The use of Eurocode 3 “Design of Steel Structures” in the design and verification of joints

摘要

Eurocode 3 “Design of Steel Structures” is now available for use in practice. Joints are the mostimportant components in steel structures and by the design of joints about 40% to 50% of the costs of steelstructures are determined. So it is vital for practitioners to use the Eurocode 3 in an efficient way in orderthat steel structures remain competitive compared to other materials. Therefore it is important that sufficientexplanation is available how to use Eurocode 3 in general and the part 1–8 “Design of Joints” in particular. Thispaper focuses on the global design of frame structures, more in particular how joints play an important role inthis process. Furthermore attention is paid on the use of high strength steel in designing steel structures. The firstreaction about the Eurocode 3 from practitioners is that the Eurocodes are very complete but complex to use. Asa reaction to that, the paper shows that indeed the Eurocode 3 part 1–8 “Design of Joints” is rather complete butthe question remains how to deal with joints which are not easily covered by the Eurocode and that the Eurocodeis not complex but indeed it is a lot of work using it. The paper gives guidance how to use the computer in thedesign and verification activities that the practitioners have to carry out designing steel frame structures takingthe slogan “Simple Tools sell Steel”.