Property
simple aim: To set out the
framework for CE marking
by stating which properties
may be declared and how
they should be measured.
It sets out requirements for
Initial Type Testing (ITT) and
Factory Production Control
(FPC), but does not directly set
requirements for performance.
To ensure that a minimum level
of performance (and hence
safety) is achieved, EN 1090-1
refers repeatedly to EN 1090-2
on matters such as fabrication
tolerances and welding.
Simply, a manufacturer CE
marking to EN 1090-1 declares
that its products comply with
EN 1090-2 regarding the
Essential Characteristics,
and produces a set of FPC
procedures ensuring this
compliance is achieved in
practice.
EN 1090-2
EN 1090-2 is the Execution
Standard for structural
steelwork and includes
details on matters such as
tolerances and welding.
Although often associated
with CE marking due to the
many cross references from
EN 1090-1, compliance with
this standard is independent
from the CE marking process.
It goes much further than
the Essential Characteristics
declared on the CE label
(seemingly lost on many CE
marking auditors). Compliance
with EN 1090-2 is essential
for safety, since the structural
engineer’s design calculations
are only valid if the steelwork
is fabricated to tolerance and
welded correctly - clearly
stated in EN 1993. Since BS
5502-22 refers to EN 1993
for the steel design and EN
1993 refers to EN 1090-2 for
tolerances and welding, it
follows that any building that
fails to comply with EN 1090-2
automatically fails to comply
with BS 5502-22.
LATEST CODE UPDATES
All of the Eurocode
documents have been
reviewed and are in various
stages of being revised,
starting with EN 1990. Many of
the changes currently being
discussed, such as robustness
and reliability analysis,
will have little impact on
agricultural buildings. However
there is talk of replacing the
equations used to combine
snow and wind loading, with
possible consequences for
design loads. The main parts
of EN 1991 and EN 1993 are
now at the Working Group
stage, where teams of experts
from across Europe review
the comments received on
the existing standards and
attempt to address them.
Project Teams have just started
the process of undertaking
detailed technical work that
will eventually feed into the
revised Eurocodes.
‘The changes
proposed to EN
1090-1 are more
fundamental
in nature and
could see the link
broken between
this standard
and EN 1090-2’
As a general trend, there is
a move to reduce the number
of Nationally Determined
Parameters (NDPs), i.e. the
values and equations that
may be specified by individual
countries through their
National Annexes. No major
changes to wind and snow
loading are expected, although
increases in both cannot be
ruled out. Similarly, changes
to EN 1993 are unlikely to
have a significant impact on
the design of steel framed
sheds, since the underlying
physics has not changed. In
both cases however, changes
to the design methods or
equations would require
software updates. The Project
Teams and Working Groups
have been asked to consider
‘ease of use’ aiming to make
the Eurocodes easier to follow
and navigate.
Perhaps more significantly
for steel frame manufacturers,
EN 1090-1 and EN 1090-2
are also being revised with
potential consequences
for CE marking. Changes
are proposed relating to
the bolting and welding of
structural steel, including new
guidance on the selection of
weld inspection classes and
the use of preloaded bolts.
Guidance on the selection of
the execution class has been
removed from EN 1090-2
and may now be found in
Annex C of EN 1993-1-1.
Requirements for cold-formed
steel members and sheeting
are now in EN 1090-4. The
changes proposed to EN
1090-1 are more fundamental
in nature and could see the
link broken between this
standard and EN 1090-2. If
this change is implemented,
compliance with EN 1090-2
will no longer be mandatory
for CE ma