HSS have long been popular for low-rise construction thanks to the material’s excellent strength-to-weight ratio. But in mid- and high-rise construction, field-welded splices have limited HSS adoption. Fortunately, those days are over thanks to Shuriken™, which lets you make simple bolted splices with standard nuts and bolts.
We at Atlas Tube are excited to release a product that simplifies splices just as we’re bringing the world’s largest HSS to market. The combination of new Jumbo HSS sizes and simple splices with Shuriken means that HSS are now the logical choice for columns in multi-story construction.
Splices Made Easy
Shuriken is not a new bolt, but rather a new wrench. It’s one of those ideas that makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Shuriken works by holding a standard nut right where you need it — inside the tube — and gripping the nut tightly when bolts are torqued from outside. Its simple design is flexible enough to preserve erection tolerances, yet strong enough to resist forces from bolt torquing. Shuriken mounts easily with just a few tack welds in the shop, and bolts go in quickly in the field, with no special tools required.
Eliminating welded splices means HSS columns can be installed faster, more safely and with less labor than ever before. That means lower installation cost, which makes everyone on a project happy: fabricator, engineer, architect and owner. It also means there’s no reason not to go high, reaping the benefits of HSS all the way to the skyline.
Clean, in More Ways Than One
It may sound contradictory to talk about a bolted AESS (architecturally exposed structural steel) connection, but with Shuriken, it’s a breeze. All the ugly parts — splice plates, nuts and protruding bolt tips — are hidden inside the tube, yielding clean aesthetics without a huge cost premium.
But more importantly, building with HSS and Shuriken means lower emissions compared to wide-flange sections. Steel is one of the most sustainable building materials out there, but melting tons of steel to produce structural shapes and shipping them to job sites still demands a lot of energy. So the simplest way to reduce emissions from a project is to reduce tonnage.
With Shuriken and our new Jumbo HSS, you can make the switch to HSS for multi-story construction without paying a premium. That way, you don’t have to choose between your responsibility to your client and your responsibility to society.
Setting a New Standard
All told, we think Shuriken has the potential to revolutionize the use of HSS in construction, maintaining all the benefits while minimizing risks to schedules and budgets. With Shuriken and Jumbo HSS, architects can dream big, engineers can design light, fabricators and erectors can move fast, and owners can stay on budget.
If you want to learn more about the new opportunities afforded by Shuriken, I hope you’ll listen to my recent podcast with Atlas Tube Senior Sales Engineer Brad Fletcher, or head to our website. It’s time to start dreaming bigger with HSS.
