Structural Impact of Low Voltage Infrastructure Integration in Modern Building Service: A Systematic Review

The integration of low-voltage (LV) infrastructure — encompassing structured cabling systems (SCS), lighting control networks, building management system (BMS) cable routes, and low-current security and communications pathways — into modern commercial and institutional buildings gives rise to a series of structural, mechanical, and spatial interactions with load-bearing and enclosing elements that the civil and building services engineering literature has not yet systematically examined. This paper presents a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications, technical standards, and engineering guidance documents published between 2003 and 2026, addressing four objectives: (1) the mechanical behaviour and load characteristics of LV cable support systems; (2) the effects of LV system integration on reinforced concrete slabs, structural steel frames, suspended ceiling substructures, and partition wall assemblies; (3) spatial coordination challenges between LV infrastructure, HVAC systems, and the structural frame; and (4) the role of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in detecting and resolving LV–structural conflicts. Following a structured search across Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect, 45 primary sources were identified for synthesis after systematic screening. The review finds that the seismic structural behaviour of cable tray systems is relatively well characterised in the existing literature, whereas the static distributed load impact of combined LV infrastructure on suspended ceiling substructures and the management of LV riser penetrations through load-bearing elements remain insufficiently addressed. Existing standards — IEC 61537:2023, NEMA VE 1, and EN 50174 — govern individual system performance but provide no cross-discipline coordination guidance. BIM-based clash detection studies consistently report that LV systems are modelled at insufficient levels of detail for structural conflict identification. The review concludes with a consolidated research gap map and a prioritised research agenda at the intersection of structural engineering and building services electrical engineering.

low-voltage infrastructure, structured cabling system, cable tray, suspended ceiling load, BIM clash detection, MEP coordination, seismic performance, riser penetration, building services engineering, systematic review

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