Research project NM/A/27 (Research action NM)
CONTEXT
Today in Belgium, fire behaviour requirements for electric cables installed in buildings are mainly expressed in the General Regulation for Electric Installations (RGIE), technical specifications and standards. Often, it remains dependent on a voluntary process.
Such a situation should change with the translation in the Belgian law of the European Construction Products Directive (89/106/EC) and the willingness to use the Euroclasses (European harmonised fire behaviour classification for building products) for cables.
THE PROJECT
The industry has introduced 2 competing proposals for the Euroclasses of cables. Each proposal is based on a main test procedure, i.e. the Fipec full-scale test and SBI (Single Burning Item). The national fire regulators will have to choose the most appropriate test method. This project runs just at the right time to provide recommendations (based upon experimental work) for this choice and, at a later stage, to help the Belgian regulators to introduce the future requirements in the Belgian regulation.
Objectives
The main objectives of the project can be summarised as follows:
- to review and analyse main works and studies in relation with the introduction of the cables in the scope of the Construction Products Directive (for the reaction to fire aspects);
- to compare the two test methods aforementioned by means of tests performed on a meaningful sampling of the Belgian production of cables (including optical fibre cables);
- from the detailed analysis of the so-obtained data, to determine the most appropriate test method;
- to propose a classification system based upon the selected test method;
- to analyse the present Belgian regulations with regard to the obtained results and to the proposed classification system.
In addition, it is proposed to measure the smoke released by the selected cables when tested according to IEC 61034-1/2 (so-called 3 m cube chamber) since such a test is used worldwide for many applications. The so obtained values (static measurement) will be compared to the ones recorded at the full-scale and SBI tests (dynamic measurement).
Methodology
The work is organised in a number of work packages, the main ones being:
- collect of all relevant information; definition and adaptation of the test methods when required;
- experimental work, with measurement of the main fire parameters (heat release rate, flame spread, smoke production);
- data processing and statistical analysis;
- conclusions and recommendations.
THE PARTNERS
The promoter (ISSeP fire Department) and representatives of the Belgian cable industry.
EXPECTED PRODUCTS AND RESULTS
- Improved or detailed methodologies for the fire tests of cables;
- Recommendations for the choice of the most appropriate test method for Euroclasses for cables (taking into account the following criteria: ability to measure the main fire parameters, ability to discriminate the cables in terms of fire performance, ability to represent the most pertinent actual scenarios, repeatability);
- Warnings about the possible limitations for the use of the test method(s), e.g. with regard to its sensitivity;
- Proposal of a classification system and/or use of the proposed classification systems;
- Database with the results (level of performance and proposed classification applied to selected cables) and the outputs of the correlation study for the selected Belgian cables;
- Basis for the transposition of the Construction Products Directive rules for cables in the Belgian law.
At this stage, from the review of the main relevant information, the test methods have been defined. The cables have been selected and procured. The major part of the experimental work has been completed. With the results available so far, classifications of the cables have been tried. First conclusions, comments and recommendations have been circulated (among others by means of the annual reports) to concerned people.
USERS COMMITTEE
A users Committee has been set up, including representatives of the different Belgian cable manufacturers. Its members are kept informed of the progress of the work; they give the opinion of the concerned industry. The promoter seeks advice from them when the project must be adjusted in order to take into account the latest decisions of the national fire regulators.
- D. Guéry (CEB Technical Committee 20 C)
- L. Putman (CABLEBEL)
- D. Dewit (Ministère de l’Intérieur, Direction Générale de la Protection civile)
- J. De Saedeleer (Ministerie van Binnelandse Zaken, Algemene Directie van de Civiele Bescherming, Brandweerinspectie)
- L. Argüelles (European Commission, DG Enterprise G5, Head of Unit Construction)
PROMOTER
Hervé BREULET
Institut Scientifique de Service Public
Rue du Chéra 200
B-4000 LIEGE
Tel: +32 4 229.82.03
Fax: +32 4 253.54.16
E-mail: h.breulet@issep.be
Assessment of the adequacy of fire behaviour tests for cables : final report
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2005 (SP1485)
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