Scottsdale invests in research and development in collaboration with university QUT to advance steel truss systems

Advancing Construction with Steel: Scottsdale’s Commitment to Innovation and Collaboration

At Scottsdale, we continually invest in research and development across all facets of our business, including steel frame roll forming equipment, machinery, software, and design tools for our customers. Central to this approach are our affiliations and partnerships with world-class universities around the globe, which enable groundbreaking research and development.

Collaboration with Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

We are particularly proud of our relationship with our hometown university, Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This partnership has been instrumental in bringing numerous innovations to life, benefiting our roll forming machine and software customers worldwide. Notably, two of our key cold-formed steel experts, Dr. Thanuja Ranawaka and Dr. Harikrishnan Magarabooshanam (PhD, NER, RPEQ), hail from QUT.

Latest engagement with QUT

We look forward to the latest engagement with QUT, enabled in part by the Australian Research Council, as we embark on the latest phase of fine-tunning and advancing steel truss framing. Already a part of our Scottruss and all of our Scottpanel rollformer system platforms, steel truss equipment and design tools are a huge centerpiece of our technology. For builders, framers, and end users, trusses also offer tremendous advantages over traditional wood framing. These advantages include fire resistance, strength, weight, ductibility and a wide range of applications.

Dr Anthony Ariyanayagam and Professor Mahen Mahendran

The ability to extend such applications through unique design methods and customized geometries afforded by steel material has the promise of delivering even greater benefits to the steel framing industry. We look forward to accelerating this process, along with QUT, for all industry stakeholders worldwide.

Exciting QUT Project: Superior Cold-Formed Steel Floor Truss Systems

The QUT project, “Superior Cold-Formed Steel Floor Truss Systems to Modernize Construction,” has received an ARC Linkage grant of $379,503, with Scottsdale Construction Systems as an industry partner. Chief Investigator Professor Mahen Mahendran, from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, stated that the project aims to develop new, improved high-strength, cold-formed steel (CFS) floor truss systems for mid-rise CFS buildings worldwide.

“It will generate new knowledge of the true behaviour and capacity of various CFS truss systems using extensive experimental and numerical studies. We will develop improved truss systems using simple strengthening techniques, new connections and built-up sections with reliable design methods, which will enable off-site construction to produce faster, safer, sustainable, and low-cost, mid-rise building solutions to address the current housing crisis” - Professor Mahendran said.

The research team includes Chief Investigators Professor Mahen Mahendran and Dr. Anthony Ariyanayagam from QUT, and Partner Investigator Dr. Thanuja Ranawaka from Scottsdale Construction Systems.

Looking ahead

We look forward to accelerating the development and implementation of these advanced steel truss systems, in collaboration with QUT, for the benefit of industry stakeholders worldwide. Together, we aim to drive innovation and create sustainable, efficient, and high-performance solutions for the construction industry.