastic containment / trunking that will fix to the walls of an office space. The dado is usually installed at desk height or along the skirting.
The containment has separate compartments for power and data to run inside to access the user locations.

• Consolidation Point / MUTOA
This refers to an area where numerous data cabling outlets are terminated and then “patched” into local by the users.  The most common way would be 12-24 data outlets terminated into a sub floor termination point which would serve 6-12 desks. The users would then attach data patch leads from their user locations to these sub floor locations. These could be directly inot equipment or via a floor box or grommet assembly
• Sub floor power bars / Electrak style power
In a similar way to the MUTOA for data cabling a section of under floor power bars are installed under the floor which consists of a number of electrical ports which use a bespoke system to snap on and snap off the connectors safely. This connector connects via a lead to the power of a floor box, extension lead, or desk power bar
The advantages and disadvantages are similar to the MUTOA in that the upfront cost is slightly higher but office moves, changes and additions are a lot more cost effective when only having to connect locally rather than connect back to the main power distribution board.
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