Since the BBA Approval scheme was launched, highway authorities and manufacturers have benefited from the increased confidence provided by HAPAS Certification. High-friction surfacing, crack sealing, thin surfacing and highway anti-corrosion paints are just some of the product sectors which have been covered under HAPAS Guideline certification, whilst infrared patch repair systems, grouted macadam, manhole raising systems and pervious pavements represent the types of products which have been the subject of one-off assessments.
The forerunner of the BBA, the Agrément Board, was modelled on an arrangement operating in France. The French word agrément translates to "approval".
The British Board of Agrément (BBA) is a construction industry approvals body set up in 1966. Agrément certificates cover 200 different product sectors. The largest of these sectors are insulation and roofing. BBA approvals show compliance with Building Regulations and other requirements, such as installation quality.
The BBA also inspects for the Fenestration Self Assessment Scheme (FENSA), the Federation of Master Builders and for some certificate holders to check that installers demonstrate good practice on site. The BBA also run the Highways Authorities Product Approval Scheme (HAPAS) for Highways England, County Surveyors Society and other agencies in the UK. This is similar to the Agrément Certificate process but applied to highways products.