Communications Network Design and Budgeting

Communications Network Design, Estimating, and Documentation

Communications Services is charged with the development, maintenance, and implementation of communications construction and wiring standards on campus. As such, communications service for all new and renovated building projects as well as on-going moves and changes for the campus are coordinated through a single campus agency, the Communications Services department.

Communications Services can provide a qualified, order-of-magnitude estimate for new building projects during the program and initial budget stages of a project. This work is normally funded following the architect selection and the initial program development process. In addition, the following section of this document provides an outline of budgeting recommendations for communications.

Upon establishment of a final site plan after the Design/Development (DD) drawing and specifications stage, Communications Services will provide a detailed wiring estimate with specifications, computer-aided drawings, and estimate suitable for final budget allocation and, if requested, for contract bidding.

The campus may elect to assign inside wiring of a building to Communications Services as an option to inclusion in the prime contract(s).

Budgeting for Communications Facilities

Construction budgets for new buildings and major renovations shall include the following budget elements for funding interior and external communications cabling.

Note: The following elements are for initial ballpark estimates in support of program document preparation for budgeting and funding of new projects. Communications Services cannot be responsible for the application of these elements without subsequent review and comment on the detailed project proposals.

1. Relocation of existing occupants in a renovated building or in buildings which are demolished or moved to make way for a new building at the project's expense should be budgeted at an initial rate of $50.00 per workstation to be relocated. This is the relocation cost only. The cost of wiring the temporary or surge locations to accommodate relocation is in addition to the relocation costs.
2. Communications attachment of trailer(s) to support the contractor and owner's representatives and attached staffing require a funding allowance of $15,000.00.
3. Exterior cabling should be budgeted at approximately $60.00 per linear foot between the point of connections (manhole) to the campus underground networks and the building main terminal room(s). Final determination of the point of connection is the responsibility of Communications Services.
4. Backbone cable augmentation of existing network to support a project must be determined in consultation with Communications Services. The size, siting, and scheduling of a project are key factors in determining augmentation costs to be carried by a project.
5. For new construction, an overall interior communications wiring cost can be estimated using $3.00 per foot based on Gross Square Footage. As an alternative means of estimating an overall interior communications wiring cost, a fixed cost of $650.00 per outlet can be used. This requires that the number of outlets has been determined by the campus's calculation of the square footage allocated to specific types of space, e.g., office space (1 workstation per 80 sq ft.). This square footage allocation is defined in the Campus Wiring Standards.
6. For renovation projects, an overall interior communications wiring cost can be estimated using $3.00 per foot based on Gross Square Footage involved in the renovations, either directly or in support of renovated areas.
7. New buildings use single-pair digital telephone systems (DTS) to support multi-line telephone sets. Older 10A2 telephone key systems cannot be supported in new and renovated buildings. If the occupying departments do not currently have a DTS, an allowance of $20,000.00 should be included in the initial project program budget to cover this expense.
8. Attachment of services to the new or renovated building following completion should be included in a project budget at a rate of $2.00 per foot per Gross Square Footage.
9. Communications Services provides the necessary design and construction of infrastructure attachment for duct banks, backbone cable augmentation and/or reconfiguration, entrance cables, and all broadband (CATV) riser distribution within a building. Their services are contracted to Facilities Management and the project budget in the early design development stages. A minimum allowance of $10,000.00 should be made for this service.

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