The research carried out since the 1990's on hydrocarbon fires and explosions has substantially advanced our knowledge and led to the development of new methods for design against and mitigating these hazards during hydrocarbon extraction and processing. They have also provided the fundamental data used for the validation of numerical models now used for design. However, new challenges continue to emerge. Energy sources are being transported from further afield to their point of use and the energy sector is going through a transition towards low to zero carbon sources in which hydrogen and batteries play a key role. A large number of research and demonstration projects are underway to quantify the uncertainties and risks associated with the infrastructure and technologies required for their more widespread use in our day-to-day life.

SCI's Fire And Blast Information Group (FABIG) is delighted to be resuming its face-to-face technical events in June, starting with a 2-day conference on the 'Management of fire and explosion risks during transportation of flammable substances'. The event will be held at Broadway House in London on 15th & 16th June 2022. The programme includes presentations from leading experts covering the latest research and best practice. Transport by ship, rail, road and pipelines will be covered. Traditional hydrocarbons (crude oil and its derivatives, Natural Gas, Liquefied Natural Gas) as well as hydrogen, which is set to play a key role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector, will be addressed in the presentations. Fire and explosions hazards associated with the use of electric and hydrogen powered vehicles will also be covered.

A drinks reception will be held at the end of the first day to provide a long-awaited opportunity for in-person networking. The event programme will be published shortly on the FABIG website.

About FABIG
FABIG was established in 1992 in the wake of the Piper Alpha disaster to facilitate the sharing and dissemination of knowledge and best practice on the design of industrial facilities against fires & explosions. The Piper Alpha disaster, which occurred on 6th July 1988, claimed the lives of 167 people and remains the worst offshore accident to date. It drew the attention of the offshore industry and the regulators to the damage that could arise in the event of an explosion and fire on an offshore platform. FABIG now has more than 100 Corporate Members worldwide and has organised over 150 technical meetings and conferences, published over 80 editions of a journal featuring a wide range of technical papers on explosion and fire engineering and released 15 technical guides. For further information, please visit www.fabig.com.

Guillaume Vannier
Manager at SCI & FABIG Project Manager
E: g.vannier@steel-sci.com

The latest edition of SCI's Tedds Module: SCI P424 - Method for Extending Fire Test Results is now available to purchase.

The module allows loaded wall or floor fire resistance test results to be extrapolated to walls or floors with certain variations in their specification.

SCI have designed the module to make the calculations easier and quicker to perform, but still providing the trusted results you would expect with SCI's experience.

This module compliments and extends the capability of the widely recognised Tekla Tedds Software and has credibility with checking Authorities and Warranty providers due to its SCI Provenance.

Purchase your modules via the SCI Shop

Nancy Baddoo presented at the North American Steel Construction Conference on 23 March 2022 in Denver on the new AISC stainless steel design specification. The title of Nancy's talk was 'Using AISC 370 to design stainless steel structures'

The presentations will be available to watch again in May 2022, please see the NASCC website for more information.

NASCC: The Steel Conference (aisc.org)

On Tuesday 29 March 2022, Andrew Way attended the Focus on Framing event. The event was held at the National Conference Centre, Coventry Road, Solihull. For all those who attended the event, we hope you managed to visit the SCI Stand.

The new Advisory Desk service emails sent this month included;

Advisory Desk Note - AD 378
Web resistance to transverse loads according to BS EN 1993-1-5

Advisory Desk Note - AD 483
Correction to SCI P406 (Determine design displacement for foot movement bearings)

If you are an SCI Sole Trader or Corporate Member and not receiving these email alerts go to the SCI Information Portal and in your Profile click on notifications/alerts and select the notifications you require.

All the Advisory Desk Notes and Questions and Answers together with other technical resources are all available at all times on the SCI Information Portal.

For SCI Sole Trader and Corporate members, SCI offers support through our Advisory Desk Service. For questions asked which we feel are pertinent to the wider member audience we publish anonymously the questions and answers.

Where some questions relate to SCI Publications we publish the question and answers in Connect.

This month our published question is about;
Foundation joint material coefficient

Question: The coefficient β_j for finding the design bearing strength of a column base is given as 2/3 in BS EN 1993-1-8 and P398. Where does this value come from?

Answer: An extensive Dutch study on grouted joints found that air bubbles trapped beneath base plates reduced the contact area by about 1/3 despite great care being taken and led to the adoption of β_j = 2/3. 410 N/mm² for S275 steel.

This is Advisory Question/Answer Ref No: 7168-22

For all other membership Advisory Question /Answers please visit the the SCI Information Portal.

The Advisory Desk Service is for SCI Corporate and Sole Trader Members advisory@steel-sci.com | +44 (0) 1344 636525

SCI Online Training Courses

Our public courses and webinars keep engineers updated with the latest developments within steel design and equip them to design competently, efficiently and safely.

Plate Girder Design - Online Course, 26 & 28 April 2022
This course will be delivered over 2 sessions on:
26 & 28 April 2022
Timing: 10:00-12:00

Plate girders in buildings may be used for long span heavily loaded members, particularly if dimensional constraints make a rolled section inappropriate. Designers must consider shear lag, plate buckling and complete checks in accordance with
EN 1993-1-5 , which is unfamiliar to many.

This short course will discuss all design aspects, including initial sizing, cross-sectional resistance and the resistance of stiffened webs.

The final part of the course will consider fabricated girders with thin corrugated webs - a form of construction in common use in other countries.

Member Rate: £160.00 +VAT
Non Member Rate: £190.00 +VAT

To attend thise register here

Next SCI Member webinar is;

Fire Resistance of Light Steel Framing
5 April 22
Time: 12:30-13:30

This webinar will give an introduction to the design for fire resistance of light steel framing which is the subject of a new SCI publication P424.

The webinar will introduce how light steel framed buildings should be designed and detailed to provide fire resistance in accordance with the Building Regulations.

This includes calculation methods which may be used to extend the tested fire performance of a light steel wall or floor construction to a wider range of design parameters.

Register for this event here

Steel Bricks system paves the way forward for UK nuclear power station construction

Caunton Engineering has constructed a blast box for warhead testing at The University of Illinois using the Steel Bricks™ modular system, which it developed in the UK with the Steel Construction Institute under license from Modular Walling Systems.

This contract lays the foundations for further projects in the UK as the system is a viable alternative to reinforced concrete for cores, tunnels and the nuclear sector. Caunton Engineering Exec Chairman Simon Bingham states "This steel and concrete walling system could radically alter the way nuclear power stations are built in the UK as it offers a less labour-intensive solution, coupled with significant cost and time reductions associated with offsite manufacture."

Steel Bricks are a ground-breaking product developed in 2014 and backed by the UK Government with nearly £1.2M in funding from Innovate UK.

Installed at the University of Illinois' campus at Urbana-Champaign, the revolutionary ultra-strong three-metre cubed chamber is now being used for explosives testing as part of a research programme on advanced warhead technologies for the US Department of Defence.

Using the Steel Bricks modular system, which comprises two steel face plates that are connected internally to create a sandwich panel, the blast box was manufactured offsite by Caunton Engineering. Once delivered and installed in its final position, it was then filled with 72 tonnes of self-consolidating concrete in one continuous pour.

Further progress at EcoPark, the North London Sustainable Waste Management Hub

Caunton is supplying and erecting in the region of 2,000 tonnes of structural steelwork for main contractor Taylor Woodrow. This Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) is one of the largest publicly owned facilities of its kind in London, with the capacity to manage 135,000 tonnes of recyclable material every year. The Recycling and Fuel Preparation Facility (RFPF) building has a clear span of 76 metres, comprising of seven 6m deep trusses weighing approximately 150 tonnes each, the erection of which is shown on the photograph. Engineered by Waterman Group, the initial design had trusses at 8m centres, but after a value engineering exercise this was rationalised to fewer trusses spaced at 24m, and as well as cost and programme benefits this design enhancement contributed to towards a Carbon reduction of approximately 720 tonnes in the frame.

REIDsteel strengthens senior team

John Reid & Sons (Strucsteel) Limited has appointed former British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) president Tim Outteridge as its sales director.

The Dorset-based company - known as REIDsteel - welcomes Tim to the position as it continues to grow in the UK and globally. Tim, who is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, brings his experience in the structural steelwork sector to REIDsteel and supports a team of talented engineers.

Some of the projects that Tim has been involved with include steel bridging for key infrastructure projects for both National Highways and Network Rail as well as private sector projects such as Canary Wharf, The Shard, Oxford Street, Regent Street, the British Library and London Bridge Station.

Simon Boyd, REIDsteel managing director, said: "Tim brings exceptional expertise in the structural steelwork sector built over many years.

"His passion for the industry and commitment to delivering the highest-quality structures cost-effectively while creating value for the client matches our own drive for continuous improvement and the greatest standards of customer service.

"At REIDsteel our people are our company. We have a diverse board and a 'one team' ethos which values every employee. "It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Tim to the team and I'm sure he will make a major contribution to the future success of the business."

Tim has held senior and board level positions at steelwork contractors across the UK.

In his role as president of the BCSA trade association, Tim championed the excellence of the UK structural steel sector while driving innovations in training and standards. He supported the development of a new apprenticeship framework and the introduction of the BIM Charter.

Tim is also a member of the Steel Construction Certification Board and its Steel for Life market development company. He has been on the front line of promoting the use of UK steel and fabrication; demonstrating to clients and end-users the value in the high standards the industry has set.

Tim said: "REIDsteel recently gained planning permission for redevelopment of its site in Christchurch, Dorset, with a cutting-edge manufacturing facility, modern offices and new staff welfare centre.

"It's an exciting time to join REIDsteel as the company progresses ambitious growth plans.

"The company has an excellent reputation across the UK, Europe and the world as well as within the structural steelwork, engineering, manufacturing and construction sectors.

"I am looking forward to working with my colleagues at REIDsteel to further strengthen the company's position in the market and help drive its expansion in the coming years." With 160 direct employees and work for many more in the supply chain, REIDsteel has exported to more than 140 countries so far since it was founded in 1919.

The Christchurch company designs, engineers, manufactures and erects steel-framed structures of all kinds including cladding, glazing and doors. It provides a 'conception to completion service' as well as value-engineering to find the most cost-effective solutions for a project.

Its portfolio includes aircraft hangars, bridges, sports stadia, and industrial and commercial buildings across the UK, Europe and the world, alongside its Special Projects - which include hurricane and earthquake resistant structures, car parks, defence structures, water treatment plants, the power sector, infrastructure, specialist bridges and bespoke designs. Visit www.reidsteel.com for more details.

Steel building design: medium rise braced frames (P365)
For new designers this guidance provides an introduction to the major features of multi-storey design. For more experienced design the guide illustrates key changes when designing to the Eurocode.

Structural robustness of steel framed buildings (P391)
This publication provides design guidance for hot-rolled steel-framed buildings on the Eurocode strategies for structural robustness and designing for the avoidance of disproportionate collapse as required by the UK Building Regulations.

Best practice for the specification and installation of metal cladding and secondary steelwork (P346)
This publication presents guidance to designers and contractors on the specification and installation of profiled metal cladding systems and the supporting purlins and side rails. The guidance covers many aspects of cladding specification, including a brief description of the available systems and their components and an overview of the various performance criteria that should be considered by the specifier.

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