CE-marking & CPR
CE-marking & CPR
Troldtekt is CE-marked in accordance with the EN 13168 harmonised European product standard for cement-bonded wood wool and EN 13964 standard for suspended ceilings.
If a construction product is covered by a harmonised standard, it is required to be CE-marked in accordance with annex ZA of the standard. A CE-mark indicates that the given construction product can be sold legally and complies with the product standard to which the mark refers. The manufacturer must document that the requirements in the standard have been met, by:
- Type testing (first-time testing to determine declared properties)
- Documented production control, including continuous sampling of finished products
for testing
- Declaration of performance and CE-mark
Bureau Veritas is Troldtekt's certifying body and audits the factory in Troldhede once a year in relation to EN 13964 and twice a year in relation to EN 13168.
From CPD to CPR – from directive to regulation
The new European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) enters into force on 1 July 2013, replacing the previous Construction Products Directive (CPD). The transition from directive to regulation means that the regulation will become legally binding in all EU countries, whereas the directive had to be implemented via national legislation, with the result that the approach to CE-marking and marketing for construction products within the EU has not been uniform to date. The change also means that as of 1 July 2013 CE-marking will be compulsory in countries that have previously chosen to view CE-marking under the Construction Products Directive as a voluntary initiative. All member states are to establish CPR contact points (by July 1st 2013) which provide free advice regarding national technical rules for construction products.
The Construction Products Regulation is based on the six product requirements from the Construction Products Directive, and also contains a seventh requirement regarding sustainability. The seven construction product requirements are:
- Mechanical resistance and stability, i.e. ensuring the building will not collapse or suffer deformation or damage.
- Safety in case of fire, i.e. maintaining load-bearing capacity for a specified period of time during fire, limiting the generation and spread of fire and smoke, and facilities for evacuation, rescue and fire fighting.
- Hygiene, health and the environment, i.e. the the emission of toxic gases, chemicals or radiation into indoor air, drinking water or waste water, and dampness inside the building.
- Safety and accessibility in use, e.g. minimising accidents or damage during use of the building, falling and electrocution and taking into consideration accessibility and use for disabled persons.
- Protection against noise, i.e. preventing noise inside and outside the building which can impact on health, sleep, rest or work.
- Energy economy and heat retention, i.e. reducing energy consumption for heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation.
- Sustainability, i.e. the construction works must be designed, built and demolished in such a way that the use of natural resources is sustainable, and in particular ensure the following:
- reuse or recyclability of the construction works, their materials
and parts after demolition
- durability of the construction works
- use of environmentally compatible raw and secondary materials
in the construction works.
DoP - Declaration of Performance
One of the key changes in the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) compared to the Construction Products Directive is that a Declaration of Performance (DoP) must be formulated rather than a conformity declaration. The declaration of performance is prepared using the same documentation that provided a basis for the conformity declaration under the Construction Products Directive (CPD).
The Construction Products Regulation allows for declarations of performance to be provided electronically, and Troldtekt's declarations of performance for the various product groups are therefore available on the website and for download.
EPD - Environmental Product Declaration
The new seventh requirement regarding sustainability will only enter force when the harmonised product standards are amended at the instruction of the European commission. All standards must be edited every five years, so several years may pass before the seventh requirement is implemented in the specific product standards. Sustainability is expected to be documented using environment product declarations (EPDs) prepared in accordance with the new European DS/EN 15804 standard.
Although sustainability documentation will only be required once the product standards have been amended, Troldtekt has already prepared an environmental product declaration in accordance with EN 15804, with the assistance of the Danish Technological Institute.