Author: Owen Brooker, Chair of the Technical Products Panel
The IStructE has already started to prepare for the next generation of the Eurocodes (Gen2), which will become design standards to use from March 2028.
The current focus of work is on updating the popular Manuals, which aim to provide guidance on the practical implementation of the Eurocodes. The manuals were first written when limit state design principles were introduced into the British Standards. As with those first manuals, the next generation of the manuals will make applying the most up-to-date technical standards as simple as possible for practising engineers.
The new suite of manuals will cover all the forthcoming structural Eurocodes, and the intention is to make the manuals consistent across the suite so that they are as easy to use as possible. The Institution’s Technical Products Panel has set one brief for all the task groups producing the manuals to work to. The brief is summarised in the table below and is focused on aligning the requirements with the objectives of the IStructE.
| Requirement |
Notes
|
Relevant IStructE objectives |
| Easy to use |
Should be presented with the user in mind, if information is contained somewhere else in the manual it should be clearly referenced |
|
| Target audience |
The manuals are for use by chartered/incorporated engineers as a quick reference resource |
|
| Scope |
Buildings and all their structural components, but not bridges and civil engineering structures |
|
| Applications |
1. Initial design or verification of computer analysis/design – ie hand calculations
2. Principles and best practice for applying to computer analysis/design |
|
| Approach |
The guidance will be on an elemental and building level |
|
| International use |
Able to be used in low-income countries, where design guidance is not produced |
|
| Sustainability |
Guidance to assist with sustainable design should be embedded in the document |
|
| Competence |
Where there are known problem areas these should be highlighted in the manual, any useful tip and tricks are encouraged |
|
The new manuals will be written for use by Chartered or Incorporated engineers and will act as a quick reference resource. They should provide guidance on carrying out initial design and hand calculations so that computer analysis can be verified and also on how to appropriately analyse and design using computer software. Furthermore, it is expected that the guidance will assist the engineer to produce sustainable designs and be accessible for international use. The latter means that while the UK National Annex values will be included, they will not be embedded into equations so that values for other countries can replace them when needed.
The timescales for publications are controlled by the publication of the UK National Annexes, but the intention is to have the manuals ready for publication around the transition date with the various manuals being published as they become ready.
The manuals will cover a wide range of design situations, but for unusual situations engineers will need to refer to the Eurocodes themselves. The IStructE is pleased that it has been able to negotiate access to the BSI Knowledge platform for members so that all members will now be able to easily access the latest version of the Eurocodes and the UK National Annexes.
As the transition date approaches there will be more information and guidance published in The Structural Engineer and new courses will be developed for training.