Electricity is an undisputable necessity for our modern society. However, Knauf FireWin is sure, that the cables through which it is transported, hold great dangers in the case of fire and may be dealbreakers, ensuring the safety of the people who live or work in the building.
Electrical cables can, for example, ignite locally by short-circuiting or overheating. Nevertheless, they may be preheated by a fire of another cause and ignited by direct exposure to flame. As the insulation materials are mostly flammable, a fire can make its way along the cable installations through buildings and facilities very quickly, endangering the lives of the people and shortening the time of fire-resistance of the building.
Cable types and sizing
Whether it is a single wire or a large cable harness, Knauf treats wires as important fire hazards and offers relevant protection, so that the building can be protected, and in case of fire – the wires would be fire-resistant as long as possible. In order to choose the right material for cable sealing and sealing, it is important to follow the table(link - https://www.knauf-firewin.com/upload/content/knauf_firewin_catalogue_a4_web_pages.pdf), which is provided in the catalogue with cable diameters and suitable materials for them. For ensuring fire safety and finding the right product for the cable or cable bundle at hand, Fire Win has developed a chart, where you can easily find a fire-proofing material that fits the size of the cable you are using according to its base – rigid of flexible walls as well as rigid floors.
The cable chart is divided into:
Single – those are the cables that are installed alone.
Bundle - a group of electrical cables or wires assembled together that transmit signals or electrical power.
Cable tray – a mechanical support system that provides a rigid structural system for electrical cables, raceways, and insulated conductors used for electric power distribution, control, signal instrumentation, and communication.
Following the diameter of the cable, e.g., 20 0r 80 mm, or the size of the cable tray, you can find the material in the list. Let's take a cable bundle 75 mm in diameter that will be installed in a rigid floor – the best solution for sealing is using the Knauf FP Putty.
To highlight one of FP Putty products, we have chosen Knauf FP Putty Cord (link - https://www.knauf-firewin.com/products/fp-putty-cord-34). It is an easy-to-apply fire-rated putty, supplied as a non-setting cord. Due to its nonsetting properties, the cord is hand workable, reusable, and re-serviceable. The putty cord is designed to be easily fitted around service penetrations where the gap around the services is very small, or there is no gaps at all so a conventional fire-rated sealant is impossible or difficult to fit due to the required depth and backing material. Fitting the putty cords will reinstate the fire rating of the partition and prevent the passage of smoke and flames in a fire, and sound and air movement during service life. Knauf FP Putty Cords are supplied in strips with a round cross-section and are easy to fit with your thumbs; no tools are needed. To make it easier to distinguish between products, make sure you use FP Putty Cord for cavities that are 0-10 mm wide. If the cavity is 10-30 mm, use our most popular product for sealing – FPA Acrylic!
When building, we should always take care of safe cable placement, but Knauf FireWin knows – that is just not enough. Always consider the danger that one small unsealed cable can present and act accordingly, by always sealing and protecting your projects from the dangers of fire.
