Introduction

For most practising engineers, knowledge of the current work on European standardisation and its impact on British Standards and UK practice is scant. Regretfully, in some cases, the engineer is also ill informed. ‘Europe’ will not remove the engineers freedom to select materials and concrete properties, even from those working on public works contracts. In fact, in time he is likely to have available a wider choice of materials and options. However, the impact of European standardisation will be profound: during the next decade the British standards for most construction products will be withdrawn and replaced by European standards.