Carlon SCMS Future-Proofing in Commercial Applications User Manual

Structured Cable
Management Systems

Structured Cable
Management Systems

Your Total Systems Solution

Future-Proofing
In Commercial

Applications:
What’s In It For You?

Future-Proofing
In Commercial

Applications:
What’s In It For You?

Could you imagine trying to buy a computer today that

will last for the rest of your life? Try running today’s
version of any high-end design program on a ten year
old machine. Let me take this analogy a step further.
Let’s take that ten-year-old computer and plug it into
the power outlet of a new building; it should work just
fine. Now take it and plug it into the outlet of a build­ing built fifty years ago. Guess what, it will probably
work just fine. So what is my point? Power technology
is very stable in comparison to computing technology.

Now bearing that in mind, let’s switch our thoughts to
wiring. Your electrical wiring isn’t required to undergo
changes to make your appliances or electronics func­tion. We have become quite comfortable with the fact
that once it’s in place it can virtually be forgotten. It
will most likely serve our needs over the useful life of
the structure. Conversely, structured cabling is evolving
as we speak. As human beings, the way we handle
large amounts of information is by categorizing bits of
like information into the same mental folder. It comes
as no surprise then that electrical cabling and structured
cabling fall into the same mental classification. After
all, they both carry power (of a sort), they are both
hidden behind the walls, ceilings and floors, and power
is accessed via a wall outlet.

Of course there are differences that anyone working
with either electrical or structured wiring has to know.
Electrical wiring carries a stream of power that can be
twisted and turned any which way with little resultant
effect on its power carrying capabilities. Structured
cabling carries a complex stream of bits and bursts of
power or light that represent human words, music, text,
graphics, video, etc. Sharp bends in this wiring can
distort the communications stream, diminishing its
usefulness.

Beyond these marked differences lies another difference

that is being
ignored far too
often in structured
cabling design.
“The whole point is
what do you do
with these emerg­ing standards?
What do you do
with the Cat6?”
asks Mr. Peter
Garin. Mr. Garin
has managed and
shared ownership
in several well
known restaurants
and nightclubs in
the information
rich area of San Francisco. Stemming from his own personal
experience, he has started a business named Current Media
that consults with area businesses on structured cabling and
low voltage issues. He nails down the concern that will
eventually be on everybody’s mind: “...the technology is fast
forwarding so how do you future proof?” If structured
cabling is stapled to studs behind sheetrock, like electrical
cabling is, what can be done when the smart cabling is
dumbed down by “emerging standards?” Replacing cable
at this point can be a very expensive and messy affair. ”You
cannot afford to shut down. As rents and costs increase, you
have to increase productivity, which means there is no room
for downtime,” states Mr. Garin. So what’s the solution?

Whether it’s new construction or retrofit, due to the dynamic
nature of the structured cabling, Peter is recommending that
his clients install conduit wherever smart cabling might be
needed. He found a company based out of Cleveland, Ohio
(Carlon - www.carlon.com) manufacturing a bright orange
corrugated nonmetallic tube specifically for structured cabling.

Gross Automation [phone] · www.carlonsales.com · [e-mail]

The conduit is trade named Resi-Gard®, it’s UL listed
and comes in various diameters. They also make a
whole line of orange nonmetallic brackets for low
voltage applications. The distinctive orange color lets
all the other trades in the construction project know
“this is for structured cabling, and to stay away!”
He contends that using tubing is the only thing that
makes sense. If changes need to be made in the future,
additional cables can be pulled in or replaced as needed
without creating any downtime for the business.

Weighing in on using a wireless network, Mr. Garin
states, “If you use a wireless network in any segment
of your business platform there is the possibility of that
information being pirated. What we advise the clients,
both the landlords and restaurateurs as well, if the
infrastructure is set up in the building so that your
tenets simply plug in and unplug, you have actually
improved the rental of the building. You’ve minimized
the maintenance and no one is going to come in and
rip out sheet rock each time there is a new computer
system put in. Having empty conduit to pull through

limits the destruction
of the building or
renovation of the
building, minimizing
down time.”

Once again, electri­cal wiring is stable,
while structured
cabling is evolving.
If you want a design
that serves your
customers needs
for the life of the
building, be sure
to make accommo­dations for these
differences.

AR0006 1M SP 5/02
© Lamson & Sessions 2002

From the Author...

• Carlon’s Structured Cable Brackets are UL listed for
two-hour Fire Rating and Low Voltage Devices.

• Per Articles 770 & 800 of the 2002 NEC:

Carlon

®

Resi-Gard™is for use in General Purpose

Applications,
Carlon

®

Riser-Gard®is for use in Riser and General

Purpose Applications, and
Carlon

®

Plenum-Gard®is for use in Plenum

Applications

Gross Automation [phone] · www.carlonsales.com · [e-mail]