Innovative Structural Steel Systems

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Innovative

Structural Steel
Systems
Innovative
Structural
Steel
Systems
Think, design, and build with structural
steel—outside the box. There are
several innovative structural steel
systems and products that go beyond
conventional steel framing and that
have, in many cases, changed the
way designers approach projects. This
list provides a look at several of them
based on manufacturers’ descriptions
and claims. No product testing or
evaluation was performed. Inclusion in
this list does not constitute a product
endorsement by AISC.

From the cover: Learn more about


the innovative SpeedCore system
on the back cover.
Brace Systems

CoreBrace has been designing and manufacturing buckling restrained braces


(BRBs) for nearly 20 years. BRB frames are a codified building lateral force-
resisting system that offers improved seismic behavior, resulting in lower
project costs. The ductile BRB response provides reduced frame member sizes,
less structural steel weight, and smaller foundations. Independent test results
from over 90 full-scale specimens have consistently shown that CoreBrace
BRBs significantly exceed the performance requirements of the Seismic
Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 341). Additionally, CoreBrace
BRB frames are among the first systems than can be monitored in real-time.
Our new reCOREder, a self-contained displacement transducer (SCDT), makes
it possible to assess remaining capacity for post-event evaluation. CoreBrace
BRBs mean cost savings and superior seismic performance for every project.
www.corebrace.com

The Re-Fuse Braced Frame (RFBF) is a high-performance lateral load-resisting


system with enhanced reparability characteristics, resulting in a highly resilient
structure. The system consists of traditional, rolled section brace members
that are connected to gusset plates via specially engineered, proprietary steel
fuse elements that have unique geometry designed to accommodate large
inelastic deformations under extreme seismic or other hazardous events while
the remaining structure remains essentially elastic and therefore undamaged.
The fuse elements can be replaced if damaged in a significant hazardous
event. The relatively compact size of the fuse elements allows them to be
transported through nearly any elevator, stairway, or ladder access, making
the product highly suitable for renovation and retrofit applications as well as
new construction.
www.novelstructures.com

Steel Special Moment Frames (SMFs) with supplementary Viscous Damping


Devices (VDDs) by Taylor Devices, Inc. provide the best value for building
owners looking to improve seismic resilience and reduce construction costs.
The VDD dampens the motion of the SMF during an earthquake like the
shocks on a car traveling down a bumpy road. The reduction in the response
of the SMF yields a significant reduction in both the steel tonnage of the SMF
and the foundation materials. Installation is simple, and no third-party special
inspections are required. Unlike other seismic products, fluid viscous dampers
do not need to be replaced after a major seismic event. Taylor Devices’ VDDs
are uniquely capable of protecting a building structure during an earthquake
without being damaged. Taylor Devices’ VDDs have been installed in over 700
buildings, bridges, and other crucial structures around the world and have an
established track record for reliability and state-of-the-art performance.
www.taylordevices.com

AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems  3


Connection Solutions

CAST CONNEX simplifies the design and enhances the performance of


structures by enabling architects and engineers to integrate steel castings
into their designs. CAST CONNEX® standardized products include Univer-
sal Pin Connectors™, Architectural Tapers™, Diablo Bolted Splices™, Timber
End Connectors, High Strength Connectors™, Cast Bolted Brackets, Scor-
pion Yielding Connectors™, and High Integrity Blocks®. The company also
offers design-build services for custom cast steel nodes and components.
CAST CONNEX takes pride in collaborating to create safer, innovative,
and more beautiful built environments.
www.castconnex.com

ConX® is an innovative Chassis Based Modular™ structural steel building


system. ConX enables rapid design, fabrication, and assembly of robust,
cost-efficient, and sustainable structures for the industrial, high-density
residential, healthcare, data center, and commercial markets. ConX steel
connections simply “lower and lock”™ together in the field, allowing two-
to four-times-faster assembly vs. conventional steel or concrete structures.
The ConX System typically results in cutting total tonnage, eliminating
waste in the factory and field and reducing risk with a stronger, safer struc-
ture. ConXL™ is OSHPD-approved and published in the Prequalified Con-
nections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic
Applications (AISC 358-16). ConX is LADBS-approved and Cradle to Cra-
dle Certified CM at the silver level.
www.ConXtech.com

SidePlate Systems is the most experienced structural steel expert in the


industry—we only work on steel building design. Our team takes a steel
lateral design and optimizes it with our patented connection designs that
feature no procured parts. The results of our optimization are steel ton-
nage reduction, erection time savings, and a performance-based design
that saves money. For the general contractor, SidePlate Systems becomes
their extension in the design team. For the engineer, SidePlate Systems
becomes the go-to source for steel structure optimization. Working
closely with the fabricator, SidePlate Systems supplies detailing tools
and hands-on assistance, ensuring the new, lighter, easier to erect steel
package is the best job to run through the shop. In the field, erectors
like our bolted connection designs that allow faster erection, mitigate
weather delays that welded connections struggle with, and, of course,
add strength to the building, resulting in high levels of resilience. Side-
Plate Systems brings a huge bonus to owners by delivering a lighter steel
package, faster erection, and multiple areas of savings. For all your steel
buildings, SidePlate Systems just makes sense.
www.sideplate.com

4 AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems


Connection Solutions

The Lindapter Girder Clamp is the world’s first and only structural steel clamping
system approved by the International Code Council (ICC) and compliant with the
International Building Code. A faster, cost-effective alternative to welding or drilling
in the field, it is designed to reduce installation time and labor costs. A high-strength,
permanent connection is quickly achieved by clamping two steel sections together.
There’s the added convenience of adjustability for easier alignment in the field, too.
ICC-ES Report ESR-3976 verifies that Types AF and AAF Girder Clamps are an alter-
native to high-strength bolt assemblies prescribed in the AISC Specification for Struc-
tural Steel Buildings (AISC 360) and are used in structural steel connections. The
report also confirms that Girder Clamps may be used to resist axial tension and slip
due to load combinations that include wind load or seismic load for steel structures.

The Hollo-Bolt is the original expansion bolt for structural steel that is quickly and
conveniently installed by simply inserting the fastener into a pre-drilled hole and
tightening with a torque wrench, which reduces construction time and labor costs.
The Hollo-Bolt is a faster alternative to welding or through-bolting hollow structural
sections (HSS) or other steel members where access is restricted to one side. It is
also ideal for joining HSS in spliced connections, as demonstrated on Los Ange-
les’ tallest skyscraper, the Wilshire Grand Center. The Hollo-Bolt is approved by the
International Code Council (ICC) and compliant with the International Building Code.
ICC-ES Report ESR-3330 verifies that the Hollo-Bolt is approved for use in all Seismic
Design Categories (A through F) for resisting wind loads and seismic loads. In addi-
tion, the Hollo-Bolt provides the highest resistance to tensile loading in accordance
with AC437 while ensuring compliance with the International Building Code.
www.lindapterusa.com | 866.566.2658

The Simpson Strong-Tie Yield-Link® connection is made to meet the tough demands
and strength requirements necessary for structural steel construction and is the first
prequalified SMF connection specifically designed to protect beams and columns
from damage during earthquakes. From building owners and engineers to contrac-
tors and fabricators, the Yield-Link’s state-of-the-art design saves everyone time and
money—while providing a connection that keeps structural steel buildings strong
and safe. The Yield-Link connection is included in Prequalified Connections for Spe-
cial and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (AISC 358-16),
Chapter 12, and new larger links (up to 1 in. thick) have been developed to support
larger beams and columns (up to W36).
Our software and design support services provide the speed and technical exper-
tise needed to tackle the complex challenges of structural steel connections. To
assist designers in streamlining structural analysis and connection design using the
Yield-Link connections, we created plugins for SAP2000®/ETABS® and Revit. Simpson
Strong-Tie also has a Tekla custom component to assist detailers in locating the beam
and column holes at the special moment connection region. Our tools can help you
quickly plan, model, and document complete designs according to your project’s
unique specifications—all while staying on time and within budget.
strongtie.com/yieldlink

AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems  5


Floor Systems

C-Beams (a division of SteelFab, Inc.) is proud and excited to market and manufac-
ture castellated and cellular beams for your next project. The C-Beam offers versa-
tility, reliability, and economy for all types of floor and roof structures while being
aesthetically pleasing, lightweight, and structurally sound. Benefits include:
• Long-span C-Beams erect faster due to fewer pieces
• Ability to pass ductwork and utilities through web openings, creating lower
floor-to-floor heights
• Asymmetric sections produce the most economic composite design while
reducing material consumption and decreasing environmental impact
• Asymmetric composite design increases stiffness, therefore improving
vibration characteristics
• Eliminates columns and creates open floor space due to long span capabilities
• Less bridging compared to joist floor systems
www.c-beams.com

ComSlab® is a long-span and shallow composite floor system that helps structural
steel compete with low floor-to-floor concrete designs. With depths as low as 10½
in., it can be combined with various proprietary flush beams or conventional AISC
sections hidden in the floor section. ComSlab® is a lightweight assembly that has
UL-listed unrestrained ratings of one, two, and three for spans of more than 30 ft. It
is ideal for all elevated concrete slab construction such as hotels, schools, parking,
office, multi-residential, and medical buildings.
www.comslab-usa.com

The Ecospan® Composite Floor System is an efficient and environmentally friend-


ly steel floor system using open-web steel joists and steel deck with a concrete
topping slab. The integral component of this system is the Shearflex® HD screw,
which bonds the concrete slab to the top chord of the steel joist. The Shearflex HD
screw is a self-drilling, self-tapping fastener that is attached with a Shearset® tool
(provided) in a matter of seconds. Since it also serves as the deck attachment, no
additional welding is required.
The system is custom-designed to the requirements of each project. A typical
floor with exceptional strength and serviceability will include spans up to 60 ft, with
joists spaced at 4 ft to 6 ft on center. Being a composite floor system, the maxi-
mum span-to-depth ratio of the bare joist is L/30, allowing a shallower floor-to-floor
height than traditional floor systems.
Ecospan has both STC and IIC ratings that meet or exceed the requirements
of the International Building Code. The system has also undergone UL testing
and has fire ratings up to three hours with multiple assemblies.
www.ecospan-usa.com

6 AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems


Floor Systems

The GIRDER-SLAB® system is a structural steel and precast hybrid, the first to
use precast hollow-core planks with an integral steel girder to form a monolithic
slab assembly. This proven technology achieves low floor-to-floor heights and is
low cost, lightweight, and offers rapid assembly and construction. The nonpropri-
etary GIRDER-SLAB® system is designed by the owner’s architect and structural
engineer in combination with a conventional structural steel frame. The compo-
nents of the system, structural steel (including the unique D-BEAM® girder) and
precast prestressed hollow core slabs, are manufactured and supplied by the
builder’s customary subcontractors, ensuring the owner competitive procurement
of the building’s superstructure.
www.girder-slab.com

Deltabeam is a tested, proven, and superior composite beam used for slim-floor
designs. It is the first composite steel beam that has successfully passed the UL test
requirements for a UL unrestrained fire rating of up to four hours without any added
fire protection materials. Deltabeam’s shallow depths, flush finish, and clear spans
of over 40 ft provide added design flexibility. It can support all types of slim-floor
construction including metal form deck, hollow-core plank, or reinforced concrete
slabs. Thanks to its simple, economical, and time-saving erection, Deltabeam has
been used in over 12,000 projects worldwide.
peikkousa.com/product-category-deltabeam-us

Versa-Floor™ featuring Deep-Dek® Composite (DDC) is a floor system capable of


spans up to 40 ft. It integrates deep-ribbed steel profiles with a structural concrete
topping. The deck serves as formwork during construction and strengthens the slab
to support service stage loading. Versa-Floor can be placed on beam or wall bearing
frame system. Deck ends, for example, can be placed on ledger angles attached to
upturned steel beams to help reduce the depth of the beam soffit below the ceiling
plane. DDC’s 12-in.-wide deck sheets, available in three depths, can be spread indi-
vidually on the frame or preassembled into panels either on- or off-site. DDC has fac-
tory-closed ends so end-closure angles are eliminated. A pneumatic-drive tool forms
the deck side-lap connections, which are critical to achieving composite strength.
Prior to placing concrete, longer deck lengths are line-shored at mid-span, and
unshored designs are obtainable over mid-span lengths. DDC is ICC-ES evaluated
for structural conformance with the International Building Code. The system is non-
combustible and UL fire-rated and responds predictably to floor vibration. The
authors of AISC’s vibration design guide customized our vibration analysis software
based on the results of extensive field and laboratory testing.
www.versafloor.com

AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems  7


Columns

In 2012, Atlas Tube, a division of Zekelman Industries, partnered with Nippon Steel
Engineering and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., to supply “jumbo” hollow structural sections
(HSS) to the North American market. Typical sizes available are 10 in. to 16 in.
for 0.750-in. walls and 18 in. to 22 in. for wall thicknesses of 0.375 in. to 0.875 in.
Rectangular sections are also available. Atlas Tube continues to see an increase in
demand for these products. Recently, jumbo HSS have been used in column appli-
cations in a large distribution center, a new headquarters for a Fortune 100 com-
pany, various stadiums and sports arenas, and a large industrial project. Because
of their high load-carrying capability, jumbo HSS are selected as a more efficient
alternative to open sections and built-up, welded box sections.
atlastube.com/jumbo-hss

Structural Steel Core Column


BLACK ROCK
Outer Steel Shell
FIREPROOF COLUMN
4K psi Concrete

AISC-certified Black Rock Fireproof Column manufactures durable, aesthetical-


Insulating Material
ly designed, prefabricated fireproof columns. Black Rock Fireproof Columns are
UL-listed and offer several types of cost savings to building owners. Black Rock’s
round, square, and rectangular shapes (along with customized shapes and sizes)
are designed for exposed exterior and interior load bearing columns. They are
used in hospitals, schools, dormitories, cafeterias, shopping centers, and countless
other structures.
www.blackrockfireproof.com

Material

ASTM A1085 Material


A new material specification for hollow structural sections (HSS) was published in the
U.S. in 2013. The AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (AISC 360) now
includes the new specification, as well. This material provides enhanced performance
and reliability for seismic and dynamic controlled structures. The AISC Committee on
Specifications allows designers to take advantage of the full nominal wall thickness
when designing with A1085—which ultimately provides more economic designs.
Highlights of the new specification include:
• Uniform minimum yield stress of 50 ksi for all shapes
• Maximum yield stress of 70 ksi for all shapes—the first material specification
in Europe or North American to provide this
• Standard Charpy notch toughness (CVN) values provided for all material,
with an option for project-specific CVN if desired
• Tighter wall thickness tolerances and the addition of an overall mass
tolerance allow designers to use full nominal wall thicknesses and section
properties in design
This material will be treated as a complementary specification to ASTM A500.
Check with domestic fabricators/producers for availability.
aisc.org/A1085

8 AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems


Material

The most progressive specification for structural shapes in the market, ASTM A913
steel, produced by quenching and self-tempering, simultaneously combines high-
strength with superior weldability, toughness, and ductility characteristics. Available
in yield strengths of 50 ksi (345 MPa), 65 ksi (450 MPa), and 70 ksi (485 MPa), ASTM
A913 steel is compliant with structural design and fabrication codes throughout
the world, including the International Building Code, AISC’s Specification for Struc-
tural Steel Buildings (AISC 360) and Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Build-
ings (AISC 341), CISC’s Handbook of Steel Construction, ASTM A709 Standard
Specification for Structural Steel for Bridges, and AWS’s Structural Welding Codes,
among others.
www.nucor.com

Modular Solutions

RediCor (by Nucor, Vulcraft/Verco Group) is a pre-fabricated, stay-in-place, modular


steel form system that will simplify and accelerate the design and construction of re-
inforced concrete stair and elevator cores. This exciting new product is custom-made
for each structure and delivered to the site in modules that simply stack like building
blocks. When RediCor arrives onsite, the horizontal rebar is already placed inside
the form and the vertical rebar, which is supplied with the cores, is simple to install.
Stack the modules, drop in the vertical rebar and place the concrete. It really is that
straightforward. No more waiting for the cores to be finished or forms stripped. No
more bulging or twisting cores. No more misaligned embeds to repair or relocate.
The surrounding structure can be erected simultaneously with the steel forms prior
to concrete placement, potentially removing the concrete core from your project’s
critical path! And since the stairs are pre-installed inside the cores at the factory,
other trades gain immediate access to upper levels of the structure, helping to
keep the project moving forward safely without the hassle of temporary scaffold-
ing, ladders, or other means of temporary vertical conveyance.
www.redicor.com

ZModular, a division of Zekelman Industries, has pioneered a better and more in-
novative way to build with steel. Using the revolutionary VectorBloc connector and
steel hollow structural sections (HSS), ZModular can deliver modular construction
that is stronger, taller, faster, smarter, and greener than other current alternatives.
Using precise fabrication techniques, the steel modules are built in a factory set-
ting allowing very tight control of fabrication and construction tolerances. Modules
are erected quickly onsite without any “tolerance creep.” ZModular can provide
services that start with the design and engineering of the modules, continue with
the fabrication and full fit-out, and end with the erection and installation of a com-
pleted modular structure. Whether you are looking to build multi-family housing,
hotels, dormitories, small office buildings, or datacenters, ZModular can deliver
and take your modular project to new heights.
www.z-modular.com

AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems  9


Thermal Breaks

Armatherm™ provides a combination of low thermal conductivity and high com-


pressive strength and has been used in hundreds of structural steel framing con-
nections transferring load in moment and shear conditions. The material is made
of a reinforced, thermoset resin which is fire-resistant, does not readily burn, and
has very limited creep under load, making it the ideal material for use in structur-
al and façade thermal break connections.
It can be used anywhere a penetration or transition exists in the building
envelope creating a thermal bridge. Situations using Armatherm™ to minimize
heat loss include balcony, canopy parapet, masonry shelf angle, cladding/Z-girt,
and curtain wall mullion connections. Improvements in the effective U value of
wall assemblies can be realized by as much as 60–70%.
www.armatherm.com

Fabreeka-TIM® is a load-bearing thermal break used between flanged steel con-


nections. The primary benefit is that it maintains structural integrity while reduc-
ing energy loss. Made in the U.S. from a fiberglass-reinforced laminate compos-
ite, Fabreeka-TIM® is stocked in several thicknesses, including ¼-in, ½-in, and
1-in. Fabreeka uses a water jet machine for precise cutting to any configuration.
It can be supplied with Fabreeka-TIM® washers, and Fabreeka® bushings, which,
when used together in a structural connection, greatly reduce the energy loss
rate through conduction.
www.fabreeka.com

Farrat Structural Thermal Break plates (FTB) are high-performance thermal insula-
tors used between horizontal and vertical connections of internal and external struc-
tural elements to prevent thermal bridging. The plates provide simple, economical,
and extremely effective thermally and structurally efficient connections to achieve the
highest LEED certification levels by reducing heat loss and the risk of internal con-
densation. FTBs are available in three grades of low-thermal conductivity, high-com-
pressive strength material: world-renowned Farrat TBK, new fire-rated Farrat TBF,
and best-seller Farrat TBL, all of which come in a variety of thicknesses and are
precision water-jet-cut for custom configurations. All FTB materials are accredited
by the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) under the Assessed Product Quality Mark
Scheme and are manufactured under the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Assurance system.
FTB plates also meet the highest independently tested technical standards, as the
only solid-state thermal break plates on the global market holding British Board of
Agrément (BBA) accreditation. Unlike proprietary mechanical thermal break systems,
FTBs are simple to incorporate into most details. This flexibility means that they
can be used for an infinite variety of steel-to-steel, steel-to-concrete, steel-to-timber,
and concrete-to-concrete applications, including balcony, canopy, parapet, masonry
shelf angle, cladding, and external staircase connections.
www.farrat.com

10 AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems


Thermal Breaks

Schöck Isokorb® is a manufactured structural thermal break (MSTB) solu-


tion to thermal bridging. The Schöck Isokorb insulating element thermally
separates and transfers the load of the exterior structure in cantilevered
steel conditions such as canopies, steel balconies, roof extensions, and
steel columns. Isokorb modules consist of stainless steel inner compo-
nents and a polystyrene hard foam (Neopor®) exterior. The modules are
fully engineered and ready to install onsite. Isokorb S22 modules can be
arranged above one another to transfer bending moments, as well as be-
side each other to fit the steel member dimension and load requirements.
Benefits include:
• Minimization of thermal bridges, thus eliminating condensation and
dew-point problems
• Increasing energy efficiency, sustainable design, and possible
LEED certification
• Ease of installation with a modular stacking system
• Accommodation of a range of profile sizes and structural loads
• Independently verified thermal and structural performance
www.schock-us.com

Tnemec has combined its high-performance coatings technology with


an insulating solid aerogel to produce Aerolon—a spray-applied thermal
insulating coating. Aerolon is the first fluid-applied coating to act as an
effective non-structural thermal break, helping to regulate heat transfer
and control condensation within and in-board of the building envelope.
With a low thermal conductivity of 35 mW/mK, Aerolon helps keep
surface temperatures above the dew point, reducing condensation and
inhibiting moisture inside walls. When applied to common thermal bridg-
ing areas—such as pass-through I-beams, fins, canopies, roof davits, or
window frames—the insulating coating reduces the thermal conductivity
of the substrate, limiting the transfer of exterior temperatures through
building penetrations.
Aerolon is a low-VOC, water-based coating that can be spray-applied
onsite or offsite and, if needed, can be touched-up in the field during
new construction or retrofit projects. Its application is more versatile than
structural thermal breaks and can limit overall labor and material expens-
es for projects focused on green building and holistic design.
tnemec.com/thermalbreak

AISC Innovative Structural Steel Systems  11


Wall Systems

Pueblo Building System is an innovative yet simple shop-fabricated structural


steel framing system for mid-rise and multi-story residential projects such as
apartments, condominiums, hotels, and student housing. It is a conventional
system and does not require special code approvals or fabrication techniques.
Prefabrication of steel framing results in significantly reduced labor at the site.
Advantages over concrete construction:
• Significant saving in construction cost
• Faster to build—about one week per floor
• Early to market, lower general conditions
• About 40% lighter than a concrete structure, resulting in reduced
foundation costs
• Fits within the walls of residential units
• Floor cavities and steel joist web openings allow for horizontal air exhaust
for the units, thus eliminating the need for costly fire-rated vertical shafts
and scavenger fans on the roof
Advantages over wood construction:
• A higher-quality and more robust system at a very competitive cost
• All noncombustible materials, resulting in lower insurance costs
• No hidden problems due to dry rot
• No shrinkage or warping
• Can go taller than four or five stories, thus adding more units and
reducing cost per unit
www.pueblobt.com

Pipe Sleeve for Penetration


SpeedCore
Steel Face Plate SpeedCore is a non-proprietary revolutionary system of composite structural-
steel framing that replaces common reinforced concrete core construction. The
Tie Bar steel plate composite wall system leverages the speed and accuracy of steel
and the stiffness of concrete. The system removes the need for reinforcement
Concrete placed onsite and the additional time for concrete curing that typically sets
Infill the pace for building construction. Embeds are no longer a field-measured
installation, reducing onsite coordination. Construction schedule savings and
cost savings are dramatically demonstrated in the Rainier Square Tower (Seattle,
WA) project, designed by Magnusson Klemencic Associates.
aisc.org/speedcore
Steel Face Plate

For the latest and greatest innovations, visit aisc.org/innovations.


And to add one to our list or learn more about how to use any
of these options on your next project, visit aisc.org/solutions or
contact us at solutions@aisc.org.
F127-19

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