Evening Meeting: Eurocode 8 and its implications for UK-based structural engineers

The six parts of Eurocode 8 (EN1998: Design of structures for earthquake resistance) cover a very wide range of structures. Part 1 & 5 have recently received technical approval for launching the formal vote for acceptance as a full Euronorm and approval for the remaining four parts is expected to follow within 12 months. After an introduction to the code, the paper discusses its general implications for UK-based designers of earthquake resistant structures in Europe and elsewhere. The extent to which design of UK structures may be affected is also discussed in some detail. Possibilities for the future development of Eurocode 8 are outlined.