From July a new set of rules will standardise construction products across Europe, explains Dr Ali Arasteh.
One of the most significant changes to the construction industry comes into force on 1 July. Its impact will be far reaching and should, in the long term, bring substantial benefits to the European construction market. However, most people are not even aware it’s happening.
I am referring to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) which will cover a wide array of products, with many visible changes. Understanding its purpose and likely implications is crucial for anyone in the industry.
European product standards establish the performance of materials across seven basic requirements:
- Mechanical resistance and stability
- Safety in case of fire
- Hygiene, health and environment
- Safety and accessibility in use
- Protection against noise
- Energy economy and heat retention
- Sustainable use of natural resources.
The purpose of the CPR is to provide consistent performance information for construction products across the EU. It uses common technical language and uniform assessments to test the performance of materials. At a European level, it should help to remove barriers to free trade in the EU and widen the portfolio of products available.
Although mainly focused on manufacturers and distributors, the CPR will also have implications for specifiers, designers, contractors and local building authorities.
Harmonised standards
As part of the CPR, harmonised European product standards have been established, which provide a base for manufacturers to test and attest the performance of their products. There are currently more than 400 European product standards covering a wide range of products including precast concrete, structural timber products, curtain walling, gypsum products, glass block products and roof coverings.
The CPR replaces the former Construction Products Directive (CPD). It requires manufacturers and distributors of products to: declare the performance of the product; affix a CE marking; and ensure all relevant information such as safety guides, instructions, and handling and storage information are readily available. From 1 July, more products will bear the CE marking, which has not been mandatory up to this point.
What do you need to know?
A product’s CE marking demonstrates that it has established a Declaration of Performance (DoP). A DoP should provide all the information required by specifiers to ascertain whether a product meets the relevant regulations. DoPs will follow a standard layout and include all relevant information for the product category, helping the industry to quickly identify a product’s performance. Comparisons between products will also be much simpler because the methods of assessment will be consistent. From 1 July, all manufacturers and the distributors will have to make DoPs available.
Understandably, declarations will vary according to the product, with harmonised technical specifications changing depending on the type of product. Specifiers will therefore need to refer to the harmonised technical specifications when drawing up project specifications and understand the specific performance requirements for product types.
It’s also important to note that the CPR does not harmonise building regulations or provide recommendations on the suitability of a product for a particular job or a required performance level. Responsibility for ensuring the right product is used to comply with the UK’s Building Regulations remains with designers and contractors.
There is a lot of information available via the Construction Products Association, British Board of Agrément, Trading Standards Institute and British Standards Institution, as well as from product manufacturers, like Siniat, who have been working on these updates for a number of years.
Dr Ali Arasteh, is technical manager at product manufacturer Siniat
