About
CONNECT4C Project
C4C focuses on developing ready-to-use, standardized solutions for demountable, reusable, and adaptable 3D connections, taking advantage of the enhanced performance of advanced steel grades.
The project will promote a circular economy in the steel construction industry, thus leading to significant environmental savings through life cycle thinking and digitalization, while maintaining the competitiveness of the European Economy.
Inspired by the high-priority societal demand for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), CONNECT4C strives to enhance circularity in steel construction by developing innovative, demountable, and adaptable connection systems, which are key enablers for the effective reusability of structural steel elements (beams and columns), independently of their exact dimensions (length), by allowing the possibility for large tolerances. Finally, CONNECT4C encourages the development of steel connections with optimized performance not only at the macro level, but also at the component level, for which the use of high-strength steel (HSS) and long bolts is envisaged.
Reusing is a better option than recycling
By implementing specific tools in which the developed systems will contemplate the life cycle benefits of reuse (social, economic and environmental).
The project will significantly contribute towards digitalization and circularity in steel construction, resulting in high levels of sustainability and adaptability over the lifetime of a building.
guidelines
applications
classes
Steel Reuse is economically beneficial
As in the reuse process the material keeps its inherent added value.
Steel as the optimal material for reuse within the circular economy.
Steel reuse produces practically no waste, resulting in a clean economy and considerably less pollution.
Project mission
& objectives
01.
Development of a standardized and optimized modular structural grid system that allows for the easy reuse of existing steel members (beams and columns), independently of their exact dimensions (length), by enabling the possibility of very large tolerances.
02.
Development of a catalogue of efficient, adaptable, demountable, and reusable joints allowing to connect reused open-section beams to open-section/tubular columns.
03.
Development of an efficient classification system to define the level of reusability of steel structures and steel connection elements.
04.
Extension of the design rules for the steel components in Annex A of Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 (revised version 2022) to steel grades up to and including S960, covering, in addition, design rules for hybrid joints to connect open section beams to tubular columns, and column splices.
05.
Implementation of a specific BIM framework that extends the IFC classes and incorporates all the necessary descriptors for reusable steel connections, including traceability and quality, to facilitate interoperability throughout the lifecycle process.
Work Plan
The chart shows the overall structure of the work plan in a graphical way.
The horizontal axis shows the timeline, whereas the work packages are laid out vertically. The interrelation between the packages, as well as the information flow, are highlighted using the arrows.
WP1 - COORDINATION
Project management and coordination
Objectives
- To ensure that the project objectives and deadlines are met.
- To ensure the flow of information between members.
- To channel the input of the advisory board in the project.
Lead beneficiary
(UC) UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA – ISISE
WP2 - REFERENCE BUILDINGS
Reference structural systems and joint typologies
Objectives
- Develop a computational framework for design automation and optimization of steel frames employing the structural system focusing on reusability defined in this project.
- Explore and quantify the performance of the structural solutions designed for reuse by making comparisons with conventional designs.
- Determine the range of suitable dimensions for the modular structural grid system that supports design for reuse.
Lead beneficiary
ADÃO DA FONSECA – Engenheiros Consultores
WP3 - OPTIMIZATION
Optimised modular structural grid
Objectives
- Develop a computational framework for design automation and optimization of steel frames employing the structural
system focusing on reusability defined in the project. - Explore and quantify the performance of the structural solutions designed for reuse by making comparisons with
conventional designs. - Determine the range of suitable dimensions for the modular structural grid system that supports design for reuse.
Lead beneficiary
TAMPERE UNIVERSITY
WP4 - HSS COMPONENTS
Characterisation of innovative components and extension of existing components to HSS
Objectives
- To characterise standard and innovative components in HSS met in the different joint configurations developed within
WP6 to WP8. - To develop and validate numerical models able to reflect the actual behaviour of the studied components.
- To augment the database of case studies using artificial intelligence methods to allow for the application of deep
learning statistical models. - To develop/To adapt and validate analytical models to predict the mechanical properties (resistance, stiffness,
ductility…) of these joint components. - To assess the reliability of the proposed models using Monte Carlo simulation and statistical characterization of all
basic variables.
Lead beneficiary
UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE
WP5 - LONG BOLTS
Long bolt component characterization
Objectives
- To characterize the macro-engineering properties of the long bolt assembly (resistance, stiffness, ductility) in tension
and double shear, as a function of grip length, for application in the Component Method (CM) and Component Based
Finite Element Method (CBFEM). - To establish reliable tightening procedures to ensure adequate pre-load in long bolts, by extension of the existing
inexpensive methods used for conventional bolts (torque method, mixed method). - To quantify the potential long-term loss of preload in long-bolts.
- These objectives must be reached for usual classes (8.8 and 10.9) and usual surface treatments (black, galvanized), and must focus on practical application, aimed at boosting use of long bolts in construction and civil engineering industries.
Lead beneficiary
POLYTECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MADRID
WP6 - SIMPLE JOINTS
Length adjustment of Beams: Simple joints
Objectives
- To test the connections developed for simple joints on various beam types (I-section or trusses) with large tolerances
and column types (tubular or I-section). - To perform numerical simulations to extend virtual experimental data.
- To develop component model and analytical equations for beam-to-column and beam-to-beam joint typologies, when
connected to open or closed section columns.
Lead beneficiary
UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG
WP7 - MOMENT - RESISTING JOINTS
Length adjustment of Beams: Moment-resisting joints
Objectives
- To propose and validate concepts of innovative demountable moment-resisting joint (MRJ)solutions allowing for beam length adjustments.
- To develop and validate a component model for the moment-resisting joint characterization.
Lead beneficiary
(UC) UNIVERSITY OF COIMBRA – ISISE
WP8 - COLUMN SPLICES
Column splices
Objectives
- To propose and validate concepts of innovative demountable column splice solutions allowing for various combinations of column types and for vertical adjustments.
- To develop and validate a component model for the column splice characterisation subjected to combined bending
moments and axial forces
Lead beneficiary
UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE
WP9 - DESIGN GUIDELINES
Technical design guidelines
Objectives
- To provide guidance for design, erection and disassembly including worked examples, reflecting the project results.
- To extend the design rules for the steel components in Annex A of Eurocode 3-1-8 (revised version 2022) to steel
grades up to and including S960, covering, in addition, design rules for hybrid beam-to-column joints between open section beams and tubular columns and open of tubular columns and steel trusses. - To prepare excel spreadsheet-based design tools to support the software tools to be developed in WP11.
Lead beneficiary
BERNABEU INGENIEROS
WP10 - SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability and Digitalization supporting Circularity
Objectives
- Assessment of the benefits of circular construction and reuse of elements based on a model for life cycle analysis, complying with standards EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, at the product level and, at the building level, EN 15978:2011 (environmental), EN 15643-4:2012 (economic) and EN 15643-3:2012 (social), and integrating disassembly scenarios in the end-of-life stage.
- Implementation of an efficient classification system, based on a quantitative approach, to define the level of reusability of steel connection elements/systems (considering the criteria of ISO 20887:2020).
- Development of new families of BIM objects for connections, in an open data format (IFC) incorporating all the necessary descriptors for reusable steel connections, including traceability and life cycle environmental data, to facilitate the interoperability throughout the life-cycle process.
- Creation of a parametric BIM model to allow for the minimization of environmental impacts and costs during the life cycle of the structure, including the disassembly process.
Lead beneficiary
JUPA S.A
WP11 - DISEMINATION
Dissemination and communication
Objectives
- To disseminate the project results to a broader public audience (i.e. general public, steel industry, real state owner, practitioners, academic and research institutions), as well as different technical committees in Europe – CEN and ECCS through social networking and open-access web channels.
- To develop a software and an app for mobiles to facilitate the use of the CONNECT4C system.
- To educate kids for reuse concepts through a physical kit of the CONNECT4C system.
- To organize different events (seminars, workshops, webinars) where the gained knowledge will be prepared and distributed in EU in the form of handbooks and design manuals obtained in WP9 and WP10.
Lead beneficiary
FATOR
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel programme under grant agreement Nº 101112300