Laser technology for innovative connections in steel construction: An overview of the project LASTEICON

Abstract

Circular hollow sections present several advantages, such as uniform behavior in all directions or possibility to obtain composite behavior by concrete infill, and hence high strength, stability and good fire resistance. Moreover, their aesthetic appeal has a great potential for decision makers (architects, building owners...). However, their adoption in the practice often suffers from the complexity and high cost of their joint detailing. The project Lasteicon aims at proposing a novel and simple jointing solution with reduced complexity and fabrication costs, to be adopted for connections between CHS-columns and I-beams or for truss structures with CHS chords. The proposed solution relies on a versatile laser cutting and welding technology. The present contribution gives a broad overview of different aspects of the project: assessment of fabrication procedures and tolerances, experimental testing, numerical investigation and comparison with traditional design and fabrication methods in terms of structural performances in normal and cyclic loading.