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Draka Cables chosen for Dublin's new tunnel

Draka’s Connecta modular fire performance wiring system and Firetuf alarm cables have been installed throughout the new 4.5km Dublin Port Tunnel; an underground twin dual-carriageway that links Dublin Port with Dublin Airport and the main arterial routes to and from the capital.  The company has supplied over 40km of fire resistant Connecta cable – incorporating more than 1,700 sockets – for the tunnel’s high-specification lighting system, and a further 20km of Firetuf cable for its fire detection and alarm installation.

The zero halogen, low smoke, five-core Connecta cable was manufactured to meet the tunnel’s precise requirements and featured primary cable that ranged from 2.5 square millimetres to 16 square millimetres.  It was supplied in a variety of customer-specified, predetermined lengths incorporating factory-fitted Connecta moulded sockets that eliminated the need for on-site joint forming.  Quick-fit secondary outlets were then taken from these sockets to individual pre-installed luminaires.

This fast-track solution had a significant and positive impact on installation time and cost by reducing the site labour requirement and all but eliminating waste.  It also met the stringent fire rating standards laid down by the installation contractor, Dublin-based Mercury Engineering.  Mark Froggatt, Draka’s Project Manager, said: “We had an excellent dialogue with our customer, which was essential to quickly resolving all of the design queries on this demanding project.”

Connecta maintains the integrity of the circuit even if a local device fails in the event of a fire.  This ensures that escape routes either side of a failed luminaire remain illuminated rather than plunging people in the tunnel into panic-inducing darkness.  Each Connecta socket is phase identified, ingress protected to IP67, and the circuit integrity meets the requirements of BS6387 Categories C, W and Z.  All Connecta components are individually tested, and are retested as a complete system with the luminaires energised.

The Dublin Port Tunnel, which is due to be opened later this year, is the latest such high-profile Connecta project to be completed by Draka.  The system has also been used on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the Singapore Mass Transit network and the tunnels at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5.

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