ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568-2001

Standard for

Installing Commercial Building

Telecommunications Cabling

Published by
BICSI
A Telecommunications Association

Jointly developed with

National Electrical
Contractors Association

An American National Standard

 Copyright BICSI, January 2002. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents

Foreword .................................................................................................................. v

1. Scope........................................................................................................................ 1

2. Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure................................ 2

2.1 Definitions ........................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure ................................................................ 9

3. Support Structures................................................................................................. 10
3.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Pathways ............................................................................................................................ 10
3.2.1 General ....................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.2 Cable trays .................................................................................................................. 10
3.2.3 D-rings and mushrooms ............................................................................................ 12
3.2.4 Conduits ..................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.5 Hangers ...................................................................................................................... 14
3.2.6 Surface raceway .......................................................................................................... 15
3.3 Spaces ................................................................................................................................. 15
3.3.1 Plywood ...................................................................................................................... 16
3.3.2 Equipment racks ........................................................................................................ 16
3.3.3 Floor-mounted cabinets ............................................................................................. 16
3.3.4 Wall mounted equipment racks and cabinets ........................................................... 16
3.4 Bonding Infrastructure ...................................................................................................... 16
3.4.1 General ....................................................................................................................... 16
3.4.2 Bonding conductor .................................................................................................... 16
3.4.3 Local code requirements ............................................................................................ 16
3.5 Installing Cable Support Systems ...................................................................................... 17
3.5.1 General ....................................................................................................................... 17

4. Pulling Cable .......................................................................................................... 20

4.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Cable Pulling Setup ............................................................................................................ 20
4.2.1 Overview .................................................................................................................... 20
4.2.2 Pulling horizontal cable in conduit .......................................................................... 20
4.2.3 Pulling horizontal cable in open ceiling ................................................................... 20
4.2.4 Pulling backbone in vertical pathwayfrom top down ........................................... 21
4.2.5 Pulling backbone in vertical pathwayfrom bottom up ......................................... 21

iii
 4.2.6 Pulling backbonehorizontal ................................................................................... 21
4.2.7 Pulling optical fiber cable .......................................................................................... 21
5. Firestopping ........................................................................................................... 22
5.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 22
5.1.1 Mechanical firestop systems ...................................................................................... 22
5.1.2 Nonmechanical firestop systems ............................................................................... 23
5.2 Typical Installations ........................................................................................................... 23
5.2.1 Sealing a floor penetration with putty ...................................................................... 23
5.2.2 Sealing an outlet ........................................................................................................ 23
5.2.3 Stepsrestore penetrations (general) ........................................................................ 23

6. Cable Terminations ................................................................................................ 26

6.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 26
6.2 Pre-Termination Functions ................................................................................................ 26
6.2.1 General ....................................................................................................................... 26
6.3 Copper IDC Termination ................................................................................................... 27
6.3.1 StepsIDC Termination ............................................................................................ 27
6.4 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP-A) ............................................................................................ 28
6.4.1 Stepterminating universal data connectors ........................................................... 28
6.5 Fiber Termination .............................................................................................................. 28
6.5.1 General ....................................................................................................................... 28
6.6 Copper Cable Splicing ....................................................................................................... 28
6.7 Optical Fiber Cable Splicing .............................................................................................. 30

7. Installation Verification ......................................................................................... 31

Annex A: Field Test Requirements ................................................................................ 32

A.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 32
A.2 100-Ohm UTP Cabling ...................................................................................................... 32
A.2.1 Test instruments ......................................................................................................... 32
A.2.2 Performance parameters ............................................................................................ 33
A.2.3 Permanent link test configuration ............................................................................ 33
A.2.4 Channel test configuration ....................................................................................... 33
A.2.5 Backbone and other cabling test configuration ........................................................ 33
A.3 Optical Fiber Cabling ......................................................................................................... 33
A.3.1 Test instruments ......................................................................................................... 33
A.3.2 Performance parameters ............................................................................................ 34
A.3.3 Horizontal cabling test configuration ....................................................................... 34
A.3.4 Backbone cabling test configuration ......................................................................... 34

Annex B: Reference Standards ...................................................................................... 35

iv
FOREWORD

In 1998, a large number of companies represent- The viewpoint expressed at the time this standard
ing the telecommunications and electrical indus- was approved was from the contributors experi-
try expressed concern over the lack of a standard ence and the state of the art at that time. Users
for installation of telecommunications premises are encouraged to check to see that they have the
cabling systems. The National Electrical Contrac- latest revision of the standard.
tors Association (NECA) asked BICSI, A Tele- BICSI/NECA/JTC1 reviews its standards, at the
communications Association, to jointly undertake minimum, every 5 years. At that time standards
the task of developing the required standard. are reaffirmed, rescinded or revised according to
BICSI accepted the task and the project was the submitted updates. Updates to be included in
assigned to BICSI/NECA Joint Technical Commit- the next revision should be sent to the committee
tee 1 for the Development of Telecommunications chair or to BICSI/NECA/JTC1.
Cabling Installation Guidelines.
This standard has been prepared by BICSI/NECA/
BICSI and NECA standards documents are devel- JTC1 under the joint jurisdiction of BICSI and
oped within the Technical Committees of BICSI NECA and approved by consensus ballot.
and NECA. Members of these committees serve
voluntarily and without compensation. The
NOTE: This document is copyright protected and
companies they represent are not necessarily
shall not be reproduced in whole or in part
members of BICSI or NECA. The standards devel-
without the permission of BICSI/NECA.
oped within these committees represent a consen-
sus of the broad expertise on the subject. This
expertise comes from within BICSI and NECA as
well as from those outside that have an expressed
interest.

v
1. Scope

A structured cabling system is a complete collec- ANSI/NFPA 70, 2002; National Electrical
tive configuration of cabling and associated Code
hardware on a premises which, when installed, ANSI/TIA/EIA 568-B Series-2001, Commer-
provides a comprehensive telecommunications cial Building Telecommunications Cabling
infrastructure. This infrastructure is intended to Standard
support a wide range of telecommunications
services such as telephone and computer net- ANSI/TIA/EIA 569-A-1998, Commercial
works. Figure 1 illustrates an example of compo- Building Standard for Telecommunications
nents that comprise a structured cabling system. Pathways and Spaces
ANSI/TIA/EIA 606-1993, Administration
This Standard describes procedures for installing Standard for the Telecommunications Infra-
cabling that carries telecommunications signals structure of Commercial Buildings
(e.g., voice, local area network). It specifies mini- ANSI/TIA/EIA 607-1994, Commercial
mum requirements for telecommunications Building Grounding and Bonding Require-
cabling installations. This standard is intended to ments for Telecommunications
be used in describing a neat and workmanlike ANSI/NFPA 101, 2000, Life Safety Code
manner as required by the National Electrical Code
(NEC), Sections 110-12 and 800-6. ANSI/NESC, 1997, National Electrical Safety
Code
Installers should always follow the NEC, applicable
state and local codes, and manufacturers instruc- This Standard describes the installation of twisted
tions when installing electrical and telecommuni- pair copper cabling and optical fiber cabling that
cations products and systems. Information within meets ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B performance.
this standard is intended to comply with the
following:

Horizontal Legend:
cabling HC/TR
EF Entrance Facility
HC/TR IC/TR
ER Equipment Room

Backbone HC Horizontal Cross-connect

cabling HC/TR
IC Intermediate Cross-connect

EF ER/MC MC Main Cross-connect

TR Telecommunications Room
To Work Area Outlet
carriers

Figure 1. Example of structured cabling system

1
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

2. Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units

of Measure
2.1 Definitions backbone: A facility (e.g., pathway, cable, or
conductors) between telecommunications rooms,
For the purposes of this Standard, the following or floor distribution terminals, the entrance facilities,
definitions apply. and the equipment rooms within or between
buildings.
administration: The method for labeling, documen- backbone cable: See backbone and backbone cabling.
tation, and usage needed to implement moves,
additions, and changes of the telecommunications backbone cabling: Cable and connecting hardware
infrastructure. that provides interconnections between telecommu-
nications rooms, equipment rooms, and entrance
all-threaded-rod: A straight section of round rod facilities. See backbone.
stock that has threads installed over its entire length.
Also known as a threaded rod. backbone pathway: The portion of the pathway
system that permits the placing of backbone cables
American wire gauge: A system used to specify wire between the entrance location and all cross-connect
size. The greater the wire diameter, the smaller the points within a building and between buildings.
value (e.g., 24 AWG [0.51 mm (0.020 in)]).
bandwidth: A range of frequencies, usually the
anchor: 1. In a premises environment, a device difference between the upper and lower limits of the
inserted into a prepared hole in which a screw or range, expressed in Hz. It is used to denote the
bolt has been inserted. 2. In an outside plant potential capacity of the medium, device, or system.
environment, a device made up of a single plate or In copper and optical fiber cabling, the bandwidth
series of flat plates, and combined with a rod having decreases with increasing length.
a connecting eye. When the plates are direct-buried
and the rod is exposed, the device becomes a secure barrier: A partition installed in a raceway or cable
point to connect to for stability. tray that provides complete separation of the
adjacent compartment.
architectural assemblies: Walls, partitions, or other
barriers that are not load bearing. beam clamp: Device attached to a beam or other
building structure above the ceiling to hold cable
architectural structures: Walls, floors, floor/ceilings, supports or equipment.
and roof/ceilings that are load bearing.
bend radius: Maximum radius that a cable can be
as-built: Documentation that indicates cable bent to avoid physical or electrical damage or cause
routing, connections, systems, and blueprint adverse transmission performance.
attributes upon job completion that reflects changes
from the planned to the finished state. binder group: A group of wire pairs found in a large
cable. Groups can be distinguished from one another
attenuation: The decrease in magnitude of trans- through the use of colored threads. Standard color-
mission signal strength between points, expressed as coding provides for 25 pairs per binder group.
the ratio of output to input. Measured in decibels
(dB), usually at a specific frequency for copper or blueprint: A reproduction of an architectural plan
wavelength for optical fiber, the signal strength may and/or technical drawing that provides details of a
be power or voltage. construction project or an existing structure. These
drawings are printed on special paper that allows
authority having jurisdiction: The building official, graphics and text to appear as blue on a white
electrical inspector, fire marshal, or other individuals background.
or entities responsible for interpretation and enforce-
ment of local building and electrical codes. bonding: The permanent joining of metallic parts to
form an electrically conductive path that will assure
backboard: A panel (e.g., wood or metal) used for electrical continuity, the capacity to safely conduct
mounting connecting hardware and equipment. any current likely to be imposed, and the ability to
limit differences in potentials between the joined
parts.

2
 Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure

bonding conductor: A conductor used specifically cable tray: A support mechanism used to route and
for the purpose of bonding. support telecommunications cable or power cable.
Typically equipped with sides that allow cables to be
braid: Cable shield that consists of interwoven placed within the sides over its entire length.
metallic strands to surround insulated conductors.
cable tree: Vertical rack with multiple arms for
bridle ring: A ring that is circular in shape but is
holding small reels of cable.
open rather than closed. It has a pointed shaft at its
apex that is threaded for installation into wood or cabling: A combination of all copper and optical
pre-threaded devices. fiber telecommunications cables, equipment/patch
cords, and connecting hardware.
bullwheel: Large wheel used to maintain bend
radius when feeding large diameter cables into a cabling system: A specific system of telecommuni-
pathway. cations cables, equipment/patch cords, connecting
hardware, and other components that is supplied as
bundle: 1. Many individual optical fibers contained a single entity.
within a single jacket or buffer tube. Also, a group of
buffered optical fibers distinguished in some fashion channel: 1. The end-to-end transmission between
from another group in the same cable core. 2. Also two points to which application-specific equipment
used to indicate time and common handling of is connected including the patch cords at the device
multiple cables routed together. location and at the telecommunications room. 2.
ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 defines a channel as up to 90
cabinet: An enclosed container with four rails used m (295 ft) of horizontal cable with connectors (work
for mounting a wide variety of miscellaneous equip-
area and telecommunications room), plus up to 10
ment inside them (e.g., fans, power strips, connec-
m (33 ft) of patch cords and equipment cords.
tion devices, terminations, apparatus, wiring, equip-
ment, etc.). They are available in a wide variety of channel stock: A metallic u-shaped bar with spaced
sizes for either wall-mounting or self-supporting. holes often hung in a trapeze configuration for
support of pathway systems, such as conduits and
cable: An assembly of one or more insulated con- trays.
ductors or optical fibers within an enveloping sheath,
constructed to permit use of the conductors or circuit: The electrical or optical path used for
optical fibers singly or in groups. See aerial cable; communications between two devices.
direct-buried cable; hard-sheath cable; underground
code: A systematic collection of regulations and
cable.
rules intended to ensure safety during installation
cable rack: The vertical or horizontal open support and use of materials, components, fixtures, systems,
structure (usually made of aluminum or steel) that is premises, and related subjects. Codes are typically
attached to a ceiling or wall. invoked and enforced through government regula-
tion.
cable run: A length of installed media in between
connection points, which may include permanent commercial building: A building, or portion
splices. thereof, that is intended for office use.
cable sheath: A covering over the optical fiber or composite: Made up of disparate or separate parts
conductor assembly that may include one or more (e.g., copper and optical fiber cables).
metallic members, strength members, or jackets.
conduit: A rigid or flexible metallic or non-metallic
cable support system: A combination of conduits, raceway of circular cross-section through which
cable trays, support hooks, tie wraps, and any other cables can be pulled.
hardware pieces used in a cabling installation to
conduit elbow: A bend in a section of conduit,
support cables. Cable support systems keep excess
stress off the cables and may provide some mechani- usually at a specified radius and degree of turn.
cal protection to the cables being supported. conduit stub-out: A short section of conduit that is
installed from a receptacle box, usually in a wall,
cable termination: 1. Item used for attaching the
pairs of a cable to allow for connecting the cable to through a suspended ceiling space a short distance
to an adjacent hallway.
other cables or devices. Examples of cable termina-
tion hardware are: patch panels, connecting blocks, conduit stub-up: A short section of conduit that is
patch blocks 66M-, 110- or BIX-type, and modular installed from a receptacle box, usually in a wall, to a
jacks. 2. The connection of the wire or optical fiber suspended ceiling space immediately above the
to a device, such as equipment, panels, or a wall receptacle box.
outlet.

3
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

cone: Safety marker that is used to designate a drywall: An interior wall construction consisting of
secure off-limits area for non-workers. gypsum or plasterboard.
connecting hardware: A device, or combination of duct: 1. A single enclosed pathway for conductors
devices, used to connect two cables or cable ele- or cables, usually placed in soil or concrete. 2. An
ments. enclosure in which air is moved. Generally part of the
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of a
connector: A mechanical device used to provide a building.
means for aligning, attaching, and achieving conti-
nuity between conductors or optical fibers. elastomeric firestop: A flexible firestopping material
resembling rubber.
consolidation point: A location for interconnection
between horizontal cables extending from building entrance facility (telecommunications): An
pathways and horizontal cables extending into entrance to a building for both public and private
furniture pathways. network service cables (including antennae) includ-
ing the entrance point at the building wall and
contractor: A person or company contracted to
continuing to the entrance room or space.
perform a specific task.
entrance point (telecommunications): The point
cord (telecommunications): A cable using stranded of emergence for telecommunications cabling
conductors for flexibility, as in distribution cords or
through an exterior wall, a floor, or from a conduit.
line cords.
entrance room or space (telecommunications): A
core: The central, light-carrying part of an optical space in which the joining of inter or intrabuilding
fiber through which light pulses are transmitted.
telecommunications backbone facilities takes place.
crimp: The act of clamping connectors to a cable.
equal level far-end crosstalk: A measure of the
cross-connect: A facility enabling the termination of unwanted signal coupling from a transmitter at the
cable elements and their interconnection or cross- near-end into a neighboring pair measured at the
connection. far-end, and normalized to the received signal level.
cross-connection: A connection scheme between equipment room (telecommunications): A central-
cabling runs, subsystems, and equipment using ized space for telecommunications equipment that
patch cords or jumpers that attach to connecting serves the occupants of a building. Equipment
hardware on each end. housed therein is considered distinct from a telecom-
munications room because of its nature or complex-
crossed pairs: Error condition in twisted-pair wiring ity.
where pairs are reversed.
exposed: When a circuit is in such a position that in
crosstalk: The unwanted reception of electromag- case of failure of supports or insulation, contact with
netic signals on a communications circuit from another conductor may result.
another circuit.
far-end crosstalk: Crosstalk measured and ex-
current: Flow of electrons in a conductor measured pressed in dB at the opposite end from which the
in amperes. source signal is transmitted. The unwanted reception
data: Electronically encoded information. or coupling of signals by one wire pair from another
wire pair at the opposite end of a link. Contrast with
decibel: A logarithmic unit used for expressing the near-end crosstalk.
loss or gain of signal strength. One dB is the amount
by which the pressure of a pure sine wave of sound fastener: A screw, bolt, or nail-like device that is
must be varied in order for the change to be used to secure an item to a wall, floor, or ceiling with
detected by the average human ear. an anchor.
dressing: Placing cables into a neat and symmetrical fiber: Thin filament of glass or plastic that conducts
pattern for proper alignment and positioning for a light signal. See optical fiber and plastic optical
termination. fiber.
D-ring: Wire management ring made of metal or fire retardant: Any substance added to delay the
plastic, and shaped like the letter D for routing and start of ignition or fire or slow the spread of the
supporting distribution cables and/or cross-connec- flame of any material.
tions on a backboard.

4
 Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure

firestop: A material, device, or assembly of parts in grounded: Connected to earth or to some

an architectural barrier to prevent vertical or horizon- conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
tal passage of flame, smoke, water, or gases through
the rated barrier. ground wire: See grounding conductor.
grounding conductor: A conductor used to
firestopping: The process of installing specialty
connect electrical equipment to the grounding
materials into penetrations of fire-rated barriers to
re-establish the integrity of the barrier. See cementious electrode to the buildings main grounding busbar.
firestop and elastomeric firestop. grounding system: A system of hardware and
wiring that provides an electrical path from a
firestop system: A specific listed assembly consisting
of the material(s) (firestop penetration seals) that fill specified location to an earth ground point.
the opening in the wall or floor assembly, and hanger: A device that is used to hold something in
around and between any items that penetrate the position.
wall or floor (e.g., cables, cable trays, conduit, ducts,
pipes), and any termination devices (e.g., electrical hertz: A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per
outlet boxes), along with their means of support. second.

firewall: 1. A wall that helps prevent fire spreading horizontal cable: Cable that runs from the telecom-
from one fire zone or area to another, and that runs munications room to a device location. It may be
from structural floor to structural ceiling. 2. One or installed in either a horizontal or vertical plane.
more security mechanisms designed for access horizontal cabling: The cabling between and
control and authentication to prevent, detect, including the work area telecommunications outlet/
suppress, and/or contain unauthorized access to a connector and the horizontal cross-connect (floor
network. Firewalls are designed to keep unwanted distributor) in the telecommunications room.
and unauthorized traffic from a protected network.
horizontal cross-connect: A group of connectors,
fire zone: A contained area completely enclosed by such as patch panel or punch-down block, that
fire-resistant rated walls, floors, and ceilings. allows equipment and backbone cabling to be
floor slab: 1. The upper part of a reinforced cross-connected with patch cords or jumpers. Floor
concrete floor that sits on beams. 2. A concrete mat distributor is the international term for horizontal
poured on subgrade serving as a floor rather than as cross-connect.
a structural member. infrastructure (telecommunications): 1. A collec-
foiled twisted-pair cable: See screened twisted-pair tion of those telecommunications components,
cable. excluding equipment, that together provide the
basic support for the distribution of all information
foldback splicing: Process of folding back conduc- within a building or campus. 2. Substructure of
tors in a splice for future maintenance or rearrange- system used to support the cable plant being in-
ments. stalled.
frequency: 1. The measure of the number of cycles in-line splice: A splice in which cable enters one
(waves) per second, expressed in Hertz (Hz). 2. The endcap and, after splicing the cable, exits the other
number of identical cycles per second of a periodic endcap of the closure.
wave.
innerduct: A non-metallic pathway placed within a
fusion splice: A permanent joint accomplished by larger pathway.
applying localized heat sufficient to fuse or melt the
ends of two optical fibers together, forming a insulation: The dielectric material that physically
continuous single fiber. separates wires and prevents conduction between
them.
ground: A conducting connection, whether
intentional or accidental, between an electrical insulation displacement connector: A type of wire
circuit (e.g., telecommunications) or equipment and terminating connection in which the insulation
the earth, or to some conducting body that serves in jacket is cut by the connector where the wire is
place of earth. inserted.

ground electrode: A conductor, usually a rod, pipe, interconnect: A location where interconnections are
or plate (or group of such conductors), in direct made.
contact with the earth providing a connection point interconnection: A connection scheme that
to the earth. provides for the connection of a cable to another
cable or to an equipment cable.

5
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

intermediate cross-connect: The connection point multimode: Transmits or emits more than one
between a backbone cable that extends from the propagating mode.
main cross-connect (campus distributor) (first-level
backbone) and the backbone cable from the hori- multimode optical fiber: A graded-index or step-
index optical fiber that supports the propagation of
zontal cross-connect (floor distributor) (second-level
more than one bound mode.
backbone). Building distributor is the international
term for intermediate cross-connect. mushroom: A plastic guide in the shape of a mush-
room, used for routing jumpers.
jacket: The outer layer of a cable. See cable sheath.
National Electrical Code (NEC): A safety code
J-hook: A supporting device for horizontal cables
that is shaped like a J. It is attached to some written and administered by the National Fire
Protection Association.
building structures. Horizontal cables are laid in the
opening formed by the J to provide support for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
cables. Association that writes and administers the National
Electrical Code.
jumper: 1. An assembly of twisted pairs without
connectors, used to join telecommunications circuits/ near-end crosstalk: The unwanted signal coupling
links at the cross-connect. 2. An optical fiber cable between pairs. It is measured at the end of a cable
with connectors installed on both ends. See cable nearest the point of transmission. Contrast with far-
assembly. end crosstalk.
ladder rack: A device similar to a cable tray but network: A group of three or more nodes that can
more closely resembles a single section of a ladder. communicate with each other, either directly
It is constructed of metal with two sides affixed to through common wiring or indirectly through
horizontal cross members. repeaters to separated wiring. See data network.
link: A transmission path between two points, not ohm: The standard unit of electrical resistance that
including terminal equipment, work area cables, measures the opposition to the flow of direct cur-
patch cables, and equipment cables. Can be up to rent, called resistance, or opposition to the flow of
90 m (295 ft) in length for horizontal cabling. alternating current, called impedance. One volt will
cause one ampere of current to flow through one
local area network: A geographically limited data
communications system for a specific user group ohm of resistance. The symbol is .
consisting of a group of interconnected computers optical fiber: Transmission medium using glass or
sharing applications, data, and peripheral devices plastic to transmit pulse light signals. Its bandwidth is
such as printers and CD-ROM drives intended for the higher than copper and not subject to electromag-
local transport of data, video, and voice. netic interference. The optical fiber consists of a
central core (glass or plastic) and an outer cladding.
loss: Attenuation of the optical signal, usually
measured in dB. See fiber and plastic optical fiber.
optical fiber cable: Cable made up of one or more
main cross-connect: The cross-connect normally
strands of optical fiber, strength members, and an
located in the (main) equipment room for cross-
connection and interconnection of entrance cables, outer jacket.
first-level backbone cables, and equipment cables. outlet box (telecommunications): A metallic or
Campus distributor is the international term for main non-metallic box mounted within a wall, floor, or
cross-connect. ceiling and used to hold telecommunications outlets/
connectors or transition devices.
megahertz: A unit of frequency equal to one million
cycles per second (hertz). outlet/connector (telecommunications): Mechani-
membrane penetration: An opening through only cal cable termination device for horizontal cable in
the work area.
one surface or side of a barrier.
pair: 1. Two insulated wires twisted around each
modular furniture: Groups of low-wall partitions,
desks, and furniture assembled in the field in open other. 2. One side circuit (two diametrically facing
conductors) in a star quad.
spaces within an office.
pair count: Indicates how many pair of wires are in
modular patch panel: A facility enabling the
terminating of cable elements on insulation displace- a cable or the pair identification serving a location.
ment connector modules and their connections by
means of a patch cord.

6
 Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure

patch cord: A length of cable with connectors on resistance: A measure of opposition a material offers
one or both ends used to join telecommunications to the flow of direct current.
circuits/links at the cross-connect.
return loss: 1. A ratio, expressed in dB, of the power
patch panel: See modular patch panel. of the outgoing signal to the power of the reflected
signal. 2. The amount of reflected power compared
pathway: 1. A sequence of connections that pro-
to the amount of incident power at an interface,
vides the connectivity between devices on a network expressed in dB. Return loss is a critical factor in
or between networks on an internetwork. 2. The
singlemode links because reflected light can destabi-
vertical and horizontal route of the telecommunica-
lize some lasers.
tions cable.
reversed pair: When the polarity of the wires is
plenum: A designated area used for transport of
reversed. A wiring error in twisted-pair cabling where
environmental air as part of the air distribution
the pins on a cable pair are reversed between
system. Because it is part of the air distribution connectors on one end of the cable.
system, cables installed in this space require a higher
fire rating. ring: A means for identification of one conductor of
a pair. Historically associated with the wire connected
plenum rated: Meeting flammability and smoke to the ring portion of an operators telephone
requirements for the purpose of fire, life, and safety
plug.
as described by the National Electrical Code (NEC).
screened twisted-pair cable: A cable with one or
power sum equal level far-end crosstalk loss: more pairs of twisted copper conductors covered
A computation of the unwanted signal coupling from
with an overall metallic shield. See foiled twisted-pair
multiple transmitters at the near end into a pair
cable.
measured at the far end, and normalized to the
received signal level. sheath: See cable sheath.
power sum near-end crosstalk: Power sum assumes shield: Metallic layer placed around a conductor or
all pairs in a cable contribute in crosstalk, using a group of conductors to prevent electrostatic or
formula that totals crosstalk power. electromagnetic coupling between the enclosed
wires and external fields.
power sum near-end crosstalk loss: A computation
of the unwanted signal coupling from multiple shield: A continuous metallic layer placed around a
transmitters at the near end into a pair measured at conductor or group of conductors.
the near end.
shielded twisted-pair cable: Cable made up of
premises: A generic term that includes a building or multiple twisted copper pairs, each pair with an
set of buildings on common property that are individual shield. The entire structure is then covered
occupied by a single tenant or landlord. with an overall shield or braid and an insulating
sheath (cable jacket).
pull: 1. The act of placing cable by pulling. 2. The
longitudinal force acting on a pole as a result of short: A low-resistance connection between two
horizontal loading. conducting materials.
pull cord: Cord placed within a cable pathway, used singlemode optical fiber: An optical fiber, usually
to pull wire and cable. See drag line. step-index grade, that supports only one mode of
light propagation. This does not necessarily imply
pull strength: The rated strength of the force of a
single-wavelength operation. The light source is
cable that can be exerted on it during the pulling normally a laser.
process.
sleeve: A short section of conduit, either metallic or
pull tension: The pulling force that can be applied
non-metallic, lining an opening in the wall or floor
to a cable without affecting specified characteristics for cables to pass through.
for the cable.
space (telecommunications): An area used for
raceway: Any enclosed channel designed for
housing the installation and termination of telecom-
holding wires, cables, or busbars. munications equipment and cable (e.g., equipment
rack: See cable rack. rooms, telecommunications rooms, work areas, and
maintenance holes/handholes).
reel brake: A device used to control the rate of
removal of a cable from a cable reel. splice: A joining of conductors in a splice closure,
meant to be permanent.

7
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

splice case: A metal or plastic housing with a telecommunications main grounding busbar:
semicyclindrical cavity used in identical pairs to A busbar placed in a convenient and accessible
clamp around a cable splice to provide a closure. location and bonded, by means of the bonding
conductor for telecommunications, to the building
splice closure: See splice case.
service equipment (power) ground.
split pair: Inadvertent transposition of two
telecommunications outlet: See outlet/connector
conductors of separate pairs. (telecommunications).
standard: A collection of requirements that
telecommunications room: An enclosed space for
encompass properties of components and systems
housing telecommunications equipment, cable
that are intended to ensure an accepted degree of terminations, and cross-connects. The room is the
functionality and longevity. Standards are intended
recognized cross-connect between the backbone
to reflect accepted norms as typically determined
cable and horizontal cabling.
through a balloting process conducted by a nation-
ally or internationally accredited organization. telecommunications service entrance:
See entrance facility (telecommunications).
STP-A: An IBM designed, shielded twisted-pair cable
consisting of two individually shielded 22 AWG tie wrap: Plastic or hook and loop strip used for
[0.64 mm (0.025 in)] conductor pairs, with an binding and dressing cable.
overall shield capable of supporting transmission to
trapeze: A support device using threaded rod and
300 MHz.
channel stock.
stub-out: Conduit installed from a wall outlet to a
tray: See cable tray.
raceway.
twisted-pair: Two individually insulated conductors
stub-up: Conduit installed from a wall or floor outlet
into the accessible ceiling space above. physically twisted together to form a balanced pair.
twisted-pair cable: A multiconductor cable compris-
surface-mounted raceway: Plastic or metallic
ing two or more copper conductors twisted in a
raceway that is installed on the surface of a wall,
floor, or ceiling. Provides a protective pathway for manner designed to cancel electrical interference.
cables and/or power from public access. underfloor raceway: A pathway placed within the
floor and from which wires and cables emerge to a
suspended ceiling: A ceiling that creates an area or
space between the ceiling material and the building specific floor area.
structure above the material. This area may or may unshielded twisted-pair cable: Cable containing
not be an air handling space requiring plenum rules one or more pairs of twisted copper without metallic
of a national code. The design of the air condition- shielding.
ing/heating system determines this.
volt (V): A unit of electromotive force or potential
telecommunications: A branch of technology difference that will cause a current of one ampere to
concerned with the transmission, emission, and flow through a resistance of one ohm.
reception of signs, signals, writing, images, and
sounds; that is, information of any nature by cable, wavelength: The length of a wave measured from
radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. any point on one wave to the corresponding point
on the next wave, such as from crest to crest. The
telecommunications entrance facility: See wavelength of light is usually measured in nanom-
entrance facility (telecommunications). eters.
telecommunications entrance point: See entrance wire: An individually insulated solid or stranded
point (telecommunications). metallic conductor.
telecommunications entrance room or space: wireway: A supported pathway for cables.
See entrance room or space (telecommunications).
work area: A building space where the occupants
telecommunications equipment room: interact with telecommunications terminal
See equipment room (telecommunications). equipment.
telecommunications grounding busbar: A com- work area outlet: A device placed at user worksta-
mon point of connection for telecommunications tion for termination of horizontal media and for
system and equipment bonding to ground; located connectivity of network equipment.
in the telecommunications room or equipment
room. workstation: A telecommunications device used in
communicating with another telecommunications
device.
8
 Definitions, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Units of Measure

2.2 Acronyms, abbreviations, and units MHz megahertz

of measure mm millimeter
AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction MM multimode
ATR all-threaded-rod MUTOA multi-user telecommunications outlet
AWG American wire gauge assembly

C degree Celsius NEC National Electrical Code

CP consolidation point NECA National Electrical Contractors

Association
CT cable tray
NEXT near-end crosstalk
dB decibel
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
EF entrance facility
PSELFEXT power sum equal level far-end crosstalk
ELFEXT equal level far-end crosstalk
PSNEXT power sum near-end crosstalk
EMT electrical metallic tubing
RMC rigid metal conduit
EP entrance point
SC subscriber connector
ER equipment room
ScTP screened twisted-pair
F degree Fahrenheit
SM singlemode
FEXT far-end crosstalk
STP-A shielded twisted-pair-A
ft feet, foot
TBB telecommunications bonding backbone
HC horizontal cross-connect
TGB telecommunications grounding busbar
HVAC heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning TMGB telecommunications main grounding
busbar
Hz hertz
TO telecommunications outlet
IC intermediate cross-connect
TR telecommunications room
IDC insulation displacement connector
USOC Universal Service Ordering Code
IMC intermediate metal conduit
UTP unshielded twisted-pair
in inch
V volt
km kilometer
X cross-connect
kVA kilovolt amp
LAN local area network
lb pound
lbf pound-force
LED light-emitting diode
m meter
m micron; one millionth of a meter
(0.000001 meter); also micrometer
MC main cross-connect
MDF main distribution frame

9
3. Support Structures

3.1 General installing cable trays between telecommunications

rooms and as horizontal or backbone pathways.
Supporting structures are necessary to allow
installation of wire, cable, connecting hardware, 3.2.2.1 Tubular construction
and associated apparatus. They are comprised of
Tubular cable trays may be installed on one level
components such as equipment racks, cabinets, D
or multiple levels. Corners and changes in hori-
rings, bridle rings, hangers, J hooks, plywood
zontal plane are accomplished by using sections of
backboard, cable trays, conduits, slots, sleeves, and
cable tray cut from standard stock and connected
their associated hardware.
together with manufacturer specified hardware.
3.2 Pathways Connecting hardware permits all angles, both
vertical and horizontal, to be accommodated over
the entire route of the cable tray.
3.2.1 General
When installing pathways, it is important to A tubular cable tray shall be wall mounted or
ensure that the route for the pathways are clear of supported by the building structure from above
obstructions, such as HVAC ducts, large pipes, and using all-threaded-rods (ATR) and manufacturer
structural beams within the building. Where fire specified attachments (See Figure 1). The all-
or smoke barriers are penetrated, they shall be threaded-rods shall be installed using properly
firestopped to maintain the fire rating of the sized anchors and correct attachment hardware.
barrier. Select the ATR to support the maximum load for
which the cable tray is designed. Figure 2 illus-
Determine the entire route of a pathway before trates a tubular cable tray that is suspended from a
installation of the supports. The route shall be ceiling using all-threaded-rods.
surveyed prior to installation to ensure that there
are no obstacles. This is especially true when Wall brackets can support a tubular cable tray
having to penetrate fire or smoke rated walls and (See Figure 3). Wall brackets are installed on a wall
floors. If the penetration cannot be established, along the route of the cable tray. The number of
then all the work done to install the support brackets and specific spacing interval is dependent
hardware may have to be repeated at another upon the load the cable tray must support. Sup-
location. porting attachment shall be made on a cable tray
not more than 610 mm (24 in) from the end, and
Make penetrations through fire-or smoke-rated at joints between two sections. Additional sup-
walls and floors before installing the hangers, ports are also required every 1.5 m (5 ft) thereafter.
clamps, and trapezes. Once the pathway is in- Anchors to attach the brackets shall be sized to
stalled, firestop the penetrations per local code support the rated load of the cable tray.
requirements.

3.2.2 Cable trays Cable retaining posts are available in 150 to 300
mm (6.0 to 12.0 in) lengths to allow additional
This subclause specifically addresses the installa- cables to be installed to a depth exceeding that of
tion of a cable tray within a telecommunications the cable tray. Without these devices the cable
room. The principles involved can be applied to would not be confined by the edges of the cable

10
 Support Structures

tray and may fall from the tray. The load rating of angles (both vertical and horizontal) can be
the cable tray and support elements shall not be accommodated over the entire route of the cable
exceeded by the addition of cables to this path- tray without having to sever the entire cable tray
way. and use specialized hardware.
3.2.2.2 Rod stock
The mesh cable tray may be supported using wall
Installation of rod stock, commonly known as brackets or all threaded-rods. Where appropriate,
mesh cable tray (See Figure 4), is accomplished by wall brackets are installed on the wall along the
using light hand tools, power drills, and an offset route of the cable tray. The brackets are installed at
blade bolt cutter. Unlike traditional cable trays, intervals depending on the rated load of the tray
this system can be formed to adjust to changes in in accordance to manufacturers guidelines.
elevation and horizontal direction without the Support attachments shall be made on a cable tray
need for specialized adapters. not more than 610 mm (24 in) from the end, and
at joints between two sections. Additional sup-
Mesh cable trays may be installed on one or ports are also required every 1.5 m (5 ft) thereafter.
multiple levels. Corners and changes in horizontal Anchors to attach the brackets shall be sized to
level are accomplished by selective cutting of the support the rated load of the cable tray.
mesh in the cable tray at specific points using bolt 3.2.2.3 Installation practices
cutters and connecting together the points cut by
means of manufacturer specified attachment Cable tray is installed from one wall to the oppo-
hardware. By using connecting hardware, all site wall in a telecommunications room using wall
angles to secure the cable tray at each end and by
the manufacturer specified number of wall brack-
ets to support the cable tray in the middle
(See Figure 5). By using both of these attachments,
sufficient support for the cable tray and the
installed cables is provided. Another choice to
support the cable tray is by using all-threaded-rod
attached to the building structure above.

Figure 2. Suspended cable tray

Figure 3. Wall bracket (Tubular) Figure 4. Mesh cable tray

11
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

3.2.3 D rings and mushrooms D rings are available in many sizes, shapes, materi-
als, and colors. Traditionally, D-rings are manufac-
D rings and half-D-rings are used to support small tured of metal and are formed in the shape of the
bundles of cables as they route from one termina- letter D. Figure 6 illustrates metal D-rings.
tion point on the plywood backboard to another.

Mushrooms are constructed of plastic and contain

However, they should not be substituted for a a center-mounted screw for attachment to
cable tray. Mushrooms are typically used for cross- plywood backboards. They are also available with
connect routing. threaded bolts for installation on equipment racks.
Figure 7 illustrates mushrooms.

3.2.4 Conduits

3.2.4.1 General
Conduits that enter a telecommunications room
should be terminated on the wall to enable
orderly routing of the cables to termination
hardware within the room or routed through the
room to another location. The telecommunica-
tions designers drawings should indicate the
location of each conduit and where they termi-
nate in the room.

Conduit ends should be positioned adjacent to a

corner of the backboard (in the case of a single
piece of plywood) or in the corner of the room
(where multiple sheets of plywood are installed
around the perimeter walls of the room). If con-
Figure 5. Elevation view of cable tray installed on the duits cannot be located in these positions, cable
rear wall of a telecommunications room. trays should be used to route the cables from one
location in the room to another.

Figure 7. Mushroom

Figure 6. Typical backboard layout using D-rings

12
 Support Structures

Where several large backbone cables are passing 3.2.4.2 Elbows and bends
vertically through the room, a vertical cable tray
Factory-manufactured bends are recommended for
or other suitable vertical attachments should be
conduit installation. Field-manufactured bends are
appropriately positioned to support the cables
typically elliptical (oval) in shape rather than
from ceiling to floor level. When cable tray is
completely round. This is caused by the action of
used, the cables should be secured to the cable
the tools used to bend the conduit. Whenever
tray in an orderly fashion to ensure that they are
possible, manufactured conduit sweeps should be
properly supported and the entire weight of the
used rather than mechanically bending the
cable is equally distributed over several cable
conduit in the field. See Table 1 for minimum
supports.
bend radii of conduits.

Conduits should be secured to the top of the 3.2.4.3 Conduit terminations

plywood backboard when entering from overhead. Conduits should be terminated where they enter
When entering from below grade, extend the or leave a telecommunications room or equipment
conduits 25 mm to 75 mm (1 in to 3 in) above the room. The recommended location for terminating
floor slab or building structure. Conduits shall be the conduit is in a horizontal plane where the
reamed and installed with bushings. It is especially conduit penetrates the wall of the TR or ER. Allow
important to use sweep elbows when installing no more than 50 mm (2 in) of conduit and bush-
bends. Reducing the recommended bending radius ing to extend into the room. Conduits that enter a
can result in cable damage. See Table 1 for telecommunications room should terminate in the
minimum conduit bend radius. corners to allow for cable racking. Terminate these
conduits as close as possible to the wall where the
The conduit brackets shall be of the type, which backboard is mounted.
provide electrical continuity between the conduit
and the channel stock to provide a bonding path Conduits shall be reamed and bushed to reduce
between conduits and a bonding conductor to be cable sheath damage during the pulling operation.
installed from the channel stock. They shall then
be bonded to either the telecommunications main Conduits shall be bonded to ground. Grounding
grounding busbar (TMGB) or to a telecommunica- bushings are installed on the end of the conduit.
tions grounding busbar (TGB) where present. With electrical metallic tubing (EMT), a set-screw
Where a small number of conduits are installed, a grounding bushing is placed on the end of the
grounding bushing should be installed at the end conduit and tightened using the appropriate tool.
of each conduit for the attachment of a ground On intermediate metal conduit (IMC) and rigid
wire, which connects to the TMGB or TGB. Con- metal conduit (RMC), a grounding bushing is
duits in close proximity to each other can be screwed onto the threaded end of the conduit.
bonded together and one of them shall be bonded Tighten the bushing until it is secure. A threadless
to the TMGB or TGB. grounding bushing is also available which can
provide an alternate means for locating the
Table 1. Minimum conduit bend radius ground lug. These are installed with set-screws.

If the conduit The bend radius

Other methods for securing conduits can be
has an internal shall be at
employed when conduits are turned down the
diameter of... least...
wall and terminate at the top of the plywood or
turned up and terminate at the bottom of the
50 mm (2 in) or less 6 times the internal plywood.
diameter conduit diameter
Terminate conduits that protrude through the
structural floor between 25-76 mm (1 3 in) above
More than 50 mm 10 times the internal the surface. This prevents cleaning solvents or
(2 in) diameter conduit diameter other fluids from flowing into the conduit.

13
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

When conduits are turned down in a telecommu- While similar in many ways, they are significantly
nications room, terminate them above the ply- different from an installation perspective.
wood backboard. This allows full usage of the
plywood backboard for termination and routing of 3.2.4.5.1 Stub-up installation
cabling. If this method is used, channel stock can Stub-ups are usually single sections of small
be used to attach the conduits in a fixed manner diameter metal conduit. They originate at a single-
to the room wall. Each conduit can be attached to or double-gang box installed in drywall or panel-
the channel stock with a pipe clamp. If the pipe ing. The stub-up continues vertically through the
clamps are equipped with teeth that bite into wall cavity where it penetrates the wall cap and
the conduit, a grounding bushing is not required stubs up into the ceiling area. It terminates at that
on every conduit. A single conduit in each run of point and is equipped with a conduit bushing and
channel stock can be equipped with a grounding a pull string. Sometimes the stub-up is equipped
bushing. The entire section of channel stock can with a 90-degree bend that is turned back into the
effectively be grounded using a single bushing and room, especially when installed in fire- or smoke-
ground wire. An alternative method is to install a rated walls.
grounding connection onto the channel stock and
then route the ground wire to the appropriate 3.2.4.5.2 Stub-out installation
ground bar (TMGB or TGB). Stub-outs are short runs of small diameter metal
3.2.4.4 Securing conduit conduit. They originate at a single or double-gang
box installed in drywall or paneling. The stub-out
Conduits shall be secured at each end in such a continues vertically through the wall cavity, where
manner that they do not move. Cross braces can it penetrates the wall cap, and continues into the
be used throughout the route to stabilize the ceiling area. In a typical installation, the conduit
conduit(s) and prevent movement. This can be continues through the ceiling area and into an
accomplished by the use of conduit clamps, adjacent hallway. The conduit may terminate as it
channel stock, or ATR placed at opposing angles exits the wall into the hallway, or it may continue
(180-degrees opposite from each other). This helps to another type of supporting structure such as a
prevent lateral movement of the conduit during cable tray or ladder rack. It terminates at that
placing operations. The same anchoring mecha- point and is equipped with a conduit bushing and
nisms can be used to secure the clamps and cross a pull string.
braces as used to hang the conduits from the
building structure. 3.2.5 Hangers
There are many types of hangers available to
When large, high pair-count cables are installed in support the installation of conduit. Installation of
conduits, the pulling of the cable places signifi- pipe hangers is one such way that this can be
cant tension on the conduit. A winch is generally accomplished. The hanger is a pear-shaped device
employed in this high pair-count placing that is attached to an ATR. An ATR is a length of
operation. Sometimes the winch is anchored to rod stock that has been threaded for its entire
the building or attached directly to the conduit. length at manufacture. ATR is available in various
This tension causes swinging and swaying of the lengths and diameters.
conduit and its hangers. Excessive movement of A pipe hanger is suspended from the building
the conduit can cause the hangers to loosen and structure by an anchor and a section of ATR. The
possibly come free. If this happens, the conduit anchor is installed in the concrete structure of the
and its cable could fall to the floor resulting in floor or beam. When concrete is not available and
damage to the cable, the building, and steel trusses are installed in the building, beam
individuals. clamps can be used to support the ATR and
3.2.4.5 Stub-up/stub-out conduits hanger. The selection of anchors and beam clamps
should be determined by the load of the conduit
These terms imply that a section of conduit is and cable to be supported. The ATR is attached to
used to provide a pathway in a vertical and then the pipe hanger with nuts and lock washers. The
horizontal direction from a point of termination. assembly is then capable of supporting the con-
duit that is installed through the pipe hanger.

14
 Support Structures

Another type of conduit support is a trapeze. This 3.3 Spaces

is a device that is made by using two ATRs and a
section of channel stock. The ATR is suspended 3.3.1 Plywood
from the building structure and attached to each
end of the channel stock using appropriate nuts A minimum of two walls should be covered with
and washers. The conduits are then attached to rigidly fixed 20 mm (0.75 in) A-C plywood,
the channel stock with pipe clamps and locked in preferably void free, 2.4 m (8 ft) high, capable of
place. supporting attached equipment. Plywood should
be either fire-rated or covered with two coats of
fire retardant paint.
A third type of conduit support is a one-piece
conduit hanger. This is a device that is manufac-
tured in such a way that the compression bolt is It is recommended that plywood backboards be
part of the hanger itself and, when loosened, it installed around the entire perimeter of the room.
will not come off the hanger. This type of hanger This will allow cables to be installed and termi-
can be mounted directly to the building structure, nated around the walls of the room, now or in the
to red iron, or to a specialized hanger mount. future. It will also facilitate attaching cables that
pass through vertically to rooms above or below.
3.2.6 Surface raceway
Surface raceway is available in both metallic and Plywood sheets used for backboards should be
nonmetallic versions. When installing surface installed with the longest dimension reaching
raceway, follow manufacturers instructions. from the floor level up toward the ceiling to its 2.4
Metallic surface raceway shall be grounded. m (8 ft) height. Plywood shall be installed in such
a manner that there is no separation between
adjacent sheets. When installing plywood in a
corner, the plywood backboard shall be installed
to form a smooth, tight-gap free corner.

Figure 8. Plywood installation over drywall using toggle bolts

15
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

The plywood backboard shall be secured on top of allocated for them prior to installation. If there is
existing drywall or to wall studs in the perimeter a question regarding the space allocated refer to
walls of the room. When installing plywood on design drawings or contact the designer for further
drywall, which has already been installed on the clarification.
studs, verify the load rating of the wall before
installing the plywood. If the load rating will When floor-mounted cabinets are required, the
permit this type of installation, use 6 mm (0.25 in) grounding and bonding instructions shall be
toggle bolts (butterfly bolts) to ensure the stability followed.
of the installation. Toggle bolts should be installed
at approximately 610 mm (24 in) spacing around 3.3.4 Wall mounted equipment racks and
the entire perimeter of the plywood sheet. The cabinets
toggle bolts should be installed 50 mm (2 in) from
the edges of the sheet of plywood on 610 mm When wall mounted equipment racks and cabi-
(24 in) centers. Figure 8 illustrates plywood instal- nets are required, the grounding and bonding
lation over drywall that is attached to metal wall instructions shall be followed.
studs.
3.4 Bonding Infrastructure
3.3.2 Equipment racks
3.4.1 General
Racks shall be secured to the building structure
and should be accessible from the front and rear. Grounding and bonding are terms that are used to
Typical spacing is 914 mm (36 in) in front and define the practice of connecting all metallic
back of the rack, and 762 mm (30 in) on the sides. components of a system together to a main
building ground electrode, for the purposes of
reducing or eliminating the differences of poten-
Cables should be routed on the rear sides of the
tial between all of the utilities inside of the build-
rack using cable management accessories attached
ing structure. See ANSI/TIA/EIA-607.
to the rear of the racks vertical channels or in
cable management channels on the sides of the 3.4.2 Bonding conductor
rack.
Ground wires and a ground bus shall be installed
so that they are not obstructed by cable trays,
Where equipment racks are separated from a wall,
cables, or terminating hardware. Ground wires
cable trays should be installed from the wall to the
and bonding wires should always be installed in
top of the equipment racks. This will provide a
the straightest and shortest route between the
pathway for cables to be routed between equip-
origination and termination point. A minimum
ment racks. Transitions between cable trays and
bend radius shall not be less than eight times the
equipment racks shall be equipped with means
conductor diameter. A sharp bend may interfere
ensuring minimum cable bend radii. All racks
with the effectiveness of the grounding system,
shall be bonded to the TGB or TMGB using a
since it will modify the characteristics of the
minimum 6 AWG copper conductor.
grounding path.
3.3.3 Floor mounted cabinets
3.4.3 Local code requirements
Cable access to floor-mounted cabinets is nor-
Local code requirements shall be followed. Always
mally provided by knockouts (pre-punched holes)
review the local code requirements with the local
in the cabinet side, top, or bottom. Cable trays
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) before
and ladder racks provide a means of routing cables
proceeding with the installation. This includes
to the cabinet. Transitions between cable trays and
reviewing what issue of the code is adopted and
cabinets shall be equipped with means ensuring
what, if any, exceptions to the code are adopted
minimum cable bend radii. Verify the cable
by the governing authority. Most of the code
installation methods specified by the manufac-
requirements for the job should be included in
turer prior to attempting to install cabinets.
the telecommunications cabling designers
Ensure that the cabinets will fit the footprint

16
 Support Structures

documents. The cabling installer should never Identify any obstructions along the pro
take this information for granted, since the posed route and determine how to over
telecommunications contractor is fully responsible come them.
for all work done on the project. If it is necessary to pass through any walls,
be prepared to make the required penetra-
If no code has been adopted locally, consult with tionconcrete, concrete block, drywall, or
the fire marshals office to determine what agency other wall construction.
is responsible for that geographic area and what When installing cables in a suspended
codes are in effect. Do not depend on other ceiling without permanent pathways,
cabling installers, contractors, or even company avoid cable paths that introduce obstacles.
personnel in making these determinations.
Identify the plan to support cable in
3.5 Installing cable support systems suspended ceilings and what type of
hardware will be installed.
3.5.1 General
2) Verify load capacity of the cable support
Cable support systems typically installed by the system.
telecommunications installer include the Verify this information by:
following:
Reviewing the telecommunications
Cable trays and associated hardware designers documents.
Ladder racks and associated hardware Determining the weight of individual
Enclosed wire pathways and associated types and sizes of cable to be installed.
hardware Identifying the building structure to
Plywood backboards, straps, rings, ensure the attachment of the support
hangers, fasteners, and J-hooks system is deigned for that structure.
Conduits and associated hardware
3) Verify the load capacity of existing cable
Support systems provide a pathway for the cable, support structures where these are to be used.
thus reducing and eliminating stress, which could Visually examine the existing supports to de
damage the copper pairs or glass strands inside a termine if they are firmly attached, not worn
cable sheath. The following steps are general in or broken, and are capable of bearing the
nature. Additional steps may be required, depend- extra weight.
ing on the size, quantity, and load rating of the
individual supporting structures. Telecommunica- 4) Verify cable support installation accessibility.
tions designers should provide all the information Examine the following:
in their design documents that will allow the
Area where the building beams and other
cabling installer to select the necessary hardware
structural elements are located
and employ proper methods to install these
structures. Area where the concrete floor slab above is
accessible and usable for installing anchors
3.5.1.1 Stepsinstall cable support systems or other cable supports directly to them
1) Obtain blueprint/specifications/designers Paths in all directions from the point of
documents. observation to see if the pathway is clear
Determine the size, type, and quantity of for cable supports
pathways to be installed.
Determine the proposed route of the
pathways between rooms and from rooms
to work areas.

17
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

5) Cable separation. Measure the location of the first D ring

Maintain specified distances from possible to be installed according to the
sources of EMI (see Table 2). designers documents.
For both safety and performance purposes, Position the D ring on the backboard
keep power cables physically separated and mark the location of the holes in
from telecommunications cables. the D ring.
Pre-drill the location of the D ring
NOTE: Route open or non-metallic telecommunica- holes.
tions pathways a minimum of 127 mm (5 in) away Position the D ring on the backboard
from fluorescent fixtures. and install screws.

6) Verify materials and tools availability. 8) One method of mounting J-hooks in

structures above the suspended ceiling level.
Before beginning an installation of a cable Determine the J-hook size required in each
support system, be sure that the required materi- cable path and lay them out along the
als, hand tools, and power tools are available. This cable route (maximum of 1.2 m to 1.5 m
should also include safety tools such as safety [48 in to 60 in]).
glasses and, where required, hardhats.
Identify the location of the first J-hook to
be installed.
7) Mount D-rings.
Position the J-hook at its designated
Review the designers drawing and specifi- location and mark the holes for the
cations to determine exact placement, anchors.
quantity, size, and type of D-rings.
Pre-drill the holes and install the anchors
Install the D-rings, working from the top (depending on the type of structure, i.e., a
left side of the plywood backboard to the masonry structure will require one type of
bottom right side of the plywood anchor while metal structures or drywall
backboard: will require others).

Table 2. Minimum separation distances from possible sources of EMI

Condition Minimum separation distance

< 2kVA 2-5 kVA >5kVA

Unshielded power lines or electrical 127 mm 305 mm 610 mm
equipment in proximity to open or (5 in) (12in) (24 in)
nonmetal pathways.
Unshielded power lines or electrical 64 mm 152 mm 305 mm
equipment in proximity to a grounded (2.5 mm) (6 in) (12 in)
metal conduit pathway.
Power lines enclosed in a grounded metal 76 mm 152 mm
conduit (or equivalent shielding) in proximity (3 in) (6 in)
to a grounded metal conduit pathway.
Electrical motors and transformers 1220 mm
(48 in)

18
 Support Structures

Install the anchors.

Reposition the J-hook at the desired 11) Conduit hangers.
location.
Using a screwdriver, install the screw Conduits are suspended from the building struc-
through the hole in the J-hook and into ture using a variety of hangers. These hangers are
the anchor, securing the J-hook to the available in many sizes and types depending on
anchor. the type of conduit and method used to install the
hangers. The cabling installer should refer to the
Repeat the above for the second screw.
manufacturers specifications for use of the type
Install the remaining J-hooks using the and size for the conduit to be installed.
same procedures, until all J-hooks are
installed.
12) Installing wireway.

9) Install cable tray systems.

Wireways are different from cable trays in that
they are completely enclosed pathways. They
The process of installing cable tray is manufacturer usually feature a hinged cover or one which snaps
specific, due to the many different sizes, types, in place. They are available in a number of sizes
and configurations. The cabling installer must and shapes, depending on the manufacturer. As
consult the manufacturers specifications and with cable trays, the installation methodology is
installation guidelines prior to attempting to directly related to the manufacturers guidelines.
install these pathways. All metallic wireways installed for the placement
of telecommunications cable shall be bonded to
Trays can be installed parallel to and against a wall ground per the NEC.
or can be suspended from the building structure
using all-threaded-rods. They can also be sup- 13) Pathway documentation.
ported using channel stock or manufacturer
specific hanger brackets.
The pathway shall be identified not only on the
drawings, but each pathway should also be physi-
Since these pathways are used to support both cally equipped with a label that identifies it and
backbone cables and horizontal cables, they are states where it originates and terminates. See
found in most areas of the buildings. It may be ANSI/TIA/EIA-606.
the case that other utilities (i.e., HVAC, plumbing,
electrical) or structural obstructions will require
that the pathway change elevation and direction. 14) General housekeeping.
Careful planning is important to minimize
changes in direction which can be costly from a It is important to clean up behind a work opera-
material as well as labor perspective. tion when installing pathways. Larger equipment
is required to install these pathways and the
10) Install conduits. materials themselves are bulkier, taking up more
space in the hallways and passageways of the
building. This causes congestion and, if left in
See ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A for maximum length of place, can impact the work efforts of other trades.
conduit and bends between pull points and pull
box sizing.
The hangers, their associated hardware, anchors,
screws, and other materials present a safety hazard
All metal conduits installed for the placement of to workers and should be stored during work
telecommunications cable shall be bonded to operations and upon completion of the days
ground. activities. If a work area cannot be completely
cleaned, safety cones and barricades should be
placed to prevent accidental intrusion into the
work area by others until the work is complete
and the area is cleaned.
19
4. PULLING CABLE

4.1 General 4.2.2 Pulling horizontal cable in conduit

Backbone cable usually has higher pair counts 4.2.2.1 Overview
(25 to 2400 pairs) and weighs more than horizon-
tal cables. For vertical pathways, cabling is more Horizontal cable is installed between the telecom-
easily installed from the top down than from the munications room and work area outlets. Cable
bottom up because gravity helps with the pull. It shall not be bent or kinked.
is the preferred method.
Conduit installations are usually designed to be
The type of equipment needed depends on the parallel or perpendicular to the external walls of
direction of the pull. If pulling from the bottom the building. No one conduit segment shall be
up, a winch may be needed. If pulling from top more than 30 m (100 ft) in length with no more
down, a reel brake may be needed. A reel brake is a than two 90-degree bends allowed in one seg-
mechanical device used to stop or slow a free- ment. Exceeding these limits increases the coeffi-
wheeling reel, thus keeping it from unreeling too cient of friction in the cable pulling operation and
fast due to gravity. can damage the cable by possibly stretching or
changing the cable geometry. Placement of hori-
zontal cabling in conduit may require the use of a
Two-way communication with coworkers is
cable pulling lubricant. Always label cables and
essential in every cable pull. Everyone should be
their reels prior to pulling cable into place. It is
prepared to alert the person pulling the cable, to
easier to identify and label the cables before they
ensure the cable is traversing the route smoothly
are pulled through the conduit.
without twisting, kinking, or getting bound up in
some way. As-built plans shall be provided to the owner as a
permanent record.
All penetrations through fire-rated walls and floors 4.2.3 Pulling horizontal cable in open ceiling
shall be firestopped according to local code re-
quirements. 4.2.3.1 General
4.2 Cable pulling setup The procedure for cable installations in open
ceilings is different from that in conduits. Cables
4.2.1 Overview shall be supported according to local code require-
ments and manufacturer provided instructions.
A good cable setup means all materials are in place
so the cables can be handled properly. A cabling
contractor may need specialized equipment
capable of holding large reels. Smaller equipment,
such as cable trees, may be used to handle the
many reels of cable containing low pair count
cable.

20
 Pulling Cable

4.2.4 Pulling backbone in vertical pathway 4.2.6 Pulling backbonehorizontal

from top down
4.2.6.1 General
4.2.4.1 General Backbone cable may be used to interconnect
Backbone cable is typically a high-pair-count telecommunications rooms on the same floor.
cable, or high-strand-count optical fiber cable. Cable support mechanisms are required.

When cable is received at the job site, the cable Cable sheaves may be necessary to handle the
length should be verified. Inspect both ends of the cable from the reel location to the point where it
cable to verify the footage markings on the outer will be pulled. In the room where the cable will
jacket and compute the actual length of the jacket. enter the horizontal pathway, a bullwheel may be
This is the recommended method for verifying required to ensure that the jacket is not damaged
cable length. as it enters the pathway.

Pulleys may be needed to handle the cable from The use of cable lubricants can significantly
the reel location to the point where it will be reduce friction and speed cable installation. A
lowered to lower floors. In the room where the lubricant should be selected based on cable
cable will enter the vertical pathway, a bullwheel manufacturers recommendations. The cable
may be required to ensure that the jacket is not should then be identified, labeled, and the
damaged as it enters the pathway. as-builts updated to reflect the work operation.

4.2.7 Pulling optical fiber cable

The use of cable lubricants can significantly
reduce friction and speed cable installation. A 4.2.7.1 General
lubricant should be selected based on cable
manufacturers recommendations. The cable While the optical fiber cable is on the reel, the
should then be identified, labeled, and the installer should verify that there is optical conti-
as-builts updated to reflect the work operation. nuity. This can be done by shining a light source
(such as a flashlight) into the fiber strands or
4.2.5 Pulling backbone in vertical pathway using a power meter or optical time domain
from bottom up reflectometer (OTDR). Optical fiber cable is more
rugged than generally perceived; however, just as
4.2.5.1 General with copper cable, the manufacturers recom-
mended pulling tension and minimum bend
Cable sheaves may be necessary to handle the
radius shall not be exceeded. The pathway of a
cable from the reel location to the point where it
fiber cable must be free of sharp bends and turns.
will be pulled up to upper floors. In the room
Innerduct may be placed inside conduit, through
where the cable will enter the vertical pathway, a
sleeves, or placed in cable trays to facilitate addi-
bullwheel may be required to ensure that the
tional cable pulls in the future and to relax pulling
jacket is not damaged as it enters the pathway.
tension exerted on the cable.
Cabling installers should be located on each floor
through which the cable will pass as well as the
top floor where it will terminate. These individuals Complete the pull and route the cable to the
shall be equipped with tools to perform critical rooms. Identify and document on the cable
tasks during the placing operation. as-built drawings.

The use of cable lubricants can significantly

reduce friction and speed cable installation.
A lubricant should be selected based on cable
manufacturers recommendations. The cable
should then be identified, labeled, and the
as-builts updated to reflect the work operation.

21
5. FIRESTOPPING

5.1 General Can be held personally responsible for

improperly firestopping or not firestop-
Reestablishing the integrity of fire-rated walls, ping.
floors, and ceilings is an essential part of a cabling
installers job. Should contact the manufacturers to get
written assistance for situations not
covered in their installation practices for
The cabling installer shall use manufacturer qualified assemblies.
approved methods to restore the original rating of
the fire rated architectural structures and assem-
blies to any penetrations made during the installa- There are ten basic types of firestop products:
tion and any holes created by the removal of 1. Mechanical systems
existing penetrations. See ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A, 2. Mortar/compounds
Annex A for information regarding firestops.
3. Composite sheets

The term firestop refers to the installation of 4. Collar/devices

qualified firestop materials in holes made 5. Blankets
through fire-rated floors, walls, or ceilings for the 6. Caulks/sealants
penetration of pipes, cables, or other construction/
building, service/utility items. Firestop products 7. Putty
are used to restore the opening to the original fire- 8. Wrap strips
rated integrity. Most common requirements are for 9. Pillows/bags
1, 2, or 3 hours. In rare instances, a 4-6 hour
rating shall be provided. 10. Sprays

5.1.1 Mechanical firestop systems

There are two basic types of penetrations:
Mechanical systems consist of manufactured
Through penetration is a hole made in a elastomeric components presized and shaped to fit
fire-rated wall or floor to run pipes, cables, around standard cables, tubes, and conduits.
or any type of building service, completely These products are made of several substances
through from one side of the fire barrier to which resemble rubber and are flexible. These
the other side. systems use mechanical pressure to hold the
Membrane penetration is a hole in one elastomeric components in place and to provide a
side of a fire-rated wall or floor for a single tight seal around the penetrating devices. Whether
surface-barrier penetration. (i.e., an electri- or not frames are included, some means of apply-
cal outlet/switch box). ing compression to the modules is required.

Therefore, the cabling installer:

Cannot substitute products that are not
part of the qualified assembly.
Cannot add more of a product to get a
higher rating.

22
 Firestopping

5.1.1 Nonmechanical firestop systems 4) Use the putty to build a top on the penetra-
tion, according to the manufacturers instructions.
Nonmechanical firestop systems are generally See Figure 12.
pliable. These include items such as putties,
caulks, blankets, silicone foam, pillows, and other 5.2.2 Sealing an outlet box with putty
types of materials that can be molded to fit into
an opening to seal it. To seal an outlet box, follow the steps below.
1) Press a pad of putty into place, covering one
5.2 Typical installations side of the outlet box. Ensure that the pad over-
laps at the top, bottom, and sides, as shown. See
5.2.1 Sealing a floor penetration with putty Figure 13.
The following illustrations show an example of
installing a putty seal from one side of a floor 2) Press a second pad of putty into place on the
penetration. other side of the box, as shown. See Figure 14.

1) Tear off a small portion of the putty. 3) Press the seams together to join the two pads,
as shown. See Figure 15.
NOTE: Use a drop cloth or other cover to protect the
floor surface from the putty and insulation material.
See Figure 9. 5.2.3 Stepsrestore penetrations (general)
1) Firestop conduits, pipes, and innerducts in
2) Use the putty to build a bottom in the pen- brick, concrete block, or concrete wall.
etration, according to the manufacturers instruc- See Figure 16.
tions. See Figure 10.
The requirements for firestopping are variable and
3) Fill the penetration with ceramic fiber or rock are directly dependent upon:
wool fill, stopping far enough from the upper rim Fire-barrier construction.
to allow for a top layer of putty at the
Material passing through the firewall.
manufacturers recommended thickness.
See Figure 11. Hourly rating required.

Figure 9. Tear off putty Figure 10. Building bottom of penetration seal

23
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

Opening size. 3) Firestopping drywall. See Figure 17.

Installing the materials according to Requirements for firestopping are variable
manufacturer-tested methods. and are directly dependent upon hourly
rating, opening size, annular space, and
2) Firestop floor penetrations. sleeves.
Drywall penetrations are typically required
Sealing of cored or sleeved openings in floor slabs to have firestopping installed symmetri-
containing pipes, cables, or innerducts requires cally on both sides of the wall to restore
knowledge of floor thickness, floor construction, fire rating.
hourly fire rating required, opening size, annular
space, sleeves, and materials selection.

Figure 11. Filling the penetration Figure 12. Building top on penetration

Figure 13. Overlap the pad on outlet box Figure 14. Second pad of putty on outlet box

24
 Firestopping

4) Firestopping all applicable penetrations. 5) Firestop cable tray.

Inspect all cable runs for any openings
made through fire-rated walls as part of Penetration by a cable tray in a firewall is only
structured cabling system. permitted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
If sleeves have been used, be sure to Generally the tray is placed against each side of
firestop the wall penetrations on both the firewall and a number of appropriately sized
sides and each end of the sleeve itself. sleeves are installed for cables to pass through.

If a cabling installer encounters a cable tray

penetration directly through firewalls, specifically
manufactured seal systems should be obtained.
Figure 18 demonstrates the components of a
qualified seal system.

Figure 15. Joining the pads on an outlet box Figure 16. Conduit penetration through masonary wall
or floor

Figure 17. Fire seal of drywall Figure 18. Fire seal cable tray penetration

25
6. Cable Terminations

6.1 General Forming and dressing the cable involves aligning

and positioning the cables in a neat and orderly
Cable termination involves the organizing of manner for termination. The length of cable
cables by destination, forming and dressing cables, needed to reach the termination location must be
and labeling, as well as actually creating a connec- determined, taking into account enough slack to
tion with a copper or fiber conductor. re-terminate if necessary and not placing undo
pulling stress on the termination.
Optical fiber cores need to be precisely aligned
with the fiber core of the connecting cable or Cable management results in neat and orderly
within the connecting hardware to ensure that the bundles of cables that are formed into a symmetri-
maximum transfer of light energy is obtained. cal pattern. Besides being aesthetically acceptable,
cable management provides support and mechani-
Never look into the ends of an optical fiber as the cal protection of the pairs.
light may damage your eyes. Because the light is
invisible to your eye, serious damage to the retina
of the eye is possible. Cable connection is not complete until all termi-
nations are identified and labeled.

Insulation Displacement Connection (IDC) Pair I. D. Pair I. D.

termination is the recommended method of 2 3
copper termination recognized for UTP cable 3 1 4 2 1 4
terminations.

Only the T568A and T568B wiring schemes

comply with the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 standard 12345678 12345678
Pin I.D. Pin I.D.
(see Figure 19). Another common pin/pair assign-
ment for telephony is designated as Universal
Service Ordering Code (USOC). Each of the wiring T568A T568B
schemes is shown in Figure 19.
Pair I. D.
6.2 Pre-termination functions 4

3
6.2.1 General
2
Preparation for cable termination not only im- 1
proves the quality of the job but also decreases the
amount of time required for termination.

The performance of pre-termination functions 12345678

Pin I.D.
involves organizing the cable by destination.
Cable to be terminated should be placed at the
point of termination and must also be identified USOC
to ensure it is terminated in the designated posi-
Figure 19. Wiring schemes
tion.

26
 Cable Terminations

6.3 Copper IDC termination 6.3.1 StepsIDC termination

Copper terminations can be used for UTP and 1) Using a sheath removal tool, remove the cable
ScTP cabling. ScTP manufacturers provide detailed sheath in accordance with the termination equip-
instructions on how to terminate the shield. This ment manufacturers specifications.
procedure is manufacturer dependent, and the
specific method provided for the selected product 2) Binder groups are found in 50-pair cables and
shall be followed for shield effectiveness over the above. Separate and identify binder groups. See
capable bandwidth. Table 3.

Table 3 Color-code chart up to 600 pair

Pair number Tip Ring Binder group Pair count
1 white blue white-blue 001-025
2 white orange white-orange 026-050
3 white green white-green 051-075
4 white brown white-brown 076-100
5 white slate white-slate 101-125
6 red blue red-blue 126-150
7 red orange red-orange 151-175
8 red green red-green 176-200
9 red brown red-brown 201-225
10 red slate red-slate 226-250
11 black blue black-blue 251-275
12 black orange black-orange 276-300
13 black green black-green 301-325
14 black brown black-brown 326-350
15 black slate black-slate 351-375
16 yellow blue yellow-blue 376-400
17 yellow orange yellow-orange 401-425
18 yellow green yellow-green 426-450
19 yellow brown yellow-brown 451-475
20 yellow slate yellow-slate 476-500
21 violet blue violet-blue 501-525
22 violet orange violet-orange 526-550
23 violet green violet-green 551-575
24 violet brown violet-brown 576-600
25 violet slate
1. Limit the untwisting of cable pairs to the minimum length required to make the termination. The
untwist of cable pairs shall not exceed 13 mm (0.5 in).
2. Terminate cable according to connecting hardware manufacturers recommendations.

27
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

6.4 Shielded twisted-pair (STP-A) 2) Slip ring over shield.

The STP-A cable is a 150 ohm shielded 300 MHz

cable comprised of two individually shielded 3) Mate color-coded wire to color-coded clear
22 AWG twisted pairs in either a plenum or non- plastic dressing block. (red, green, black &
plenum-rated sheath. Each of the two pairs are orange)
shielded by a mylar wrap, and both pairs are then
shielded with a braided shield which encompasses 4) Snap dressing block into housing; seat firmly
the cable. with pliers.

Ensure that the connector selected matches the 5) Snap housing cover into place.
physical and electrical requirements of the cable
being installed. If the STP-A connector is used, all 6.5 Optical Fiber termination
grounding should be completed per the
manufacturers specifications. 6.5.1 General
In telecommunications, there are two specific
Universal data connectors are generally provided types of optical fiber used: multimode and
with detailed written and visual instructions for singlemode. Each specific type of fiber has its own
termination procedures. A simplified version of characteristics.
these steps is as follows:

6.4.1 Step terminating universal data Multimode optical fiber has an outside diameter of
connectors 125 m. The glass core of the fiber, which carries
the optical signal, has a diameter of 50 m or
1) Strip cable jacket to shield. 62.5 m. Singlemode optical fiber has an outside
diameter of 125 m. The glass core of the fiber,
which carries the optical signal, has a diameter of
8-9 m.

Termination procedures for optical connectors in

the field vary by manufacturer. Several common
methods are:
Heat-cured termination: A fiber connector
termination method using an adhesive
that requires heat for curing.
4-position
data connector Crimp termination: A fiber connector
termination method using a mechanical
means to secure the fiber.
Anaerobic termination: A fiber connector
4-position
data connector termination method using an adhesive
and catalyst that cures very quickly.

Optical fibers within cables are color coded as

shown in Table 4.

6.6 Copper cable splicing

Intrabuilding copper cable splicing is allowed only
in backbone cablenever for horizontal cable
which extends between the telecommunications
Figure 20. STP-A Data connector room and the work area.

28
 Cable Terminations

Two common modular (groups of pairs) splicing With the in-line splicing method, wire is placed in
techniques are in-line and foldback. Foldback a straight-across arrangement and provides for
splicing is the preferred method, where practicable little wire slack (see Figure 21). The in-line method
cable. is not designed to be rearranged and should
receive minimum handling. The foldback splicing
method allows the conductors to be folded into
the splice which in turn provides for maintenance,
rearrangement, and transfer of the conductors.
The foldback method (see Figure 22) typically
requires more cable be stored within the splice and
could increase the size of the needed splice
closure.

The splice hardware will be selected by the de-

signer to meet the application requirements.
Figure 21. In-line splice configuration Follow the equipment manufacturers installation
guidelines.

The installer should pay particular attention to:

Check cable shield for presence of unsafe
voltages.
Bond cable shields across the splice before
splicing (see Figure 23).
Bond cable shields to ground.

Figure 22. Foldback splice configuration

Table 4. Optical fiber color code chart (ANSI/TIA/EIA-598-A)

Fiber Number Color Fiber Number Color

1 Blue 13 Blue/Black Tracer
2 Orange 14 Orange/Black Tracer
3 Green 15 Green/Black Tracer
4 Brown 16 Brown/Black Tracer
5 Slate 17 Slate/Black Tracer
6 White 18 White/Black Tracer
7 Red 19 Red/Black Tracer
8 Black 20 Black/Yellow Tracer
9 Yellow 21 Yellow/Black Tracer
10 Violet 22 Violet/Black Tracer
11 Rose 23 Rose/Black Tracer
12 Aqua 24 Aqua/Black Tracer

29
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

6.7 Optical fiber cable splicing

There are two major categories of field-splicing
methods for optical fibersfusion and me-
chanical. Both single-fiber and multiple-fiber
(typically 12 fibers) splicing methods are
available.

Multimode fiber shall not be spliced to

singlemode fiber since the splice loss will be
unacceptable.

The splice hardware will be selected by the

designer to meet the application requirements.
Follow the equipment manufacturers installa-
tion guidelines.

Figure 23. Shield bond connector and braid

30
7. INSTALLATION VERIFICATION

Installation verification is a systematic method

utilized to ensure that the installation has been
completed in accordance with all of the terms and
conditions of the contract and industry standards.

Visual inspection and documentation are required

for verification of proper installation practice. See
ANSI/TIA/EIA-606 for administrative require-
ments. When performance verification with a field
tester is required, follow the procedures in Annex
A of this standard.

31
This annex is normative and is considered part of this Standard.

ANNEX A (NORMATIVE) FIELD TEST

REQUIREMENTS

A.1 General A.2 100-Ohm UTP cabling

Transmission performance depends on cable
characteristics, connecting hardware, patch cords
A.2.1 Test instruments
and cross-connect wiring, the total number of For field testing of categories 3, 5 and 5e cabling,
connections, and the care with which they are test instruments shall meet or exceed the appli-
installed and maintained. cable requirements in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1.
Commercially available test instruments which
Field test instruments shall be calibrated and specify ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 Level I or Level II or
maintained at intervals specified by the manufac- Level IIe accuracy are required for validation that
turer. installed cabling meets the transmission character-
istics found in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1.
A.1.1 Administration
All test data shall be recorded and provided to the
building owner or agent.

End of Field Instrument

Outlet/connector, or Test Cord
permanent
consolidation point,
link
or transition point

Horizontal
cable
End of
permanent
Distribution link
Device
Field test
instrument Field Instrument Field Test
Test Cord Up to Instrument
90 m (295 ft)

Note Test cords are up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in length.

Figure 24. Permanent link test configuration

32
 Field Test Requirements

A.2.2 Performance parameters A.2.5 Backbone and other cabling test

The field tests required for UTP cabling are as
configuration
follows: The wire map test for all pairs in backbone and
Wire Map other than horizontal cabling shall be performed
and recorded for all segments. Wire map tests
Length
include:
Attenuation
Continuity to the remote end.
Near-end crosstalk (NEXT) loss
Shorts between any two or more conduc-
Additional field tests required for category 5e are tors.
as follows:
Crossed pairs.
Power sum near-end crosstalk (PSNEXT)
loss Reversed pairs.

Equal level far-end crosstalk (ELFEXT) Split pairs.

Power sum equal level far-end crosstalk Any other miswiring.

(PSELFEXT)
Return loss The length of each backbone cable segment
should be measured and recorded.
A.2.3 Permanent link test configuration
A.3 Optical fiber cabling
The cabling shall be verified in accordance with
the permanent link test configuration (See Figure A.3.1 Test instruments
24).
Field testers for multimode optical fiber shall meet
A.2.4 Channel test configuration the requirements as specified in ANSI/EIA/TIA-
526- 14A, Method B, One Jumper Reference.
The channel shall be verified in accordance with
the channel test configuration (See Figure 25).

Equipment Transition point or Equipment

Cord consolidation point Cord
connector (If applicable) End of
Channel

Horizontal
cable Outlet/Connector
End of
Channel
Distribution
Device
Field test
instrument Field Test
Up to Instrument
90 m (295 ft)

Figure 25. Channel test configuration

33
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

NOTE Link attenuation has been based upon the use

of a light source categorized by a coupled power ratio
of Category 2, Underfilled, per Annex B of ANSI/EIA/
TIA-526-14A. The use of a light source categorized as
Category 1, Overfilled, may provide results higher than
the 2.0 dB. The user is advised to consult ANSI/EIA/
TIA-526-14A, specifically Annex B and C, for further
information concerning the affects of modal power
distribution and coupled power ratio.

Field testers for singlemode shall meet the require-

ments as specified in ANSI/EIA/TIA-526-7,
Method A.1, One Jumper Reference.

A.3.2 Performance parameters

Field tests required for cabling are as follows:
Length.
Polarity.
Attenuation.

A.3.3 Horizontal cabling test configuration

Horizontal cabling shall be verified in accordance
with ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1.

A.3.4 Backbone cabling test configuration

Backbone cabling shall be verified in accordance
with ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1.

34
(This annex is not part of this standard.)

ANNEX B (Informative): Bibliography and

References

This annex contains information on the documents that are related to or have been referenced in this
document. Many of the documents are in print and are distributed and maintained by national or
international standards organizations. These documents can be obtained through contact with the
associated standards body or designated representatives. The applicable electrical code in the United
States is the National Electrical Code.

ANSI/EIA/TIA-492AAAC, Detail Specification for 50 m Core Diameter/125 m Cladding Diameter Class

of Multimode, Graded-Index Optical Waveguide Fibers

ANSI/EIA/TIA-455-A-1991, Standard Test Procedures for Fiber Optic Fibers, Cables and Transducers,
Sensors, Connecting and Terminating Devices, and other Fiber Optic Components

ANSI/TIA/EIA-492AAAA-A-1998, Detail Specification for 62.5 m Core Diameter/125 m Cladding

Diameter Class Ia Graded-Index Multimode Optical Fibers

ANSI/TIA/EIA-492CAAA-1998, Detail Specification for Class IVa Dispersion-Unshifted Singlemode

Optical Fibers

ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-7-1998, Optical Power Loss Measurements of Installed Single-mode Fiber Cable Plant-
OFSTP 7

ANSI/TIA/EIA-526-14-A-1998, Optical Power Loss Measurements of Installed Multimode Fiber Cable

Plant OFSTP 14A

ANSI/TIA/EIA-604-3-1997, FOCIS 3 Fiber Optic Interconnector Intermateability Standard

ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B Series 2001, Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard

ANSI/TIA/EIA-569-A-1998, Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and

Spaces

ANSI/TIA/EIA-598-A-1995, Optical Fiber Cable Color Coding

ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-1993, Administration Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of

Commercial Buildings

ANSI/TIA/EIA-607-1994, Commercial Building Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Telecommu-

nications

ANSI/TIA/EIA-758-1999, Customer-owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Cabling Standard

ANSI X3.166-1990, ANSI Standard for Token Ring FDDI Physical Layer Medium Dependent (PMD)

35
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

ANSI Z136.2-1997, Standard for the Safe Operation of Optical Fiber Communication Systems Utilizing
Laser Diode and LED Sources

ASTM B539 90, Measuring Contact Resistance of Electrical Connections (Static Contacts)

Bellcore GR 1503CORE, March 1995, Bellcore Generic Requirements for Coaxial Connectors (Series 59,
6, 7 and 11)

BICSI Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual

BICSI Telecommunications Cabling Installation Manual

BICSI Customer-Owned Outside Plant Design Manual

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Washington D.C., The Code of Federal Regulations, FCC
47 CFR 68

FIPS PUB 174, Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard

ANSI/ICEA S-80-576-1994, Communications Wire and Cable for Wiring Premises (ANSI)

ANSIICEA S-83-596-1994, Fiber Optic Premises Distribution Cable (ANSI)

ANSI/ICEA S-87-640-1992, Fiber Optic Outside Plant Communications Cable (ANSI)

IEC 60603-7, 1996, Detail Specification for Connectors, 8 Way, Including Fixed and Free Connectors
with Common Mating Features

IEEE C2-1997, National Electrical Safety Code (ANSI)

IEEE C 62.11, Metal Oxide Surge Arrestors for AC Power Cicuits (ANSI)

IEEE 802.3-1990 (also known as ISO 8802-3: 1990 (E), Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Detection (CSMA/CD) Access Method and Physical Layer Specifications (ANSI)

IEEE 802.4, Standard for Local Area Network Token Passing Bus Access Method, Physical Layer Specifica-
tion

IEEE 802.5-1992 (also known as ANSI/IEEE Std 802.5-1992), Token Ring Access Method and Physical
Layer Specifications

IEEE 802.7-1989 (R1997) IEEE Recommended Practices for Broadband Local Area Networks (ANSI)

NEMA 250-1997, Enclosures for Electrical Equipment (1000 Volts Maximum) (ANSI)

NFPA 70-1999, National Electrical Code (ANSI)

SCTE, IPSSP001, June 13, 1996, Flexible R.F. Coaxial Drop Cable

SCTE, IPSSP100, January 14, 1997, Specification for Trunk, Feeder and Distribution Coax Cable

SCTE, IPSSP401, October 10, 1997, F Port (Male Feed Thru) Physical Dimensions

36
 Bibliography and References

SCTE, IPSSP404, October 10, 1997, F Connector (Male Indoor) Installation and Performance

TIA/EIA TSB 31 B, FCC 47 CFR 68, Rationale and Measurement Guidelines

The organizations listed below can be contacted to

obtain reference information.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

25 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036 USA
(212) 642-4900

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

100 Barr Harbor Drive
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959 USA
(610) 832-9500

BICSI
8610 Hidden River Parkway
Tampa, FL 33637-1000 USA
(800) 242-7405

Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA)

2500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400
Arlington, VA 22201-3836 USA
(703) 907-7500

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)

2500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-3836 USA
(703) 907-7700

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Washington, DC 20554 USA
(301) 725-1585

Federal and Military Specifications (FIPS)

US Department of Commerce
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161 USA
(703) 487-4650

37
ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568 Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

Insulated Cable Engineers Association, Inc. (ICEA)

PO Box 440
South Yarmouth, MA 02664 USA
(508) 394-4424

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Sales Department
PO Box 131
3 rue de Varembe
1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland
+41 22 34 01 50

NOTE IEC documents can also be obtained from ANSII

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc (IEEE)

IEEE Service Center
445 Hoes Ln., PO Box 1331
Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331 USA
(732) 981-0060

The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits

3451 Church Street
Evanston, IL 60203 USA
(847) 509-9700

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

1, Rue de Varembe
Case Postale 56
CH-1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland
+41 22 34 12 40

NOTE ISO documents can also be obtained from ANSI

NEMA
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 1847
Rosslyn, VA 22209 USA
(703) 841-3200

National Fire Protection Association (NPPA)

Batterymarch Park
Quincy, MA 02269 USA
(617) 770-3000

38
 Bibliography and References

Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)

140 Philips Rd.
Exton, PA 19341-1318 USA
(800) 542-5040

Telcordia (formerly Bellcore)

Telcordia Customer Service
8 Corporate Place Room 3C-183
Piscataway, NJ 08854-4156 USA
(800) 521-2673

39