This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at El cumplimiento del Marcado CE en los prefabricados de hormigón estructurales

Applications and general terms and conditions

Compliance with the CE marking in the prefabricated concrete structural

Source: Mnza, National Association of concrete precast industry 21/07/2009

July 21, 2009

The CE marking for construction products, regulated by the European Directive 89/106/EEC (and its subsequent modification Directive 93/68/EEC), is a prerequisite for the free marketing and use of a product in all the countries of the European Unionestablishing minimum levels of security of which any manufacturer can not be placed below. See the application of the CE marking in the prefabricated concrete structural.

Marking intends to allow the free movement of the product throughout the European Union and that Member States may not legislate differently set out in European legislation, although they may dictate additional conditions for the use of such products in the execution of works built with them.

CE marking

Symbol indicating that a product is as with the essential requirements of the directives which are applicable. It also ensures that the manufacturer has taken all appropriate measures to ensure compliance with them in the marketed products.

Structural precast concrete products which, on the date of issue of this document, are standardized under a standard in elaborate and adopted by the European CEN/TC 229 Technical Committee 'precast concrete products' are (see table below):

The PCD (construction products directive) establishes that construction products must be appropriate for works which, in its entirety and in its isolated parts, be suitable for use. The essential requirements of the works which incorporate products and that, therefore, influence the technical characteristics of the same are:

-Mechanical resistance and stability.

-Fire safety.

-Hygiene, health and environment.

-Security of use.

-Protection against noise.

-Energy saving and thermal insulation.

Essential requirement

The General conditions that must meet a product so as not to endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals, property or environment are not dealt with technical specifications, because they do not define any specific design or requirement for construction, but showing just the desired results.

As stated in the PCD, all those products that influence on at least one of the listed requirements, must bear the CE marking, which ensures that they comply with the technical specifications on the product have been considered applicable by all European countries.

The CE marking certifies that the products are in conformity with standards transposing harmonised standards, i.e. standards established by European standardisation bodies in accordance with mandates conferred by the Commission of the European communities in accordance with the procedures laid down in the directive which transposes.

Other documents that carry CE marking are of European technical approvals (DITE ' s), which are favourable technical assessment of the suitability of a product for use.

In the case of precast concrete with structural products, affecting them is 2 +.

The CE marking it operates the manufacturer or person in charge of the product on the market on the basis of the certification scheme indicating the rule or document that it is for your product. These systems come taxes according to the characteristics of the product, being the system 4 the least demanding (self-certification) and the 1 + the most demanding. In the case of precast concrete with structural products, affecting them is the 2 +, which in addition to the tasks that you have to make the manufacturer, it involves the participation of an external body (notified body). In this case, the guarantees associated with the CE marking are backed by the fact that the product carries this marking, there is an external body that certifies the product, by issuing the EC certificate of conformity, and the manufacturer assumes that it has met all regulatory requirements to the CE marking on the product. This allows presuppose that the product comes out of the factory to meet all the requirements required by the regulations in force.

In Spain, the transposition of the PCD through Royal Decree 1630 / 1992 (and its subsequent amendment R.D. 1328/95), requires to have the CE marking to products with harmonised standard from the date of entry to be established. The fundamental difference from a standard harmonised with any other European legislation is that, at the end of each, includes the annex ZA.

The PCD (construction products directive) establishes that construction products must be appropriate for works which, in its entirety and in its isolated parts, be suitable for use.

Photo: Craig Jewell.

Annex ZA contains the low mandate which prepares the standard specified the sections of the standard where reference is made to the characteristics required for the products by the mandate given under the PCD, defines the system applicable to such conformity assessmentwith the controls to be carried out directly the manufacturer or a notified body, defines the labelling or marking and determines the information that the manufacturer must provide.

Therefore, total compliance with the standard represents a further step to which can voluntarily choose manufacturer, remain compulsory only those chapters, sections, or other attachments of this or any other rules, that reference in annex ZA.

It must be made clear that in no case can be considered the CE marking as a mark of quality, or a mark of origin in the European Union, simply declare the conformity of a product, establishing a minimum level of requirements in order to ensure that essential requirements are met.