CE Marking for Structural Steel

As of 1st July 2014, CE marking for Structural Steel became a legal requirement for products sold on the UK and EU market.

As of this date, anyone designing and/or manufacturing steel frame or structural steel components for the European market, including the UK, must comply to the requirements of BS EN 1090-1. Failure to do so will have serious consequences.

How to achieve CE marking structural steel certification

BM TRADA can provide CE Certification for Structural Steel via our sister company, Element Materials Technology Rotterdam B.V. (ERO). The same certification experts you have dealt with at BM TRADA are here to help and facilitate this.

To achieve certification, manufacturers, contractors and fabricators will need to demonstrate compliance to:

• BS EN 1090-1: 2009 + A1:2011 Execution of Steel structures and Aluminum Structures Part 1 - Requirements for Conformity Assessment of Structural Components
• BS EN 1090-2:2018: Execution of Steel structures and Aluminum Structures. Part 2 - Technical Requirements for Steel Structures.

The standard explains that structural steel is safety critical and therefore its manufacture must be carried out in a controlled manner. This means that the manufacturer must document and implement a Factory Production Control (FPC) System and have the system certified by a Notified Certification Body such as BM TRADA/Element.

The manufacturer will also need to produce and issue a Declaration of Performance (DoP) with the product. The DoP is a legal document produced/issued by the manufacturer declaring that the requirements of the Harmonized Standard and the CPR have been followed in the manufacture and supply of the product.

BS EN 1090-2:2018: ‘Execution of Steel structures and Aluminum Structures. Part 2 – Technical Requirements for Steel Structures’, details the mechanical resistance, stability, serviceability and durability requirements for steel structures and components.

The standard sets out four Execution Classes (EXC’s), as given below. These classes are based on the end use of the structure and how critical it would be if it failed:

• EXC1 - e.g. agricultural buildings
• EXC2 - e.g. residential or commercial structures
• EXC3 - e.g. bridges
• EXC4 - e.g. special structures (long-span bridges etc.).

For EXC2, 3 and 4, all welding activities must be controlled by a Responsible Welding Coordinator.

Structural design

EN 1090 requires assessment of structural characteristics of the product. It specifies that this assessment must be based on:

• The structural design
• The manufacturing characteristics of the component.

An adequate structural design may be demonstrated by structural calculations, or structural testing supported by structural calculations for the component/structure.

Structural calculations may be used to determine the structural design characteristics of the component/structure and that the requirements given in the design protocol/brief are met. EN 1090 requires that structural design calculations to be carried out in accordance with Eurocodes.

Four design methods are applicable. These are as follows:

• Method 1
• Method 2
• Method 3a
• Method 3b.

Although EN 1090 specifies that design shall be carried out in accordance with Eurocodes, use of British Standards is allowed. However characteristic values for the component/structure cannot be declared and the scope of certification will be limited to Method 3a and 3b only.

It is the responsibility of the Manufacturer to document their design philosophy, design model and design assumptions in a ‘Design Protocol’ if they are involved in and/or take responsibility for any aspect of design for the component or structure when placed on the market. It is also the responsibility of the Manufacturer to ensure that suitably qualified personnel are involved in design.

Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC)

Manufacturers/Distributors of products falling within EXC2, 3 and 4 must have, or have access to, a RWC and all welding functions must be supervised / controlled by the RWC.

If the RWC has any of the following, then the competency requirements for an RWC is deemed to be met:

• Execution Class 4 - International Welding Engineer (IWE) Execution
• Class 3 - International Welding Technologist (IWT) Execution
• Class 2 - International Welding Specialist (IWS) or a Training Certificate that specifies that the training covered the requirements of EN 1090-1/2; EN 14731 & EN ISO 3834 and assessment of the RWC at their place of work. The certificate must be issued by a Notified/Accredited Body or one that has been reviewed and deemed acceptable by the Certification Body (BM TRADA/Element).

Visit our certified company list to find suppliers of BM TRADA certified products or services.

Get in touch with our experts to learn more, or call us on 01494 840 774.