Telecommunication
and Industrial Pathways


When it comes to installing cable, one of the most important aspects to consider is the cabling pathway. Ultimately, the pathway from the MDF/IDF to the device’s final location is critical for proper installation. The routing of the cable is defined by the environment, accessibility, and physical limitations for the cable to function correctly. What’s more is that cable pathways can come in many forms, including conduit, cable tray, and/or free air supports. Each pathway type has its own pros and cons; no matter which type, it is important to define a pathway that has the capability of supporting your cabling while separating it from other trade or scope’s cabling.
- NEC code requires separation of systems in pathways. This includes separating power and lighting from all other systems. Pathway, including penetrations, pull boxes, raceway, and free air pathway must be separate from any power or lighting pathway and associated raceways, pull boxes, or penetrations.
- NEC code requires separation of systems in pathways. This includes separating power and lighting from all other systems. Pathway, including penetrations, pull boxes, raceway, and free air pathway must be separate from any power or lighting pathway and associated raceways, pull boxes, or penetrations.
- Sharing a pathway with other trades/scopes often results in one trade/scope having their cable damaged. Additionally, the cables will often have jacket burn or wear from the friction of other cables being pulled over the top of existing cables. Realize that excessive pulling at angles can cause internal copper wiring to be stretched and not function to the manufacturer’s specifications.
- Another common issue is conduit, cable tray, pathway, and penetration overfill. Each conduit, cable tray, free air pathway, and penetration type is rated for a specific cable fill percentage, which is based on size, cable type, and heat dissipation. Overfill can cause physical damage to the cabling jacket, internal copper wire/strands, and possible raceway/conduit/cable tray/free air pathway.
- Class 1, 2, 3 power limited circuits, DAS communication cabling, copper communications cabling, and other trades/scopes need to be separated due to harmonic coupling across cables from induced magnetic fields and for heat dissipation. Induced magnetic field coupling will cause “hum” or “noise” on the line, which interrupts packet transmission. In turn, this can cause loss of connectivity to devices, loss of audio and/or video, as well as packet drop from devices.