What is FP Cable?

After 50 years of continuous development, Prysmian's FP range is still the market leading fire-resistant cables when it comes to protecting property and saving lives in a fire. 

 

 

Prysmian's FP range is the result of 50 years of continuous development of fire resistant cables. ‘FP’ is short for Fire Performance. It is the ability of a fire resistant cable to continue to perform and maintain circuit integrity in a fire.

 

Prysmian's FP200 Gold and FP PLUS fire resistant cables in particular meet the requirements of the British Standard codes of practice for fire detection, fire alarm and emergency lighting.

 

BS 5839-1: Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings provides recommendations for the design, installation and commissioning of fire detection and fire alarm systems for non-domestic premises.

 

BS 5266-1: Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises provides recommendations on the factors that need to be taken into account in the design, installation and wiring of electrical emergency lighting systems in order to provide the lighting performance needed for safety of people in the building in the event of failure of the supply to the normal lighting.

 

Both Standards call for fire resistant cables to meet either 'standard' performance or 'enhanced' performance. The essential difference between the ‘standard’ and ‘enhanced’ requirement is survival time under the test conditions as set out in BS EN 50200:

 

•           "Standard" cables are required to meet the following fire test requirements: A 30 minute duration of survival when tested to BS EN 50200 (PH 30); and a 30 minute duration of survival when tested to BS EN 50200 Annex E [exposure to fire, impact and water spray]

•           "Enhanced" cables are required to meet the following fire test requirements: A 120 minute duration of survival when tested to BS EN 50200 (PH 120); and a 120 minute duration of survival when tested to BS 8434-2.

 

For most applications BS 5839-1 recommends the use of 'standard' fire resisting cables with appropriate methods of support and jointing. However, for certain applications relating to large un-sprinklered buildings, the BS recommends the use of 'enhanced' fire resisting cables, always with appropriate methods of support and jointing.