The completed set of Eurocodes is on course to become the world's leading suite of structural design standards by 2010. Haig Gulvanessian, chairman of the ICE/IStructE Eurocodes Expert initiative, says design engineers in the UK are better placed than most to exploit them.
BSI British Standards, the UK's national standards body, was due to publish UK versions of the final two Eurocode parts last month (October 2007). Completion of the 58-part set means the programme for national implementation of what looks likely to become the world's leading civil and structural design standards has now reached its final stages.
BSI is also well-advanced with publishing the enabling national annexes. Over half should be completed this month (November 2007), including most for buildings and bridges. The rest are due by next autumn, well in time to meet the March 2010 withdrawal date for existing national codes.
UK support resources
Furthermore, an unrivalled wealth of Eurocode implementation support resources is now available for the UK construction industry thanks to the initiatives of government, research bodies, professional institutions and industry.
Civil and structural design engineers in Britain are thus better placed than most of their international competitors to benefit from the opportunities offered by having a single design system throughout Europe—and one which looks set to be adopted worldwide.
The recently relaunched Eurocodes Expert website, initiated by ICE and the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and supported by a comprehensive team of industry content partners, means UK professionals can now keep up to date with the ever-increasing range of support resources available to aid implementation.
Examples of support resources on the site are
ICE/Thomas Telford's comprehensive series of international designers' guides (11 published, four more to come)
IStructE's new series of design manuals—initially for the design of concrete, timber and masonry buildings in the UK
numerous quality training courses and events
material-specific web resources and help desks
commercial software packages.
Support resources range from those for civil and structural design businesses with an international workload to those more suited to smaller firms and individuals working solely within the UK. Much is also relevant to academics teaching Eurocode design at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as to clients, building-control officers and manufacturers.
Changeover by 2010
It is now just over two years to the changeover to Eurocodes. In accordance with the agreement between the European Standardization Committee (CEN) and national standards organisations, equivalent national codes in all EU member states must be withdrawn by March 2010.
The changeover may be earlier for designers of
construction products and components for the purpose of obtaining CE marks, under the provisions of the Construction Products Directive
construction projects supported by the public purse, as the Eurocodes will become the preferred basis for specifying public contracts for construction works and related engineering services.
Moving over to design by Eurocodes will not be easy for Britain's construction professionals as they represent the most wide-ranging change to codification of civil and structural design ever experienced. It is thus vital for the UK construction industry to utilise the unrivalled resources being made available to them—and now.
By 2010 publicly funded projects such as London 2012 facilities will need to be designed in accordance with Eurocodes—fortunately Britain's implementation support resources are currently second to none
By 2010 publicly funded projects such as London 2012 facilities will need to be designed in accordance with Eurocodes—fortunately Britain's implementation support resources are currently second to none
Strategy needed now
Design businesses and individuals should be deciding on their individual strategies for Eurocode implementation as a matter of urgency. In particular they need to plan how to maximise the opportunities and minimise the threats posed by the wide-open market the codes will create.
The strategy is likely to depend very much on portfolio: such as proportion of design work relating to projects outside the UK, percentage of UK and European public-works design, and amount of design relating to construction products and components manufactured off-site.
The Eurocodes are widely recognised as the most technically advanced suite of civil and structural design codes in the world and they present a significant opportunity for the export of British design expertise and products.
They also represent a significant threat for UK firms and individuals who choose not to plan for their implementation now, nor to take advantage of the substantial support resources currently available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, Haig Gulvanessian, TEL +44 20 7665 2427, EMAIL eurocodes.expert@eurocodes.co.uk, WEB www.eurocodes.co.uk
