Assessing riveted connections to Eurocode 3

The focus of this paper is the assessment of wrought iron and early steel riveted connections in the future, with recommendations as to how different codes currently deal with the assessment and what may change if alternative codes are adopted. As British standards are being replaced by Eurocodes for design, it is inevitable that assessment codes of practice based on British standards will be replaced by those based on Eurocodes. This progression will ensure that future structures are designed and assessed using codes based on similar philosophies. However, this will also lead to older structures designed according to older codes based on different philosophies and constructed of materials not covered by the Eurocodes also being assessed according to Eurocode-based assessment codes. A similar situation already exists with structures being assessed using British standard-based assessment codes, which were written for the design of steel structures. This has resulted in the leading asset-owning organisations, such as Network Rail and Highways England, including guidance on adapting calculations to account for different material types.