Construction Product Regulation (CPR)
WHAT IS THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS REGULATION (CPR)?
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) lays down harmonized rules for the assessment of the fire behavior of construction products like floors or ceilings in the EU.
WHAT IS THE LEGAL SITUATION?
Since July 1, 2017 this regulation also applies to cables that are permanently installed in a building, as EN 50575 has been integrated in the specifications of the CPR. This affects round and flat cables as well as power and data cables.
This means that cables must be tested and classified regarding their energy content, fire propagation, smoke production, thermal release, flaming droplets and acid content. As all cable types have to be tested, this is done regardless of the form of the cable.
HOW ARE CABLES CLASSIFIED?
The classification provides four Euro classes (also called fire classes) for cables describing fire propagation and thermal release:
- B2ca: The highest possible performance category for sheathed cables. For very high safety requirements in buildings.
- Cca: For high safety requirements in buildings.
- Dca: For medium safety requirements in buildings.
- Eca: The lowest possible performance category. For low safety requirements in buildings.
The Euro classes B2ca, Cca and Dca are supplemented by additional classes, which describe smoke production (s), flaming droplets (d) and acidity (a). These are assigned numbers in descending order, this means that s1 is rated higher than s2. Example of a complete designation: B2ca s1 d1 a1.
Summarized, the fire classes mean: the higher the class, the longer the admissible evacuation time for a building and the higher the safety for people in case of a fire.
HOW ARE THE FIRE CLASSES DOCUMENTED?
The CE label according to CPR and the declaration of performance are mandatory for cable manufacturers and confirm that the products comply with the requirements of the CPR and state to which fire class they belong. Products intended for permanent use in buildings without at least class Eca cannot be marketed in the EU.
WHERE IS THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS REGULATION APPLIED?
The CPR is applied in all EU member states. It is possible to implement the CPR in non-EU states like Switzerland or Norway voluntarily. The integration of fire classes or the assignment of fire classes to building types or installation positions is the responsibility of the individual EU member states and the voluntary participants. In many states, including Germany, this has not been implemented as a mandatory rule: This means that only class Eca must be satisfied as a minimum requirement for placing them on the market. Higher classes must be selected, when member states have integrated these requirements as mandatory – for example in their construction or fire protection regulations. In addition, there are recommendations from associations or also from the cable industry. It is always possible to use a higher fire class.
WHAT ABOUT PERMANENTLY INSTALLED EQUIPMENT CABLES?
Cables that are permanently connected to the equipment must fulfil the product standard of the equipment. If this product standard is not integrated in the CPR, the CPR does not apply to the cable and it can be selected and dimensioned according to the equipment standard.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR WIELAND?
Connectors and pre-assembled cables are expressly excluded from the CPR and therefore do not have to be classified. We provide the fire class information in our product documents and in the respective EU declaration of conformity, because we use cables for permanent installation in buildings for the EU market, among others. Because pre-assembled cables, as explained above, are not part of the CPR and we are not a distributor
of round cables, we are not allowed to provide a declaration of performance according to the CPR.
We will provide the declaration of performance for our gesis®NRG flat cables.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?
Our existing and known pre-assembled cables and flat cables are tested and classified according to CPR and are still available under the known material number. New cables for higher fire classes are also available as a standard, depending on the performance type. Additional fire classes are available on request.