EN 1090

What does the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) govern?
The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 governs the free movement of harmonized construction products in Europe. These are construction products for which either harmonized European standards (such as EN 1090-1) or European approvals (ETA, such as for anchor bolts) exist. These construction products may only be placed on the market with the CE marking.

What is a construction product?
“The term ‘construction product’ means any product or construction kit which is manufactured and placed on the market in order to be permanently incorporated into structures or parts thereof and the performance of which affects the performance of the structure with respect to the basic requirements for structures” (CPR Art. 2 Section 1).

What are the basic requirements for structures?
The CPR lays down seven basic requirements in Appendix 1. The first basic requirement “Mechanical strength and stability” is decisive for EN 1090 components.

What is a construction kit?
“The term ‘construction kit’ refers to a construction product which is placed on the market by a single manufacturer as a set of at least two separate components which must be joined together in order to be put into the construction work” (CPR Art. 2 Section 1).
In steel construction this is the normal case. Numerous load-bearing components such as support columns, girders, transoms, purlins, bracings, bolts, etc. are joined together on site to form a structure/supporting framework, i.e., steel hall, carport, railing, etc.
EN 1090 construction products can therefore be either individual components (support columns, girders, etc.), construction kits (consisting of numerous load-bearing components) or pre-assembled subassemblies (such as welded subassemblies) which are manufactured at the manufacturer’s factory and then placed on the market with the CE marking.

What is the purpose of the Declaration of Performance (DoP)?
The DoP is a requirement of the Construction Products Regulation and serves to disclose the instances of performance declared and thus assured by the manufacturer (component properties such as design class EXC, tolerances, materials, load-bearing capacity, corrosion protection, etc.) with regard to the essential characteristics.

For what essential characteristics do instances of performance have to be declared?
The essential characteristics for which instances of performance (NPDs if applicable) must be declared are specified in EN 1090-1 Table ZA.1: Tolerances for dimensions and shape, weldability/fracture toughness, load-bearing capacity, fatigue strength, fire resistance, fire behavior, release of cadmium/radioactive radiation and durability (corrosion protection).

What responsibility is associated with the DoP?
By submitting the Declaration of Performance, the manufacturer assumes responsibility for the conformity of the load-bearing components with the declared instances of performances. In order to ensure the declared instances of performance, the manufacturer must apply in-house factory production control.

How long must the DoP be retained?
For ten years from the date of placement on the market

What is the CE marking for?
The CE marking is used by manufacturers to confirm to customers, dealers, public authorities, market supervision, etc. that the components comply with the declared performance. The CE marking is also a passport for the free movement of goods to all EU and EEA countries (Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein) and Switzerland.

Can a DoP and CE marking be issued for a steel hall?
No, DoP and CE marking labels can only be attached to individual components (such as support columns & girders) and to kits (a set of load-bearing components assembled on site) or to pre-assembled subassemblies produced in a manufacturing plant and placed on the market with the CE marking.

Where does one affix the CE marking?
The CE marking is applied on the structural component itself, on a label attached to it, on the packaging or on accompanying documents.

When does one affix the CE marking?
The CE marking must be affixed before the product is placed on the market, i.e., no later than when the first components are delivered.

Who is responsible for issuing the DoP and CE marking?
The manufacturer is responsible for both (CPR Art. 11).

Which regulations apply to installation of components at the construction site?
National building regulations apply to the installation of CE-marked components. In Austria, these are the respective national building regulations / OIB Guideline 1 / Eurocode and in succession EN 1090-2/3. EN 1090-2/3 implementation standards represent the state of the art and are inevitably produced when the Eurocode is applied. The Construction Products Regulation and EN 1090-1 are irrelevant at the construction site because the components have already been placed on the market.
For special cases where load-bearing components are manufactured directly on the construction site instead of at the factory, they are exempt from CE marking according to CPR Art. 5 b). They are, however, subject to national building regulations and thus again to the EN 1090-2/3 implementation standards.

ÖNORM EN 1090-1:2012 (Proof of conformity procedure for load-bearing components; harmonized standard, regulates initial testing, FPC, CE marking, etc.).
ÖNORM EN 1090-2:2012 (Technical rules for the execution of steel structures)
ÖNORM EN 1090-3:2008 (Technical rules for the construction of aluminum structures)
ÖNORM EN 1090-4:2015_Draft (Technical requirements for cold-formed steel structural elements and structural members for roof, ceiling, floor and wall applications)
ÖNORM EN 1090-5: 2014_ Draft (Technical requirements for load-bearing, thin-walled, cold-formed structural elements and components for roof, ceiling, floor and wall applications made of aluminum).

What components come under EN 1090-1?
Steel and aluminum components are subject to EN 1090-1, which means that they must be CE-marked if all of the following conditions are met:

• They have a load-bearing function in relation to the structure.
• They are permanently installed in building-construction or civil engineering structures.
• They are not covered by their own harmonized product standards or ETAs.
• They have been placed on the market.

 Supporting framework and structural components are divided into four execution classes (EXCs) depending on the hazard potential in the event of failure, on the type of load (static or dynamic) and on the complexity of manufacture. The rules for determination have been adopted in the Appendix to Eurocode 3 (EN 1993-1-1) because the determination is closely related to the dimensioning. Execution Classes EXC1 (simple) to EXC4 (complex) define planning, manufacturing, testing and documentation requirements and thus have a significant influence on manufacturing costs. Various execution classes may be applied within one structure, such as for the main load-bearing structure, important welding seams EXC3 and other components EXC2. 

Coarse assignment to execution classes
EXC1: Structures mainly in the private sector, little movement of people
EXC2: Ordinary steel construction, building construction up to 15 floors!
EXC3: Bridge construction, high-rise buildings & stadiums
EXC4: Large structures with extreme damage consequences in the event of failure

Is there any help available for determining the execution classes?
In Austria, the rule ONR 21090:2013 was created in order to achieve uniform specifications. It provides assistance in determining the EXCs in Austria.

Who determines the execution class?
The execution class is determined by the structural engineer and, if necessary, by the requirements of the authorities.

Manufacturer certification and continuous monitoring
In manufacturer certification, operational and personnel requirements and, above all, self-monitoring and in-house factory production control are initially evaluated by a notified body (initial inspection). Continuous monitoring to assess and approve FPC is carried out at annual intervals of 1-2-3-3... for EXC1/2 and 1-1-2-3-3-3...for EXC3/4.

Are suppliers also subject to EN 1090-1?
Semi-finished product suppliers do not require certification. However, they must meet the order requirements regarding construction materials in terms of quality assurance. It is important that all semi-finished products be delivered marked (label, tag, inscription) and have the material certificates for the harmonized semi-finished product standards (EN 10025, EN 10210, EN 10219, EN 10088-4, EN 10088-5 etc.) with the CE marking.

Are subcontractors also subject to EN 1090-1?
All subcontractors executing the processing steps (thermal cutting, forming, welding, galvanizing & coating) must be qualified to do so. Subcontractors must comply with the requirements of the EN 1090-2/3 implementation standards and are subject to the manufacturer’s FPC. EN 1090 certification is not prescribed because subcontractors do not place the components on the market themselves. However, when welding work is subcontracted, it is advantageous for the FPC if subcontractors are also EN 1090-1-certified.

What has to be taken into account when subcontracting?
The manufacturer/distributor (the one who affixes the CE marking) must assess the suitability of its subcontractors initially and monitor compliance with the EN 1090 requirements in the course of its FPC (such as inspection of incoming goods and documentation inspection). The manufacturer has to unambiguously specify the subcontract and communicate all requirements (such as full details of the coating specification). The overall responsibility for the quality of subcontracting always remains with the awarding company.

What do purchasing and incoming goods inspection departments have to bear in mind for construction materials?
Semi-finished products have to bear the CE marking if harmonized European standards exist for them. This applies to, for example, EN 10025 (sheet metal and sections of unalloyed structural steels), EN 10210 (hot-rolled hollow sections), EN 10219 (cold-rolled, welded, hollow sections), EN 10088-4 (sheet metal, corrosion-resistant strip steels for construction), EN 10088-5 (bars, sections made of corrosion-resistant steels for the building industry), EN 15048-1 (non-prestressed bolt fittings, steel construction bolts), EN 14399 (high-tension bolts), EN 13479 (welding consumables) and anchor bolts/adhesive anchors (CE marking based on ETA approval).

What material standards are mainly used in EXC1?
As a general rule, these are semi-finished products made of S235JR unalloyed structural steel in accordance with the following harmonized standards (with CE marking on the certificate): sections, sheet metal, flat steel in accordance with EN 10025-2 and cold-finished/welded shaped tubes in accordance with EN 10219 or hot-finished in accordance with EN 10210.

Three important positions for the functioning of FPC:
The person in charge of FPC is responsible for proper implementation of FPC. They must know the requirements of the standards, assign tasks as part of FPC and ensure that employees are qualified. They perform checks and inspections themselves or oversee their performance and are involved in decisions about defective parts. As a rule, FPC managers also sign declarations of performance on behalf of the management.
Welding supervisors oversee welding production, prepare welding instructions and are responsible for welding procedure qualifications. Their tasks are defined in detail in EN ISO 14731. If companies make use of an external welding supervisor, a contractual arrangement is required and the external welding supervisor must keep records of work performed.
Welders. Only certified welders/operators may be used within their scope of application. Full drawings with all welding details and welding instructions must be available to welders. If welders perform visual inspections of welds as part of self-inspection, they must at least be trained internally (visual inspection in accordance with EN ISO 17637, evaluation of weld irregularities in accordance with EN ISO 5817) and receive regular further training.

All these positions(FPC manager, welding supervisor and welder) may also be held by one and the same person, such as in one-man operations.

What is the purpose of initial testing?
For each product type, the manufacturer must initially demonstrate on a prototype that it has suitable production facilities and manufacturing processes at its disposal to comply with the requirements of the standard and to achieve the declared component properties. Initial testing becomes necessary when a new type of product is introduced (new design materials or changed manufacturing processes affecting essential characteristics) as well as when production is switched to a higher EXC.

What is factory production control (FPC)?
FPC is self-monitoring of load-bearing components by the manufacturer. FPC must cover the processes of welding, screw connections and corrosion protection. If the manufacturer is also responsible for statics, the dimensioning process is also subject to FPC.
FPC must be implemented by means of a written monitoring and testing plan, and the results of tests must be recorded in a traceable manner. The main features of FPC are defined in EN 1090-1, Section 6.3. Table 2 of EN 1090-1 “Frequency of product testing as part of factory production control" defines how and at what frequency tests are to be performed.

 What is FPC for?
FPC must ensure that components placed on the market actually exhibit their declared performance (component properties).

The checklist “EN 1090 – Factory Production Control (FPC)” contains important test points for this purpose. However, the checklist does not claim to be complete or up to date.

What else does FPC require in addition to the ongoing production controls?

• Regulation of the responsibilities of personnel carrying out quality-related activities.
• Personnel must be sufficiently qualified and regularly given further Training.