Prysmian’s Lifeline® Products: Smart Solutions Amid Updated 2026 NEC Standards

The 2026 edition of the National Electric Code (NEC) increased the concrete encasement requirement for emergency feeder circuits from two to five inches. Prysmian’s Lifeline® fire-resistive cable systems are UL 2196-listed to maintain two-hour circuit integrity without concrete encasement, allowing for faster installation, lower overall cost, and code compliance. 

The NEC’s new five-inch concrete requirement improves the survivability of conductors, but makes concrete less practical, overly complex, and ultimately more expensive. 

“This change in the NEC enhances the value proposition of our Lifeline cables and solutions,” said Adam Zandan, Vice President of Sales for Industrial Specialties. “Prysmian not only provides competitive cable solutions that prioritize safety, but our Lifeline cables can also be used as an alternative to concrete encasement. This opens up a broader range of applications for these products and benefits our customers.” 

Prysmian’s Lifeline® fire resistive cables are designed to mitigate the devastating effects of fire and are equipped with unique, ceramifiable silicone technology, allowing vital communication and power systems to remain operational during extreme fire conditions. Prysmian offers the most extensive selection of fire-resistive power cable systems in North America, meeting the highest safety standards with UL certification and CSA code compliance for life safety applications. 

Lifeline’s flame retardant, low smoke, and low toxicity properties meet the most stringent specifications in the industry. Prysmian’s fire resistive cable systems are designed to maintain operation of critical life safety systems and emergency circuits against attack by fire and water and are used for:

• Fire pumps
• Emergency Ventilation Systems
• Stairwell Pressurization
• Emergency Lighting Systems
• Back-up power Systems
• Emergency Feeder Cables
• Elevators/OEO 

Learn more about Prysmian’s Lifeline solutions at https://na.prysmian.com/lifeline.