Abstract: In the thermal treatment of continuous-cast or hot-rolled steel strip, by using particular solutions regarding the choice of the strip rolling temperatures, the transfer times from the coiler to the furnace, as well as specific process steps in annealing, it is possible to treat any type of steel by sending the coils of strip, still at a high temperature, directly to the annealing furnace, at the same time maintaining the mechanical and microstructural characteristics obtainable in traditional cold-strip annealing.

Abstract: A method is provided for the production of nodes for tubular truss structures comprised of tubular leg elements connected together by transverse tubular brace elements by means of intermediate joint elements each including a connecting stub element between said leg and brace elements, the improvement wherein said stub element is prepared by the following steps from a steel plate:(a) bending said steel plate to a U-shape to form a steel piece having a curved portion;(b) heating said curved portion of said steel piece;(c) forming a protuberance on said heated portion of said steel piece by cooperative action of said piece with a female die;adjusting the radius of curvature of the thus-formed piece to correspond to the radius of curvature of the leg element;(e) forming an aperture on said thus-formed piece along the centerline of said protuberance; and(f) extruding the thus-formed and pierced piece to the desired final shape of said stub.