Connection techniques have not essentially changed since the beginning of steel construction. An intelligent rigid connection technology for a simple assembly process has still been missing. A new universally applicable key-type joint called SIGMA has been developed as an alternative to bolting and welding assembly techniques. Apart from standard applications the SIGMA-joint is suitable as well for industrially manufactured constructions as for buildings with high demands on design. For the first time the SIGMA-joint was used in the construction of the Christus-Pavilion at the EXPO 2000 in Germany. This building not only required a simple and quick assembly but also a sustainable construction. After the temporary use of the pavilion at the EXPO, the church and the cloister were moved to the Volkenroda monastery in Thuringia. The key-type joint allowed disassembly and subsequent reassembly of the construction pieces. The SIGMA-joint was determined to be the ideal rigid connection for facade and roof elements of the cloister.
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