Eurocode 2 – Reinforced concrete - Constructive measures

In this dossier, we will confine ourselves to presenting only the specifications relating to reinforced concrete in Part 1.1 of the Eurocode (EC2) (roughly equivalent to Part A of the BAEL Rules). We have not highlighted the distinction made in EC2 between "Principles" and "Application Rules", as it is of little interest to a planner of standard constructions.

In EC2, comments printed in small type, presented as "notes", generally specify that the numerical values of certain tables or literal coefficients of the formulas that precede it are the responsibility of the National Annex, and simply give the "recommended" values. In fact, EC2 contains a number of parameters that each Member State is responsible for setting, to enable the rules to be applied to building and civil engineering projects in the country concerned. At the time of writing, the French National Annex to future standard P 187112 was still in provisional form.

This text does not always reproduce the wording of the EC2 notes to the letter; the recommended numerical values have, in most cases, been adopted by the National Annex. Boxed sections are comments by the author.

The drafting of Eurocode 2 specifications for reinforced concrete is the subject of several dossiers:

• [C 2 330] Provisions and general data ;

• [C 2 331] Ultimate limit state verification ;

• [C 2 332] Verification of serviceability limits ;

• [C 2 333] Constructive provisions ;

• [C 2 334] Useful formulas and data.