structure cladding interaction Technology

SCIT

What is structure cladding interaction?

Structure Cladding Interaction is a new structural engineering discipline that explores the ways in which the primary steel frame of a building may interact with the attached light gauge steel cladding system together with any secondary bracing.

Historically, there has been little interaction between structural engineers and the designers/suppliers of light gauge steel cladding. SCIT is here to bridge this gap in order to help you to understand the new technology of Structure Cladding Interaction and to design clad building structures..

SCIT is an off-campus company that seeks to develop expertise in this area, particularly in the field of relevant computer software. SCIT has a close association with the University of Manchester ‘Structure Cladding Interaction Technology Innovation Centre’ (SCITIC) which seeks to offer a ‘level playing field’ where tensions between different parties working in this field may be resolved. Although both SCIT and SCITIC are based in the UK, they seek to maintain active contact with research groups and others with an interest in this developing technology, both in mainland Europe and worldwide.

How can SCIT help you?

Here at SCIT we specialise in all facets of structure cladding interaction. As well as advising clients on a range of structures worldwide we also perform our own research and collaborate with several universities.

Services

We offer a comprehensive range of services designed to cater for the specialised needs of individual projects using our own unique software. We can provide tailored solutions that address the specific challenges of your project.

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Academia

We do not just stop at innovation; we actively contribute to the knowledge pool of the construction industry. Through our published technical papers and our participation in international conferences, we share our insights, discoveries and methodologies with the structural engineering community, thus fostering a much-needed culture of learning and growth.

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You can book a consultation with us in order to discuss your structure cladding interaction query.

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Safety concerns with big sheds

SCIT was born when Professor Mike Davies, together with others, became involved in investigations following cladding-related ‘failures’ in several ‘Big Sheds’ (ultra-large warehouses and distribution centres often covering an area equivalent to several football pitches). These investigations subsequently became concealed by non-disclosure orders so that any continuing research had to be conducted on the basis of structural mechanics without making any overt reference to the actual buildings involved, forensic evidence from the sites or any associated tests etc. that were not in the public domain. It was this scenario that led, eventually, to the introduction of a new discipline in structural engineering, namely ‘Structure Cladding Interaction’.

In the section that follows, watch Professor Davies give an early Keynote address to the ‘Eurosteel’ Conference in Sheffield in 2021. Starting with the origins of stressed skin theory and its incorporation by ECCS in ‘European Recommendations’ (pre-standards) towards the end of the 20th Century, and highlighting important developments along the way, he gives a clear indication of why ‘Big Sheds’ may not be safe and indicates why SCIT now holds the crucial assets that will allow the construction industry to address this problem.

More recently, SCIT has published a peer-reviewed technical paper in the Journal for Constructional Steel Research (JCSR) with the same title, ‘Are Big Sheds safe?’ that brings this discussion right up to date. This takes advantage of SCIT’s unique 3D software for the general analysis of structure cladding interaction problems, detailed to the smallest fastener or connection, that is proving to be extremely versatile, allowing the non-linear analysis of a wide range of clad structures up to ‘failure’.