Eurocodes: Moving with the times
From March 2010, all public sector works (in Europe) will need to be designed to Eurocodes and British Standards will no longer be updated. There are ten Eurocodes in total – one explaining the basis of design to Eurocodes and the principles behind them, one explaining load cases to be considered, one for each of the major materials – steel, concrete, timber, masonry, aluminium and composite construction – one for seismic design and one for geotechnical design. Each consists of a number of parts and is accompanied by national annexes, which give country specific values and guidelines. All ten Eurocodes have now been published as well as a large majority of the national annexes.
For your info, Eurocodes are a set of codes of practice for designing and buildings and civil engineers structures that are internationally unified.
As Europe moves to replace British Standards with Eurocodes, I believe Malaysia (which relies very much on the British Standards) will soon have to adapt to the new design codes. In my undergraduate years, I still remember the two codes which we used in our structural design works - BS 8110 and BS 5950. BS 8110 is the soul for reinforced concrete design while BS 5950 is for structural steelwork.
I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad to change, but from what I know the change will be a good one as it is based on the latest science and positive advancement on the methods used. It also moves to narrow the discrepancies in the engineering vocabulary used across the globe. Having said that, lots of effort had been poured in to make this change.
Now that I am doing my masters I already started designing my composite slab according to Eurocodes, I am using Eurocode 4 at the moment. It takes a while to adapt to the changes because I have to relearn what I had learned previously. One thing for sure, the English used in Eurocodes is much easier to comprehend and straight forward. Good job for that!
The ten codes related to structures are as below and they cover every aspects of structures:
- EN 1990 Basis of 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
Luckily I am still studying in UTM. This gives me the opportunity to download (for free) all the design codes. It’s good to be a student, ain’t it? We get free stuff most of the time, even if it’s not free we still have the student’s price priviledge.
Image: courtesy of Eurocodes
7 comments ↓
I almost forget all British code because I am using American code right now. hehe…personally think that tAmerican code is simplified and easier to be used than Eurocode and British Code
Chou-Yu, Americans and British just don’t get along well. Americans uses American English while British sticks with their British English. Duh…
Yeah, I did come across some ASCE while reading some journals. Americans tend to say things straight while British likes flowery words. This makes American code simpler and easier to understand esp for those whose English is not their mother language.
Wahhhh….. i think i better continue my fobia of taking master.. can’t imagine going back to piles of paper and documents..
DD, wah… Been hearing that months ago that you are discerning whether to further your education or otherwise. Well, it’s either just do it or don’t do it, very much depends on yourself. Of course I would hope you will consider this option of life-long learning. No need phobia..
Please share the Eurocodes
*wink wink* I am planning to do my master in future, by definitely it has nothing to do with engineering 
This is probably one of the downsides of obtaining a degree from Australia, I am struggling with the codes now !!! My mind is so wired to Australian Standards, and now working in Malaysia, almost every notation (for example, concrete grades, rebar and column signage) and conventions are very different !!!
Though the principles of engineering will not vary much, but it is a heck more of a task to connect the missing dots together.
Hhaha, whatever code is it, it still just a code, a guideline or a proven method, after all its still up to your own engineering sense whether things are right or wrong. I used American & British as well… hmm maybe its time to use Eurocode soon…… hhee what say UTM???
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