The Construction Products Regulation:
- defines conditions for the marketing of construction products and is more effective than its predecessor, the Construction Products Directive
- is valid starting July 1, 2013 in all member states of the EU
- lists all significant characteristics of construction products and extends them with respect to employee safety, energy efficiency and natural resources
- provides market oversight authorities with more powers
- names CE actors and their obligations
- lists and explains all important terms, such as performance declarations
- regulates the CE mark
The CE mark
- Is required since February 1, 2010
- Includes a labelling obligation for all windows, exterior doors, curtain walls without requirements for fire and smoke protection that fall under a harmonised standard
- Is not a quality seal but rather a trademark (like a personal identity card). It should ensure that only those construction products are brought to the European market that meet minimum requirements
Objectives, meaning
- Removal of hindrances to trade within Europe
- Obsoleting national goods marks
- Reduction in the tests required, announces compliance with all applicable regulations, is therefore provided at the sole responsibility of the manufacturer
The performance declaration
- The term "performance declaration" has been introduced as a declared characteristic of construction products
- The manufacturer bears liability for the conformity of the declared performance with the construction product
- The declared performance is a prerequisite for any CE mark
- Without a performance declaration, the mark may not be used
- Once the performance declaration has been prepared, the manufacturer must apply the CE mark to the product
- In printed or electronic form
- 10-year retention obligation
Content:
- Reference number of the product type
- The systems for evaluation and checking of the performance compliance of the construction product
- The intended purpose and/or purposes of the construction product
- The declared performance(s), with all those not declared listed N/A (no performance defined)
- Applicable standard
- Testing body
- Evaluation system
- Proxy
CE mark
Printer Defaults:
- Easily visible and permanently legible
- On the construction product, as long as the type of construction product permits or justifies the mark
- If not possible there, then on the packaging or in the accompanying papers
- Combinations of label and accompanying papers possible
- Only declared performance, no N/A
Content:
- Year of manufacture
- Name and address of the manufacturer
- Identification number
- Project name, item number, type
- Norm
- CE mark
Marketing oversight
Intended to monitor CE marks
DIBT has set up 11 reporting offices in Germany.
Events are collected, assessed and forwarded from here.
Different ministries are responsible for monitoring in the different federal states.
What is monitored where:
Correct mark in both form and content (for example, at least one performance declared)
- Check whether mark is permitted for the product
Corrective measures within a deadline, re-inspection
Oriented towards serious violations, for example:
- Serious risk to the safety and health of people. If this is the case, the market oversight authorities can for example entirely forbid the continued distribution of these products or, in particularly severe cases, even order the destruction of the products.
Harmonised standards
Lists significant additional features or performance characteristics of construction products and how they must be determined and specified.
Harmonised standard for windows and exterior doors
Significant characteristics of windows and exterior doors according to EN 14351-1
Resistance to Wind Load -> Evaluation obligations from MBO
Thermal Transmittance -> Minimum requirements from ENEV
Photometric values -> Evaluation obligations from ENEV
Air Permeablity -> Evaluation obligations from ENEV
Water Tightness
Dangerous Substances
Impact Resistance
Load bearing capacity of safety devices
Height
Release capability
Acoustic Performance
Harmonised standard for curtain walls
Significant features of curtain walls according to EN 13830 (being reworked)
Resistance to Wind Load -> Evaluation obligations from MBO
Thermal Transmittance -> Minimum requirements from ENEV
Air Permeablity -> Evaluation obligations from ENEV
Water Tightness
Resistance to permanent weight
Resistance to horizontal loads
Impact Resistance
Thermal Endurance
Water vapour penetrability
Durability, reaction to fire, fire resistance, fire spread, acoustic performance
Recommendations for the preparation of a performance declaration
- Declare at least one performance characteristic
- Note the evaluation obligation
- Note the minimum requirements
- Do not declare any performance higher than you must
- Do not declare more performance characteristics than you should
Recommendation for application case 1
No request profile available
Measure:
- Either copy the values from the application recommendation
- Or copy the calculated values
- Or declare at least one performance characteristic
Recommendation for application case 1/1
Recommendation for application case 2
Specific requirement profile is avail
Requirement profile
</= the calculated performance data from the software, but >/= the recommended values from the application recommendation
Measure:
Copying of the corresponding specific requirements
Recommendation for application case 3
Optically outside the test body
The basis for testing is always the weakest link; here, this is the individual windows and their test results
Handle as for all other application cases