EU Construction Products Directive
The requirement to use Eurocodes is driven by the requirements of the EU Construction Products Directive (CPD) and Public Procurement Directive (PPD). DfI Roads implemented Eurocodes to comply with these EU directives.
Implementation
The British Standards Institute (BSi), the standards body representing the UK, fully implemented Structural Eurocodes on 1 April 2010. The conflicting British Standards were withdrawn by BSi at the end of March 2010.
DfI Roads has published a Director of Engineering Memorandum, DEM 134/11 Use of Eurocodes for the design of new Highway Structures. This includes guidance and requirements for the design of highway structures using Eurocodes. Further information can be obtained by:
Email: EPB@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
DfI Roads highway structures
DfI Roads, as with other public sector bodies, requires the use of Eurocodes for the design of all highway structures from 1 April 2010.
Private-sector highway structures and Eurocodes
DfI Roads requires all proposed structures within the road boundary or which support the public road, to be subject to an approval procedure; Technical Approval. The objective of the Technical Approval procedure is to ensure, as far as possible, that highway structures are safe and serviceable in use and fit for their intended function.
Further information on the Technical Approval process can be obtained using the link below:
To assist industry, DfI Roads accepted designs complying with the withdrawn codes, British Standards and DMRB Standards, for private-sector structures subject to Technical Approval for a period of one year following the implementation of Eurocodes. This ended on the 31 March 2011.
It should be noted that the withdrawn British Standards and DMRB Standards are no longer being maintained or reviewed by the BSi or the UK Overseeing Organisations (Highways Agency, Welsh Assembly Government, Transport Scotland and Department for Regional Development). As a consequence, the continued used of withdrawn standards, rather than Eurocodes, on non-publicly procured works could put structural designers at increased risk in any legal proceedings relating to structural design.