What you need to know about the AS/NZS 3084:2017 standards update – Telecommunications pathways and spaces for commercial buildings

This Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard was prepared by Joint Technical Committee CT-001, Communications Cabling for Commercial Buildings. The AS/NZS 3084:2017 Telecommunications installations standard specifies practices to assist planners, architects, designers, engineers, builders, installers, maintenance personnel, building owners, managers and users in the planning of physical pathways and spaces in and between buildings to accommodate the equipment and cabling infrastructure necessary for communications.

One of the major updates has been the recommendation to use an optical fibre ducting raceway in Equipment Rooms (ER’s) for routing patch cords. Specifically, optical fibre ducting raceway information can be found in section 4.4.6 (Optical Fibre trunking raceway for patch cords) in the AS/NZS 3084:2017 standard.

When to use an optical fibre ducting raceway:

• The AS/NZS 3084:2017 standard recommends that an overhead optical fibre trunking or ‘raceway’ system be used to protect and support the optical fibre cords. This is one of the main pathways for fibre optic patch cords in equipment rooms, where optical fibre patch connections are required between cabinets.

• Multi-fibre fixed building cable (ruggedized breakout, loose tube or ribbon cable) terminated in fibre optic break out trays should be run on fixed telecommunications cable trays, ducts and the like and not through optical fibre trunking provided for patch connections. Reasons include size, weight, bending radius restrictions, difficulty of accessing patches below and risk of existing patch cord damage during installation.

Optical fibre trunking construction properties:

• Optical fibre trunking shall be of all dielectric halogen free and flame retardant construction with clip on covers and clearly identified by colour and labelling as being for the purpose of running optical fibre cord connections.

Planning Optical Fibre trunking:

• The layout should be designed to complement cable tray or trough for other fixed cabling and not interfere with the expansion of the fixed cabling. In this respect, the optical fibre trunking is typically located under, or adjacent to, cable trays for power and communications.

Optical Fibre Trunking installation:

• Where necessary to meet the earthquake survival requirements of a building (typically classified as Importance Level 3 or Importance Level 4) under the NCC to AS 1170.4 or equivalent New Zealand requirements, trunking should comply with Telecordia Technology standard GR-63 NEBS earthquake shake and vibration test criteria; and be provided with flexible joints and redundant suspension ties.

• The trunking bends and guides should comply with the minimum bending radius criteria for such cords (or non-fixed cables) given in AS/NZS ISO/IEC 14763.2.

• Radius bend drops should be provided at every rack or cabinet position where an optical fibre connection is required: Drops may be inserted by cutting into the side of trunking or provide a radius bend over the top of the side.

It is important that consultants and integrators are aware of the standards update, as it provides guidelines and rules for following best practice. Further information is available in the standard, which includes fill rates, material construction and other installation requirements.

Standards are living documents which reflect progress in science, technology and systems. To maintain their currency, all Standards are periodically reviewed, and new editions are published.

Detailed information about joint Australian/New Zealand Standards can be found by visiting the Standards Web Shop at www.saiglobal.com and looking up the relevant Standard in the online catalogue.

Find out more about the entire WBT ducting raceway solution here.