CROSS Safety Alert
Structural stability/integrity of steel frame buildings
Overview
There are occasional collapses of steel frame structures during construction and this Alert is to draw attention to matters which need to be borne in mind by designers, fabricators, and contractors.
A number of areas of concern for unusual structures are listed and although they are not definitive nor are they complete should be taken into account at high levels with the design and the construction teams.
Topics include those prior to construction and those during construction.
Note: this Safety Alert was published by SCOSS (Standing Committee on Structural Safety). Since March 2021, SCOSS is integrated under the name Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS).
Who should read this?
Asset owners, architects and designers, steelwork fabricators, main contractors, building control officers.
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As a practicing structural engineer and former learning professional, I would commend the distribution of the SCOSS Alert Structural stability/integrity of steel frame buildings in their temporary and permanent condition but question the efficacy of including such a long list of “learning points”. Multiple learning points can serve to water down and ultimately lose the impact of the message. The clear outcome of the alert could have been a warning that site welding or re-work is inherently dangerous, and needs to be carefully procured, managed, and checked. The new CE marking law requiring steel fabricators to be at least Execution Class 2 for any site welding should help us out here, but is not widely implemented (if at all) and I would suggest a note in the next newsletter advising all structural engineers and project managers to insist on seeing evidence of EC2 certification from any steelworker engaged to do site fabrication or modification of steelwork. Leaving aside that little note of caution, I love reading the reports and newsletter, and thank you and the team for all the hard work!