Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Solutions for Cable Management

  • By Clint Strong
  • 08/01/15

Many universities and colleges recognize the growing need to provide their students and faculty access to technology throughout the campus. However, many historic campuses date back to the mid-1850s, with many of the current academic and administrative buildings having been built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Due to the age of much of the infrastructure most universities are ill equipped to conveniently bring power, data and A/V access to where it is needed for today’s technology.

Finding the solution needed to bring power, data and A/V access and cable management to every classroom, library and office can be a daunting task, and often core drilling is seen as the only option. Core drilling involves drilling holes in the concrete floor slab, installing conduits through these holes and routing them beneath the floor slab to the new poke-through device. With trenching, a portion of the concrete floor slab is saw-cut and removed. Conduits and electrical devices are put in place and the floor slab is then patched with new concrete. Many are discovering, though, that the costs of core drilling and trenching are too expensive. According to a recent RSMeans study, avoiding core drilling or trenching and using an alternative method can save 50 percent or more.

The growing need for retrofitting campuses is unabated and institutions must think beyond solutions invented nearly a century ago. The keys to success are to effectively and affordably bring power, data and telecommunications from the wall to wherever it is needed while having the flexibility to adjust and grow as technology continues to evolve.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Clint Strong, CEO of Connectrac® (www.connectrac.com), is the company’s founder and a licensed architect. Connectrac is the new standard in modular, bringing cable management in all interior applications, supplanting expensive core drilling with its floor-based wireway. Contact Clint at [email protected].

Featured

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.