EN1990 Eurocode—Basis of structural design

EN1990 Eurocode—Basis of structural design was finally approved in October 2001.As well as being one of the first structural European design standards to be published it is the world's first ‘material-independent’ design code, a major achievement in its own right. EN1990 is also a highly strategic document, establishing for all nine other structural Eurocodes the principles and requirements for safety, serviceability and durability.This paper provides an introduction to the head Eurocode, its innovative approach to reliability and risk-management and its limit-state design philosophy. It also summarises the loading combinations for which all European structures will need to be assessed in the forseeable future.