CEN technical specification for design of hollow section joints according to the component method

The European normative document entitled Eurocode 3 Part 1-8 (EN 1993-1-8) provides design rules for structural steel joints. For joints between open sections, reference is made to the concept of the “component method” while it is not the case for joints between tubular sections. Further to recent research works funded by CIDECT, the concept of the “component method” has been extended to joints in tubular construction. A CEN (European Normalisation Committee) Technical Specification (TS) document complementing Part 1-8 and detailing the application of the component method to tubular construction is in preparation through a further CIDECT funding. It is planned to be available end of 2019. Resistance values determined through this new TS will be the same as those obtained through EN 1993-1-8. As a next step, this change of direction will have to be progressively implemented in practice. This requires, similarly to what has been previously done for open section joints, the development of specific design tools: design tables, simplified design procedures for specific joints, software and worked examples. In the present paper, the new TS will be presented, and a brief review of forthcoming practical design tools will be achieved.