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Introduction
From 1st July 2014, CE Marking of structural steel and aluminium work for use in construction, as specified in EN 1090, will become mandatory under the Construction Products Regulation.
The scope of EN 1090 is very broad, it includes:
- Structural steel and aluminium components
- Fabrications and kits of parts manufactured from steel and aluminium
- Steel components used in composite steel and concrete structures
These are all intended for permanent use in buildings, bridges, highways and other civil engineering structures.
These components or structures can be made from hot rolled or cold formed materials or steel/alloy products produced with other technologies. They may be sections or profiles with various shapes, flat products (plates, sheet, strip), bars, castings, and forgings made of steel and aluminium materials. They may be unprotected or protected against corrosion by coating or other surface treatment, e.g. anodising of aluminium or galvanising of steels.
It does not cover components for suspended ceilings and rails or sleepers for use in railway systems.
EN 1090 consists of the following three sections:
- Part 1: Requirements for conformity assessment of structural components. Details of all the individual requirements which must be achieved in order to CE mark. Different levels of stringency are given depending on the execution class.
- Part 2: Technical requirements for steel structures
- Part 3: Technical requirements for aluminium structures
Parts 2 and 3 support the application of Part 1 by providing the technical requirements relevant to the manufacture of steel and aluminium components respectively.
In relation to CE Marking, the relevant clauses of the standard are:
- Scope
- Normative references
- Terms and definitions
- Specifications and documentation
- Constituent products
- Preparation and assembly
- Welding
Mechanical fastening - Erection
- Surface treatment
- Geometrical tolerances
- Inspection, testing and correction.
If all you do is to make components following your customers’ specification, you are not required to demonstrate that the design of the component is adequate, merely that you can reliably manufacture the item as specified. For more details please see the following section “Component Specification”.
Component Specification (Your Product) - Guidelines for preparation
There are four categories, which cover the specification of a product or kit in relation to its declared structural characteristics. Basically these categories are for indicating how the structural properties of the product have been derived. These categories will appear on the CE data label.
- MPCS – Manufacturer Provided Component Specification
- PPCS – Purchaser Provided Component Specification
Method 1 using MPCS Option 1 – Manufacturer produces product/kit and only declares the geometry and the material properties of the component (no structural data used/given). The manufacturer provides no warranty with respect to design work.
Method 2 using MPCS Option 2 – Manufacturer produces product/kit based on own structural design/calculations using appropriate Eurocodes. These characteristics shall be given in the Declaration of Performance (DoP). The manufacturer includes a warranty with respect to design work they have undertaken.
Method 3b using MPCS Option 2 – Manufacturer produces product/kit using structural designs and calculations as specified by the purchaser. These design characteristics shall be given in the DoP.
Method 3a using PPCS – Manufacturer produces product/kit in accordance with purchaser’s specification. Manufacturer undertakes no design works.
An Understanding of Execution Classes
The standard employs a system for deriving reliability against failure requirements matched to the consequences of failure of a structure. Four execution classes are given, for which requirement level and strictness increase from EXC1 to EXC4. Throughout the standard these classes are used to categorise levels of significance for each requirement. EXC Classification is derived through a multi stage process including:
- Assessing the potential risk of economic and environmental impact and loss of human life
- Risk from actions to which the structure is likely to be exposed to during erection and use, such as fatigue and seismic actions.
- Production methods and steel grades.
A simplified application of the execution classes for UK structures could be:
- EXC1 – Small storage buildings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lower level of requirement
- EXC2 – Majority of buildings
- EXC3 – Bridges & structures subject to fatigue
- EXC4 – Long span bridges, Stadia. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Higher level of requirement
EN 1090 provides the following useful comments
If no execution class is specified EXC2 shall apply.
It appears likely that for most steel structures in the UK the default classes could be:
- EXC2 for structures/components/details used in buildings and
- EXC3 for structures/components details used in bridges.
Constituent Parts - Materials and Parts
The scope of BS EN 1090-1 acknowledges that the fabrication of structural steelwork is an assembly process that uses constituent products such as steel sections, fasteners and welding consumables. The standard requires that all these raw materials and bought out parts should conform to individually referenced harmonised product standards, thereby removing any doubt from purchasing and also the safety and quality of the finished product.
Welding Requirements
If welding is undertaken as a manufacturing process in production of the component then EN 1090 requires certain criteria be met.
- General quality requirements are referenced to, at differing levels dependent on Execution classes
- A welding plan must be created and maintained
- Qualification of welding procedures and personnel must be in accordance with referenced standards.
- A certified Responsible Welding Coordinator must be named and maintained.
AVCP System and Notified body involvement
AVCP stands for Attestation and Verification of Constancy of Performance. In normal terms this section of an individual hEN categorises and specifies the level of third party (Notified Body) involvement with product testing and control of manufacturing.
EN 1090 has been assigned AVCP system 2+, which means that the manufacturer should operate and control the manufacturing process effectively and that it should be documented (the standard refers to this as Factory Production Control – see below) and that a Notified Body is required to audit, certify and carry out on-going surveillance and certification. As far as structural testing (or calculation) is involved there is no requirement for Notified Body involvement although as part of the FPC audit, a NB will review inclusion of data to ensure it is complete and valid but not actually confirm structural calculations or testing results.
Factory Production Control (FPC)
This is a documented system to ensure that products placed on the market conform to the declared performance characteristics. It should consist of procedures, inspections and tests, to control all aspects of manufacture, from checking incoming goods to signing off the finished product. This is a relatively simple document, which could be incorporated into an existing EN ISO 9001 system if required (although the FPC is not required to be in accordance with EN ISO 9001).
For EN 1090 the FPC should consist of the following sections (where required):
Part 1 (Required) – Section of the FPC system controlling manufacturing and if relevant, design operations. Should include for example; incoming goods – specifications and inspection requirements, manufacturing methods and machinery, control of measuring devices and the specification of the manufactured product (see component specification below). Part 1 Requires Notified Body Certification.
Part 2 (Only required if welding is undertaken) – This section of the FPC relates to controlling the welding operations used in manufacture of the products. It can be certified by a Notified Body in conjunction with Part 1 or it can be certified by Authorised National Body for Company Certification (third party) (e.g. The Welding Institute) and reviewed by the Notified Body.
Part 3 (Only required if welding is undertaken) – This section of the FPC covers the competences of the Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) in terms of technical knowledge and experience. The RWC need not be an employee - they can be a subcontractor.
Purchase a Template Factory Production Control (FPC) manual specific for EN 1090-1 Execution Classes EXC1 & EXC2 via our ONLINE SHOP.
Declaration of Performance and CE marking label)
Upon successful completion of the requirements detailed in the standard applicable to your product, the final task is to write your Declaration of Performance and complete the CE Marking label. Both of these items are simple to create as you will have gathered all the necessary information whilst working through the subjects listed above. There exists large amounts of helpful information on the internet including CE labels and Declaration of Performance (DoP) templates, please see here for further information Construction Products Regulation.
Purchase a draft Declaration of Performance & CE marking label via our online shop, cost £70 + VAT.
Conformance Limited is also able to provide assistance for your business from answering your questions over the phone to full support through the whole process. For further advice specific to your products, please contact us at Conformance and we will be pleased to discuss your needs.