Eurocode 11 for Composites Construction, Civil Engineering Design is Set for 2028 Publication
Years of close cooperation between academic, standardization bodies and industry has led to this newest CEN standard designed, providing a harmonized framework and wider acceptance of composites.
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The development of a dedicated Eurocode for composite materials has been approved by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN, Brussels, Belgium), joining the existing set of 10 CEN standards that provide harmonized rules for the design of buildings and civil engineering works across the European Union (EU), supporting the wider acceptance of composite materials in the construction sector.
Following completion of the final procedural steps, Eurocode 11 is expected to be published by June 2028. The provisions, widely recognized for their usefulness and technical completeness, are set out across three parts:
- Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings, bridges and civil engineering structures.
- Part 1-2: Structural fire design.
- Part 2: Execution.
This progress has been delivered through the work of CEN Technical Committee 250 (TC250) Working Group WG4, led by Professor Luigi Ascione of the University of Salerno. The European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA, Brussel, Belgium) has actively supported and participated in this work, represented in CEN TC250 WG4 by board member Eric Moussiaux and Professor Roberto Frassine, president of EuCIA.
Across Europe, a number of national design guides for composite materials have been issued. However, a more comprehensive and harmonized framework is needed to give engineers confidence in designing safe and reliable structures using composite materials. Published in November 2022, CEN/TS 19101 was the result of more than 12 years of work by CEN TC250 WG4 and provides clear guidance on the design of structures based on FRP composites.
Following its publication, guidelines in the Technical Specification underwent extensive testing by the composites industry and the wider building and construction community. A further step was taken in March 2023, when a proposal for CEN TC250 to develop execution provisions for fiber-polymer composite structures was accepted. These provisions address production, installation and maintenance procedures not covered in the Technical Specification.
The 2025 publication, Design of Fibre-Polymer Composite Structures: Commentary to European Technical Specification CEN/TS 19101: 2022, available on the Taylor & Francis Group website, provides supplementary information and background reports to support understanding and application of the Technical Specification. JEC and the European Pultrusion Technology Association (EPTA) collaboratively support its open-access publication.
“Establishing composites as a recognized construction material alongside steel, concrete and aluminum, the new Eurocode will support wider adoption of composite solutions and contribute to a more sustainable construction sector in Europe,” notes Frassine.
Read “EuCIA provides update on future Eurocode for composites” for related information.
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