NACE 23.6 – Manufacture of Articles of Concrete, Cement and Plaster | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 23.6 covers the manufacture of articles made from concrete, cement and plaster — that is, precast concrete elements, concrete pipes, manhole structures, paving stones, kerbstones, concrete piles, masonry units and plasterboard. These products form components of virtually all public civil engineering, road and building works and are among the highest-volume material groups in public procurement.

Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026

What does NACE 23.6 cover?

NACE 23.6 (Manufacture of articles of concrete, cement and plaster) classifies companies that manufacture prefabricated components and products from concrete or plaster — one of the largest-volume suppliers to public civil and building works.

Group 23.6 within Section C (Manufacturing) and Division 23 is broken down into several classes:

The most procurement-relevant segments are concrete pipes and manhole structures (sewerage), paving stones and kerbstones (road works), precast concrete elements (building works), plasterboard (interior fit-out) and ready-mix concrete as a bulk material.

Public tenders: scope of activity NACE 23.6

Articles of concrete, cement and plaster are omnipresent in public tenders — from paving-stone deliveries for pedestrian zones to precast concrete frames for motorway tunnels.

Typical contract types

• Sewerage and civil engineering: concrete pipes (DN 200–DN 1200), manhole structures, special precast elements for stormwater and wastewater systems — procurement by municipal wastewater associations
• Road and path construction: concrete paving stones, interlocking pavers, kerbstones and grass-grid stones for public roads, cycle paths, parking areas and pedestrian zones
• Bridges and engineering structures: prestressed concrete precast elements (beams, hollow slabs) for bridge structures, noise barriers made of precast concrete
• Building precast elements: precast concrete columns, beams and floor slabs for municipal indoor pools, underground car parks and administrative buildings
• Plasterboard for public buildings: plasterboard and gypsum-fibre boards for the drylining of schools, administrative buildings and sports halls
• Cemetery surrounds and street furniture: concrete planters, bollards, steps and edging elements for public areas

Thresholds and procurement procedures

Paving-stone and kerbstone deliveries for larger road projects, as well as concrete-pipe deliveries for extensive sewer projects, frequently exceed the EU supply threshold (EUR 221,000). As a rule, such procurements are tendered EU-wide in the open procedure. Large lots for precast concrete in bridge and tunnel construction may be subject to the works threshold (EUR 5,538,000) where supply and installation are combined.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 23.6

The following CPV codes allow targeted searches for tenders for precast concrete elements, paving stones, pipes and gypsum products on TED and national procurement platforms.

Current tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily), on the German Procurement Portal (DTVP) and on the procurement platforms of municipal waste-management and construction authorities.

For whom is NACE 23.6 relevant in procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

The main contracting authorities for concrete products are municipal civil-engineering departments (sewer pipes, paving, kerbstones), municipal wastewater associations (manhole structures, special precast elements), road authorities (paving stones, kerbstones, noise-barrier precast elements), municipal building departments (precast concrete elements, plasterboard) and railway infrastructure operators (prestressed concrete elements for railway structures).

Companies and bidders

Manufacturers of concrete products and precast elements acting as bidders should consider:

• CE marking and standards: EN 1916 for concrete pipes, EN 1340 for kerbstones, EN 1338 for concrete paving stones, EN 13369 for precast concrete elements — CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation is mandatory
• Quality monitoring: RAL quality marks for concrete paving (RAL-GZ 501), pipes (RAL-GZ 961) and precast concrete elements as trust-building evidence
• Environmental declaration: EPD under EN 15804 for concrete products increasingly required for sustainable public procurement; carbon concrete and recycled-aggregate concrete as sustainability levers
• Structural calculations: for load-bearing precast elements, structural verifications (stability proofs under Eurocode) must be supplied with the product
• Delivery reliability: capacity evidence for just-in-time deliveries to construction sites without buffer capacity

NACE 23.6 in context: Section C and Division 23

Measured by procurement volume, NACE 23.6 is the most important segment of Division 23 in public civil engineering, since concrete products are used in practically every infrastructure project.

• NACE C – Manufacturing: parent section
• NACE 23 – Manufacture of glass, ceramics and other non-metallic mineral products: parent division
• NACE 23.5 – Manufacture of cement, lime and plaster: upstream binder manufacture
• NACE 42 – Civil engineering: main consumer of concrete and paving products

Frequently asked questions on NACE 23.6 and public tenders

How is ready-mix concrete procured for public construction projects? Ready-mix concrete (fresh concrete) is generally not tendered as a standalone contract but is procured as a building material by the construction company commissioned. Only for very large projects (e.g. major construction sites on behalf of public bodies) can a standalone framework agreement for concrete be useful.

What sustainability criteria apply to paving stones in municipal tenders? Requirements for recycled aggregate (RC concrete), regional sourcing of raw materials and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are increasingly common. Permeable paving stones (concrete paving with drainage function) are preferred in municipal tenders as part of sponge-city concepts.

What special features apply to precast concrete elements for bridges? Precast concrete elements for bridge superstructures are subject to strict testing requirements (ZTV-ING of the federal government), structural verifications under Eurocode 2 and regular accompanying construction supervision by independent third parties. Special exposure classes apply for chloride and freeze-thaw de-icing salt exposure.

Last updated: January 2026 All information provided without warranty. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement.