Author
S. K. ARORA Building Research Establishment, Garston
and M. J. BLACKLER Mott MacDonald Group

Abstract
The European Commission has issued draft Eurocodes (EC) for the design of structures which need to be subjected to national examination and comment by the UK construction industry. DOE, alongside BSI, is responsible for organising such comment. BRE, on behalf of the DOE Construction Industry Directorate, is charged with carrying out technical assessment of the EC. The 1988 draft of EC6 for unreinforced masonry structures has been assessed. To test practical utility of the draft, most of the work wax commissioned from firms of civil and structural consulting engineers. Apart from a thorough textual examination, there were nine design exercises, for comparison with, and calibration of results against, current UK practice represented by BS 5628: Part I. Five involved design of elements covering the scope of the draft, and four were realistic whole masonry structures. This paper briefly describes the assessment procedure employed, the main requirements that the assessment had to fulfil and the results of the work. The results confirm the overall comment of the UK construction industry that the draft EC6 needs to be substantially improved in presentation, and the design approach made less conservative if it is not to put at risk the successful practice of economic slender wall construction.