Fireproofing
Providing fireproofing for cables, cable trays, or electrical conduit, is meant to keep cables operational during a specified fire exposure and time. This can be done in two different ways:
- Cable coating is generally considered a fire retardant, which lowers the spread of flame and generation of smoke along the combustible cable jacketing. Some cable coating systems are able to achieve a measure of circuit integrity, which is demonstrated and quantified through certification listing and listing and approval use and compliance.
- An enclosure can be provided. Calcium silicate board can be used, or other methods including boards made of vermiculite, bonded and pressed with sodium silicate, flexible wraps made of ceramic fibre and rockwool, or ceramic fibre wraps treated with endothermic materials. In all cases, the installed configuration must meet the certification listing of the tested system. Alternatively, cables that achieve fire-resistance ratings on their own can be used, such as Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable, or MI cable. Mica insulated cables have also demonstrated a measure of circuit integrity for small cables.
Read more about this topic: Circuit Integrity