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CE Marking now mandatory
As from 1 July the Construction Products Regulation required the CE Marking of all fabricated structural steelwork.
It is now a legal requirement to use CE Marked construction products. From 1 July, this requirement also applied to all fabricated structural steelwork delivered to site. In order to comply with the regulations, only steelwork contractors with an Execution Class (EXC) equal to that required for a project can be considered.
Contracts for fabricated structural steelwork should include the NSSS for Building Construction 5th Edition CE Marking Version or Model Specification for the Execution of Steelwork in Bridge Structures (revised January 2012). Both of these specifications incorporate the obligations of the CPR and CE Marking on the steelwork contractor.
The implications on the supply chain of this new legal requirement are set out in the guide Steel Construction: CE Marking that takes users through their obligations in a straightforward manner.
Engineer’s responsibility
The engineer is responsible for specifying the Execution Class for the structure as a whole, the components and the details that they have designed.
Procedure for specification of Execution Class for a project:
1. Determine Consequence Class
2. Define Service Category
3. Define Production Category
4. Derive Execution Class
Whilst each building needs to be considered on its own merits, EXC2 will be appropriate for the majority of buildings constructed in the UK.
If the Execution Class is not specified on a project, EXC2 applies.
Specifications
Contracts for fabricated structural steelwork to be delivered to site on or after 1 July 2014 should include the following specifications, which incorporate the obligations of BS EN 1090-1 and BS EN 1090-2 on the steelwork contractor:
Buildings
National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS) for Building Construction 5th Edition CE Marking Version
Bridges
Model Project Specification for the Execution of Steelwork in Bridge Structures (SCI Guide P382) revised January 2012
Client and/or main contractor’s responsibility
The client or main contractor should appoint a steelwork contractor with an Execution Class equal to that required for the project. It should be noted that steelwork contractors with EXC3 capability can be used for EXC1, 2, & 3; and a steelwork contractor with EXC2 capability can only be used for EXC1 & 2.
The BCSA has made CE Marking compliance a condition of membership of the Association from 1 July 2014, so selection of a BCSA Member company will guarantee that the steelwork contractor will have the necessary accreditation to comply with the CPR requirements.
The directories for buildings and bridgeworks on BCSA’s website (www.steelconstruction.org) include details of the accredited certification levels achieved by each member.
Check compliance with the CPR and CE Marking
In order for a steelwork contractor to demonstrate their right to CE Mark their products, they must provide the following three documents:
1. Factory Production Control Certificate
2. Welding Certificate
3. Declaration of Performance
The client or main contractor engaging the steelwork contractor should carry out due
diligence before appointing a steelwork contractor.
However, simply selecting a BCSA Member will ensure compliance with the regulations. The client, main contractor or insurer would not need to carry out due diligence of the steelwork contractor in this case since it has already been undertaken by the BCSA as part of their membership audit.
What to check – Factory production control and welding certificates
1 Declared performance
2 Base materials
3 Date of next surveillance
4 Notified body number
What to check – Declaration of performance
A Steelwork contractor’s unique DoP Certificate identification number.
B Steelwork contractor defined.
C Brief description of use.
D Check that notified body and level of assessment declared is consistent with FPC and Welding Certificates.
E Performance delclaration – Steelwork Contractors only need to declare for those characteristics which are appropriate and for which they are responsible.
