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Eurocodes: Building the future

EN Eurocodes and related standards

The European Standardisation system relating to construction is a comprehensive system of design standards that includes the EN Eurocodes.

The European standardisation system

The European standardisation system related to construction is a comprehensive system of design standards that comprises the EN Eurocodes, along with material and product standards, as well as execution and test standards.

EN Family

Within the CEN system, CEN/TC250 has the overall responsibility for "structural design rules" in the building and civil engineering field. If a CEN/TC (for products, execution, etc) has a need to use structural design rules, it is asked to refer to the relevant EN Eurocodes whenever it is possible.

CEN/TC250 has established liaisons with other CEN/TCs which are drafting provisions for materials and products used in the construction industry, as well as on the execution of different types of structures and testing methods. This set of consistent standards is to be used with the EN Eurocodes for the complete design and construction of buildings and other civil engineering works.

CEN has also set up Technical Cooperation with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in order to avoid duplication of work and to increase the speed of elaboration and maintenance of standards.

    Execution Standards

    Within the Construction domain, CEN is developing European Standards which cover a wide range of products, materials and structures. For the complete design and construction of buildings and other civil engineering works, the EN Eurocodes are intended to be used in combination with Execution Standards that cover, for example, concrete, steel and aluminium structures, special geotechnical works as well as laboratory and field testing of soil.

    Execution Standards related to EN Eurocodes
    ENV 13670Execution of concrete structures
    EN 1090Execution of steel structures – Technical requirements
    EN 1536Execution of special geotechnical work – Bored piles
    EN 1537Execution of special geotechnical work – Ground anchors
    EN 14199Execution of special geotechnical work – Micro piles
    EN 12063Execution of special geotechnical work – Sheet–pile walls
    EN 12699Execution of special geotechnical work – Displacement piles
    EN 1011Recommendations for arc welding of steels
    EN 12732Gas supply systems – Welding steel pipe work – functional requirements
    EN 25817Arc–welded joints in steel: Guidance on quality levels for imperfections
    EN 30042Arc–welded joints in aluminium and its weldable alloys – Guidance on quality levels for imperfections

    Further information on the Construction Domain of CEN.

    Product Standards

    The EN Eurocodes provide design rules for structures considering a variety of materials. Within the CEN system, a number of standards covering the specifications, required physical and mechanical properties, test methods and classification for such materials have been developed. The materials characteristics are used in EN Eurocodes to determine factors and values for consistent use in design of products.

    CEN/TC250 has established liaisons with other CEN/TCs which are drafting provisions for products intended for permanent incorporation into construction works. Product standards determine technical specifications, performance classes, testing methods, as well as requirements for factory production and quality control. The aim is to align these provisions with the EN Eurocodes to what concerns actions and structural design, for reasons of safety and consistency.

    In the past, the standardization activities in the field of Iron and Steel were performed by the 12 Technical Committees (TCs) of the European Committee for Iron and Steel Standardization (ECISS). In 2018, under the approval of the CEN Technical Board, all ECISS TCs were integrated into one technical body - CEN/TC 459 - focusing on the definition, classification, testing, chemical analysis and technical delivery requirements of the products of the iron and steel industry.

    The following list provides a not exhaustive reference of Product Standards related to the EN Eurocodes.

    Product Standards related to EN Eurocodes
    EN 206Concrete: Specification, performance, production and conformity
    EN 10080Steel for the reinforcement of concrete
    EN 10138Prestressing steels
    EN 10155Structural steels with improved atmospheric corrosion resistance
    EN 338Structural timber – Strength classes
    EN 313Plywood – Classification and terminology
    EN 12369Wood-based panels – Characteristic values for structural design
    EN 14545Timber structures – Connectors – Requirements
    EN 14592Timber structures – Fasteners – Requirements
    EN 622Fibreboards – Specifications
    EN 636Plywood – Specifications
    EN 771Specifications for masonry units
    EN 845Specification for ancillary components for masonry
    EN 998Specification for mortar for masonry
    EN 754Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Cold drawn rod/bar and tube
    EN 755Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles
    EN 1592Aluminium and aluminium alloys – HF seam welded tubes
    EN 515Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Wrought products – Temper designations
    EN 1337Structural bearings
    EN 12811Temporary works equipment
    EN 12812Falsework. Performance requirements and general design
    EN 13001Crane safety
    EN 1317Road restraint systems

    Further information on the Construction Domain of CEN.

    Test Standards

    Test standards are part of the comprehensive system of European standards relating to construction. They are intended to be used for the determination of material and product properties required for the design of buildings and other civil engineering structures with the EN Eurocodes. In particular, test standards related to the EN Eurocodes comprise testing for materials, e.g. concrete, masonry, timber and metallic materials, non-destructive test methods as well as fire tests.

    Test Standards related to the EN Eurocodes
    EN 12350Testing fresh concrete
    EN 13791Testing concrete
    ENV 13381Fire tests on elements of building construction
    EN 1365Test methods for fire resistance of load bearing elements
    EN 10002Metallic materials – Tensile testing
    EN 10045Metallic materials – Charpy impact test
    EN 594Timber structures – Test methods – Racking strength and stiffness of timber frame wall panels
    EN 1075Timber structures – Test methods. Testing of joints made with punched metal plate fasteners
    EN 1380Timber structures – Test methods – Load bearing nailed joints
    EN 1381Timber structures – Test methods – Load bearing stapled joints
    prEN 12512Timber structures – Test methods – Cyclic testing of joints made with mechanical fasteners
    EN 772Methods of test for masonry units
    EN 846Methods of test for ancillary components for masonry
    EN 1015Methods of test for mortar for masonry
    EN 1052Methods of test for masonry
    EN 571Non-destructive testing – Penetrant testing
    EN 13068Non-destructive testing – Radioscopic testing
    EN 444Non-destructive testing – General principles for radiographic examination of metallic materials by X and gamma rays

    Further information on the Construction Domain of CEN.

    Technical Cooperation between ISO and CEN

    The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental organization made up of members from the national standardisation bodies of 163 countries. There are three member categories:

    • full members (or member bodies) influence ISO standards development and strategy by participating and voting in ISO technical and policy meetings;
    • correspondent members observe the development of ISO standards and strategy by attending ISO technical and policy meetings as observers;
    • subscriber members keep up to date on ISO's work but cannot participate in it.

    CEN works closely with ISO following the Agreement on Technical Cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement), formally approved in 1991.

    The Agreement recognises the primacy of international standards, but also recognises that particular needs (of the Single European Market for example) might require the development of standards for which a need has not been recognized at the international level. The prioritization of ISO work is also such that in some instances CEN needs to undertake work which is urgent in the European context, but less so in the international one.

    As a result, the agreement sets out two essential modes for collaborative development of standards: the mode under ISO lead and the mode under CEN lead, in which documents developed within one body, are notified for the simultaneous approval by the other.

    The benefits expected from the use of this agreement include:

    • avoidance of duplication of work and structures, thus allowing expertise to be focused and used in an efficient way;
    • increasing the speed of elaboration, availability and maintenance of standards.

     

    ISO Standards related to EN Eurocodes
    ISO 2394General principles on reliability for structures
    ISO 3898Basis for design of structures – Notations – General symbols
    ISO 13822Bases for design of structures – Assessment of existing structures
    ISO 10137Basis for design of structures – Serviceability of buildings against vibrations
    ISO 12494Atmospheric icing of structures
    ISO 9000Quality management and quality assurance – Vocabulary
    Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary
    ISO 2631Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration
    ISO 4355Bases for design of structures – Determination of snow loads on roofs
    ISO 13847Welding steel pipeline
    ISO 18273Welding consumables – Wire electrodes, wires and rods for arc welding of aluminium and aluminium alloys – Classification
    ISO 11003Adhesives – Determination of shear behaviour of structural adhesives

     

    EN ISO Standards related to EN Eurocodes
    EN ISO 13501Fire classification of construction products and building elements
    EN ISO 1363Fire resistance tests
    EN ISO 17760Permitted welding process for reinforcement
    EN ISO 15630Steel for the reinforcement and prestressing of concrete: Test methods
    EN ISO 12944Paints and vanishes. Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems
    EN ISO 28970Timber structures. Testing of joints made with mechanical fasteners requirements for wood density
    EN ISO 14688Geotechnical investigation and testing – Qualification and description of soil
    EN ISO 14689Geotechnical investigation and testing – Description of rock
    EN ISO 15630Steel for the reinforcement and prestressing of concrete: Test methods