National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 1990:2002+A1:2005, incorporating corrigenda December 2008 and April 2010. It supersedes DD ENV 1991-1:1996 which is withdrawn.

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by amendment is indicated in the text by tags. Tags indicating changes to CEN text carry the number of the CEN amendment. For example, text altered by CEN amendment A1 is indicated by .

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by corrigendum is indicated in the text by tags. Text altered by CEN corrigendum December 2008 is indicated in the text by .

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by corrigendum is indicated in the text by tags. Text altered by CEN corrigendum April 2010 is indicated in the text by .

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted by Technical Committee B/525, Building and Civil engineering structures, to Subcommittee B/525/1, Action, loadings and basis of design.

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 1990 to be used in the UK, the NDPs will be published in a National Annex which will be incorporated by amendment into this British Standard 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 27 July 2002

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 29 November 2001.

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 Management Centre 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 Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Foreword

This document (EN 1990:2002) 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 October 2002, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by March 2010.

This document supersedes ENV 1991-1:1994.

CEN/TC 250 is responsible for all Structural Eurocodes.

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

Foreword to amendment A1

This European Standard (EN 1990:2002/A1:2005) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 250 “Structural Eurocodes”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.

This Amendment to the EN 1990:2002 shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2006, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by June 2006.

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, 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 provisions 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 1980’s.

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 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 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC 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:

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 and ETAGs with a view to achieving a 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 parts of works and structural construction products of both a traditional and an in-novative 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.

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,.

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 provisions for works⁴. Furthermore, all the information accompanying the CE Marking of the construction products which use the Euro-codes shall clearly mention which Nationally Determined Parameters have been taken ^into account.

Additional information specific to EN 1990

EN 1990 describes the Principles and requirements for safety, serviceability and durability of structures. It is based on the limit state concept used in conjunction with a partial factor method.

For the design of new structures, EN 1990 is intended to be used, for direct application, together with Eurocodes EN 1991 to 1999.

EN 1990 also gives guidelines for the aspects of structural reliability relating to safety, serviceability and durability:

for design cases not covered by EN 1991 to EN 1999 (other actions, structures not treated, other materials);
to serve as a reference document for other CEN TCs concerning structural matters.

EN 1990 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 constructors;
relevant authorities.

EN 1990 may be used, when relevant, as a guidance document for the design of structures outside the scope of the Eurocodes EN 1991 to EN 1999, for:

assessing other actions and their combinations;
modelling material and structural behaviour;
assessing numerical values of the reliability format.

Numerical values for partial factors and other reliability parameters are recommended as basic values that provide an acceptable level of reliability. They have been selected assuming that an appropriate level of workmanship and of quality management applies. When EN 1990 is used as a base document by other CEN/TCs the same values need to be taken.

National Annex for EN 1990

This standard gives alternative procedures, values and recommendations for classes with notes indicating where national choices may have to be made. Therefore the National Standard implementing EN 1990 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 1990Annex A1 through;

A1.1(1)
A1.2.1(1)
A1.2.2 (Table A1.1)
A1.3.1(1) (Tables A1.2(A) to (C))
A1.3.1(5)
A1.3.2 (Table A1.3)
A1.4.2(2)

National choice is allowed in EN 1990Annex A2 through:

General clauses

Clauses specific for road bridges

Clauses specific for footbridges

Clauses specific for railway bridges

Section 1 General

1.1 Scope

(1) EN 1990 establishes Principles and requirements for the safety, serviceability and durability of structures, describes the basis for their design and verification and gives guidelines for related aspects of structural reliability.

(2) EN 1990 is intended to be used in conjunction with EN 1991 to EN 1999 for the structural design of buildings and civil engineering works, including geotechnical aspects, structural fire design, situations involving earthquakes, execution and temporary structures.

NOTE For the design of special construction works (e.g. nuclear installations, dams, etc.), other provisions than those in EN 1990 to EN 1999 might be necessary.

(3) EN 1990 is applicable for the design of structures where other materials or other actions outside the scope of EN 1991 to EN 1999 are involved.

(4)EN 1990 is applicable for the structural appraisal of existing construction, in developing the design of repairs and alterations or in assessing changes of use.

NOTE Additional or amended provisions might be necessary where appropriate.

1.2 Normative references

1.3 Assumptions

1.4 Distinction between Principles and Application Rules

1.5 Terms and definitions

1.6 Symbols

Section 2 Requirements

2.1 Basic requirements

2.2 Reliability management

2.3 Design working life

2.4 Durability

2.5 Quality management

Section 3 Principles of limit states design

3.1 General

3.2 Design situations

3.3 Ultimate limit states

3.4 Serviceability limit states

3.5 Limit state design

Section 4 Basic variables

4.1 Actions and environmental influences

4.2 Material and product properties

4.3 Geometrical data

Section 5 Structural analysis and design assisted by testing

5.1 Structural analysis

5.2 Design assisted by testing

Section 6 Verification by the partial factor method

6.1 General

6.2 Limitations

6.3 Design values

6.4 Ultimate limit states

6.5 Serviceability limit states

Bibliography

BS EN 1990:2002+A1:2005

Eurocode. Basis of structural design

Current, Under Review

Published:

27 Jul 2002