Log in
University of Nottingham research into a composite design for steel beams and floor slabs has resulted in environmental and economic benefits and an important change in the construction industry. The work has reduced the weight of beams and the overall tonnage of buildings, enabled easier installation and improved structural strength. More than 40 projects, with a total combined floor area in excess of 380,000m2, have used the technology since 2008, and the method's market share has been estimated at up to 60%. The breakthrough has facilitated partnerships between steel frame designers and precast flooring manufacturers, with the value to the latter alone put at more than £5M.
As academic lead partner Professor Ogden and his team at Oxford Brookes University were responsible for a major research programme focusing on the development of light steel construction technology. Major industry funding in conjunction with EU support, facilitated a detailed understanding of the technology, and various demonstration projects including the then largest light steel framed building in Europe, constructed at Oxford Brookes University. The results of the work have been adopted by industry in order to innovate novel construction solutions. As a consequence light steel framing is now the favoured method of construction across the entire modular off-site buildings sector and in other mass market construction applications including site-built structural framing and infill walling. The value of the market that that has emerged in the UK during the census period is estimated to be £78 million per annum.
This Case Study builds on our sustained effort since 1981 to understand the nature of steel to an extent that enables the quantitative design of novel alloys and processes. In 1997 this led to the development of Super Bainite high-performance armour steel with an internal structure distinguished by an unprecedentedly high population density of interfaces. In 2011 this was licensed to Tata Steel who started manufacture at their Port Talbot, South Wales plant. The steel is destined for armoured vehicles. In a perforated design it has higher ballistic mass efficiency and is less expensive than conventional armour. The work at Port Talbot has re-established UK sovereign production of high-performance steel armour, after a gap of over 20 years.
National and International design codes are the key vehicles for enabling structural engineering research to impact on practice. Recent years have seen substantial advancements in such codes for stainless steel structures, to which Imperial has made outstanding contributions [A-E]. Imperial research has led directly to improved structural design provisions, enabling more efficient structures, leading to cost savings [G], further promotion of the use of stainless steel in construction [A,H,I] and a reduction in the use of construction resources. The impact and reach of Imperial's research has not only been throughout the industry (producers [H], code writers [A] and practitioners [G,I]) but also global, with widespread influence on UK, European, North American and Asian practice [A].
The development of standards and design guides at a European level for composite concrete floors with cellular steel beams has been informed by research undertaken in the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology centre (FireSERT), Built Environment Research Institute. Central to the impact is the establishment of technical rules for the fire safe design of buildings constructed with the use of cellular beams. Research at the University of Ulster has demonstrated that the use of unprotected cellular beams can reduce the cost of fire protection. This research was corroborated by a major fire test conducted at an international scientific conference hosted by FireSERT in February 2010. Design guidance for innovative safe structures in fire scenarios have been published in leading journals with high impact factors.
We have developed the Bailey-Method, design software FIRESOFT and a web-based information source for designers to use to produce safe and economical buildings. In buildings that have used the Bailey-Method, approximately 40% of the fire protection cost has been saved. The overall saving is about £20m in the UK over the REF period. The Bailey-Method has been presented in 2500 design guides (books), distributed to companies across Europe by ArcelorMittal, and translated into 17 languages. FIRESOFT and the associated quality assurance document enable using unprotected concrete filled tubular columns and have the British Standard status of Non Contradictory Complementary Information.
Research led by two members of the University of Warwick's School of Engineering strongly influenced the planning, drafting and technical content of nearly all of Eurocode 4, one of ten European civil engineering standards. Eurocode 4 covers composite structures made of steel and concrete. Since 2010 this standard has been in force in all countries of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). The Eurocodes are the only set of design rules for publicly-funded structures on land that satisfy national building regulations throughout the EU and EFTA. Their impact on structural engineering is wide-ranging and growing, the principles and methodology contained within these Eurocode 4 will be the basis of engineering design teaching for Chartered Engineers throughout the EU.
Loughborough University research into Decision Support Systems (DSSs) has been used to transform the production and logistics operations of the Shanghai Baoshan Iron and Steel Corporation, China's largest steel company. Implementing DSS has resulted in annual savings of around US$20m and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 585,770 tons per year. The company reports that the "tremendous benefits" of the research have extended to improvements in efficiency, product quality, customer satisfaction and management culture. The work won a Franz Edelman Finalist Award in 2013 for Achievement in the Practice of Operations Research and the Management Sciences.
£80m has been saved since 2008 by London Underground (LU) and yet more by bridge owners in the UK as a direct result of using the Arching Action (AA) enhancements in strength predicted by our research. The associated disruption would have resulted in enormous congestion, losses economically of £ billions and negative social impact. Multi-million $ savings have also accrued in North America from the use of corrosion free deck bridges, which have minimum maintenance, as has our innovative flexible concrete arch (patented 2004) which has been used for over 40 FlexiArch bridges (£15m in contracts) since 2008.
This Alliance project demonstrated, through the exploration of flexible formwork techniques, that it is possible to use concrete in a much more diverse, sustainable and quality-controlled way than in 20th century architecture, achieving a 25-35% reduction in the carbon footprint of concrete constructions. It has engendered an attitudinal change within the global construction industry, with one US industry professional saying "Prior to this research, concrete was often perceived of as a harsh, aggressive material. Experimentation with fabric forming has shown that it doesn't have to be so". The research has led to two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show entry and the proprietary application of the technology in other forms of construction. It has also stimulated partnership working with government and schools; collaboration described as the "Curriculum for Excellence at its best".