Saudi Arabia-based Yousif Al Mandil is optimistic of a surge in business in the Middle East, with its newly-developed space frame connector – the ME-SSP system – gaining rapid acceptance by architects and engineers worldwide.

“We have already executed more than 40 major structures in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait,” says a spokesman for the company. “The commissioning of a gas station shade for the transportation department of Saudi Aramco, was one of our more recent projects,” he adds.
The ME-SSP system – developed jointly by Al Mandil Engineering and the Saudi Steel Pipe Company following five years of research and development, – was introduced commercially in the Gulf market in 2002.
The company has also recently obtained a vendors licence from Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) in addition to that from Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu.
Elaborating on the system, the spokesman says: “The ME-SSP system is constructed from tubular steel sections that are swagged at their ends onto lesser diameter solid rods. Flange-like components are then welded to the solid rods. These flanges are then connected directly to one another at site, with standard bolts, without the need for secondary hubs or fabricated nodes as required by several other systems.
“The ME-SSP connection system is integral to the member’s ends, and no other components are required for site erection. The system allows complete flexibility of configuration designs and can also match a wide range of space enclosure requirements. It is extremely efficient with a very high load-to-weight ratio, and is more economical to produce as it includes mostly standard system components such as pipes, rods, plates and bolts. It also offers multiple load paths as each member has at least two or often four load paths, and because the loads are diffused at the joint, the system offer high ductility along with substantial joint stiffness.”
Designed for use in the construction of various residential and commercial projects in the Middle East, space structures are architecturally versatile, aesthetically attractive, structurally efficient, and above all, economically viable, says the spokesman.
Forming skeleton frameworks, the space structures consist of a large number of modular prefabricated units that combine into three-dimensional space frames. One of the most popular evolutions of space structures has been the development of various types of double-layer grids, which consist of two plane grids forming the top and bottom layers, parallel to each other, and inter-connected by inclined diagonal members.
“The module dimension (member size) in double-layer grids is controlled by several factors, such as the span of area to be covered, loading, covering system and the type of joint connector. Module dimension is also affected by the architectural appearance of the space frame. For most commercial applications of double-layer grids, the spans are usually 20 m to 40 m with the module (member) length being 1.5 m to 2.5 m. For larger spans, larger members can be adopted.
“Module size is the most influential factor affecting the cost of space frames. Several structural sections have been utilised as members in double-layer grids – such as tubular, closed square, structural tees and angles among others – with each type of structural sections requiring its own special connector, and tubular members being the most popular sections due to their infinite axes of symmetry, and relative ease of connectivity.
“The type of connection technique also depends on the system utilised – bolted connectors being the most popular due to ease of site erection. Multi-bolt connectors are safer and more efficient than single bolt connectors, as they offer multiple paths of force transfer mechanisms. The search for an ideal connector system for prefabricated double-layer grids was initiated some 100 years ago and will surely continue in the future. The ME-SSP system is among the more promising space frame connectors,” he concludes.