The risks from lightning strikes, surge voltages and the spread of fire to the electrical building installation are frequently underestimated.
Here, it is not only the direct lightning strikes that can lead to major damage to electronic devices and systems, but also lightning strikes at distances of up to two kilometres or everyday switching operations in the power grid. Fires can also start quickly in this manner.
Countless combustible materials and plastics are used in electrical installations, which can lead to the rapid spread of fire and strong smoke development.
Regulations for safe electrical installations
The obligation to keep the building systems up to date is carried by the person responsible for the building, for example the owner or the landlord.
Considerable liability amounts are possible in cases of non-observance. The renovation of technical systems does not only arise from the duty of care, but is also sensible from a financial and legal point of view.
This is because they are statutory requirements for both housing construction and surge protection.
Specification of the minimum requirements in the construction ordinances of the German federal states:
- Preventing the spread of fires
- Protect escape and rescue routes
- Safety-relevant systems must function
Requirements and directives apply in addition to the normal IEC standards.
To find out which of them apply in housing construction, take a look at our brochure.
Correct, approval-conformant planning, to prevent the spread of fire using insulation, is simpler than ever before – thanks to our production configurator OBO Construct.
Since December 2018, surge protection according to IEC 60364-4-44 has been frequently mandatory!
Each newly created electrical installation must be protected through surge protective devices (SPDs).
You can find more detailed information, such as the cases in which the electrical installation engineer is liable and from when the protection of existing buildings applies, in our brochure.
Safety – from the cellar to the living space
Electrical installations pass through the entire building – starting in the cellar or technical room, through vertical shafts and corridors up to the actual living accommodation.
Following the path of the current, suitable measures must be taken to guarantee the safety of the inhabitants and protect electrical devices. OBO can offer solutions for the various areas of the electrical installation, with which all these measures can be implemented from a single source.
Applications in cellars
The cellar of a building has a major role to play in the safety of electrical installations in residential accommodation. It is here that the power supply enters the house via the cables of the network provider.
Installation points for earthing and equipotential bonding, surge protection in the mains and system-side connection compartment and for data technology and photovoltaic systems have their origins here.
In addition, in cellar systems, cleverly installed insulation systems lay the foundations for the maintenance of fire sections.
Applications in vertical shafts and stairwells: Vertical cable routing
Vertical shaft – the solutions for large cable volumes
Starting in the cellar, all the power and data cables must find their way upwards, i.e. to the living space. Frequently, the vertical supply installation takes place in vertical shafts.
If a large number of cables must be routed, e.g. in multiple occupancy dwellings, then vertical ladders or profile rails with clamp clip fastenings are usually suitable.
Stairwell – fire protection solutions for escape routes
If the vertical shafts are full of pipe and electrical installations, then there is frequently no more space for refitting. In such cases (or if there is no vertical shaft at all), the vertical supply installation takes place in stairwells.
The challenge: Stairwells are often key escape and rescue routes, which must remain usable in the event of fire. Therefore, in the case of stairwell installations, it is important that only short branch cables or cables to supply the escape route itself are routed here. For the installation of cables to supply stairwell lighting or escape route pictograms, steel armoured pipes are recommended as they are non-combustible.
Supply lines, as well as telephone and coaxial cables which supply the individual residences, must then be routed in fire protection ducts. For the safe routing of cables in stairwells, the OBO product range can offer metal fire protection ducts and concrete fire protection ducts.
Corridor applications: Horizontal cable routing
To reach the individual living spaces from the stairwell or vertical shaft, the cables must be routed horizontally along corridors. This is a further area of application for the fire protection ducts :
In the case of horizontal cable ducts in corridors, the duct fulfils the same tasks as in the stairwells, namely the encapsulation of the fire loads and the prevention of the inward fire spread.
Just like the stairwells, corridors often serve as escape and rescue routes and therefore, here too, it is essential that open electrical installations are forbidden. This avoids the spread of fire in a lengthwise direction.
But what should be done if there are lots of different installations of different units in a corridor? Then, the installation above a fire protection ceiling with fire-resistant quality (F30) is frequently the only option for creating a fireproof installation.
A precondition here is that the installation is mounted in such a way that it does not place a load on the false ceiling in the event of fire. This is essential, so that the escape route remains not blocked for a certain period of time. Special support and routing systems with fire classification ensure that the installations can be performed in a fireproof way.
These include various cable trays, mesh cable trays, grouped supports or pressure clips.
Applications in living areas
Surge protection in the sub-distributor
When the cables have also passed along the corridors, then they will finally reach the living accommodation of the building.
In the OBO product range, you can find, for example, intelligent solutions to protect the sub-distributor as well as the terminals of surge category I, such as computers and TVs, and of surge category II, such as domestic appliances and washing machines.
To offer complete protection, not only all the power cables, but also all other cables, such as TV or network cables, should be included in the equipotential bonding using suitable surge protective devices.
You can find out more about normative principles and why surge protection is so important in residential housing constructions in our brochure.
Intelligent refurbishment solutions for cable routing
If interventions in the original cable routing are not possible, then OBO can offer refurbishment solutions for intelligent and flexible power supply via skirting ducts.
Refitting of heating pipes is possible with the ingenious "RAUDUO" system, using the patented thermobuffer, even in combination with electrical cables.
Everything from one source
Installations made easy with OBO products
We can do even more: Besides products for lightning, surge and fire protection, OBO can offer you a comprehensive product range for everyday electrical installation requirements – practical, flexible and tailor-made to your requirements.
These include the T series junction boxes,which offer the right solution for any requirements in residential accommodation, or the Quick clips for the secure fastening of cables and electrical installation pipes. In combination with the Quick pipe , they are the ideal solution for rapid surface-mounted installations and trouble-free retroinstallation.
Of course, OBO will ensure that you don't miss out the smaller members of the family. Adhesive clips for attaching to the cables will round off your everyday requirements, just like the WDK wall and ceiling ducts, which stand out through their maximum of flexibility and simple handling.
Harmony of design and functionality as the supreme discipline
Design and functionality are not mutually exclusive. OBO proves this on a regular basis: Whether it is the family of UDHOME complete units, the round floor sockets of the GES R2 series or the Deskboxes for desks.
All these systems ensure discreet, design-orientated cable routing in living accommodation. Would you like to learn more about our functional design solutions? You can find an overview in our current brochure.