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This section discusses some of the
issues related to implementing
Eurocodes in a company, specifically:
- Obtaining the Eurocodes
- Comparison with existing design codes
- Physical use of the Eurocodes
- Internal resources
Obtaining the Eurocodes
The Eurocodes are published by the
standards organisations of each EU
member country. Some publish them in
more than one language (generally
English is included) and the prices
vary between countries.
The
ISO website has a list of most of
the world's standards organisations,
and by some judicious research it is
possible to cut the cost, although
knowledge of the local language is
often helpful. We sourced ours through
Hungary, where they are available in
electronic format (.pdf) and copyright
allowing multiple copies for the
purchaser. There may be even better
options. It is worth noting that some
countries put a premium on an English
version (for example, Germany increases
the price by about 70% to bring its
price in line with the BSi).
The status of the UK versions the
Eurocodes and their National Annexes is
available from the
BSi website.
The status of other countries'
implementation can be found by
following the links on our Links page
Comparison with Existing Design Codes
It is always useful to compare a well understood design in both the current design code and the new one, since this gives confidence that the new one still gives results that meet engineering extectations. Usually such comparisons show areas where design assumptions are either more or less conservative. Bestech have compared the design of precast pretensioned beams to both the British standards and the Eurocodes, and the results are remarkably similar ... please click here for the details of this study.
Physical Use of the Eurocodes
The Eurocodes have been drafted such
that information is available from a
single source only. This avoids
potential errors and inconsistencies
but does mean that much cross
referencing is necessary. Even for the
design of a simple reinforced concrete
bridge you need simultaneous access to
six Eurocodes and their National
Annexes (EN 1990 & EN 1990/A1,
Basis of Design: EN 1991-1 and EN
1991-2, General Actions and Traffic
Actions: and EN1992-1-1 and EN 1992-2,
Concrete Structures). For steel and
concrete composite bridges the number
of documents required is more than
double this. Add to this the National
Annex documents, and maybe a Design
Guide, and adequate desk space may
become an issue.
One of the ways to help an engineer
become familiar with new design codes
is to use Eurocode design software such
as Sam whose on-line Help system
points out the relevant Eurocode
clauses.
Examples of these benefits are given on
our section on Training.
Internal Resources
Consider designating one person to
become a Eurocode expert who can be a
centre of knowledge for the company.
Many companies have identified such a
person already. They will be the people
who make it their business to solve
code interpretation problems and
finding the answers to general queries.
Do not be tempted to write an in-house
commentary as these already exist as
Design Guides, for example:
- Hendy C.R., Johnson R.P (2006),
Designers' Guide to EN 1994-2, Steel
and Concrete Composite Bridges, Thomas
Telford, ISBN: 0727731610
- Hendy C.R., Murphy C.J (2007),
Designers' Guide to EN 1993-2, Steel
Bridges, Thomas Telford, ISBN:
0727731602
- Hendy C.R., Smith D.A (2007),
Designers' Guide to EN 1992-2, Concrete
Bridges, Thomas Telford, ISBN:
0727731599
- See also the Joint Research Centre
of the European Commission
publications.
(All available through
Thomas Telford and there are
certainly others as well.)
This is another area where good
Eurocode design software such as SAM
can play a role. Very often a query
arises as the result of doing a design,
and the detail provided in the
software's calculation output will
often be able either to give the answer
directly, or to point to the relevant
part of the Eurocode. This shields the
in-house Eurocode expert from the
day-to-day questions, and leaves time
available for more important issues.
Another aspect to which much thought
should be given is that of training.
Effective and timely training will have
a significant impact on the cost of
implementation. We show on the page on
Training
how this is so, and offer guidance on
effective ways to minimise this cost.
Finally, it is worthwhile planning the
initial project to be carried out,
designed using the Eurocodes. A typical
project that is totally familiar in all
other respects will ensure that the use
of a novel design code will have the
minimum impact on the success of the
project delivery. It may even be
considered helpful to do two parallel
designs, or to redesign an existing
project to the new codes. 'Maximise the
familiar and minimise the novel' should
be the mantra. This mantra should also
be applied to the choice of software.
If the currently used software tools
have been updated by their suppliers,
use them - it cuts out another layer of
unfamiliarity. If the current methods
use in-house software developed over a
period of years, or software not
available for Eurocodes, consider the
benefits of SAM, and integrated
Eurocode / Software Training.
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