Building and civil engineering standards - Eurocodes reliability basis

In 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) began the process of uniting European countries, both politically and economically, to ensure lasting peace. The six founding countries were: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome gave birth to the European Economic Community (EEC), whose founders were a handful of idealists.

The development of a comprehensive set of European standards for the construction industry, and in particular the Eurocodes, is also the result of ideas expressed by "visionary" experts. The Eurocodes are, first and foremost :

• vocabulary ;

• a glossary ;

• formulas ;

• sentences ;

• thought patterns;

• units of measurement ;

• symbols ;

• shared social values.

Why are all players in the construction industry so interested in Eurocodes? Why has the drafting of European standards been so strongly encouraged? There are many reasons: standardization is the best tool for ensuring that buildings meet the fundamental traditional requirements of safety, security, robustness and satisfactory service life. But it is also the best way of ensuring that structures meet the requirements of today's sustainable development-conscious society.

The Roman architect Vitruvius wrote a treatise ("De architectura"), probably around 25 BC, covering virtually every aspect of Roman architecture and engineering in ten chapters (or books). It was dedicated to the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide to building projects. This work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of design and calculation methods for small and large Roman constructions.

Is "De architectura" the first design and calculation code for buildings? Probably not, as a design and calculation code is not a course: it needs to be supplemented by courses, guides, treatises, etc. Nevertheless, it was considered for many centuries as the reference document for architects and engineers. Nevertheless, for many centuries it was considered the reference document for architects and engineers. Today, modern standards, and Eurocodes in particular, are the reference documents for construction activity. The aim of this article is to provide some keys to a better understanding of the nature of the requirements on which they are based.