Highways Agency

Highways Agency Eurocodes Strategy

Highways Agency Strategy

The Agency has been preparing for the introduction of Eurocodes for several years, and has developed a strategy for their introduction with the following objectives:

• Ensure Eurocodes are safe and economic for use
• Prepare the bridges-related UK National Annexes and other relevant non contradictory complimentary information (NCCI) such as the Published Documents (PDs) in conjunction with the BSI technical Committees.
• Review and update Highways Agency technical requirements in line with the Eurocodes.
• Establish an Agency-wide implementation strategy and develop a detailed programme for the use of Eurocodes on relevant Agency schemes.

This strategy is being executed by the Highways Agency in coordination with the Overseeing Organisations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in liaison with interested industry bodies. There are twice-yearly meetings with the representatives of the Overseeing Organisations to discuss progress on Eurocodes and their implementation.

The strategy translates into a number of different areas of work, which can be categorised as follows:

• National Annexes: Contribute to the calibration of Nationally Determined Parameters for bridges-related UK National Annexes through BSI working groups.
• Non-Contradictory Complementary Information (NCCI): Draft documents that will become NCCI referenced from the relevant National Annexes.  This information will supplement the Eurocode requirements for bridge design in the UK.
• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges:  Review and redraft the Overseeing Organisations’ requirements for the design of structures for consistency and alignment with the Eurocodes.
• Bridge design studies:  Undertake studies using the Eurocodes to design bridges to understand the effect of introducing Eurocodes on design practices, how they will affect the physical characteristics of structures, and inform the development of guidance including the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB).
• Training and Seminars: Develop and deliver seminars for technical approval authorities in the Overseeing Organisations, and for the general public in association with the engineering institutions.

Strategy for guidance – NCCI and the DMRB

There will be a notable change to the way the DMRB works alongside the Eurocodes.  The DMRB can no longer reproduce and modify sections of Standards in a manner familiar to users of Standards such as BD37 or BD13.  Instead the DMRB can only contain information that is complementary to the Eurocodes, along with the Overseeing Organisations’ additional (non contradictory) requirements.

There are currently around fifty BDs and BAs related to the design of bridges and other highway structures.  These are being scrutinised and categorised: some information relates solely to the British Standards and will therefore be superseded; some information contains the Overseeing Organisations’ additional requirements and will be retained in a form complementary to the Eurocodes; some information is out of date and will be withdrawn; and some is useful guidance material, which will be retained in a complementary format. 

Similarly, the Eurocodes have been examined to determine what additional requirements will be needed to meet the Overseeing Organisations’ objectives for bridges to be safe, economic, maintainable, adaptable and durable.  There will also be a need for some additional guidance to help designers apply the Eurocodes.

Information that falls under the banner of ‘guidance’ will be promulgated using the most appropriate means.  Consideration is being given to publishing some complementary information in the DMRB, but most will be published as BSI “Published Documents” (documents published by BSI that do not have the status of a Standard, denoted by the abbreviation PD).  Recognising that some guidance is most effectively developed and maintained by industry bodies, the Agency will also be encouraging the industry to publish complementary guidance information for the Eurocodes.

The Agency is taking the opportunity to consolidate and simplify the information that is in the bridge design parts (including soil-structure interaction, ancillary structures and components) of the DMRB.  This will result in there being fewer, more-focussed DMRB parts for the design of highway structures.

Proposed implementation of Eurocodes by the Highways Agency

Currently the Agency requires design of highway structures and geotechnical works to be executed using National Standards published by British Standards Institution (BSI) and in accordance with the relevant HA standards.

BSI is well advanced with the publication of the United Kingdom versions of Eurocodes for the design of highway structures.  It is anticipated that the complete suite of Eurocodes needed for the design of highway structures will be available by the end of 2008, while the associated European Execution Standards, which state the requirements for construction, are likely to be published in early 2009. 

The Agency intends to publish its implementation standard for the use of Eurocodes soon after all the relevant standards and documents have been published.  The document will clearly state the Agency’s position regarding the implementation and describe in detail the Agency’s plan for specifying the use of Eurocodes on relevant schemes.  Critical HA documents which will be reviewed and possibly amended as part of the development of the implementation standard include the various DMRB documents related to structural design, Technical Approval of Highway Structures (BD2) and the Specification for Highway Works (SHW).

The use of current National Standards will continue to be permitted until the BSI withdraws them. Once the current National Standards are withdrawn by BSI the Agency will specify that highway structures shall only be designed in accordance with Eurocodes.  The current BSI programme shows that this stage will be reached in March 2010.

Until all the necessary standards such as the HA Implementation Document, National Annexes, BSI Published Documents and the Execution Standards are published by the BSI, and until the Agency’s implementation standard is published, if a designer wishes to prepare a design in accordance with the Eurocodes, he/she will need to satisfy the Agency that all design aspects in any proposals based on Eurocodes can be adequately addressed.  If acceptable, such designs will be subject to an independent (Category 3) check and will constitute a departure from HA standards in accordance with Agency's Technical Approval requirements.

For safety reasons, design to a mixture of National Standards and Eurocodes will not be permitted.

Currently the Agency has no plan to implement Eurocodes for assessments of highway structures.  It is the Agency’s intention to require that assessments continue to be undertaken to existing DMRB standards in the immediate aftermath of March 2010.