Is the new Construction Product Regulation going to stop innovation? (Fastener&Fixing Magazine May 2024)

In this article U. Bourgund, T. Holland-Letz, T. Pregartner and M. Umminger of Construction Fixings Europe focus on the planned concept and timeline for the transition from the existing Construction Products Regulation to the new version, as well as the impact this could have on innovation within the  construction sector.


Towards a ‘digital value stream’ for construction products, beyond a digital DoP (Fastener&Fixing Magazine November 2023)

In the course of developing the new Construction Product Regulation (CPR) the aspect of digitisation has attracted
more and more attention and interest. It looks like now most stake holders understand that for a single product,
with the respective intended use, a Declaration of Performance (DoP) – based on an ETA or hEN, a Declaration of
Conformity (DoC) and most probably a Digital Product Passport (DPP) has to be provided to customers.
By Ulrich Bourgund and Thilo Pregartner, Construction Fixings Europe


Fastener&Fixing Magazine September 2023: "CPR revision – possible challenges for the ETA route"

By Dr Ulrich Bourgund and Thomas Holland-Letz, Construction Fixings Europe Association

On 30th March 2022 the European Commission (EC) published the draft of a new Construction Product Regulation (CPR). The draft document covers all construction products technically specified via harmonised European Standards (hEN) and European Assessment Documents (EAD).

The intention of the EC is to further develop the construction market in Europe towards more digital and environmentally friendly concepts – while maintaining a level playing field, e.g ensure a high level of harmonisation across member states.


Reliable design of fastenings (Fastener&Fixing Magazine May 2023)

Thomas Holland-Letz and Ulrich Bourgund, from the Construction Fixing Europe Association, focus on the reliable design of fastenings based on ETAs, EN 1992-4 and EOTA Technical Reports.

Sound and reliable fastening solutions with anchors require proper performance data of the respective product and a suitable design methodology  in order to ensure the appropriate level of safety (Figure One). Over recent years product performance data based on ETAs and design in accordance with  Eurocode 2 , Part 4 (EN 1992-4) has been widely accepted in the engineering community for this purpose.


UKCA Marking based on European Technical Assessments: The manufacturers’ view (Fastener&Fixing Magazine March 2023)

By Dr Ulrich Bourgund and Thomas Holland-Letz of Construction Fixings Europe

On 31st December 2020 the UK left the EU and also left the European rules for product qualification of construction products. Those rules typically have  been documented in hEN (harmonised European Standards) or EAD (European Assessment Documents). Both routes can lead to CE Marking, one mandatory and the latter one voluntarily – similar to the legal situation in the EU.

In the meantime, the UK has developed its own ‘Mark ’ for declaring compliance to technical requirements, the UKCA (United Kingdom Conformity Assessed) Mark, which confirms that the product is compliant with the UK regulations. It is a product marking for goods being placed on the GB market (England, Scotland and Wales). The UKCA Mark demonstrates that certain goods are compliant with UK regulations. It signifies that the product has been assessed on a common technical basis to meet high safety, health and environmental protection requirements.