The NF mark now applies to concrete architectural elements

Launch of the new brand
Concrete Architectural Elements
For aesthetic and durable works
Presentation of certificates on March 8, 2010 to the first certified factories

In the presence of
Mr. Alain Battistonni, President of the Architectural Elements group of the FIB
Mr. Jacques Beslin, Deputy Director General of AFNOR Certification, 
Mr. Daniel Kahane, President of BETOCIB (Architecture and Concrete), 
Mr. Gilles Bernardeau, Director of Industrial Quality at CERIB 
(Center for Studies and Research of the Concrete Industry).

While CE marking for wall and facade elements will be mandatory from May 1, 2010, the new NF mark for factory-made concrete architectural elements, created on January 1, 2010, will welcome its first holders in March 2010.

The NF mark certifies that the characteristics of the products comply not only with the requirements of the harmonized European standard NF EN 14992 (Prefabricated concrete products - Wall elements) but also with the additional requirements of the NF 418 certification standard. For the design of the products, Eurocode 2 (NF EN 1992) and its national annex (NF EN 1992/NA) apply.

Two types of products can be NF certified: 
wall elements covered by standard NF EN 14992: solid walls, sandwich walls, lightweight walls, facing elements
products contributing to the architecture of a building: cornices, balusters, railings, skylights, claustras, bay frames, capitals, bridge cornices, etc.

The NF mark affixed to each product guarantees:
that the products are regularly checked by the manufacturer and an accredited third-party body, according to the NF 418 Architectural Elements in Concrete Products Manufactured in the Factory certification standard,
that the results obtained comply with the specifications of the reference standard NF EN 14992 Prefabricated concrete products - Wall elements,
that the products meet the needs of users and are suitable for use, according to standard NF DTU 22.1,
that the products, through their multitude of surface aspects, textures, shades, and through their resistance and durability, contribute to the creation of aesthetic and durable works.

The first 5 factories to hold the NF Architectural Elements in Concrete mark

CAPREMIB 
The CAPREMIB factory, established in 1993 and located in Cormicy (51), is part of the CAPREMIB Group; it specializes in heavy prefabrication (cornices, posts, beams, concrete frames, noise barriers, etc.) and achieved a turnover of €17.750 million in 2009.

CIBETEC 
CIBETEC, founded in 2000 and located in Saint-Léonard (51), is part of the CAPREMIB Group; it specializes in architectural facade elements and sandwich panels. The company's factory is equipped with tools for all surface treatments, whether polished, swept, washed, acid-etched, brushed, etc. CIBETEC achieved a turnover of €4.500 million in 2009.

IDBAT PRODUCTION
IDBAT PRODUCTION, an independent family SME, achieved a turnover of €2009 million in 3,8, with a workforce of 30 employees. The main plant is based in Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans (26). The company produces custom-made concrete elements of all shapes and in countless finishes, colors and textures for construction and engineering, thus meeting all architectural challenges.

BRESSANES PREFABRICATIONS 
LPB (Les Préfabrications Bressanes), founded in 1965 and located in Crottet (01), achieved a turnover of €10 million in 2009, with a workforce of 70 people. LPB produces and markets concrete products in several regions of France. LPB's activity is mainly focused on sanitation, but also on roads, civil engineering, and urban development.

MSA 
MSA, the owner-managed factory located in Gilly-sur-Loire (71), is part of the EUROBETON industrial group created in 1991, itself a subsidiary of the Spanish PRAINSA group. EUROBETON manufactures a range of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete elements for the building industry. MSA, one of the first companies to obtain the Qualif-IB label in 1997 for its production of architectural elements, achieved a turnover of €22 million in 2009.

The Architectural Elements Product Group within the FIB (Concrete Industry Federation) is the professional organization that brings together manufacturers of factory-made concrete architectural elements: wall elements and products contributing to the architecture of a building. The turnover of these products represented 291 million Euros in 2008, or 9,3% of the total turnover of the Concrete Industry.

CERIB, the only Technical Center in Europe dedicated to the concrete industry, contributes to technical progress, performance improvement, and the development of quality for concrete products. As a research and development center, CERIB also conducts training and standardization activities. CERIB is a certification body mandated by AFNOR Certification (NF mark) and a certifying body (Qualif-IB) for 24 families of construction products. It is notified by the French government for CE marking under the Construction Products Directive (CPD). CERIB is accredited by COFRAC for testing, calibration, equipment inspection, and product certification (scope available on [website address]). www.cofrac.fr).

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