The development of design codes for construction is believed to play a crucial role in the outgrowth of a modern industrial community. Furthermore, that also helps meeting the safety requirements while promoting the transfer of technological innovation, and opening the global market to fair and equitable competition.

Within this context, the National Research Council (CNR) has been playing an active role in the technical culture of Italy since its foundation. For more than fifty years, the CNR activity- which resulted in the formulation of Design Codes, Instructions and specific Recommendations - has been supported by general agreement.

Appreciation and acknowledgement have been the natural outcome of such a modus operandi, which is founded on the solid ethics of the scientific method, as well as on the wide dissemination of information and on the fruitful discussion between universities, which are responsible for the creation and the establishment of knowledge, technicians, manufacturers, and users.

Nowadays, following its own tradition, the National Research Council retrieves its role as a regulatory actor in circumstances marked by high innovation, and delivers a new series of Technical Instructions whose first part is devoted to the growing domain connected to the utilization of composite materials for construction.

The new Instructions are here presented both in the form of a provisional text submitted to public enquiry, and in their final form. To all their users, and particularly to those who might wish to contribute to their further development, goes our gratitude and acknowledgement.

Prof. Ing. Franco Maceri, Chairman
National Research Council, Advisory Committee on Technical Recommendations for Construction

CNR-DT 200/2004	Guide for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Existing Structures - Materials, RC and PC structures, masonry structures
CNR-DT 201/2005	Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Existing Structures - Timber structures
CNR-DT 202/2005	Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Existing Structures - Metallic structures
CNR-DT 203/2006	Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars
CNR-DT 204/2006	Guide for the Design and Construction of Fiber-Rein forced Concrete Structures
CNR-DT 205/2007	Guide for the Design and Construction of Structures made of FRP Pultruded Elements
CNR-DT 207/2008	Guide for the assessment of wind actions and effects on structures