In the Eurocode series of European standards (EN) related to construction, Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures (abbreviated EN 1992 or, informally, EC 2) specifies technical rules for the design of concrete, reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures, using the limit state design philosophy. It was approved by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) on 16 April 2004 to enable designers across Europe to practice in any country that adopts the code.
Concrete is a very strong and economical material that performs exceedingly well under compression. Its weakness lies in its capability to carry tension forces and thus has its limitations. Steel on the other hand is slightly different; it is similarly strong in both compression and tension. Combining these two materials means engineers would be able to work with a composite material that is capable of carrying both tension and compression forces.
Eurocode 2 is intended to be used in conjunction with:
- EN 1990: Eurocode - Basis of structural design;
- EN 1991: Eurocode 1 - Actions on structures;
- hENs, ETAGs and ETAs: Construction products relevant for concrete structures;
- ENV 13670: Execution of concrete structures;
- EN 1997: Eurocode 7 - Geotechnical design;
- EN 1998: Eurocode 8 - Design of structures for earthquake resistance, when concrete structures are built in seismic regions.
Eurocode 2 is subdivided into the following parts: