The self-bearing composite steel truss and concrete NPS® BASIC beam is recommended for structures with large spans, residential and industrial buildings, and for infrastructure.
The metal structure, made of structural steel pursuant to Standard UNI EN 10025-2 and with EN 1090-1 CE marking is composed of:
BASIC beams are the most versatile NPS® element in terms of span and cross-section. They lend themselves to the insertion of forometries and bolted joints, and to the realization of arched or knee beams.
NPS® parametric beam objects for Revit and Tekla are a tool to speed design and make the engineer's job easier.
The advantages for the designer
"The designer can manage the whole project in BIM and verify the integration of NPS® with the rest of the structures and the MEP part. Working more efficiently is now possible."
Stefano China, Technical Director of Tecnostrutture
DOWNLOAD OBJECTS FOR REVIT AND TEKLAGenerate the NPS® section directly in . ifc so you can insert the NPS® beam into any BIM software.
EASY NPS® is the software to pre-dimension NPS® beams on multiple spans. In this way you get the equivalent elastic modulus to insert the beam in the FEM project and the section in . ifc format to import in every BIM software.
DOWNLOAD EASY NPS® FOR FREEThe online pre-dimensioning service allows the compatibility of the NPS® beam to be verified at a very early stage.
It is a free service that offers an immediate result: You will know immediately if the proposed section is compatible, suboptimal or compatible.
CHECK THE SECTION OF THE BEAMFor each specific project, the environmental impact of the NPS® solution can be calculated in terms of CO2 equivalent and numerous other indicators, based on the official Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). This allows the designer and investor to compare the environmental impact of alternative structural solutions and make an objective choice.
The NPS® beam-column solution reduces CO2 emissions and energy used by more than 20% compared to steel or concrete solutions. These data are proven by the comparative LCA carried out by the University of Genoa on two actual buildings. The environmental impacts per kg of beam are confirmed by the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
DOWNLOAD THE NPS® BEAM EPDUntil now, the focus has been on reducing the emissions produced during the use of the building.
However, it is estimated that more than half of the total carbon emissions from all the new global constructions between 2020 and 2050 will be due to embodied carbon and therefore emissions related to materials and building construction/renovation (source BuildingLife Roadmap).
It is therefore necessary to focues not only on the operational emissions of buildings and to start considering both operational and embodied carbon in an integrated way.
NPS® beams represent an economical, fast and at the same time sustainable structural solution.
The use of NPS® beams can contribute to credits for building sustainability certification.
An external body supported Tecnostrutture in conducting a mapping on the contribution of NPS® products for obtaining credits for building sustainability certifications.
These specific mappings are available for LEED and DGNB certification.
DOWNLOAD LEED MAPPINGNPS® beams exploit the structural efficiency of the combination of steel and concrete. This results in compact sections with less use of raw materials and optimisation of living space.
Compared to reinforced concrete solutions, for example, with the same performance, the section of the NPS® beam is more compact, with a saving in raw materials and consequent lower environmental impact.
NPS BASIC beams are made from recycled steel, a percentage that exceeds 80% of the total weight, as confirmed by the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) issued by a third party.
The statement is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) per kg of beam.
Tecnostrutture adopts a logistics strategy that respects the environment. We prefer green fuel road transport or the intermodal solution with longer stretches by rail.
As shown by the analysis of the product life cycle (LCA), transport to the construction site affects 2-3% of the total life cycle. Therefore, in addition to offering solutions that have little impact on logistics, Tecnostrutture’s commitment is focused above all in the raw material supply and end-of-life management phases, those that weigh most heavily on the environmental impact of the entire product life cycle.
NPS® beams are designed to be assembled by taking them directly from the means of transport.
If storage is the option, the beams can be stacked horizontally on several levels, resting on wooden boards. For long-term storage, the steel parts must be protected from the weather.
Each NPS® beam is identified by an identification tag showing the lifting weight and the code in the assembly drawing.
For technical storage requirements, please refer to the Tecnostrutture’s product assembly and installation booklet.
The internal route through the site and the material storage area are agreed with the site manager.
NPS® beams can be lifted and handled with normal lifting equipment, such as cranes or crane trucks.
The NPS® beams must be unloaded from the vehicle using ropes or chains attached to the lifting systems provided in the beams.
Normally, a team of 3 workers and a crane operator will lay an NPS® beam in 5 minutes.
It is possible to mount the safety guardrails in the appropriate provisions of the NPS® beam already on the ground.
The building site crane used must have a suitable capacity in relation to the loads being lifted. It is necessary to check that the load is well balanced by pulling the ropes or chains and lifting the material by a few centimetres before moving the structure. Before handling the structure, the dimensions and positioning of the end supports of the beams must be checked.
The beam is then lifted with the crane. Once the beam has been brought close to the assembly point, the operators will accompany the product until it is completely supported on the brackets.
The beams are laid in simple support, except in specific cases indicated by Tecnostrutture in the laying drawing. If shoring of the lateral beams is foreseen for overturning, the NPS® Beam must be blocked only at the ends, never in the span and/or in the middle. For further details, refer to Tecnostrutture’s product assembly booklet to the prescriptions contained in the elaborate.
The slab is then laid. Only at this point is the completion casting carried out, according to the instructions and prescriptions of the manufacturer and/or supplier of the slab.
If prestressed panel slabs are used for hollow core slabs or similar, the anti-tipping systems installed on the primary beams must be used before the element is unhooked.
The completion of NPS® beams is usually done with standard (non-self-compacting) concrete and is done without the risk of air bubbles. Vibration is also simple, thanks to the lattice structure of the beam itself.
NPS® beams can also be designed and supplied over several spans.
Structural continuity is guaranteed by steel stumps.
These elements are positioned at the node on site, after the beam has been installed.