European fire tests for cables in building and CE-marking

In 2008, in the context of the Construction Products Directive (now Construction Products Regulation CPR), the European Commission had asked the standardisation organisations CEN/CENELEC to issue harmonized standards for cables and to separately consider reaction to fire (flammability, fire propagation, emissions in case of fire). For reaction to fire, the classes for cables ACa B1Ca B2Ca CCa DCa ECa (FCa) are described in the European standard EN 13501 Part 6. The reaction to fire tests and additional tests are described in the standards:

- EN 50399 (fire propagation and heat release plus smoke and drips)

 

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Source: SP, Sweden

 

- EN 60332-1-2 (flame propagation test with 1kW flame)

- EN 61034-2 (smoke “cube” test)

- EN 50267-2-3 (acidity test)

While the fire classes for cables are mandatory for all European Member States, the additional classification for smoke production, acidity and flaming droplet/particles is voluntary and only becomes mandatory in a single Member State if it is required by its national regulations.

The product standard for cables EN 50575[i] is the basis for the CE-Marking of cables. It assigns each fire class to EN 13501-6 with the appropriate test standards. It describes the process of conformity assessment and the requirements on internal factory production control. EN 50575 has now been published in the Official Journal of the EU on 10 July 2015. Its implementation is foreseen for 1 December 2015. A coexistence period of one year with the existing national requirements will take place. Thereafter, CE-marking will become mandatory on 1 December 2016.

 

 


 

[i] DIN EN 50575:2015-04. Power, control and communication cables - Cables for general applications in construction works subject to reaction to fire requirements; German version EN 50575:2014

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