A research team from the Construction Department at the TH Mittelhessen wants to take Further steps in lightweight steel construction through a project funded by the state of Hesse. The results of the project are also intended to help standardize the standards for dimensioning components for roofs and walls across Europe. Project leader Prof. Dr. Bertram Kühn expects this to result in material savings with positive ecological effects.
For some time now, steel construction has been increasingly using so-called sandwich elements for roofing and facades, which contain insulation, meet today's requirements for heat, sound and fire protection and can be easily installed over large areas. They are not only used in warehouses, factories, office and commercial buildings or shopping centers, but now also in residential buildings. Metal edge profiles are used as a substructure to fasten these elements. The applicable design standards stipulate that such constructions can withstand the strongest pressure and suction effects of the wind. For this reason, the edge profiles must be solid if they are to withstand all forces on their own. Stabilizing brackets (torsion springs) that could absorb uplifting wind forces must not be included in the calculation.
A student in the civil engineering department of the THM examined the load-bearing behavior of thin-walled edge profiles in connection with sandwich elements using simulation in his master's thesis. He was able to prove that the sandwich elements can have a certain stabilizing effect even under wind suction conditions. The current research project builds on this. The theoretical analysis is now followed by practical tests with large components on a specially set up test bench. The aim is to use the knowledge gained to precisely prepare a Europe-wide calculation model for the said application purposes. Positive consequences would be a consistently lighter construction, especially of the substructure, reduced material costs and energy savings in the production of the metal profiles.
In the project, THM is cooperating with the engineering firm Verheyen-Ingenieure GmbH & Co. KG (Bad Kreuznach/Mainz/Bonn) as well as the industrial companies Christmann&Pfeifer (Angelburg) and ArcelorMittal Construction Deutschland GmbH (Sandersdorf-Brehna). Also Prof. Dr. Gerhard Lener from the Technical University of Innsbruck is involved in the work as part of a collaborative doctorate. The project is supported with an amount of 35,000 euros from the state programme “Research for Practice”.