It is a mandatory requirement under the Construction Products Directive that fibres used for the purpose of reinforcing concrete have the appropriate CE accreditation.
It is therefore important to check you are being supplied with appropriately certified material, by identifying the following points:
- CE compliance is mandatory for the sale of construction products in the UK.
- Micro and macro fibres are covered by EN14889 Part 2.
- Where fibres are used to enhance the structural performance of the concrete and replace mesh for load carrying purposes, the performance of the fibre will need to be checked by a notified body to verify compliance. For example Sika use the British Standards Institute.
- Information should be clearly provided on the CE label which should be affixed to the product (pallet) when delivered.
- A DoP (Declaration of Performance) should also be available if requested by the customer – again correctly formatted.
- Both the CE label and DoP will give the dosage of fibres required to achieve structural performance in concrete, according to EN14889 Part 2 “Effect on Strength”. Dosages below this figure are not acceptable where you are using the residual strength from the fibres in the design of reinforced concrete for load carrying performance.
Where the appropriate and correct CE labelling is not provided, the product is in breach of the Construction Products Directive which would be a matter for Trading Standards. This would also be in conflict with EN206 and could result in non-conformity during any Quality Assurance audit.
If you have any queries with regards the requirements for CE compliance in relation to EN14889, please do not hesitate to contact your Sika representative for further advice.
