EN 50174

EN 50174 is the European Standard for the planning, implementation and operation of information
technology cabling using balanced copper cabling and optical fibre cabling. It is designed to be
used in conjunction with EN 50173. EN 50174 is published in three parts.
EN 50174-1

Information technology cabling installation part 1: Specification and quality

assurance

EN 50174-2

Information technology cabling installation part 2: Installation planning and

practices inside buildings

EN 50174-3

Information technology cabling installation part 3: Installation planning and

practices outside buildings

EN 50174 calls up many other standards and it is easier to pick them up section by section rather
than merely list them. However the following overview is given:Building Design Phase EN 50310

Cabling Design Phase EN 50173

EN 50098

Planning Phase

Application of equipotential bonding

and earthing in buildings with
information technology equipment
Information technology Generic
cabling systems
Customer premises cabling for
information technology. ISDN basic
and primary access

EN 501741/2/3
EN 50310

Implementation Phase EN 501741/2/3

EN 50310
Operation Phase

EN 50174-1

EN 50174-1
The organisation of EN 50174-1 is:
Safety
Specification considerations
Quality Assurance
Documentation
Cabling administration
Repair and maintenance
Safety
Under the safety heading, the following statements are made:-

External cables with flammable polyethylene sheaths must be jointed to a low flammability
cable or encased within non-flammable conduit or trunking within 5 metres of entering a
building
Consideration shall be given to cables having non-corrosive, fire retardant and low
smoke/toxic emission properties.
Frames and cabinets shall not be installed in toilet facilities, boiler/plant/machine rooms, in
emergency escape routes, in ceiling or sub-floor spaces or within cabinets or closures containing
fire fighting equipment.
The minimum clearance on all faces of the frames and cabinets that require access shall be at least
1.2 metres.
Pathways
Pathway systems are referenced to :
EN 50085

Cable trunking systems and cable ducting systems for electrical

installations Part 1: general requirements

EN 50086

Conduit systems for electrical installations Part 1: general requirements

Pathways should not be installed in lightning conductor voids or lift shafts.

Scope of work items
Pre-installation tasks
Civil works identify and document
Pathways
Earthing and bonding
Building entrance facility
Bill of materials
Survey status
Installation tasks
safety plan
connectivity
programme
in-service date
labeling
testing
documentation
documentation hand-over date
Post installation tasks

Reinstatement definition
Recommended spares
Support services
Administration
Documentation
Final cabling documentation includes:site plans identifying locations of cables, pathways, termination points etc.
as-built drawings
evidence of conformance to the specification
other information as required
earthing and bonding details
Administration
For simple infrastructures a well-designed paper-based administration system is often adequate.
However it is recommended that the principles of administration outlined in this clause be
implemented using a computer based administration system.
Testing
Annex B refers to a yet un-named standard known as EN 50XXX. A table lists reduced acceptance
tests, standard acceptance tests and compliance tests. Yet all three fall well short of the IEC 61935
tests invoked in EN 50173. It would seem better to specify IEC 61935 as the main testing regime,
as it is more comprehensive and will be called up by later editions of EN 50173 and ISO 11801.
EN 50174-2
The organisation of EN 50174-2 is:Safety requirements
General installation practices for metallic and optical fibre cabling
Additional installation practice for metallic cabling
Additional installation practice for optical fibre cabling
General installation practice
Coaxial cabling for distribution of television and sound signals is covered in EN 50083.
Cable management systems shall comply with:Conduit systems to EN 50086
Trunking and ducting systems to EN 50085
Busbar trunking systems to EN 60439-2
Tray and ladder systems to prEN 61537
Service poles to prEN 50085-2-4

Additional installation practice for metallic cabling

This chapter goes on at great length about EMC considerations and the organisation of power and
earthing systems. Screened cables for example, must be effectively earthed with a 360 0 bonding
mechanism. The chapter contains a chart detailing minimum separation distances between power
and data cables, and this has always been a major point of concern to installers and end users.
However the wording of the final draft of 2000 has been contested by the UK, and on 10-3-00 a
negative vote was returned by the UK with a technical justification. The original draft proposed:No separation between horizontal data and power required if the parallel run is less than 35
m.
For runs longer than 35 m, separation distances shall apply except for the final 15 m to the
outlet.
The separation distances are

Distance

without divider
or non-metalic
divider

Aluminium
Divider

Steel Divider

unscreened power cable

and unscreened data
cable

200 mm

100 mm

50 mm

unscreened power cable

and screened data cable

50 mm

20 mm

5 mm

screened power cable and

unscreened data cable

30 mm

10 mm

2 mm

screened power cable and

screened data cable

0 mm

0 mm

0 mm

Type of Installation

In addition, a distance of 130 mm shall be kept from fluorescent lamps.

The UK technical recommendation is to replace the above by;

The minimum segregation distance between power cables and IT balanced cables for cable
lengths of up to 90 m is 75mm
This minimum distance applies to 230 V ac, 20 amp, 50/60 Hz, single phase circuits, with a
maximum of ten such power cables. A three phase 415 V ac circuit would account for three
of the former power cables.
Outlet boxes that share power and data circuit must keep 6 mm segregation.
130 mm separation from fluorescent lights is still required.
Segregation is not required when power and data cables are enclosed in separate metal
trunking or conduit.
Note that trunking must be continuous, completely enclose the cables, be earthed and made of 1
mm low-carbon steel or 2 mm of aluminium. Stainless steel is not permitted. Segregation is not
required when the power cables are of a shielded design.
Where power and data cables cross they must do so at right angles and with the aid of a bridge.
EN 50174-3
The organisation of EN 50174-3 is:

Installation practice for metallic cabling

-proximity to high voltages
-overhead cabling
-underground lines
-interface between internal and external cabling

Installation practice for optical fibre cabling

-general precautions
-pre-installation procedures
-preparation of cable routes

One standard invoked is;

ENV 61024-1

Protection of structures against lightning

Much space is devoted to the coexistence of IT cabling with other services and utilities, for IT cables
installed above or below ground. For overhead power lines, for example, the clearance must be at

least 0.5 m for less than 1000 volts, with a formula supplied to calculate the distance when the
voltage is above 1000 V.
The minimum separation from the earthed metallic parts of the IT system and power earthing
systems can be anything from 5 to 200 m!! depending upon soil resistivity.
The minimum depth of buried IT cabling is given for various circumstances, such as at least 0.6 m
for pavements and roads.
The clearance between IT cabling and other services such as gas (low pressure, 0.5 m, high
pressure, 1.5 m) and water (0.3 m) is also given.
Many rules and design guidelines are given for when the IT cable runs through hot zones, i.e.
areas that can suffer from ROEP, or Rise Of Earth Potential.

The above information is offered as a summary of EN 50174. It is not a definitive

design guide and does not replace study and implementation of the Standard itself.
The publisher accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. To purchase
the full Standard go to your national standards body, e.g. British Standards
Institution, Nederlands Normalisatie Instituut etc. or CENELEC