Impact of Eurocodes on Steel Structures Professor David A Nethercot Tan Swan BEng Endowed Professor 1 Continental Steel Public Seminar
Impact of Eurocodes on Steel Structures
Professor David A Nethercot Tan Swan BEng Endowed Professor
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Continental Steel Public Seminar
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Transition
“The onset of new or revised regulations invariably
heralds a trying period of the unfortunate people
who have to work such regulations. This applies
both to those who have to comply with, and those
who have to administer, such regulations”.
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Implementation in the UK
• The most wide ranging change to codification of structural design ever experienced
• In many ways the most technically advanced suite of structural design codes in the world
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Recommendations
The UK Structural Engineering community must be properly supported during the transition process, which can be expected to occupy a minimum of five years. If not, much competitive advantage, in terms of both defending the UK home market and enabling exports overseas, will be lost.
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The Structural Eurocodes - Scope
• The structural Eurocodes are – EN 1990 Basis of structural design
– EN 1991 Actions on structures
– EN 1992 Design of concrete structures
– EN 1993 Design of steel structures
– EN 1994 Design of composite steel and concrete structures
– EN 1995 Design of timber structures
– EN 1996 Design of masonry structures
– EN 1997 Geotechnical design
– EN 1998 Design of structures for earthquake resistance
– EN 1999 Design of aluminium structures
EC3 Parts
• EN 1993-1 Generic rules
• EN 1993-2 Bridges
• EN 1993-3 Towers, masts & chimneys
• EN 1993-4 Silos, tanks & pipelines
• EN 1993-5 Piling
• EN 1993-6 Crane supporting structures
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EN 1993-1
Eurocode 3: Part 1 has 12 sub-parts:
• EN 1993-1-1 General rules
• EN 1993-1-2 Fire
• EN 1993-1-3 Cold-formed thin gauge
• EN 1993-1-4 Stainless steel
• EN 1993-1-5 Plated elements
• EN 1993-1-6 Shells
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EN 1993-1
• EN 1993-1-7 Plates transversely loaded
• EN 1993-1-8 Joints
• EN 1993-1-9 Fatigue
• EN 1993-1-10 Fracture toughness
• EN 1993-1-11 Cables
• EN 1993-1-12 High strength steels
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Particular Features
No duplication of material
• Efficient in theory
• Inconvenient to refer to different sections when conducting a single task
• Even more so if moving across several documents e.g. composite bridge
• Navigation through and between documents
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Axis System
Follows that used by computer software xx - along the member yy - axis of the cross-section zz - axis for the cross section
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Language
• Equivalent meaning in several European languages
• “Actions” and “Loads”
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Arrangement
• Similar sequence in documents
• Grouped by task not by need i.e. shear checks not beam design
• Scope to repackage
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Solutions
• Design Guides that repackage Code material into an easier to use format.
• Design Manuals that extract material required for the most commonly conducted tasks and present them more simply.
• A “Concise” version of key documents, containing only that material required for the most commonly conducted tasks
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• Unified design paths for routine buildings.
• Simple and complete Design Guidance.
• Material for inexperienced Designers.
• 250 plus harmonised resources.
• Multilingual (English, French, Spanish and German).
• Links to Eurocode Clauses.
• Quality Assured and printable
• User friendly IT systems: Fast structured search
• And most importantly, free registration.
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6.3.4 Columns in Simple Construction
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Thomas Telford (ICE)
Designer’s Guide to:
Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Bridges Eurocode 4: Design of Composite Steel & Concrete Structures
1993 – 2: Design of Steel Structures: Part 2 Bridges
1994 – 2: Design of Composite Steel & Concrete Structures: Part 2
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Also: Fire, Earthquake, Loading
ECCS Eurocode Design Manuals
• Design of Steel Structures
• Fire Design of Steel Structures
• Fatigue Design of Steel & Composite Structures
• Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structures
• Design of Plated Structures
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Conclusions
• The UK is committed to adopting the Eurocodes
• The transition will not (and does not need to) happen overnight
• Much has been and is being done to support the transition
• The Steel Sector has the most extensive and comprehensive package of support material
• Work from this – not from EC3 directly – whenever possible
• Five years form now most of us will have difficulty in recalling the previous arrangements
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Today’s recommendation
• Don’t use EC3 directly
• Rely on the supporting infrastructure
• Comprehensive, helpful and largely available now and free of charge