Wireless Coverage for Architectural Design Planning
During the initial planning stages of building design, engineers and designers typically always include essential details such as floor plans, building materials, and utility lines (gas, electrical, and water), in addition to land surveys and other critical components necessary for the construction of their proposed designs. Despite the attention given to these elements, there is one major detail that is frequently overlooked and may even remain disregarded after ground has been broken.
Modern construction projects need to include plans for in-building cellular and radio communications.
Navigating Federal, State, and Local Business Codes
Construction companies and architectural firms must comply with numerous building codes, which can be challenging to navigate, especially if they are specific to a particular state, county, or local municipality. Although many of these codes are familiar to seasoned builders and designers, some are relatively new, and awareness regarding them is not widespread. As a result, certain projects may encounter significant delays as organizations work to integrate unfamiliar requirements into their plans. In-building communication codes for public safety, specifically IFC-510 and NFPA-72, are among those that are commonly neglected by architects.
How to Ensure Adequate In-Building Coverage Wireless Coverage
Most commercial buildings are constructed using materials such as wood, metal, brick, cement, and Low-E glass, which can impede cellular and radio frequencies indoors. Signals from nearby cellular and radio towers, as well as devices inside the building, cannot penetrate some structures’ exteriors, which decreases in-building signal strength and capacity.
To accord with the two codes we mentioned earlier, it is critical for the frequencies that public safety agencies use to communicate during emergency situations to be able to propagate effectively within buildings. If signals are weak or non-existent, your building will not receive approval for occupancy, leading to an increase in project timelines and greater costs.
How to Improve Indoor Signal Strength
To avoid costly project delays and the expense associated with revisiting the design phase of a project already in progress, it is crucial that you partner with a spet in systems designed to enhance a building’s wireless capacity during the design phase - before you break ground.
Aside from serving as a legal requirement, ensuring sufficient in-building public safety cellular and radio signal strength levels, it is wise to include signal-boosting public cellular enhancement systems in your building designs. Numerous organizations rely on major public carrier frequencies for a wide range of operational communication requirements.
Integrating these solutions for public safety and general communication needs into your architectural plans can save your clients the cost of installing critical systems later, enhancing their trust in your firm’s capabilities on future projects.