Characteristics & Differences of Structured Cabling Systems in Different Building Types

Characteristics and Differences of Structured Cabling Systems in Different Building Types

 

Currently, according to the "Intelligent Building Design Standards," building types can be classified into 14 major categories. Structured cabling projects for these 14 building types share commonalities and individualities, but their characteristics and forms differ.

Therefore, when formulating the implementation plans for structured cabling systems in various types of buildings, it is necessary to consider both the consistency in the overall structure, level and category selection, system transmission index determination, component installation methods, cable laying methods, and safety and protection aspects of the cabling systems for the building and the machine room parts; and the business needs of different functional areas in various buildings, special requirements for system equipment configuration, and environmental protection requirements. It is also crucial to distinguish between office building cabling, data center cabling, and residential home cabling systems.

 

1. Office Buildings

 

The intelligence of office buildings should adapt to the needs of information-based office operations; it should provide basic support for an efficient office environment; and it should meet the information management needs of various modern office buildings. Office buildings are further divided into commercial office buildings, administrative office buildings, and financial office buildings.
The structured cabling for office buildings should be considered separately for rental office buildings and self-use office buildings. The cabling system may include internal and external office networks, production networks, confidential networks, property management networks, and weak electrical system networks.

For rental office buildings, the structured cabling is typically managed by the property and funded by the developer. There are usually two approaches: one is the conventional structured cabling approach, setting up a work area every 5-10 square meters, installing corresponding information points, and then considering the entire system configuration based on this quantity. The other approach is due to the uncertain nature of rental office building users, many of whom are temporary tenants. For temporary rental spaces, zone cabling is used. First, optical (electrical) cables are laid from the telecommunications room to the zone (for large customers), with two fiber optic outlets (connected to the Ethernet switch) and two voice outlets (connected to the telephone hub or PBX) set up in each zone; the cabling within the zone is completed by the customer.

Of course, in the horizontal cable routing, CP points (consolidation points) are set up. First, lay horizontal cables from the telecom room to the CP points, then complete the cables from CP points to information points based on user needs. It is even possible to only lay the backbone cables without the horizontal part, leaving the corresponding conduits in advance, and then completing the cabling after the user is determined. With the national broadband strategy in place, telecom operators and property developers now directly lay optical fibers to the user area's information distribution box, as per the "fiber to the user unit" design requirement in national standards. This approach is also applicable to the following types of buildings. For rental office buildings, a hybrid structured cabling form using Category 5e + Category 6 + fiber optics can be used.

For self-use office buildings, especially those of national government agencies, the network is divided into internal, external, and confidential networks, so the structured cabling is not a single system. Information points need to include telephone and data requirements, as well as information points required for internal, external, confidential networks, and backups, which means significantly more information points than in general projects. Additionally, the installation sites, conduits, and cables for self-use office building cabling equipment must be physically separated. For some confidential projects, the integrator often only implements the horizontal distribution part. The design of the distribution network for confidential parts in self-use office building projects is typically handled by institutions with security qualifications or national authorization. Self-use office buildings generally select a higher-grade structured cabling system (such as full Category 6 + fiber optics).

 

2. Retail Buildings

 

Retail buildings include newly built, expanded, and renovated shopping malls, hotels, etc. Their intelligent systems should align with the operational nature, scale, management methods, and service needs of retail buildings; they should build a comprehensive management platform for commercial operations and guest services; and they should meet the information management needs of retail buildings.
Shopping malls are large open spaces where shop sizes, locations, and densities are not always fixed, so the CP point method is generally used, and information points should not be too dense. It is also necessary to consider leaving information points in some public areas with high mobility. Additionally, since the size and location of shops in shopping malls are not fixed, the horizontal twisted pair cable length may exceed 90 meters, so for such projects, the cable's length should be considered, and multiple telecommunications rooms should be set up on each floor of the mall. For venues with clearly defined stalls, floor sockets can be used, with information points set every 20-100 square meters.

 

3. Hotel Buildings

 

Hotels are relatively simple, with fewer information points compared to other projects, and the number of information points is determined not by the area of the work zone but by the suite level, such as standard rooms, deluxe suites, and presidential suites. Additionally, the cabling in hotels may separate telephone and data into their respective distribution networks, with telephones not necessarily included in the structured cabling system. Since hotels generally have their own PBX, telephones can directly use telephone lines, while data ports for internet access are designed according to structured cabling, forming two separate distribution systems.

 

4. Cultural Buildings

 

Cultural buildings include newly built, expanded, and renovated libraries, archives, etc. Their intelligent systems should meet the needs of cultural buildings for document and artifact storage, display, retrieval, exhibition, academic research, and information transmission; they should meet the needs of social and public information dissemination and the application of cultural information processing, value-added, and exchange.
The structured cabling in cultural buildings is relatively complex, with some areas requiring a high density of information points and others with relatively sparse points. For example, libraries require more information points in reading rooms for convenient internet access at any time, while archives do not need to consider this, with fewer information points.

 

5. Exhibition Buildings

 

Exhibition centers are large open spaces, and structured cabling can use the CP point method. However, the complexity of exhibition centers should be noted, such as the news center requiring multiple information points, while general exhibition halls do not need many, and for cleanliness and aesthetics, floor-embedded information outlets are used.

 

6. Museum Buildings

 

The information points in museum cabling also need to consider security issues. Museums, due to high information traffic, can choose high-performance and high-grade structured cabling systems. Additionally, in these buildings, if cables and personnel are densely located, fire protection levels should be considered. These building sites can use a hybrid structured cabling method with wired + wireless (setting up AP wireless network cards) to facilitate information exchange and internet access during personnel movement.

 

7. Performing Arts Buildings

 

Media buildings include newly built, expanded, and renovated medium and large-sized theaters (cinemas) and broadcasting and television business buildings. Their intelligent systems should meet the needs of media business information applications and media building information management; they should provide basic support conditions for media building business facilities.
Due to the high frequency and field strength requirements of audio/video transmission information streams in media buildings and the presence of many radio frequency interference sources, shielded and optical fiber structured cabling systems are often used to avoid signal interference between transmission lines and electronic equipment.

For the media part, as there are many image signals to be transmitted, coaxial twisted pair cables are often used, so it is best to consider this when laying conduits, especially the spacing requirements between different information business signals (focusing on broadcast lines).

Theaters (cinemas) generally have a high degree of personnel mobility, so information points do not necessarily need to be numerous.

 

8. Sports Buildings

 

Sports buildings refer to newly built, expanded, and renovated sports stadiums, gymnasiums, swimming pools, etc. Their intelligent systems should meet the needs of sports competition business information applications and sports building information management; they should provide basic support for sports competition and multi-functional use environment facilities; they should plan comprehensively, make comprehensive use, and fully consider the multi-functional use and operational development of sports buildings after the event.
Sports buildings are divided into many different functional areas, divided into sports services and public services. Whether indoor or outdoor venues, in addition to competition areas, there are many spectator stands and public buildings. Therefore, in addition to considering facilities such as the press center, information center, drug testing, or shopping malls, it is also necessary to consider the installation sites of various equipment in the sports field, such as clocks, scoreboards, flag raising, large screen displays, and other information and sports service areas.

For competition areas, three aspects should be noted: one is that outdoor venues should pay attention to the moisture, dust, damage, and lightning protection of structured cabling components and take corresponding preventive measures. Second, considering the large planar area of sports venues, multiple telecommunications rooms should be set up, and it is best for these rooms to be interconnected with optical fibers, which is more convenient for network information traffic scheduling. Third, note that the pipelines and sockets in sports venues are long-term in outdoor environments, prone to component aging, leading to a decrease in technical parameters and performance indicators. From a safety perspective and to extend the life of components, sealed metal conduits should be used to lay cables, and industrial-grade connectors should be selected.

If some sports facilities are based on network communication protocols, such as large screen displays, sports venue monitoring, etc., the transmission lines of sports venues can also be included in the structured cabling system for design.

Sports venues can also use a hybrid cabling method with wireless + wired.

 

9. Medical Buildings

 

Hospital buildings refer to newly built, expanded, and renovated secondary and above general hospitals. Their intelligent systems should meet the needs of efficient, standardized, and information-based management within hospitals; they should provide technical support for "effectively controlling hospital infections, saving energy, protecting the environment, and building a people-oriented medical environment."
The most important consideration for hospitals is the demand for transmission bandwidth and electromagnetic interference from medical equipment. To ensure information security, shielded + optical fiber methods are more suitable for concentrated medical equipment areas.

Additionally, since hospitals cover a large area with multiple buildings and complex functions, they should be considered a multi-functional building group, designed according to inter-building cable laying requirements. From the computer network, the remote transmission of information and interconnection with public distribution networks should also be considered.

 

10. Educational Buildings

 

School buildings refer to newly built, expanded, and renovated ordinary full-time colleges and universities, senior high schools and vocational high schools, junior high schools and elementary schools, kindergartens, etc. Their intelligent systems should meet the needs of various schools' teaching nature, scale, management methods, and service object business; they should adapt to the development of information applications for teachers in teaching, research, management, and students in learning, research, and life; they should provide basic support for efficient teaching, research, office, and learning environments.
School buildings require overall cabling for a building group, with a focus on constructing the campus network backbone optical fiber. Additionally, schools have many functions, including teaching buildings, experimental bases, public lecture halls, libraries, science halls, and student dormitories, so the placement of information points, quantity, and cabling system level should be set differently according to different scenarios and not just based on building area. Another characteristic of school buildings is that the campus occupies a large area, and the campus distribution network is more integrated with multimedia teaching, which should be noted.

Like hospital buildings, school buildings also need to consider remote transmission and external information interconnection.

 

11. Transportation Buildings

 

Transportation buildings refer to newly built, expanded, and renovated large airports, railway stations, urban public rail transit stations, and social parking lots. Their intelligent systems should meet the operational needs of various transportation buildings; they should provide basic support for efficient transportation operational environment facilities; they should meet the information management needs of modern transportation buildings.
Transportation buildings have large areas and, when interconnecting different buildings, exhibit a conduit path that decreases along the cable route, forming an extended star network. The backbone cable route is long, so optical fiber cabling systems are suitable.

Passenger terminals and freight docks are large open areas, and the CP point design method can also be used, with wireless extensions. Additionally, when considering electromagnetic interference from mechanical and electrical equipment, the cables should also be considered for their shielding properties.

 

12. Financial Buildings

 

Financial buildings, with high staff seating density, may include internal and external networks, production networks, confidential networks, property management networks, and weak electrical system networks.
The seating area can be set up every 3-5 square meters, with multiple terminal devices, so more information points are set up, and the entire system configuration is considered based on this quantity. Financial institutions have high requirements for information and information security, so Category 6 or higher cabling systems can be used, and shielded cabling systems can also be considered. For rental areas, a hybrid structured cabling form using Category 6 + fiber optics can be used.

 

13. Residential Buildings

 

Residential buildings have different structured cabling from general public buildings. One characteristic is the use of home structured cabling boxes, which only handle distribution without processing information (like switching, storage, processing, transmission). The other type combines distribution management and information processing, known as "home information distribution equipment," handling both distribution and information exchange/transmission for phones, networks, and home automation like meter reading and emergency calls. Additionally, home cabling should be divided into in-house distribution, building distribution, and park distribution, so home cabling involves a wide range and different scopes, requiring different residential needs.

 

14. General Industrial Buildings

 

Industrial buildings are mainly divided into production areas and general office areas, with separate production and control areas, and outdoor cabling components. The corresponding industrial-grade connectors should be used according to the severity of the environment, considering waterproof, dustproof, vibration-proof, corrosion-proof, and electromagnetic pollution-proof technical requirements. However, for some good environments in industrial buildings, such as control rooms and office areas of production departments, they can be designed according to general building types.

If the weak electrical system facilities of the mentioned building types transmit signals via network protocols (e.g., large screen displays, monitoring systems, building automation), their transmission lines can also be included in the structured cabling system design. In summary, as the infrastructure of buildings, the structured cabling system should consider practical applications, future development, and building functions when designing, and create reasonable plans.