Director General of Engineers Ireland, John Power, interviewed on the Irish radio station 4fm on 22nd July 2009 on the introduction of Eurocodes.
The upcoming standardisation of all EU Government building contracts and tenders in Eurocodes provides the Irish construction sector with a golden opportunity to adopt best practice and explore new business markets, according to John Gormley TD, Minister for Environment, Heritage & Local Government.
Minister Gormley was speaking at the launch by Engineers Ireland of an online training facility for engineering designers, contractors and clients designed to explain the introduction of Eurocodes in March 2010, the EUs new construction standards. The European market in construction is worth about €1,300 billion per annum. While the sector is clearly in a very difficult commercial predicament currently, both in this country and across Europe, recovery will take place and opportunities will materialize in new emerging areas such as the Green economy. The EUs drive for standardisation and uniformity now gives the construction industry in Ireland a chance to take a lead and adopt, in good time, these new regulations. The new Eurocodes will bring simplicity and ease of trade across national boundaries. It will allow Irish firms to continue to operate on a pan-European basis and avail of any new emerging possibilities as the Europe construction sector recovers and adapts to the new industry realities. I applaud Engineers Irelands proactivity in terms of informing and educating key parties in this regard.
Mr John Power, Engineers Ireland Director General, re-iterated the importance of the Eurocodes and how their introduction is to be welcomed. The new Eurocodes makes it easier for Irish building firms to explore new markets and generate new customers in Europe. It offers significant opportunities for the export of construction products and engineering services both in the European and world markets. It is critical that firms and companies understand that there will be no derogation from March 2010. Unless you or your company are up to speed with the Eurocodes, you are going to lose out both at home and abroad. The use of Eurocodes will ensure the Irish building and construction industry is based on the most technically advanced suite of structural design codes in the world. In addition to the Your Guide To Eurocodes booklet we launched last year, Engineers Ireland has also organised a series of training solutions to enable all members of the engineering profession to become trained on the new European design codes before they come into effect in March 2010.
The European market in construction is worth approximately €1,300 billion per annum. The EN Eurocodes are a series of 10 European Standards, EN 1990 - EN 1999, providing a common approach for the design of buildings and other civil engineering works and construction products. They are the recommended means of giving a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the Construction Products Directive for construction works and products that bear the CE Marking, as well as the preferred reference for technical specifications in public contracts. The EN Eurocodes are expected to contribute to the establishment and functioning of the internal market for construction products and engineering services by eliminating the disparities that hinder their free circulation within the Community. Further, they are meant to lead to more uniform levels of safety in construction in Europe.
Engineers Ireland launched a guide to these new European standards last year entitled Your Guide To Eurocodes. The body is now organising a series of training solutions including one-day courses and a flexible, comprehensive and quality online training facility to enable all members of the engineering profession to become practised on the new European design codes before they come into effect in March 2010. The online course covers the basis of structural design, actions on structures and design of structures for earthquake resistance.
For further information on Eurocodes training, visit: www.engineersireland.ie/EurocodeOnlineTraining
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John Gormley T.D. Minister for Environment Eurocodes Speechby clinicsinmotion165 views
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