CAA Autumn News
September 19, 2005

CAA TC and board meetings: 6 December 2005 at Sika Welwyn Garden City.


Cementaid have moved, but not far, their new address is:

1 Baird Close
Crawley
West Sussex, RH10 9SY

All other details remain the same.


RMC Admixtures are now CEMEX Admixtures, CEMEX UK Materials Ltd.

All other details remain the same.



BS 8443; Special Purpose concrete Admixtures
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Special Purpose concrete Admixtures is currently out for public comment from the BSI. The final date for reply is 30 September after which, the comments will be considered by B517/3 before the document goes for final vote. It could become a formal British standard by about Easter 2006.


Concrete Society TR 62 Self-compacting Concrete
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Concrete Society TR 62 Self-compacting Concrete has now been published and is available. Thanks to all the CAA members who worked on the technical committee and supported the project financially. The European Guidelines for SCC are mentioned in relation to Specification.


The European Guidelines for Self-compacting Concrete, - Specification, production and use
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The European Guidelines for Self-compacting Concrete, - Specification, production and use are now on the CAA web site admixtures.org.uk as a free download. The test methods and specification have been taken up by European Standards Committee CEN TC104.


EN 934 parts 2 and 6 amendments
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EN 934 parts 2 and 6 amendments, Passed their final vote and after editorial changes, will be published, probably in early 2006.


EN 480 parts 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 amendments
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EN 480 parts 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 amendments, Passed their final vote and after editorial changes, will be published, probably in early 2006.


EN 480 parts 1, 2, 10 amendments
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EN 480 parts 1, 2, 10 amendments, passed enquiry and after editorial changes, will be published, for formal vote in early 2006.


EN 480 part 14
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EN 480 part 14, Corrosion test method, passed enquiry but with a lot of comments. A sub committee of CEN TC104/SC3 will meet to consider these and produce a redrafted document. This will be considered by all SC3 members before it goes out for formal vote, probably in late 2006.


EN 934 part 1
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EN 934 part 1, New standard covering common requirements for admixtures. The draft has been agreed by SC3 and will go for enquiry in 2006.


Curing compounds
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The text of prEN 14754-1 has been edited and will be submitted for publication as a TS (Technical Specification). This means that the UK does not have to withdraw BS 5328 but is asked to try the two methods in parallel and submit comments.


EN 934-3, European standard for Mortar admixtures
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EN 934-3, European standard for Mortar admixtures
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EN 934-3, European standard for Mortar admixtures has now been notified in the official journal of the EU and CE marking can start from late 2005.


EN 934-5, European standard for Sprayed Concrete admixtures
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EN 934-5, European standard for Sprayed Concrete admixtures. The amendments with the missing test methods to this standard have still not appeared from CEN. This means that it will be well into 2006 before the standard is published.


Corrosion Effects of admixtures
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At an experts group of TC104/SC3 in June, the principle of a generic positive list of admixtures which would be exempt from testing to prEN 480-14, Measurement of the corrosion susceptibility of reinforcing steel in concrete, was agreed. This opens the way for the next meeting of TC104/SC3 on 13 September to agree on the content of the draft of EN 934-1 Admixture common requirements.


EFCA
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Although EFCA voted for co-operation rather than membership of the new European Construction Chemicals Federation EFCC, they are putting very heavy pressure on EFCA to join. Negotiations continue and there will be a further debate at the Board meeting on 6 December.


The European Drinking water mandate
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The European Commission (EC) has now confirmed that ready-mix concrete is outside the scope of the EAS mandate because it is not harmonised under the Construction Products Directive (CPD). However, they are now saying that the harmonised constituents of concrete, must be individually certified. This has raised some difficult questions for all constituents but especially for organic products like admixtures. The requirements for EAS certification will now have to appear in EN 934 and will go in the new part 1, but there is likely to be problems in setting the threshold limits for acceptance. The industry is still pressing for an agreed constituent/component list and there may be agreement on this but new constituents could prove more difficult. The admixture industry continues to be heavily involved in these discussions through CEN TC 104 WG 14 and EFCA represented on the EC expert group.


The Dangerous (regulated) Substances mandate
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This mandate was confirmed by the EU earlier in the year and various committees are starting to meet. However, it is already apparent that there is uncertainty and disagreement over fundamental issues like content of DRS vs release of DRS and whether release after demolition is included. There is also the question of whether the legislation only harmonises the test methods or also includes threshold limits. If there are no threshold limits then the NPD option can be used in those countries like the UK which have no current requirements. BSI is currently forming a new committee to co-ordinate the UK input to the EC expert group and to the CEN committees. CAA has asked to be involved and has also been represented at a UK concrete sector group that has been formed to lobby for our interests.


REACH
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The debate and approval of REACH is scheduled to take place in the European Parliament during the autumn of 2005. For admixture producers the danger is that, as currently drafted, REACH will result in the elimination of many of the minor constituents that give unique properties to each individual admixture. They will be eliminated, not because they are dangerous but because of the cost of the testing required by REACH to prove that they are safe. There will also be increased cost for you with more detailed MSDS which your customers will nether read or understand. Please use your influence with our local MEPs to ensure that the legislation is does not result in unnecessary and expensive testing and bureaucracy that is likely to affect jobs and the range and quality of the products which we supply.

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