Cable tray

Cable trays in Germany.

Cable tray penetration being firestopped with 3M Fire Barrier Mortar.

Cable tray penetration being firestopped with 3M Fire Barrier Mortar.

Unsealed cable tray penetration in Germany

Illegal cable tray seal: Polyurethane foam, DIN4102 B3 = easily ignited.

Illegal seal being removed, 3 manhours/ft³ with live wiring.

Illegal cable tray firestop made with concrete.

Incomplete and illegal cable tray firestop.

Improper cable tray firestop at CBC in Toronto.

Improper cable tray firestop at CBC in Toronto.

Improper cable tray firestop at CBC in Toronto.

Improper cable tray firestop at CBC in Toronto.

Ladder tray at CBC Toronto.

Ladder tray at CBC Toronto.

Cable trays connecting Paper mill interior with a transformer, through re-entered firestop.

Mortar shrinkage in cable tray seal at CBC Toronto.

Cable tray firestop with Nelson CMP firestop mortar.

Cable tray penetration in Lingen/Ems, Germany. The tray stops short of the fire barrier to prevent damage from heat expansion of the tray during an accidental fire.

Cable trays in cable spreading room of a fossil fuel power plant, Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, Canada. This picture shows how combustibles, such as dust, cardboard, lumber and debris can build up on cable trays. Good housekeeping, even in hard-to-reach places mitigates fire hazards.

thumb|right|Cable tray cross barrier firestop test, full scale wall, in Germany as per DIN4102.

Fire test preparation for proven re-entry procedure with firestop mortar.

Fire test preperation with re-entry of firestop mortar, re-sealing using intumescent firestop caulking for fire-test-proven compatibility between mortar and caulking in the same certification listing.

Fire test preparation: reentry of firestop mortar with cable and re-sealing with intumescent firestop putty for fire-test-proven compatibility between mortar and putty.

Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test penetrant preparation including foamed glass pipe covering for UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test preparation, leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test preparation leading to UL firestop listing C-AJ-8073. Firestop mortar is first applied in the hardest to reach area: between the cables inside the cable tray.

Fire test preparation leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073

Fire test preparation leading to UL Firestop Certification listing C-AJ-8073. Piping penetrations, top and bottom.

Post fire test pictures showing how 3/4 in. thick acrylonitrile butadiene/polyvinyl chloride (AB/PVC) flexible foam pipe covering can go through the seal unhindered. It was wrapped inside the mortar with an intumescent wrap strip, which stopped the fire. There was no autoignition of the insulation due to flame retardants inherent in its organic composition.

Intumescent repair: Cable was pulled from the fire test assembly after it has passed the fire and hose stream tests. This is proven compatibility between the original seal and the repair method. This formed part of UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073 Configuration E.

Firestop mortar re-entries, underside, after 2 hour fire test with 30PSI hose-stream, leading to UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.

Underside of Assembly for UL certification listing C-AJ-8073 Configuration D, the mortar is intact, the fibreglass has disappeared and the intumescent wrap strip has occupied the space formerly held by the insulation.

Underside of cable tray penetration after fire and hose stream testing leading to UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire test assembly after having passed fire and hose stream testing to achieve listing status under UL Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.

Fire house loaded with cable trays, loaded with cables, winding back and forth and through compartment floors. Various local firestop vendors were invited to install their products and expose them to a test.

Kindling blocks were placed below the trays and then ignited. The cable jacketing quickly caught on fire and spread this fire within the compartments.

It quickly became apparent that an enormous amount of smoke is generated when burning cable jacketing.

Supplied air even for outside observers. Environmentalists would struggle to approve such a test much beyond the nineties.

The fire was eventually extinguished. Results were mixed among the firestop vendors. The enormity of smoke created was a big lesson. Also, ferrous cable trays expand, buckle and twist during a fire. That's why fireproofing is used on steel. This can tear soft firestops, such as rockwool with rubber coatings, out and render the firestop useless, negating the rating of the barrier.

Circuit Integrity Fireproofing of Cable trays in Lingen/Ems, Germany using Calcium silicate board system qualified to DIN 4102. Contractor: Signum, Bissendorf, Germany.

Circuit Integrity Fireproofing of Cable trays in Lingen/Ems, Germany using Calcium silicate board system qualified to DIN 4102. Contractor: Signum, Bissendorf, Germany.

Circuit Integrity Fireproofing of Cable trays in Lingen/Ems, Germany using Calcium silicate board system qualified to DIN 4102. Contractor: Signum, Bissendorf, Germany.