As SCI continues to explore how design for deconstruction can help promote steel reuse, SCI is coordinating a collaborative EU-Funded project called REDUCE (Reuse and Demountability using Steel Structures and the Circular Economy).

The overall objective of this three-year project is to provide practical tools and steel-based technologies to be able to design steel and composite structures for deconstruction and reuse. The project will investigate applications of the developed systems in commercial and residential buildings and will explore options for greater standardisation. In the context of demountable composite construction systems, the shear connector systems with the greatest potential will be tested and analysed using numerical modelling so that design guidance can be developed following the principles of Eurocode 4.

To understand how greater standardisation could be used to promote future reuse we invite our readers to complete a short survey REDUCE Survey to help as part of our research and conclusions. In addition, REDUCE will review methodologies to quantify the benefits of demountable buildings and reuse including life cycle assessment methodologies, e.g. CEN TC350 standards and developing metrics for quantifying circularity, e.g. those developed by the Ellen MacArthur foundation. The project will also explore how BIM can be used to provide information to enable the building to be easily adapted during use, and/or deconstructed and the components reused at end-of-life.

A full description of the reuse projects can be seen on our website.

REDUCE Survey

For more information on this project contact Michael Sansom.

Your opinions on UK standards matter, and seem to be…

In a recent Connect article, which was also distributed by email,
I asked for your opinions concerning the future of Eurocodes in the UK and thoughts on other models for standards. I didn’t think I was, indeed didn’t intend to be, advocating a return to former national standards, although some seem to have interpreted it as that.

A headline and somewhat simplified summary of 40 responses I’ve received is:

• 10% would like to abandon the Eurocodes and return to using BS 5950 for steel design
• 80% would like to stay aligned with the Eurocodes but recognise the way they are developed and/or presented is a problem
  • We can sum those groups to say 90% are not happy with the way things are, to a greater or lesser extent
• 10% are happy with the way things are but I must add these ‘positive votes’ are based on assumptions that might be questioned:
  
  • The next generation of codes will be materially easier to use than the current ones
  • Eurocodes contain the best and safest engineering
  • With the right involvement in the code writing process, combined with an ability to ‘tweak’ things in National Annexes, we should be able to get Eurocode rules we are happy with.

Graham Couchman

SCI’s Steel Bridge Group (SBG)

SCI’s Steel Bridge Group (SBG) recently held a workshop on steel bridge construction in Birmingham on 3rd May. After focusing for many years on identifying issues with the use of the Eurocodes and producing complementary guidance reflecting UK best practice, the SBG is now initiating activities to consider supply chain and whole lifecycle issues.

As such, the objectives of this workshop were to identify the problems faced by all stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of steel bridge projects and investigate what can be done to make steel bridge solutions more competitive, easier to procure and more appealing from a whole life perspective.

The workshop attracted experts representing the whole supply chain with regard to steel bridge projects (clients, contractors, designers and fabricators) and allowed to capture very useful feedback which will be further analysed and used to shape the future activities of SCI’s Steel Bridge Group. The outcomes of the workshop will be discussed at the next SBG meeting which is expected to be held towards the end of June 2017.

SCI in Hong Kong and Singapore

David Brown and Julian Imm of the Blind Bolt Company spent several days supporting SCI members with CPD covering Eurocode design and best practice. Design in Hong Kong is to a code of practice that is quite similar to BS 5950, with growing interest in EC3; in Singapore, design to the Eurocodes is mandatory, with National Annexes that look very familiar to UK designers. Although much construction in both locations is concrete, there is enthusiasm to increase the share of steel. Local Institutions supported two well-attended presentations on the opportunities and challenges of steel design to the Eurocodes. Attendees were keen to have answers to technical questions, but also the potential impact of Brexit!

Events
Designing in Stainless Steel.

Tuesday 26th September 2017, Imperial College, London.

This one day seminar will launch the Fourth Edition of the Design Manual for Structural Stainless Steel and will equip engineers with the skills necessary to design structural stainless steel in accordance with current European design practice. The seminar will demonstrate design versatility and highlight procurement issues. Each delegate will receive a copy of this new publication.

The seminar is part of PUREST (Promotion of new Eurocode rules for structural stainless steel), a European dissemination project funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.

Cost to attend £50, refreshments included.

To register contact: Education@steel-sci.com.

For more information go to SCI Courses.

Sponsorship Opportunities at SCI Annual Event. Ask for details.

To give members and partners an opportunity to promote their vision and services within the steel and SCI communities, SCI is offering sponsorship packages for the SCI Annual Event, The UK Steel Construction Market – Threats, Opportunities and
Needs in the short to medium term to be held in London on
November 14th.

Sponsorship packages will give sponsors pre- and post-event exposure to thousands of steel professionals, as well as publicity on the day.

If you are interested in learning more about new SCI sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sandi Gentle.

SCI/NHBC System Certification

UK Facades Ltd have joined the growing list of light steel framing companies who have been awarded SCI/NHBC System Certification. The certificate for UK Facades Ltd is applicable to their load-bearing light steel framing system for residential dwellings up to 4 storeys. The SCI has assessed the structural aspects of the system, which uses cold formed galvanised C-sections for wall studs and floor joists, and confirms that it is suitable for use in the construction of dwellings in accordance with NHBC Standards Chapter 6.10 “Light steel framed walls and floors”.

The full list of companies that have SCI/NHBC System Certification is available from the SCI Assessed website.

SCI Assessed

SDS/2 Software achieves SCI Assessed

SDS/2 is a 3-d Modelling Software, produced by Design Data, that incorporates connection design. Assessment of software is a challenge, because of the infinite range of situations that can be conceived. The approach taken by SCI was to assess a broad range of connection arrangements, looking at the verification of common components, but also testing the unorthodox situations that can arise and the specific requirements of the UK NA. Based on this, SCI considered that the software was correctly verifying connections in accordance with BS EN 1993-1-1 and the UK National Annexes.

The full list of companies that have achieved SCI Assessed is available from the SCI Assessed website.

SCI People

Michael Sansom, SCI, Associate Director

Michael is a Chartered Environmentalist with over 20 years postgraduate experience of environmental and sustainability work in consultancy, research and research management roles in the construction sector.

Before joining SCI, he worked for the UK Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) managing construction research projects. He then worked for a large US Consultancy working on contaminated land investigation and remediation.

He is responsible for SCI’s Sustainability Division, and involved in a range of sustainable construction activities including life cycle assessment, carbon foot-printing, BREEAM assessments and operational carbon emissions assessment and reduction.

Over the last decade, he has played a leading role on behalf of the steel construction sector in the diverse and fast changing sustainable construction field.

SCI Publications

Composite Highway Bridge design (P356) The design guidance covers multi-girder and ladder deck forms of construction and includes guidance in relation to integral bridges. A companion publication covers worked examples.

Composite highway bridge design: Worked examples (P357) This publication presents two worked examples, one for a two-span multi-girder integral bridge and the other for a three-span ladder deck bridge.

Design of composite highway bridges curved in plan (P393) This design guide addresses the consequences of the plan curvature on the design of composite bridges and effectively offers a supplement to SCI design guides P356 and P357.

SCI New Members

SCI would like to welcome new member;

BLP Insurance

SCI Members in the News

Patrick Ryan Associates: Europe’s tallest modular residential building

Patrick Ryan Associates are delighted to be working on the façade engineering for this pioneering and award-winning student accommodation block, Apex House, constructed entirely out of ‘modules’ fabricated off-site.

SMD – Plugging the construction industry skills gap

Skills shortages are set to hit the construction industry over the next few years.

A 1.7 % sector growth forecast for five years until 2021 means youth is desperately needed, but the number of workers retiring is outstripping new blood.

SMD staff steel themselves for charity efforts

Staff at SMD are training hard for a 100k cycle ride and a 26-mile trek along Dorset’s rugged Jurassic Coast in aid of Julia’s House children’s hospice.

Twitter Suggestion

For course reminders, publication updates and article notifications follow SCI on Twitter.

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