A Graph-Theoretic Approach for Designing Cable Routes in Buildings

To reliably supply electricity to each room in a building, electrical cable wiring is essential. Electrical cables must be routed to avoid deterioration of building strength and fire prevention equipment functions. However, if the length of the cable is long, a voltage drop will occur, so it is necessary to design the shortest cable route. Electrical cables are usually installed in the ceiling, so other equipment such as ducts and water pipes should also be avoided. As a result, cable routes tend to be quite complex. Currently, skilled engineers are designing the cable route based on their experience. However, in Japan, a shortage of human resources among construction companies become a major issue, and electrical equipment construction is no exception. Therefore, a system that supports the design of cable routes is desired. In this research, to support the cable route design for one floor of a building, we propose a graph-theoretic approach.