Significance of the Construction Products Regulation, WHITEPAPER
The aim of the Construction Products Regulation is to protect people in buildings against the consequences of a fire. The priorities in the event of a fire are: To save lives, restrict the fire and minimize resulting loss and damage. The growth of digitalization means that the density of cables in buildings is constantly increasing. In general, the quantity of flammable materials in modern buildings is increasing. As a result, the average time from the start of the fire through to the ignition of flue gases (pyrolysis gases) has reduced from approximately 15 minutes in 1950 to only some 3 minutes in 2010. This means that the time available to escape from a building has been dramatically reduced. Consequently, it is necessary to ask how it is possible to prevent the increasing quantities of cables having an excessively negative impact in the event of fire and what risks lie dormant in any existing old cabling? To answer these questions, it is necessary to examine three aspects: First of all, cables must not contribute to the propagation of the fire and, in particular, the fire must not spread from one floor to the next and no falling or dripping elements should contribute to the propagation of the fire. Second, smoke and toxic gases must be avoided in order to ensure that buildings can be evacuated safely and that the emergency services are able to intervene. And, finally, reconstruction is necessary after a fire. Here, it is necessary to remember that corrosive combustion gases combined with the water used to extinguish the fire form corrosive acids that may be dissipated far from the source of the fire and may attack all metallic objects (e.g. electronic components, construction steel, etc.) and damage or destroy these. The EU Construction Products Regulation The priorities set out above, starting with the saving of lives, together with the consequences that may arise have been incorporated in the new EU Construction Products Regulation. In 2011, the EU issued regulation 305/2011 (Construction Products Regulation) that introduced a uniform classification for improving safety in buildings. As of July 1, 2013, this Construction Products Regulation has been binding for all Member States and replaces the directive on construction products (89/106/EEC). The Construction Products Regulation makes it possible to compare the fire protection properties of products. In this Construction Products Regulation, cables and lines including data cables are also for the first time declared, at the European level, to be construction products with regard to the requirements for fire prevention. The scope of the Regulation includes cables and lines that are permanently installed in buildings and whose performance has an impact on the basic requirements placed on construction works. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 2 of 10
The EU Construction Products Regulation also defines the conditions for CE labelling and demands a manufacturer's declaration of performance concerning the protection-related objectives of the derived product characteristics, such as fire safety (propagation of flames, generation of heat, generation of smoke, formation of acids, burning droplets) and the absence of hazardous contents. In addition, the Construction Products Regulation defines a system that makes it possible to ensure conformity on a permanent basis. The conditions for CE labelling and the requirements placed on the reaction to fire of cables and lines are set out in, EN50575:2014 which has been in force since June 10, 2016. As of this date, it has been possible for cables and lines to be marked with a CE label as set out in the Construction Products Regulation and to be accompanied by a declaration of performance. As of July 1, 2017, this is mandatory for all manufacturers. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 3 of 10
The Declaration of Performance testifies to adherence to the defined fire classifications and is therefore a prerequisite for the use of the cables in the EU Member States. However, all Member States are required and obliged to define the minimum required fire protection classification for a very wide range of applications themselves. As a result, the requirements placed on products for one and the same building type may be very different in the various European countries. Consequently, planners must check local regulations carefully when entering into projects, must observe these and include them in any requests for proposals. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 4 of 10
Euroclass assignment of the fire reaction of cables The CPR assigns the fire reaction of cables to various Euroclasses. EN13501-6:2014 defines 7 basic Euroclasses. These range from the class A ca "nonflammable" to F ca "slightly flammable". A through F are valid for all construction products, ca stands for cable. These Euroclasses should also not be confused with the requirement that cables should be able to resist fire for a certain length of time. It seems unlikely that it will be possible to develop cables that comply with A ca. In sequence, B1, B2, C and D, simply differ in their increasingly less stringent requirements, as tested in accordance with the criteria set out in EN50399. Class E ca cables simply fulfill the minimum requirements of EN60332-1-2 but not the requirements relating to smoke and acid gas generation as specified in EN50399. Euroclass F applies to flammable cables and includes many outdoor cables. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 5 of 10
Additional classifications In the additional classification, "s" stands for smoke/smoke generation. "d" stands for droplets or the formation of droplets and "a" for acid or the release of acid gas. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 6 of 10
The monitoring of compliance is defined in detail in EN50575. Class F products are declared by the manufacturer. Class D or E products must be subjected to type testing by a notified body. Products of class A though C are subject to an additional, regular factory audit with sampling, performed by an independent institute; this represents a so-called 1+ evaluation and certification. As already mentioned, all Member States are required and obliged to define the minimum required fire protection classification for a very wide range of applications themselves. Some organizations and even international associations have since issued their own recommendations some of which go far beyond the legal minimum requirements. The highest priority is to save human lives in the event of a fire. However, buildings can differ greatly in their construction and use and the associated safety requirements differ accordingly. Thus, for example, in a free-standing detached house, there is usually more than one escape route, with the result that the top priority, "saving human lives", cannot be significantly improved through the use of high-quality safety cables. The situation is very different in buildings with very high frequentation levels, for example in department stores/retail outlets/event spaces or buildings frequented by the public. In such cases, it is necessary to create time for possible evacuation activities. The highest safety level applies to buildings that accommodate people who are not able to escape themselves due to illness or age. Ultimately, the fire protection class for buildings is specified by the responsible fire protection authority and it is essential to take account of this during planning. To improve the level of safety in buildings with very high safety requirements, in particular in the field of the emergency services, it is recommended to use fire safety cables of class B2 ca or C ca. Cables with isolation and functional integrity are not currently affected by the CPR. These will be dealt with in a future harmonized standard. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 7 of 10
Special considerations Connecting cables (patchcords, trunk cables) As mentioned above, the EU Construction Products Regulation applies to cables and lines that are permanently installed in structures or parts thereof. This also includes communication cables and lines that are installed in buildings, even if they are installed under render or in ducts. Cables that are not permanently installed in data centers, for example, and that are used flexibly as connecting cables between devices and connection panels and that can be removed do not fall within the definition set out in the Construction Products Regulation. By contrast, cables that are temporarily installed for an undefined period do fall within the scope of the CPR (cables that are assembled at one or both ends and are fixed). One special feature here, however, is that pre-assembled cables may not be identified with the CE label and associated CPR label promoted in the CPR because the connectors are not subject to EN50757. However, this does not release the parties involved from the responsibility for using the CPR-authorized cables specified in the project. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 8 of 10
Recommendation on the fire protection class to be used in data centers / server rooms Data centers generally contain a high density (in terms of investment) of devices and hardware relative to the volume of the room. Even if there is no threat to human life, a fire almost inevitably represents a catastrophe for the data center. Consequently, it is necessary to take the utmost care to ensure that no fires occur and employ intelligent early fire detection and fire prevention mechanisms, i.e. take measures to ensure that no fire can break out, for example by means of fire detection through the early recognition of thermolysis gases that are released even before the fire itself starts. However, should such a fire break out then it will be extinguished immediately either by means of, for example, inert gas extinguishing equipment (extinguishing without leaving deposits) or, more generally, through oxygen reduction involving the lowest possible level of material damage. In the light of this fact, the use of very high-quality and very expensive fire protection cables is not absolutely essential and, in the light of cost-benefit considerations, we therefore recommend the use of class D ca cables. Author: Stefan Wiener Page 9 of 10
About Rosenberger OSI: Since 1991, Rosenberger Optical Solutions & Infrastructure (Rosenberger OSI) has been an expert in innovative fiber optic cabling infrastructure and service solutions for Datacom, Telecom and Industrial. The products and services can be found wherever largest amounts of data have to be transferred quickly and securely. In addition to the development and production of a broad portfolio of fiber optic and copper cabling systems, Rosenberger OSI also offers a variety of services such as planning, installation and maintenance of cabling infrastructure. Rosenberger OSI employs about 600 people in Europe and has been a part of the globally operating Rosenberger Group since 1998, a worldwide leading provider of high-frequency-, high-voltage-, and fiberoptic-connection solutions headquartered in Germany. For further information, please visit: www.rosenberger.com/osi Rosenberger-OSI GmbH & Co. OHG Optical Solutions & Infrastructure Endorferstr. 6 86167 Augsburg GERMANY Phone: +49 821 24924-0 info-osi@rosenberger.com www.rosenberger.com/osi Rosenberger is a registered trademark of Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved. Rosenberger 2017 Transfer to third party only by authority of Rosenberger-OSI GmbH & Co. OHG- All rights reserved Created: 14.06.2017 Valid sincet: 14.06.2017