Standard constructions listed below. Where a project specifies something slightly different — a particular sheath compound, a reduced neutral, a specific drum length — send the requirement and we will confirm whether it can be met before quoting.
The three lines below are the ones we are asked for most. This is the wider set behind them — the same enquiry form works for any item on the list.
Anything not listed — send the BOQ line or the drawing. Most omissions here are a lead-time question rather than a capability one. Send the item →
Engineers arrive with a standard number. Buyers arrive with an application. Consultants arrive with a performance clause. Pick whichever door you already have the key to.
What the specification cites.
What's actually inside the cable.
Where the cable is going.
The clause someone added later.
Only the first four standard pages are built so far — the rest of the map is being filled in. If the item you need isn't a link yet, it is very likely still quotable: send the line and find out. Send the item →
Armoured and unarmoured low-voltage cables for fixed distribution, sub-mains and auxiliary circuits. The armoured constructions are the workhorse of Gulf building projects.
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Standards | BS 5467 XLPE/SWA/PVC · BS 6724 XLPE/SWA/LSZH · IEC 60502-1 · BS 7889 unarmoured · BS 6346 PVC/SWA/PVC |
| Voltage rating | 0.6/1 kV (600/1000 V) |
| Conductor | Class 2 stranded copper to BS EN 60228 / IEC 60228. Class 1 solid available on request. |
| Insulation | XLPE — maximum conductor operating temperature 90°C |
| Armour | Steel wire armour (SWA) — the Gulf default for multicore LV. Aluminium wire armour (AWA) for single-core AC. Steel tape (STA) available on request. |
| Bedding & sheath | PVC (BS 5467) or LSZH compound (BS 6724) |
| Core configuration | 1 to 5 cores; equal section or reduced neutral. Control constructions up to 48 cores on request. |
| Size range | 1.5 – 300 mm² |
| Sheath colour | Black standard; other colours on request |
| Environmental | UV-resistant outer sheath available — recommended for outdoor and Gulf installations |
| Packing | Wooden drums, IPPC-fumigated; drum marking to buyer's instruction |
The standard armoured LV power cable for fixed industrial wiring and mains distribution. PVC bedding and outer sheath.
Identical construction to BS 5467, but with a low-smoke zero-halogen bedding and sheath. Specified where fire emissions matter.
Unarmoured XLPE/PVC for installation in ducts, trunking or on tray where mechanical protection isn't required.
Single-core PVC-insulated wires for final circuits in residential, commercial and light industrial work — usually the highest-volume line item on a project.
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Standards | IEC 60227 · BS 6004 |
| Voltage rating | 450/750 V |
| Types | BV single-core PVC insulated · BVR flexible stranded conductor |
| Conductor | Class 1 solid or Class 2 stranded annealed copper, to IEC 60228 |
| Insulation | PVC — maximum conductor operating temperature 70°C |
| Size range | 1.5 – 240 mm² |
| Core colours | Red, yellow, blue, green/yellow, black, brown, grey |
| Packing | Coils (100 m standard) or drums, to buyer's instruction |
Low-smoke zero-halogen constructions are a firm requirement in Gulf high-rise and public building specifications. Unlike PVC, they do not emit dense black smoke or corrosive halogen gases when burnt.
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| LSZH armoured | BS 6724 — Cu / XLPE / SWA / LSZH, 0.6/1 kV |
| LSZH unarmoured | BS 7211 |
| Halogen acid gas | IEC 60754-1 / IEC 60754-2 |
| Smoke density | IEC 61034 — minimum 60% light transmittance under the 3 m cube test |
| Flame propagation | IEC 60332-1-2 single cable. IEC 60332-3-22 / -23 / -24 bunched, Cat A / B / C. |
| Fire resistance | BS 6387 (C / W / Z) and IEC 60331 constructions — available to project specification |
The table below maps the British standards Gulf specifications most often cite onto their construction and international equivalent. It is here so you can sanity-check a bill of quantities against what we supply.
| British standard | Construction | International equivalent | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS 5467 | Cu / XLPE / SWA / PVC | IEC 60502-1 (N2XRY) | LV power distribution, sub-mains |
| BS 6724 | Cu / XLPE / SWA / LSZH | IEC 60502-1 (N2XRH) | LSZH armoured, public buildings |
| BS 7889 | Cu / XLPE / PVC, unarmoured | IEC 60502-1 | Ducts, trunking, cable tray |
| BS 7211 | Cu / XLPE / LSZH, unarmoured | — | LSZH where armour isn't required |
| BS 6346 | Cu / PVC / SWA / PVC | — | PVC-insulated, 70°C, cost-driven |
| BS 6004 | 450/750 V PVC single-core | IEC 60227 | Building wires, final circuits |
| BS 6387 | Fire-resistance test — C / W / Z | IEC 60331 | High-rise, life-safety circuits * |
| BS 7846 | Fire-resistant + armoured + LSHF | — | Fire pumps, smoke extraction * |
* Fire-resistance constructions are supplied to project specification. Third-party fire-test reports are arranged case by case — raise it at tender stage and we will confirm what is achievable and in what timeframe.
If you are assembling an enquiry, this is the order that leaves least room for misunderstanding. Send it in this form and you will get a quotation you can compare line for line against anyone else's.
4 C × 300 mm²
XLPE / SWA / PVC
600/1000 V
Class 2 stranded copper
to BS 5467, IEC 60502-1
01 · ARMOUR TYPE
SWA (steel wire) and STA (steel tape) are not interchangeable and do not cost the same. Gulf LV projects usually mean SWA — confirm it rather than assume it.
02 · NEUTRAL SIZE
Reduced neutral saves money; full-size neutral is often required where single-phase loads are unbalanced. Tell us which the project calls for.
03 · AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
Catalogue current ratings assume temperate conditions. At 45–50°C ambient the derating factor matters — ask for corrected figures for your sizes.
Send it as it is — PDF, spreadsheet or pasted into an email. You will get a clear answer on feasibility and a quotation within 12 hours.