CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

Construction Products Regulation

• What is it?

• Harmonised product standard

Construction Products Regulation

• CE marking
Curtain walling

Stephen Ledbetter, CWCT • Performance characteristics

• Impacts on industry

Construction Products Regulation Construction Products Regulations

• Construction Products Regulation (CPR) • Construction Products for which there

is a harmonised European Standard
– A European Union regulation (hEN) have to be CE marked

– Mandatory in every EU state • Performance requirements of the hEN

have to be declared unless:

– No national opt-out
– They do not have a threshold
performance
– A legal requirement from July 2013
and

– They are not part of National

Regulations

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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

Harmonised standard hEN 13830

• The harmonised product standard for curtain walling is: • The CE mark is affixed to the wall by
the company placing it in the market
– EN 13830
– Curtain walling – Product standard • Reaction to fire
• Fire resistance
• This is being re-written: • Fire propagation
• Resistance to own load
– Final draft late 2012 • Wind load resistance
– Public comment 2013 • Impact resistance
– Published early 2014 • Resistance to live horizontal loads
– Much is common with the existing BS EN 13830 • g-value
– Existing test results remain valid • U-value
• …

Scope of CE marking hEN 13830

• EN 13830 covers: • Components • ‘Curtain walling is not a product which can be completed in all
respects within a manufacturing area, but is a series of components
– Stick construction – Framing members and/or prefabricated units which only become a finished product
when assembled together on site.’
– Unitised construction – Connections
– Double skin walls – Seals
– Structural sealant glazing – Flashings
• ‘Curtain walling is a building façade made of a framework ….. …
– Bolted glazing – Closures containing fixed and/or openable infills, which provides all the
– Interfaces required functions of an internal or external wall or part thereof, …’
– Spandrels
– Glass

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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

System or kit? Industry structure

• Curtain walling system:

System supplier
– ‘Collection of components from which a curtain walling kit may be
created for subsequent installation on a building. It can give rise to
one or more different kits’
Specialist Specialist
• Curtain walling kit: contractor CE Marking contractor
/fabricator /fabricator
– ‘Collection of components or pre-fabricated units which, when
installed on a building, form a curtain wall.’
Architect Architect
• A curtain wall kit is CE marked by including the relevant information in /specifier /specifier
accompanying commercial documents.

Attestation of conformity Attestation of conformity

Intended use Reaction to fire Attestation of • System 3 applies to most walls. It requires:
conformity system

Wall with reaction to fire Class A1, A2, B, C – Initial type testing
requirements Performance dependent on 1 • By a notified body (Test house)
production process*

Wall with reaction to fire All classes – Factory production control

requirements Performance not dependent 3 • Quality scheme has to be documented
on production process
• Design has to be documented
Wall with no reaction to • There is no requirement for third party accreditation
fire requirements 3 (i.e. ISO 9000)

* For instance the application of intumescent coatings

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Attestation of conformity Initial type testing (ITT)

• System 1 applies to some walls with reaction to fire characteristics. • A curtain wall has to be type tested
It requires:
• A type test is required to define the characteristics but this test may also
– Initial type testing be used to define the characteristics of walls of similar construction
• By a notified body (Test house)
• ITT of a curtain wall system will be undertaken by the system
– Factory production control designer/supplier
• Quality scheme certified by a notified body
• ITT for a bespoke project design will be by the specialist contractor.

Similar design Performance characteristics

• ‘Curtain walling modified by the replacement of components (e.g. • Reaction to fire • Seismic resistance
glazing, hardware, weather stripping) and/or change of material • Resistance to fire • Direct airborne sound
specification and/or dimensional change of profile section and/or • Fire propagation • Flanking sound transmission
methods and means of assembly which will not adversely affect the
classification and/or declared value of a performance characteristic’ are • Watertightness • Thermal transmittance
of similar design • Resistance to self-weight • Air permeability
• Windload resistance • g-value
• ITT is valid for walls of similar design • Resistance to snow load • Light transmittance
• Impact resistance
• ITT may be cascaded from a system supplier • Resistance to horizontal live
load
• ITT may be transferred laterally.
For some characteristics it is acceptable to CE mark with ‘npd’
(No performance determined)

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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

Reaction to fire Resistance to fire

• Testing of components and • Requirement of Building • Testing of complete wall • Not always a requirement in
materials Regulations AD B construction Building Regulations AD B

– Framing materials • Required for CE marking • Tested to EN 1364-3 • May be marked ‘npd’
– Spandrels
– Linings • Cascaded from material • May be cascaded from system
– Gaskets suppliers supplier
– Finishes
• Some materials such as steel • Depends on glazing type etc.
– Tests arranged by supplier may be classified without further and may require project testing.
testing (CWFT)
– (May require third party
accreditation)

Fire propagation Fire propagation

• Testing of wall, fire stopping and
slab edge
• Tested to EN 1364-4
• Required in Building Regulations
AD B even for walls that are not
fire resistant
• Required for CE marking unless
we redefine the AD B
requirements
• Building Regulations AD B
• ‘Junction should maintain fire
resistance of compartmentation’
• Taken to be the fire resistance
of the floor

• Possible use of ‘standard • Impossible to test as the wall is

details’ allowed to fail before the floor

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Watertightness
• Testing of large specimen of
wall
• Type test applicable to many
geometries and dimensions
Resistance to self-weight
• Checked by calculation
• In accordance with relevant
structural Eurocode
– EN 1999 for Aluminium
Watertightness
• Not explicitly required in Building
Regulations AD C
• Not required for atrium walls
• Probably required for CE
marking for commercial reasons
as ‘npd’ is not credible.
Windload resistance
• Not explicitly required by • Testing of large specimen of • Explicitly required in Building
Building Regulations AD A but wall Regulations AD A
covered by generally safety
requirements • Calculation for mullions and • Required for CE marking
transoms of different length and
• Probably required for CE cross section
marking for commercial reasons
as ‘npd’ is not credible • In accordance with relevant
structural Eurocode
– EN 1990 and EN 1991 for
loads
– EN 1999 for Aluminium
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Resistance to snow load Impact resistance

• By calculation • Impact testing of the wall • Not explicitly required by

≤ 15o assembly Building Regulations AD A or
• Applies to sloping parts of AD K
curtain walls • Impact applied to:
• CE marking probably required
• Curtain wall is envelope within – Framing members for commercial reasons as ‘npd’
15o of vertical. It may contain is not credible
– Opaque infill
less steep sections.

Impact resistance Horizontal live load

• EN 14019 requires: • By calculation • Explicitly required by Building

– Impact testing on spandrels
– Impact testing on full height
panels if there is no transom
Regulations AD K
– May be applied to a transom
– May be applied to glazing • Required for CE marking

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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers
Seismic resistance
• By testing a large specimen of
the wall
• Requirements for:
– Safety
– Serviceability
Flanking sound transmission
• Testing of the wall
• Calculation rules for different
lengths of interface
• Not a UK issue
• Not required for CE marking in
the UK
• Unless exporting to seismic
regions!
• Explicitly required by AD E in
some uses
• Often required by specifiers
• Will be required for CE marking
of walls for apartments
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Direct airborne sound
• Testing of a standard • Not required by Building
specimen Regulations AD E
• Specimen is only 1.23 m x • May be a specification issue
1.48 m
• May require testing on a project-
• Substitution of infill panel with by-project basis for larger areas
one of higher performance is of infill and glazing
allowed
Flanking sound transmission
• EN ISO 10848-1 and EN ISO
10848-2 require large
specimens
• Different geometries may be
calculated
• Possible use of ‘standard
details’
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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

Thermal transmittance Air permeability

• Initial calculation for the framing
• Additional calculation required
for overall U-value including infill
panels and glazing
• Required by Building
Regulations AD L
• May be required by EU
regulations in the future
• Required for CE marking
• Test of large specimen of wall
• Rules for application
– -100% okay
– +50% but reduce one
class
– (Based on ratio of seal
length to area)
– May be calculated from
tests
• Not explicitly required in Building
Regulations AD L
• Will be required in specifications
• Probably required for CE
marking for commercial reasons
as ‘npd’ is not credible

Radiation properties Durability

• g-value • g-value is explicitly required in • ‘The curtain wall shall retain its • Not required by Building
– Product test Building Regulations AD L characteristic performance at an Regulations
– Calculation acceptable level for the
• Required for CE marking economic life of the wall’ • Mandatory under the
• Light transmission Construction Products
• There is no stated life span Regulations
– Product test
– Calculation

• Both depend on glazing and infill

panels

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CE Marking for specialist contractors and specifiers

Durability Assessing similarity

fixings
and
Hardware

sealants
and
Gaskets

material
Frame

profile
Frame

Glazing

Other infill
• The durability requirements of • Economic life is not defined in
the Product Standard EN 13830 EU Mandates Characteristic
are being written by:
– CWCT • Interpretation will be: Reaction to fire (Y) Y Y (Y) N N
– Politechnico di Milano
Fire resistance integrity N (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y)
• ‘It should be possible to
• They will be available by maintain, repair and replace any Fire propagation N (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y)
February 2012 component of the wall that has
shorter service life than the wall’ Thermal insulation N (Y) (Y) (Y) Y Y

Radiation properties N N N N Y (Y)

• This is the current requirement
of the CWCT Standard
Y Modification will change the characteristic
(Y) Modification may change the characteristic
N Modification will not change the characteristic

Assessing similarity Assessing similarity

fixings
and
Hardware

sealants
and
Gaskets

material
Frame

profile
Frame

Glazing

Other infill

fixings
and
Hardware

sealants
and
Gaskets

material
Frame

profile
Frame

Glazing

Other infill
Characteristic Characteristic

Watertightness (Y) Y (Y) Y N N Durability N Y Y (Y) (Y) Y

Air permeability (Y) Y (Y) Y N N Direct airborne sound N (Y) (Y) Y Y (Y)

Wind load resistance (Y) (Y) Y Y Y Y Flanking sound N (Y) (Y) Y Y (Y)

Horizontal load (Y) N Y Y Y Y Self-weight (Y) N Y Y Y (Y)

Impact (Y) N (Y) (Y) Y Y

Y Modification will change the characteristic Y Modification will change the characteristic
(Y) Modification may change the characteristic (Y) Modification may change the characteristic
N Modification will not change the characteristic N Modification will not change the characteristic

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System supplier role System supplier role

• The system supplier cannot be responsible for: • The system supplier will probably type test for:
– Glazing – Watertightness
– Infill panels – Air permeability
– Flashings and closures – Resistance to windload
– Impact
• The system supplier cannot CE mark for: – Fire propagation / reaction to fire
– Thermal transmittance or g-value
– Wind load on different geometries • The system supplier may make available software/charts or tables
– Fire propagation for:
– Horizontal live load – Selection of components for windload at different geometries
– Impact – Selection of components for barrier load at different geometries
– Calculation of U-values for a limited range of glasses
– ….

Specialist contractor (fabricator) role Specialist contractor (fabricator) role

• The specialist contractor will have to CE mark on the basis of: • The specialist contractor may make recourse to:

– ITT by the system company – System company software, charts or tables

– ITT by component suppliers – Component supplier guidance
– Additional testing – Internal knowledge and skills
– External consultants
– Calculation of characteristics for: – Deemed to satisfy details
• Resistance to windload
• Resistance to self-weight
• Horizontal live load
• Thermal shock resistance
• Thermal transmittance
• g-value

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Specialist contractor (fabricator) role Specialist contractor (fabricator) role

• EN 13830 requires: • ‘Products marked in accordance with appropriate harmonised

European specifications may be presumed to have the
• ‘The factory production control system shall document the various performances stated with that marking, ….
stages in the design of products, identify the checking procedure and
those individuals responsible for all stages of design. During the design
process itself, a record shall be kept of all checks, their results, and any
• ….although this does not replace the responsibility on a curtain
corrective actions taken.’ wall designer to ensure that the curtain wall as a whole is
correctly designed and its component products have the
necessary performance values to meet the design.’
• ‘This record shall be sufficiently detailed and accurate to demonstrate
that all stages of the design phase, and all checks, have been carried
out satisfactorily’.

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