Cable Fire Tests — IEC 60332 / IEC 60331 / EN 50399 / IEC 61034

What Is Cable Fire Tests?

Cable fire tests are a group consisting of single cable vertical flame spread (IEC 60332-1), cable bundle flame spread (IEC 60332-3 / EN 50399), circuit integrity under fire (IEC 60331), smoke density (IEC 61034) and halogen content (IEC 60754) tests.

Purpose of Cable Fire Tests

The aim is to verify that the cables limit their contribution to flame spread in a fire, maintain circuit integrity where necessary, and limit smoke/corrosive gas production.

Which Products Is Cable Fire Tests Applied To?

Building and facility power cables
Fire alarm and safety circuit cables
Railway and ship cables
Data and communication cables

In Which Sectors Is Cable Fire Tests Used?

ConstructionConstructionDemiryoluElectricalConsumer Products

Standards Related to Cable Fire Tests

IEC 60332-1 / -3
EN 50399 (CPR classification test)
IEC 60331 (circuit integrity)
IEC 61034 (smoke density)
IEC 60754 (halojen gaz)
EN 13501-6 (cable classification)
UL 94flammability class in plastic materials test
EN 13501Fire classification of building products test
ASTM E84flame spread on the surface test
ASTM E119Fire resistance in building elements test

Cable Fire Tests Conditions

Tek kablo: Vertical flame in IEC 60332-1; maximum carbonization length criterion
Wiring harness: Bundle in vertical ladder in EN 50399; heat release, flame spread and smoke are measured
circuit integrity: Not interrupting the circuit at the temperature and time defined in IEC 60331
smoke and halogen: Light transmittance in IEC 61034, amount of halogen acid gas in IEC 60754

Equipment for Cable Fire Tests

Vertical flame chamber and vertical ladder test chamber
EN 50399 heat release and smoke measurement system
Circuit integrity furnace and electrical monitoring
3 m cube smoke chamber

Sample Requirements for Cable Fire Tests

The cable sample must be in the actual production structure
Cable placement in the bundle test must be done according to the standard
Supply and load must be defined in the circuit integrity test
Sample length and quantity are defined in the standard

Duration of Cable Fire Tests

Typically 4–10 weeks depending on the experimental set.

Cable Fire Tests Procedure

1The target classification (e.g. CPR Euroclass) is determined.
2The required set of experiments is selected.
3Single cable and bundle tests are applied.
4If necessary, circuit integrity testing is performed.
5Smoke and halogen tests are applied.
6The results are classified according to EN 13501-6.

Cable Fire Tests Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance criteria are the limit values given in the relevant standard and EN 13501-6 classification for each test.

Evaluation of Results

The single cable test (IEC 60332-1) does not represent bundle behavior; EN 50399 beam test is required for CPR classification. Being halogen-free (IEC 60754) does not mean low smoke; The two are demonstrated in separate experiments.

Cable Fire Tests Report

Applied standards
Cable structure and cross section
Experimental setup and sample placement
Measurements and limits for each experiment
EN 13501-6 classification

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Construction Products Directive (EU) 305/2011 — Cables under CPR
EN 45545 and IMO FTP (industrial applications)

Fire Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Cable Fire Tests test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Fire testing measures two different concepts, and confusing them is the most common mistake in the field. REACTION to fire describes how much a material contributes to the start and growth of a fire. RESISTANCE to fire is the ability of a building element to hold a fire back for a defined period. One is a material property, the other a property of an element.

On the reaction side, ignitability, flame spread, heat release, smoke production, flaming droplets and toxic gas release are measured. The result is translated into an EN 13501-1 class in Europe, ASTM E84 indices in North America and a UL 94 class for appliance plastics. These three systems cannot be converted into one another; their scales and set-ups differ.

On the resistance side, furnace tests are carried out. The element is exposed to a defined temperature-time curve and it is measured how long it maintains three functions: load bearing (R), integrity (E) and insulation (I). For a fire door, the designation EI 60 says the element maintains its integrity and insulating function for sixty minutes.

SCALE is decisive in this family and directly affects cost. Small flame tests are suitable for screening materials and are fast and inexpensive. But real fire behaviour changes with scale: a material that self-extinguishes on a small specimen may sustain a flame over a large surface. Large-scale set-ups such as the room corner test and full-scale facade tests are therefore indispensable in critical applications.

Facade systems have become the most sensitive subject in the field in recent years. The rapid spread of facade fires in tall buildings has led national regulations to require large-scale facade testing. What is assessed here is not a single material but the SYSTEM: insulation, cladding, air cavity, fixings and fire barriers are tested together.

Smoke and toxicity form a separate body of work, because most deaths in a fire are caused by smoke rather than flame. In rail systems and on ships, smoke density and gas toxicity measurements are mandatory items; in an enclosed space the time available for evacuation depends on these values.

Cables have a sub-body of their own. A cable bundle inside a building can form a serious path for fire to spread between floors; flame spread, smoke production, halogen content and circuit integrity are therefore assessed for cables under separate standards, and in Europe the EN 13501-6 classification is used.

Method groups in this field

Non-combustibility and calorific value
The EN ISO 1182 non-combustibility furnace and EN ISO 1716 gross calorific value; the determinants of classes A1 and A2.
Single burning item (SBI)
EN 13823; heat release, flame spread and smoke production are measured together in a medium-scale corner set-up.
Small flame
Ignitability with a single flame source to EN ISO 11925-2; UL 94 horizontal and vertical burning; needle flame and glow wire.
Cone calorimeter
ISO 5660 / ASTM E1354; heat release rate, total heat release and smoke production are measured. The most informative test in material development.
Fire resistance
Furnace tests with the standard temperature-time curve; separate set-ups for doors, walls, floors, glazing and service penetrations.
Large scale
Room corner test (ISO 9705, NFPA 286), facade fire tests and vertical flame spread tests on cable bundles.
Smoke and toxicity
Optical smoke density, smoke gas analysis and toxicity indices; mandatory in rail systems and marine.

Commonly confused in this field

Reaction to fire and resistance to fire are different concepts; the specification must be explicit about which is required.
UL 94, ASTM E84 and EN 13501-1 results cannot be converted into one another.
A small-scale result is not evidence of large-scale behaviour; large-scale testing is required in critical applications.
A class is valid together with the end-use installation of the product; a different substrate or air cavity changes the result.
For facade systems a result for a single material is not sufficient; the system must be tested as a whole.
The fire class of a product does not show the fire resistance of an assembly made from it.

Which decisions these results support

The fire class in the declaration of performance for construction products
Regulatory compliance in the selection of cables, flooring and interior linings
Approval of interior materials for rail vehicles, ships and aircraft
Approval of the facade system design
Meeting insurance and project specification requirements

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Cable Fire Tests

Is halogen-free cable low-smoke?

Not necessarily. Halogen content is measured by IEC 60754, smoke density by IEC 61034. Just because a cable is halogen-free does not prove that it has less smoke; The two features must be shown separately.