Volume 19
May 2026
ISSN 1867-0520
Steel Construction
Design and Research
Advances in Testing, Modelling & Standards of Membranes
Membranes refreshed
Plastic Sagging Resistance of Filler Beam Decks (S500)
Dynamic Properties of Handling Equipment in Extreme Quakes
Flame Straightening Effects on Preset Beam Ends
Formulation for Uniform & Nonuniform Slender IBeams
Steel Box Girders: Wide Flanges, Limited Plasticity
Membrane structures made from technical textiles are part of the built environment for decades now. Many membrane structures had been realised within Europe during the last 30 to 40 years. The aim today is to continue using them on a long-term basis by restoring their original attractive appearance and preserve their stability for many years to follow. One example is the membrane roof of the Health Centre in Masserberg, Thuringia, finalised in 1994, where the original extremely strong membrane is now replaced with a today available high-performance material. (photo: © formTL)
104
Content
Steel Construction 2/26
EDITORIAL
Natalie Stranghöner
Membrane structures meet steel structures …
ARTICLES
Natalie Stranghöner, Jörg Uhlemann, Felix Surholt, Dominik Runge 105
Advancements in testing, modelling and standardisation of structural membranes
Bernd Stimpfle
116
Membrane refreshed
Preserving membrane structures through modernisation
Riccardo Zanon, Francesco Profico, Markus Schäfer, Gonzalo Ruiz, Ángel De La Rosa
123
135
152
Plastic resistance to sagging bending of filler beam decks: Extension to S500 grade and steel fibre reinforced concrete
Mirjam Kloos, geb. Groß, Hamid Sadegh-Azar
Dynamic properties of mobile materials handling equipment during once-in-a-century earthquakes
He Zhang, Chun-ming Wei, Fanyu Wu, Shengcai Li, Kun Wang, Zhi-jun Jiang
Case study: Impact of flame straightening on performances of preset beam ends in a steel corridor
Volume 19
May 2026, No. 2
ISSN 1867-0520 (print)
ISSN 1867-0539 (online)
171
José Osvaldo Ferreira Filho, Luís Simões da Silva, Trayana Tankova, Hermes Carvalho
General formulation for uniform and non-uniform high-strength steel slender I-section beams
Encho Dulevski
http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/stco
Steel Construction is indexed in Elsevier´s Scopus
Impact Factor 2024: 1.5
CiteScore 2024: 2.6
179 Wide flanges of steel box bridge girders with limited plasticisation
Membrane structures meet steel structures …
This issue of Steel Construction contains contributions not only regarding steel structures, but also regarding membrane structures. Membrane structures are lightweight tensile structures, which are typically constructed either from woven textiles – usually PET/PVC or glass/PTFE fabrics – or from ETFE-foils, often used as roofing or façade systems, frequently in combination with complex cablesupported structures. The main supporting structures are often made of steel as well. Tensile structures are inherently climate-positive: they require fewer raw materials, can be easily dismantled, and their structural elements can be reused. Adaptive skins can further enhance their performance by opening and closing in response to daylight, temperature or wind. The lightweight nature of tensile systems is one of their key advantages. Using less material means consuming fewer resources which is fully in line with the urgent need for the construction industry to rethink ‘business as usual’.
This rather young type of construction lacked for decades of design and execution rules as well as product standards. Initiated by the TensiNet Association in 2008, intensive work has been carried out on European level since then to develop a first Technical Specification, CEN/TS 19102 titled “Design of tensioned membrane structures” which was finally published in 2024. CEN/TS 19102 contains not only provisions for the design of membrane structures based on the semi-probabilistic design concept of the Eurocodes, as the title suggests, but also defines requirements for the products themselves, technical fabrics and foils, supplemented by test specifications and guidance on the execution of membrane structures, thereby representing the current state of the art. Herewith, CEN/TS 19102 serves now as the basis for the further development of a future Eurocode for membrane structures. Work on this began immediately after publishing of CEN/TS 19102 and is currently still going on, once again with the active participation of members of various national standardization committees. In future, the plan is to convert the Technical Specification into a Eurocode for the design of membrane structures and a separate part dealing with the execution, taking into account ongoing developments in the field of membrane structures. Furthermore, the aim is to develop - for the first time - product standards for technical fabrics and foils to be used in architectural membrane structures.
I would like to invite those you who are fascinated of membrane structures to get deeper in touch with them by attending the upcoming joined 8th TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026 which will take place on 30 September to 2 October 2026 at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. The symposium is dedicated to the latest developments in tensile architecture and membrane structures with the overall objective: “Shaping the pathway to future tensioned membrane design”.
I hope that readers of this issue of Steel Construction will not only gain new insights but also enjoy reading it!
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Natalie Stranghöner
University of Duisburg-Essen/Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures
Natalie Stranghöner
University of Duisburg-Essen/ Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures
Mario was a member of TC3 Fire Safety and made major contributions to the field of fire safety of steel and composite structures. His work had a significant impact on the community, and he will be remembered for his valuable scientific contributions and his dedication to advancing our field.
Professor Paulo Vila Real, Chairman of ECCS TC3 remembers: “I first met Mario in 1998 when I participated as a guest in a meeting at Arbed in Luxembourg for a project on the Natural Fire Safety Concept. He impressed me with his always insightful and remarkable interventions during the meeting.
With his passing, the scientific and technical community has become poorer. Sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
Steel Construction News 2/26
The ECCS and the Finnish Constructional Steelwork Association is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our long-time expert, Jouko Kouhi. Jouko served as a senior expert in our associations for many years and retired in 2015. He was a true professional in his field, and his technical expertise in steel construction was an invaluable asset to our team. We remember Jouko especially for
his passion for research and development in steel construction and for his work on the development of the Eurocodes. “Mr. Eurocode” was a respected colleague and member of both national and European technical committees, where he shared his diverse expertise. His contributions leave a lasting mark on our association’s history. We share in the deep sorrow of his loved ones.
Mario Fontana
Jouko Kouhi
Fig. Annual TC3 meeting in Zurich in October 2017, third from right: Mario Fontana.
Jouko Kouhi
photo:
TC3
Two new committees in close collaboration with CEN have been founded:
ECCS TC17 – AI Design of Steel Structures
This initiative reflects the rapidly growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven methodologies in structural engineering and the need for coordinated technical exchange within the European steel construction community.
Recent advances in machine learning, large language models (LLMs), data-driven modelling, and digital engineering tools are opening new opportunities for improving structural analysis, design optimization, reliability assessment, monitoring, and decision-making in steel structures. At the same
time, the adoption of such technologies in safety-critical engineering applications requires careful consideration of transparency, reliability, and alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks.
Purpose of TC17
The primary objective of ECCS TC17 is to provide a technical platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence applied to steel structures.
The committee will bring together researchers, engineers, software developers, and industry representatives to:
– Exchange knowledge on state-of-the-art AI applications in structural engineering; –Explore advanced data-driven modelling approaches for steel structures and structural components; –Support the development of AI-assisted design tools, including machine-learning models and large language model (LLM)–based systems;
ECCS TC18 – Additive Manufacturing in steel construction
This new TC will explore and facilitate the use of additive manufacturing (AM) in steel construction, which has the potential to enhance structural performance and enable the production of efficient, bespoke designs. Foreseeable benefits include greater architectural freedom, reduced carbon emissions, increased automation, components with higher-strength-to-weight ratios
and localized, on-demand production to improve sustainability and supply chain resilience [1].
Key opportunities for AM in steel construction include:
– Design Optimization and Freedom: Enabling topology optimization to place steel only where necessary, resulting in lighter, stronger components with complex geometries [2,3] that are not possible or practical to create with traditional fabrication.
– Material Efficiency and Sustainability: Reducing waste by building components layer-by-layer (near-net shape) and reducing material weight through design efficiency, which reduces overall material consumption and environmental impact.
–Promote the development of European databases and datasets relevant to structural steel engineering; –Identify research needs and technological challenges in the application of AI to steel structures.
Link with European Standardisation Activities
The work of ECCS TC17 will be closely coordinated with the activities of the CEN/ TC250/SC3 AHG 5 - Ad-hoc Group on AI Design of Steel Structures, whose objective is to investigate the standardisation framework for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in steel design.
While the CEN Ad-hoc Group focuses on the development of normative guidance, addressing aspects such as safety, transparency, reliability, and alignment with the EU regulatory and ethical framework for AI, the role of ECCS TC17 is intended to be complementary and technically oriented.
– Improved Structural Performance: Creating high-performance components and hybrid structural elements [4] and connections
– Aut omated Production : Using robotic systems to automate on-site or off-site fabrication, improving safety, accelerating construction schedules, and lowering labour-intensive processes.
– Customization and Cost-Effectiveness: Producing unique or low-volume customized steel components without expensive, specialized tooling or moulds.
– Repair and Functional Integration : Facilitating the repair of existing structural components [5] and allowing for the integration of sensors or specialized cooling channels within the steel structure
Fig. Chairman Filip Ljubinkovic
Fig. Chairman Leroy Gardner
Sources
[1] Gardner, L. (2023) Metal additive manufacturing in structural engineering – review, advances, opportunities and outlook. Structures. 47, 2178-2193.
[2] Laghi, V., Babovic, N., Benvenuti, E., Kloft, H. (2024) Blended structural optimization of steel joints for wire-and-arc additive manufacturing Engineering Structures, 300, 117141.
CONTINUED EDUCATION
[3] Kyvelou, P., Spinasa, A., Gardner, L. (2024) Testing and analysis of optimised wire arc additively manufactured steel trusses. Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE. 150(3), 04024008.
[4] Meng, X.; Gardner, L. (2025) Hybrid construction featuring wire arc additive manufacturing: review, concepts, challenges and
opportunities. Engineering Structures, 326, 119337.
[5] H. Dahaghin, M. Motavalli, H. Moshayedi, S.M. Zahrai, E. Ghafoori (2024) Wire and arc additive manufacturing for strengthening of metallic components, Thin-Walled Structures, 203, 112074.
Follow us to know what is planned for Autumn 2026: www.steelconstruct.com
RESEARCH
The following research projects are running, ECCS is involved in all of them. The first one is coordinated by ECCS:
STROBE +
Accompanying Measures for Stronger Steels in the Built Environment
https://www.steelconstruct.com/eu-projects/ strobeplus/
GREENVESTS
Green Vertical Steel Wall Design
https://www.steelconstruct.com/eu-projects/ greenvest/
REBRIDGE
Reliability of Reused Bridge Structures and the Impact on the Design for a Green and Circular Eternity
https://www.ke.uni-stuttgart.de/en/research/ rebridge/
3LEVELUP
System level, sustainable and artificial intelligence-aided design of steel structures
DREAMERS+
Dissemination of design, research and monitoring of Emerging technology applied to a demonstration resilient steel building
JOINT2SCALE (HORIZON)
Automated composite joint manufacturing for wind turbine foundations.
Syndicat de la Construction Métallique de France: 140th Anniversary Congress
–The Syndicat de la Construction Métallique de France, the French member of ECCS, is organising its 140th Anniversary Congress, an event that will bring together key players in the metal construction sector to discuss the major transformations taking place within the industry.
24–26 June 2026
Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine - Paris
On the programme: –Round-table discussions on the metal construction industry and its developments,
Connections X 2026
The 10th International Workshop on Connections in Steel Structures: An historical cooperation between ECCS TC10 Connections and AISC.
More information: www.connections-x.com
–Steel Design Awards ceremony for the ‘Les Plus Beaux Ouvrages de la Construction Métallique’ competition, – A prestigious evening event for industry stakeholders.
This congress will also provide an opportunity for networking and exchanges at a European level between professionals in the sector.
Registration & information: https://congresscmf.fr/
Eurosteel 16-18/09/2026 CRACOW
For more information please visit: https://eurosteel2026.org/
Three scholarly journals to be continued under John Wiley & Sons
The scholarly journals Steel Construction, ce/papers and Civil Engineering Design have been fully published under the editorial responsibility of Wiley since 27 April 2026.
This transition further strengthens the international scientific orientation of these journals. At the same time, it opens up new opportunities for authors, in particular
Events
Place and date
Paris, France
24 to 26 June, 2026
Cincinnati, USA
7 to 10 July, 2026
Munich, Germany
11 September, 2026
Cracow, Poland
16 to 18 September, 2026
Bielefeld, Germany
17 to 18 September, 2026
Essen
30 September to 2 October, 2026
Düsseldorf
20 to 23 October, 2026
through Wiley’s global reach, established Open Access models and international transformative agreements.
The high scientific quality, editorial standards and established peer-review procedures will be consistently maintained. All ongoing submissions, review processes, publication commitments and editorial plans remain fully valid.
The journals are available online at:
–Steel Construction: https://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/journal/18670539 –ce/papers: https://onlinelibrary.wiley. com/journal/25097075
– Civil Engineering Design: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/2625073X
Event
Syndicat de la Construction Métallique de France: 140th Anniversary Congress
Connections X 2026: 10th International Workshop on Connections in Steel Structures
Münchener Kranbahntag 2026
Eurosteel 2026
42. Deutscher Stahlbautag
8th TensiNet Symposium 2026 & 7th Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026
glasstec
Details
https://congresscmf.fr/
www.connections-x.com
https://www.ernst-und-sohn.de/ veranstaltungen/m%C3%BCnchenerkranbahntag-2026
eurosteel2026.prz.edu.pl https://eurosteel2026.org/
https://deutscher-stahlbautag.com/
https://www.uni-due.de/iml/tensinetems2026.php
https://www.glasstec.de/
The construction industry’s push to reduce environmental impact has driven the development of steel-timber composite (STC) systems, but existing dowel-type shear connectors often suffer from limited performance, permanent deformations, and poor reusability. This paper introduces a new reversible shear connector for STC floor beams, validated through analytical and numerical studies, that improves structural efficiency and enables disassembly and material reuse at end of life. (From: J. Henriques, J.-F. Demonceau: An innovative reversible shear connection for efficient steel-timber composite floor beams; fig.: Steel-timber composite floor beam implementing the developed shear connection (patent application pending)
Preview 3/2026
Zbigniew Kowalewski
Effect of fatigue/creep loading conditions on the behaviour of selected steel grades and their subsequent reuse potential
Roberto Leon
Existing Steel Structures in the USA: Evaluation, Rehabilitation and Reuse
Taichiro Okazaki
Steel reuse in seismic areas in Japan
Luis da Silva
How innovative joints enable the widespread use of demountable and reusable modular steel structures
José Henriques, Jean-François Demonceau
An innovative reversible shear connection for efficient steel-timber composite floor beams
(Subject to change)
