What Does the G Mark Mean?
The European Union published the Construction Materials Directive (1989 / 89 / EEC) in 106 to ensure the free movement of building materials. This regulation has been revised under the New Approach Directives and aims at a more competitive regulation of the construction sector in European countries. This directive eliminates the different national regulations impeding the circulation of building materials in the internal market and includes factors such as durability, energy saving, health and environmental protection in the field of building safety and building materials.
In our country, within the framework of the harmonization with the European Union, the Construction Materials Regulation prepared by the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement was published in 2002. The said regulation entered into force in 2004 and in 2007, the transition process was completed and mandatory implementation was initiated.
The Construction Products Regulation defines all materials and requirements related to building materials, building and other civil engineering works used in all construction works.
Products subject to technical specifications constitute the scope of the said regulation. If a product is subject to technical specifications, it means that there is a harmonized standard or European technical approval for that product. In short, construction materials, which are a harmonized standard or with European technical approval, fall within the scope of the said regulation and are required to bear the CE mark. European technical approval is a process for the CE marking of building materials which do not have a harmonized standard or do not meet one of the existing standards.
In the meantime, different construction materials that are not covered by the CE marking system are also produced. At the time of placing these building materials on the market, it has become mandatory to place the G mark on the products.
The above mentioned Construction Materials Regulation also requires the application of G-mark to ensure that the safety of construction materials which are not subject to technical specifications in the domestic market is subject to certain rules and control.
In order to establish the infrastructure of the G marking system, a communiqué known as the G communiqué was published in 2006 by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. However, this communiqué was later repealed and the Regulation on the Criteria for Construction Materials was published by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2009.
What is G Mark Building Materials Conformity Certificate?
The guidelines for the G marking system are as follows:
- Applies to building materials that do not have harmonized technical specifications.
- Building materials marked with G are considered safe products and are allowed to be placed on the market.
- The G mark is placed directly on the building material, on a label attached to this material, on the packaging of the material or on the commercial documents of the material, just like the CE marking system.
- The G mark is placed on the building material together with the performance values that describe the properties of the material.
- If a harmonized standard is subsequently issued for any such building material, that building material shall be subject to CE marking (both G and CE markings may not be present on a building material).
- Technical approval shall be obtained for building materials that do not conform to or comply with a national standard or which do not comply with one of the existing standards, or for any materials or prototype building materials to be put together, even if they are proved to be safe on their own, and the G mark is placed on the product accordingly. This approval shows that the construction material meets the basic requirements in force depending on the intended use.
- Products imported from a third country may be placed on the market after their conformity has been confirmed by the competent authorities.
- The G mark may be placed on the construction materials which are within the scope of the mentioned regulation and previously obtained TSE certificate without any conformity assessment procedures.
The standards issued by the Turkish Stadium are:
- TS EN 206: 2013 Concrete - Specification, performance, manufacturing and conformity
This is a standard to be applied in regions with different geographical and climatic conditions, at different levels of protection and under the influence of different local experiences. This standard specifies concretes used in on-site cast or prefabricated structures and structural elements of buildings.
- TS 13515 Complementary standard for the implementation of TS EN 206
This standard is intended for the application of the TS EN 206 standard and is only used in conjunction with this standard.
Today, in the construction sector, it is not possible to introduce ready-mixed concrete to the market without the G mark. In other words, the only compulsory certificate in ready-mixed concrete is G Mark Conformity Certificate.
Enterprises producing construction materials are required to have the following documents shown in the annex of the Regulation on the Criteria for Construction Materials:
- G sign
- G Certificate of Conformity (name and address of the conformity assessment body certifying in this document, name and address of the manufacturer or its representative, type, type, class, usage and similar definitions of the product, provisions to be complied with the product, special conditions for use, document number, validity period of the certificate and conditions)
- G Declaration of Conformity (this declaration shall include the name and address of the manufacturer or its representative, the description of the product type, type, class, use and the like, the provisions to be complied with, the specific conditions for its use, the name and address of the conformity assessment body).
The G marking system has the same benefits as the CE marking system. For example,
- There is no sanction during the presentation of construction materials to consumers in our country
- It is ensured that the construction materials comply with the domestic and foreign standards and basic requirements in terms of safety and health conditions.
- Building materials are more reliable for the consumer
- The number of cases that the entity will face is therefore reduced
- Business costs decrease and productivity increases
- Business competitiveness increases and market share increases
- Business receives official permission and authorization documents much more easily
