CPR European regulations prescribe severe fire test in official laboratories to analyse their reaction to…
CPR certificate: Summary of classes B2, C, D and E
The CPR certificate primarily assesses two aspects in the event of a fire: the reaction of installed cables and their emission of hazardous substances in this situation.
THE CPR CERTIFICATE AND SAFETY
Safety is a crucial aspect to consider when starting a new project. All possible situations that the installation may face need to be evaluated, and maximum safety should be ensured at all times. That is why several criteria have been established at the European level to classify cables and assess their suitability under the certification nomenclature. The main criterion of the classification of electrical cables under the CPR certificate fundamentally analyses two aspects. First, the reaction of electrical cables to fire (CPR fire compliance) and second, their emission of dangerous substances.
It is a fact that 90% of all fires that break out in Europe every year occur in buildings. The CPR certificate forces cable manufacturers, cable distributors, project managers, architects, constructors and installers throughout Europe to provide buildings with cables that have the right CPR classification. Top Cable can provide a whole range of cables for all purposes with the best CPR fire compliance performance. Because safety is our top priority.
WHAT ASPECTS OF THE CABLE ARE KEY TO FIRE PROTECTION?
When choosing the safest possible cable in the event of fire, two main objectives are sought.
The first objective is to prevent the fire or, if this is not possible, its propagation. All the components of the cable must be designed to contribute to this objective. In this respect, it is very important to be able to rely on self-extinguishing and flame retardant properties.
The second main objective is to ensure maximum safety for people who may be trapped in a fire. To this end, it is important to minimise the formation of smoke and the toxicity of the gases generated in these situations.
CPR CERTIFICATE CATEGORIES
Europe, within the framework of the Construction Products Regulation of 2011 (CPR certificate) created new fire protection categories for cables demanding a reassessment of fire Safety in buildings. cables are classified in 7 classes according to their flame spread and heat release.
The CPR defines several classes that indicate the impact of cables on the spread of fire, using a series of parameters obtained from the corresponding tests. The CPR includes four classes that apply directly to electrical cables: Aca, B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca, Eca and Fca.
At present time national ragulations have been established across Europe specifying CPR Classes between B2ca and Eca. The indsutry accordingly supplying products with this range of perfomance. These classes refer to combustible cables ranked in order of fire growth rate (FIGRA) and heat release.
CPR CERTIFICATE CLASSIFICATION
Cables classified as B2 and C are those with maximum performance against fire, providing maximum protection to people and equipment.
Cables belonging to classes D and E have a more basic level of safety.
Additional levels of classification
Three additional classification levels have been established; these refer to:
- The opacity of smoke emitted (s = smoke)
- The droplets released by the cable in combustion (d = droplets)
- The acidity – or toxicity – of the smoke (a = acidity)
1.Smoke opacity
The following performance criteria for smoke emission have been established:
- s1: Little production and slow propagation of smoke
- s1a: S1 with visibility over 80% (UNE-EN 61034-2).
- s1b: S1 with visibility over 60% and below 80% (UNE-EN 61034-2).
- s2: Intermediate values of production and propagation of smoke
- s3: Neither s1 or s2
2. Fall of droplets during combustion
The following performance criteria for droplets / flamed particles have been established:
- d0: No fall of droplets or flamed particles(UNE-EN 50399).
- d1: Fall of droplets and flamed particles that persist for less than 10 seconds(UNE-EN 50399).
- d2: Neither d0 or d1.
3. Smoke acidity
The following performance criteria for acidity have been established:
- a1: Low acidity (UNE-EN 60754-2 conductivity <2,5ms/mm y pH > 4.3)
- a2: Intermediate values of acid (UNE-EN 60754-2 conductivity <10 ms/mm y pH > 4.3)
- a3: Neither a1 or a2
Classes E ca and F ca have no additional classification criteria.
A SINGLE EUROPEAN CPR CERTIFICATION
The CPR certificate performance code (reaction to fire class and additional classification) must appear on the cable labelling, together with the other marks. This new European classification system enables the easy comparison of different products in order to select the most suitable cable for each type of installation.
Among the Top Cable products that stand out for their good CPR rating, we can find the TOXFREE RZ1-K cable, which has the maximum CPR certification. It is a flexible and easy to handle cable, ensuring maximum performance and safety of electrical installations in public places with high density of people and important equipment.
Another cable in our catalogue with a high CPR certificate rating is the TOPSOLAR H1Z2Z2-K. This cable is the ideal choice in self-consumption solar installations and in public premises. In both cases, high quality cables are required that also provide excellent performance in the event of a fire.
For more information, you can watch the video that summarises the CPR classes by clicking here:
TOP CABLE GUARANTEES SAFE CABLES
Top Cable customers have the guarantee that they are purchasing cables that strictly comply with the indications set out in the CPR certificate, complying with the most demanding requirements in the event of fire and valid for any installation throughout Europe. Because safety is our top priority. If you still have any doubts about the CPR certificate or you would like to have standard cables for your projects, do not hesitate to contact our sales team.
