Question 1

What IS standard applies to FR cable in India?

Accepted Answer

FR (Flame Retardant) cable must conform to IS 694:2010, rated 650/1100V. NBC 2016 mandates FR minimum for G+3 residential buildings. Verify BIS licence at bis.gov.in.

Question 2

What is the difference between FR-LSH and HFFR cable?

Accepted Answer

FR-LSH (IS 694:2010) limits HCl emission below 15%. HFFR (IS 17048:2018) limits HCl below 0.5% — a different, stricter BIS standard. NBC 2016 requires HFFR for hospitals, airports, and metro. They are not interchangeable.

Question 3

What is the difference between Fire Survival and Flame Retardant cables?

Accepted Answer

Flame Retardant (FR, FR-LSH, HFFR) refers to a cable's "Reaction to Fire" (smoke and toxicity limits). Fire Survival (FS) or Circuit Integrity cables use mica-glass tapes to continue transmitting power during an active fire. They serve completely different engineering purposes.

Question 4

How do I calculate copper cable weight for a BOQ?

Accepted Answer

Copper weight per metre (kg) = (Cross-section mm² × 8.96 g/cm³ × number of cores) / 1000. For 2.5mm² single-core: 2.5 × 8.96 / 1000 = 0.0224 kg/m.

Cable & Wire Engineering Reference