Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA) recently hosted a series of well attended seminars to introduce and discuss the new SANS 51992-1-1 concrete
Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA) recently hosted a series of well attended seminars to introduce and discuss the new SANS 51992-1-1 concrete code which fundamentally changes the way structural concrete is manufactured and delivered in South Africa.
Introducing the code, Dr Kim Timm of Stellenbosch University told the audience that the introduction of the code represents a landmark change in South African structural engineering moving from the trusted but ageing SANS 10100 Eurocode based specification for reinforced concrete design to a modern framework aligned with international practice.
“The pace of research and the introduction of more advanced materials have dramatically changed the way we build and concrete strengths now commonly specified at 50 MPa were considered exceptional back then. There have also been advances in the understanding of creep, shrinkage and durability – the world has unfortunately moved on.
“The decision to adopt Eurocode 2 rather than attempt another revision of SANS 10100 was not taken lightly and was debated whether to update locally or to harmonise with international standards. The Eurocode was ultimately chosen over the American ACI code because of South Africa’s historical ties to British practice and the smoother technical fit.
“This resulted in SANS 51992 1 1 which was formally accepted in 2025 and overlays Eurocode 2 with a National Annex tailored to South African conditions. This annex ensures that local material properties, durability requirements and environmental factors are properly accounted for while maintaining full compatibility with the European framework,” Timm said.
She explained that the new specification introduces a different structure and terminology. Where SANS 10100 offered a user friendly layout the Eurocode follows a more integrated flow beginning with the basis of design and referencing the updated loading code before progressing through material models, durability, structural analysis and finally ultimate and serviceability limit states.
Loads are now referred to as “actions” distinguishing permanent, variable and accidental influences. Fire design provisions which were embedded in SANS 10100 have been carried into the National Annex with Eurocode Part 2 available for more complex cases such as high rise structures requiring extended fire resistance.
“The transition will not be easy for engineers and technical staff with decades of experience under the old code. Yet the adoption of Eurocode brings consistency and international credibility, as well as making available literature and supporting materials such as concise guides and textbooks that are available internationally and will ease the learning curve. This is important because we have to remember that the old code will be formally withdrawn in December 2026,” Timm concluded.
