Standardization of circuit integrity cable testing is beneficial to cable manufacturers, distributors, and users. Uniform procedures, consistent, repeatable results, and measurable test acceptance criteria are required to allow comparisons among competing products and to allow selection of the correct product for the application. In nuclear power facilities, electrical cables are relied upon to safely control the plant systems. Circuit integrity cables serve as fire-resistive protection for electrical circuits. Circuit integrity cables with a 1-h or 3-h ratings are expected to protect the electrical circuit from the effects of severe fire conditions to allow for achieving and maintaining safe shutdown conditions and suppression activities.

This standard provides a method for subjecting energized cable systems to a standard fire exposure to obtain a circuit integrity time rating. Types of cable include power, control, instrumentation, and communication cables. Acceptance criteria are based on the cable maintaining functionality throughout the prescribed test.

The purpose of this standard is to establish criteria to determine the circuit integrity performance of fire resistive cable systems.