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Corrosion is a big problem in steel structures, especially
in coastal areas. To avoid corrosion, steel structures have to be painted at
regular intervals, thus
increasing the maintenance cost and the bother of periodic maintenance. Due to
this, many owners and architects do not specify steel space frames and instead,
stainless steel is being increasingly used.
The space frame at Jindal Strips Ltd (JSL), Hisar, is India's first stainless
steel space frame. The double layer space frame grid is saucer-shaped
longitudinally and is 18 m long and 11 m wide. At the support points, the space
frame has a pyramidal shape and is supported by two circular reinforced concrete
columns.
This was modeled as a space truss and analyzed using STAAD III program. It was
fabricated and erected using MERO type joints. Approximately 10 tonnes of
stainless steel was used for the space frame. The architects, M/s S Ghosh & Associates,
New Delhi specified stainless steel as the material for the space frames. The
fabrication and erection was done by M/s Sreevatsa Stainless Steel
Fabricators (P) Ltd, Chennai in just eight weeks.
The space frame is a combination of 50 mm dia and 75 mm dia stainless steel
balls and tubes. The nodes consist of solid forged stainless steel balls with
threaded holes cut in each sphere. The nodes are connected with tube members
with truncated conical end fittings called reducers, which are welded to both
ends of the tubular members.These members are connected to the threaded
spherical nodes by a central bolt with a tightening sleeve.
Threaded bolts provide a simple connection between the
members and nodes; they also ensure that the structure can be dismantled and
re-erected again.
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Contact details of the architect: Mr Sumit Ghosh,
S GHOSH & ASSOCIATES, R-4, Hauz Khas,
New Delhi -110 016; Tel: 011 -696 2134, 696
0949; Fax: 011 -686 4544.
Contact details of the fabricator:
Mr C C Sampath, SREEVATSA STAINLESS
STEEL FABRICATORS (P) LTD, New 176-H
(Old 93-H) Habibullah Road, T Nagar, Chennai
-600 017; Telefax: 044 -814 3552;
E-mail: sreevatsai@hotmail.com
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