Discover the EN 1090 Standard

The European standard EN 1090 refers to conformity assessment procedure of steel and aluminum components used in the steel and concrete designs. Since July 2014, the EN 1090-1 (requirements for conformity assessment for structural components) is mandatory by law, but there are many questions and uncertainties relating to the application, working environment, and the content of the standard itself. A lot of manufacturers are wondering if the EN 1090-1 is applicable to them. Please find below the 5 most frequently asked questions regarding this standard.

1. What does EN 1090 mean?

The EN 1090 usually refers to the EN 1090-1 which is the first norm of the 5-parts standard. The EN 1090-1 is a product norm that has been harmonized according to the Construction Products Regulation 305/2011/EU, requiring economic operators to assess the conformity of the constructive components of steel and aluminum.

2. Is CE marking obligatory for complete steel construction?

No. The norm obligates economic operators to have CE marking only on steel and aluminum parts of the construction.

3. What are the general EN 1090 norms?

EN 1090 consists of 5 norms. Only the first norm is related to CE marking. The EN 1090-2 refers to the technical requirements of steel components and final steel constructions; the EN 1090-3 is related to the technical requirements for the aluminum constructions. The 4th and the 5th norm are under development and are going to be related to the thin-walled, cold formed parts made of steel and aluminum.

4. When is the CE marking mandatory according to EN 1090-1?

Only in regard to the parts that are related to the construction market and are mentioned in the description of EN 1090-1, it is required to follow the appropriate conformity assessment procedure and affix a CE marking. Due to the uncertainties regarding the application of parts, the European Commission published the list that clarifies which products do not fall under the EN 1090-1. The list can be found under the link.

5. How to determine the correct execution class (EXC)?

Previously, it was determined based on EN 1090-2 (Table Annex 2) within which execution class fells aluminum and steel structural components into. However, this table has been dropped and replaced by Appendix C of Eurocode 3.