People in civil engineering jobs must adapt to the new EU directives on structural design, it has been suggested.
The British Standards are being withdrawn in favour of the so-called Eurocodes in less than two months, but a new survey of staff in civil engineering jobs has revealed that many are not confident about being able to acclimatise to the new practices.
According to research carried out by New Civil Engineer, only 34 per cent of people working in the field feel confident about using Eurocodes, while only 29 per cent have received formal training.
Gordon Lane, associate director at property consultancy McBains Cooper, said: "The Eurocodes will sneak up and bite any UK construction company or professional services business that does not recognise their importance."
According to figures from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) the cost of retraining one person in a civil engineering job in the new codes could be as much as £16,000.
