INŠTITUT ZA METALNE KONSTRUKCIJE (Slovene)

The Institute for Metal Structures was founded in 1955, based on the activity that had its beginnings already in the framework of the Technical Faculty of the University in Ljubljana. Its foundation was dictated by the needs of that time to solve the tasks in civil engineering, power supply, metal manufacturing industry and metallurgy. Its development was closely connected to the problems of economy in the former country. The post-war restoration demanded fast and quality solutions in the area of construction, and increased development of scientific-research work. The Institute co-operated and still co-operates at solving numerous problems in all stages of design, operation, maintenance and renewal of all important domestic power supply and industry complexes, road and railway bridges, TV and postal towers, business and sports complexes and other metal constructions. In order to provide successful solutions to the problems of the present time, the Institute organised its work in the structural and testing areas. Within these areas several groups of people are focused on the research-development work, consulting and quality control at the manufacturing and assembling steel structures, testing of metal materials and structures, design and renewal. A special attention has been paid to the question of fracture mechanics, corrosion, earthquake safety and life-time of structures. The Institute's personnel consists of several doctors, masters, graduated engineers, engineers and technicians as well as other necessary co-workers. Lately the Institute has supported its possibilities for successful work with the purchase of a contemporary measuring equipment and a more powerful tensile testing machine. A lot of attention has also been paid to the quality of work and to the preparatory works for the accreditation of the testing laboratory and the operation of the Institute according to the ISO 9000 standards. For the promotion of metal structures the Institute has organised several scientific and professional meetings and has made Slovenia a member of the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS).