A site dubbed the 'Wikipedia of steel construction' has been launched this week as a forum and free encyclopedia for those in the industry.

The website, steelconstruction.info, has been designed to bring together information and news on the steel design and construction industry, using information as provided by professionals and the main industry organisations.

The site has been in development for two years and already more than 100 articles have been contributed by steel industry experts and consultants.

Topics covered by the website included fire engineering, costs, sustainability and health & safety.

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The website offers news, features, links, resources and provides information on best practise, legal issues, resources and a job search feature.

Users of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter can also link their accounts to the website.

The site's main articles act as a roadmap to each topic, whereupon users can find links to more detailed information available from the sector and other external sources. A number of online CPD presentations are also included, enabling tests to be taken online with downloadable certificates. New and updated guidance will be added when it becomes available.

BCSA technical development manager Chris Dolling said: "We are responding to the needs of designers with this new website. We set out to provide the best possible internet based source for steel construction information and with almost identical functionality to Wikipedia it couldn’t be more straightforward to use.

"We hope that early users will tell their colleagues about it and it will become the go-to source for steel construction related information."

(IT/GK)