What is EN1090?

If you are looking to access EU markets for your industrial equipment, compliance with international standards is critical to gaining this market access. EN 1090 standards govern the execution and conformity assessment of steel and aluminum structures and comprise the following European standards that implement the requirements of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) for steel and aluminum structures:

•       EN 1090-1: Requirements for conformity assessment for structural components (CE marking)
•       EN 1090-2: Technical requirements for the execution of steel structures
•       EN 1090-3: Technical requirements for the execution of aluminum structures

 
EN 1090 Execution classes
 
EN 1090 standards have 4 defined execution classes (EXC), which each hold their own set of requirements. A structure’s execution class is defined by the engineering effort that is needed to implement the design parameters. The classes include:

• EXC 1: This is comprised of structural components made of steel up to the strength class of S275 and structural components made of aluminum alloys. This class also covers agricultural buildings.
• EXC 2: This is the most common class and covers all supporting structures made of steel up to strength class of S700.
• EXC 3: This class covers supporting structures made of steel up to strength class S700 as well as structural components that are made of aluminum alloys.
• EXC 4: This includes all structural components from EXC3 which would lead to High consequence for loss of human life, or economic, social or environmental consequences in case of failure. Examples of buildings and civil engineering works: Grandstands, public buildings where consequences of failure are high (e.g. a concert hall).

 
The importance of EN 1090 certification
 
Manufacturing construction stakeholders must comply with the requirements of the new EN 1090 standards to obtain the CE Marking for their structures and put them on the European market. Without the CE Marking, stakeholders face potential legal consequences for any damage caused by these structures. Under the new requirements, manufacturers must prove the conformity of their products through type testing and the certification of their Factory Production Control (FPC) by a third-party Notified Body before issuing a Declaration of Performance (DoP).
 
What is a CE Marking?

The CE marking is a European marking which ensures the conformity of the performance of a product with respect to the declared performance (DoP) obtained by following the European technical specification. By placing this regulatory marking on a product, the manufacturer assumes responsibility for the conformity of the product with all the legal requirements set by the European Union that are applicable to this product.


The purpose of CE marking is to ensure and standardise the performance of a product. All suppliers must provide a minimum amount of information regarding the performance of a product. Public authorities do not have the right to demand more information than the minimum requirement.

Example of a CE marking for a Hilti MT System product in accordance with EN 1090

 CE: CE marking – European conformity
NB 1234: Identification number of the Notified Body
Hilti AG FL 9494 Schaan: Name and address of the manufacturer’s registered office
22: Last two digits of the year in which the CE marking was affixed for the first time
Hilti-IS-DoP-018: DoP (Declaration of Performance) reference number
EN1090-1:2009+A1: Reference corresponding to the harmonised technical specification
www.hilti.co.uk: Website hosting the DoP

When is CE marking mandatory?
 
CE marking must be affixed on a construction product based on the harmonised standard e.g., in this case EN 1090-1 when all the following conditions are met:

• The product is covered by the scope of EN 1090-1 (according to CEN/TC 135)
• The product is a structural construction product within the meaning of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) EU 305/2011 which means: (a) the product is intended to be incorporated in a permanent manner in construction works (buildings or civil engineering works) and (b) the product has a structural function in relation to the construction work (i.e., its failure will affect the satisfaction of Basic Work Requirement 1 as detailed in Annex I of Regulation EU 305/2011).
• It is important to note that, even if a product is not subject to the EN 1090 standard, it may have other CE marking based upon other harmonised standards or ETAs.

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