EN 1090 and CE-marking of steel structures
Execution classes welding coordination and the factory's own control.
When a blacksmith shop manufactures load-bearing steel structures—balconies, steel stairs, beams, columns, or frames to be incorporated into a building—it's not enough that the welding looks good. The product is a building material, and it's covered by a harmonized EU standard, EN 1090, which places requirements on both the construction and the company that manufactures it.
§What EN 1090 requires
EN 1090-1 establishes how load-bearing steel and aluminum components are CE-marked, while EN 1090-2 describes the technical requirements for the execution of steel structures. For a company to CE-mark load-bearing structures, it must have a certified factory production control (FPC) system, and the certification must be performed by a notified body.
§Execution classes (EXC).
Structures are divided into four execution classes, EXC1 to EXC4, according to how serious the consequences of failure would be. Requirements are tightened stepwise: the higher the class, the stricter the requirements for welding procedures, welder qualifications, inspection and documentation. The majority of ordinary building's steel work falls into class EXC2.
| Class | Typical application (indicative) |
|---|---|
| EXC1 | Simple constructions with low consequence for failure |
| EXC2 | Common construction – the class most steel work lands in |
| EXC3 | Larger, more heavily loaded constructions |
| EXC4 | Structures with very serious consequences if failure occurs |
§Welding coordination
From EXC2 onwards, the standard requires that the company have a welding coordinator with documented knowledge and experience who supervises the welding processes. The welding coordinator ensures, among other things, that welding is done according to approved procedures (WPS), that welders are qualified, and that materials and filler materials are traceable.
§Documentation and traceability
A key characteristic of working under EN 1090 is that the work must be documented. Material certificates welding procedures welder qualifications and inspection results must be presentable. Traceability means that for a given structure you can show which material was used who welded and which procedure was followed.
§What it means for the blacksmith
For the individual blacksmith EN 1090 means structural welding is not a free craft but regulated work with procedures qualification requirements and paperwork. Understanding the system — and why it exists — makes the difference between a blacksmith who can execute a seam and a blacksmith who can deliver a structure that a building legally can take in.