Eurocodes: Building the future - The European Commission website on the Eurocodes newslist

What do the world media say about the Eurocodes and other Standards for Construction?

Nov 2021

Seminar on the preparation of the Eurocodes Second Generation in Helsinki

RTT (Finnish Association of Construction Product Industries) and METSTA (Mechanical Engineering and Metals Industry Standardization in Finland) will hold the expected Eurocode seminar in December. This year's seminar will focus on the preparation of the Eurocodes second-generation. The seminar is aimed at designers, builders, manufacturers and authorities, anyone who needs Eurocodes in their work.

The Eurocode seminar will be held in Kalastajatorppa, Helsinki on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.

More information about the seminar here.

Nov 2021

Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching to Prof. Michael Fardis, CEN/TC 250 Vice-Chair

Professor Emeritus, Civil Engineering Department, University of Patras, Greece, Michael Fardis has been awarded the 2021 "Vassilis Xanthopoulos-Stephanos Pnevmatikos" Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching by the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH).

The Award is the only academic prize in Greece that rewards the excellence in academic teaching. The concept of excellence in academic teaching goes beyond "the capacity for clear, comprehensible, interesting teaching while in class. It encompasses all the activities that open new scientific horizons for the students, provide inspiration and guidance through research, impart a sense of scientific values and inspire a quest for truth".

The award to Michael Fardis is of great importance to the “Eurocodes family”. Professor Fardis is currently appointed as Vice-Chair of CEN/TC250: "Structural Eurocodes" (2013-2022) while as chairman of the CEN sub-committee CEN/TC250/SC8 for Eurocode 8: “Design of Structures for Earthquake Resistance” (1999-2005), he led the development of its six parts into European Standards.

The University of Patras and in particular the Department of Civil Engineering have expressed warm congratulations and appreciation for having Professor Michael Fardis serving the department in such an exceptional way (read here the announcement in Greek).

Nov 2021

Recording from Webinar on Second generation of Eurocode 7 is now available!

Eurocode 7 has been established as the current European standard for geotechnical engineering design and is widely considered as a success story. The second generation of the standard is currently being drafted by the CEN/TC250 SC7 and will represent a significant step forward towards further harmonization and efficient guidance for geotechnical design.

In September 2021, an online webinar was organised by ISSMGE ERTC10, CEN/TC 250/SC7 and delivered in partnership with NEN. It aims to encourage geotechnical engineering professionals across Europe and the world to engage with the Eurocode 7 experts.

Currently the next generation of the Eurocodes are being prepared. The webinar offers an opportunity to learn first-hand about the upcoming changes and meet the experts digitally as they present the improvements and challenges.

The recording and presentations from the Webinar are available on the NEN webpage for the Eurocodes. You can find the recording here (Copyright: NEN).

Nov 2021

CEN/TS 19100:2021 "Design of glass structures"

This article has been authored by Markus Feldman, Chairman TC 250/SC11, RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Stahlbau und Lehrstuhl für Stahlbau und Leichtmetallbau | Steel Construction Institute

With the new publication of CEN/TS 19100 the design of glass structures is now making its European standardization debut, paving the way for a Eurocode.

Glass has become an increasingly important component of modern architecture, as brightness and transparency are an expression of a modern society being reflected in the built environment. Technical development has progressed so far that glass is no longer just an infill element, but can certainly also be part of the main structure. The used glass building products are now of such quality that glass can be used to achieve sustainability not only in terms of embodied energy, but also in terms of operation. As a result of extensive scientific research, design techniques of verifying mechanical resistance and reliability have been developed to a considerable degree.

However, since the 1st generation of Eurocodes comprised rules for design of the “classical” materials only, it was clear that when setting out the strategic key points for the 2nd generation, European rules for the design of structural glass urgently needed to be provided.

With Mandate M/515 of the European Commission CEN/TC 250 got green light for initiating the process of establishing a corresponding design code. After completion of the preparatory works, CEN/TC 250/SC 11 was commissioned to establish CEN/TS 19100 in three parts, including all relevant aspects of a design code. The aim was to produce a regulatory framework with an overarching concept complementary to the different national standardization needs.

When arranging the contents, the code makers were guided by the requirement that not only simple structures, to be designed separately from the building context, but also integrated components were to be equally standardised in terms of design.

Consequently, complementary to the first part dealing with construction materials and glass specific design principles, a second part was developed for the design of out-of-plane loaded and a third part for the design of in-plane loaded components. The parts of CEN/TS 19100 are by name: “Part 1: Basis of design and materials”, “Part 2: Design of out of plane loaded glass components” and “Part 3: Design of in plane loaded glass components and their mechanical joints”.

Part 1 incorporates the values of basic variables and structural models for glass in construction, thereby enabling a realistic assessment of structural glass performance. It also includes general principles for the assessment of structural glass like requirements for resistance, serviceability, fracture characteristics and glass component failure consequences, where effects inherent to glass and glass specific robustness and redundancy concepts need to be considered, beyond the rules of EN 1990.

Part 2 addresses the design of glass components mainly subjected to out-of-plane loads. It gives a framework for a safe structural analysis including the respective particularities of out-of-plane loaded glasses – covering continuously edge supported as well as point supported components – and moreover offers calculation methods for laminated glasses utilizing an effective thickness approach.

Conclusively, Part 3 covers the design of in-plane-loaded glass components and also focuses on the design of connections and joints of such elements and, obviously, the stability issues arising from the in-plane loading. Like in Part 2 the design of laminated glass considering shear coupling is also dealt with.

Apart from EN 1990 and the material related Eurocodes where relevant, CEN/TS 19100 is used in combination with the actions set out in EN 1991 Eurocode 1 and provides complementary rules and guidance on how to apply the actions when designing structural glass. Moreover, the CEN/TS gives additional rules on glass specific actions, like internal pressures in the cavities of insulating glazing units.

As being a Technical specification document, CEN/TS 19100 does not have the normative status of an EN document. The conversion of CEN/TS 19100 into a new Eurocode part fully compatible with the revised 2nd generation Eurocode suite is an ongoing task within Mandate M/515, and the corresponding EN document is expected to be published by 2025.

The three parts of CEN/TS 19100:2021 “Design of glass structures” are documents prepared by CEN/TC 250/SC 11 Structural Glass to be made available to the CEN Member states by the end of 2021. The documents will be published in English, French or German translations and can be purchased from National Standardization Organizations.

Photo credits: ©Coline Beulin, unsplash.com

Oct 2021

Brand new school facilities in Albania designed with the Eurocodes

On 28 September 2021, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama inaugurated the “Korb Muca” Primary School and the Kindergarten “Europa” in Qereke, Albania. The new school facilities, which serve 130 pupils and 30 kindergarten children, have been built in an area of 8000 m2 offered by the local government, surrounded by greenery and trees. The school has been designed and constructed according to EN 1998 “Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance”, demonstrating the great progress achieved with the Eurocodes implementation in Albania.

As President Von der Leyen said in her statement on the occasion of her official visit to Albania “[…] I could not have chosen a better start for my tour through the Western Balkans than here in Albania and starting with inaugurating the Korb Muça Kindergarten and school […]” while noting that the school is a symbol for the “enduring cooperation between Albania and the European Union, and of our common future”.

The community of Qereke was heavily affected by the 26th of November 2019 earthquake that hit Albania. The previous school in the village was severely damaged and the community’s children had to go to a school rather far from their village. The “Korb Muca” Primary School and Kindergarten in Qereke is one out of 63 education facilities that are being reconstructed or repaired as part of the EU4Schools Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Albania that has also contributed to the Programme.

Educational facilities targeted are part of the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA), which indicated that a total of 321 public nurseries, Pre-Schools, Basic Schools, and Secondary Schools were fully destroyed, partially damaged or lightly damaged in the 11 municipalities in Albania affected by the 2019 earthquake. As noted by UNPD, 24.000 pupils and kindergarten children will benefit from renovated or reconstructed education facilities. Around 1 million community members will also benefit from this intervention.

Education facilities are being reconstructed or repaired combining the #BuildBackBetter and #BuildBetterTogether approaches. New education facilities are being repaired or reconstructed using the best European standards of safety, namely Eurocode 8, low carbon emission, renewable energy lighting, high accessibility and green spaces.

Additional information

UNPD post “#EU4SCHOOLS: 160 children in Qereka start the new academic year in brand new facilities”.
Photos of the Korb Muca” school construction.
UNPD Albania brochure on Korb Muca school.

Note

The article reproduces information available from UNPD, the EU4Schools portal and the Albanian press using the EMM (original article in Albanian and translation to English). Copying, reproduction and publication of information above is subject to citing the original sources.

Photo credit

Oct 2021

CEN/TS 17440:2020 Assessment and retrofitting of existing structures

This article has been authored by Thomas P. Lang, Convenor TC 250/WG 2, Thomas Lang Consulting GmbH, Switzerland

CEN/TS 17440:2020 "Assessment and retrofitting of existing structures" is the first document prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 250 under Mandate M/515 to be made available to the CEN Member states. The document is available in English, French or German translations and can be purchased from National Standardization Organizations.

The 1^st generation of Eurocodes comprise rules that are primarily intended for the design of new structures, although the principles of EN 1990 can also be applied for existing structures, with additional or amended provisions. CEN/TS 17440 is intended to supply the additional or amended provisions that can enable EN 1990 to be applied to the structural assessment of existing structures, including those that were not designed using Eurocodes. The provisions within CEN/TS 17440 also cover retrofitting, which is where existing structures are modified with the addition of new materials, for example to strengthen or extend them. CEN/TS 17440 is used in combination with the actions set out in EN 1991 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures, and provides complementary rules and guidance for how the actions should be applied in the assessment and retrofitting of existing structures.

The use of CEN/TS 17440 will enable the safety and serviceability of existing structures to be assessed using a consistent framework. It allows data from existing structures to be used to update the values for basic variables and update the structural models, thereby enabling a more realistic assessment of structural performance. It also includes some general principles for the assessment of structural resistance, highlighting the need to include the effects of deterioration and historic construction details. While a key purpose of the document is to assess the need for structural interventions, the scope of the document does not include any specific rules for undertaking or managing interventions on structures.

CEN/TS 17440 is a Technical Specification document, and it does not have the normative status of an EN document. It is intended to be used in combination with the 1st generation Eurocodes. The Eurocodes are currently being developed through Mandate M/515, which will result in a 2nd generation suite of Eurocodes that will include some new requirements relating to assessment and retrofitting. The conversion of CEN/TS 17440 into a new Eurocode part fully compatible with the revised 2nd generation Eurocode suite is an ongoing task within Mandate M/515, and the corresponding EN document is expected to be published by 2025.

Hammersmith Flyover in London, UK, assessed and retrofitted using the Eurocodes as the basis

Strengthening works added to the structure to keep it in service

Photos courtesy of Jon Shave, WSP

Jul 2021

Webinar on the Second Generation of Eurocode 7

Eurocode 7 has been established as the current European standard for geotechnical engineering design and is widely considered as a success story. The second generation of the standard is currently being drafted by the CEN/TC250 SC7 and will represent a significant step forward towards further harmonization and efficient guidance for geotechnical design. An online webinar is organised by the ISSMGE ERTC10 and delivered in partnership with the NEN on 28th September 2021 aiming to present the upcoming improvements in the standard. The webinar encourages geotechnical engineering professionals across Europe and the world to engage with the Eurocode 7 experts currently preparing the next generation of the codes and learn first-hand about the upcoming changes and challenges.

You can find more information here.

Jun 2021

New Eurocodes visuals available for use

The first public release of the Eurocodes visuals is available for download and use!

The material provides a new and coherent visual identity for the Eurocodes. They were prepared by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission to support the communication campaign and dissemination of the second generation of these European standards.

In the first release, you will find an icon for each of the 10 Eurocodes, the Eurocodes general image, an infographic with the “Eurocodes at a glance”, additional icons illustrating climatic and seismic actions, Horizontal Groups and details for the adopted colour palette.

You can find more information on the visuals and download the files in Eurocodes Visual page.

Jun 2021

EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Eurocodes: Introductory Workshop on Eurocodes Awareness (23-24 June 2021)

The EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Eurocodes is launching the virtual Introductory “Workshop on Eurocodes Awareness” on 23-24 June 2021, as part of the cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Eurocodes are ten structural design standards for buildings and other civil engineering works within the European Union. As ASEAN Member States (AMS) are at various stages of awareness regarding Eurocodes and their concepts, the workshop offers a platform to exchange relevant technical information between the EU and AMS. This knowledge exchange on technical standards and construction products will facilitate the trade of goods and services in the construction sector. This will in turn contribute to the ASEAN integration, the success of the business sector, and the construction of climate-resilient cities.
Representatives of AMS, the European Commission and the European Committee for Standardisation, experts from EU Member States and other relevant stakeholders related to national building and construction codes and standards are invited to share knowledge, experiences, practical case study examples, as well as interest in adopting Eurocodes. The outcomes of these dynamic round-table discussions will serve as recommendations for non-EU countries and the ASEAN region for the way forward in designing safer, more resilient and sustainable structures.
The EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Eurocodes was established by the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), an EU-funded development cooperation instrument that facilitates dialogues between the EU and ASEAN, through a multi-annual concept note between the ASEAN Buildings and Construction Working Group and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

For more information, please contact:

EU Mission to ASEAN, Programme Manager, Pierre Destexhe:
Pierre.DESTEXHE@eeas.europa.eu

E-READI, Communication & Outreach Expert, Pema Domingo-Barker:
ereadi@asean.org

Follow @EUinASEAN on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

May 2021

JRC Eurocodes Balkan Summer School on Seismic design of concrete buildings (5-16 July 2021)

JRC supports the non-EU Balkan region to build capacities for adapting national legislation in the field of construction to the EU legal framework. Starting in 2013, the JRC has organized specialized workshops and provided scientific and technical support to the non-EU Balkan region partners for the adoption and implementation of the European standards for structural design - the Eurocodes (EN 1990 to EN 1999).

Now, it is time to join us for the first edition of the JRC Eurocodes Balkan Summer School, organised by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and its Safety and Security of Buildings Unit, addressing the theme of seismic design of concrete buildings.

For more information on the Summer School, see here.

May 2021

New underground infrastructures and surface buildings at CERN designed with the Eurocodes

The most recent and powerful particle accelerator constructed on the CERN site is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC consists of a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets with a number of accelerating structures to boost the energy of the particles along the way.

High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is a project aiming to upgrade the LHC to maintain scientific progress and exploit its full capacity. In order to install the new equipment and move certain components around, the HL-LHC project foresees new underground structures and surface buildings.

The Eurocodes represented the main set of reference norms for the design and assessment of the structural safety for all foreseen surface buildings and underground infrastructures.

Find out more information on CERN’s HL-LHC project here.

Apr 2021

Eurocode Software List Updated

Sep 2020

Eurocodes adoption in North Macedonia

On 2 September 2020, the Eurocodes were officially adopted as national codes for the design of construction works in the Republic of North Macedonia. The decision has been published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia no. 211 dated 02.09.2020, at the moment only available in Macedonian language. A three-year coexistence period with the current national regulations in North Macedonia is foreseen. Previously, in February 2020, the Institute for Standardization of the Republic of North Macedonia (ISRSM) had sent to the Ministry of Transport and Communications the set of translated Eurocodes and their National Annexes.

The successful adoption of the Eurocodes in North Macedonia supports the top geopolitical priority of the European Commission for bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU ('A Stronger Europe in the World - Western Balkans’ European Future') and it is well-timed with the 'green light' for opening the EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia, given on 25 March 2020 by the General Affairs Council of the EU.

Related information:

Read here the details on the latest Eurocodes workshop for the Balkan region in Tirana, Albania and check out here the JRC report providing general information on the concept of the Eurocodes implementation in the regulatory system.

Mar 2020

First major project in East Asia designed to Eurocodes

A truly international project, the Temburong Bridge in Brunei opened to traffic on 17 March 2020. The New Civil Engineer Magazine notes that the Temburong Bridge is the first major construction project in East Asia designed to the Eurocodes. The bridge is a 30 km long dual two-lane highway crossing over the Brunei Bay and connecting the relatively isolated Brunei district of Temburong to the other three Brunei districts and to the country's airport and ports. The design of the two cable stayed bridges in Brunei is one of the first applications of the Eurocodes to a fully concrete cable stayed bridge.

You can read the full article in the New Civil Engineer here. Additional technical information on the bridge design has been published by Carlucci et. al (2015).

Related information:

Read news on the use of the Eurocodes outside the EU-EFTA Member States and check the Eurocodes Map.

Feb 2020

Positive developments on the Eurocodes implementation in North Macedonia

The Institute for Standardization of the Republic of North Macedonia (ISRSM) sent officially to the Ministry of Transport and Communications the set of translated Eurocodes and their National Annexes in February 2020. This action was accompanied by ISRSM’s draft decision for the adoption of the Eurocodes as national codes for the design of construction works and a three-year coexistence period with the current national regulations in North Macedonia.

This positive development for the Eurocodes implementation in North Macedonia supported the top geopolitical priority of the European Commission for bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU (‘A Stronger Europe in the World - Western Balkans’ European Future’) and well-timed with the 'green light' for opening the EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia, given on 25 March 2020 by the General Affairs Council of the EU.

news information here in ISRSM’s website in Macedonian (currently, no translation to English available).

Related information:

Read here news details on the latest Eurocodes workshop for the Balkan region in Tirana, Albania and check out here the JRC report providing general information on the concept of the Eurocodes implementation in the regulatory system.

Oct 2018

News article: What could Brexit mean for Eurocodes?

An interesting article was recently published based on the interview with Dr Steve Denton, CEN/TC250 Chairman, for the New Civil Engineer Magazine. TC250 Chairman discusses the possible implications of "Brexit" on the Eurocodes and their use in the U.K. He also provides an insight on TC250 activities for the Second Generation of the Eurocodes, noting that "What's currently happening is probably the largest standardisation project, certainly by funding".

You can read the full article here.

Note: The article is posted with the permission of the New Civil Engineer Magazine.

Mar 2018

SERA Workshop on seismic hazard assessment in Europe

Jun 2017

News Archive

What do the world media say about the Eurocodes and other Standards for Construction?

Seminar on the preparation of the Eurocodes Second Generation in Helsinki

Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching to Prof. Michael Fardis, CEN/TC 250 Vice-Chair

Recording from Webinar on Second generation of Eurocode 7 is now available!

CEN/TS 19100:2021 "Design of glass structures"

Brand new school facilities in Albania designed with the Eurocodes

CEN/TS 17440:2020 Assessment and retrofitting of existing structures

Webinar on the Second Generation of Eurocode 7

New Eurocodes visuals available for use

EU-ASEAN Dialogue on Eurocodes: Introductory Workshop on Eurocodes Awareness (23-24 June 2021)

JRC Eurocodes Balkan Summer School on Seismic design of concrete buildings (5-16 July 2021)

New underground infrastructures and surface buildings at CERN designed with the Eurocodes

Eurocode Software List Updated

Eurocodes adoption in North Macedonia

First major project in East Asia designed to Eurocodes

Positive developments on the Eurocodes implementation in North Macedonia

News article: What could Brexit mean for Eurocodes?

SERA Workshop on seismic hazard assessment in Europe

3rd World Reconstruction Conference