techtalk
Member
- Location
- Wilmington, DE
Hello everyone, this is a great site/forum!
I am having a debate (read: delay) with a GC on a project regarding whether plenum communications cabling is required or not. Client's site is a commercial suite space in a single-floor building. As the client's IT Consultant, I created the layout for data and phone wiring, including notes to require plenum-rated cabling. The GC does not think that the cabling will be in a 'plenum' area.
The front-half of the client's suite is typical office space with a drop ceiling. The back-half of the suite is wide open, like a warehouse space, with no dropceiling. The separation between the two areas does not contain a wall that goes up to the building's roof. This means that from the "warehouse" area, you can look back and see the area above the office space. (they use part of it for storage (above drop ceiling above offices).
There are air returns in the drop ceiling in the offices, which leads me to believe that the space above is a plenum area and therefore requires plenum-rated cabling. Is there something that I am missing, or is it that straight-forward?
P.S. The reason why this is important is that I will be completing the terminations. Given that I designed the project's data and phone requirements and will be completing the terminations, I am concerned about the liability factor, should a fire occur in the future.
P.P.S. I work directly for the client, not for the GC.
I am having a debate (read: delay) with a GC on a project regarding whether plenum communications cabling is required or not. Client's site is a commercial suite space in a single-floor building. As the client's IT Consultant, I created the layout for data and phone wiring, including notes to require plenum-rated cabling. The GC does not think that the cabling will be in a 'plenum' area.
The front-half of the client's suite is typical office space with a drop ceiling. The back-half of the suite is wide open, like a warehouse space, with no dropceiling. The separation between the two areas does not contain a wall that goes up to the building's roof. This means that from the "warehouse" area, you can look back and see the area above the office space. (they use part of it for storage (above drop ceiling above offices).
There are air returns in the drop ceiling in the offices, which leads me to believe that the space above is a plenum area and therefore requires plenum-rated cabling. Is there something that I am missing, or is it that straight-forward?
P.S. The reason why this is important is that I will be completing the terminations. Given that I designed the project's data and phone requirements and will be completing the terminations, I am concerned about the liability factor, should a fire occur in the future.
P.P.S. I work directly for the client, not for the GC.
