What counts as a construction product
The definition
Section titled “The definition”A construction product is a product or kit made and placed on the market to be permanently incorporated in construction works, and whose performance affects the fulfilment of the basic requirements for those works.
Two elements are in it, and both have to hold: the intention of permanent incorporation, and the effect on the performance of the works.
The basic requirements
Section titled “The basic requirements”EU regulation lists seven basic requirements for construction works:
- mechanical resistance and stability,
- safety in case of fire,
- hygiene, health and the environment,
- safety and accessibility in use,
- protection against noise,
- energy economy and heat retention,
- sustainable use of natural resources.
A product falls under the regulation if it affects any of them. A load-bearing profile affects the first and the second, an insulation the sixth and often the second as well.
Product and kit
Section titled “Product and kit”A kit is a package from one manufacturer, consisting of at least two separate components, placed on the market together and assembled once incorporated in the works. That concept matters for light gauge steel buildings, because the legal treatment of a building made of prefabricated panels turns on it. The concept of a construction kit.
What is not a construction product
Section titled “What is not a construction product”- Anything not permanently incorporated (scaffolding, formwork, temporary works).
- Anything made individually on site and not placed on the market as a product.
- Anything with no effect on the basic requirements.
That last point matters in practice: not every material needs paperwork, but every material with a structural role does.
What it means at installation
Section titled “What it means at installation”A construction product may be installed if its performance is verified by a declaration of performance. The designer has to specify a product whose performance covers the requirement — and the contractor has to verify that this is what was installed. The rules on incorporation.
The point
Section titled “The point”“Construction product” is not a kind of material but a legal status. What decides it is whether it was made for permanent incorporation and whether it matters to the performance of the works.