Countdown to Eurocode Implementation

In most situations, the loading combination factors for members that only experience gravity loads (beams!) become rather less onerous than under national codes, and are shown below.

When can Eurocode design begin?
Realistically, even though most parts of the Eurocodes themselves are available, design to the Eurocodes is really only practical once:

• The National Annexes are published
• Supporting software is available
• Support tools are published.Eurocode software
  The availability of software will be a commercial decision forthe companies concerned, and they will only want to make that investment if the demand from the end user (in this case the structural designer) is there. Equally, designers may be reluctant to commence design without the software – so a potential ‘chicken and egg’ situation. The latest indications are that general analysis and Eurocode design packages should be available mid-2008.
  

  When lateral torsional buckling is the key design check, increases in resistance can be significant. One example for an Advance section is shown below.

  Support tools
  The sector is preparing many design guides, as reported in May, including the replacement for the member resistances (the Eurocode version of the “Blue Book” will be known as the “Burgundy Book”). The “Red Book” will have its Eurocode equivalent, and there will be plenty of worked examples to review. Access-steel (see box) has a host of valuable information.

  National Annexes
  Rather like trains and planes, delays are likely to some key National Annexes. The NA to the wind loading BS EN 1991-1-4 is not likely to be available until early 2008, and in the steel area, the important NAs to BS EN 1993 Parts 1.1, 1.2 and 1.8 are also likely in early 2008, despite previous optimism that they might be available in November of this year.

  Eurocode training
  Courses are already available, and will be on the increase, in addition to National events – all of which will be detailed in this Journal as they are arranged.