The Need For Fire Performance Cables
Recent disasters and highly publicized building fires, most notably, the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, have created a new impetus for change in building codes regulating commercial building practices. These include mandatory improvements in fire notification, monitoring and protection, communication and occupant evacuation and survival practices. Fire-resistant power and control circuit wiring so that emergency systems can function corectly have become very important. It is imperative that electrical cabling systems survive any fire for several hours during an emergency or disaster so that emergency responders can operate, buildings and equipment can be preserved, and, most importantly, lives can be saved!
Underwriters Laboratories developed
UL 2196 – “Tests for Fire Resistive Cables,”
a performance-related and large-scale
test recognized by practitioners in the field of
fire safety. Cables meeting the two-hour fire
survivability requirement of UL 2196 were
classified “circuit integrity” cables for critical
fire resistant applications and are marked “CI.”
Prior to the release of UL 2196, mineralinsulated
(MI) cable was the predominant product used for National Electric Coderegulated
applications where the fire survivability
requirement (1 hour minimum) was
specified: i.e., NEC Article 695, which covers
wiring for electrically driven fire pumps and
Article 700, which covers wiring for emergency
systems. With the release of a fire survivability
performance specification, UL 2196, cable
maker efforts to develop a CI-rated product
that was more flexible, easier to install and
less expensive than MI cable increased, with
the intent being that these new products
would facilitate and expand the installation of
fire emergency and occupant survivability systems
in new construction as well as retrofits.
Prior to 9/11, only NEC Article 695 and 700
specifically called out a cable product that
could survive and function for at least 1 hour.
After 9/11, the National Fire Prevention Association,
the code-making body that publishes
the NEC, introduced “Fire Alarm Circuit
Integrity (CI) Cable,” as “a cable used in fire
alarm systems to ensure continued operation
of critical circuits...” This was introduced into
Article 760 of the 2002 code, the section which
describes fire alarm cable survivability equirements.
NFPA followed this by introducing CI
cables in Article 725 of the 2005 code which
describes “ circuit integrity (CI) cable(s) …
used for remote control, signaling, or powerlimited
systems that supply critical circuits to
ensure survivability for continued circuit operation
for specified time under fire conditions...”
and in Article 800 which describes “communications circuit integrity (CI) cables…”
which are “cables suitable for use in
communications systems to ensure survivability
of critical circuits….” The result is that CI rated
cables per UL 2196 are a part of the code
requirements of articles 695, 700, 725, 760
and 800 of the NEC.
On October 26th, 2005, the Building and
Fire Safety Laboratory of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) released
a summary report giving findings and
recommendations from its study of the WTC disaster. The report, which contains 30 recommendations
to improve the safety of tall buildings,
occupants and responders, can be found
at http://wtc.nist.gov. NIST has funded a 12-
month project with the National Institute of
Building Sciences to convert these recommendations
into code proposals for submission
to the NFPA (NEC) and the International
Code Council (International Building Code).
Several meetings already have been held to develop
the code language proposals.
Of particular importance to the wire and
cable industry are recommendations dealing:
(1) with “enhanced fire resistance of structures”,
which focuses on improving the technical
basis for … fire resistance ratings; (2) with “new methods for fire resistance design of
structures” including the development and
evaluation of new fire resistive coating materials
and technologies and active fire protection
systems; (3) with improvements to building
evacuation and emergency response, including “hardened” elevators and emergency communications
systems; and (4) with improved procedures
and practices that are required by
code in the design, construction, maintenance
and operation of all buildings. Recommendations
in these areas will have a direct bearing
on the proliferation of fire resistant CI-rated
power, control, signal and communications cables
tied to applications involving occupant
and building survivability systems for all high
occupancy facilities: high-rise buildings,
schools, hospitals or mass transit stations.
Over time the recommendations will probably become
requirements.
Hurley Solutions
Arthur J. Hurley Company has worked with major suppliers in the cable industry to offer a complete line of electrical cables and accessories that satisfy the requirements outlined here. We are prepared to work with you to refine your particular needs for any construction project that has requirements in this very important fire performance and safety arena. Call us today, so we can get to work!
Information:
Overview of Tyco Thermal, Pyrotenax and Raychem solutions
Raychem CI 2-hour fire-rated, polymer insulated, fire alarm cable
Raychem MC 2-hour fire-rated, polymer insulated, power cable
Raychem RHW 2-hour fire-rated, polymer insulated, power cable
Pyrotenax Fire Resistant Industrial Wiring
Dekoron Fire Resistant Control Cables
Dekoron Fire Resistant Instrumentation Cables
Draka Lifeline family of 2-hour fire rated cables