Category: ce for construction

For any construction project, the required quality of fabrication or Execution Class (EXC) must be stated. The system of determining the EXC has recently been amended. Now it must be determined according to the requirements of Annex C of BS EN 1993-1-1 and the National Annex associated with it. The Execution Class needs to be specified for:

• The works as a whole
• An individual component
• A detail of a component

The responsibility of the engineer is to specify the Execution Class for the structure (the works as a whole) and for details and components where it is required to specify an Execution Class different to that specified for the structure. Where different, the Execution Class for a detail or component must not be less than that specified for the works as a whole. The EXC for a detail or component should be distinctly identified in the execution specification if it is different to the EXC for the structure. The process to determine the Execution Class for buildings is an easy two-step process:

1. Determine the Consequences Class: The reason for categorizing the Consequences Class (CC) is to make sure that the buildings are constructed with the appropriate level of quality control within the fabrication process. The CC for a building is derived on the basis of building height (number of storeys), building type, occupancy and floor plan area per storey (for retail). A structure, or a part of it, can also consist of components with different CCs. Table 11 of Approved Document A can be used to ascertain the Consequences Class for a range of building types & occupancy. In Table 11, CC2a and CC2b are subdivisions of CC2 when determining the Execution Class required for a structure.
2. Select the Execution Class: Having determined the Consequences Class for a building, the relevant Execution Class is simply derived from Table NA.4 of the National Annex to BS EN 1993-1-1:2005+A1:2014. For the majority of buildings constructed in the UK, EXC2 will be the appropriate requirement. Where the Consequences Class is not specified, clause NA2.27.2 of the National Annex to BS EN 1993-1-1:2005+A1:2014 states that it should be considered that the design rules in BS EN 1993 are safe for Consequences Classes up to & including CC2. The engineer should always derive the EXC as per the design parameters appropriate to each project. The requirements to each Execution Class are listed in Table A3 of BS EN 1090-2 and can be reviewed by the engineer if needed. However, the engineer should refrain from over-specification of the Execution Class wherever possible to avoid extra costs. For example, EXC2 is the EXC derived for a project but the engineer requires full traceability i.e. an EXC3 requirement in place of the partial traceability requirement of EXC2. Instead of specifying EXC3 on the basis of achieving this single clause requirement, it is advised that EXC2 be still specified but along with the higher level of traceability added to the specification.

We at Eurotech provide CE Certification Services for construction products. With the help of our services, enterprises are able to produce more efficient, high performing and quality products in a fast, safe and uninterrupted manner. Many other certification services like CE Certification for medical devices, electrical/electronics, pressure equipment, RoHS etc. are also available.

For more information, contact trg@eurotechworld.net or fill out the form below to get your QUOTE today.

Construction Products Regulation (CPR) - 305/2011, places legal obligations on the construction supply chain in terms of ‘manufacturers’, ‘importers’ and ‘distributors’ of construction products used within the EU, to CE Mark their products where they are covered by either a harmonized standard or European Technical Assessment (ETA). This not only applies to constituent products (such as steel beams, bolts etc.) but also to fabricated elements and systems made from both non-CE Marked and CE Marked products.

According to the CPR, all the products used in construction have to have CE Mark to show compliance where either a harmonized standard or ETA. All average construction products fall under the harmonized standards and must therefore bear CE Mark. For fabricated structural steelwork, contractors, engineers and steelwork contractors should have altered their specifications accordingly to make sure that only CE Marked products are used on their projects.

The harmonized standard covering fabricated structural steelwork is BS EN 1090: Execution of steel structures and aluminium structures. The standard is divided into 2 parts.

• Part 1: Requirements for Conformity Assessment of Structural Components: - It explains how manufacturers can display that the components they produce meet the declared performance characteristics (the structural characteristics which make them fit for their specific function and use).
• Part 2: Technical Requirements for Steel Structures: - It explains the requirements for the execution of steel structures to guarantee adequate levels of mechanical stability and resistance, durability and serviceability. It regulates the performance characteristics for components that the manufacturer must declare and achieve through the requirements of Part 1.

Requirements of CE Marking for Steelwork Contractors:

To be able to CE Mark the fabricated structural steelwork that they produce, steelwork contractors are obligated to declare performance to the System 2+ System of Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (as described in Annex V of the Construction Products Regulation).

For this, they are required to undertake:

• Initial type-testing of the product
• Factory Production Control (FPC): It includes:
  • Implementing FPC system procedures
  • Implementing of Welding Quality Management System (WQMS) procedures
  • Appointing a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC)
• Further testing of samples taken at the factory in accordance with the prescribed test plan

They also need to be assessed by a notified body that will carry out:

• Initial inspection of the FPC
• Initial inspection of the manufacturing plant
• Continuous assessment, surveillance and approval of the FPC, which usually includes:
  • An audit so as to ensure continued competence to the declared Execution Class (Table B.3 of BS EN 1090-1 sets out minimum levels for the routine surveillance intervals)

The notified body will then issue an FPC certificate and Welding Certificate identifying the Execution Class that the steelwork contractor has achieved.

We at Eurotech provide CE Certification Services for fabricated structural steelworks. With the help of our services, enterprises are able to produce more efficient, high performing and quality products in a fast, safe and uninterrupted manner.

CE Certification for fabricated steelworks is one of the many certifications provided by our organization. Many other certification services like CE Certification for medical devices, electrical/electronics, construction, pressure equipment, RoHS etc. are also available.

For more information, contact trg@eurotechworld.net or fill out the form below to get your QUOTE today.