Fire resistant service enclosures from Aestuver - Advanced fire protection for electrical systems

Fire resistant service enclosures provide an unmatched solution for fire protection of electrical and mechanical installations. Electrical cables and services which don’t have sufficient fire protection will fail in case of fire and won’t maintain their circuit integrity for life safety and fire-fighting purposes. Numerous electrical cables are required to function during fire evacuations to ease the escape of people by activating emergency signage, signals or smoke extraction systems. 

These fire-rated cable encasements—known as Aestuver Standard cable ducts and Aestuver Exclusive cable ducts—are engineered to safeguard critical systems in residential buildings, industrial complexes, and underground infrastructure like metro stations or road and rail tunnels. The main building component of Aestuver’s fire resistant service enclosures is Aestuver fire protection board and fixings. This board is used for two-sided, three-sided and four-sided cable protective systems. Aestuver cable ducts allow for installation of cables and fire resistant service enclosures either as standalone encasements or as fixed against the wall.

Certified under the European Technical Assessment (ETA-21/0755, issued September 24, 2021), these electrical services fireproof enclosures combine high-quality fire resisting boards, robust construction, and proven performance to meet the fire protection standards.
 

What are Aestuver’s fire resisting cable enclosures?

There are two main types of fire resisting cable enclosures within Aestuver’s range. First type are Standard cable ducts which operatives can built on site using standard or custom-cut Aestuver fire protection boards. All components are delivered in separate pieces for construction site assembly and installation.

 

Second type are Exclusive cable ducts which are prefabricated, factory manufactured insulated enclosure providing thermal and mechanical protection life safety, fire-fighting and other critical system cables installed withing the enclosure to maintain their circuit integrity with a fire condition external to the enclosure.

Fire resistant service enclosures: How they’re built

Aestuver’s fire retardant cable enclosures are constructed from Aestuver fire protection boards - cement-bonded, glass-fiber-reinforced lightweight concrete boards, a non-combustible material rated Euroclass A1 per EN 13501-1. Both the basis Aestuver fire board and the fireproof cable enclosures are certified with own European Technical Assessment. It means that the not only the basic component complies with the requirements, but also the final prefabricated elements. This ensures that the fireproof cable encasements resist combustion, minimizing fire spread and smoke production.
 

Dimensions of Aestuver standard fireproof cable enclosures:

	PLCD EI30	PLCD EI45	PLCD EI60	PLCD EI90	PLCS EI60	PLCS EI90
Width [mm]	≤ 290	≤ 300	≤ 320	≤ 340	≤ 1250	≤ 1250
High [mm]	≤ 145	≤ 150	≤ 150	≤ 165	≤ 1000	≤ 1000
Length [mm]	≤ 1000	≤ 1000	≤ 1000	≤ 1000	≤ 1250	≤ 1250
Usable cross section             [wxh] [mm²]	≤ 260x105	≤ 260x105	≤ 260x105	≤ 260x105	≤ 1190 x 940	≤ 1150 x 900
Cable load [kg/m]	15,34	15,34	15,34	15,34	31,84	31,84
Classification	EI30 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)	EI45 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)	EI60 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)	EI90 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)	EI60 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)	EI90 (ho i>o) E120 (ho i>o)

 

The design consists of two primary components:

 Prefabricated Duct Trough (Bottom Section):

• Forms the base and side walls, providing a sturdy foundation for cable housing.
• Made from single-layer Aestuver boards for PLCD ducts or thicker configurations for PLCS ducts, with thicknesses ranging from 30 mm (EI 60) to 50 mm (EI 90).

Duct Cover:

• A protective lid that seals the trough, available in single-layer (PLCS) or double-layer (PLCD) designs depending on fire resistance needs.
• Secured with Aestuver fire protection adhesive and steel fasteners (staples or screws), ensuring a tight, fire-resistant closure.​

For PLCS fireproof services encasements, the covers are loosely laid on the troughs and reinforced with 40 mm wide blank strips along the longitudinal edges, glued and stapled at approximately 100 mm intervals. A 100 mm wide cover strip seals butt joints, fastened with staples to maintain integrity even in complex layouts like corners.

For PLCD fire-rated services enclosures, the trough and cover are bonded with adhesive and fastened with screws (spacing 280-330 mm) or staples (spacing 100-120 mm), while steel dividers (e.g., OBO BSKB1026) anchor the duct to walls, ceilings, or floors with a minimum thickness of 100 mm and density of ≥350 kg/m³.

Penetrations and joints are meticulously sealed:

• Gaps: Filled with stone wool (120-140 kg/m³, melting point >1000°C) and covered with Aestuver board collars (15-40 mm thick, depending on fire rating), glued and stapled for a flush finish.
• Foam Strips: 5 mm thick, single-sided adhesive B1-class foam strips seal butt joints between adjacent ducts, enhancing airtightness.

This modular construction allows fireproof services encasements to adapt to diverse project needs while maintaining structural and fire-resistant integrity.
 

Proven Fire Resistance

Aestuver’s fire-rated cable encasements are rigorously tested (Test methods: DIN EN 1366-5:2010-06, DIN EN 1363-1:2012-10), achieving impressive fire resistance ratings.They are classified in accordance with EN 13501-2:2016:
 

• PLCD: EI 30, EI 45, EI 60, EI 90 (integrity and insulation), and E 120 (integrity only).
• PLCS: EI 60, EI 90, and E 120.

 
The "EI" classification ensures both fire integrity (E) and insulation (I) for up to 90 minutes, keeping the unexposed side below critical temperature thresholds, while "E" ratings guarantee structural stability for up to 120 minutes. These capabilities make Aestuver’s electrical services fireproof enclosures ideal for maintaining operational continuity of life-safety systems like emergency lighting and ventilation during a fire.
 

What’s the maximum cable weight loads for fire resisting service enclosures?

The fire retardant cable enclosures are designed to support significant cable loads, tailored to their size and configuration:

• PLCD Models (EI 30 to EI 90): Support up to 15.34 kg/m, with dimensions ranging from 290 mm wide x 145 mm high (EI 30) to 340 mm wide x 165 mm high (EI 90).
• PLCS Models (EI 60 and EI 90): Handle up to 31.84 kg/m, with larger dimensions of 1250 mm wide x 1000 mm high.
   

What’ the maximum cross section for Aestuver prefabricated fire rated cable enclosures?

All models maintain a usable cross-section from 260x105 mm up to 1150x900mm, ensuring consistent cable accommodation.
For PLCS ducts, cables can rest directly on the base or on additional carriers, where the carrier’s capacity may dictate the maximum load, offering flexibility for heavier installations.
 

What’s the suspension system used for Aestuver’s fire retardant cable enclosure?

The suspension system must be made of steel and designed for project applicable loads, where the maximum permitted distance of the suspending brackets is maximum 1250mm.
 

What are maximum penetration sizes in Aetuver’s fire rated cable trunking?

Aestuver’s fireproof cable encasements accommodate cable penetrations with precision:

• Single Cables: Maximum diameter of 21 mm, reinforced with 80x80 mm Aestuver board patches.
• Bundled Cables: Maximum diameter of 45 mm, reinforced with 100x100 mm board patches.
• Sealing: Penetrations are sealed with materials meeting ETA 15/0556 standards (or equivalent), with drilling holes adhering to Annex A3 and A11 specifications (e.g., D1 ≥ 20 mm, dry coating thickness D2 ≥ 1.0 mm).

These limits ensure that fire and smoke cannot breach the enclosure, maintaining its protective barrier.
 

Versatile and durable Design

Classified as Type X for all interior and exterior applications, Aestuver’s fire-rated services enclosures thrive in demanding environments—think tunnels, industrial plants, or high-rise buildings. The PLCS variant, with a maximum span of 1250 mm between supports (e.g., c-rails or brackets), suits suspended installations, while the PLCD’s direct-mount design excels in tight spaces. With a working life of at least 25 years and tensile strength up to 1.5 MPa (10 mm boards), these fireproof services enclosures offer long-term reliability. Fastener stress limits—9 N/mm² tensile and 15 N/mm² shear up to EI 60, reducing to 6 N/mm² and 10 N/mm² beyond—ensure stability under fire exposure.


 

Why choose Aestuver?

• Produced at the Aestuver Plant in Calbe, Germany, these fire-rated cable encasements reflect James Hardie’s dedication to quality.
• The factory is certified with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015.  
• Their Euroclass A1 rating, detailed ETA certifications, and adaptable construction make them a top choice for engineers and architects.
• Whether you need a robust electrical services fireproof enclosure for a small residential project or a large-scale industrial application, Aestuver delivers safety you can trust.

 
Explore how Aestuver’s fireproof services encasements can elevate your next project. Visit our website or contact our experts at James Hardie Europe GmbH for more details. With Aestuver, you’re building more than just infrastructure—you’re securing the future.