What the Eurocodes are
The Eurocodes (designated EN 1990 through EN 1999) are the European harmonised structural design standards. They cover everything from "what loads do you design for" through "how do you size a concrete column" to "how do you design a foundation in soft clay".
Singapore adopted the Eurocodes as its national structural design code in stages from 2010, replacing the older British Standard (BS) codes. Each Eurocode is published in Singapore as SS EN [number] with a Singapore National Annex that adapts the partial factors and load combinations to local conditions (rainfall, wind, seismic).
The eight SS EN parts and what they govern
SS EN 1990 — Basis of structural design
The "rule book" — defines the limit states (Ultimate Limit State, Serviceability Limit State, Accidental, Seismic), the partial factors, and the consequence classes (CC1/CC2/CC3). Every calculation references SS EN 1990 for its basic design philosophy.
SS EN 1991 — Actions on structures
The loads. Multiple parts:
- 1991-1-1 — densities, self-weight, imposed (live) loads
- 1991-1-2 — actions on structures exposed to fire
- 1991-1-3 — snow loads (not applicable to Singapore)
- 1991-1-4 — wind actions (critical in Singapore)
- 1991-1-5 — thermal actions
- 1991-1-7 — accidental actions (impact, explosion, robustness)
SS EN 1992 — Design of concrete structures
The bread and butter for any RC frame project — beams, columns, slabs, walls, foundations. Covers reinforcement detailing, anchorage, lap lengths, punching shear, deflection, crack control. Every Singapore RC submission references this code extensively.
SS EN 1993 — Design of steel structures
Steel members and connections — stress checks, buckling, lateral-torsional stability, bolt and weld design, fatigue. Used for steel-framed industrial buildings, portal frames, mezzanines, and any composite construction.
SS EN 1994 — Design of composite steel and concrete structures
Composite slabs (steel deck + concrete topping), composite beams (steel beam + concrete slab acting together), composite columns. Common in commercial floor systems where speed of construction matters.
SS EN 1995 — Design of timber structures
Timber design, including engineered wood products. Less common in Singapore but used for certain conservation projects and feature elements.
SS EN 1996 — Design of masonry structures
Brick and block masonry. Common for low-rise residential and infill construction.
SS EN 1997 — Geotechnical design
Foundations, retaining walls, slope stability, ERSS. Singapore's marine clay and Bukit Timah granite both feature heavily in geotechnical design. Used together with BCA TR43 (Code of Practice on ERSS) for excavation works.
SS EN 1998 — Design for earthquake resistance
Seismic design. Singapore is in a low-seismic zone but the Eurocodes still require notional seismic loading for tall buildings and certain consequence classes.
SS EN 1999 — Aluminium structures
Aluminium design — used for façade systems, certain roofing, and curtain wall framing.
The Singapore National Annex
Each SS EN includes a National Annex that customises the European standard for Singapore conditions. The National Annex sets:
- Partial factors for permanent and variable actions
- Wind speed maps for Singapore
- Local material properties (typical concrete grades, reinforcement steel)
- Combinations of actions
- Specific clauses on tropical durability
Designing to a "vanilla" EN without the Singapore National Annex is wrong; BCA submissions must reference SS EN.
Common BCA Codes of Practice that sit alongside SS EN
- TR43 — Code of Practice on Earth Retaining and Stabilising Structures (ERSS)
- TR3 — Code of Practice on Falsework
- SS 280 — Steel Tubular Scaffolds
- SS EN 1090 — Execution of steel structures
- SS EN 13670 — Execution of concrete structures
- BCA Approved Documents — fire safety, accessibility, energy efficiency
- BCA Buildability COP — for CONQUAS and Buildable Design Score requirements
Material specifications you'll see in submissions
- Concrete — typically C30/37 to C50/60 (cylinder/cube strength). Specified by SS EN 206.
- Reinforcement steel — typically B500B (500 MPa yield, ductility class B). Specified by SS EN 10080.
- Structural steel — typically S355JR (355 MPa yield) or S275JR. Specified by SS EN 10025.
- Bolts — typically Grade 8.8 or 10.9 for high-strength friction grip. Specified by SS EN 14399.
What changed when Singapore moved from BS to SS EN
- Limit-state design (vs. permissible stress) became the universal philosophy
- Partial factors on load and material became explicit (rather than embedded in stress allowables)
- Detailing rules became more prescriptive (anchorage, lap, transverse reinforcement)
- Geotechnical design moved to a partial-factor framework (vs. global factor of safety)
- Fire design became more explicit and quantitative
What this means for owners
You don't need to know the codes — that's the PE's job. But you should know:
- Every endorsed calculation references SS EN. If a submission references only BS codes (no SS EN), it's outdated and likely won't pass BCA review.
- Load assumptions (live loads, wind speed, seismic) are documented in the calculation cover sheet. Read these to understand what the PE assumed.
- Any change of use (residential to commercial, office to F&B) changes the live load and triggers re-checking against SS EN 1991-1-1.
Need a structural calculation to SS EN for a Singapore project? CVC Engineers' standard work is to all current SS EN parts. Send us the project; written quote in one working day.