EN 490 and EN 491 are the pair of European Standards that cover concrete roof tiles. EN 490, Concrete roofing tiles and fittings for roof covering and wall cladding – Product specifications, sets the requirements. EN 491, Concrete roofing tiles and fittings for roof covering and wall cladding – Test methods, describes how those requirements are tested. Both are published by CEN through technical committee CEN/TC 128.
Editions
- EN 491:2011 is the current test methods standard. It replaced EN 491:2004 and its 2005 corrigendum and was confirmed by CEN in 2024.
- EN 490:2011 replaced EN 490:2004 and its 2006 amendment. The CEN catalogue records the 2011 edition as withdrawn in January 2017. Users should check the current national version (for example BS EN 490 or DIN EN 490) before specifying.
What the standards cover
The scope covers concrete tiles and fittings for pitched roofs and for external and internal wall cladding. EN 490 also addresses tiles with surface coatings and fittings made from glued concrete components. Properties include:
- dimensions and squareness
- mass
- transverse (flexural) strength
- water impermeability
- freeze-thaw resistance
- fire behaviour
Annexes give information on surface characteristics and the performance of roof and wall assemblies.
Use
Concrete tiles are a common lower-cost alternative to clay on pitched roofs. In Europe, compliance with EN 490 is the basis for CE marking of concrete tiles. Installation is governed by national practice such as BS 5534 in the UK.
Related standards
Sources
- EN 490:2011Genorma (CEN catalogue data) · genorma.com
- EN 491:2011Genorma (CEN catalogue data) · genorma.com