Innovative high-strength steel construction using mixed connections

In Memoriam of Prof. Dr. Bernt Johansson
In addition to the common mild steels, nowadays, high-performance steels with good weldability and high ductility are available for the construction industry. By using steels with higher resistance and better weight of material ratios, savings can be achieved, especially in the case of heavy structures such as bridges, long-span roofs and high-rise buildings. However, for the particular situation of joining high-strength steel (HSS) by fillet welds, in many cases the rules in the design codes such as EN 1993-1-8 [1] are inadequate because recent rules and safety margins have traditionally been developed for standard steels and then transferred to high-strength steels.