QUALITY & CERTIFICATIONSEngineered to European Standards
Every PONARC product is dimensioned, fabricated and finished to the European standards governing aluminium structures, glass safety and weather actions. This page is the reference guide our engineering team uses when specifying systems for architects, contractors and specifiers across the EU.
Standards we design to
Structural design — Eurocode 1 (EN 1991)
Wind, snow and live loads are calculated per EN 1991-1-1 (general actions), EN 1991-1-3 (snow loads) and EN 1991-1-4 (wind actions). Site-specific values are derived from the National Annex of the project country. Our pergola and railing systems are dimensioned for terrain category, wind zone and snow zone — not generic worst-case figures. The /specifier tool returns these site-derived loads against each product's rated capacity.
Aluminium fabrication — EN 1090-1 + EN 1090-3
EN 1090 is the harmonised European standard governing the structural fabrication of aluminium load-bearing components. It covers welding procedures (EN ISO 9606), welder qualification, mechanical fastener tolerances, factory production control and the technical specification handed to the architect. EN 1090-3 is the aluminium-specific part. Compliant fabrication is the basis for CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation.
Materials — alloys, glass, fasteners
Profiles are extruded from 6063-T5 (EN AW-6063) heat-treated aluminium — corrosion-resistant, dimensionally stable, weldable. Glass is toughened safety glass per EN 12150 (single-pane) or laminated safety glass per EN ISO 12543 (multi-layer with PVB interlayer). External anchors are A4 (AISI 316) stainless steel for marine and coastal exposure; A2 (AISI 304) is the inland default. Glass thickness, alloy temper and fastener grade are documented per SKU on each product page.
Powder coating — Qualicoat / GSB
Aluminium surfaces are pre-treated (chromating or chromium-free conversion), then powder-coated to thicknesses between 60–120 μm. Qualicoat (Class 1, 1.5 or 2) and GSB Master are the European industry seals certifying coating durability — Class 2 / Master are required for Florida-test salt-spray and UV exposure. The standards specify pre-treatment chemistry, oven curing window, hardness, gloss retention and adhesion (cross-cut + boil test). RAL is the colour standard; we coat to any RAL 9-series.
CE marking + Declaration of Performance
Construction products placed on the EU market need a CE mark and a Declaration of Performance (DoP) under Regulation (EU) 305/2011. The DoP names the harmonised standard the product is fabricated to (e.g. EN 1090-1 for aluminium structures, EN 13659 for external shutters and awnings, EN 12150 for glass), the Notified Body that audited the factory production control, and the declared performance values. We issue a DoP per product family on request to architects and specifiers.
Compliance is not the same as certification
We are precise about language. "Designed to EN 1991" means the product is dimensioned according to that standard — no third-party seal is implied by the wording alone. "Certified to EN 1090-1" requires audited Factory Production Control by a Notified Body and is documented by an attestation number on the DoP. Where a product carries certification, the certificate scan is available to specifiers via the contact form. Where a product is designed to compliance only, that is stated explicitly. This avoids the marketing inflation common in the outdoor-living category.
Need the reference documents?
Architects, structural engineers and main contractors can request the Declaration of Performance, factory test reports and detail drawings for any product family.