ArcelorMittal has launched a new reference guide for engineers and fabricators, which will serve as an essential aid in the design of steel buildings and structures.
The Orange Book was presented at a conference of almost 100 engineers, architects, designers, fabricators, contractors and researchers, which was held at the ArcelorMittal Orbit on 27 September 2016. It is expected the Orange Book will become the industry’s principal tool when choosing which material to use in different parts of a building’s structure.
The Orange Book is intended as an aid specifically for the design of structural steelwork using S355 and S460M grades, and HISTAR® 355 and HISTAR® 460, ArcelorMittal’s high-strength structural grades which are used in the construction sector and in particular for tall buildings; HISTAR® 460 has been used in high-profile buildings around the world including New York City’s Freedom Tower and the new Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The Book’s comprehensive tables of resistances help designers and engineers choose the steel components with the right properties for the intended end-use.
The Orange Book project was led by a technical advisory team in the central marketing division of ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products, in collaboration with the UK’s Steel Construction Institute, an independent source of information and engineering expertise in the steel construction industry. Initially, the Book’s scope covers open sections, but will be extended in the future as part of an ongoing project. The information is only available online because of the volume of data available, but data from the tables can be exported in order for designers to use the figures in the way they choose.
David Brown, associate director at the SCI and contributor to the Orange Book, gave a detailed presentation on designing in ArcelorMittal’s high-strength steel grade S460, explaining how the Book can be used as part of the decision-making process for design engineers. “On behalf of the SCI, I would like to say that all of us are very proud of this product. I believe steel designers will find the Orange Book very useful”, said David Brown.
Dr Graham Couchman, chief executive officer, SCI said, “SCI believes it is essential that our members have the best technical information available so they can make informed decisions to meet the best interests of clients, end users and the environment. We’ve been a trusted, independent source of information and engineering expertise globally for 25 years, because of the best practice we share with the steel construction sector and supporting the Orange Book is one way we will continue that legacy.”
According to independent market research consultants Construction Markets, the UK is a leading market for the use of steel in construction, with steel enjoying a 68% market share in multi-storey buildings and a 91% market share in single storey industrial buildings.
With steel’s properties making it an ideal material as part of the circular economy - it can be re-used as well as infinitely recycled – the steel industry is working together to promote the greater use of steel in the built environment, in Europe and worldwide.
