Fire-protective fabrics

Fire-protective fabrics coated with an intumescent material are used to wrap electrical cables and services to improve their reaction-to-fire performance and/or to impede the breakout and spread of a fire along the cables and services.

Regulatory framework

The execution of assemblies of electrical cables and services wrapped with fire-protective fabrics is considered to be a non-regulated construction technique. DIBt grants general construction technique permits (aBG) for this, providing application specifications for assemblies of electrical cables or services wrapped in fire-protective fabrics coated with an intumescent material, in combination with a national technical approval (abZ) for non-regulated components, where needed.

The national technical approval/general construction technique permits serves to verify that the electrical cables and services wrapped in the fire-protective fabric

  • meet the requirements for building materials classified as not easily flammable ('schwerentflammbar') and, where required, contribute little to smoke production and/or
  • prevent the breakout or spread of a fire along the electrical cables and services.

In addition to the provisions set out in the national technical approval/general construction technique permit, the requirements set out in the Building Code of the relevant federal state (Landesbauordnung), the Guideline on fire protection requirements for services (cf. MLAR linked below) as well as the installation manual drawn up by the holder of the national technical approval/general construction technique permit apply.

For the relevant Technical Building Rules, compare:

  • MVV TB, Part A 2
  • MVV TB, Section A 2.2, no. A 2.2.1.2 (referring to Annex 4) 'Regulatory requirements, assignment of classes, use of construction products, application of construction techniques'
  • Guideline on fire protection requirements for services (MLAR)

Muster-Richtlinie über brandschutztechnische Anforderungen an Leitungsanlagen (Muster-Leitungsanlagen-Richtlinie - MLAR) (8 pages ) Fassung: 10.2.2015 (Redaktionsstand 5.4.2016); Amtliche Mitteilungen 2016/2 (Ausgabe: 11. Oktober 2016); Fachkommission Bauaufsicht der Bauministerkonferenz; DIBt (Hrsg.)

National verification is carried out based on specifications developed by DIBt after consultation with the competent expert committees 'Fire behaviour of building materials' and 'Fire behaviour of building components – special components'. Applicants will receive all details in the course of the procedure.

National procedure

A national technical approval (abZ) and/or oder general construction technique permit (aBG) is granted upon application (see Model Building Code (MBO), Sections 16a(2) and18(2) and (4)). This also applies to amendments and supplements to, or renewals of existing approvals and/or construction technique permits.

No formal requirements apply. The following information is needed: name and address of the applicant, description of the product and/or construction technique and its field of use or application, type of decision required (new decision, amendment or supplement to, or renewal of, an existing decision).

Please feel free to use the template below.