What do EN 14889 and CE marking mean for fibre concrete?

EN 14889 is the harmonised European standard for fibres as concrete reinforcement: part 1 (EN 14889-1) covers steel fibres, part 2 (EN 14889-2) polymer fibres. Since 1 January 2007, CE marking to this standard has been mandatory for fibres on the European market. For structural applications, the strictest conformity system 1 applies, with oversight by a notified body.

What is EN 14889 about?

Anyone using fibres as reinforcement in concrete inevitably encounters EN 14889. The standard lays down the definitions, specifications and conformity requirements for fibres used in concrete, mortar and grout, and consists of two parts:

• EN 14889-1 — steel fibres: drawn wire, cut sheet and other steel forms, divided into groups by production method (group I is cold-drawn wire, the most widely used variant for structural work).

• EN 14889-2 — polymer fibres: synthetic fibres of, among others, polypropylene and polyolefin, divided into classes by shape and diameter.

Because the standard is harmonised under the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR, EU 305/2011), CE marking is not a choice but a legal obligation: since 1 January 2007, fibres for concrete may only be traded on the European market with CE marking. Since July 2013 this must be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance (DoP), in which the manufacturer records the declared performance. This article is part of our pillar sustainability, standards and innovation; a concise overview of all relevant standards can be found on our standards page.

EN 14889-2: class I micro fibres and class II macro fibres

EN 14889-2 classifies polymer fibres by their physical form and diameter. Class I covers micro fibres with a diameter smaller than 0.30 mm, with subclasses Ia (monofilament) and Ib (fibrillated). Class II covers macro fibres with a diameter greater than 0.30 mm.

The distinction is more than a formality. Micro fibres mainly control plastic shrinkage cracks in young concrete, but deliver no structural residual strength. A class Ia micro fibre such as Promicro is therefore dosed at 0.6–1.0 kg/m³ against shrinkage cracking — not as a replacement for reinforcement. Macro fibres do provide that: they are used where a residual (flexural) strength is required after cracking and can thereby fulfil a structural function. A class II macro fibre to EN 14889-2, such as the Wiking 4050 TR, at a few kilograms per cubic metre, is an alternative to reinforcing steel in floors and pavements.

Anyone considering fibre reinforcement as a replacement for traditional reinforcing steel therefore needs class II macro fibres or steel fibres, not class I micro fibres. How the fibre types otherwise relate to one another is covered in our overview of types of concrete fibres.

EN 14889-1: steel fibres

For steel fibres, EN 14889-1 uses a similar system, but based on production method. The standard distinguishes five groups; for construction practice, group I (cold-drawn wire) is by far the most important, as it delivers the highest and most consistent tensile strength. The manufacturer declares, among other things, length, diameter (and thereby slenderness or aspect ratio), tensile strength and the effect on the consistency of the concrete mix.

Steel fibres to EN 14889-1 such as the MPZG HT+ 35/0.55 — a cold-drawn high-tensile fibre with hooked ends — always fall under conformity system 1 for structural applications. The same applies to the heavier variants MPWG HT+ 50/0.90 and MPZWG HT+ 60/0.75. The hooked ends provide mechanical anchorage in the concrete matrix, which feeds directly into the residual strength that remains available after cracking.

Conformity system 1 or 3: which regime applies when?

EN 14889 has two attestation systems (AVCP systems), depending on the intended use the manufacturer declares:

• System 1 — structural use — a notified body carries out the initial type testing, certifies the factory production control (FPC) and periodically takes samples at the production site. Required for fibres that deliver residual strength and count in the structural calculation.

• System 3 — other (non-structural) use — the type testing is done by a notified laboratory, but ongoing production control remains with the manufacturer itself, without external certification.

Translated into practical applications:

• Industrial floor on piles, foundation slab, load-bearing pavement with reduced or replaced reinforcement — structural, so system 1.

• Monolithic floor on sand where fibres replace the shrinkage mesh — residual strength required, so system 1.

• Micro fibres against plastic shrinkage cracking in screeds or decorative concrete — no structural function, system 3 suffices.

• Sprayed concrete with a temporary function — depends on the specification; where there is a structural role, again system 1.

Compliance with the standard confers a presumption of fitness for the applications indicated on the CE marking. For structural fibre reinforcement, system 1 is therefore the signal to look for: a fibre marked only under system 3 must not be counted in the structural calculation.

What must the CE label and the DoP state?

The CE label of a concrete fibre is more than a logo. For a fibre for structural use (system 1), the label and Declaration of Performance must state at least the following:

• Name and address of the manufacturer, plus the last two digits of the year of first marking.

• The certificate number and the identification number of the notified body.

• The standard reference (EN 14889-1 or EN 14889-2) and the intended use (structural, in concrete, mortar or grout).

• Group (steel fibres) or class (polymer fibres), fibre length, diameter and tensile strength.

• The effect on the consistency of the concrete at the reference dosage.

• Crucial for structural use: the declared dosage at which the fibre achieves a residual strength of 1.5 MPa at a crack mouth opening (CMOD) of 0.5 mm and 1.0 MPa at 3.5 mm, tested to EN 14651.

That last line is in practice the most important comparison tool: two fibres with the same CE tick can differ considerably in the dosage needed to achieve the same residual strength — and thus in cost per cubic metre. More on translating dosages into practice can be found in our practical guidelines for dosing concrete fibres.

Checking the CE certificate and DoP: step-by-step

This is how you verify in five steps whether a fibre's paperwork matches your application:

• Step 1: request the Declaration of Performance (DoP) and the CE certificate — a serious supplier provides both without hesitation.

• Step 2: check the standard part — steel fibre under EN 14889-1, synthetic fibre under EN 14889-2.

• Step 3: check the AVCP system — for structural work it must state system 1, with the number of the notified body.

• Step 4: compare the declared dosage for the required residual strength with the dosage in the offer — if the offered dosage is lower, ask for substantiation with EN 14651 test reports.

• Step 5: record that class, dosage and residual strength appear in the contract and on the delivery notes, so that the structural engineer and Building Control can verify what is actually in the concrete.

The relationship with NEN-EN 206 and EN 14651

CE marking of the fibre is step one; the concrete itself falls under NEN-EN 206, the European concrete standard, supplemented in the Netherlands by the application standard NEN 8005. NEN-EN 206 requires that fibres added to concrete are CE marked to EN 14889, and that the dosage is registered per batch. The concrete plant must therefore be able to demonstrate the quantity added — which is why fibres are preferably dosed at the plant under controlled conditions.

For performance measurement, the framework refers to EN 14651: the three-point bending test on a beam with a sawn notch, measuring the residual strength at increasing crack opening. The international design framework that classifies fibre concrete into performance classes also builds on this test; how that works is explained in our article on the fib Model Code and Bulletin 105 as the international standard.

CE marking, incidentally, only says something about product performance, not environmental performance. For tenders in which MKI or CO₂ carries weight, EPDs and other declarations come on top — see our overview of sustainability certification for fibre materials.

CUR Recommendation 111: the Dutch assessment framework for steel fibre concrete

Alongside European CE marking, the Netherlands applies its own assessment framework for steel fibre concrete: CUR Recommendation 111, "Steel fibre concrete industrial floors on piles: design and construction", in its revised edition of March 2019. The recommendation extends the usual calculation methods for structural concrete with calculation methods for steel fibre concrete and serves as the framework for structural engineers and Building Control.

A concrete calculation example: for structural floors on piles, a fibre content in the order of around 35 kg/m³ is taken as the minimum. For an industrial floor of 2,000 m² and 200 mm thickness (400 m³ of concrete), that means some 14 tonnes of steel fibre — a quantity the concrete plant must add dosed and registered per batch. The exact design always follows from the calculation to the recommendation.

For comparison: steel fibre dosages for industrial floors typically range between 20 and 40 kg/m³, whereas structural synthetic macro fibres can manage with a few kilograms per cubic metre. You determine the right value together with your structural engineer; moreover, fibres do not fully replace traditional reinforcement in every situation — structural work always requires a calculation.

How to choose a fibre with the right paperwork

The standards logic summarised: first determine whether your application is structural. If so, look for a steel fibre under EN 14889-1 or a class II macro fibre under EN 14889-2, both with conformity system 1, and check the declared dosage against the required residual strength. For shrinkage crack control, a class I micro fibre under system 3 suffices.

All our structural fibres are CE marked under system 1 and supplied with a Declaration of Performance and dosing advice. Unsure which fibre suits your project and assessment framework? Use the selection guide or calculate your dosage with the calculator — or directly request a quotation with standards substantiation.