SCI | CONNECT | ISSUE 53

The past, present and future of steel construction

The 12th of November saw over 100 delegates arrive at The Crystal in London for SCI’s Annual Event. Many of those delegates completed their journey using the Emirates Cable Car, which seemed a fitting way to travel. The theme for the event, planned many months ago, seemed particularly topical as headlines about UK steel producers began to appear in the national press in recent weeks.

SCI’s Graham Couchman began the presentations, looking back at parallel streams of how SCI has evolved over the 30 years since its creation, and how the UK steel construction sector has changed. Reference was made to such landmarks as the Eurocodes, the construction of nuclear power stations, and SCI publications including the Blue and Green Books.

Mike Walsh from Hatch Ltd then spoke about steel production and demand. He considered various ways of predicting future global demand, all of which suggested the future is very bright for global steel producers. He noted the forecast population increases in the ‘next 20’ group of countries (a disparate grouping). Based on the assumption that human aspiration will not change, and that aspiration is associated with steel use for infrastructure and goods, the need for steel is high. He also looked at how the way we make steel has evolved, how that will affect the future, and indeed the global need for scrap.

Carl Perry from BlueScope placed an emphasis on construction products and processes, rather than steel production and consumption. He considered when market needs lead technology, and technology enables innovative solutions. He identified that the on-going trend will be for lighter steel products, made using higher strength steels, and gave particular consideration to novel coatings. In terms of process he demonstrated cases where working at height has been completely eliminated from site practice.

During the closing Q&A session the need to differentiate between UK steel production, and the UK steel construction sector, which is currently vibrant, was emphasised.

Videos are Available

Steel and the circular economy

SCI has recently started two Innovate UK projects investigating steel and circular economy. With partners from Cambridge University, UCL, ASBP and the National Federation of Demolition Contractors, we will be exploring how design for deconstruction and reusing structural steel can be made commonplace in the UK.

The environmental case for reusing structural steel is compelling. The economic case less so, particularly in light of recent drops in the price of new steel. Technically however, reusing structural steel should be easy particularly if properly considered at the initial design stage.

We would like to hear from you if you have experience of reusing structural steel and particularly about the difficulties you have faced in trying to design, procure and build using reclaimed steel. Ultimately we intend to develop an on-line portal to facilitate the exchange of information between designers seeking reclaimed steel and demolition contractors supplying it. Reusing structural steel keeps steel in the economy; reusing it in the UK avoids imports and retains value within our economy.

For more information contact Michael Sansom, Associate Directo

Steel and its competitors

Graham Couchman spoke about recent trends in steel construction, and the competition steel faces from products such a timber framing, laminated timber and fibre reinforced polymers, at a recent steel strategy seminar that took place at the University of Warwick. He suggested that European steel producers need to innovate and differentiate in order to compete with imports. His presentation was part of an eclectic mix that included talks on 3D printing of turbine blades for aircraft engines, and designing lightweight (aluminium) bodies as one way of reducing emissions in the automotive sector.

FABIG representation in China

On 8 November, Bassam Burgan represented SCI’s Fire and
Blast Information Group (FABIG www.fabig.com) as a guest
speaker at the 2015 International Chemical Process Safety
Technical and Educational Forum in Guangzhou, China (SCUT.News). Other guest speakers included a member of the Chinese Government’s Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education, the Consul General of France in Canton, Total’s chief representative in China and Total’s Vice President (Industrial Safety). The Forum was attended by around 600 delegates. Following the Forum, the University became a member of FABIG.

In 2013, the South China University of Technology and Total founded the Chemical Process Safety Centre (SCUT.New2) to introduce advanced process safety engineering and process safety experience to both Chinese university students and businesses to enhance hydrocarbon process safety in China. The Centre aims to share and disseminate the knowledge needed to manage technological risks in the process industry between academia, industry and the authorities. Bassam Burgan signed an MoU with the Centre on behalf of FABIG at the Centre’s inauguration in 2013 and earlier this year contributed to Total’s 3 day course at South China University of Technology on Management of Major Risks in the Petroleum and Chemical Industries. After the course, a licence agreement was signed between SCI and the University to enable the translation of FABIG’s Technical Guidance Notes into Chinese for use in higher education.

New ePublication - Steel Bridge Group Guidance Notes (P185) Updated

The set of 60 Guidance Notes produced by the Steel Bridge Group and published by SCI has just been comprehensively reviewed and updated. The Notes offer guidance on best practice in steel bridge construction, explaining many construction processes and their influence on design and specification. Although aimed at bridge designers, many of the Notes offer general information, for example on welding processes, that will be helpful to all designers of structural steelwork. This is the sixth issue of the Guidance Notes. Much of the previous advice remains valid but the Steel Bridge Group has taken the opportunity to update and align them with new British and European Standards. Two new Notes have been written: one provides guidance on specification of fatigue quality, reflecting the requirements of the Specification for Highway Works to specify only a fit-for-purpose quality for welded details; the second offers specification clauses for tension components, such as high strength bars and strands, to supplement the requirements from BS EN 1090-2. Holders of the previous issue are strongly encouraged to download this latest issue to ensure that they have reference to current requirements and recommendations.

Free download available to all:
www.steelbiz.org
shop.steel-sci.com
www.steelconstruction.info

New ePublication - Guidance on movement ranges for bridge bearings (P406)

Bridges are usually constrained against horizontal displacement by providing a fixed bearing at one support and movement bearings that permit linear displacement of their upper parts relative to their lower parts at other supports. Such displacements occur principally due to thermal expansion and contraction.

A recent enquiry to SCI’s Advisory Desk highlighted the inconsistent, contradictory and unclear requirements in BS EN 1991-1-5 and BS EN 1993-2 for the determination of the movement ranges to be specified for structural bearings in bridges.

The apparent intent of the rules was considered and with advice from the Steel Bridge Group, recommendations were developed so as to offer a much clearer explanation of how designers should calculate the movement range, taking account of both thermal change and uncertainty in the relative positioning of bearings on the sub- and superstructures. These recommendations are published as a new SCI Publication (P406), and the report includes some simple worked examples of the application of such recommendations.

Free to SCI/BCSA Members
Non SCI/ BCSA Members £30
www.steelbiz.org
shop.steel-sci.com
www.steelconstruction.info

Molabolt achieves SCI Assessed

SCI have recently completed a programme of test covering the shear resistance and tension resistance of Molabolt peg anchors, which are available in a range of sizes in carbon steel and stainless steel. Molabolts are intended for use as ‘blind’ fixings, to hollow sections or similar situations where access is only possible to one end of the fixing. Molabolts have a threaded shank with an internal bore. A shaped central peg which fits inside the central bore is used to splay out quadrants at the ‘blind’ end of the fixing. Once the end of the fixing is deformed, the nut can be tightened and the connection completed.

A series of tests was undertaken in shear and in tension, and the results analysed in accordance with BS EN 1990. As anticipated, the shear resistance may be based on a full cross section, because the central pin effectively fills the internal bore. The bearing resistance is no different to ordinary bolts. In tension, ultimate resistances have been determined which may be compared directly to the calculated ultimate load in the fixing. In combined shear and tension, the fixings may be treated as ordinary bolts, using the calculated tension resistances.

With any connection to a thin walled member, such as a hollow section, the designer must always consider both the strength and deformation of the supporting section, as this may often be the critical check.

The SCI report covering the assessment of the fixings is available from Molabolt.

SCI People

Introducing Professor Mark Lawson, Consultant, SCI

Mark completed his doctorate in the field of stressed skin design. He worked for Ove Arup and Partners in building and offshore technology groups and joined CIRIA as Research Manager for Building Engineering. He took a sabbatical at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, working on aspects of composite construction.

He joined the SCI in 1987 becoming involved in both long span composite construction and the early development of light steel framing. He also worked on fire engineering as applied to composite construction. As Manager of Building and Construction, he expanded his field of interest into modular construction and the wider residential sector, setting up the ‘Light Steel Framing Group’, administered by SCI and for which he is chairman. He also manages various European research projects in these fields.

Currently he divides his time between SCI and the University of Surrey as Professor of Construction Systems.

CONTACT MARK

Professor Mark Lawson

SCI Publications

Structural robustness of steel framed buildings (P391)

Avoidance of thermal bridging in steel construction (P380)

Fire resistance design of steel framed buildings (P375))

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. (Published 2011).

Avoidance of thermal bridging in steel construction (P380) This publication provides an introduction to thermal bridging, an explanation of the consequences of thermal bridging (local heat loss and the possibility of condensation), and describes how these effects are considered in building regulations. (Published 2008).

Fire resistance design of steel framed buildings (P375) This design guide provides a general overview of the fire design of steel and composite structures in accordance with the Eurocodes, introduces the basis of design for fire situations and the criteria that need to be met. (Published 2012).

SHOP