Temperature-time (T-t) curves and temperature contour plots due to the ISO 834 standard fire loading curve for typical New Zealand composite floors have been calculated and presented in tabulated format. The temperatures in 10 minute intervals up to the requested fire resistance rating have been reported for the slab top face and along the thinnest…
As the new design standard for composite construction AS/NZS 2327 nears completion, consideration is being paid to what software tools will be needed by designers. Our General Manager Structural Systems Dr Stephen Hicks has encouraged Arup’s software house Oasys to implement the new AS/NZS 2327 within their Compos programme, which enables users to design composite beams…
As an extension to the Australian Journal of Structural Engineering paper that was reported in last month’s HERA News, the paper entitled ‘Australasian Advances in Steel & Composite Structures to Enhance Cross-Border Practice’ was delivered by Prof. Brian Uy (CIES Director and Chair of IABSE-Australia) at the 17th Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines…
Above Ground Geothermal & Allied Technologies (AGGAT) is a HERA-led co-operative research programme to support the development of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plants utilizing low enthalpy geothermal resources or waste heat. The geothermal turbine, which converts the working fluid’s enthalpy into kinetic energy and then outputs the power, plays a crucial role in the…
Beams with web openings can include cellular beams fabricated from rolled sections or plate girders with circular or rectangular openings cut in the webs. Typical long-span floor beams of this nature are designed to act compositely with the floor slab, which greatly increases their load carrying capabilities. Authored by Prof. R Mark Lawson of Surrey…
HERA is delighted to announce its success in obtaining research funding from the 2015/16 Building Research Levy Investment Programme for the project entitled “Specific Design for Multi-storey Light Steel Framed Housing”. Working closely with the National Association of Steel-framed Housing (NASH), whom will also be funding this initiative, the project is in response to the…
The first ever Global Conference on Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) was held on 30th April 2015 in Auckland. Around 60 delegates registered for this conference covering a mix of industry, academia, field experts and government. The conference was divided into the following research themes, which also form the basis of the AGGAT…
Last year, HERA was successful in being awarded a new research project by NZTA to develop a design guide for existing steel-concrete composite bridges. Working in collaboration with Opus International Consultants, to date, the project has identified the many different shear connector types that have been used in New Zealand since the 1920s. Design rules…
Following on from the presentation of project plans at the AGGAT team meeting in January (see last HERA News), the research leaders will be re-convening at an upcoming Technical Advisory Board meeting in early March to present proposals and establish the next steps for their projects. In summary form, they are described below: Mar272015 Technology…
3D printing and additive manufacturing are two of the newest and most discussed topics in design and manufacturing in recent years. A component can be created in almost any shape using successive layers of material, making rapid prototyping and manufacturing a reality and bringing with it low one-off manufacturing costs. What impact can engineering analysis…
HERA successfully provided SGD$180k savings to their client’s Singaporean 40-storey building Numerical simulations (i.e. advanced finite element analyses) have been performed for an overseas Client by HERA’s Structural Systems division in order to estimate the fire performance of a composite slab with a re-entrant profiled steel sheet used in a prestigious 40-storey building in Singapore.…
Through his membership of IABSE Working Commission 2 (responsible for Steel, Timber and Composite Structures), our General Manager Structural Systems Dr Stephen Hicks has been selected as the Facilitator for Professional Session on “International Design Challenge: Complexity of Design Rules”. Participants wishing to make a contribution in accordance with the global themes of the conference…