Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd have supplied Sinbeams (plate girders with sinusoidally profiled webs) for a data centre in Holland (see image). The profiled web increases the resistance to shear, meaning a much thinner web may be specified when compared with conventional members. SCI developed the design software for these members, including the facility to incorporate nationally determined parameters. The software (available from Kiernan Structural Steel Ltd) allows any arrangement of loading to be specified and includes optimisation routines to minimise the steel weight. Although currently uncommon in the UK, profiled webs of this form have been used for a number of years in other European countries and are sufficiently mature to be covered by Annex D of EN 1993-1-5.
