Within the scope of the tender “Fügen im Produktlebenszyklus” of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesminsterium für Bildung und Forschung) the cooperative project “REFRESH- Lebensdauerverlängerung bestehender und neuer geschweißter Stahlkonstruktionen” was granted January, 1st of 2006 for a duration of 3 ½ years. The project is overseen by the project executing organization Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, department Production and Product Engineering. The objective is to develop a holistic method for service life extension of existing and freshly welded steel constructions.

Within the scope of this project, post weld treatments will be optimized regarding fatigue resistance enhancing effects and the applicability on site.

Due to the development of a quality assurance system a reproducibility of positive effects can be assured. Advanced calculation methods shall allow a consideration of service life extension methods for building parts of the most different design.

A concluding worked out procedure shall be the base for the implementation of those methods to the standards.