The Basis of Structural Design: Eurocode EN1990

The Structural Eurocodes are a pan-European set of design codes for building and civil engineering works. They will replace the existing codes published by the British Standards Institution in the UK. The Eurocodes will provide a common understanding regarding design between owners, operators, designers and contractors in civil and structural engineering. They represent the biggest change in design codes ever seen. EN1990 is the head code in the Eurocode series and establishes the principles and requirements for safety, serviceability and durability of structures. Importantly, it must be applied whenever any parts from Eurocodes 1 to 9 are used.

This one-day course introduces the Eurocode system in general and EN1990 in particular. It presents the philosophy, application and integration of the suite for modern structural design and analysis. The structure, scope and legislative links e.g. the Construction Products Directive (CPD) of the Eurocode system is introduced and the current status of integration outlined. Implementation of the Eurocode suite into UK practice together with the national annex structure and derived parameters are described. The co-existence of BSI and Eurocode design standards and phased withdrawal of current design codes are also discussed. The impact of implementation on UK design practice is discussed and the key decisions required to ensure a smooth transition outlined.

A detailed overview of the head code, EN1990, is delivered covering the requirements for safety, serviceability and durability, limit state design principles, basic variables, verification using the partial factor method and the application to UK practice. The tutor is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, an active consultant and until recently a director of the Construction Division, and the Centre for Construction Codes and Standards at BRE and has extensive experience of the structural design of buildings and bridges. He is currently the Chairman of the committees responsible for the development of EN 1990 and EN 1991; an advisor to the European Commission and the Department of Communities and Local Government. He is also a Visiting Professor at Imperial College London and has published numerous papers and publications.