The Online Information Centre for Stainless Steel in Construction which contains over 100 resources about the design, specification, fabrication and installation of stainless steel in construction. The Information Centre provides access to a wide range of up-to-date information for architects, engineers, fabricators, installers and academics, including technical guidance, design software, design data, case studies and research papers.

The Parliament Library building in New Delhi, India, was completed in 2002. Given the significance of the building, the developers (Central Public Works Department) were keen to use the best materials possible, with the latest technologies. It was also imperative for the building to blend in with the surrounding environment. The result is a four-storey building, two floors of which are above ground. The main architectural feature is the twelve individual domes which make up the roof, each comprising different dimensions, designs and materials. The domes are both the highest and most recognisable elements of the building. Two of the domes are made from glass and stainless steel.

The Schubert Club Band Shell is an outdoor venue for performing arts on Raspberry Island, in the middle of the Mississippi River in St Paul, Minnesota. It was commissioned by the Schubert Club and completed in 2002. The island had been neglected for many years before the Band Shell was built but now offers generous pedestrian walkways, unique and scenic vistas as well as a central location. The structure itself is saddle-shaped (anticlastic) and brings together concrete, wood, stainless steel and laminated glass to create a functional space. The design team developed a 7.6 m wide stainless steel lattice grid that spans 15.2 m between precast concrete abutments and covers a wood-framed stage. Acid-etched glass is offset from and supported by the lattice.

Beijing’s Poly Plaza is the new headquarters for China Poly, a state-owned organisation with diverse responsibilities in the defence trade, real estate, cultural industries and mineral exploration. In addition to the company’s headquarters, the 100,000 m2 building comprises office space, shops and restaurants. The structure is triangular in plan, with an L-shaped office block forming two sides and the third side formed by one of the world’s largest cable-net glass curtain walls. This creates a large atrium inside the structure, within which the 8 storey Poly Museum—‘The lantern’—is suspended. Stainless steel cables and castings support the cable-net wall. The support fittings were cast from high strength duplex stainless steel.

The Helix Bridge is a landmark pedestrian bridge in Singapore, comprising a walkway surrounded by opposing double helix structures made from stainless steel. The design was inspired by the geometric helicoidal arrangement of DNA, which is seen as a symbol of continuity and renewal. The 280 m long bridge is the first double-helix bridge in the world and forms part of a 3.5 km continuous waterfront promenade, linking the Marina Centre, the waterfront area and a large casino/hotel resort. It is a very lightweight structure built almost entirely using duplex stainless steel.

The first water desalination plant in the UK, the Thames Gateway Water Treatment Works in East London, opens in 2010. It will treat water from the brackish waters of the River Thames, producing up to 140 million litres of clean, fresh, drinking water each day during times of drought or extended periods of low rainfall, or to maintain supplies in the event of an incident at other water treatment facilities. Within the plant, saline river water passes through lamella clarifiers to remove solid particles. The clarifiers are large, open tanks containing a coarse filter media that is supported by a grillage of 78 stainless steel I-beams.

The Pavilion marks the new western entrance into Regent's Place, a 13-acre development in the heart of London which features retail, leisure and public spaces. It is a structure made entirely of stainless steel in which a field of vertical columns supports a roof canopy 8 m above street level. The pavilion is 20 m by 5 m in plan, with 258 highly slender rectangular hollow sections supporting a roof plane, reflecting sunlight during the day and projecting light at night from lights integrated into the paving. The structure was opened to the public in 2009 and won a 2010 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award for architectural excellence.

Big Wood Secondary School in Nottingham is situated on the edge of Bestwood Country Park, with approximately 750 pupils aged between 11 and 16 currently on the roll. As part of the UK Government’s Building Schools for the Future initiative, the school is being completely rebuilt and the first phase of the £18 million development, the construction of three two-storey rectangular teaching blocks (about 40 m x 20 m in plan), was opened in the autumn of 2009. The buildings are brick-clad, structural steelwork frames, with composite floors. The brickwork is supported by a stainless steel masonry support system over the windows (some are in excess of 9 m wide). The support system provides a horizontal ledge for the masonry and is fixed to rectangular hollow edge beams.

Completed in 2006, this stainless steel cable stayed pedestrian footbridge spans 60 m over a busy motorway in the suburb of Ruffolo, Siena, in central Italy. The bridge girders and pylons are fabricated from a ‘lean’ duplex grade of stainless steel and it is one of the first times this grade has been used for a footbridge. The bridge has a striking appearance, is functionally efficient and cost-effective with a low life cycle cost.

The Armada Platform is operated by BG Group and exploits three gas and condensate fields in the Central North Sea, 250 km east of Aberdeen. It comprises a four legged steel spaceframe jacket supporting a single integrated deck containing wellhead, process and accommodation facilities. The living facilities on the platform required extending to accommodate 59 personnel. Four blast and fire rated accommodation modules and two walkway modules linking the new modules to the existing accommodation were added to the platform in 2009. The structural cladding of these modules was corrugated stainless steel.

The new headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg was completed in 2004. It is located on the Kirchberg plateau of Luxembourg and comprises a fully renovated existing building of 5,000 m² and new buildings providing an additional 20,000 m² of office space. The new buildings form a succession of four distinct wings linked together by glass footbridges. They have a steel primary frame with glass and steel façades, and the floors are designed as composite slabs using stainless steel panels profiled in a sinusoidal shape. Within the composite floor slab, water-carrying plastic pipes are placed to provide heating and cooling through the exposed stainless steel ceilings, leading to significant energy savings.

The Cala Galdana Bridge crosses the Algendar River in Menorca. There are panoramic views of this popular beach-side holiday resort from the 55 m span, 13 m wide road bridge. The main structure of the bridge is entirely stainless steel and includes two parallel arches, two longitudinal beams and transverse beams supporting the deck. Reinforced concrete makes up the abutments at each end, which sit on piled foundations. The bridge, opened in 2005, was the first stainless steel road bridge in Europe.

Stonecutters Bridge, Hong Kong, is a cable stayed structure with a total length of 1596 m and a main span of 1018 m. Opened at the end of 2009, the bridge crosses the Rambler Channel and is the main entrance to the busy Kwai Chung Container Port. It is visible from many parts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The most striking features of the bridge are the twin tapered mono towers at each end supporting the 50 m wide deck. These tapered towers rise to 295 m above sea level; the lower sections are reinforced concrete while the upper 115 m are composite sections with an outer stainless steel skin and a reinforced concrete core.

This excerpt from the brochure “Applications for Stainless Steel Long Products” gives more information on applications in the area of Building and Construction.

·         Door Handles

·         Mont Blanc Tunnel Cladding Anchors

·         Glass Facade "Spiders"

·         Post-tension Tie Rods

·         Nedujinja Shrine Bridge

·         Decorative Mesh

·         Cable Anchoring Heads

·         Tensegrity Glass Beams

·         Mesh Cladding

·         Guardrail Cables

·         Insulating Connectors

·         The building and its environment

·         Geometry of the structure

·         The structure and its construction

·         Summary of the principal characteristics

The lift frame is an open steel construction that is encased in glass at the exit levels.

At King Ludwig II’s fairytale castle in southern Bavaria extensive renovation work became necessary. The managing authorities were keen for both modern technology and high-quality materials to be used, as a way of preserving the monument for many years to come.

English edition. Based on the Technical Manual for the Design and Construction of Roofs of Stainless Steel Sheet, published by JSSA in 1985. It comments on processes in use in Japan for welding stainless steel, and includes a practical commentary on structural methods and construction, taking into account the climate and construction technology of Japan.

This paper was presented at ISSF-7 conference in May 2003 by Graham Gedge from Arup. The Open Panel Discussion is summarized at the end of the paper.

Prepared by the Nickel Development Institute, in association with the Sports Council, Stainless Steel Advisory Centre, Building Research Establishment, Institute of Sport Recreation Management, and Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group, 1995. This guide gives practical advice on the successful use of stainless steel in Swimming Pools. It is aimed at architects, designers, builders and pool managers.

When the environment is as historic and beautiful as Italy’s, aesthetic choices assume new importance. If the existing harmony is not to be disrupted, consideration must be given to modern engineering requirements as well as to the preservation of historical buildings and the surrounding environment.

This excerpt from the Book of New Applications 2009, gives more information on applications in the area of structural applications.

The following are included here:

·         Bridge Pole Decoration

·         Glass Brick Support

·         Nedujinja Shrine Shinkyo

·         Solid Stainless Steel Rebar

·         Tensegrity Glass Beams

Stainless steel is widely used in and around swimming pools and performs exceptionally well in most applications. However, some common types of stainless steel are not suitable for use in the airspace of indoor pool buildings in certain applications where they are subject to a tensile stress. This ASSDA Bulletin provides helpful guidance.

The BSSA Stainless Steel Sections Directory 2006, Second Edition shows a comprehensive list of sections available from eleven UK suppliers. The Directory gives a list of all of the standard section types and sizes which are available, supplier details and a glossary of terms.

The images in this animation show just some of the long products applications for stainless steel ...

A flash presentation describing the advantages of using stainless steel rebar.

This excerpt from the ISSF Book of New Applications 2006, gives more information on structural applications in the Architecture, Building and Construction sector.

The following applications can be seen here:

·         Arch for the new Malizia bridge in Siena

·         All stainless steel fastener system

·         Pedestrian bridge for Stockholm

·         All stainless steel fastener system

·         Riverwalk floating away

·         Reinforcement for concrete

ISSF has produced a leaflet which answers some basic questions on stainless steel rebar:

·         Why stainless steel reinforcing bar?

·         What are the benefits?

·         Is it cost-effective?

(Also available in Spanish and Italian)

Unlike conventional steel rebar, stainless steel rebar does not corrode and is an ideal solution for harsh environments.

These posters give an overview of the why, when, where and how of stainless steel reinforcing bar.

EN1993 has about 20 parts covering common rules, fire design, bridges, buildings, tanks, silos, pipelined piling, crane supported structures, towers and masts, chimneys etc. Rules for stainless steel appear for the first time   

A two-page guidance document for users of stainless steel rebar.

Article outlines a project by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), which is using highly alloyed stainless steel reinforcing bar in its concrete structures. It describes a bridge that is expected to provide maintenance-free service for 120 years, nearly 2.5 times the service life of the bridge it is replacing.

Stainless steel is one of the materials most often encountered during the average day. We find it on the breakfast table, in the office, in public transport, in children's playgrounds, in hospitals, in factories, and so on. For years it has been known as a valuable construction material. Today, architects are using it more and more, for its remarkable visual and mechanical properties and its durability.

This paper discusses the role of Mo-containing stainless steels in prolonging the life of concrete structures

Paper submitted to the Fifth Stainless Steel Science and Market Congres in Sevilla, September 27-30, 2005. Covers the main benefits of stainless steel rebar and the influence of fabrication on mechanical properties and microstructure-

The Basilica of Aquileia in Laguna di Grado in northern Italy contains the largest and best preserved early Christian mosaics. Measures had to be undertaken to preserve these unique pictorial images. Glass wake ways were suspended from the new roof on a stainless steel support frame.

The Euro Inox brochure Erection and Installation of Stainless Steel Structures amplifies and explains the mandatory requirements on erection according to Euronorm EN 1090. It addresses site conditions and erection planning, which should take into account factors such as stability, lifting, access and stiffness of part-erected structures.

Design standards for structural stainless steel are compared. The European (Eurocode 3 ENV 1993-1-4), American (SEI/ASCE 8-02) and Australian/New Zealand (AS/NZS 4673) standards are reviewed in some detail.

The paper summarises a series of tests on cold-formed stainless steel tubular structures recently conducted in Singapore and Hong Kong.

3CR12 is a corrosion resisting steel that before 2002 was only available in hot-rolled form in relatively simple shapes such as plate and rod.

Despite an awareness campaign carried out in the mid 1990s by the Nickel Development Institute, a recent event in The Netherlands has indicated that the dangers posed by SCC in some types of stainless steels in indoor swimming pools are not as widely recognised as they need to be.

This paper is a summary of work performed in Sweden since 1998, addressing the resistance of welded I-girders made of stainless steel subjected to concentrated forces or shear.

This paper presents a constitutive model proposed for stainless steel. The model is a two surface model utilizing the concept of fuzzy sets. An experimental investigation has been performed on two different stainless steel grades as a reference to the model.

This paper introduces a recently established R&D program for utilizing thin stainless steel plates in building constructions.

Stainless steel is increasingly used in Italy for building construction, nevertheless the use of concrete for structural members is still largely prevalent. Interesting perspectives are open for stainless steel cold worked sheets, plates and bars and the mechanical properties of cold worked bars are illustrated. Current cases of construction practice using stainless steel as a structural material in Italy are shown.

Research at the University of Sydney, in the stainless steel area has for the last three years concentrated on the local buckling strength of stainless steel plates with application to cold-formed sections.

This article describes the testing programme and results for isothermal material tests at elevated temperatures for cold worked stainless steels. The main objective of the tests is to provide data for fire design guidance.

A brief overview of the formulation of a non-linear elastic Generalised Beam Theory (GBT) is first presented. This formulation extends/modifies the available one and can be applied to assess the local and global buckling behaviour of open and closed thin-walled columns made of elastic-plastic materials, such as stainless steel or aluminium.

Resistance to shear is one of the most important load cases to be considered when designing slender steel plated structures. This is a widely studied issue in carbon steel but not in stainless steel structures due to its recent introduction into construction as structural material.

When austenitic stainless steel is cold worked, it undergoes substantial strain hardening leading to significant strength enhancement. Utilisation of the enhanced strength is economic in the case of stainless steel structural applications.

The material behaviour of stainless steel strongly differs from that of mild steel beyond the proportional limit. Consequently, the buckling behaviour of mild steel structures and stainless steel structures will differ from each other in so far as for any given stainless steel structure of medium slenderness, i.e. belonging to the “elastic-plastic” region, the buckling capacity is lower than for a comparable mild steel structure of identical shape and area.

This paper reports on recently conducted structural stainless steel research in the UK and summarises the activities and findings of two major projects.

A list of design rule references.

This document is a guide to the design of stainless steel structures for engineers. The guide gives design recommendations, design examples, section properties and member capacities for commonly used stainless steel sections.

Stainless Steel Rebar and related construction products have been in the United States and Canada since 1996. Stainless steels have found increasing acceptance as the material of choice where a highly corrosion resistant material is needed to combat the ravages of corrosion from chlorides.

Paper presented at the International Experts Seminar, 20th May 2003, Ascot, UK

Stainless steel can be fabricated by methods similar to those used by carbon steel. However, other considerations must be taken into account because of the difference in material properties such as yield strength and rate of work hardening. This Designer Handbook has several suggestions on techniques for cutting, bending, forming, and finishing the austenitic and ferritic stainless steels.

An eight-page booklet that combines text with drawings, photographs, and charts to illustrate how efficiently and effectively non-corrosive stainless steel can be used with concrete; motor natural stonework and brickwork; plastics; copper and copper alloys; aluminum; and carbon, zinc and galvanized steel.

Learn how laboratory test results unequivocally demonstrate that stainless steel has superior fire and heat resistance compared to other materials.

Details selecting stainless steel fasteners with a description of the basic types. Discusses the criteria for choosing the right stainless steel presented with the typical properties and some thoughts on designing for optimum corrosion resistance.

Paper by F. Mirtsch, S. Mirtsch, M. Schade, University of Applied Sciences, Berlin.

·         Natural vault-structuring by self-organisation

·         Properties of hexagonally structured metal sheet

·         Selected application examples of stainless steel

Paper presented on the occasion of the Symposium 'Structural Applications of Stainless Steel in Building and Construction' on 24th February 2000 in Brussels.

As Bilbao residents watch construction progress on the world's first all-stainless steel bridge, developments across Europe confirm the growing interest in a host of architectural applications for the metal.

This Design Specification regulates the design and application of stainless steel for loaded structures and is generally valid in Germany until December 31, 2008. There are 17 steel grades specified by their performance in structural appliances and corrosive environments, even in swimming pool buildings.

Deterioration of reinforced concrete caused by corrosion of the carbon steel reinforcing bars (rebars) is a worldwide problem. The corrosion product ("rust") occupies a greater volume than the original steel bar and this creates a pressure which causes cracking and subsequent spalling of the surrounding concrete.

In 1992 an architectural competition was held to design ventilation structures for air inlet and extraction on Stockholm’s system of ringroads. The winners were Tengbom arkitekter of Stockholm.

In this paper recommendations are given along with examples.