Summaries

Turkish Construction Steel Association organizing technical visits for civil engineering and architecture faculty students for taking interest in steel structures in their student years organized their first technical visit in 2013 to Osmaniye and Iskenderun. 20 students from Yeditepe University Civil Engineering Department visited ArcelorMittal Distribution Solutions-Rozak Steel Service and Process Centre in Osmaniye and then ISDEMIR plant in Iskenderun on March 2, 2013 with TUCSA President Prof. Dr. Nesrin Yardımcı, Vice President Yener Gür'eş and Association Manager Nur Özkan.
Osmaniye Steel Service and Processing Centre is an unprecedented integrated facility not only in Turkey but also in Europe with its machinery variety, storage volume and product range. Students, having received answers to all of their questions from Osmaniye Steel Service and Processing Centre Factory Manager Isa Arslan, have witnessed processing of steel material in a fast and quality manner with specification-compliant tolerances with machinery having the newest technological infrastructure.
Following the completion of their visit to Osmaniye facilities, the group travelled to Iskenderun and has been informed on how steel is manufactured with the presentation of Harun Özdemir, İSDEMİR Communications Manager. Visitors witnessed the whole of the process on the raw material of steel, iron; and found the change to witness accomplishments of İSDEMİR, one of the favourite enterprises of Turkey, which has an important role in Turkey's 8th position in the globe for local steel production.
QUO VADİS?
Firstly, Turkish Constructional Steelwork Association organized Cold-formed Steel Structures Industry Advisory Board (SDK-1h) meeting on June 30, 2011 and united the companies working in this field. Next, Cold-formed Steel Structures Technical Committee (TK-7) has been founded under the leadership of TUCSA member Prof. Dr. Gülay ALTAY and in-depth and long-term studies have been commenced on the subject by the formation of Cold-formed Steel Structures Working Group under this committee. Of the companies in the industry which met in these meetings and brought up the problems, Akkon, Dorçe, Prefabrik Yapı Prekons, Proev ve Vefa-Steelife committed to cover the expenses of all studies to be performed.
In the meantime, Van Earthquake occurred on October 23, 2011 and public institutes also started cold-formed steel structure production with the instructions of the Prime Minister. However, it has been observed in the market that unsafe structures have been built in accordance with specifications of which compliance to standards could not be documented because there is not sufficient regulation and/or specification on cold-formed steel structures exist in Turkey.
As TUCSA Cold-formed Steel Structures Technical Committee started to form "Structural Presentation/Solution Format of Cold-formed Steel Frame Structure Projects" with the acceleration effect of Van Earthquake, TUCSA Vice President H. Yener GÜR'Eş visited public institutes such as AFAD, TOKI, Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, and TSE and informed these authorities about the studies and requested their support. The mentioned authorities show an interest in the subject.
In the assembly of Cold-formed Steel Structures Industry Advisory Board held on November 15, 2012, the following decisions have been made:
* "International Cold-formed Steel Structures Design" course by the Cold-formed Steel Structures Technical Committee (TK-7),
* To produce "Cold-formed Steel Frame Structures Design and Execution Manual" which can be converted to the "Cold-formed Steel Structure Regulation" later on,
* To develope "Cold-formed Steel Structures section" in order to add to the Turkish Earthquake Code for Buildings to be Built in Seismic Zones,
* To organise a workshop to constitute public opinion on this subject by exploiting common mind.
In accordance with these decisions, document preparation works continued whilst "International Cold-formed Steel Structures Design" course started. Training has been provided by Prof. Raffaele LANDOLFO from Naples University and Prof. Dan DUBINA from Timisoara Politehnica University in Ramada Istanbul Asia Hotel on January 11-12, 2013. Design homeworks were assigned attendees for the second phase of the training. Completed designs and drawings were evaluated by Prof. Dr. Dan DUBINA and Prof. Dr. Viorel UNGUREANU, and discussed in colloquium on March 26, 2013. Following the colloquium, TUCSA Attendance Certificates were given to all attendees. Furthermore, 5 of the submitted projects were qualified to receive ECCS Achievement Certificate. Evaluation of other projects are continuing.