1. Information Technology
  2. Policies and Procedures
  3. Electric/Data Cabling Specifications

Electric/Data Cabling Specifications

Download the Electric/Data Cabling Specifications policy or review the policy below.

SECTION 1: SETTING

The Graduate Center is an institution of higher education located at 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. The loading dock is at 16 E. 35th Street.

General Construction Guidelines

Interior walls are typically drywall construction; ceilings are standard office drop-ceilings; floors generally are carpeted. Some facilities at the Graduate Center are high-profile specialized settings with high-caliber finish carpentry. During the work, the contractor and all associated workers must maintain decorum, ensure that the workspace and work activities are safe, be responsible for their equipment and tools, and clean up any associated trash and construction debris daily and thoroughly upon completion of the job, schedule work as necessary to accommodate ongoing activities and events at the Graduate Center, and adhere to all applicable rules, regulations, and ordinances. The contractor and all associated workers are only to take direction from the designated project manager at the Graduate Center.

Data Cabling Infrastructure

The Graduate Center has a structured cabling infrastructure in place. Typically, each floor is served by three (3) telecommunications closets; each existing wall outlet is cabled to a designated telecommunications closet on the same floor. (A floorplan assists in identifying the specific closet associated with each room.)  No data cabling run will exceed 90 meters/295 feet from the telecommunications closet to an end-user wall outlet. These data connections support telephones, desktop computers, network printers, and wireless access points. A data/voice wall outlet is typically served by either two or four runs of plenum-rated industry-certified 4-pair category-5 or category-6 data cabling from a designated telecommunications closet to a designated location terminated into two or four RJ-45 connectors (as detailed below). NOTE: Going forward, all data cabling must be plenum-rated industry-certified category-6 or newer 23 AWG; wall outlets will be served two by default; if hire density is required, go with four runs of category-6 or newer 23 AWG cabling; in the telecommunications closets, the connectors are to be subsequently installed into a patch panel (PANDUIT 4-port CPPLA24WBL angled patch panel with 24 CJ688TGBL jack modules. P/N: CPPKLA6G24WBL).

Data Cabling Naming Convention

Terminations are to be labeled in a structured fashion; data/voice cables should be marked on both ends; the patch panel must be labeled, and the wall plate must also be labeled. Terminations in the telecommunications closet must label the cable connector with the room number, room outlet box, and specific connection in the outlet box in the designated format (for example, the first connection to the first outlet box in room 1234.56 will be labeled 1234.56A1). 

The new outlet box in a room must be labeled on the faceplate with the room number prefaced by the letter A, B, or C, indicating which telecommunication closet it is connected to. Each connector in each box must be numbered sequentially, A for the first box in the room, B for the second box in the room, etc. Thus, the first connection in the first outlet box in a room is labeled A1, the second connection in the first outlet box in a room is labeled A2, the first connection in the second outlet box in a room is labeled B1, the second connection in the second outlet box in a room is labeled B2, etc. 
 

 

Outlet Box

This outlet box is the first one located in room 2307. It connects back to the telecommunication closet C; hence it is labeled C2307.
The first connection is A1.
The second connection is the A2.

The installer must be especially careful to execute the labeling process correctly.

General Guidelines for Data Cabling

All work performed by outside contractors must be done or closely supervised on-site by industry-certified low-voltage data-cable installers. All manufacturer specifications must be adhered to, and all industry standards for cabling must be met. Wherever applicable, mounting brackets, wall outlets, and similar components must be installed plumb and level. Upon completion, the installer will test all installed cabling to industry specifications using standard industry testing techniques and protocols; complete test results showing detailed statistics for each cable run must be provided to the Graduate Center in electronic format before job acceptance. Any cabling installed in the conduit must be accompanied by a pull string remaining after the installation is completed. During the work, the contractor and all associated workers must maintain decorum, ensure that the workspace and work activities are safe, be responsible for their equipment and tools, clean up any associated trash and construction debris daily and thoroughly upon completion of the job, schedule work as necessary to accommodate ongoing activities and events at the Graduate Center, and adhere to all applicable rules, regulations, and ordinances. The contractor and all associated workers are only to take direction from the designated project manager at the Graduate Center.

SECTION 2: INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

The following provides installation instructions for new electric/data installations.

NOTE: Occasionally, a particular location may vary from the norm and will need individualized attention. Such specialized accommodations will be addressed on-site on a case-by-case basis.

Electrical Service

  1. Install one duplex grounded outlet in a manner that looks consistent with other Graduate Center electrical outlets in a location designated by the Graduate Center per location.
  2. Electrical runs must be labeled with the circuit number on both ends of the run.
  3. Existing electrical service can be tapped to serve these new installations, as approved by The Graduate Center; in some instances, it may be necessary to install a new dedicated 120V 20-amp circuit home run to a designated electrical closet.
  4. All materials are to be provided by the installer.

Data Cabling

  1. All work must be done or closely supervised on-site by industry-certified low-voltage data-cable installers. All manufacturer specifications must be adhered to, and all industry standards for category-6 data cabling must be met. All materials are to be provided by the installer.
  2. Install two runs of plenum-rated industry-certified 4-pair category-6 data cabling from the appropriate telecommunications closet to a data wall outlet at each designated location. All runs should include an extra four-foot coil at the telecommunications closet end. Use the floor plan provided by the Graduate Center to determine the correct telecommunications closet corresponding to the location where the new wall outlet is being installed.
  3. In keeping with the Graduate Center’s building standards, installation should utilize a mounting bracket inserted into the wall, a gray-colored outlet, and a stainless-steel faceplate; PANDUIT Stainless steel Single gang, vertical faceplate accepts two Mini-Com® Modules. P/N: CFP2SY.   The outlet and faceplate must be installed plumb and level.
  4. Cabling terminations on both ends be made with Panduit connectors: PANDUIT Mini-Com Module, Cat 6, UTP, eight pos eight wire, Universal, Intl Gray, TG Style, 24-Pk P/N: CJ688TGIG-24.  In the telecommunications closets, the connectors are installed into the designated patch panel mounted on the 19” rack: PANDUIT 4-port CPPLA24WBL angled patch panel with 24 CJ688TGBL jack modules. P/N: CPPLA24WBLY. The connectors are subsequently installed into the wall outlet defined above.
  5. Terminations are to be labeled in a structured fashion; data cables should be labeled on both ends; the patch panel must be labeled, and the wall plate must also be labeled.  Terminations in the telecommunications closet must be labeled to the cable connector with the room number, room outlet box, and specific connection in the outlet box in the designated format (for example, the first connection from the 1A closet to the first outlet box in room 1234.56 will be labeled 1234.56A1).  The new outlet box in each room must be marked on the faceplate sequentially starting with the letter A (then B, C, etc.), and each connector in each box must be numbered sequentially 1, 2, 3, 4.  The installer must be especially careful to execute the labeling process correctly.
  6. Upon completion, all installed cabling will be tested to industry specifications using standard industry testing techniques and protocols. Complete test results for each cable run must be electronically provided to the Graduate Center before job acceptance.
  7. Any cabling installed in the conduit must be accompanied by a pull string remaining after the installation is completed.
  8. All materials are to be provided by the installer.