Deliver quality electrical systems in your construction projects
Learn how incorporating the specification of third party approved cable products is of significant importance to ensuring quality, future proofing construction projects for successful completion within demanding timescales. As the total value of construction projects in the United Kingdom is set to grow by 17% in 2021, with further growth predicted to follow into 2022.
Installation impacts
The UK building market is expanding rapidly, which has created a need for ‘faster construction,’ however, quality must not be compromised while ensuring that projects stay cost effective. Cable products must demonstrate durable qualities to be able to withstand the, often outdoor, environments of a building site.
It is imperative that the sheathing material of a cable product is not easily damaged by manual handling. Material and mechanical tests, such as tensile strength as well as elongation at break, assess the strength and resilience of insulation and sheathing components. These tests determine important properties that explain the mechanical behaviour of a cable ensuring it is robust, can withstand construction environments, offer reduced risk of damage during installation and future potential performance issues.
Certification enables faster decision making
As an industry, the construction sector is undergoing major challenges to meet ambitious targets to rapidly build affordable housing and community facilities, including schools and leisure services. Cabling is central to the electrical system, providing power and support to daily operations. It is therefore key that the products specified are compliant which can be evidenced by meeting recognised industry standards.
Cable products that have been tested by a third party undergo a rigorous cable assessment schedule in line with required regulations, for example compliance to the Construction Products Regulation to enable UKCA or CE marking. In the context of fire, risk to safety can be minimised through a variety of tests to prove performance and work to reduce any potential costs of poor quality.
Knowledge that a cable holds a third party approval can streamline the procurement decision making processes, simplifying selection as compliance can be evidenced. As the cable industry experts for testing and certification services, specifiers, installers and end users can rely on BASEC. A quick search on the website www.basec.org.uk can speed up verification of approved products, this can be done by cable type or company to view a live list of valid certificates.
This publicly available tool helps to prove compliance to the standards, instilling peace of mind throughout the supply chain that the cables selected have been thoroughly and independently assessed. An important feature of a product approval is that ongoing surveillance is also undertaken following a product certification, it is conducted through audits and continued testing of cable samples.
Key points
Specifying and sourcing independently approved cable products helps you to future proof your construction projects and streamline procurement decisions. This also enables you to keep to tight deadlines or timescales. Approved cables are rigorously tested for a range of characteristics, including electrical, mechanical, material, chemical and fire resistance or reaction to fire properties. Testing ensures that cables are safe, compliant and offer the quality expected, in turn reducing the risk of damage.
To safeguard your construction projects, incorporate BASEC into your specification processes.
Engage your local team of experts today for guidance and best practise for cables destined for the construction sectors.
Access the BASEC cable, company and registered stockists search tools here
