raceway

What is a raceway?

A raceway, sometimes referred to as a raceway system, is an enclosed conduit that forms a physical pathway for electrical wiring. Raceways protect wires and cables from heat, humidity, corrosion, water intrusion and general physical threats.

A well-grounded metallic conduit provides radio frequency (RF) shielding that minimizes the risk of trouble with electromagnetic interference. In some systems, plastic conduit is sufficient. However, because it offers no electrical grounding or RF shielding, plastic conduit is used mainly to contain coaxial cables or other forms of cable that have their own RF shielding.

Raceways are an important component in the design of complex data centers and blade servers. Data centers typically have overhead cable raceways. These raceways must undergo intense planning before installation. These plans should include flexible cable pathways to enable future adjustments, proper spacing to avoid overcrowding wires and the ability to add to the raceway when additions to the data center occur.