Fire-Rated Cables
Fire-rated cable keeps circuits alive during a fire, either through fire-resistant (FR) construction that maintains circuit integrity for a set time, or fire-retardant low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) construction that limits flame spread and toxic smoke. NLS sources both classes for life-safety circuits: emergency lighting, fire alarm, smoke extraction fans, and sprinkler pump feeds on hospital and aviation projects.
Fire-rated cable covers two distinct jobs that get confused with each other on a BOQ. Fire-resistant (FR) cable, built with mica glass tape or ceramifiable insulation around the conductor, keeps a circuit electrically alive for a defined period under direct flame, typically rated to BS 6387 or IEC 60331 test categories. Fire-retardant LSZH cable doesn't promise circuit continuity in a fire; it's built to slow flame spread along the cable run and release low smoke and no halogen acid gas if it burns, tested to IEC 60332 and IEC 61034. A project spec that calls out both properties in one cable needs a combined FR/LSZH construction, and it's worth checking the actual clause before ordering the wrong one.
NLS sources both classes, single-core and multi-core, in the conductor sizes and voltage classes hospital and aviation projects specify for life-safety circuits: emergency lighting, fire alarm panels and detector loops, smoke extraction and pressurization fan feeds, sprinkler and jockey pump power, and PA/voice-alarm systems. These are exactly the circuits where a building code or a fire consultant's spec won't accept a standard PVC cable, and where a wrong substitution shows up at commissioning, not before.
Given the standards involved, NLS treats fire-rated cable orders with the same documentation discipline it applies on Aramco-scale cable packages: manufacturer test certificates against the specified standard travel with the delivery, not as an afterthought. A project team sends the fire rating clause from the spec (BS 6387 category, or the LSZH/FR requirement as written), conductor size, and circuit count, and NLS returns a priced quote in USD with lead time based on the specific construction ordered, since fire-rated cable is a lower-volume, made-to-spec product than standard XLPE feeder cable and typically carries a longer lead time.
Specifications
- ✓Fire-resistant (FR): mica/ceramifiable barrier maintains circuit integrity under flame, tested to BS 6387 or IEC 60331
- ✓Fire-retardant LSZH: low smoke, zero halogen sheath, tested to IEC 60332-1/3 and IEC 61034
- ✓Combined FR/LSZH construction available where a spec calls for both properties
- ✓Conductor: copper, single-core and multi-core
- ✓Typical use: fire alarm, emergency lighting, smoke extraction fan, sprinkler pump circuits
- ✓Standards referenced: BS 6387, IEC 60331, IEC 60332, IEC 61034
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between fire-resistant and fire-retardant cable?+
Fire-resistant (FR) cable is built to keep the circuit working during a fire, for a rated time under flame. Fire-retardant cable doesn't guarantee the circuit stays live, it's built to slow flame spread and limit smoke and toxic gas along the cable run. A project spec that needs both properties requires a combined FR/LSZH cable.
What standards apply to fire-rated cable in Saudi Arabia?+
The common reference standards are BS 6387 and IEC 60331 for circuit integrity under fire, and IEC 60332 and IEC 61034 for flame spread and smoke/gas performance on LSZH cable, matched to whatever the project's fire or MEP consultant specifies.
Which circuits typically need fire-rated cable on a Saudi project?+
Fire alarm and detector loops, emergency lighting, smoke extraction and stair-pressurization fans, sprinkler and jockey pump feeds, and public-address/voice-alarm systems are the circuits building codes and fire consultants usually require on FR or FR/LSZH cable.
How long does it take to get fire-rated cable delivered in KSA?+
Lead time runs longer than standard XLPE feeder cable because fire-rated constructions are made to spec rather than held in bulk stock. NLS quotes actual lead time once the fire rating clause, conductor size, and circuit count are confirmed.