BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 BSI Standards Publication Fire hazard testing Part 8-2: Heat release — Summary and relevance of test methods BRITISH STANDARD BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 National foreword This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 60695-8-2:2017 It is identical to IEC 60695-8-2:2016 The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee GEL/89, Fire hazard testing A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract Users are responsible for its correct application © The British Standards Institution 2017 Published by BSI Standards Limited 2017 ISBN 978 580 81875 ICS 13.220.40; 29.020 Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 March 2017 Amendments/corrigenda issued since publication Date Text affected BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 60695-8-2 NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM March 2017 ICS 13.220.40; 29.020 English Version Fire hazard testing - Part 8-2: Heat release Summary and relevance of test methods (IEC 60695-8-2:2016) Essais relatifs aux risques du feu - Partie 8-2: Dégagement de chaleur - Résumé et pertinence des méthodes d'essais (IEC 60695-8-2:2016) Prüfungen zur Beurteilung der Brandgefahr Teil 8-2: Wärmefreisetzung - Zusammenfassung und Anwendbarkeit von Prüfverfahren (IEC 60695-8-2:2016) This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2016-12-21 CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CENELEC member This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German) A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels © 2017 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members Ref No EN 60695-8-2:2017 E BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 EN 60695-8-2:2017 European foreword The text of document 89/1343/FDIS, future edition of IEC 60695-8-2, prepared by IEC/TC 89 "Fire hazard testing" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as EN 60695-8-2:2017 The following dates are fixed: • latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement (dop) 2017-09-21 • latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the document have to be withdrawn (dow) 2019-12-21 Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights CENELEC [and/or CEN] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights Endorsement notice The text of the International Standard IEC 60695-8-2:2016 was approved by CENELEC as a European Standard without any modification In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standards indicated: ISO 1716:2010 NOTE Harmonized as EN ISO 1716:2010 (not modified) ISO 1182 NOTE Harmonized as EN ISO 1182 IEC 60332-3-10 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60332-3-10 IEC 60695-1-11 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60695-1-11 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 EN 60695-8-2:2017 Annex ZA (normative) Normative references to international publications with their corresponding European publications The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are indispensable for its application For dated references, only the edition cited applies For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies NOTE When an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod), the relevant EN/HD applies NOTE Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available here: www.cenelec.eu Publication Year Title EN/HD Year IEC 60695-1-10 - Fire hazard testing - Part 1-10: Guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products - General guidelines EN 60695-1-10 - IEC 60695-4 2012 Fire hazard testing - Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products EN 60695-4 2012 IEC 60695-8-1 - Fire hazard testing - Part 8-1: Heat release - General guidance EN 60695-8-1 - IEC Guide 104 - The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety publications and group safety publications - - ISO/IEC Guide 51 - Safety aspects - Guidelines for their inclusion in standards - - ISO 13943 2008 Fire safety - Vocabulary EN ISO 13943 2010 –2– BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 CONTENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION Scope Normative references Terms and definitions Summary of test methods 11 4.1 General 11 4.2 Measurement of complete combustion 11 4.2.1 The bomb calorimeter 11 4.2.2 Purpose and principle 11 4.2.3 Test specimen 11 4.2.4 Test procedure 11 4.2.5 Repeatability and reproducibility 12 4.2.6 Relevance of test data 12 4.3 Measurements of incomplete combustion 12 4.3.1 Cone calorimeter 12 4.3.2 Microscale calorimetry 13 4.3.3 The Ohio State University calorimeter 14 4.3.4 Fire propagation apparatus (ISO 12136) 15 4.3.5 Single Burning Item (SBI) test 16 4.3.6 Vertical cable ladder tests 17 4.3.7 Horizontal cable ladder test 20 4.3.8 Open calorimetry fire tests 22 Overview of test methods 22 Bibliography 24 Table – Summary and comparison of vertical cable ladder tests 20 Table – Overview of heat release test methods 22 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 –3– INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION FIRE HAZARD TESTING – Part 8-2: Heat release – Summary and relevance of test methods FOREWORD 1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees) The object of IEC is to promote international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields To this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC Publication(s)”) Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work International, governmental and nongovernmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations 2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all interested IEC National Committees 3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National Committees in that sense While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any misinterpretation by any end user 4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications Any divergence between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter 5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity Independent certification bodies provide conformity assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity IEC is not responsible for any services carried out by independent certification bodies 6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication 7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC Publications 8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication Use of the referenced publications is indispensable for the correct application of this publication 9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent rights IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights International Standard IEC 60695-8-2 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 89: Fire hazard testing This first edition cancels and replaces IEC TR 60695-8-2 published in 2008 This edition constitutes a technical revision The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents: FDIS Report on voting 89/1343/FDIS 89/1349/RVD Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in the report on voting indicated in the above table This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part –4– BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 It has the status of a basic safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51 A list of all the parts in the IEC 60695 series, under the general title Fire hazard testing, can be found on the IEC website This International Standard is to be used in conjunction with IEC 60695-8-1 IEC 60695-8 consists of the following parts: • Part 8-1: Heat release – General guidance • Part 8-2: Heat release – Summary and relevance of test methods The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific document At this date, the document will be • reconfirmed, • withdrawn, • replaced by a revised edition, or • amended BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 –5– INTRODUCTION In the design of an electrotechnical product, the risk of fire and the potential hazards associated with fire need to be considered In this respect the objective of component, circuit and equipment design, as well as the choice of materials, is to reduce the risk of fire to a tolerable level even in the event of reasonably foreseeable (mis)use, malfunction or failure IEC 60695-1-10, IEC 60695-1-11, and IEC 60695-1-12 provide guidance on how this is to be accomplished Fires involving electrotechnical products can also be initiated from external non-electrical sources Considerations of this nature are dealt with in an overall fire hazard assessment The aim of the IEC 60695 series of standards is to save lives and property by reducing the number of fires or reducing the consequences of the fire This can be accomplished by: • trying to prevent ignition caused by an electrically energised component part and, in the event of ignition, to confine any resulting fire within the bounds of the enclosure of the electrotechnical product; • trying to minimise flame spread beyond the product’s enclosure and to minimise the harmful effects of fire effluents including heat, smoke, and toxic or corrosive combustion products Fires are responsible for creating hazards to life and property as a result of the generation of heat (thermal hazard), toxic and/or corrosive compounds and obscuration of vision due to smoke The severity of a fire increases as the heat released increases, possibly leading to a flashover fire One of the most important measurements in fire testing is the measurement of heat release and it is used as an important factor in the determination of fire hazard; it is also used as one of the parameters in fire safety engineering calculations The measurement and use of heat release data, together with other fire test data, can be used to reduce the likelihood of (or the effects of) fire, even in the event of foreseeable abnormal use, malfunction or failure of electrotechnical products When a material is heated by some external source, fire effluent can be generated and can form a mixture with air that can ignite and initiate a fire The heat released in the process is carried away by the fire effluent-air mixture, radiatively lost or transferred back to the solid material, to generate further pyrolysis products, thus continuing the process Heat may also be transferred to other nearby products, which may burn, and then release additional heat and fire effluent The rate at which thermal energy is released in a fire is defined as the heat release rate Heat release rate is important because of its influence on flame spread and on the initiation of secondary fires Other characteristics are also important, such as ignitability, flame spread and other side effects of the fire (see the IEC 60695 series of standards) –6– BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 FIRE HAZARD TESTING – Part 8-2: Heat release – Summary and relevance of test methods Scope This part of IEC 60695-8 presents a summary of published test methods that are relevant to the determination of the heat released in fire tests on electrotechnical products or materials from which they are formed It represents the current state of the art of the test methods and, where available, includes special observations on their relevance and use The list of test methods is not to be considered exhaustive, and test methods that were not developed by the IEC are not to be considered as endorsed by the IEC unless this is specifically stated Heat release data can be used as part of fire hazard assessment and in fire safety engineering, as discussed in IEC 60695-1-10, IEC 60695-1-11 [39] and IEC 60695-1-12 [40] This basic safety publication is primarily intended for use by technical Committees in the preparation of standards in accordance with the principles laid down in IEC Guide 104 and lSO/lEC Guide 51 It is not intended for use by manufacturers or certification bodies One of the responsibilities of a technical committee is, wherever applicable, to make use of basic safety publications in the preparation of its publications The requirements, test methods or test conditions of this basic safety publication will not apply unless specifically referred to or included in the relevant publications Normative references The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are indispensable for its application For dated references, only the edition cited applies For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies IEC 60695-1-10, Fire hazard testing – Part 1-10: Guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products – General guidelines IEC 60695-4:2012, Fire hazard testing – Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products IEC 60695-8-1, Fire hazard testing – Part 8-1: Heat release – General guidance IEC Guide 104, The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety publications and group safety publications ISO/IEC Guide 51, Safety aspects – Guidelines for their inclusion in standards ISO 13943:2008, Fire safety – Vocabulary Numbers in square brackets refer to the Bibliography – 14 – BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 This test method provides measurements of the specific heat release rate, heat release capacity, heat release temperature, specific (total) heat release, pyrolysis residue, and specific heat of combustion The external heat flux may be varied from kW⋅m −2 to 100 kW⋅m −2 4.3.2.3 Test specimen Specimens can be in any form (e.g film, fibre, powder, pellet, or droplet) If liquids are tested the boiling point has to be above the starting temperature of the sample chamber The specimen mass is in the range of mg to 10 mg and is subject to the constraint that oxidation of the specimen gases consumes less than one half of the available oxygen in the combustion gas stream at any time during the test and at the heating rate used in the test The typical specimen mass is between mg and mg 4.3.2.4 Test procedure The test specimen is placed in a sample cup and then placed in the specimen chamber through which there is a constant flow of purge gas This purge gas is pure nitrogen for Method A (anaerobic decomposition) or a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen for Method B (aerobic decomposition) The specimen chamber (and specimen) is then heated at a constant rate The gases from the specimen chamber pass into the combustion chamber where they are mixed with excess oxygen and oxidized in a high temperature environment The heating rate in the specimen chamber and the flow rate and oxygen concentration of the gases leaving the combustion chamber are continuously monitored and the specific heat release rate, heat release capacity, heat release temperature and specific total heat release are calculated from these data The mass of specimen remaining after the test is measured and the pyrolysis residue and specific heat of combustion calculated 4.3.2.5 Repeatability and reproducibility No data are available 4.3.2.6 Relevance of test data This method generates thermoanalytical data that can be used for the preliminary screening of materials Specific heat release rates are measured directly and have been shown to be in good agreement with heat release rates measured in the cone calorimeter The ignition temperature of a material can be measured directly Heats of combustion can be determined and have been found to be comparable with oxygen bomb calorimeter values 4.3.3 4.3.3.1 The Ohio State University calorimeter Test method See ASTM E906 [11] 4.3.3.2 Purpose and principle This test method provides measurements of the rate of heat release based on the temperature measurement technique It includes peak and average values, total heat release, time to ignition and smoke obscuration from materials and products BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 – 15 – The test specimens are exposed to radiant energy, with or without piloted ignition via a small flame The external heat flux may be varied from kW⋅m −2 to 100 kW⋅m −2 4.3.3.3 Test specimen The specimen holder can accommodate test specimens up to 150 mm × 150 mm × 50 mm thick The normal orientation is vertical, but horizontal specimen holders also permit exposure in a horizontal orientation 4.3.3.4 Test procedure The test specimen is placed in a test chamber through which there is a constant airflow The surface of the test specimen is exposed to a radiant energy source Combustion may be initiated by non-piloted or piloted ignition of the gases evolved The changes in temperature of the gases leaving the chamber are continuously monitored and the heat release rate is calculated from these data 4.3.3.5 Repeatability and reproducibility Data have been obtained by ASTM E-5.21.34, a Task Group on Intermediate Scale Calorimetry 4.3.3.6 Relevance of test data Data from these tests may be used as input to evaluate the contribution to the overall fire hazard, as input into fire safety engineering calculations and for research and product development The test method is also used by the USA Federal Aviation Authority to assess the compliance of aircraft cabin materials with Federal Aviation Regulations [12] 4.3.4 4.3.4.1 Fire propagation apparatus (ISO 12136) Purpose and principle ISO 12136 provides test methods for determining and quantifying the flammability characteristics of materials, in relation to their propensity to support fire propagation, by means of a fire propagation apparatus (FPA) Material flammability characteristics that are quantified in this international standard include time to ignition, chemical and convective heat release rates, mass loss rate, effective heat of combustion, heat of gasification and smoke yield These properties can be used for fire safety engineering and for fire modelling 4.3.4.2 Test apparatus See ISO 12136 [13] and ASTM E2058 [14] 4.3.4.3 Test specimens Square test specimens are 102 mm × 102 mm and are mounted in a square holder Circular test specimens are 96,5 mm in diameter and are mounted in a circular holder The test specimen thickness is not less than mm and not greater than 25,4 mm For the vertical fire propagation test, the test specimen is 102 mm in width and 305 mm in length and is mounted in a vertical test specimen holder – 16 – 4.3.4.4 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 Test methods and results The four test methods given in this international standard are based on measurements of time to observed ignition, mass loss rate, heat release rate and smoke generation rate The tests are performed using a laboratory calorimeter known as fire propagation apparatus whereby the heat source is isolated from the test specimen The test methods are intended to produce flammability property measurements that will characterize fire behaviour during referencescale fire tests The ignition, combustion or fire propagation test methods, or a combination thereof, have been performed with materials and products containing a wide range of polymer compositions and structures, including electrotechnical products, materials for electrotechnical products and electric cables ([15] to [22]) The special feature of the fire propagation test method is that it produces laboratory measurements of the heat release rate during upward fire propagation and burning (from a material's own flame after initiation by an external radiant flux) on a vertical test specimen in normal air, oxygen enriched air, or in oxygen-vitiated air These test methods are intended for evaluation of specific flammability characteristics of materials Materials to be analysed consist of specimens from an end-use product or the various components used in the end-use product Results from the test methods provide input to flame spread and fire growth models, risk analysis studies, building and product designs and research and development of materials This International Standard can be used to measure and describe the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire hazard or fire risk assessment of the materials, products or assemblies under actual fire conditions 4.3.5 4.3.5.1 Single Burning Item (SBI) test Test method See EN 13823 [23] 4.3.5.2 Purpose and principle The SBI test is a reaction to fire test for essentially flat building products (excluding flooring) in which the product, in a corner configuration, is exposed to the radiation and flames from a defined single burning item (SBI) modelled by a propane fuelled sand-box burner placed at the bottom internal corner of the test specimen The SBI test method is unsuitable for cables A note in the scope of the standard states that “The treatment of some families of products, e.g linear products (pipes, ducts, cables etc.) can need special rules.” The test specimen is mounted on a trolley that is positioned in a frame beneath an exhaust system The reaction of the test specimen to the burner is monitored instrumentally and visually Flame spread, heat release and smoke production are all measured 4.3.5.3 Test specimen The corner test specimen consists of 200 mm, mounted at 90° to each other wing is 1 000 mm × 1 500 mm Calcium specimen wings They are placed either a distance from it two wings (long and short) of maximum thickness The short wing is 495 mm × 1 500 mm, and the long silicate backing board panels are used to back both directly against the free-standing test specimen or at BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 4.3.5.4 – 17 – Test procedure The test specimen is exposed to the flames from a sand-box burner placed at the bottom of the internal corner The flames are obtained by combustion of propane gas giving a heat output of 30,7 kW ± 2,0 kW Data are recorded over a time period of 26 and the performance of the test specimen is evaluated over an interval of 20 within this time period The performance parameters of the test specimen are: heat release, smoke production, lateral flame spread, and falling flaming droplets and particles The short period before ignition is used to measure the heat and smoke output of the burner, using an identical auxiliary burner away from the test specimen An important heat release parameter, used for classification purposes, is the Fire Growth Rate (FIGRA) index This is defined as the maximum of the quotient HRR av (t) / (t − 300 s), where HRR av ( t ) is the 30 s moving average of the heat release rate 4.3.5.5 Repeatability and reproducibility A round-robin test series was carried out in 1997 It was conducted by 15 laboratories, testing 30 products three times Results are given in Annex B of EN 13823:2004 [23] A second round-robin test series was reported in January 2005 [24] It was conducted by 30 European laboratories, testing different construction products 4.3.5.6 Relevance of test data The test was developed in Europe in response to the European Construction Products Directive [25], and is required for four of the classes defined in EN 13501-1 [2] The test was designed to predict performance in the full-scale test, ISO 9705 [26], which is the reference scenario Test data allow member states of the EU to use, for the first time, a harmonized system for classifying the reaction to fire performance of construction products NOTE The Construction Products Directive has been repealed by the Construction Products Regulation [3] 4.3.6 4.3.6.1 Vertical cable ladder tests General NOTE A summary and comparison of vertical cable ladder tests which incorporate heat release measurements is given in Table 4.3.6.2 4.3.6.2.1 ASTM and UL test methods General See ASTM D5537 [28] and UL 1685 [29] 4.3.6.2.2 Purpose and principle These two test methods are substantially similar, but each contains two protocols – see Table These test methods are used to determine flame propagation, heat release rate and total heat release from burning cables, and can also be used to assess smoke obscuration, mass loss and combustion gas release The ignition source is a propane gas premixed burner, set at typically 20 kW, either perpendicular to the vertical cable test specimen, or at an angle of 20° to the vertical The cables are mounted on a vertical ladder, in configurations and loadings that depend on the test requirements 4.3.6.2.3 Test specimens The test specimens are manufactured lengths of cables, 2,44 m in length – 18 – 4.3.6.2.4 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 Test procedure The cables are mounted on a vertical ladder in an appropriate configuration The propane gas burner is placed near the bottom of the vertical cable ladder (at a different location in each protocol) The heat release rate is determined by measuring the oxygen concentration, the flow rate and the temperature in the exhaust duct, using the principle of oxygen consumption The smoke and combustion products released are also measured in the exhaust duct 4.3.6.2.5 Repeatability and reproducibility No data are currently available A round-robin evaluation of the ASTM D5537 test method was initiated by ASTM committee D09 on Electrical and Electronic Insulation, but was not completed 4.3.6.2.6 Relevance of test data Data from these tests may be used as input to evaluate the contribution of wires and cables to the overall fire hazard, and as input to fire safety engineering calculations 4.3.6.3 4.3.6.3.1 EN test method General See EN 50399 [30] 4.3.6.3.2 Purpose and principle EN 50399 specifies the test apparatus and test procedures for the assessment of the reaction to fire performance of cables It was developed from the FIPEC research programme [31] in response to the European Construction Products Directive (CPD) [25] to enable classification under the CPD to be achieved NOTE The CPD has been repealed by the Construction Products Regulation [3] The test method describes a large-scale fire test of multiple cables mounted on a vertical cable ladder and is carried out with a specified ignition source to evaluate the burning behaviour of such cables and enable a direct declaration of performance The test provides data for the early stages of a cable fire from ignition of cables It addresses the hazard of propagation of flames along the cable, the potential, by the measurement of the heat release rate, for the fire to affect areas adjacent to the compartment of origin, and the hazard, by the measurement of production of light obstructing smoke, of reduced visibility in the room of origin and surrounding enclosures The following parameters may be determined during the test: flame spread, rate of heat release, total heat release, rate of smoke production, total smoke production, fire growth rate index, and the occurrence of flaming droplets/particles The apparatus is based upon that of EN 60332-3-10 [32] but with additional instrumentation to measure heat release and smoke production during the test The heat release rate is determined by measuring the oxygen concentration, the flow rate and the temperature in the exhaust duct, using the principle of oxygen consumption The smoke and combustion products released are also measured in the exhaust duct EN 50399 contains two protocols In one protocol the flame ignition source has a mass flow of propane of 442 mg⋅s −1 ± 10 mg⋅s −1 and the air flow is 1 550 mg⋅s −1 ± 140 mg⋅s −1 (a nominal power of 20,5 kW) This is used for classifications B2 ca , C ca and D ca In the other protocol, the flame ignition source has a mass flow of propane of 647 mg⋅s -1 ± 15 mg⋅s -1 and the air flow is 2 300 mg⋅s −1 ± 140 mg⋅s −1 (a nominal power of 30 kW) This is used for classification B1 ca BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 4.3.6.3.3 – 19 – Test specimens The test specimens are manufactured lengths of cables having a minimum length of 3,5 m The loading depends on the diameter of the cable The spacing of the test specimens on the ladder also depends on the diameter of the cable 4.3.6.3.4 Test procedure The cables are mounted on the front of a vertical ladder in the appropriate configuration The lower part of the cables extends approximately 50 cm under the burner The heat release rate is determined by measuring the oxygen concentration, the flow rate and the temperature in the exhaust duct, using the principle of oxygen consumption (see 3.22) The airflow through the test chamber is m ⋅min −1 ± 0,8 m ⋅min −1 The volume flow rate in the exhaust duct is set to between 0,7 m ⋅s −1 to 1,2 m ⋅s −1 This flow rate is maintained during the test The test flame is applied for 20 min, after which it is extinguished The airflow through the test chamber is maintained for a further 30 s after which it is stopped In the case of testing for class B1 ca , a non-combustible calcium silicate board is placed behind the ladder 4.3.6.3.5 Repeatability and reproducibility The repeatability and reproducibility of EN 50399 has been reported by CENELEC [33] and by SP [34] 4.3.6.3.6 Relevance of test data The test was developed in Europe in response to the European Construction Products Directive [25], and is required for four of the cable classifications Test data allows member states of the EU to use, for the first time, a harmonized system for classifying the reaction to fire performance of cables used in buildings NOTE The CPD has been repealed by the Construction Products Regulation [3] It has been demonstrated [31] that the use of these additional measurement techniques, proven for other standard tests, e.g for building products, are appropriate for assessing the reaction to fire performance of electric cables These techniques include heat release and smoke production measurements Compared with existing test methods described in the various parts of IEC 60332-3, they enable a more comprehensive assessment system, which is both more precise and sensitive, and enables a wider range of fire performance levels BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 – 20 – Table – Summary and comparison of vertical cable ladder tests ASTM D 5537 [28] Protocol A ASTM D 5537 [28] Protocol B UL 1685 [29] UL 1581-1160 Protocol a) UL 1685 [29] UL 1581-1164 Protocol a) Burner power / kW (approx.) 20 20 20,5 or 30 Flame application time / 20 20 20 457 mm 76 mm in back 305 mm 76 mm in front 600 mm 75 mm in front Horizontal 20° upwards Horizontal Ladder length / m 2,44 2,44 3,5 Ladder width / m 0,305 0,3 0,5 2,44 2,44 3,5 (+0,1 0) 0,15 Front only 0,25 Front only Between 0,22 and 0,32 Front only Cables to be bundled No If D < 13 mm If D ≤ mm Test enclosure specified Yes Yes Yes 1 2,44 (UL) No requirement (ASTM) 1,805 (UL) c) No requirement (ASTM) No requirements are given in the test method d) Optional (UL) Mandatory (ASTM) Optional (UL) Mandatory (ASTM) Mandatory Burner placement b) Angle of burner Test specimen length / m Width of test specimen / m and mounting techniques Test runs needed Maximum char length from bottom / m Heat release measurement a) EN 50399 [30] Both UL 1685 and ASTM D 5537 contain test protocols Protocol A of ASTM D 5537 is equivalent to the UL 1581-1160 protocol of UL 1685, and protocol B of ASTM D 5537 is equivalent to the UL 1581-1164 protocol of UL 1685 ASTM D5424 [27] is the same as ASTM 5537 except that smoke release is the mandatory measurement, and heat release, mass loss, toxic gases and char length are optional measurements In ASTM D5537, heat release, mass loss and char length are mandatory, and smoke and toxic gases are optional measurements ASTM fire test standards not contain pass/fail criteria When a cable is tested to UL 1685 and meets the flame spread, heat release and smoke release criteria, it is classified as a "limited smoke" cable b) Height above the bottom, and distance from the test specimen surface c) A maximum char length of 1,5 m is measured from the horizontal height line of the burner d) Requirements are given in Table of the European Commission Decision 2006/751/EC [25] 4.3.7 4.3.7.1 Horizontal cable ladder test Test method See EN 50289-4-11 [35] 4.3.7.2 Purpose and principle The test method specifies a horizontal fire test method for the determination of flame propagation distance, optical smoke density, total heat release, heat release rate, time to ignition and flaming droplets/particles for communication cables The cables are tested in a representative installed condition The ignition source is a dual port methane gas diffusion flame burner, set at typically 88 kW ± kW The test flame extends downstream to a distance of 1,37 m over one end of the test specimen, with negligible upstream coverage BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 – 21 – NOTE The test apparatus is based on the NFPA 262 test [36] (also known as UL 910), but heat release rate measurement is mandatory in the EN test, whereas it is an optional measurement in the NFPA test NOTE The development of NFPA 262/UL 910 has been reviewed [37] 4.3.7.3 Test chamber The test chamber is 8,9 m long and its internal dimensions are 451 mm ± mm wide and 305 mm ± mm high The base and sides are lined with insulating refractory bricks, and the top cover is a nominal 50 mm thick mineral composition insulation One side of the chamber is provided with a row of observation windows NOTE The chamber is often referred to as the “Steiner tunnel” 4.3.7.4 Cable tray ladder The ladder-type cable tray used to support the open-cable test specimens or the cables-intray test specimens is 7 300 mm ± 51 mm long and 305 mm ± mm wide Each rung is 286 mm ± mm long The ladder is mounted horizontally and centrally in the test chamber about 200 mm above the floor of the chamber 4.3.7.5 Test specimens The test specimens are 7 320 mm ± 152 mm lengths of cables installed in a single layer on the cable tray ladder The cable lengths are laid in parallel, straight rows without any space between them 4.3.7.6 Test procedure The cables are mounted on the horizontal ladder in a single layer and placed in the chamber The air flow is controlled by an air-inlet shutter and an exhaust duct damper The air flow is maintained at 1,22 m⋅s −1 ± 0,025 m⋅s −1 The test flame is ignited and the data acquisition system is started The test is continued for 20 The heat release rate is determined by measuring the oxygen concentration, the flow rate and the temperature in the exhaust duct, using the principle of oxygen consumption The optical density of the smoke is also measured in the exhaust duct Data reported includes the following: the maximum flame travel distance, peak and average optical density of smoke, smoke release rate, peak smoke release rate, total smoke released, peak heat release rate, and total heat release 4.3.7.7 Repeatability and reproducibility No data are currently available 4.3.7.8 Relevance of test data This test is one of the most severe cable fire tests and was developed to test plenum cables NOTE A plenum is an area located above false ceilings where heating, ventilating or air-conditioning ducts are located, as well as communication cables and other utilities Some of the data from these tests may be used as input to evaluate the contribution of communication cables to the overall fire hazard, and as input to fire safety engineering calculations – 22 – 4.3.8 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 Open calorimetry fire tests ISO 24473 [38] specifies a family of test methods that simulate a real scale fire on a test object or group of objects under well-ventilated conditions A range of different fire sizes can be studied according to the scale of the equipment available Information is given on how to evaluate the contribution to fire growth provided by an object or group of objects using a specified ignition source The test methods provide data for all stages of a fire that exclude the effects of feedback from any surrounding structure They can also be used to provide comparative data on fire behaviour for different products or assemblies, in terms of the production of heat, smoke and combustion gases, and to provide data for input to mathematical modelling studies ISO 24473 is applicable to the study of electrotechnical products when they are being considered as a victim of an external heat source Overview of test methods The methods outlined in 4.2 and 4.3 are summarised in Table below Product committees intending to adopt or modify any of these test methods shall ensure that the method is appropriate and suitable for the intended use – see 4.1 Table – Overview of heat release test methods Clause reference and test method 4.2.1 Bomb calorimeter, ISO 1716 [1] 4.3.1 Cone calorimeter, ISO 5660-1 [6] and ASTM E 1354 [7] 4.3.2 Microscale calorimetry ASTM D 7309 [10] 4.3.3 The O.S.U calorimeter ASTM E906 [11] 4.3.4 Fire propagation apparatus (FPA) ISO 12136 [13] and ASTM E2058 [14] Ignition source Test specimen Comments An electrically heated wire Typically a mixture of 0,5 g of finely powdered benzoic acid and, also in a finely divided state, 0,5 g of the material under test Measures the heat of combustion Such data are fundamental to the science of thermochemistry and are of great importance in fire modelling and fire safety engineering Incident heat flux (up to 100 kW/m ) with a spark igniter (for piloted ignition) Up to 100 mm by 100 mm by 50 mm thick Orientation is usually horizontal Measures the rate of heat release, including peak and average values, total heat release, effective heat of combustion, mass loss, time to ignition and smoke obscuration Testing is in wellventilated conditions Controlled heating plus a combustion furnace Typically between mg and mg The method generates thermo-analytical data that can be used for the preliminary screening of materials Incident heat flux (up to 100 kW/m ) with or without piloted ignition via a small flame Up to 150 mm by 150 mm by 50 mm thick Orientation is usually vertical Changes in temperature of the gases leaving the test chamber are continuously monitored and the heat release rate is calculated from these data Incident heat flux (up to 65 kW/m ) plus a pilot flame 102 mm square, or The FPA has the capability of measuring heat release rates and exhaust product flows generated during upward fire propagation on a vertical test specimen 0,305 m high D = 96,5 mm (circular), or W = 102 mm, L = 305 mm (for vertical fire propagation) mm ≤ T ≤ 25,4 mm BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 Clause reference and test method 4.3.5 – 23 – Ignition source Test specimen Comments 30,7 kW propane burner A 90° corner of two panels of max thickness 200 mm, 495 mm × 1 500 mm, and 1 000 mm × 1 500 mm The SBI test is a reaction to fire test for essentially flat building products (excluding flooring) Propane burner approx 20 kW 2,44 m lengths of cables These test methods are used to determine flame propagation, heat release rate and total heat release from burning cables, and can also be used to assess smoke obscuration, mass loss and combustion gas release Propane burner set at either 20,5 kW or 30 kW 3,5 m lengths of cables Flame spread, rate of heat release, total heat release, rate of smoke production, total smoke production, fire growth rate index, and the occurrence of flaming droplets/particles, may be determined 88 kW methane burner 7,3 m lengths of cables The test method specifies a horizontal fire test method for the determination of flame propagation distance, optical smoke density, total heat release, heat release rate, time to ignition and flaming droplets/particles for communication cables Various Various ISO 24473 specifies a family of test methods It can be applicable to the study of electrotechnical products when they are being considered as a victim of an external heat source The Single Burning Item (SBI) test EN 13823 [23] 4.3.6.1 Vertical cable ladder tests – ASTM and UL tests ASTM D5537 [28] UL 1685 [29] 4.3.6.2 Vertical cable ladder test EN 50399 [30] 4.3.7 Horizontal cable ladder test EN 50289-4-11 [35] 4.3.8 Open calorimetry fire tests ISO 24473 [38] – 24 – BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 Bibliography [1] ISO 1716:2010, Reaction to fire tests for building products – Determination of the heat of combustion [2] EN 13501-1:2007 + Amendment 1:2009, Fire classification of construction products and building elements Classification using test data from reaction to fire tests [3] Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 2011 laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC [4] ISO 1182, Reaction to fire tests for products – Non-combustibility test [5] International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, amended [6] ISO 5660-1:2015, Reaction-to-fire tests – Heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate – Part 1: Heat release rate (cone calorimeter method) and smoke production rate (dynamic measurement) [7] ASTM E 1354: Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter [8] ASTM D 6113: Standard Test Method for Using a Cone Calorimeter to Determine FireTest Response Characteristics of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables [9] ASTM RR E 05-1008, Interlaboratory Round-Robin Trials to Assess Repeatability and Reproducibility for the Cone Calorimeter (Unpublished research report – see Appendix X2.1 of ASTM E1354) [10] ASTM D 7309, Standard Test Method for Determining Flammability Characteristics of Plastics and Other Solid Materials Using Microscale Combustion Calorimetry [11] ASTM E 906, Standard Test Method for Heat and Visible Smoke Release Rate for Materials and Products [12] U.S Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Regulations, FAR Sec 25.853 – Compartment Interiors [13] ISO 12136:2011, Reaction to Fire Tests – Measurement of Material Properties Using a Fire Propagation Apparatus, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland [14] ASTM E 2058 (2013), Standard Test Methods for Measurement of Synthetic Polymer Material Flammability Using a Fire Propagation Apparatus (FPA), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA [15] Tewarson, A and Khan, M.M., Generation of Smoke from Electrical Cables, Proceedings of the ASTM Symposium on Characterization and Toxicity of Smoke, Hasegawa, H.K (Editor), ASTM STP 1082, pp 100-117, The American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA, 1988 [16] Tewarson, A and Khan, M.M., Fire Propagation Behavior of Electrical Cables, nd International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, Hemisphere Publishing Corp., New York, NY, 1988 BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 – 25 – [17] Tewarson, A and Khan, M.M., Flame Propagation for Polymers in Cylindrical Configuration and Vertical Orientation, 22 nd International Symposium on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 1988 [18] Tewarson, A and Khan, M.M., A New Standard Test Method for Fire Propagation Behavior of Electrical Cables in Industrial and Commercial Occupancies, Proceedings of the th International Fire Conference, Interflam, 1990 [19] Tewarson, A and Khan, M.M., A New Standard Test Method for the Quantification of Fire Propagation Behavior of Electrical Cables Using Factory Mutual Research Corporation’s Small-Scale Flammability Apparatus, Fire Technology, August 1992 [20] Khan, M.M., Bill, R.G and Alpert, R.L., Screening of plenum cables using a small-scale fire test protocol, Fire and Materials, 30, pp 65-76 (2006) [21] Boardman, D., Khan, M.M., The Effectiveness of Coatings on the Flame Spread Behavior of Electric Cables, Fire and Materials Conference 2013, January 2013 [22] Tewarson, A., Khan, M.M., Wu, P.K and Bill, R.G., Flammability Evaluation of Clean Room Polymeric Materials for the Semiconductor Industry, Fire and Materials, 25, pp 31-42 (2001) [23] EN 13823:2004, Reaction to fire tests for building products – Building products, excluding floorings, exposed to thermal attack by a single burning item [24] SBI Second Round-Robin, Call identifier ENTR/2002/CP11: Theme No 11/2002, 31 st January 2005 [25] The Construction Products Directive (Council Directive 89/106/EEC) [26] ISO 9705:1993, Fire tests – Full-scale room test for surface products [27] ASTM D5424, Standard Test Method for Smoke Obscuration Testing of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables When Burning in a Vertical Configuration [28] ASTM D5537, Standard Test Method for Heat Release, Flame Spread, Smoke Obscuration, and Mass Loss Testing of Insulating Materials Contained in Electrical or Optical Fiber Cables When Burning in a Vertical Cable Tray Configuration [29] UL 1685, Standard for Vertical-Tray Fire-Propagation and Smoke-Release Test for Electrical and Optical-Fiber Cables [30] EN 50399, Common test methods for cables under fire conditions – Heat release and smoke production measurement on cables during flame spread test – Apparatus, procedures, results [31] Fire Performance of Electrical Cables, Final report on the European Commission SMT programme sponsored research project SMT4-CT96-2059, Interscience Communications Limited 2000, ISBN 09532312 [32] IEC 60332-3-10, Tests on electric cables under fire conditions – Part 3-10: Test for vertical flame spread of vertically-mounted bunched wires or cables – Apparatus [33] CLC TC20/Sec1576/INF, prEN 50399 – Round-Robin evaluation, CENELEC, Brussels, June 2008 – 26 – BS EN 60695-8-2:2017 IEC 60695-8-2:2016 © IEC 2016 [34] CEMAC – CE Marking of Cables, Fire Technology SP Report 2010:27, ISBN 978- 9186319-65-6, ISSN 0284-5172, Borås 2010 [35] EN 50289-4-11:2002, Communication cables Specifications for Environmental test methods A horizontal integrated fire test method [36] NFPA 262, Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces – 2007 Edition [37] Hirschler, M.M., Plenum Cable Test Method: History and Implications, Business Communications Company 10 th Annual Conference on Recent Advances in Flame Retardancy of Polymeric Materials, May 20-22, 1999, Stamford, CT, Ed M Lewin, pp 325-349, Norwalk, CT, 1999 [38] ISO 24473, Fire tests – Open calorimetry – Measurement of the rate of production of heat and combustion products for fires of up to 40 MW [39] IEC 60695-1-11, Fire hazard testing – Part 1-11: Guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products – Fire hazard assessment [40] IEC 60695-1-12, Fire hazard testing – Part 1-12: Guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products – Fire safety engineering test methods This page deliberately left blank NO COPYING WITHOUT BSI PERMISSION EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW British Standards Institution (BSI) BSI is the national body responsible for preparing British Standards and other standards-related publications, information and services BSI is incorporated by Royal Charter British Standards and other standardization products are published by BSI Standards Limited About us Reproducing extracts We bring together business, industry, government, consumers, innovators and others to shape their combined experience and expertise into standards -based solutions For permission to reproduce content from BSI publications contact the BSI Copyright & 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