The steel construction sector has published a comprehensive range of information to assist designers in the use of the first generation of the Eurocodes including the following design guides and worked examples:

An introduction to the Eurocodes

With contributions from:

  • Dr Graham Couchman, CEO, Steel Construction Institute
  • Professor Haig Gulvanessian, Chairman of the ICE Eurocode implementation committee 


However, when these resources are viewed as a whole and combined with the Eurocodes, the National Annexes and the Non-Conflicting Complimentary Information (NCCIs), it seems very daunting when considering where to begin. We would therefore suggest that you should have the following to hand to be able to do a simple ‘Blue Book design’ to get you started:


P362 – Concise Eurocodes

  • This guide walks you through the determination of design loads and the checks required to demonstrate that the resistance of your selected section exceeds the design requirements. It draws together Eurocode 3, the National Annexes and NCCIs into a ‘this is what you need to’ overview.
  • Appendix A is particularly helpful as it sets out step-by-step procedures for each design check, along with references to relevant clauses in Eurocode 3/National Annexes/NCCIs and the appropriate section within the guide for further information

P360 – Stability of Beams and Columns

This guide gives guidance on effective length to be considered for members without intermediate lateral restraint is not included in Eurocode 3

  • Effective length parameters are given in Figure 3.1/Table 3.1 for beams and in Figure 3.2 for cantilevers


P363 - Blue Book to EC3

The only other input required is the C1 factor, which is summarised in Table 6.4 of the Concise Eurocodes

The worked example guides (P364 for open sections and P365 for hollow sections) walk through these and other specific design scenarios in more detail, with appropriate clause references, which the designer may also find helpful.

The information from other guides can then be added once you are confident in the basics of EC3 design or where the content is relevant to the specific project under consideration.