QUALITY OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES THROUGH STANDARDS APPLICATIONS

A strong European standardization system has been developed through a new approach which has contributed to the safety and health protection, industry competitiveness and functioning of a single market. Application of standards in performing construction projects and the ISO certification of construction companies contribute to the systematic effort for reduction of variability and deviations within the project activities. Application of standards has been recognized as a key issue in the construction projects' performance improvement. The Croatian civil engineering industry is characterized by the lack of a systematic approach to the planning, control and quality assurance in all the phases of project realization. The achieved results in establishing the quality management system in some segments of civil engineering production (laboratory accreditation, product certification) represent initial trends for this problem solving. According to paragraph 73 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the Republic of Croatia is obliged to take measures for gradual harmonisation with technical regulations of the European Union and European standardisation, metrology and accreditation, as well as with the conformity assessment procedures. The initiated process of the quality management system certification in organizations, according to standards: HRN EN ISO 9001:2002 and HRN ISO 9004:2003, together with the accreditation of laboratories according to HRN EN ISO/IEC 17205:2000 and with the accreditation of organizations for certification of the civil engineering products according to HRN EN 45011:1998, facilitates and enables an appropriate approach to meeting of essential requirements for a structure.

• INTRODUCTION

• SIGNIFICANCE AND THE ROLE OF STANDARDIZATION

• NEW APPROACH TO TECHNICAL CONFORMITY AND STANDARDS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

• ATTESTATION OF CONFORMITY OF CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

• CONCLUSIONS

• REFERENCES