The growing number of smart buildings in London is a remarkable example of the pervasiveness and subtlety of modern-day progress. They have been touted as “tomorrow’s technology” for more than a decade now, and we are used to thinking about them as if they were just beyond our reach – but many commercial buildings in the UK already use smart building technology.
Moreover, the global smart building market has grown substantially in recent years, though estimates vary by research provider and market definition. The smart building revolution has already happened, but it was so steady and quiet that it looked more like normal, expected development than an overnight real estate coup d’état.
Smart buildings can deliver on their promises, but only through a well-integrated infrastructure. The “smart” in smart buildings is akin to the “smart” in “smart planning”: smart buildings offer the means to achieve lower costs and a better energy footprint, but simply moving into a smart office will not yield too many benefits overnight. Instead, a smart building is an active piece of infrastructure that you can exploit to your advantage.
Today, we will explore some of the most efficient ways to do that.
Consolidation and Integration
For a long time, communication (especially voice communication) and IT infrastructures were largely independent from each other, except for the final stages of the company network, where Internet and voice lines sometimes met. The security infrastructure was purposely separated from anything else, and facilities monitoring, lighting and HVAC systems were often beyond the control of all but the largest of companies, which had entire campuses for themselves.
The move to VoIP and the greater bandwidth requirements of security systems meant that communication and security systems were the first to be integrated in companies’ data networks. IT-integrated security is the norm today. IoT took care of the remaining systems.
What does this mean in practice?
- Reduced cable diversity: most company networks can rely on a Cat6a and fibre cable for their structured IP data backbone, alongside other media (power, life-safety, controls/fieldbus or coaxial) where the building’s systems require it. This reduces maintenance costs significantly, makes network deployment more straightforward, and increases your cabling infrastructure’s lifetime
- Simplified infrastructure through technologies such as Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and by enabling high-speed wireless networks
- Greater scalability through a structured cabling model.
Consolidated cabling infrastructures are no exception from the rule regarding the proverbial free lunch and its highly disputed existence. High-speed, structured cabling infrastructures do require a greater planning effort, and the installation procedures are non-trivial and follow complicated standards.
Some installation decisions also support duties under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The cabling scope should address the relevant route, access and workplace risks, while overall legal compliance remains the responsibility of the parties responsible for the premises and project. Others have strict technical implications, however: even things such as how much you can bend a network cable and still have it work at its rated speed parameters are standardised, and failing to follow these requirements leads to flaky, unstable networks.
A consolidated cabling infrastructure is the first step towards integrating the IT, security and energy infrastructure of a facility. These integration efforts are valuable both through the actionable items that they readily offer and through the wealth of data that they can provide.
The former provides immediate benefits. The latter is a gift that keeps on giving, as it enables you to ground decisions in real-world data about your business’s everyday activity, rather than general conclusions about a wide range of companies.
However, the diversity of systems that this integration involves also tends to result in a great diversity of deployment scenarios. Devices – and, as a consequence, network cables – routinely get deployed in special scenarios that were not typically associated with an office network, such as:
- Sections of the building that are difficult to reach (rooftops, deep basements). Maintenance is difficult to perform in these sections and often requires privileged access to various areas of the building.
- Areas where they are exposed to adverse weather conditions – rain, extreme heat or extreme cold. Cable sections in these areas are routinely installed in special enclosures, which are not trivial to install correctly.
- Long-distance deployment of IP equipment, such as outdoor CCTV cameras. Fibre optic cables are often a good choice in this scenario, as they can carry greater bandwidths over higher distances, but they do require additional interconnect equipment, and they are not easy to install.
Risks and Challenges
The benefits of an integrated cabling approach seem compelling enough, but clearly things are not so simple, or everyone would be doing it by now. What are some of the challenges you can expect in terms of cabling and infrastructure development?
Standards and Building Codes.
One of the most complicated aspects of intelligent building cabling is the fact that, like many emergent technologies, many aspects of intelligent building technologies are not yet standardised or well-understood.
The UK has a complex network of workplace safety laws, construction codes and standards regarding the design, installation and operation of electrical and data networks. There are restrictions about what cables can be used, where they can be placed, what kind of mechanical support they need and so on.
These restrictions are meant to ensure that networks are safe to operate on an everyday basis and that they do not impede rescue operations in case of fire or other disasters.
There are also various industry-specific requirements, such as those regarding the placement of CCTV cameras and other security equipment. Some of them are legally binding.
In contrast, there is hardly any such thing as a standard that tells us how to design intelligent buildings. Industry groups active in the intelligent building arena, such as BICSI, do publish standards pertaining to technologies in intelligent buildings, but that’s as far as it goes.
Navigating this thick web of regulations can be a daunting task, especially since some of them are legally binding, and not complying with them bears legal consequences. This is especially challenging for small companies, which cannot afford to develop and maintain this sort of know-how internally.
Especially for smaller companies, we recommend relying on open, well-understood technologies, at the detriment of proprietary, vendor-specific solutions. The former are usually the result of cross-vendor collaboration, and harmonising them with international standards and legal requirements is an inherent component of such an effort. For the latter, vendors often have no incentive to ensure broad compliance with other standards, and the know-how required to provide a solid and safe installation is hard to come by and expensive.
Conclusions
Intelligent buildings are not so much a particular technology as a paradigm regarding how to integrate many advanced technologies such as intelligent sensors, analytics and distributed control systems, and IoT. Combined coherently, these technologies can greatly improve the efficiency, comfort and security of your business’s operations.
The fabric of this great swarm of intelligent systems is a solid data network, most of which is either wired or supported by a wired backbone. Consequently, solid cabling is an essential component of the foundation of an intelligent office.
The diversity and complexity of intelligent systems and technologies make it challenging to design and especially to install and develop cabling infrastructures.
If you want to make the most out of your London smart building, trust professionals with your cabling solutions. Contact ACCL now and get your FREE, no-obligations on-site survey. We’d be happy to offer recommendations on how to approach your smart building’s cabling, as well as implement it for you.
We’ve been in the cabling business for over 28 years. Trust London’s preferred cabling solutions provider!
Services mentioned in this post: Data cabling installation, Cat6a cabling, Fibre cabling, CCTV cabling, IT Planning
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Frequently Asked Questions – Smart Building Cabling
Q. What is smart cabling?
Smart cabling usually means one structured cabling system designed to carry everything a modern building runs, not just computers and phones. The same planned network of copper and fibre serves Wi-Fi, CCTV, access control, lighting, heating controls, sensors and meters, so systems can share data and be managed together instead of each having its own wiring.
Q. What cabling does a smart building need?
Most smart buildings use a fibre backbone between comms rooms and floors, with Cat6A copper to devices, because Cat6A carries data and Power over Ethernet (PoE) to cameras, access points, sensors and some lighting. Containment needs space for growth, and every outlet should be labelled, tested and documented so new systems can be added easily.
Q. What is the best cable for an intelligent building network?
For connections to devices, Cat6A is the usual choice for new installations: it supports 10 Gbit/s over the full 100-metre channel and handles the heat of higher-power PoE well. Single-mode or OM4 multimode fibre is used for the backbone between floors and buildings. The cable’s fire rating must also suit the building and its routes.
Q. What are the connectivity requirements for smart office buildings in the UK?
A smart office needs resilient internet, ideally two lines entering by different routes, structured cabling to current standards such as BS EN 50173 and BS 6701, Wi-Fi and mobile coverage throughout, and secure comms rooms with backup power. Schemes such as WiredScore rate office connectivity, and many tenants now check those ratings before they sign a lease.
Q. Can smart building systems share the same network as IT?
They can share the same cabling and switches, which is one of the main savings of a smart building, but they should be kept on separate network segments (VLANs) with their own security rules. That way a fault or attack on a camera, sensor or heating controller cannot reach business systems, and each team can manage its own part.
Q. Are smart building systems a security risk?
They can be if they are installed and forgotten. Every connected device is a possible way into the network, so change default passwords, keep firmware updated, separate building systems from business systems and restrict remote access. Good cabling helps: documented, labelled links make it easy to see what is connected where and to disconnect anything suspicious.
Q. When should smart building cabling be planned?
As early as possible, ideally during design or before a fit-out closes up the ceilings and floors. Planning early lets one cabling system serve IT, security and building services, puts containment and comms rooms in the right places, and avoids each contractor running separate cables later, which costs more and is harder to manage.
Written by
Wayne founded ACCL in 1997 and has led more than 28 years of project delivery, helping organisations design, install and modernise the network infrastructure behind reliable connectivity, office moves and refurbishments. His experience spans copper cabling, fibre backbones, data centre infrastructure, Wi-Fi, CCTV and access control. About ACCL
