The web page for the European Commission (Enterprise and Industry) states: Construction Products Regulation (the CPR) is to ensure reliable information on construction products in relation to their performances. This is achieved by providing a “common technical language", offering uniform assessment methods of the performance of construction products.

1. www.tratos.eu
Tratos Open Day: 27 March 2014
Cables for a moving world
The Construction Products
Regulation (CPR)
and how it impacts on cables
to be installed in buildings

2. 2
What is the CPR?
The web page for the European Commission (Enterprise and Industry)
states:
Construction Products Regulation (the CPR) is to ensure reliable
information on construction products in relation to their performances.
This is achieved by providing a “common technical language", offering
uniform assessment methods of the performance of construction
products.
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/construction/legislation/index_en.htm

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What is the CPR?
These (uniform assessment) methods have been compiled
in harmonised European standards (hEN) and European
Assessment Documents (EAD). This common technical language is
to be applied by:
• the manufacturers when declaring the performance of their products,
but also by
• the authorities of Member States when specifying requirements for
them, and by
• their users (architects, engineers, constructors…) when choosing the
products most suitable for their intended use in construction works.

4. 4
What is the CPR?
The BSI web site is written in a slightly more alarmist style
Construction Products Regulation (CPR).
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) has been adopted by
the European Commission and UK Government and replaces the
Construction Products Directive (CPD). As a result of the change, CE
marking will soon become mandatory in the UK. Manufacturers and
importers have until July 2013 to ensure that their construction
products meet the CE requirements of the new Regulation.

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How does CPR affect you?
If you manufacture or import products that are within the scope of the
Regulation, you will be required to declare that the product complies
with the Regulation and display the CE mark, before they can be sold
in the UK and Europe.
The responsibility for ensuring that a product has the correct
characteristics for a particular application rests with the building
designers, contractors and local building authorities, and
manufacturers and importers will be required to provide the necessary
testing evidence.
http://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/our-services/product-certification/industry-sec
tor-schemes/construction/construction-products-regulation-cpr/

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Cutting to the chase -
How are cables affected by the CPR?
The CPR covers any cable product intended to be incorporated in
construction works, including both buildings and civil engineering
works.
So on this basis any and all cables intended to be installed and
permanently fixed within buildings and “structures” will have to meet
the CPR – and this is where the confusion and misunderstanding
starts to arise.

7. 7
What aspects of cable performance
are covered by the CPR?
If you manufacture or import products that are within the scope of the
Regulation, you will be required to declare that the product complies
with the Regulation and display the CE mark, before they can be sold
in the UK and Europe.
The responsibility for ensuring that a product has the correct
characteristics for a particular application rests with the building
designers, contractors and local building authorities, and
manufacturers and importers will be required to provide the necessary
testing evidence.
http://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/our-services/product-certification/industry-sec
tor-schemes/construction/construction-products-regulation-cpr/

8. 8
What aspects of cable performance
are covered by the CPR?
There are three aspects of performance considered
under the CPR:
• Resistance to Fire
The ability to keep operating during a given time (circuit integrity)
• Reaction to Fire
Or what happens to a cable during a fire. This subject can itself be
further subdivided into four major topics:
- Flame propagation
- Smoke emission
- Halogen / acidic gas emission
- Toxicity
• Release of Dangerous Substances

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Title?

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Applicable Standards
BS EN ISO 1716:2010
Reaction to fire tests for products. Determination of the gross heat of
combustion (calorific value)
BS EN 50399:2011
Common test methods for cables under fire conditions. Heat release
and smoke production measurement on cables during flame spread
test. Test apparatus, procedures, results
BS EN 60332-1:2004
Tests on electrical and optical cables under fire conditions Test for a
vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable

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Resistance to Fire
P-classification: large scale furnace test following a standard
time/temperature cure of a representative cable installation (prEN
50577)
PH-classification: smaller scale test for cables up to 20 mm diameter
and ≤ 2.5 mm2 (EN 50200)
Survival times: 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes

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Who carries out these tests?
These tests have to be carried out by an officially accredited “Notified
Body” = Independent Third Party laboratory.
A manufacturers own test results are not acceptable.
These “Notified Bodies” can only be officially accredited after the
publication of the applicable standard, it is expected that the traditional
certification bodies for cables will become “Notified Bodies”

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Declaration of Performance (DoP)
The output from these tests will be a classification under the CPR.
The manufacturer will then have to prepare a Declaration of
Performance for his product and will only then be allowed to affix
the CE mark to his product applicable to the CPR.
Note: this is a major change from the CE applied under the Low
Voltage Directive (LDV). Under the LDV the Declaration
of Performance can be a manufacturers self declaration.

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How will it all work?
Although the actual Euroclassifications will be common across the
whole of the EU, each country is free to choose which class it adopts
for a particular application. So for a given application a different
classification (and therefore cable) could be specified for use in say
Norway than specified for use in Southern Italy.
However no matter what classification has been specified by the
regulatory authorities of a particular country, the means of assessing
the declared performance of the product will be made using the same
common standards.

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Obligations under the CPR
The Manufacturer
The manufacturer shall draw up a Declaration of Performance and
affix the CE mark to his product. By issuing a DoP the manufacturer
assumes the responsibility for the conformance of his product with the
declared performance.
The User
On the basis of the information contained in the manufacturers DoP,
the user will decide which product is fit for use in the intended
application and assume responsibility for that decision

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Timescale for the implementation
of the CE marking under the CPR
• The final vote and acceptance of the last of the “Common Technical
Language” standards starts the clock.
• Publication of the Standard – typically 6 months after a positive vote
Note: this is effectively the first date that a manufacturer can submit samples for testing
by the Notified Body
• Publication of the Standard reference in the Official Journal of the
EC (OJEC) this fixes the “date of applicability” and the “period
of co-existance”.
Earliest practical date that CE marking can be applied to product –
optionally - 15 months after the final vote on the standard
Latest practical date that CE marking must be applied to product 27
months, assuming that no Member State asks for an extension of the
“period of co-existance”

17. Tratos Group
Cables for a moving world
www.tratos.eu