Skip to main content
European Commission logo
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 13670 Execution of concrete structures
EN 1090 Execution of steel structures – Technical requirements
EN 1536 Execution of special geotechnical work – Bored piles
EN 1537 Execution of special geotechnical work – Ground anchors
EN 14199 Execution of special geotechnical work – Micro piles
EN 12063 Execution of special geotechnical work – Sheet–pile walls
EN 12699 Execution of special geotechnical work – Displacement piles
EN 1011 Recommendations for arc welding of steels
EN 12732 Gas supply systems – Welding steel pipe work – functional requirements
EN 25817 Arc–welded joints in steel: Guidance on quality levels for imperfections
EN 30042 Arc–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 206 Concrete: Specification, performance, production and conformity
EN 10080 Steel for the reinforcement of concrete
EN 10138 Prestressing steels
EN 10155 Structural steels with improved atmospheric corrosion resistance
EN 338 Structural timber – Strength classes
EN 313 Plywood – Classification and terminology
EN 12369 Wood-based panels – Characteristic values for structural design
EN 14545 Timber structures – Connectors – Requirements
EN 14592 Timber structures – Fasteners – Requirements
EN 622 Fibreboards – Specifications
EN 636 Plywood – Specifications
EN 771 Specifications for masonry units
EN 845 Specification for ancillary components for masonry
EN 998 Specification for mortar for masonry
EN 754 Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Cold drawn rod/bar and tube
EN 755 Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles
EN 1592 Aluminium and aluminium alloys – HF seam welded tubes
EN 515 Aluminium and aluminium alloys – Wrought products – Temper designations
EN 1337 Structural bearings
EN 12811 Temporary works equipment
EN 12812 Falsework. Performance requirements and general design
EN 13001 Crane safety
EN 1317 Road 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 12350 Testing fresh concrete
EN 13791 Testing concrete
ENV 13381 Fire tests on elements of building construction
EN 1365 Test methods for fire resistance of load bearing elements
EN 10002 Metallic materials – Tensile testing
EN 10045 Metallic materials – Charpy impact test
EN 594 Timber structures – Test methods – Racking strength and stiffness of timber frame wall panels
EN 1075 Timber structures – Test methods. Testing of joints made with punched metal plate fasteners
EN 1380 Timber structures – Test methods – Load bearing nailed joints
EN 1381 Timber structures – Test methods – Load bearing stapled joints
prEN 12512 Timber structures – Test methods – Cyclic testing of joints made with mechanical fasteners
EN 772 Methods of test for masonry units
EN 846 Methods of test for ancillary components for masonry
EN 1015 Methods of test for mortar for masonry
EN 1052 Methods of test for masonry
EN 571 Non-destructive testing – Penetrant testing
EN 13068 Non-destructive testing – Radioscopic testing
EN 444 Non-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 2394 General principles on reliability for structures
ISO 3898 Basis for design of structures – Notations – General symbols
ISO 13822 Bases for design of structures – Assessment of existing structures
ISO 10137 Basis for design of structures – Serviceability of buildings against vibrations
ISO 12494 Atmospheric icing of structures
ISO 9000 Quality management and quality assurance – Vocabulary
Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary
ISO 2631 Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration
ISO 4355 Bases for design of structures – Determination of snow loads on roofs
ISO 13847 Welding steel pipeline
ISO 18273 Welding consumables – Wire electrodes, wires and rods for arc welding of aluminium and aluminium alloys – Classification
ISO 11003 Adhesives – Determination of shear behaviour of structural adhesives

 

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