ABSTRACT
This paper presents the preliminary results of the fabrication tolerance study performed within the EU-RFCS project LASTEICON (Laser technology for innovative connections in steel construction), funded by Research Fund for Coal and Steel of European Commission. The project started on July 2016, and will last for 3.5 years. LASTEICON project aims to eliminate the use of excessive amount of stiffener plates and welding in steel joints, using laser cutting technology (LCT). This will lead to enhance the economy and sustainability of the fabrication process as well as the aesthetic of any type of steel joints. Major focus has been given to I-beam-to-CHS-column connections to promote hollow sections, because of their excellent structural properties combined with their aesthetic appeal. In this paper, an overview of the project is provided and the preliminary experimental results on the laser-cutting and fabrication tolerances have been discussed.
