Steel Buildings in Europe

Part 7: Model Construction Specification 7 - 1 1 INTRODUCTION This guide is a Model Construction Specification to be used in contract documents for a typical construction project of a multi-storey building. Its main objectives are:  To achieve greater uniformity in steelwork contract specifications in Europe.  To provide a guide to specification of appropriate standards for the design, fabrication and erection of steelwork structures for buildings. It is essential that the designer and the steelwork contractor receive, on time, all information necessary for them to carry out the contract. This Model Construction Specification gives guidance on the items and information that should be included in the Project Specification. The Member States of the EU and EFTA recognise that Eurocodes serve as reference documents for the following purposes:  As a means to prove compliance of building and civil engineering works with the essential requirements of Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988 (amended by Directive 93/68/EEC of 22 July 1993), particularly Essential Requirement No. 1 – Mechanical resistance and stability – and Essential Requirement No. 2 – Safety in case of fire.  As a basis for specifying contracts for construction works and related engineering services.  As a framework for drawing up harmonised technical specifications for construction products (ENs and ETAs). The Eurocodes, as far as they concern the construction works themselves, have a direct relationship with the Interpretative Documents referred to in Article 12 of the Construction Products Directive, although they are of a different nature from harmonised product standards. There is a need for consistency between the harmonised technical specifications for construction products and the technical rules for works. The steel construction industry in Europe will have to use CE marked products. The performances of these products can be declared by reference to requirements given in:  The harmonised European Standards such as the standards EN 10025 and EN 1090. Parts 1 of these Standards (i.e. EN 10025-1 and EN 1090-1 respectively) include a special Annex ZA relating to CE marking.  A European Technical Approval (ETA). CE Marking of steel products to EN 10025 has been mandatory since 2006. The use of CE marked products according to EN 1090 will be mandatory from the first semester 2011 for most of the European countries. Once it appears in the European Official Journal, the standard will be in the application phase.