Wiring above suspended ceilings

[lyledunn]

Consider a long corridor which acts as an escape route, protected on all sides including from above by appropriately rated fire resistant construction. A suspended exposed grid ceiling system has been installed along the full length.  Apparent fire resistance 30 mins. Above the ceiling is a an enormous volume of data cables, many of which lie on the ceiling. There are about 20 doors that open on to the corridor and thus while a fire in the corridor is very unlikely, would there be concern that the ceiling system could be affected by fire from adjoining rooms and thus a collapse of this ceiling would cause a collapse of the cabling? The concern is more for firefighters.

[Mike Buckley]

Yes, see the inquests for Harrow Court Stevenage and Shirley Towers Southampton.

I also believe that the next edition of the IEEE regs may be addressing this point for electric cabling requiring them to be properly supported to prevent them falling down.

[nearlythere]

It may be unlikely in the short term Lyle but as fire-fighters would most likely be in the building after 30 minutes it may be an issue. 

[lyledunn]

New regulations are afoot, the intention of which are to protect firefighters. These will require cables to be appropriately secured in escape routes. The problem is that, as you said, an escape route could be just about any where in a building and thus the new regulations would appear to be applicable to all areas. I do not think that this was the intention of Jpel 64 so some serious focus on definitions is required.