Eurocodes - Content - FAQ

What are the Eurocodes?

The Eurocodes are harmonised technical rules for the design of construction throughout Europe. The objective of their preparation, from 1975 to 2004/5, was the elimination of technical obstacles to trade and the harmonisation of technical specifications for construction.
The structural Eurocode programme comprises the following standards, each generally consisting of a number of Parts:
EN 1990 Eurocode 0 Basis of structural design
EN 1991 Eurocode 1 Actions on structures
EN 1992 Eurocode 2 Design of concrete structures
EN 1993 Eurocode 3 Design of steel structures
EN 1994 Eurocode 4 Design of composite steel and concrete structures
EN 1995 Eurocode 5 Design of timber structures
EN 1996 Eurocode 6 Design of masonry structures
EN 1997 Eurocode 7 Geotechnical design
EN 1997 Eurocode 8 Design of structures for earthquake resistance
EN 1999 Eurocode 9 Design of aluminium structures
The parts of EC3 and EC4 are listed below:

Parts of EN 1993 Design of Steel Structures:
EN 1993-1 General rules and rules for buildings
EN 1993-2 Steel bridges
EN 1993-3 Towers, masts and chimneys
EN 1993-4 Silos, tanks and pipelines
EN 1993-5 Piling
EN 1993-6 Crane supporting structures

Parts of EN 1993-1 General rules and rules for buildings:
EN 1993-1-1 General rules and rules for buildings
EN 1993-1-2 Structural fire design
EN 1993-1-3 Cold-formed thin gauge members and sheeting
EN 1993-1-4 Stainless steel
EN 1993-1-5 Plates structural elements
EN 1993-1-6 Strength and stability of shell structures
EN 1993-1-7 Strength and stability of planar plated structures transversely loaded
EN 1993-1-8 Design of joints
EN 1993-1-9 Fatigue strength of steel structures
EN 1993-1-10 Selection of steel for fracture toughness and through-thickness properties
EN 1993-1-11 Design of structures with tension components made of steel
EN 1993-1-12 Supplementary rules for high strength steel.

Parts of Eurocode 4:
EN 1994 Design of composite steel and concrete structures:
EN 1994-1-1 General rules and rules for buildings (composite)
EN 1994-1-2 Structural fire design
EN 1994-2 Bridges

What Eurocodes will I need for the design of conventional buildings in steel and/or composite construction?

You will need the following parts, and their associated National Annexes:

For steel buildings:
EN 1990 Basis of structural design (needed for load combinations)
EN 1991-1-1 Densities, self weight and imposed loads on buildings
EN 1991-1-2
EN 1991-1-3 Fire actions
Snow loads
EN 1991-1-4 Wind loads
EN 1993 Eurocode 3 : Design of steel structures:
EN 1993-1-1: General rules and rules for buildings
EN 1993-1-2: General rules - structural fire design
EN 1993-1-3: General rules - light gauge steel
EN 1993-1-8: General rules - design of joints
EN 1993-1-5: Plated structural elements (needed for web buckling and stiffener design)
EN 1993-1-10: Material toughness and through-thickness properties
EN 1997 Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design

For composite buildings
You will need the above plus:
EN 1994 Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and concrete structures
EN 1994-1-1: General rules and rules for buildings (composite)
EN 1992 Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structure
EN 1992-1-1 General rules and rules for buildings (concrete)

For construction in seismic regions

You will also need:
EN 1998 Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance

How will the Eurocodes be used in an individual country ?

The Eurocodes will be published by the National Standards body for use in that country, together with National Annexes, one for each part of the Eurocode programme.
The National Annex contains information on those parameters which are left open for national choice, known as Nationally Determined Parameters.
Nationally Determined Parameters, NDP, may cover: values and/or classes where alternatives are given in the Eurocode, values to be used where a symbol only is given in the Eurocode, country specific date (geographical, climatic, etc.), e.g. snow map, the procedure to be used where alternative procedures are given in the Eurocode.
The National Annex may also contain:
" decisions on the application of informative annexes,
" references to non contradictory complementary information to assist the user to apply the Eurocode.
Different Standards have different numbers of NDPs, for example:
EN 1992-1-1 122 parameters
EN 1993-1-1 22 parameters
EN 1994-1-1 19 parameters

These reflect differences in drafting philosophy by different technical committees.

When will the Eurocodes come into operation ?

Implementation plans vary, in practice, between different countries. Leading countries have already adopted them, e.g. most of the steel structures for the 2004 Olympics in Athens were designed to the Eurocodes.
More formally:
The first tranche of Eurocodes was published in April 2005.
The National Annexes to this tranche should be published by April 2007.
There will be a three year period of co existence with National provisions after the National Annexes have been published.
National provisions, outside the Eurocodes, and conflicting with them, must be withdrawn by April 2010.
The first tranche of the steel and composite Eurocodes comprise:

EN 1993 1 1 General rules and rules for buildings
EN 1993 1 2 General rules - structural fire design
EN 1993 1 8 General rules - design of joints
EN 1993 1 9 Fatigue strength of steel structures
EN 1993-1-10 Selection of steel for fracture toughness and through thickness properties
EN 1994-1-1 General rules and rules for buildings

Will the use of the Eurocodes be mandatory ?

Their use will certainly not be mandatory until the end of the period of co-existence with National provisions (generally April 2010 for the first tranche).

During the co existence period they are expected to be required to be adopted for publicly procured buildings above a certain cost.

Attitudes to the continuing use of National Provisions, once they have been withdrawn in April 2010, will vary from country to country.

What difference will the use of the Eurocodes make to the design process ?

The Eurocodes differ from National Standards in:
- Systems of axes
- notation
- some design rules (calculation models)

The Eurocodes are neither structured to mirror the design process nor to provide the background (text book) information necessary for design in practice.

They were drafted on the assumption that design aids, based on their calculation models will be produced by interested parties.

What difference will the Eurocodes make to future construction in Europe ?

Europe has a rich and valued diversity of architecture and buildings. The Eurocodes will not reduce this diversity, which arises for complex cultural and historical reasons. However, the Eurocodes, designed to remove technical obstacles to trade, will encourage the transfer of best design and construction practice across national boundaries. This best practice, applied to vernacular architecture, will enable the European Construction industry to provide better value to the built environment, while retaining its diversity and breadth.