Abstract

The European Standard for sandwich panels EN 14509 lacks rules or requirements for many important areas from a user point of view and in particular areas such as fastening of the panels, openings in panels, axially loaded panels and panels stabilizing frame structures. This is due to the fact that despite the availability of a lot of knowledge and data in different countries on these subjects, no common rules have as yet been developed, thus putting a hindrance on standardisation and a barriers to a wider use of sandwich panels. The central aim of the EASIE project is to remove the existing technical, codification and standardization barriers to promote a wider use of sandwich panel technology across the EU construction industry. Training tools developed by the project will give means and methods to both, designers and end users to apply the technology. The project will address the current major questions in sandwich panel construction.

The second goal of the project is to develop technical guidelines ready for implementation for the revision of the standard EN 14509 which is expected to be completed by 2010. The implementation and dissemination of the new information and its use in innovative panel systems will be carried out through collaboration with SMEs and Industrial Associations and Groupings, through targeted meetings, practical guidelines and input to codes and standards. The sandwich panel industry consists mostly of SMEs which in the majority of cases are affiliated to industrial associations. An important association is the European Panels and Profiles Federation (EPPF), which represents over 250 lightweight steel producers from nine EU member states. These producers are represented by their national associations, such as for example the Syndicat National du Profilage des Produits Plats en Acier (SNPPA) which represents most of the sandwich panel producers in France, the Asociacion Paneles de Poliuretano Inyectado (APIPÑA) in Spain and the European Quality Assurance Association for Panels and Profiles (EPAQ) representing 18 European sandwich producers. The members of all these associations will take an active part in the implementation of the project. The SMEs directly involved in the work are expected not only to provide test specimens but also to contribute knowledge, management and technical skills and manpower for the progress of the project. This is particularly true of the members of APIPÑA which will be involved in EU research for the first time. ColdKit Ibérica S.A, a Portugese SME panel producer, will act as EASIE project leader. The EASIE research was initiated by the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS) Technical Working Group 7.9 and the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Working Group 56 Joint Committee on sandwich panels which produces recommendation for the testing, design and use of sandwich panels. These recommendations have over the years achieved a status of prenormative documents and have been widely used in EU countries. Eight EASIE Partners (ISM, UKA, TKK, TUD, EPAQ, AMC, APIPNA and LHH) are long term members of the Joint Committee. The Committee current plans include the drafting of an extended guideline on sandwich panels in the preparation of which many gaps in knowledge and dissemination have been encountered. The EASIE research topics have been identified in order to close these gaps and the Committee has therefore a high level of interest to utilize the results of the project in its future recommendations.

Project partner

Fachhochschule Mainz, Institut für Sandwichtechnik  ISM Germany
University of Karlsruhe, UKA. Germany
Helsinki University of Technology, TKK. Finland
Syndicat National du Profilage des Produits Plats en Acier, SNPPA. France
Technical University Darmstadt, TUD.  Germany
Panama International, PI. France
European Quality Assurance Association for Panels and Profiles, EPAQ 
Panelco, PAN. France
ArcelorMittal Construction Polska, AMC. Poland
ECP–Gesellschaft f.GfK Lösungen mbH, ECP.  Germany
M-Profile Zabok d.o.o, MPRO.  Croatia
Fech Fenstertechnik GmbH & Co. KG, FECH.  Germany
Asociación Paneles de Poliuretano Inyectado, APIPNA. Spain
Engelbert Ritsch GmbH ITP. Italy
LHH consulting Oy AB Ltd, LHH. Finland
RBM Europe BV, RBM.  Netherlands
ColdKit Ibérica S.A., NGP. Portugal
Europa Media, EUMED. Hungary
ThyssenKrupp Bausysteme GmbH, TKS.  Germany

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