NESA SCOPIC CPR RATED CABLES
CPR-RATED CABLES: IT’S AS EASY AS A-TO-E Network planners, installers and operators face a range of challenges when it comes to meeting the demands for high-speed reliable full-fibre broadband services. Compliance with the notorious CPR-rating classifications may not be the first that comes to mind, but it can still represent a significant hurdle. Whilst regulations vary worldwide, the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) provides a set of standards for Europe, including classifications for cable reactions in a fire. Nesa Scopic , product manager, Fibre Connectivity at HUBER+SUHNER explains. U nder the CPR legislation, cables are required to meet specific classifications, and they must be labelled accordingly. The CPR some reaction in a fire, and therefore, current regulations for Europe specify CPR classes Eca and B2ca, so a B2 rating would ensure the most protection, and an E would have the worst. There are different grades
spread slower, ultimately enabling people to evacuate safely in enough time. It is critical that building owners and installers understand and use the optimum ratings as this would determine the outcome in an event of a fire. TESTED TO STRICT STANDARDS The CPR applies to all cables – data, fibre optic, power and control - installed in domestic, commercial and industrial premises anywhere in the European Union. Brexit does not affect the implementation of CPR in the UK as it is stated on the UK government website that “all existing European harmonised standards will become UK designated standards”. The CPR states that regardless of its place of manufacture, if these are installed in the European Union and UK, the regulations still apply. To comply with these regulations, the cables must be tested accordingly, and this needs to be carried out by an independent Notified Body such as BASEC, an independent accredited certification body for the cable industry worldwide. There are several fire tests on cables available. These vary from a vertical ladder to a smoke emissions test. A vertical ladder test is essentially analysing flame spread of vertically mounted bunched wires or cables. A smoke emission test measures the
recommended for different use cases. B2ca cables would mostly be used in escape routes such as public buildings and tunnels, where large amounts of people would be, and they are not able to escape quickly in the case of a fire. Mid-range classifications such as Cca, would be used in places such as hotels and schools where there are medium densities of people. Lower rated cabling such as Dca would be used in residential environments, where people could escape a lot quicker in the case of a fire. Using an Eca cabling classification would produce more heat and the fire would spread quicker, meaning there would be an increased risk of people becoming trapped in buildings. Combining the cable fire reaction, with the levels of smoke produced, falling flaming droplets formed, and the acidity of gases caused by the cable itself, it presents a well-rounded profile of the cable’s overall performance within a fire scenario. For cables, the highest level of classification would be B2ca-s1,d0.a1, as the higher safety rating from all aspects - fire reaction, smoke, droplets and gas acidity - would mean flames would
recommend that all cables must have CE marking permanently installed in all household, commercial or industrial buildings or civil engineering work in the European Union. EN 50575 is the standard for cables which defines the test standards for assessing the cable’s ‘reaction to fire’ performance, and a method of classifying this performance. The main objective of the CPR is to increase safety in buildings and ensure the health protection of individuals. Achieving this objective is determined by the different classification types and how they perform in a fire. CLASSIFICATIONS MADE SIMPLE CPR covers not only the cables contribution and reaction to a fire, but also the levels of smoke, droplets, and gas acidity levels produced when in a fire scenario. For heat, the classification levels (known as Euroclass) run from A to E with A having no reaction and E having a base reaction, whilst smoke is from s1 to s3, droplets from d0 to d2, and gas acidity from a1 to a3, with the lower numbers meaning a reduced levels. Fibre optic cables would always have
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| ISSUE 33 | Q2 2023
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