4 April 2025
In NASCC 2025, Lousville, USA, Alper Kanyilmaz will talk about the use of Laser Cutting Technology (LCT) in fabricating tubular steel connections. Participants will learn about the technological advancements aimed at improving the quality, speed, and cost efficiency of fabricating steel tubular connections, while also contributing to a reduction in costs and embodied carbon. The course is built on the outcomes of the two major EU-funded projects: LASTEICON and LASTTS, coordinated by the instructor Prof. Alper Kanyilmaz.
Tubular steel structures offer excellent structural efficiency and architectural versatility, but their connections have traditionally posed significant fabrication challenges. Conventional methods for profiling and preparing tube ends for welded joints are often labor-intensive, geometrically imprecise, and costly (particularly for complex multi-planar configurations). Laser cutting technology offers a transformative alternative by enabling high-precision, automated profiling of tube ends with tight tolerances, faster production cycles, and reduced material waste.
Participants will learn how these technological advancements improve the quality, speed, and cost efficiency of fabricating steel tubular connections, while also contributing to a measurable reduction in embodied carbon. The presentation will cover the full workflow from parametric digital design of connection geometry through automated laser cutting and final assembly, demonstrating how digitalization of the fabrication process enables new connection typologies that were previously impractical or uneconomical with conventional methods.
The course is built on the outcomes of two major EU-funded research projects coordinated by Alper Kanyilmaz: LASTEICON, which established the foundational proof-of-concept for laser-cut tubular connections, and LASTTS, which advanced the technology toward industrial-scale application with a focus on structural performance validation, design guidelines, and integration into standard fabrication practice. Together, these projects have produced extensive experimental and computational datasets that underpin the design recommendations presented in the talk.
Alper Kanyilmaz is Associate Professor of Structural Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, where he leads the S+ Lab for data-driven structural engineering. NASCC: The Steel Conference is the premier event for the steel construction industry in North America, organized by AISC, and brings together engineers, fabricators, and researchers from across the sector.
