Introduction to the European Civil Engineering Standard System

This paper systematically elaborated on the structure and composition of the European civil engineering construction standard system， the development process of the first and second generations of Eurocodes， their main characteristics， and their innovative content. Since the launch of the first generation of Eurocodes in 1975， after nearly 40 years of development， it has become the authoritative civil engineering construction design standard adopted by the EU and several non-EU countries. Relying on its systematic， universal， and diverse features， the standards meet the technical requirements and market demands of different countries and regions. The second generation of Eurocodes， building on the previous standard， has expanded its scope of application， incorporating more high-performance materials and design methods. The innovative framework and content updates of the standard system not only reflect the latest technological advancements and market demands but also enhance user-friendliness and strengthen the consistency across standards. In addition， the second generation of Eurocodes includes content related to the appraisal and retrofitting of existing structures， the impact of climate change， and structural robustness， demonstrating the up-to-date nature of the new generation of standards. Drawing on the experience of the European engineering construction standard system is of great significance for reforming and improving China’s engineering construction standards， enhancing their internationalization， supporting enterprises in "going global"， and strengthening their core competitiveness in the global market.