construction products testing bttg

UKCA Marking of Construction Products

UKCA Marking of Construction Products

The UK Construction Products Regulations (CPR)

The UK's Construction Products (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 state that any Construction Product covered by a UK Designated Standard must be UKCA marked. The procedures that the manufacturer must follow (the Conformity Tasks) depend upon the type of product.

The UK CPR does not set minimum performance values for products, however it does harmonise the tests that the product must undergo. The manufacturer must declare the performance against these tests. It is then left to national regulations, or the purchasers and users of the product, to decide if the product meets their requirements.

UK Designated Standards and UK Assessment Documents (UKADs)

If a UK Designated Standard exists for a Construction Product, then the product must be assessed using this standard. The list of Designated Standards is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Designated Standards have an Annex ZA.1 which lists the mandatory tests. There may be other tests which are optional, and are not required for UKCA marking.

Products for which no Designated Standard exists can be UKCA marked using a UK Assessment Document (UKAD), which will have a section listing the mandatory tests, serving the same purpose as an Annex ZA.1.

System of Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP)

Designated Standards have an Annex ZA.3 which sets out the system of AVCP for the product. UKADs will also have a section which serves the same purpose.

There are five ‘Systems’ with different tasks for the manufacturer, and also for Approved Bodies where appropriate.

The Systems contain some or all of the following procedures:

  • Factory production control (FPC)
  • Initial inspection of the manufacturing plant and of FPC
  • Continuous surveillance, assessment and evaluation of FPC
  • Determination of product type on the basis of type testing, calculations, tabulated values or documentation
  • Audit testing of samples taken before placing the product on the market.

The tasks for Approved Bodies depend on the System, and can be one of the following:

  • Testing Laboratory (for System 3): type-testing of samples submitted by the manufacturer
  • FPC Certification Body (for System 2+): initial inspection and continuing surveillance of FPC
  • Product Certification Body (for System 1 and 1+): both type-testing and FPC

System 4 products are the responsibility of the manufacturer, with no Approved Body involvement.

BTTG® – Approved Body 0338.

BTTG®, Approved Body 0338, is accredited as a Testing Laboratory, FPC Certification Body and a Product Certification Body. Our full scope can be found on the UK Approved Bodies database here.

System 3 products (as an Approved Testing Laboratory)

BTTG®'s scope for System 3 products is based upon the specialist knowledge of staff from the BTTG® accredited test laboratories, for Membranes and for Fire.

  • Gypsum products (Plasterboards, blocks etc.)
  • Curtain wallings
  • Wood-based panels
  • Floorings - Rigid flooring products
  • Floorings - Floor screed materials (for internal uses)
  • Floorings - Resilient and textile floorings
  • Roof coverings - Roofing tiles, slates, stones and shingles
  • Internal and external wall and ceiling finishes:
    • Suspended ceilings (kits) for fire protection
    • Panels for fire protection of walls or ceilings
    • Tiles (of brittle materials) as internal or external finishes
    • Tiles for suspended ceilings
    • Suspended ceilings (kits)
    • Panels as internal or external stiffening elements
    • Coverings in roll form (subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Suspended ceilings (kits) (subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Cladding slabs as external finishes (subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Panels as internal or external finishes (subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Suspended ceilings (kits) (subject to regulations on dangerous substances)
    • Cladding slabs as internal or external finishes (subject to regulations on dangerous substances)
    • Tiles as internal or external finishes (subject to regulations on dangerous substances)
    • Panels as internal or external finishes (subject to regulations on dangerous substances)
    • Membranes:
    • Roof underlays (in buildings)
    • Water vapour control layers (in buildings)
    • Damp proofing sheets (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Roof underlays (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Roof sheets (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Water vapour control layers (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)
    • Roof sheets (for uses subject to external fire performance regulations)
  • Thermal insulating products
  • Thermal insulating products (for uses subject to regulations on reaction to fire)
  • Concrete protection and repair products (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)
  • Flat or curved glass panels (for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations)

System 2+ products (as a FPC Certification Body)

BTTG®'s scope for System 2+ products is based upon our FPC auditing capabilities, supported by the specialist knowledge of staff from BTTG®, the UK’s leading laboratory for Geosynthetics.

Geosynthetics (membranes and textiles), geotextiles, geocomposites, geogrids, geomembranes and geonets for use in:

  • Roads
  • Railways
  • Foundations and walls
  • Drainage systems
  • Erosion control
  • Reservoirs and dams
  • Canals
  • Tunnels and underground structures
  • Liquid waste disposal or containment
  • Solid waste storage or waste disposal and for use as:
    • as fluid or gas barriers
    • as a protective layer
    • for drainage and/or filtration
    • for reinforcement

Membranes - Damp proofing sheets

Membranes - Roof sheets

System 1 products (as a Product Certification Body)

BTTG®'s scope for System 1 products, where a Fire Retardant agent is used in the manufacture of the product, is based upon our FPC auditing capabilities together with the expertise of BTTG®'s UK’s leading laboratory for flooring, carpets and other fire tested products.

  • Floorings (including carpets)
  • Internal and external wall and ceiling finishes - Coverings in roll form
  • Membranes - for uses subject to reaction to fire regulations
    • Roof Underlays
    • Damp proofing sheets
    • Water vapour control layers

More information on our FPC capabilities for Construction Products can be found here.