Eurocodes design guidance for structural steel launched

25 Nov 2009

Corus, the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) and the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) introduced the first steel construction industry design guides at a launch event in London this week.

The six new publications are:

Steel Building Design: Introduction to Eurocodes
Steel Building Design: Design Data (Blue Book)
Steel Building Design: Concise Eurocodes
Steel Building Design: Worked examples - Open sections
Steel Building Design: Worked examples - Hollow sections
Steel Building Design: Medium rise braced frames

Launch event chairman Chris Dolling of Corus said: ‘The steel construction industry has been involved in drafting the Eurocodes for over 25 years, and produced a series of guidance publications on the ENV versions in the 1990s.  More recently we have been heavily involved in drafting the UK National Annexes, assembling the necessary NCCI, and we began work on the guidance documents five years ago.
 
‘This initial set of six guides covers much that designers need, and further guidance will be published over the coming months, covering Fire Resistant Design, Combined Bending and Torsion, Composite Members, Stability of Beams and Columns and Connections, as well as comprehensive steel bridges guidance.’ 

A Eurocode version of the interactive ‘Blue Book’ has also been created, and is available at www.coruconstruction.com/bluebook

Delegates were given full explanations of how the Eurocodes will work in practice, from experts at Corus, the BCSA and the SCI.  Technical demonstrations showed designers how to use the new guidance along with the Eurocodes to produce cost effective designs in steel.

Mr Dolling said: ’The introduction of the Eurocodes will be the biggest change seen in structural steel design practice in living memory.  Corus, the BCSA and the SCI are fully committed to supporting designers during the changeover, ensuring that their world renowned ability to produce efficient steel designs extends seamlessly into the new Eurocodes era’.

In addition to this new design guidance, there is a range of support available, including training courses, web-based learning packages, and an advisory service that are all aimed at helping designers and structural engineers make the transition smoothly.