National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 1996‑3:2006, incorporating corrigendum October 2009. It supersedes DD ENV 1996-3:2001 which is withdrawn.

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by corrigendum is indicated in the text by tags. Text altered by CEN corrigendum October 2009 is indicated in the text by

The structural Eurocodes are divided into packages by grouping Eurocodes for each of the main materials, concrete, steel, composite concrete and steel, timber, masonry and aluminium. This is to enable a common date of withdrawal (DOW) for all the relevant parts that are needed for a particular design. The conflicting national standards will be withdrawn at the end of the co-existence period, after all the EN Eurocodes of a package are available.

Following publication of the EN, there is a period allowed for national calibration during which the National Annex is issued, followed by a co-existence period of a maximum three years. During the co-existence period Member States will be encouraged to adapt their national provisions.

At the end of this co-existence period, the conflicting parts of national standard(s) will be withdrawn.

In the UK, the corresponding national standards are:

BS 5628‑1:1992, Code of practice for use of masonry. Structural use of unreinforced masonry
BS 5628‑2:2000, Code of practice for use of masonry. Structural use of reinforced and prestressed masonry
BS 5628‑3:2001, Code of practice for use of masonry. Materials and components, design and workmanship

and based on this transition period, these standards will be withdrawn revised on a date to be announced, but at the latest by March 2010.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted by Technical Committee B/525, Building and civil engineering structures, to Subcommittee B/525/6, Use of masonry.

A list of organizations represented on this subcommittee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

Where a normative part of this EN allows for a choice to be made at the national level, the range and possible choice will be given in the normative text, and a note will qualify it as a Nationally Determined Parameter (NDP). NDPs can be a specific value for a factor, a specific level or class, a particular method or a particular application rule if several are proposed in the EN.

To enable EN 1996‑3 to be used in the UK, the NDPs will be published in a National Annex, which will be made available by BSI in due course, after public consultation has taken place.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 15 February 2006

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 24 November 2005.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Foreword

This European Standard EN 1996‑3 has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 250 “Structural Eurocodes”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by July 2006, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by March 2010.

CEN/TC 250 is responsible for all Structural Eurocodes.

This document supersedes ENV 1996-3:1999

According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Background of the Eurocode programme

In 1975, the Commission of the European Community decided on an action programme in the field of construction, based on article 95 of the Treaty. The objective of the programme was the elimination of technical obstacles to trade and the harmonisation of technical specifications.

Within this action programme, the Commission took the initiative to establish a set of harmonised technical rules for the design of construction works which, in a first stage, would serve as an alternative to the national rules in force in the Member States and, ultimately, would replace them.

For fifteen years, the Commission, with the help of a Steering Committee with Representatives of Member States, conducted the development of the Eurocodes programme, which led to the first generation of European codes in the 1980s.

In 1989, the Commission and the Member States of the EU and EFTA decided, on the basis of an agreement1 between the Commission and CEN, to transfer the preparation and the publication of the Eurocodes to the CEN through a series of Mandates, in order to provide them with a future status of European Standard (EN). This links de facto the Eurocodes with the provisions of all the Council’s Directives and/or Commission’s Decisions dealing with European standards (e.g. the Council Directive 89/106/EEC on construction products-CPD-and Council Directives 93/37/EEC, 92/50/EEC and 89/440/EEC on public works and services and equivalent EFTA Directives initiated in pursuit of setting up the internal market). The Structural Eurocode programme comprises the following standards generally consisting of a number of Parts:

EN 1990, Eurocode: Basis of structural design.

EN 1991, Eurocode 1: Actions on structures.

EN 1992, Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures.

EN 1993, Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures.

EN 1994, Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and concrete structures.

EN 1995, Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures.

EN 1996, Eurocode 6: Design of masonry structures.

EN 1997, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design.

EN 1998, Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance.

EN 1999, Eurocode 9: Design of aluminium structures.

Eurocode standards recognise the responsibility of regulatory authorities in each Member State and have safeguarded their right to determine values related to regulatory safety matters at national level where these continue to vary from State to State.

Status and field of application of Eurocodes

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 Council Directive 89/106/EEC, particularly Essential Requirement N°1 – Mechanical resistance and stability – and Essential Requirement N°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 Documents2 referred to in Article 12 of the CPD, although they are of a different nature from harmonised product standards3. Therefore, technical aspects arising from the

Eurocodes work need to be adequately considered by CEN Technical Committees and/or EOTA Working Groups working on product standards with a view to achieving full compatibility of these technical specifications with the Eurocodes.

The Eurocode standards provide common structural design rules for everyday use for the design of whole structures and component products of both a traditional and an innovative nature. Unusual forms of construction or design conditions are not specifically covered and additional expert consideration will be required by the designer in such cases.

National Standards implementing Eurocodes

The National Standards implementing Eurocodes will comprise the full text of the Eurocode (including any annexes), as published by CEN, which may be preceded by a National title page and National foreword, and may be followed by a National Annex (informative).

The National Annex may only contain information on those parameters which are left open in the Eurocode for national choice, known as Nationally Determined Parameters, to be used for the design of buildings and civil engineering works to be constructed in the country concerned, i.e.:

values and/or classes where alternatives are given in the Eurocode,
values to be used where a symbol only is given in the Eurocode,
country specific data (geographical, climatic, etc), e.g. snow map,
the procedure to be used where alternative procedures are given in the Eurocode

and it may also contain

decisions on the application of informative annexes,
references to non-contradictory complementary information to assist the user to apply the Eurocode.

Links between Eurocodes and harmonised technical specifications (ENs and ETAs) for products.

There is a need for consistency between the harmonised technical specifications for construction products and the technical rules for works4. Furthermore, all the information accompanying the CE Marking of the construction products which refer to Eurocodes shall clearly mention which Nationally Determined Parameters have been taken into account.

This European Standard is part of EN 1996 which comprises the following parts:

Part 1-1: General rules for reinforced and unreinforced masonry.

Part 1-2: General rules - Structural fire design.

Part 2: Design considerations, selection of materials and execution of masonry.

Part 3: Simplified calculation methods for unreinforced masonry structures.

EN 1996‑1‑1 describes the principles and requirements for safety, serviceability and durability of masonry structures. It is based on the limit state concept used in conjunction with a partial factor method. This EN 1996‑3 describes simplified calculation methods to facilitate the design of unreinforced masonry walls based on the principles from EN 1996‑1‑1.

For the design of new structures, EN 1996 is intended to be used, for direct application, together with ENs 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999.

EN 1996‑3 is intended for use by:

committees drafting standards for structural design and related product, testing and execution standards;
clients (e.g. for the formulation of their specific requirements on reliability levels and durability);
designers and contractors;
relevant authorities.

National Annex for EN 1996‑3

This standard gives some symbols for which a National value needs to be given, with notes indicating where national choices may have to be made. Therefore the National Standard implementing EN 1996‑3 should have a National Annex containing all Nationally Determined Parameters to be used for the design of buildings and civil engineering works to be constructed in the relevant country.

National choice is allowed in EN 1996‑3 through clauses:

2.3 (2)P Verification by the partial factor method
4.1 (P) Verification of the overall stability of a building
4.2.1.1 (1)P General conditions
4.2.2.3 (1) Capacity reduction factor
D.1 (1) Characteristic compressive strength
D.2 (1) Characteristic flexural strength
D.3 (1) Characteristic initial shear strength.

1 General

1.1 Scope Part 3 of Eurocode 6

(1)P The scope of Eurocode 6 for Masonry Structures as given in 1.1.1 of EN 1996‑1‑1:2005 applies also to this EN 1996‑3.

NOTE Eurocode 6 deals only with the requirements for resistance, serviceability and durability of structures. Other requirements are not considered. Eurocode 6 does not cover the special requirements of seismic design.

(2)P EN 1996‑3 provides simplified calculation methods to facilitate the design of the following unreinforced masonry walls, subject to certain conditions of application:

walls subjected to vertical loading and wind loading;
walls subjected to concentrated loads;
shear walls;
basement walls subjected to lateral earth pressure and vertical loads;
walls subjected to lateral loads but not subjected to vertical loads.

(3)P The rules given in EN 1996‑3 are consistent with those given in EN 1996‑1‑1, but are more conservative in respect of the conditions and limitations of their use.

(4) For those types of masonry structure or parts of structures not covered by (1), the design shall be based on EN 1996‑1‑1.

(5) This EN 1996‑3 applies only to those masonry structures, or parts thereof, that are described in EN 1996‑1‑1 and EN 1996‑2.

(6) The simplified calculation methods given in this EN 1996‑3 do not cover the design for accidental situations.

1.2 Normative references

1.3 Assumptions

1.4 Distinction between Principles and Application Rules

1.5 Definitions

1.6 Symbols

2 Basis of design

2.1 General

2.2 Basic variables

2.3 Verification by the partial factor method

3 Materials

3.1 General

3.2 Characteristic compressive strength of masonry

3.3 Characteristic flexural strength of masonry

3.4 Characteristic initial shear strength of masonry

4 Design of unreinforced masonry walls using simplified calculation methods

4.1 General

4.2 Simplified calculation method for walls subjected to vertical and wind loading

4.3 Simplified calculation method for walls subjected to concentrated loads

4.4 Simplified calculation method for shear walls

4.5 Simplified calculation method for basement walls subject to lateral earth pressure

4.6 Simplified calculation method for the design of walls subjected to limited lateral load but no vertical loads

4.7 Simplified calculation method for the design of walls subjected to uniform lateral load but no vertical loads

BS EN 1996-3:2006

Eurocode 6. Design of masonry structures - Simplified calculation methods for unreinforced masonry structures

Current, Under Review

Published:

15 Feb 2006