Presentation
The European Association for Construction Repair, reinforcement and protection, ACRP, is a European non-profit association, founded in 2020.
The mission of ACRP, is to promote the maintenance of the constructions and its applications in Europe, towards the highest standards of safety professional integrity and quality of service.
To achieve this mission, ACRP works to create and uphold an European network of professionals and information, including national associations, companies (contractors, manufacturers and engineers), asset owners, public administrations, … all of them working together to develop and share best practices, regulations and training.
Further, the ACRP has amongst others the following objectives:
- To look after, promote and protect the interest of the industry in Europe.
- To set and to promote European standards on repair, reinforcement and protection techniques and promote the maintenance of structures and buildings.
- To promote maintenance of the constructions’ knowledge, its training and expertise in understanding how to inspect, project and execute the maintenance of structures and buildings.
- To be involved in and have an impact on health and safety legislation.
- To be involved in improving the legislation concerning the industry and to develop other aspects such as regular inspections, qualifications for projects, quality control of the systems installed for repair and reinforcement, etc.
- To exchange information on techniques, working methods and training.
- To maintain contacts with similar organization in other parts of the world.
History
The European Association for Construction Repair, reinforcement and Protection is founded in 2020.
The construction industry is, in general, very well organized with National Association, Federations or confederations.
Despite the good organization of the construction sector, it has several subsectors, which tend to grow and be more recognized if they are well organized. Consequently, the framework includes entities with different profiles and objectives.
In this context, some of the national associations related with concrete repair and reinforcement in Europe started to talk among themselves, to see what each other was doing and how to cooperate.
The initial meetings that started what today is ACRP were between the French Association of Companies specialized in Structural Repair and Reinforcement, STRRES, and the Spanish Association for Concrete Repair, Reinforcement and Protection, ARPHO.
These meetings between STRRES and ARPHO generated a spark of common interest.
Another meeting between both parties was held, in this case in Italy, at a specialized trade fair called GIC (Italian Concrete Days), just a couple of months after the collapse of the Morandi bridge.
As result of that encounter, held in November 2018 in Piacenza, it was agreed to call for a formal meeting of all the National Associations interested or willing to be involved in the project to create a European network.
In March 2019, representatives from 6 European countries met in Paris, at the STRESS headquarters to share experiences and shape the initiative of a new European association.
The countries involved in this meeting were Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and France.
The director general of the European Construction Federation (FIEC) also participated in the meeting.
As result, it was decided to proceed with the foundation of the European Association, which legally started its activity in 2020, just in time for COVID, but that’s another story.
