FT Connecta, which until a recent rebranding of Draka cables was known as Firetuf Connecta, was developed with a very specific aim: to simplify and cut the cost of installation on projects - such as tunnels - that are characterised by the need for repetitive wiring. It has been used for emergency lighting and 3-phase power applications on several major projects including the Mass Rapid Transit system at the Changi Airport extension and the Victoria Line extension in Singapore, the HS1 - High Speed 1 - rail link between London and Paris, the Docklands Light Railway extension and the Heathrow Express extension. The key benefit for the installer of the FT Connecta 0HLS halogen-free wiring system is that it eliminates the need for on-site joint forming. Every FT Connecta installation is manufactured and delivered in precise predetermined cable-loom lengths of Draka cable between factory-fitted moulded FT Connecta socket outlets. The system features a male joint and female plug, both of which are manufactured from a high quality injection-moulded 0HLS material, with an optional integral fuse and coupling nut. FT Connecta is available with a primary cable in a range of sizes that span from 2.5mm2 to 50mm2, in three, four or five-core cable options and a wiring loom length of up to approximately 700 metres, depending on the cable size and number of sockets. Another benefit of the system is that accessories can be plugged in, as opposed to being hard wired. Quick-fit secondary outlets to individual appliances or luminaires are taken from the primary cables via moulded FT Connecta 0HLS plugs. This fast-installation solution minimises the site labour and skill requirement, significantly reducing the overall project labour cost and timescale.

FT Connecta is fully approved to BS 6387: 1994 (Specification for performance requirements for cables required to maintain circuit integrity under fire conditions) in particular the C, W and Z test that is used to determine if a cable is capable of maintaining circuit integrity under different fire conditions. This superb fire performance ensures that the emergency lighting system will continue to function if one section of the circuit is involved in a fire. It is based on Draka's FTP - until recently known as Firetuf Power - fire-performance cable, is available in both fire resistant and flame retardant designs, and provides ingress protection to IP67. An important consideration regarding tunnel fires is that, should a fire break out, the public may have to evacuate in extremely stressful circumstances.

0HLS cables do not emit halogen gases and burn without producing large amounts of dense smoke, whereas the standard PVC cables used widely in the construction industry emit hydrogen chloride gas. This has a suffocating odour that is detectable in even very low concentrations. Information on FT Connecta and other Draka cables is contained in the company's latest all-products catalogue. It runs to a full 108 pages and describes in detail the company's entire cable offering. The company also has available the latest edition of its cable and table handbook called A Closer Look at Cable, a 200-page guide that has become essential reading for anyone involved in specifying or installing cabling - fire engineers, system designers and installers.

Copies of either publication and full details on Draka cables are available by telephone on +44 (0)1332 345431, by fax on +44 (0) 1332 331237, and via email at firetuf@draka.com. The company's website is at www.drakauk.com.