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 May 2021

in every issue
departments resources
6 EDITOR’S NOTE 65 ADVERTISER INDEX
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE 65 MARKETPLACE &
12 STEEL QUIZ EMPLOYMENT
60 NEW PRODUCTS
61 NEWS & EVENTS
66 STRUCTURALLY
SOUND

28

features columns
steelwise field notes
28 2021 IDEAS2 Awards
All about the great ideas that became the winning 16 Tension Member Design: 22 Steady Beat
projects of this year’s IDEAS2 Awards competition. A Primer INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
BY RICHARD M. DRAKE, SE, AND Southern California architect Anders
Lasater has found the perfect balance
52 SpeedCore: Seismic Advantages
BY MICHEL BRUNEAU, PhD, AMIT VARMA, PhD,
ERIK ESPINOZA, SE
Getting back to the basics of tension between designing buildings and
SOHEIL SHAFAEI, PhD, AND DEVIN HUBER, PE, PhD member design. banging drums.
What to know when considering a SpeedCore
data driven business issues
system for its seismic properties.
21 Price Fluctuations
This month’s Data Driven focuses on 24 Engaging Ego
58 Vaccination Considerations
BY JONATHAN LANDESMAN, ESQ, AND
price fluctuations in the steel market.
BY DAN COUGHLIN
Tips for reducing the negative control
HOPE STEIDLE KILDEA, ESQ of your ego—and not taking things
Two attorneys weigh in on mandatory and so personally.
incentive-based employer policies for
COVID vaccinations.

ON THE COVER: The Watershed Building, a 2021 IDEAS2 Award winner, excels at managing water and light, p. 28. (Photo: Built Work Photography)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 61, Number 5) ISSN (print) 0026-8445: ISSN (online) 1945-0737. Published monthly by the American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC), 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.—single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44. Outside the U.S. (Canada and
Mexico)—single issues $9.00; 1 year $88. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to MODERN
STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601.
DISCLAIMER: AISC does not approve, disapprove, or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted
Printed on paper made
from an acknowledged source. Opinions are those of the writers and AISC is not responsible for any statement made or opinions expressed in MODERN STEEL from a minimum of
CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than 25 10% recycled content.
photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC.

4 | MAY 2021
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editor’s note Editorial Offices
130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400
Editorial Contacts
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Scott Melnick
312.670.8314
[email protected]
SENIOR EDITOR
Geoff Weisenberger
312.670.8316
[email protected]
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
312.670.8318
[email protected]
PRODUCTION SPECIALIST
Erika Salisbury
Spring is in the air. (Just a few weeks ago, winter was on my roof. I learned 312.670.5427
firsthand about the concept of ice damming. If you’re not familiar with that [email protected]
GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
term, Google it.) Kristin Hall
312.670.8313
Living in Chicago, there are many harbin- a profession, but he’s found a way to keep [email protected]
gers of spring that I look forward to every practicing both. You can read about him on AISC Officers
year. St. Patrick’s Day weekend (including page 22 and also hear his entire interview at CHAIR
Jack Klimp, Cianbro Fabrication
dying the Chicago River a vibrant green), the modernsteel.com/podcasts. & Coating Corporation
first plants to pop out of the ground (typically Another spring ritual of sorts is, of course, VICE CHAIR
crocuses), March Madness (my bracket was a NASCC: The Steel Conference, which typi- Stephen Knitter
dumpster fire after the very first round), and cally occurs in April. Normally, we’d all be Geiger & Peters, Inc.
preparing the May issue of Modern Steel, basking in the afterglow of a successful in- SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
which is typically my favorite issue of the year. person NASCC. But for the second year in a Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
Why? Because it features the winners of row, it wasn’t meant to be. The good news PRESIDENT
our annual IDEAS 2 Awards, which always is that we’re able to celebrate a successful Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
involve a dazzling array of beautiful, innova- virtual version of the conference. Taking place SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
tive, architecturally significant projects of the week of April 12, this year’s conference Scott Melnick
various sizes and budgets—and are accom- featured more than 150 sessions and more VICE PRESIDENT
Carly Hurd
panied by a feast of design eye candy. This than 200 exhibitors and offered up to 23
VICE PRESIDENT
year’s winners range from a simple sculpture PDHs. And as always, you can watch videos Lawrence F. Kruth, PE
with a powerful meaning in Des Moines to of the sessions at aisc.org/nascc roughly 45 VICE PRESIDENT
a cavernous rodeo arena in Ft. Worth to days after the conference. Brian Raff
a former warehouse in San Francisco that This spring in particular is bringing hope VICE PRESIDENT
was transformed into offices for one of the that the world will soon return to pre-COVID Mark W. Trimble, PE
world’s top ride-sharing companies to a lay- days. Part of this hope centers on the devel- Editorial Advisory Panel
Caroline R. Bennett, PE, PhD
ered school in Virginia to a business retreat opment and distribution of vaccinations. As University of Kansas
center in North Carolina that blurs the lines more and more people have been receiv- Amanda Dean, PE
between the built environment and its ing vaccinations every day, the question has Walter P Moore
wooded surroundings. You can read about arisen about whether employers can mandate Bryan Frazier,
Zalk Josephs Fabricators, LLC
and see fantastic images of all the winners, that their employees are vaccinated before
Keith R. Griesing, PE
starting on page 28. returning to work in person. The article “Vac- Hardesty and Hanover
And you can also hear from one of this cination Considerations” on page 58 offers Stephen Knitter
year’s IDEAS2 judges, Anders Lasater. The CEO some insight on the topic. Geiger & Peters, Inc.
of Anders Lasater Architects and a native and Enjoy this issue of Modern Steel and this Advertising Sales
current resident of Southern California (he spring! M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.
2 W Taunton Avenue
doesn’t have to worry about ice damming), Berlin, NJ 08009
Anders is the subject of this month’s Field 856.768.9360
Notes podcast column. Years ago, he had to [email protected]
Geoff Weisenberger
choose between architecture and music as Senior Editor Address Changes and
Subscription Concerns
312.670.2401
[email protected]
Reprints
Erika Salisbury
312.670.5427
[email protected]
6 | MAY 2021
 CALLING
ALL
INNOVATORS!

If you recently worked on an

amazing project that featured structural
steel, we want to hear from you.
Submit it for a 2022 IDEAS2 award!
Entries close on September 8, 2021. 2022
Enter now at aisc.org/ideas2 IDEAS2
2021 IDEAS2 Merit Award AWARDS
Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Walkway
Arlington, Va. Innovative Design in Engineering and
Photo: studioTECHNE Architecture with Structural Steel
 If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something
related to structural steel design or construction, steel
Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you! interchange
Send your questions or comments to [email protected].

All mentioned AISC codes, standards, and manuals, unless noted otherwise, Changes between the 14th and
refer to the current version and are available at aisc.org/publications.
AISC Design Guides are available at aisc.org/dg, and Modern Steel
15th Editions
I am studying for the PE exam and have a question
Construction articles are available at www.modernsteel.com.
regarding the AISC Manual. The exam is based on the 14th
Edition Manual (and 2010 Specification), but I only have a
Flare-Bevel Groove Welds copy of the 15th Edition Manual. Is there a document that
I am designing a flare-bevel groove weld to connect to a lists the sections that are new or different between these
rectangular A500 Gr. C HSS shape. For the Flare-Bevel two editions?
Groove Welds illustrated in Table 8-2 of the 15th Edition
AISC Steel Construction Manual, what thickness should be You can find a list of significant changes in the Preface of the
used for T1 to determine the effective weld size: the nominal 15th Edition Manual on page vii. There, you will find the
thickness or design thickness as provided in Table 1-11 of following significant changes and improvements listed:
the Manual? • All tabular information and discussions are updated to
comply with the 2016 Specification for Structural Buildings
and the standards and other documents referenced therein.
• Shape information is updated to ASTM A6/A6M-14
throughout this Manual. Larger pipe, HSS, and angle
sizes have also been incorporated into the dimensions and
properties tables in Part 1.
• The available compressive strength tables are expanded to
include 65- and 70-ksi steel for a limited number of shapes.
• In Part 6, a new design aid is included that provides the
width-to-thickness slenderness limits for various steel
strengths.
• In Part 6, a new design aid is included that provides the
available flexural strength, available shear strength, available
compressive strength, and available tensile strength for
W-shapes in one table.
The design thickness should be used. The effective throat (E)
• In Part 9, a new interaction equation is provided for
is based on the bend radius, and the bend radius is a product of
connection design based on a plastic strength approach.
the actual thickness of the HSS member. Table J2.2 of the AISC
• In Part 9, a new approach to designing coped beams is
Specification also provides the effective throat of flare groove welds
presented based on recent studies. In addition, many other
consistent with Table 8-2 in the Manual and uses the design
improvements have been made throughout this Manual.
thickness. Section B4.2 of the AISC Specification defines the design
The January 2018 Modern Steel article “Making the Most
wall thickness for HSS shapes produced to standards approved for
of the Manual” provides more discussion. You can also
use under the AISC Specification, including A500 Gr. C.
consult a document that discusses the changes between the
2010 and 2016 Specifications (that are included in the 14th
and 15th Editions of the Manual, respectively) via the link
“Comparison to ANSI/AISC 360-10” under the Specification
section at aisc.org/specifications. In addition, the December
2016 Modern Steel article “What’s New in the Spec?”
summarizes the main changes in the latest Specification.
Finally, you may want to borrow a copy of the 14th edition
from your friend or purchase a copy for taking the test from
the AISC bookstore at aisc.org/publications.
Jonathan Tavarez, PE

Carlo Lini, PE

Modern Steel Construction | 9

steel interchange
Notional Loads and Serviceability
Do notional loads, as covered in Chapter C of the AISC Specification for Structural
Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360), need to be included in serviceability load
combinations?

For most cases, no. Requirements for notional loads are provided in Section C2.2b of
the AISC Specification. Notional loads can be used to account for initial imperfections
in steel structures. The commentary provided to Section C2.2 states: “The Specification
requirements for consideration of initial imperfections are intended to apply only to
analyses for strength limit states. It is not necessary, in most cases, to consider initial
imperfections in analyses for serviceability conditions such as drift, deflection and
vibration.”
This is also consistent with the following guidance provided in AISC Design Guide
28: Stability Design of Steel Buildings: “In addition, note that the service drift analyses
should not include any of the stiffness reductions or notional lateral loads associated with
the DM [Direct Analysis Method] strength analysis and design procedures.”
Jennifer Traut-Todaro, SE

Shear End-Plate Connection Gaps

We are an erector working on a project that requires shear end-plate connections. I do
not see this type of connection detail often. Can you provide information on how
to address tolerances and gaps for these types of connections?

AISC’s Detailing for Steel Construction states: “The main objection of some fabricators to
this connection is that the beam must be cut square on both ends and to accurate length.
Other fabricators, however, are equipped to square-cut beams accurately and favor using
end plates. This connection does not handle beam camber well unless the connection
is a very shallow end plate. Sometimes, the beams are purposely detailed and fabricated
Carlo Lini ([email protected]) is short for erection purposes and must be shimmed, when required, to maintain the desired
director, Jennifer Traut-Todaro building dimensions.”
([email protected]) is a senior The 15th Edition AISC Manual states:
staff engineer, and Jonathan
“When framing to a column web, the associated constructability considerations should
Tavarez ([email protected]) is a staff
be addressed (see the preceding discussion under ‘Constructability Considerations’).”
engineer, all with the AISC Steel
Solutions Center. Larry Muir is a When framing to a column flange, provisions must be made for possible mill
consultant to AISC. variation in the depth of the columns and tolerance in column/foundation placement,
particularly in fairly long runs (i.e., six or more bays of framing). The beam length
can be shortened to provide for mill overrun with shims furnished at the appropriate
intervals to fill the resulting gaps or to provide for mill underrun. Shear end-plate
connections require close control in cutting the beam to the proper length and in
squaring the beam ends such that both end plates are parallel, particularly when beams
are cambered.”
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful
and practical professional ideas and information Some fabricators tend to avoid the use of shear end-plate connections. In their
on all phases of steel building and bridge
construction. Contact Steel Interchange with
experience, buildings tended to “grow” when end plates were used, meaning that the
questions or responses via AISC’s Steel Solutions beams tended to keep the columns apart and made it difficult to plumb the building. I
Center: 866.ASK.AISC | [email protected]
believe this is commonly addressed, as discussed in the above references, by detailing
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange
do not necessarily represent an official position
some of the beams somewhat shorter and providing shims to the erector. The shims
of the American Institute of Steel Construction would have to be no more than ¼ in. thick to avoid reductions in bolt strength per the
and have not been reviewed. It is recognized
requirements in AISC Specification Section J5.2. Fabricators and erectors who are used
that the design of structures is within the
scope and expertise of a competent licensed to working with end-plates successfully plumb buildings on a regular basis, and many
structural engineer, architect or other licensed indicate a preference for end plates over other connection types because they feel the
professional for the application of principles to
a particular structure. use of the shims provides better control over the tolerances. I believe the detailing
The complete collection of Steel Interchange practices vary.
questions and answers is available online at Larry Muir, PE
www.modernsteel.com.

10 | MAY 2021
 This month’s quiz focuses on AISC Design Guide 34: Steel-Framed
steel Stairway Design, which is available as a free download for members
quiz at aisc.org/dg. The other mentioned AISC publications can be
found at aisc.org/publications.
1 True or False: Industrial class stairs 4 True or False: Both the sloping 7 Which non-AISC standard provides
serve chiefly a functional purpose and beam and horizontal plane stringer the specifications for testing a guard
are usually located in enclosed stair- design methods produce acceptable and handrail system attachments to
wells and provide a secondary or emer- results and similar strength and stair stringers to ensure it meets the
gency means of travel between floors. deflection estimates. governing building code?
a. NAAMM Pipe Railing Systems
2 Tr u e o r F a l s e : A 4 2 - i n . - t a l l 5 Which of the following lateral
Manual Including Round Tube
cantilevered guard post supporting bracing options would be useful
b. ASTM A53
a handrail at a height of 34 in. has for tight locations but may lead
c. ASTM E935
a live load deflection of 0.6 in. to higher drift and more complex
d. ASTM E894
This satisfies the recommended connections?
deflection limits in the design guide. a. Tension-compression bracing 8 True or False: During delegated
b. Moment frames design of steel-framed stairs, it is
3 True or False: Steel stairs are con-
c. Tension-only bracing not recommended to require the
sidered structural steel compo-
specialty structural engineer (SSE) to
nents and shall abide by the design 6 True or False: Standard connections
sign and seal each sheet of the shop
requirements of the AISC Specifi- found in the AISC Steel Construction
and erection drawings produced by
cation for Structural Steel Buildings Manual are only reserved for
the fabricator.
(ANSI/AISC 360) and the AISC Code structures falling within the scope of
of Standard Practice for Steel Build- the Specification and the Code and
ings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303). should not be used for stairs. TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR THE ANSWERS

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 steel quiz ANSWERS

1 False. The above describes service 5 b. Moment frames. Table 5-1 of the
class stairs. Industrial class stairs are design guide is useful when deter-
also purely functional in character mining which solution would work
but are designed for either interior well in various conditions.
or exterior use in an industrial build-
ing and are similar in nature to light
6 False. First, note that the Manual
only provides guidance and design
steel construction. (See Section 2.2.)
tools and may be adapted to
2 True. Table 3-6 of the Design Guide various conditions based on engi-
provides the deflection limit for neering judgment. Standard con-
the cantilever post supporting the nections have the added benefit
handrail. Calculating this limit using in that they are typically familiar to
this height yields (42 in.)/60 = 0.7 engineers, steel detailers, fabrica-
in., which is higher than the actual tors, and erectors.
deflection. Note that Section 3.3.1
states that IBC does not explicitly
7 d. ASTM E894: Standard Test Meth-
ods for Anchorage of Permanent
provide requirements for guard and
Metal Railing Systems and Rails for
handrail deflection limits.
Buildings.
3 False. Section 2.1 of the AISC Code
lists steel-framed stairs as “other
8 True. The SSE is recommended to
seal the calculations and the stair
steel items” that fall outside the
drawings, but the shop and erection
scope of the Specification and
drawings are not recommended to
Code.
be sealed. Responsibilities related
CON ST RUCTI O N S O LU T I O N S 4 False. Due to the additional length to submittals and shop drawing
of a sloping member, actual verti- review are reviewed in Section 9.3

MINDS
cal deflections will range from 1.1 of the design guide.
to 2 times greater than deflections
determined using the horizontal

OF
plane method. Accurate deflections
should be calculated using the slop-
ing beam method to ensure the stair

STEEL
design meets the required service-
ability criteria. (See Section 4.3.2)

Dave Eckmann, Structural Engineer

Magnusson Klemencic Associates

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Everyone is welcome to submit questions and answers for the Steel Quiz. If you
are interested in submitting one question or an entire quiz, contact AISC’s Steel
Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or [email protected].

14 | MAY 2021
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 steelwise
TENSION
MEMBER Getting back to the basics
DESIGN: of tension member design.
A PRIMER
BY RICHARD M. DRAKE, SE,
AND ERIK ESPINOZA, SE

TENSION AND compression are two of the most fundamental concepts in struc-
tural engineering. While this is common knowledge, let’s take a minute to go back to
the beginning and review the elements of tension member design.
Here, we’ll discuss key steps in designing tension members in accordance with the
provisions of the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSCI/AISC 360,
aisc.org/specifications).
A tension member is any structural member that is loaded with an axial tension
load. Tension members are commonly located in structural bracing, roof trusses, tow-
ers, and utility supports. Figure 1 shows sections commonly used as tension members.

Fig. 1. Common tension members.

When evaluating a member’s tension strength, the Specification refers to different

tension member cross-sectional areas in order to quantify the nominal strength of
various tension limit states.

Richard M. Drake Cross-Sectional Areas

([email protected]) is a Gross area. Specification Section B4.3a defines the member gross area (Ag) as the
senior fellow in structural total cross-sectional area. Simply speaking, the gross area is the total cross-sectional
engineering, and Erik Espinoza area of a tensile member taken perpendicular to the load, where no holes are provided.
([email protected]) is a To demonstrate this, consider a plate used as a tension member spanning between
director in structural engineering, two columns, bolted to gusset plates at each column, as shown in Figure 2. The gross
both with Fluor Enterprises, Inc. area is shown by cutting Section a-a perpendicular to the tension load away from the
ends of the tension member.

Fig. 2. Tension member gross and net area.

The full gross area is available to resist tension loads. The average stress is equal to:
P
favg =
Ag
16 | MAY 2021
 steelwise
Net area. Specification Section B4.3b defines the member net Effective net area. A structural shape consists of rectangular
area (An) as the sum of the products of the thickness and the net elements that make up its shape, as indicated in Figure 3.
width of each element of the tension member. Simply speaking,
the net area is the gross area of a tensile member taken perpen-
dicular to the load, minus something for holes.
To demonstrate this, consider the same plate used as a tension
member spanning between two columns, bolted to gusset plates at
each column—again, as shown in Figure 2. The net area is shown
by cutting Section b-b perpendicular to the load at the location
where bolts transfer the tension load from the tension member to
the gusset plate.
The bolt holes reduce the cross-sectional area available to resist Fig. 3. Shape elements.
tension loads. The average stress is equal to:
P P
favg = > A W-shape consists of five elements, two elements for each
An Ag
flange and one web. A C-shape consists of three elements, one ele-
Assuming that the tension load is the same at both the gross and ment for each flange and one web. An L-Shape consists of two
net area, the stress will be higher at the net area. elements, one element for each leg. A plate consists of one element.
Specification Table J3.3 defines nominal bolt hole dimen- When some but not all of the cross-section elements are used
sions. For bolt diameters 7⁄ 8 in. and smaller, standard bolt holes to transfer tension forces between a member and a connection, not
are punched or drilled 1⁄16 in. larger than the bolt diameter. For all of the net area is effective for tensile rupture. The member is
bolt diameters 1 in. and larger, standard bolt holes are punched or not being very efficient at the connection.
drilled 1⁄ 8 in. larger than the bolt diameter. Specification Section D3 uses a shear lag factor for both welded
Specification Section B4.3b further states that in computing the and bolted connections in tension members to account for this
net area of tension members, the width of the bolt hole should be inefficiency. The shear lag factor addresses whether the transfer
taken as 1⁄16 in. greater than the nominal bolt hole dimension. of tension loads from a structural shape to a fastener involves all
Remember: The net area is the gross area minus something for or some of the cross-sectional elements of that shape. If the dis-
the holes. tance to transfer the tension load between the tension member and
For bolt diameters of 7⁄ 8 in. and smaller, the bolt hole net area its end connection is short, then the internal shear forces cannot
reduction is equal to the bolt diameter plus 1⁄16 in. for the stan- be efficiently distributed from the entire cross section (all the ele-
dard hole plus another 1⁄16 in. for damage incurred making the hole. ments) to the reduced cross section (some of the elements) at the
The net area is defined as: connection. This shear lag is accounted for by reducing the net
area to an effective net area.
 1
An = Ag − n  d +  t
 8
A e = An U
For bolt diameters of 1 in. and larger, the bolt hole net area
reduction is equal to the bolt diameter plus 1⁄ 8 in. for the standard Where:
hole plus another 1⁄16 in. for damage incurred making the hole. Ae = effective net area, in.2
The net area is defined as: U = shear lag factor, unitless
An = net area, in.2
 3
An = Ag − n  d +  t Shear lag factors are based on empirical testing and are sum-
 16 
marized in Specification Table D3.1. Eight (8) cases are included in
Where: the table, but the most commonly used are Cases 1 and 2.
n = number of bolt holes in cross-section taken Case 1: When the tension load is transmitted directly to each
perpendicular to the load of the cross-sectional elements by fasteners or welds (see Figure
d = bolt diameter, in. 4). This case does not apply when loads are transmitted by longi-
t = material thickness, in. tudinal welds only (Case 4) or for hollow structural sections (HSS)
Note that stresses tend to concentrate at bolt holes, and the (Cases 5 and 6).
maximum stresses are usually much higher than predicted by the
average stresses. The material does not rupture because of its
material ductility.
P
fmax >> favg =
An
The Specification accounts for these stress concentrations by
considering an effective net area. Fig. 4. All elements bolted (or welded).

Modern Steel Construction | 17

steelwise
Case 2. When the tension load is transmitted to some but not ∆yield = εyieldLmember P
all of the cross-sectional elements by fasteners or by longitudinal σyield = ≤ Fy
Ag
welds in combination with transverse welds (see Figure 5). This
case does not apply to HSS (Cases 5 and 6).

x
U=1–
L
Where:
x = connection eccentricity, in.
L = connection length in the direction of loading, in.
Fig. 7. Stress-strain relationship.

The nominal strength (Pn) to limit yield at the gross section

(Section a-a) can be expressed as:

Pn ≤ Fy Ag

Specification Equation D2-1 uses this approach to define the

Fig. 5. Some elements bolted (or welded). tension yielding in the gross section limit state.
Pn = Fy Ag
φt = 0.90 (LRFD) Ωt = 1.67 (ASD)
If applying Case 2 when only W-shape flanges are connected, Tension rupture in the net section. A tension member can
determine the x from the WT-Shape (i.e., y value from WT sec- become unserviceable if it stretches so much at bolt holes that
tion properties) cut from the W-Shape (see Figure 6). loads can’t transfer between the member and the rest of the struc-
ture. In this limit state, it is prudent to limit the member elonga-
tion at the bolt holes to the rupture strain (εrupture), the strain when
the tension member effective net area reaches the material tensile
strength (Fu) (again, see Figure 7).
∆rupture = εruptureLholes
P
σrupture = < Fu
An

Fig. 6. Eccentricity for W-shape flanges. The nominal strength (Pn) to limit rupture at the net section
(Section b-b) can be expressed as:
Pn ≤ Fu An
Specification Section D3 also permits the shear lag factor for Specification Equation D2-2 uses this approach to define the
open sections (i.e., sections that are not HSS or plates) to be tension rupture in the net section limit state, using the effective
limited to no less than the gross area of the connected elements net area (Ae).
divided by the gross area of the entire section. Pn = Fu Ae
φt = 0.75 (LRFD) Ωt = 2.00 (ASD)
Gross Area Of Connected Parts
U≥ Block shear. Specification Chapter D includes a User Note that
Gross Area Of Entire Section
Section J4.3 for block shear might also apply to tension members.
Tension Limit States: Specification Section D2 requires that As indicated in Figure 8, for certain connection configurations,
the design tensile strength φtPn (LRFD) and the allowable tensile a segment or “block” of material at the end of a tension member
strength Pn /Ωt (ASD) be the lesser of the limit states for tension can tear out. This limit state is a combination of shear failure in the
yielding in the gross section and tension rupture in the net section. direction of the load and tension failure perpendicular to the load.
Tension yielding in the gross section. A tension member
can become unserviceable if it stretches so much over its length PLAN
that loads cannot transfer between the member and the rest of the
structure. In this limit state, it is prudent to limit the member elon-
gation over its entire length to the yield strain (εyield), the strain
when the tension member gross area reaches the material yield
ELEVATION SECTION
stress (Fy) (see Figure 7).

Fig. 8. Block shear failure of a tension member.

18 | MAY 2021
 steelwise
Specification Equation J4-5 defines the
Block shear limit state.

Rn =
0.6FuAnv + UbsFuAnt ≤ 0.6FyAgv + UbsFuAnt

Where:
Rn = nominal shear rupture
strength, Kips
φ = resistance factor, unitless
Fu = specified minimal tensile
strength, ksi
Fy = specified minimum yield
stress, ksi
Agv = member gross shear area, in.2
Anv = member net shear area, in.2,
the gross shear area minus
something for the holes
Ant = member net tension area, in.2,
the gross tension area minus
something for the holes
Ubs = block shear reduction coefficient,
unitless, equals 1 for most tension
member cases.
Block shear can also occur in welded
connections.

Anv = Agv
Ant = Agt

In some cases, the block shear limit

state will be less than the limit states for
tension yielding in the gross section and
tension rupture in the net section and will
govern the strength of the tension member.
In the words of the great TV detective
Columbo, “Just one more thing.” Although
this primer is intended to summarize the
nominal tension strength requirements
in the Specification, the designer is cau-
tioned that the choice of member cross-
section and connection detail may intro-
duce an eccentricity and moment to the
design of tension members. In those cases,
the designer should consult Specification
Chapter H for combined Flexure and
Axial Force.
And keep an eye out for an upcoming
SteelWise on tension’s structural counter-
part, compression. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 19

 Grow your Seismic Design Manual
Virtual Seminar
Knowledge presented by Thomas M. Sabol
Earn up to 9.0 PDHs

with AISC
Discounted Seismic Design Manual
available with registration!
Sessions 1–4:

Continuing May 25, May 27, June 1, June 3

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

Education Q&A session: June 4 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET

aisc.org/SDMwebinar

Smarter. Stronger. Steel.

American Institute of Steel Construction
312.670.2400 | www.aisc.org
 Data Driven highlights market trends, economic forecasts, or
other relevant numbers that affect steel design and construction.
data
This month’s data focuses on price fluctuations in the steel market.
driven

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS in the steel market have certainly been Combination of Prices from U.S. Plate Mills
making headlines lately. Just as COVID-19 slowed construction activity A709-50W 1½ in. thick × 96 in. wide × 636 ft long
in the second and third quarters of 2020, it also reduced demand for
0.6
steel products in other industrial areas like automotive production.
Although the demand decrease caused a short-term softening of prices,
0.5
it also caused a contraction in supply—and as economies began to open
again, steel and scrap demand quickly outpaced inventory levels and
0.4
production. This has caused longer lead times and increased prices for
raw scrap and steel products.
0.3

$/LB
To keep things in perspective, it’s good to have a long-term view, as
well as pricing for other materials for comparison. Charts on this page
0.2
show pricing information for a common wide-flange size, from 2010 to
the present, and a sample plate size, from late 2018 to the present. Also
0.1
included is pricing for structural lumber, concrete, and steel products,
according to the Price Index from the Federal Reserve Economic Data
0
(FRED), over the last decade. You’ll notice that all construction mate- 2018Q4 2019Q1 2019Q2 2019Q3 2019Q4 2020Q1 2020Q2 2020Q3 2020Q4
rials—not just steel—have been similarly impacted by the pandemic.

Average Published Pricing from Domestic Wide-Flange Mills: W14×68

1,200
Actual
Inflation-Adjusted
1,000

800
$/Ton

600

400

200
Inflation adjustments are relative to 2020.
W14x68 pricing comes from Nucor Yamato Steel Company and Steel Dynamics, Inc.
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Federal Reserve Economic Data

440

400 Producer Price Index by Commodity, Lumber and Wood Products: Softwood Lumber
Index 1982 = 100 . Index June 1982=100

Producer Price Index by Commodity, Metals and Metal Products: Hot-Rolled Steel Bars, Plates, and Structural Shapes
360
Producer Price Index by Commodity, Nonmetallic Mineral Products: Ready-Mix Concrete
U.S. Recession; the most recent end date is undecided
320

280

240

200

160
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
120
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

You can find regularly updated versions of all this data at aisc.org/economics. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 21

 field notes
Southern California architect Anders Lasater
STEADY has found the perfect balance between designing
BEAT buildings and banging drums.
INTERVIEW BY
GEOFF WEISENBERGER

Field Notes is ANDERS LASATER APPRECIATES STRUCTURE—not just when it comes to

Modern Steel buildings but also its role in music.
Construction’s The founder of Anders Lasater Architects in Laguna Beach, Calif., he first made the
podcast series, connection between a design drawing and a final product in his high school woodshop
where we interview class. In this month’s Field Notes podcast interview, he talks about why he loves Califor-
people from all nia, his experience as a judge for this year’s AISC IDEAS2 Awards competition, starting
corners of the structural steel industry his own firm, and the connection between architecture and music.
with interesting stories to tell. Listen in
at modernsteel.com/podcasts. I understand your firm is in Laguna Beach. Are you a SoCal native?
I am! It seems folks move out here for the weather, and I guess that’s one of the
reasons I’ve never left. It’s hard for me to think of living somewhere else. I’ve made my
career working in coastal Orange County. There’s something particularly special about
the sunlight in this area, and that’s what makes being an architect here especially exciting.

Speaking of architecture, when did you start on that path?

I think an awareness of the built environment is something that doesn’t come naturally
to anyone. But when you become aware of how you can look at the built environment
and begin to understand your relationship with it, an entirely new world of opportunity
is awoken in you. That really began for me in seventh-grade woodshop class, where we
were first taught how to do some basic mechanical drawing, like drawing a circle with a
Geoff Weisenberger compass. And then you would take that drawing over to the woodworking machine and
([email protected]) is senior cut out a wheel for what would ultimately become a little wood truck planter to give
editor of Modern Steel Construction. your mom on Mother’s Day. And so that kind of relationship between the act of drawing
22 | MAY 2021
 field notes
something, being able to create something from the drawing, and interact with clients, how to create contracts—the kinds of things
then being able to see the reaction that you elicit from someone that an architect needs to know not only to be a good designer
you gave it to was so powerful, and it left in me this really strong but also a good businessperson. Eventually, it was time for me to
desire to be a creator. And from there, as I grew up, I realized step out on my own, and I remember the day it happened. It was
that I had an ability to draw, and architectural drawings became the end of March in 2006, and I woke up on a Saturday, realizing
fascinating to me. I learned how to relate to the built environment that I’d quit a well-paying job with great clients, doing awesome
and how to see buildings in a more specific, more intentional way, projects, and I had to figure out what to do next. I had two kids and
and I realized that’s really what I wanted to be, an architect. It was a wife at home staring at me, going, “OK, smart guy. You wanted
either that or a rock-and-roll drummer, which I was pretty serious it your way or the highway, now you’ve got it. What are you going
about, but I decided architecture was probably the better way to to do about it?” I don’t think there’s a more motivating thing than
have a more regular paycheck. waking up in the morning, realizing you don’t have a job and
To be a professional in the music business was another level you’ve got three hungry mouths to feed. But you’ve got talent and
of existence that I realized I probably couldn’t attain, whereas ability and you need to go put it to work, and I remember getting
architecture felt like a natural extension of me. I could think out of bed that morning practically sobbing in my coffee, and then
and be and act like an architect fairly naturally. So that was by noon that day I had already reached out to a dozen different
where I made the decision to pursue it as my primary career contacts, and the question they all asked was, “What took you so
and let music be that thing that I could always fall back to and long?” I had the good fortune of having a great network of people
get instant gratification from. Being an architect, it takes years that I was connected to, and those people did an exceptional job
sometimes to develop buildings and to see the fruits of your of helping me accelerate my firm. Pretty quickly, we were off and
labor, but it takes mere minutes to turn around and pick up a running, and I haven’t looked back.
guitar or sit down at the piano or behind the drums and bang out
something for your own instant gratification. Music is a great That’s great to hear! Switching gears, can you tell me about
counterbalance to my architecture. your experience judging the IDEAS2 Awards?
I really enjoyed being on the jury and looking at the vast dif-
Do you feel like the two disciplines are related? ferences between the project types and sizes. The winners all used
Music has an internal structure. There’s dynamic and there’s steel in a way where it is celebrated and allowed to become greater
deviation from the norm, from a datum point, and great architec- than just a support role. One of the things that I say all the time is
ture is similarly based on order and rigor and dynamic and all of that a great building will look as good when it’s under construction
the things we find in a great piece of music. The two are so closely as it does when it’s finished. I often find that buildings in their
related and yet they’re also very far apart. Architecture exists in construction stage exhibit a really inherent beauty. They have
three dimensions all at once, where music is temporal. It starts and rhythm and order, they have rigor, and they have a logic to them
it has a finish. They don’t exist in the same kind of dimensional that oftentimes gets covered up with the finish materials. But with
plane, but they have very similar qualities. all the winners, not only was the steel elegantly exhibited during
Igor Stravinsky was a great musician, but I consider him a great construction but also in the finished project.
designer as well. He designed the most avant-garde music of his
time. He used to say that the greater the restrictions he placed Switching gears again, when did the drumming begin?
upon himself, the more creative his response, and I think that mes- Some of my earliest memories were sitting on the kitchen
sage resonates with architecture as well. I often find that the proj- floor in front of the kitchen cabinets, having pulled out all the
ects that are harder for me are the ones where I am given no limits. pots and pans and just sitting there banging away with wooden
We’re doing a mountain house now in the Lake Tahoe area on a spoons. I remember even hanging the metal lids for the pans
very large piece of property. I can basically put the house anywhere with string off the handles of the cabinets to create my cymbals.
I want, and the shape of the house can be basically anything I want I became infatuated with what the drums looked like, how they
because there are no physical limitations governing my choices sounded, the idea of sitting behind them and commanding them,
there, and to be frank, it actually makes my job a lot harder. I really and creating this driving force behind the music. When I was
like when I have restrictions like a small lot or a lot that has a in third grade, I remember we had a little snare drum march-
particular shape, whether it’s long and narrow or maybe it’s got ing group in our school, and then I started drum lessons and
a curve on one side, because what I find is that those limitations eventually piano lessons as well. I taught myself guitar and now
begin to influence my response, and that results in a unique and I play the bass guitar too. But with the drums, I can create the
very site-specific kind of architecture. foundation, the driving structure, and rhythms that support the
other parts of the music. ■
Tell me a bit about starting your own firm.
As I was finishing graduate school at UCLA, I was working for This article is excerpted from my conversation with Anders. To hear
an architect in Orange County named Mark Singer, who was doing our chat in its entirety, including Anders’ goal of visiting all 50 states,
some really wonderful modern homes here in the Laguna Beach his band, and his admiration for Ringo Starr and Lars Ulrich, visit
area. Under his tutelage, I learned how to create buildings, how to modernsteel.com/podcasts.
Modern Steel Construction | 23
 business
issues Tips for reducing the negative control of your ego—
ENGAGING and not taking things so personally.
EGO
BY DAN COUGHLIN

EGO IS A TOUGH THING to define and an even tougher thing to grapple with.
I’m a big fan of understanding the self, which I believe consists of our purpose, char-
acter strengths, values, morals, talents, passions, idea processor (introvert or extrovert),
temperament, decision-making approach, and sources of self-confidence. When we
each understand ourselves, we can leverage what we have within us to make a positive
difference in the world. When we allow ourselves to go unexamined and unchecked,
we can subconsciously move forward in a way that may hurt other people.
And then there is our ego.
Ego is a very important aspect of our self, and it requires extra attention. It can
Dan Coughlin provides drive both healthy and unhealthy behavior.
individual executive coaching Our ego can be the container of our self-esteem, and it can also be the container of
and group coaching programs our selfishness. Our ego can help drive us to do what we didn’t know we were capable
on management, leadership, and of doing in a meaningful and positive way. Our ego can also help drive us to do cruel
teamwork. To visit his Free Business and mean-spirited things we didn’t know we were capable of doing.
Performance Idea Center, go to To me, our ego is an organ like our heart or brain. It’s part of who we are, it’s essen-
www.thecoughlincompany.com. tial to who we are, and yet we have choices for how we develop it, just like we have
choices for how we develop our heart and brain. We can choose to make it healthier or
Dan was also a presenter at unhealthier by what we feed it. And this is where the work really begins.
this year’s NASCC: The Virtual
Steel Conference. Visit aisc.org/ Healthy Ways to Interact with Our Ego
nascc roughly 45 days after the A healthy approach to interacting with our ego depends on staying conscious of
conference to view a video of his what is happening within us and what we want to happen. Are we basing our self-
presentation. esteem on how we see ourselves rather than depending on how other people react to
us or behave near us?
Here are some questions I encourage you to think about. Then I encourage you to
write down your answers.
1. What do I see that is good and not so good within my thoughts?
2. What do I see that is good and not so good within my intentions?
3. What do I see that is good and not so good in my efforts?
4. What do I see that is good and not so good in my behaviors?
5. What do I want my thoughts to be about in the future?
6. What do I want my intentions to be for the future?
7. What do I want my efforts to be about in the future?
8. What do I want my behaviors to be like in the future?
Now I know that’s a lot of “I” statements, but they’re necessary when talking about
our ego.

Unhealthy Ways to Interact with Our Ego

The unhealthy ways to interact with our ego all depend on subconscious messages
we receive, or think we receive, from other people that we don’t filter through. Are we
basing our feelings and beliefs about ourselves on what other people say and do rather
than depending on how we see ourselves?

24 | MAY 2021
 business issues

Here are some questions I encourage you to think about. And I found myself getting into an endless number of arguments and
again, I encourage you to write down your answers. experiencing multiple intensely negative emotions in my interac-
1. Am I getting negatively emotional over how another tions with other people. It was almost like another person took
person speaks to me or ignores me? over my body.
2. Am I getting negatively emotional when another person During that time, I heard two comments that were very painful
criticizes me or ignores me? to hear but also very helpful. Here they are:
3. Am I getting negatively emotional if another person whole-
heartedly disagrees with me? “Dan, you are not effective in these meetings because you take
4. Am I getting negatively emotional over how another everything way too personally.”
person runs a meeting or an organization?
5. Am I getting negatively emotional because another person “Dan, you made the meeting all about you.”
has a different temperament, height, body shape, or salary
than I do? While that hurts a lot to recall, it is also a very helpful reminder.
6. Am I getting negatively emotional because another person Recalling that feedback reminds me of the very stark difference
is seemingly more popular, better-looking, or more suc- between healthy ways and unhealthy ways of interacting with our ego.
cessful than I am? A healthy way to interact with our ego is when we set aside
7. Am I getting negatively emotional because it appears that time to have a conscious reflection within ourselves regarding our
my sibling is getting more praise than I am? thoughts, intentions, efforts, and behaviors in a given situation. We
8. Am I getting negatively emotional because it appears that are consciously discerning what can be learned from the situation.
another’s person’s future is brighter than mine? An unhealthy way to interact with our ego is when we have an
Notice that all of these “I” questions are about our thoughts immediate subconscious reaction to other people’s words or actions
regarding other people. or the lack of their words and actions. We are subconsciously
Here is the great irony. When we focus on our own thoughts assuming things about the other person’s intentions, which may
and actions, we can usually make healthy decisions regarding our or may not be true at all, and those assumptions instantaneously
own egos. When we focus on other people’s words and actions, we interact with the fragile parts of our ego.
often tend to make unhealthy choices regarding our egos. Healthy ways to interact with our ego take conscious effort over
an extended period of time, while unhealthy interactions happen
Sometimes Feedback Hurts and Helps at the Same Time subconsciously and instantly. Like anything, practice makes per-
One period in my life where my ego ran amok was when I fect—and so does patience. Take the time to consciously, positively
served on a variety of volunteer boards, councils, and committees. interact with your ego, and you’ll see positive results. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 25

Winners Choose
Chicago Metal
TO Curve Steel

2015 IDEAS2 Merit Award - 73 pieces

of curved 8” sch 40 pipe totaling
35 tons for Circuit of the America
Observation Tower. Austin, TX
2014 SEAOI Best Project - Elliptically
curved trusses rolled from 5” and
8” diameter AESS pipe for Institute
of Environmental Sustainability at
Loyola University. Chicago, IL

2007 IDEAS2 National Winner

- 400 tons of 12” square
tubing curved for the
retractable, lenticular room
trusses at the University of
Phoenix Stadium. Phoenix, AZ

2005 EAE Merit Award - 570 tons of 12”, 14”, 16”, 2003 IDEAS2 National Winner - 300 tons of 5”
18” and 20” pipe curved for the Jay Pritzker square tubing curved 45° off-axis for the Kimmel
Pavilion. Chicago, IL Center. Philadelphia, PA

Call us at 866-940-5739 to make your next project a winner!

 2012 IDEAS2 Merit Award - 133 tons of
16” pipe curved for the Rooftop Tiara of
2015 AIA Distinguished Building Award - HSS 8” pipe featuring the Great American Tower at Queen
an ellipse curvature with multi-radius bends for the structural City Square. Cincinnati, OH
ribs for CTA Cermak-McCormick Place Station. Chicago, IL

2013 IDEAS2 Merit Award - 3600 pounds

of pipe each curved with multiple radii for
2020 IDEAS2 National Winner - 920 pipe a solar canopy to recharge batteries
members rolled from 1300 tons of 14” pipe on electrical vehicles. Chicago, IL
creating 38 super-trusses for the iconic
canopy at Hartsfield-Jackson 2007 NSBA Special Purpose Prize Bridge Award - 152 tons of 18” pipe
Atlanta Intl Airport. Atlanta, GA curved in our Kansas City plant for the Highland Bridge. Denver, CO

2010 NCSEA Award Winner -

CHICAGO • KANSAS CITY
200 tons of beams, channels and
angle for the roof of the University of cmrp.com
Illinois at Chicago Forum. Chicago, IL
 2021
IDEAS2
AWARDS

WHAT DO a factory-turned-office-building, a This year’s five judges considered each project’s use of structural steel from
training facility with a C-suite-worthy treehouse, both an architectural and structural engineering perspective, with an emphasis on:
a state-of-the-art rodeo venue designed for today’s • Creative solutions to the project’s program requirements
cowboy, and a stacked school have in common? • Applications of innovative design approaches in areas such as connections,
They’re all steel-framed, they’re all beautiful, gravity systems, lateral load-resisting systems, fire protection, and blast
and they’re all winners. Specifically, these four protection
projects, as well as six others, are winners of the • The aesthetic impact of the project, particularly in the coordination of
2021 AISC IDEAS2 Awards. structural steel elements with other materials
Why “IDEAS2?” Because the program rec- • Innovative uses of architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS)
ognizes Innovative Design in Engineering and • Advancements in the use of structural steel, either technically or in the
Architecture with Structural Steel. Awards for each architectural expression
winning project are presented to the project team • The use of innovative design and construction methods such as 3D building
members involved in the design and construction models, interoperability, early integration of steel fabricators, alternative
of the structural framing system, including the methods of project delivery, and sustainability considerations
architect, structural engineer of record, general
contractor, owner, and AISC member fabricator, The entries were placed in four categories according to their constructed value
erector, detailer, and bender-roller. in U.S. dollars:
New buildings, as well as renovation, retrofit, • Less than $15 million
and expansion projects, are eligible, and entries • $15 million to $75 million
must meet the following criteria: • $75 million to $200 million
• A significant portion of the framing system • More than $200 million
must be wide-flange or hollow structural
sections (HSS) National and Merit honors were awarded in the Less than $15 million and
• Projects must have been completed between $15 million to $75 million categories, and National awards were given in the
January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020 $75 million to $200 million and More than $200 million categories. In addition,
• Projects must be located in North America Sculptures/Art Installations/Nonbuilding Structures National and Merit win-
• Previous AISC IDEAS2 award-winning ners were also selected, and one project won a Presidential Award for Excellence
projects are not eligible in Adaptive Reuse. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!

28 | MAY 2021
Stephanie J. Hautzinger, SE, AIA
Associate Vice President, CannonDesign, Chicago
Stephanie, a structural engineer in the Chicago office of CannonDesign, has 25 years of
experience in the design of healthcare, corporate, and education projects. During her career,
she has made significant contributions to unique and award-winning buildings such as the
University of Chicago Gerald Ratner Athletics Center and the Kline Center Addition at
Dickinson College. Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Illinois, with a Bachelor
of Science in architectural studies and a Master of Architecture in the structures option.
Stephanie is active in the engineering community, serving as vice president of the Structural
Engineers Foundation. She is also a proud member of the Structural Engineers Associa-
tion of Illinois and the American Institute of Architects. Stephanie has been published on
multiple occasions, particularly related to architectural engineering collaborations and the
use of exposed structural steel.

Mark V. Holland, PE
Chief Engineer, Paxton and Vierling Steel Co., Omaha, Nebraska
Mark is the chief engineer for Paxton and Vierling Steel Co. in Omaha, Nebraska. Mark is
an active member of the AISC Committee on Specifications, Chairman of the Committee on
Stainless Structures, Chairman of the AISC Manual Committee, and a registered professional
engineer in nine states. From 1986 to 2013, Mark was responsible for connection design,
material procurement, detailing, shop scheduling, project management, and change order
management. From 2013 to the present, he has been mentoring the next generation of steel
fabricators. Mark is a regular speaker at NASCC: The Steel Conference as well as several
other industry events on subjects related to fabricated structural steel and connection design.

Maysa Kantner
Atlanta Structural Steel Specialist, AISC
Maysa Kantner is an AISC structural steel specialist serving the greater Atlanta market.
She earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in civil engineering from
the Georgia Institute of Technology. After graduation, Maysa started her career with
Uzun+Case, where she worked on a wide variety of projects, including the new UGA
Indoor Athletic Facility. She has five years of previous experience as a structural engineer
and has since found her passion in the marketing and business development aspects of the
structural steel industry.

Anders Lasater, AIA

CEO and Principal Architect, Anders Lasater Architects, Los Angeles
By the time he was ten years old, Anders knew he’d grow up to be either an architect or a
heavy metal drummer. But, by the 1990s, grunge and alternative pushed heavy metal out
of the spotlight, so he shifted focus from the practice studio to the architectural studio
and began working for some of the best architects in Orange County. After finishing two
degrees in architecture and design theory, he opened the doors to his own firm in 2005,
where he and his staff focus on innovative designs for residential, restaurant, retail, and
hotel projects. He’s fortunate to have a diverse group of passionate architects working for
him who finds the same joy in making thoughtful architecture as he does. Much to his wife’s
chagrin, he still lives out his rock-n-roll fantasy with his band, Thunderhose.

Wanda Lau
Editor, Technology and Practice, ARCHITECT magazine
Wanda covers technology, practice, and op-eds at ARCHITECT magazine, the journal of the
American Institute of Architects. Based in Washington, she has won more than 30 national
and regional awards for editing and writing stories examining everything from building codes
to firm culture. She is also a host, producer, and editor of the ARCHITECT Podcast Network.
Wanda has spoken regularly on building technology as well as on diversity, equity, and inclu-
sion in professional practice, contributed to publications on high-performance design, and
served on studio and award juries across the country. Her wide range of interests is reflected
in her multidisciplinary background. A first-generation college graduate, she holds a Bachelor
of Science in civil engineering with high honors from Michigan State University, a Master of
Science in building technology from MIT, and a Master of Arts in journalism from Syracuse
University. Prior to joining ARCHITECT, she worked for a decade in the AEC industry as an
owner’s representative, engineer, and communications director—but not all at once.
Modern Steel Construction | 29
NATIONAL AWARD Greater than $200 Million
Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas

FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS, Will Rogers Coliseum served as to create a regular rhythm and pace for the space. Most modern
the host of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and also as a key arenas use larger and deeper trusses spaced further apart to lever-
architectural landmark for Fort Worth. Designed in the Southwest age the deck span capabilities and much lower piece counts. While
Art Deco style, the 1930s-era arena features an exposed structural Dickies Arena’s tighter truss spacing is unique in modern arenas,
steel barrel-vaulted roof crowned with a cupola. The coliseum’s the inherent structural efficiency of arched roof form allowed for
efficient and purposeful form created an intimate atmosphere for lighter and more shallow truss elements to be used.
an immersive rodeo experience. WT top and bottom chords and double-angle web members
It also served as the inspiration for its replacement, the new allowed the exposed roof structure to express its connections
Dickies Arena. However, it also represented the challenges of cleanly and elegantly, and an architectural review of the struc-
incorporating the deep history and intimacy of the Coliseum tural connection details was integrated into the design process to
environment at a larger scale while creating the flexibility to be ensure that the design intent was met. The truss spacing created
able to host other non-rodeo events. The architectural design team an expansive and highly flexible rigging environment with over
embraced this challenge and developed a roof shape that would 800 potential attachment areas and without a visually imposing
reflect the original coliseum. rigging grid.
The new 14,000-seat, 715,000-sq.-ft multipurpose Dickies Exposed structural steel was also used extensively in the pavil-
Arena features unmatched amenities and accommodations to host ion arena and the prominent pedestrian bridge. The bridge brings
not only the Stock Show and Rodeo but also hockey games, con- the architectural and structural beauty and practicality of steel
certs, conventions, and private events. A new icon for Fort Worth, outdoors for both event-day patrons and every-day passersby to
the arena offers the community three spectacular entrances: a experience, and also serves as a key entrance to the facility, wel-
grand north stair connecting to the cultural district and the revered coming visitors to the expansive elevated upper plaza on which the
Will Rogers campus, a monumental stair linking to downtown Ft. arena sits.
Worth, and an ornate pedestrian bridge extending to the new park- Not all structural steel on the project was exposed. Four geo-
ing garage. These stunning entryways draw patrons into a meticu- metrically-expressed grand stairs (two elliptical and two octagonal)
lously landscaped plaza. Like the arena, this three-acre space was cantilever off the main structure with steel framing and offer the
designed in a Southwest Art Deco style to pay homage to the city’s impression that the spiraling stairs are dramatically floating above
architecture and the region’s cowboy culture. the grand lobby below. As with other areas of the facility, steel
This exceptional facility had three architects working col- allowed strict adherence to architectural geometric constraints
laboratively to create a cohesive design, and the structural team that could not have been accomplished with other materials.
partnered with them to bring the design to life. Design architect Owner
David M. Schwarz (DMS) focused on the detailing and aesthet- Trail Drive Management Corporation, Fort Worth, Texas
ics of every space, sports architect and architect of record HKS
Owner’s Representative
prioritized the function of the arena and how it appealed to fans,
The Projects Group, Fort Worth
including the sightlines and acoustics, and Hahnfeld Hoffer and
Stanford, the architect for the arena support building, focused on General Contractors
the functionality and flexibility of that space. The Walter P Moore Beck Group, Fort Worth
structural team worked closely with the architects to create inno- Austin Commercial, Dallas
vative solutions for each space and function of the complex. Architects
Even in a market dominated by concrete construction, some HKS, Inc., Dallas
structures present themselves with challenges that can only be David M. Schwarz, Washington, D.C.
solved with steel, and Dickies Arena is a perfect example. The Hahnfeld Hoffer and Stanford, Fort Worth
dominant structural form of the arena is the 420-ft by 280-ft clear- Structural Engineer
span roof that arches over the event space. Structural steel trusses Walter P Moore, Dallas
with a shallow depth of 14 ft and generous spacing of 15 ft make
Steel Team
the roof seem light and airy, as only steel can do. In addition to
Fabricator and Detailer
steel being the logical and appropriate choice for this element of
W&W/AFCO Steel , Oklahoma City
the structure, the project’s design architect envisioned exposed
structural steel in various areas of the structure to complement the Erector
1930s cowboy culture feel of the facility. Bosworth Steel Erectors , Dallas
The exposed structural steel long-span roof was key to creating Bender-Roller
this feel visually and acoustically. While the barrel-shaped, double- Max Weiss , Milwaukee
arched roof form was chosen to pay homage to the original Coli-
seum roof, a tighter roof truss spacing was desired architecturally

30 | MAY 2021
 Steve Hall Steve Hall

The arena design complements the area’s vernacular architecture

while its striking roof design leverages the strengths of steel and
post-tensioned concrete to help create a versatile, column-free
arena for a vast array of rigging configurations and events.
—Wanda Lau

Arcpoint Studios

Steve Hall

Modern Steel Construction | 31

 Laurian Ghinitoiu

The ambiguity of
how this building is
supported is one of
the most fascinating
features of the structure,
and it is all due to the
structural steel trusses
behind the scenes.
—Maysa Kantner

Laurian Ghinitoiu Bjarke Ingels Group

32 | MAY 2021
 NATIONAL AWARD $75 Million to $200 Million
The Heights School, Arlington, Va.

THE HEIGHTS SCHOOL BUILDING in Arlington, Va., framing that transfers diaphragm forces back to the core.
serves as the home for two educational programs: the To simplify erection, each truss was designed to be
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, which educates stu- fully erected into place by putting an upper truss on the
dents best served in a specialized environment, and the truss below it, using a few shoring posts for stability dur-
HB-Woodland Program, which teaches self-motivation by ing erection. Where trusses intersected in plan, the chords
making students accountable for their choices. simply passed over one another in elevation. Structural
Due to the co-location of the two programs, careful engineer Silman collaborated with steel fabricator Banker
planning to accommodate diverse technical requirements Steel to simplify load-path continuity through geometri-
Laurian Ghinitoiu
was paramount. As such, Arlington Public Schools set the cally complex connections at critical locations.
goal for the design of creating the most cutting-edge 21st- The framing above the gym, library, and atrium are all
Laurian Ghinitoiu
century learning environment. standard or built-up sections, and the framing over the
The concept for the five-story above-grade vertical theater uses shallow trusses. Trusses were not feasible for
urban school is based on the idea of using the building the available space above the gym, so plate girders and
itself as a teaching tool. Outdoor classrooms, collabora- heavy W36 sections were used to transfer the columns
tion niches, writable vertical surfaces throughout, flexible from above, supporting bar floor and terrace framing, and
classrooms, specialized maker spaces, advanced technol- double-W24 sections ended up being the most economi-
ogy, supportive programming, and many other amenities cal solution over the atrium. A dramatic cantilever over
make the Heights School learning environment unlike the atrium reaches toward Wilson Boulevard to the south.
any other in the United States. The school is an excel- To achieve the shallow floor depth, as well as the aes-
lent example of optimizing functional space to directly thetic desires of the project’s architects, Leo A Daly and
address user requirements. Bjarke Ingels Group, a dapped-end 24-in.-deep built-up
The vertical design of the school creatively responds double-web plate girder was used for the soffit. Due to
to site constraints and meets the main goals of providing a the large terrace load from above and the short back span
central space that connects the building levels and also giv- of this cantilever, the plate girder was anchored with a
ing access to outdoor spaces at all levels. The design team tension column in bar five. Above the theater, trusses were
developed a scheme that creates separate classroom blocks the optimal solution to meet the needs of potential future
that are all adjacent to terraces, which provides unique expansion, MEP routing, column transfers for the cross-
activities corresponding to their adjoining programs. ing bar above, and allowable floor depths.
The new school, which opened in time for the 2019- Throughout the design process and especially early
20 academic year, consists of five stacked steel-framed on, meetings between Silman, Banker Steel, and general
“bars” that fan around a pivot. This fanning gives the feel contractor Gilbane were essential to ensuring economical
of a one-story school building while also creating large solutions and constructability throughout design, as well
open volumes beneath the bars. Fanning the bars around as coordinating steel availability with the construction
a pivot led to the development of an innovative load path schedule, erection methods, preferred connection types,
concept using floating buttresses to support the corners and site logistics. Some standard sections were changed
of each bar. to plate girders through this collaboration, while others
The pivot was a natural location for vertical circula- remained heavy W36 beams spliced together in the field.
tion and distribution of services, so a concrete core was
designed to resist torsional, lateral, and gravity forces. For more on this project, see the December 2019 article “Pivot
The bars create floating corners on each side, and mul- Point” in the Archives section at www.modernsteel.com.
tiple structural concepts were evaluated to facilitate this
design scheme, including cascading cantilevered steel Owner
beams with column transfers, cantilevered trusses parallel Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, Va.
Laurian Ghinitoiu
to each bar, and helical columns. Ultimately, the floating General Contractor
buttress design evolved from the helical column concept, Gilbane, New York
where each column leans as the bar fans out. This created
Architects
one helical load path at each corner that, while beautiful
BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Brooklyn, N.Y.
in structural elegance and simplicity, created sloped col-
Leo A Daly, Washington
umns that occupied valuable interior space that couldn’t
be lost. To preserve this space, the helical columns were Structural Engineer
pushed out to the perimeter walls, forming a truss and Silman, Washington
floating buttress system framed with W12 and W14 sec- Steel Team
tions. Each truss uses standard bolted gusset connections Fabricator
and bearing plates, and the buttresses use welded connec- Banker Steel , Lynchburg, Va.
tions. The floating buttress resulted in additional out-of- Detailer
plane forces, which are resisted by horizontal diaphragm Sanria Engineering , San Jose, Calif.
Modern Steel Construction | 33
NATIONAL AWARD
$15 Million to $75 Million
Truist Leadership Institute
Greensboro, N.C.

THE TRUIST LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE is a cluster

of five buildings comprising 60,000 sq. ft, all nestled
on a narrow, sloping, wooded site in Greensboro,
N.C. The owner desired a retreat-like, holistic design @2019 Tom Holdsworth

that blurred the boundary between the natural world

and the built environment. Steel made it all possible @2019 Black Horse Studio

and is part of the “soul” of the building, which fol-

lows the shape and form of the wooded landscape.
The $35 million project includes two three-story
corporate training and conference facilities and two
24-person guest wings for overnight accommoda-
tions. It also features a multipurpose “treehouse,” This design exhibits a great integration
nestled some 20 ft high in the treetops among three of steel and wood structure. You get the
large oaks. Each building provides open, sweeping
views of the woods and a nearby lake. Floor-to- feeling that there’s a meaningful relationship
ceiling glass, open stairs, and wide decks blend the formed between the two materials that really
inside with the outdoors, and steel-supported walk-
ways connect the buildings, providing a welcoming
supports both, as well as the design intent.
entry point for guests. —Anders Lasater
Steel was central to the project aesthetic and is
exposed both inside and outside. Approximate 430
tons worth of steel was used, much of which met
architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS)
requirements. Architect Jeffrey Sowers notes, “Some-
times people think of steel as cold and hard. But in
this project, it is just the opposite. Steel helped us
make it warm, fuzzy, and inviting.” He adds that the
intent was for the vertical steel structural columns to
feel like trees married to heavy timber-framed roof
trusses that act as branches—with a large roof over-
hang becoming the “tree” canopy. The first floors of
the buildings are elevated over the steel foundation
framing, which makes the multistory buildings seem
to “float,” minimizing site disruption and creating a
sense of drama.
It took careful planning during the design and
engineering phase to marry blue laminated steel with
exposed timber-frame beams, aligning weight-bear-
ing points and connections to transfer the sizeable
load from the timbers through the steel and onto the
supporting footings. In the guest wings, the chal-
lenge was even more complex, involving the perfect
alignment of timbers and structural steel columns.
The use of moment connections eliminated the need
for brace frames and contributed to the openness of
the building.
Because of the importance of steel to this proj-
ect, the design team worked closely with fabricator
SteelFab to develop two custom AESS finish catego-
ries that balanced aesthetic concerns with budget
realities. These custom categories combined selected
requirements from AESS categories 1 through 4 (for
details on the various levels of AESS, see “Maximum
Exposure” in the November 2017 issue, available

34 | MAY 2021
 at www.modernsteel.com). A more refined
finish was used where the steel would be most
visible, and a less refined finish was employed in
areas where the structure would not be viewed
up close. Close attention was required at the
connections to ensure proper finishing of the
welds, which was also addressed by the custom
AESS categories.
The most unique of the five buildings in
the project is the “treehouse,” a multipurpose
facility connected to the main campus by a
steel pedestrian bridge. The building uses a
single, central column to act as a “tree trunk,”
with steel braces extending like branches for
support. The building appears to float in the
@2019 Triggs Photography treetops, with floor-to-ceiling glass provid-
ing 360 ° views while the forest floor below
@2019 Triggs Photography remains exposed and undisturbed.
The team at Fluhrer Reed used RAM Struc-
tural System and RAM Elements to create an
analytical model that was transferred into the 3D
building information model (BIM). The software
was used to create a 3D model of the skeleton
of the building, and the architectural “skin” and
building systems were then created and applied,
facilitating simpler planning of these systems
around steel beams and heavy timbers.
Thanks to early collaboration between the
design team and fabricator, including making up-
front decisions about finishes and moment welds,
the team was able to truncate timelines, control
costs, and expedite construction. The early collab-
oration also allowed general contractor Frank L.
Blum to place a mill order several months before
issuance of construction documents.
The project is targeting LEED Silver cer-
tification and is designed for energy conserva-
tion and reduced water use. Low- and no-VOC
materials are used throughout, and trees that
were taken down were salvaged and repurposed
as patterned walls, panels, and doors. And of
course, the project’s steel is contributing to the
sustainable cause, thanks to its high recycled
content and cradle-to-cradle characteristics.

@2019 Tom Holdsworth For more on this project, see the June 2020 article
“Seeing the Forest for the Trees” in the Archives sec-
tion at www.modernsteel.com.

Owner
Truist Leadership Institute, Greensboro, N.C.
General Contractor
Frank L. Blum Construction,
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Architect
CJMW Architecture, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Structural Engineer
Fluhrer Reed, PA, Raleigh, N.C.
Steel Fabricator
SteelFab, Inc. , Raleigh, N.C.
Modern Steel Construction | 35
MERIT AWARD $15 Million to $75 Million
Watershed Building, Seattle

PRODUCING A SUSTAINABLE OFFICE BUILDING to appeal provided an opportunity to bring in more natural light for the
to high-tech businesses was one of the main drivers for designing interior office spaces. The deeper castellated beam sections also
and constructing Seattle’s 61,000-sq.-ft Watershed Building. provided better floor performance with their increased strength
The other was to be recognized by Seattle’s Living Building and stiffness. In addition, the depth of the castellated beams offers
Pilot Program (LBPP), a prestigious green building program more layout framing options, thus a more flexible design to accom-
that measures building performance for at least 12 months after modate value-added requirements such as the tenant mechanical
occupancy. Participating in the program gave Watershed 15% ducting, unobstructed views, and cantilevered building features.
additional developable area and 20 ft of additional building height The reduced weight of the castellated beams also translated to a
beyond the current zoning allowance for commercial office build- reduction in the seismic mass carried by the steel lateral framing
ings. To meet the program requirements, the entire design team system. The estimated 20% to 30% of savings in the weight of the
contributed solutions for the program’s material, place, and beauty beams resulted in smaller lateral system elements, which worked
requirements, which included that materials must be sourced from well with the desire to minimize structural impacts on the south-
a 500-mile radius of the project site and cannot be listed on the erly lake and city view.
program’s red list of harmful materials. Steel was able to contrib- In addition to its structural advantages, the exposed castel-
ute positively to the program’s goals, as the building includes four lated beam concept is aesthetically pleasing and gives the sense
steel-framed above-grade levels atop three levels of cast-in-place of higher ceilings, with light funneling through the hexagon
concrete and post-tensioned concrete levels. cut-outs of the beams. For the Watershed Building (a Type III
Structural engineer DCI Engineers considered how its designs construction), fireproofing spray is not needed to cover these
could contribute to the project’s sustainability efforts via the fram- beams, so a simple coat of paint over the beams provides a clean,
ing system. The solution was in castellated steel beams, which exposed look.

Built Work Photography LLC

Built Work Photography LLC

Built Work Photography LLC

36 | MAY 2021
 On Level 7, there is a balcony for tenants to enjoy views of Union. Watershed can clean 400,000 gallons of stormwater annu-
nearby Lake Union’s marina waterway. In order to accommodate ally, helping to protect the water quality for a major salmon migra-
the required paver walking surface, the framing design incorpo- tion route that passes through Lake Union. Throughout the public
rates a step in the castellated beams and metal deck. DCI’s engi- walkways around Watershed, there are educational signs for pass-
neers detailed the castellated beam connections to accomplish ersby to learn about the bio-retention and natural stormwater fil-
the stepped feature by splicing a plate girder section into the cas- tration processes. In addition, Watershed’s overhanging roof itself
tellated beam section. Proper column locations, customized cut is designed for on-site rainwater harvesting, with rainwater being
beams, castellation patterns (infills were required at specific loca- carried through the sculptural gutter system into an oversized steel
tions), and precise dimensioning all worked together to provide a scupper before it is stored in a 20,000-gallon concrete cistern for
flawless balcony installation in the field. non-potable uses, such as the building’s low-flow toilet fixtures and
The engineers used braced frames for the building’s lateral irrigation options (about half of the rainwater collected on-site will
system to provide improved performance during earthquakes. To be reused in the building).
minimize the impact of the braces on building occupants’ view, they Owner
positioned an X-brace frame further inside the building layout, and COU, LLC, Seattle
the lower portions of the braced frame were integrated through
General Contractor
the lower concrete portion of the brace frame to the foundation
Turner Construction Company, Seattle
level. The brace frame columns were then encased with concrete.
Watershed’s location next to the Aurora Bridge gives the build- Architect
ing an added opportunity to become a stormwater management Weber Thompson, Seattle
solution. The building’s steel gutter system, landscaping, and Structural Engineer
bio-retention vault direct toxic stormwater runoff from Highway DCI Engineers, Seattle
99, which is carried by the bridge, through a downward-slope fil- Steel Fabricator and Detailer
tration system to treat the polluted water before it reaches Lake Metals Fabrication Co., Inc. , Airway Heights, Wash.

It feels like there are no extra parts to

this building, and that the architecture
and structure are in harmony with and
support of one another.
—Anders Lasater

Built Work Photography LLC

DCI Engineers Built Work Photography LLC

Modern Steel Construction | 37

NATIONAL AWARD Less than $15 Million
Jacksonport State Park Visitors
Center, Jacksonport, Ark.

SITUATED AT THE CONFLUENCE of Arkansas’

White and Black Rivers, Jacksonport was a thriving
port town in the 1800s, serving steamboats that held
up to 200 passengers.
It’s a place of contradiction geographically and
historically, where the Mississippi Delta meets the
mountains. Because of its accessibility to the Arkan-
sas and Mississippi Rivers, Jacksonport was a Civil
War strategic stronghold, being held five different
times by Union and Confederate forces and serving
as both generals’ headquarters. Most importantly,
Jacksonport was the location of the Confederacy’s
surrender of Arkansas.
In 1872, a beautiful courthouse became the town’s
centerpiece and county seat. But when the railroad
eventually bypassed Jacksonport and river commerce
waned, the town suffered. Devastating floods led to
levee construction that forever separated the town
from the river. In the 1960s, to save the historically
significant courthouse from demolition, a new state
park was established. Visitors, however, were still
separated visually from the river. The new Jackson-
port State Park Visitors Center was designed to rem-
edy this situation.
While the design team was tasked with making a
functional facility, the real challenge was to create a
stage to experience and engage both river and town,
past and present. The center creates three distinct
second-level exhibit experiences: the river gallery
overlooking the port, the town gallery overlook-
ing the park/courthouse, and the inner exhibit gal-
lery sheltering light-sensitive displays. The visually
simple but rigorously detailed glass enclosure creates Rarely does a finished building
an elegant platform that recedes into the levee from look as compelling as when it’s
the park’s historic structures. A berm acts as a lawn
theater for reenactments, while the entrance plaza’s
in construction, but this finished
grove of six trees represents the almost 6,000 Arkan- structure exhibits all the beauty
sans whose war ended in this place. of the “in-construction” images.
Steel was the only logical choice for the delicate,
light spans needed to create a column-free environ- That’s the sign of a truly
ment, which greatly helped with the interior plan- integrated structural design.
ning of the exhibits. When researching the historic
boats that once graced the port area, it was discov-
—Anders Lasater
ered that steel with wood decking and railing details
was prevalent. In fact, the hull and much of the struc-
ture of the Mary Woods II steamship, a prominent
feature of the park for years, were steel. The bridge
leading to the boat from shore was a steel truss, and
it served as the inspiration for the new building’s
“reunification” bridge that spans between two glass
forms. Steel also offered the ability for authenticity
in expression, facilitating the all-glass exterior clad-
ding, and moment frames eliminated bracing, except
for where it was desired at the bridge.

38 | MAY 2021
 With the building being next to a levee, coordi-
nation with the Corp of Engineers established exact
parameters for placement of the footprint. Establish-
ing a 15-ft setback from the levee toe to the road
embankment that leads over the levee created the
opportunity to make the building look like it was
part of the levee by establishing a berm-theater on
the opposite side of the road. This decision, and the
challenge of anticipating a catastrophic flood pos-
sibility, led to the decision to use a combination
all photos courtesy of Timothy Hursley
of concrete and steel at level one behind the earth
berms, but all-steel rising above at the second level.
The solution tricks the eye into seeing a building
sitting on top of the levee while actually concealing
almost 50% of the building’s mass.
Keeping the building as narrow as possible
allowed the structural system to span the entire width
of the building. However, the park’s requirement for
a hipped roof led to the unique idea of using a repeti-
tive system of tension rods, a nod to the use of cables
in steamships. The resulting trusses are beautiful in
their simplicity and repetition, extending within the
enclosures and across the outdoor spaces.
For a building that features the structure so
prominently, early design charettes with the struc-
tural engineer were critical, especially when coor-
dinating other trades such as mechanical and elec-
trical paths as well as fire sprinklers. Revit was used
extensively to model all conditions and contributed
to animations that helped sell the idea to the client
via flyovers and walk-throughs that took the path of
the visitor from car to the exhibits.
The visually simple but rigorously detailed glass
enclosure creates an elegant 360° viewing platform
that recedes into the levee from the park’s historic
structures. Every part of the building and site tells
a story, one that was lost for decades as the exist-
ing building deteriorated. The levee wall, plus the
loss in recent years of Mary Woods II to a fire, dam-
aged one of the most historically significant sites
in the entire state, limiting the ability to tell its
story properly. When the structures are gone, the
stories, and history, tend to fade away. The visitor
center’s design solution restored the ability to learn
through experiential education, attracting all ages
to the park.
Owner
Arkansas State Parks, Little Rock, Ark.
General Contractor
Tate General Contractors, Jonesboro, Ark.
Architect
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, Little Rock
Structural Engineer
Engineering Consultants, Inc., Little Rock, Ark.

Modern Steel Construction | 39

 To see a major corporation push to construct a net-zero restaurant
reaffirms the importance of the environment. And to have structural
steel play such a big role in this movement is fantastic. It allows the
world to start viewing steel as the sustainable material.
—Maysa Kantner

MERIT AWARD Less than $15 Million

McDonald’s Net-Zero Quick-Service Restaurant Rebuild, Kissimmee, Fla.

McDONALD’S IS SERVING UP a flagship Quick-Service Res- as add a more natural aesthetic to the architecture. In addition, the
taurant in Kissimmee, Fla. design allows the wood louvers and photovoltaic cells to be inte-
The project, a rebuild/remodel of an existing facility, will cre- grated into the glazing of the building.
ate one of the world’s first net-zero fast-food restaurants. The The location of this project, on Disney’s property near Orlando,
8,000-sq.-ft facility incorporates key strategies for sustainable demanded a landmark type of structure that could hold its own
design, such as solar panels, living walls, natural shading elements, with the countless eye-catching theme-park structures in the
solar lighting, innovative heat reduction techniques, and structural area. Structural steel was the perfect material for these conditions
steel framing. Steel was chosen not only to create an efficient struc- because of the endless possibilities in shapes and configurations
tural frame to support the weight of the solar panels and wind forces that could be achieved by using structural hollow structural sec-
in Florida, but also to enhance the architectural features that the tions (HSS) and wide-flange members.
owner was looking for. The project came with several early challenges, such as attach-
The design intent was to provide a facility in which all the ing the solar panels to the roof, lateral drift due to wind forces, and
heavy structural elements support the project’s net-zero goal with- building the 35-ft cantilever for the roof. But the most significant
out compromising aesthetics. As part of this goal, the steel-framed challenge was building this impressive structure within an existing
building was designed to blend in with the surrounding natural building that was partially demolished. The team used steel brack-
environment. The living walls were attached to the steel frame in ets welded to the wide-flange beams to support the solar panels
a manner that would soften the appearance of the facility as well and all electrical wiring. It also designed two braced frames with
40 | MAY 2021
 all photos courtesy of Tyler Carr Southland Construction

round HSS to control lateral drift and used moment connections The overall structural steel system supports 1,066 solar panels
with plates and bolts for the long-span cantilever beams. spanning more than 18,000 sq. ft of roof space, 800 sq. ft of solar
Using steel framing facilitated longer spans without multiple glass panels covering the outdoor seating area, and 600 sq. ft of
support columns, allowing the interior and exterior to capture an louver windows that push the heat out and keep the cool air in.
open-air feel as well as allow for more light capture within the Using steel supported every major building element and aes-
facility. This was important as it was a critical aspect of lowering thetic desire, resulting in a sustainable structure that will educate
power consumption by reducing the need for artificial lighting. and be admired long into the future.
The structure was designed to efficiently transfer all lateral Owner
and gravity loading in a direct load path from the roof diaphragm McDonald’s Corporation, Chicago
supporting the solar panels to the braced and unbraced steel
General Contractor
frames. The combination of lateral and gravity loads, transferred
Southland Construction, Inc., Apopka, Fla.
through the braces and columns to foundations, generated high-
magnitude reactions at the ground supports, which consist of Architects
36-diameter cast-in-place caissons. CPH, Inc., Sanford, Fla.
The critical path of the construction schedule required materials Ross Barney Architects, Chicago
to be delivered to the site as soon as initial foundations were ready Structural Engineer
for erection. All critical structural elements arrived on-site fabri- CPH, Inc., Sanford, Fla.
cated, painted, and ready for immediate installation. It was impor- Steel Fabricator
tant for the steel infrastructure to appear minimal to emphasize the P&A Welding and Machine, Inc. , Mulberry, Fla.
louvered wood cladding of the exterior walls as well as the outdoor
canopy, which is covered with transparent photovoltaic solar panels.
Modern Steel Construction | 41
MERIT AWARD Less than $15 Million
Ballston Quarter Pedestrian Walkway
Arlington, Va.

THE BALLSTON QUARTER pedestrian walkway is intended

to be an iconic structure while also blending into the sur-
rounding streetscape in Arlington, Va.
The design features a direct geometric approach, where the
eccentric structure of the walkway oscillates between the wall
and roof. The lines that comprise the structure and the trans-
parent glass planes of the walkway engage the occupant, allow-
ing an exploration of the transcendence of line and plane to
provide a minimal sense of enclosure. This planar convergence
transforms the experience of crossing the street, establishing
unique view corridors and allowing participants to both observe
and be observed as they move from private space to the public
realm. Additionally, the walkway provides a direct connection
to the DC Metro system, allowing people of all ages and physi-
cal abilities to access public transportation.
The steel-framed pedestrian crossing’s design began with
the investigation of various arrangements and configurations
while crossing Wilson Boulevard and the way it connects the
two buildings on the north and south ends. The entrances into
the terminal buildings were approximately 155 ft apart and
MCiccarelli
were offset from each other. The main goal was to avoid a
design whose axis would be at a distinctive angle to the Wil-
studioTECHNE
son Boulevard. Therefore, the axis of the overpass required a
crossover segment near its mid-span. The concept from the
beginning was to enclose the overpass with glass and expose
as much of the structure as possible. The decision was made to
use round hollow structural sections (HSS) for the superstruc-
ture, both for their aesthetic value and also for their ability
to resist the complex torsional, shear, and bending stresses in
addition to all gravity loads.
The project site crosses one of the most heavily traveled
streets in Arlington County, Va., and early on, the County
placed significant restrictions on any closure of the street to
vehicular traffic, which effectively eliminated the opportu-
nity for the walkway to be constructed on-site. The site was
also challenging due to the lack of a laydown area adjacent to
the walkway location. These conditions required the design
and construction teams to implement a design strategy that
allowed the walkway to be fabricated, disassembled, shipped
to a closed public park two blocks away, reassembled, and
moved through the city streets as a single structure into its
permanent position.
Additional challenges were presented by the building at
the north terminal of the walkway, which had several levels of
underground parking. A successful design solution required
the walkway to impose no soil pressure on the foundation
wall, as well as the development of a structural solution that
allowed the walkway to rest with almost no imposed load
on the two adjacent structures. Underground electrical duct
banks feeding the majority of the adjacent buildings also lim-
ited the placement and design of the foundation system. A
structural steel frame on concrete piers was the only solution
that allowed the project to cantilever to the existing build-
ings, impose minimal loads, and maintain the necessary rigid-

42 | MAY 2021
The crossover segment at mid-span creatively addresses the offset entrances of
the connected buildings, and the steel HSS frame is an ideal choice to resist the
complex forces of this innovative bridge design. The resulting structure has a
sculptural quality that is visually captivating from both the exterior and interior.
—Stephanie Hautzinger
MCiccarelli

studioTECHNE

Modern Steel Construction | 43

ity to minimize deflection and bounce for pedestrians traversing pedestrian traffic over made it necessary to structurally minimize
the walkway. perceptible vibration of the floor deck and to minimize wind-
Expansion and deflection of the 155-ft-long walkway were also induced lateral movement on the entire superstructure. The four
concerns. The calculated ideal air temperature for the final tight- leaning concrete piers created some additional reactions on the
ening of the bolts at the bearing points was 70 °F, which occurred superstructure and also imparted reactions into the superstructure,
a few weeks after the hoisting of the frame, at which time all bolts requiring fixed connections between the piers and the superstruc-
were tightened and welding at the bearings was completed. The ture. In addition, thermal expansion and contraction had to be
casting of the concrete floor slab followed, and the deflection of resisted by the same connections.
the frame was monitored; it ended up matching the deflections A “spine” was designed to act as a main supporting element that
predicted by the design calculations. Construction continued by extended in a straight line in plan between the north and south ends
architectural, mechanical, and electrical trades, and the iconic of the superstructure, which became the largest steel element. Sev-
overpass began to take on its final appearance. eral other key elements were attached to the spine. The floor deck
studioTECHNE Architects established the preliminary shape consisted of wide-flange girders along the two edges of the floor
of the superstructure by defining the 3D locations for the main and beams with a composite metal deck and a concrete slab. The
geometrical nodes. The geometry was subjected to large overall floor deck was designed as a diaphragm span from end to end and
bending moments, shear, and torsional forces generated by gravity to resist the lateral wind and seismic loads and the associated tor-
loads, wind pressures, and seismic forces that the individual mem- sional, shear, and bending stresses in addition to all gravity loads.
bers had to safely resist. The overall deflection was minimized to Multiple rectangular rigid frames were designed to provide the
allow as much clearance as possible underneath the overpass for required lateral stability of the superstructure’s cross section against
vehicular traffic on Wilson Boulevard. The unconventionally large lateral loads. The roof structure, consisting of HSS and wide-flange
floor area of the overpass and the large volume of the expected purlins as well as steel angle cross bracing, acts as a supplemental

Williams Industries

studioTECHNE

44 | MAY 2021
diaphragm maintaining horizontal stability of the roof and equalizes two blocks from its final destination. The erector was given the
lateral loadings. The two wide-flange edge girders were designed calculated location of the assembled segment’s center of grav-
to resist thermal and seismic forces in the length-wise direction of ity for proper hoisting and placement. Motion and deflection
the floor diaphragm. The large dimensions of the superstructure sensors were connected to the walkway to monitor movement,
required bolted moment connections for assembly consisting of cir- and it was then picked up, placed on Goldhoffer trolleys, and
cular plates with bolts. transported on the street to its final location. Owing to the pre-
To facilitate transportation and erection of the completed cision of the planning and fabrication, the lift was executed as
bridge assembly, LIDAR scanning was used to digitally scan simulated, with perfect alignment of the walkway to the bearing
the entire site and develop a 3D model of the existing condi- plate assemblies.
tions. This permitted the construction team to test a number of Owner
lift and placement scenarios through which the entire 140-ton Brookfield Development, Washington, D.C.
structure would be picked and lifted into position. The design
General Contractor
team provided a complete 3D model of the structure, which
Clark Construction, Bethesda, Md.
the construction team used to develop sophisticated computer
simulations to test a series of possible angles of arrival, tilt, and Architect
yaw required for placing the walkway, finally settling on a single studioTECHNEarchitects, Cleveland
crane to make the lift. Structural Engineer
Fabricator Crystal Steel completely assembled the walkway Peller + Associates, Westlake, Ohio
in its shop, and the bridge was scanned to ensure the control Steel Fabricator and Detailer
points, with the tolerances matching what was required. The Crystal Steel Fabricators , Arlington, Tenn.
walkway was disassembled, shipped to the site, and reassembled

studioT
ECHNE

MCiccarelli

Modern Steel Construction | 45

NATIONAL AWARD Sculptures/Art Installations/Nonbuilding Structures
Moscone Center Expansion—Pedestrian Bridges, San Francisco

THE MOSCONE CENTER is one of San Francisco’s key eco- wide pedestrian deck is supported on two tapering structural
nomic drivers and serves as a jewel box for the city. steel box girders and stands as a sculptural, open-air walkway that
A recent expansion of the center provides a collection of light- passes over the southwest end of Howard Street, with public art
filled spaces that accommodate a variety of convention-related and landscaping to act as a continuation of the adjacent park and
activities, vastly improving the facility and its campus while allow- plaza spaces.
ing it to meet the evolving needs of a modern city. The project The West Bridge is also a steel structure, comprising a pair
includes two new pedestrian bridges, enhances its lively neighbor- of long-span built-up tapered steel box girders. These gird-
hood, and attracts both residents and visitors alike with a pedes- ers support conventional rolled steel beams that span between
trian-friendly design that connects the adjacent Yerba Buena Gar- them and cantilever beyond. The beams support a conventional
den’s new and existing open spaces, parks, and cultural facilities. slab on a metal deck, and the bridge is supported by an exist-
For the East Bridge and its tapered roof, steel box girders were ing steel structure, with a sliding connection to create a seis-
the only solution that allowed for the required stiffness while mic joint. The south end of the bridge is supported by a braced
achieving a narrow and tapering profile. The profile of the steel frame and is supported by the reinforced concrete substructure
roof system was carefully studied, considering both structural and of Moscone South. This bridge was also constructed on the
aesthetic drivers, with taper angles designed to minimize the visual ground and raised into place on one weekend day to minimize
profile of the bridge when viewing it from the street. Steel became the impact on traffic. Similar to the East Bridge, it is seismically
a key part of the architectural expression of the East Bridge, and separated from the Moscone South structure.
the steel rods and gusset plates were exposed in the bridge but also Pedestrians around the Moscone Center now enjoy the mid-
delicately integrated into the faceted glass enclosure. block lights they’ll see on Howard Street. These lights change
The East Bridge was constructed on-site and then lifted into 30 times a second, turning red, yellow, green, orange, blue, pur-
place in one day with limited street closures. The enclosed walk- ple, pink, and lavender. The idea is to celebrate the design of
way is suspended by hanger rods from a built-up steel plate roof the bridge, activating the convention center and the surrounding
box girder, which achieves the 150-ft span while maximizing traf- area equally. The permanent LED light show is called Point Cloud
fic clearance below and providing unobstructed views through the and was installed by artist Leo Villarreal, who in 2013 turned
bridge along Howard Street. The bridge is seismically separated the Bay Bridge into a nightly display of constantly shifting white
from the new building superstructure and includes its own steel lights. Similarly, Point Cloud is intended to be seen not only from
concentrically braced frame and steel moment frame lateral system up-close but also from afar, up and down Howard Street, from
on the south side of Howard Street. the nearby San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and also from
The final structure of the East Bridge uses a single optimally the buildings in the Yerba Buena district. The East Bridge also
shaped, primary-load-bearing built-up steel plate box girder has a daytime presence, thanks to its enclosed steel and metal
located along a central spine at the roof level. The bridge is panel finishes and glass on both sides, adding a unique experience
integrally connected to the new Moscone South building struc- for conventioneers while creating an iconic reflective sky bridge
ture and spans 150 ft to a buckling restrained braced frame above Howard Street.
(BRBF) on the north side of Howard Street. A system of hollow Owner
structural section (HSS) outriggers cantilevers from either side City and County Of San Francisco
of the girder to support hanger rods at 6 ft on center along both San Francisco Department of Public Works
sides of the bridge, and the bridge width varies from 30 ft at the San Francisco Travel
ends to 23 ft at mid-span. The rods support 10-in.-deep rolled
General Contractor
steel beams spanning the width of the bridge at Level 2, which
Webcor Builders, San Francisco
act compositely with a 5-in.-thick composite metal deck slab,
producing a floor structure of minimal depth. Architect
In addition to the optimally shaped box girder, using HSS Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP (SOM), San Francisco
for the outrigger cantilevers maximizes the headroom under Structural Engineers
the bridge by transmitting gravity loads up to the roof level box SOM
girder and minimizing the thickness of the structure at the walk- SOHA Engineers, San Francisco
ing level. The width of the bridge is minimized at the center of Tipping Structural Engineers, Berkeley, Calif.
the span, thus minimizing loads at the location of the maximum Steel Team
moment. These innovations, in combination with the lightweight Fabricator and Erector
cladding and finishes, make for a light and aesthetically elegant SME Steel Industries , West Jordan, Utah
bridge whose form facilitates the flow of its users between the
Detailer
two buildings.
Pro Draft, Inc., Surrey, B.C., Canada
The West Bridge replaces an existing pedestrian bridge and
connects Yerba Buena Gardens and the Children’s Garden. The

46 | MAY 2021
 Matthew Millman

Matthew Millman

Matthew Millman

Matthew Millman

Tim Griffith

With its sleek glass enclosure and incredibly slender profile, the
Moscone Center East Bridge is the “Apple store” of pedestrian bridges.
—Wanda Lau

Modern Steel Construction | 47

 Although
steel is doing
the heavy lifting
in this monument,
there is a greater
message that is
meant to be the
focus, that of civil
rights, justice, and
equality.
—Maysa Kantner

MERIT AWARD Sculptures/Art Installations/Non-Building Structures

A Monumental Journey, Des Moines, Iowa

A MONUMENTAL JOURNEY, a sculpture by renowned artist An impressive steel structure was fabricated to support the
Kerry James Marshall, celebrates the legacy of African American brick within this complicated tapered and suspended shape. The
lawyers, who, in 1925, founded the National Bar Association, dedi- steel structure provided two advantages in the overall process: It
cated to civil rights, justice, and equality in the legal system. allowed the masonry contractor to have a frame to follow while
The architect collaborated with artist Kerry James Marshall to laying the bricks, and it gave a high level of precision since the
achieve the colossal, geometric sculpture. The shape is inspired by structure was built off-site in sections.
the form of the African talking drums, with one-drum precariously A detailed 3D model of the steel structure was shared between
stacked upon the other, representing the notion of communication the architect, engineer, and steel fabricator. Because of the canti-
among diverse people and a legal system that, while not perfect, levered and heavy nature of the sculpture, multiple coordination
strives to be balanced. The sculpture stands 30 ft tall, embodying a meetings were set up to discuss challenges, such as how to divide
sense of monumentality. the structure and how to achieve an uncomplicated expression of
Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the sculpture is made of bricks to details and connections. Ultimately, the structure was modeled in
represent the feeling of weight and balance expressed in the piece. three sections. The middle truss provides the main point of attach-
The stacking method of laying bricks also relates to the overall ment, and special contour plates were designed to create a continu-
composition. The manganese iron spot brick chosen has a rich tex- ous frame on the exterior. The last section is the only exposed steel
ture and tones of grey with a subtle shine due to the iron in the clay. construction since it extends above the roof of the sculpture. The
48 | MAY 2021
top section also supports ring metal plates that are aligned flush to And all parties involved in the construction were local, making the
the top edge of the sculpture. project a success story for the regional construction community.
The ring plates were the only visible element at the start and
end of the brick construction. They were laser-cut and made of For more on this project, see the August 2019 article “What’s Cool in
galvanized steel, as was the rest of the overall structure. At the Steel,” available in the Archives section at www.modernsteel.com.
interconnection between the two volumes, a thin sheet of brushed
stainless steel was attached underneath the upper drum. All the Owner
visible details where the steel and brick meet each other were kept Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa
to a simple and effective aesthetic. The exterior structural frame General Contractor
is made of round hollow structural sections (HSS) that follow the Neumann Brothers, Des Moines
general geometry of the sculpture. Finally, the frame is wrapped in
Architect
a perforated sheet metal against which the bricks were set.
substance, Des Moines
To coordinate brick installation, each brick was modeled into
a drawing software that explored the best pattern solutions and Structural Engineer
laying starting points, and each was custom-made and hand-cut KPFF Consulting Engineers, Des Moines
in order to be used in this application. The short edges of the Steel Team
bricks were shaved to follow their circular configuration, while Fabricator
the corner edges were trimmed to smooth the exterior geometry Johnson Machine Works , Chariton, Iowa
of the sculpture. Bender-Roller
Steel facilitated fast-paced fabrication and erection, meeting the Albina Co., Inc. , Tualatin, Ore.
requirements for such an intricate geometry in a timely manner.
Modern Steel Construction | 49
PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ADAPTIVE REUSE
Uber Advanced Technologies Group R&D Center
San Francisco

UBER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES built within the complex so that construc-

GROUP is a self-driving technology tion crews could retreat to safety at the
engineering team whose Research and first hint of an earthquake tremor.
Development Center is housed within The design team developed a building
Pier 70 in San Francisco. The center’s within-a-building concept that preserves
four massive buildings, derelict and inac- the historic perimeter brick walls, reduces
cessible for decades, now extend the site’s the cost of temporary shoring, and retains
legacy of transportation endeavors into the open volume in the 62-ft-tall space.
the 21st century. The updated complex is designed to resist
The approach was to retain and repair a 500-year-recurrence seismic event while
salvageable elements. If unsalvageable, also optimizing space. Steel columns and
the replacement element or material was braces are strategically located along the
specified to be historically compatible and existing building structure to minimize
environmentally benign. In addition, the visual impact. New concrete mezzanines
project’s conservation and environmen- not only add leasable area but also brace
tal strategies included maximizing day- the historic brick walls at mid-height. Full-
lighting through skylights and windows, height walls have upper portions sheathed
enhancing natural ventilation, providing in clear, multi-wall poly-carbonate to
radiant heating, and specifying permeable maintain the building’s original site lines.
concrete at exterior paving. Elements like Steel and glass walls preserve the spatial
skylights, curtain walls, steel stairs, and character of the industrial buildings for
others involved close design involvement the client and its neighbors. Conference
between architect and developer, with rooms and other program functions are
shop drawings being regularly reviewed by free-standing elements within the large
the design team. volumes. Lab, shop, and kitchen spaces
Thanks to their industrial beginnings, are located under mezzanines, allowing
steel was already part of the language of for sound isolation, temperature control,
these historic edifices. Original steel com- and dust containment. In addition, natural
ponents were left natural or treated with ventilation teams up with ceiling fans and
transparent coatings, while new steel radiant heat systems to condition the cav-
structural reinforcements are painted to ernous spaces. ■
draw a clear visual distinction between new
and old. Steel and concrete mezzanines act This project was featured in the December 2020
as structural diaphragms to reinforce the article “What’s Cool in Steel,” which is available in
buildings, which is especially crucial in the the Archives section at www.modernsteel.com.
unreinforced masonry structures. Demis-
ing steel and glass walls echo the original Owners
steel windows and skylights and allow Orton Development, Inc.,
access between tenant spaces while pre- Emeryville, Calif.
serving the large interior volumes. Port of San Francisco
It is to be expected that a 19th-century General Contractors
building in San Francisco was not designed Novo Construction, San Francisco
for earthquakes. However, the Pier 70 Nibbi Brothers, San Francisco
buildings’ vulnerability was exacerbated
Architect
by many years of vacancy, during which
Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects,
vandalism, the stripping of materials and
Berkeley, Calif.
artifacts, and weather intrusion occurred.
An egregious example: The exposed Structural Engineer
masonry at Building 113 had deteriorated Nabih Youssef Associaties,
to the point of crumbling to powder. Dur- San Francisco
ing construction, the safety of the workers Steel Fabricator, Erector, and Detailer
tasked with transforming the buildings was Kwan Wo Ironworks, Inc. ,
paramount. Before the new structural sys- San Francisco
tem was complete, protected zones were

50 | MAY 2021
It is hard to imagine that these pieces of history
could have been lost if not for the thoughtful
reimagination by the design team. The exposed
1800s steel structure alongside the new modern
structure creates an interesting and visually
striking appearance on the interior.
—Stephanie Hautzinger

all photos © Billy Hustace

Modern Steel Construction | 51

 SpeedCore:
Seismic Advantages
BY MICHEL BRUNEAU, PhD, AMIT VARMA, PhD, SOHEIL SHAFAEI, PhD, AND DEVIN HUBER, PE, PhD

What to know when considering a SpeedCore system for its seismic properties.

SPEEDCORE’S MAIN ADVANTAGE, as its name

suggests, is its ability to be erected quickly.
But it can also bring seismic advantages to a project.
The first article in this series on SpeedCore panels—
“Core Value,” which ran in the March 2021 issue and is
available at www.modernsteel.com—provided a gen-
eral overview of the system [SpeedCore’s technical name
is composite plate shear walls/concrete-filled (C-PSW/
CF) or coupled composite plate shear walls/concrete-
filled (CC-PSW/CF) for coupled systems]. Here, the
focus is on design considerations for using the system in
a seismic-governed region, specifically seismic response
modification factors in both uncoupled and coupled
SpeedCore installations.
Three seismic factors are at the core of all seismic
design provisions:
• The seismic response reduction factor (R) accounts
for system-level ductility and inelastic behavior. In
a general sense, the seismic design forces calculated Fig. 1. Seismic response modification factors represented graphically.
assuming elastic behavior are reduced by this seismic
response reduction (R) factor, which accounts for
the system level ductility and inelastic behavior. Seismic Requirements: Basis of Design
The higher the system-level ductility, the higher Uncoupled or coupled C-PSW/CF systems can be used to resist lateral
the R-factor; However, ASCE 7 limits the largest forces (wind or seismic forces) in buildings. Uncoupled systems consist of
R-factor to 8. independent C-PSW/CF modules that are not tied together by specially
• The overstrength factor Ωo accounts for the detailed coupling beams, whereas coupled systems consist of C-PSW/
overstrength in the system between the assumed CF modules that are connected at each story level using such composite
onset of inelasticity and the formation of the or steel coupling beams. Composite walls can be planar, C-shaped, or
complete plastic (failure) mechanism due to material I-shaped walls to resist seismic loads, as shown in Figure 2. These walls
overstrength, structural redundancy, and other consist of two steel web plates (along the length) that are connected to
contributing factors. each other using steel shapes or tie bars. Semicircular or circular con-
• The displacement amplification factor Cd accounts for crete-filled steel tubes can be used as boundary elements. Alternatively,
the amplification of the calculated elastic story drift of steel flange plates (closure plates) can be used at the ends of uncoupled
the lateral force system due to inelastic behavior. walls. The individual linear segments in C-shaped or I-shaped walls are
Representing these factors in terms of the base referred to as flange walls or web walls, depending on the direction of lat-
shear to story drift, they can be represented as shown eral loading. In each wall segment, the steel web plates have equal nomi-
in Figure 1. Values applicable to the C-PSW/CF sys- nal thicknesses. The steel plates comprise at least 1%, but no more than
tem will be addressed after the following summary of 10% of the wall cross section. Walls without any boundary elements or
the system’s seismic performance. closure plates are not permitted.

52 | MAY 2021
a. Planar rectangle
wall with flange
and tie bars

b. Planar wall with d. C-shaped walls

semi-circular boundary with flange (closure)
elements and tie bars plates and tie bars

c. Planar wall with

circular boundary
elements and tie bars

Fig. 2. Example cross-sections of C-PSW/CF walls (uncoupled).

Fig. 3. Structural configuration of building with uncoupled and coupled C-PSW/CF systems in
orthogonal directions.

Coupled C-PSW/CF systems are those systems in which the wall elements are
tied together via ductile coupling beams, as shown in Figure 3. These coupled systems
are structurally more efficient than pure planar walls and are generally used in taller
buildings employing C-PSW/CF systems. They have similar design requirements to
uncoupled wall systems but have slightly different seismic response modification factors
(mainly the R factor).

Selection Seismic Response Modification Factors

ASCE 7-2016 defines the three
mentioned seismic performance
factors (R, Ωo, and Cd) to represent Michel Bruneau ([email protected])
the effects of inelastic behavior on is a SUNY Distinguished Professor with
the seismic response of the lateral the Department of Civil, Structural
force-resisting system. While val- and Environmental Engineering
ues of these factors were empiri- at the University at Buffalo. Amit
cally calibrated on past practice for Varma ([email protected]) is
legacy lateral load-resisting systems the Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of
(such as ductile moment-resisting Civil Engineering and director of the
frames), the FEMA P-695 proce- Bowen Laboratory of Large-Scale CE
dure was developed to verify the Research in the Lyles School of Civil
assumed values for new structural Engineering at Purdue University.
Fig. 4. Typical incremental dynamic analysis
systems. This procedure is also used results from a FEMA P-695 procedure. Soheil Shafaei ([email protected])
to evaluate and check the margin of is a postdoctoral scholar, also with
collapse for the maximum consid- Purdue University’s Bowen Laboratory.
ered earthquake (MCE) hazard and requires performing a large number of nonlinear Devin Huber ([email protected]) is
earthquake analyses (i.e., incremental dynamic analysis; see Figure 4) for a significant AISC’s director of research.
set of strong earthquakes records. This procedure has been used to verify the proposed
seismic performance factors for coupled C-PSW/CF walls when it was proposed to

Modern Steel Construction | 53

 add this structural system to the list of lateral load-resisting systems covered
by ASCE-7.
Incidentally, it was not necessary to use the FEMA P-695 methodology to
develop similar factors for uncoupled walls because ASCE-7 already included
such factors since its 2000 Edition. These factors were generically applicable
to any composite plate shear walls, although the AISC Seismic Provisions for
Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341, aisc.org/specifications) did not
provide specific design and detailing requirements for SpeedCore walls at the
time. The situation was partly remedied in the 2016 Edition, when specific
requirements for SpeedCore panels were added in Section H7, separately from
the existing requirements for composite plate shear walls/concrete-encased
(C-PSW/CE) in Section H6. Both were designated as composite plate shear
walls (C-PSW) in ASCE/SEI 7 Table 12.2-1. Recent studies, including at the
University at Buffalo and Purdue University, independently verified the ade-
quacy of these seismic performance factors for uncoupled walls.

Behavior and Capacity-Based Design Requirements for

Uncoupled Walls
Comprehensive numerical investigations following the FEMA P-695
approach were conducted to verify the seismic response modification factors
(R = 6.5, ΩWo = 2.5, and Cd = 5.5) for the uncoupled C-PSW/CF system. In
addition to these numerical studies, there has been extensive research related
to the cyclic lateral behavior, design, and analysis of uncoupled C-PSW/CF
systems. In particular, experimental investigation of the cyclic lateral load
behavior of planar C-PSW/CF with flange steel plates was performed at
Purdue University, while experimental research on the cyclic lateral load
behavior of C-shaped and T-shaped C-PSW/CF specimens was conducted
at the University at Buffalo, as shown in Figure 5. Lastly, finite element
Fig. 5. University at Buffalo test Specimen for a C-shaped models of C-PSW/CF were developed at Purdue University and the Uni-
wall configuration. versity at Buffalo to simulate the cyclic lateraling load behavior.

VOORTMAN V807
ROBOTIC THERMAL PROFILE PROCESSOR VOORTMAN USA
26200 S. Whiting
2 g Wayy +1 708 885 4900
M
Monee, , IL 60449 [email protected]
i f @ m
d States of Americaa www.voortmancorp.com
United w t

coping oxy-fuel plasma bevel layout

cutting cutting cutting marking

“ h multiple
“With l l output sections, we already
l e d sort “ h early
“The l infeedd in particular
l h has maded a bbitchin
hn
oour profiles
l according
d to the
h output by llength h or ddifference in production
d speed.
d In addition,
dd
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h saves us a llot of h
handling
dl n time andd production
p d is fully
ll automatedd withh our operatorr
w we see a faster
aster turnar
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u d in the
h entire
n workflow.
kl . ffocusing more on lloadingd andd unloading
l d profiles.”l ”
David McWhirter of McWhirter Steel Steven Scrape of SCW

54 | MAY 2021
 Note that seismic design of uncoupled C-PSW/CF
systems can be conducted in accordance with the cur-
rent 2016 or the upcoming 2022 version of the AISC
Seismic Provisions, Section H7. The seismic response is
governed by the inelastic behavior and formation of
a plastic hinge at the base (or location of maximum
moment) of the wall. This hinge develops the expected
plastic flexural strength of the composite cross-section
and has adequate energy dissipation and rotation
capacity to warrant the seismic response modifica-
tion factors (R, Wo, and Cd) specified in ASCE 7. The
flexural capacity can be calculated using a plastic stress
distribution method or fiber section analysis method.
For seismic design, uncoupled C-PSW/CFs are
required to be flexural critical, which can be achieved
by restricting the wall height-to-length ratio to values
greater than or equal to 3. The in-plane shear strength
of C-PSW/CFs can be calculated using the compos-
ite contributions of the steel web plates and concrete
infill. However, shear yielding of the steel web plates
should not govern the behavior or design of uncou-
pled C-PSW/CFs.

Behavior and Capacity-Based Design

Requirements of Coupled Walls
Coupled C-PSW/CF systems consist of two or
more individual composite walls connected together
by coupling beams. Planar, C-shaped, I-shaped, or
L-shaped walls with composite coupling beams can
be used to form coupled C-PSW/CF. Comprehen-
sive research following the FEMA P-695 approach
was conducted to verify the seismic response modifi-
cation factors (R, Ω0, and Cd) for the coupled C-PSW/ Fig. 6. Nonlinear time-history response of a coupled C-PSW system.
CF system (a PDF of the research results can be
downloaded from the Pankow Foundation’s website
at tinyurl.com/coupledCPSWCF). The seismic element analysis of the structure. The response in Figure 6 illustrates the typi-
response modification factors of coupled C-PSW/ cal representative seismic response of a coupled C-PSW/CF structure designed
CF of R=8, Ω0=2.5, and Cd=5.5 were recommended as according to capacity design procedures.
a result of this research. In addition to the design requirements for uncoupled C-PSW/CFs, cou-
Seismic design of coupled C-PSW/CF can be per- pled C-PSW/CFs are limited to walls with a height-to-length ratio greater
formed in accordance with the upcoming 2022 ver- than or equal to 4. The coupling beams are limited to length-to-depth ratios
sion of the AISC Seismic Provisions (Section H8). The greater than or equal to 3 but less than or equal to 5. This is done to ensure
seismic design criteria and procedure were developed flexure critical behavior in the composite walls and coupling beams because of
based on capacity design principles. Coupled C-PSW/ the range of parameters and behavior considered using archetype structures in
CF are expected to develop significant inelastic defor- the FEMA P-695 studies.
mations during severe earthquakes. The coupled system
is designed to develop flexural plastic hinges at the ends NEHRP Implementation
of coupling beams along the height of the structure and ASCE 7-16 (2016) refers to the current AISC Seismic Provisions for spe-
flexural plastic hinges at the base (or maximum moment cific requirements for the use of planar composite steel plate shear walls in
locations) of the wall. Composite coupling beams and seismic regions. However, ASCE-7-16 does not differentiate between coupled
walls are sized considering the strong wall-weak cou- and non-coupled walls. As previously described, coupled C-PSW/CFs consist
pling beam design approach, which favors the forma- of two C-PSW/CFs linked together by ductile coupling beams at floor levels.
tion of plastic hinges in most coupling beams along the Coupled systems are more ductile and have more redundancy, but ASCE-7-16
height of the structure before the formation of plas- currently does not assign them higher R-factors. As indicated above, following
tic hinges in the walls. Figure 6 illustrates the seismic the FEMA-P695 procedure, work was performed to determine the appropri-
response of an eight-story coupled C-PSW/CF struc- ate value for this structural system and to formalize the design and detailing
ture subjected to a failure level earthquake inducing procedure for these walls (this work was jointly funded by the Charles Pankow
a maximum inter-story drift level of about 5%. The Foundation and AISC). In addition to the Project Advisory Group assigned
occurrence of various events along the time history to this project, a specific peer-review committee was established to oversee
response is marked and illustrated in the figure using the steps and milestones explicitly spelled-out to require such oversight by the
plastic strain (PEEQ) contour plots from a 2D finite- P-695 procedure itself.

Modern Steel Construction | 55

 In parallel, findings from the Pankow-AISC study were presented the practicing engineering community to implement the C-PSW/
to the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) expert Issue Team-4 CF system in future projects within the umbrella of a soon-to-be-
(IT-4), which is a standing committee tasked with investigating available code. Together, these two proposals introduce the design
issues related to the design of shear walls of reinforced concrete, coefficients into ASCE 7-22 Table 12.2-1 and the detailing require-
steel, composite (steel-concrete), timber, and masonry and making ments into ASCE 7-22, Section 14.3.5. While the revisions to Table
recommendations to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction 12.2-1 adding the new structural system will remain through future
Program (NEHRP) Provisions Update Committee (PUC). This editions of ASCE 7, it is intended that the detailing requirements of
technical committee of seismic experts is tasked with identifying and Section 14.3.5 will be replaced by similar requirements in the Seismic
recommending the most advanced seismic technology available for Provisions, with the remaining language in Section 14.3.3 of ASCE 7
possible adoptions in the NEHRP Recommended Provisions for New redirecting the user to the Seismic Provisions.
Buildings and Other Structures. (This document informs ASCE 7 of
desirable updates to its seismic provisions.) As such, the BSSC IT-4 Seismic Provisions Implementation
and PUC provided two additional expert peer-review panels of the As indicated above, the inclusion of C-PSW/CF in the 2022 Seis-
proposed design provisions for C-PSW/CF walls and, by introduc- mic Provisions is already underway. Article H7 has been augmented
ing the structural system into the 2020 Edition of the NEHRP Rec- to include new detailing requirements for uncoupled walls with clos-
ommended Provisions, brought it up for consideration by ASCE-7-21. ing plates instead of circular boundary elements, and a new Article
H8 has been provided for coupled walls. Furthermore, all design
ASCE 7-22 Implementation requirements generally applicable to all coupled and uncoupled
As a first step following-up on the BSSC recommendations, a walls have been located in Chapter I of the AISC Specification for
proposal to include coupled C-PSW/CFs with an R-factor of 8, as Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360, aisc.org/specifications)
supported by the above research, as a new seismic force-resisting to equally facilitate implementation in buildings where wind instead
system in ASCE 7-22 received additional technical scrutiny by of seismic governs C-PSW/CF design. These provisions have suc-
members of the ASCE-7 Technical Committee 6 (General Struc- cessfully passed the review of the AISC Technical Committee 5 on
tural) and Main Committee. In addition, a complete set of detailing composite structures and are currently in the final stages of balloting
requirements was proposed for inclusion in Chapter 14 of ASCE- for adoption in AISC 341-22, subsequently to the additional scru-
7-22. It has not been uncommon for ASCE-7 to include design tiny of the Committee on Specifications and Public Reviews.
and detailing requirements in Chapter 14 as interim measures until Benefiting from the compounding effects of all the above expert
other provision documents (e.g., ACI and AISC) eventually inte- committee reviews, minor enhancements have been introduced in all
grated them. This was such an instance, given the strong interest of steps of the process, starting from the design provision proposed dur-

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ing the FEMA P-695 process and culminat-
ing in the 2022 versions of the AISC Seismic
Provisions and Specification. (In addition, an
AISC Design Guide on C-PSW/CF is due
to be published later this year.) However,
the key provisions driving C-PSW/CF wall
design have remained consistent throughout.
These can be summarized as follows:
• A maximum plate slenderness
requirement, to ensure that local
buckling of the plates will not occur
prior to their yielding, which is nec-
essary to achieve ductile response.
• Equations to size the tie bars con-
necting the external steel plates.
• Limits on the minimum and maxi- C
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• Limits on the minimum wall aspect
ratio, to ensure flexurally dominant St. Louis Screw & Bolt
behavior, with ultimate strength
governed by flexural hinging. [email protected]
• For seismic applications, capacity design 800-237-7059
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develop a chord rotation capacity of
0.030 radians before flexural strength
decreases to 80% of the flexural plastic
strength of the beam.
• Commentaries documenting the
purpose of the design requirements
and providing references to substan-
tiating documents.
Thanks to the rigorous set of peer
reviews performed at all steps of the imple-
mentation process, robust design provi-
sions are now available for engineers who
wish to use the C-PSW/CF system as a lat-
eral load-resisting system in projects with
stringent seismic requirements. ■

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Modern Steel Construction | 57
 Vaccination
Considerations
BY JONATHAN LANDESMAN, ESQ., AND
HOPE STEIDLE KILDEA, ESQ.

Two attorneys weigh in on mandatory and incentive-based

employer policies for COVID vaccinations.

FOR MONTHS NOW, employer COVID vaccination programs have been the subject
of much speculation and debate.
Most of this discussion has focused on two types of employer policies: vaccination
mandates and vaccination incentive programs. Vaccination mandates, on the one hand,
impose an across-the-board vaccination requirement upon all employees. Vaccination
incentive programs, on the other hand, are designed to encourage vaccination by offer-
ing rewards to vaccinated employees. Generally speaking, both types of policies are
legal, but they are also subject to exemptions and limitations.
Before implementing a mandatory vaccination policy or vaccination incentive pro-
gram, employers should be aware of restrictions imposed by employment discrimina-
tion laws and consider the labor relations issues, administrative costs, and liability risks
associated with such policies.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 (Title VII) place restrictions on an employer’s ability to implement “blanket” vac-
cination policies for all employees. More specifically, under the ADA, an employer may
need to exempt employees from a mandatory vaccination policy, where the employees
have pre-existing medical conditions that would prevent them from being vaccinated.
Jonathan Landesman (jlandesman Additionally, under Title VII, an employer may need to exempt employees with sin-
@cohenseglias.com) is a partner and cerely held religious beliefs that are offended by vaccination. These situations must be
Hope Steidle Kildea (hkildea addressed on a case-by-case basis.
@cohenseglias.com) is an associate, In order to comply with the ADA and Title VII, employers adopting vaccination
both with Cohen Seglias Pallas incentive programs may need to provide employees who refuse vaccination due to
Greenhall and Furman PC, a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief with an alternative method of
AISC’s general counsel. qualifying for the incentive offered. Alternative qualification methods can include:
requiring the employee to undergo weekly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests,
Jonathan was also a presenter at wear a mask and social distance while on business premises, and self-administer daily
this year’s NASCC: The Virtual Steel temperature checks.
Conference. Visit aisc.org/nascc
roughly 45 days after the conference
to view a video of his presentation.

58 | MAY 2021
Protecting Employee Medical and Genetic Information Additional Considerations
In addition to the equal employment opportunity laws dis- Although employers are generally free to encourage employees
cussed above, employers should be aware of the additional legal to get vaccinated, there may be limits on the value of incentives
implications resulting from the pre-vaccine screening used employers can offer. The issue turns on whether the EEOC decides
to determine if an individual can receive the COVID vaccine. to treat vaccination incentives as employee wellness programs,
Under the ADA, employer inquiries that are reasonably likely which are subject to voluntariness requirements under the ADA
to solicit information about an employee’s disability must be and GINA. Under the Trump Administration, the EEOC issued a
“job-related and consistent with business necessity.” The Equal proposed rule limiting the value of employer incentives for certain
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has advised that wellness programs to those of a de minimis value, such as a water
the pre-vaccine screening for COVID vaccines qualify as a dis- bottle or a sticker. The EEOC has since withdrawn the proposed
ability inquiry under the ADA. As a result, employers who admin- rule as part of the Biden Administration’s regulatory freeze. With-
ister pre-vaccine screenings to employees or who contract with a out any remaining regulatory guidance on the issue, it is unclear
health care provider to do so should be prepared to show that all what, if any, limit applies to wellness program incentives.
disability inquiries meet the ADA’s “business necessity standard” Employers who choose to implement vaccination policies
for their business. should anticipate a flood of exemption requests from employees
Employers may choose to remove themselves from the pre- covered under the ADA or Title VII, as well as those with safety or
screening process by instructing employees to get vaccinated by ethical objections to vaccination. The time and energy associated
their personal health care provider or local pharmacy. In order to with processing these requests and training human resources per-
avoid implicating the ADA’s “business necessity” standard, employ- sonnel to do so may be substantial. Employers should also consider
ers should warn their employees not to provide any medical infor- liability risks associated with a vaccine policy, including liability
mation when submitting their proof of vaccination. under the ADA and Title VII for potentially mishandled exemp-
Similarly, The Genetic Information Non-Disclosure Act tion requests and liability for Workers’ Compensation claims
(GINA) prohibits employers from requesting medical infor- based on adverse reactions to an employer-mandated vaccination.
mation about an employee’s genetic information, with narrow Additionally, employers with union-represented employees face
exceptions. Because it remains unclear whether pre-vaccine additional legal hurdles under federal labor law. These employers,
screenings require disclosure of genetic information, the EEOC or the associations to whom they have assigned their bargaining
has advised employers to refrain from administering vaccines rights, will generally be required to notify and bargain with union
and instead request proof of employee vaccination. The EEOC representatives before implementing vaccination policies.
has further advised that, as long as employees are warned not Ultimately, it is up to every employer to decide what policy is
to submit genetic information, any subsequent disclosure to the right for their business and for the safety and well-being of their
employer is considered inadvertent and does not impose liability employees. Should you have any questions about vaccination poli-
under GINA. cies or any other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and
your workplace, please do not hesitate to contact either of us. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 59

 This month’s offerings include a newly redesigned drilling
new machine that can make holes on three axes, a wearable
products worker health-monitoring system, and a cool C-clamp.

Akyapak
ADM Drilling Machines offer high-quality manufac-
turing solutions to building and bridge steel fabrica-
tion, shipyard, and other construction operations. The
ADM series is capable of drilling holes 0.40 in. to 1.57
in. (standard) or larger diameters in H, I, and U profiles.
ADM Beam Drill Line models are available with one or
three spindles, and the three-spindle models are capable
of drilling holes in profiles from three sides indepen-
dently. This independent motion ability enables com-
bined operations—e.g., while processing one side of the
flange, the machine can also perform drilling, marking,
tapping, milling, etc., independently on the opposing
flange and the web.
For more information, visit www.akyapakusa.com.

Kenzen
Kenzen’s health-monitoring system predicts and prevents
serious health conditions, providing heat and safety moni-
toring of key physiological indicators for each worker, such
as core body temperature, heart rate, and exertion levels
via a compact, waterproof device that records biometric
data from a flat surface in a highly effective, unobtrusive
way. A mobile app empowers individual workers to self-
monitor key physiological indicators, resulting in increased
worker awareness and adoption, and a team view mobile
dashboard alerts managers to deviations from baselines,
allowing them to intervene, privately and quickly, with
individual workers.
For more information, visit www.kenzen.com.

Dimide Clamp
Dimide, Inc., has launched its ¼ Series Clamp, which combines
impact-rated force and installation speed with modular versatility in
a lightweight and easy-to-use clamp. The ¼ Series Clamp delivers
2,200 lb of clamp force when used with today’s best ¼-in. impact driv-
ers. The clamp provides modularity with interchangeable shoes that
are secured with a ¼-in. ball spring detent pin, allowing users to make
custom shoes for any job. Dimide will launch accessory shoes in the
future to constantly upgrade these clamps. A copper-coated option,
designed to protect the clamp from weld spatter when it’s used near
welding operations, is also available. The clamps have a 6-in. opening
capacity, a maximum throat depth (fully open) of 4 in. and a minimum
throat depth (closed) of 3 in. Each clamp weighs 2.9 lb.
For more information, visit www.dimide.com.

60 | MAY 2021
 news & events
ERECTOR NEWS
SEAA Announces October Convention Plans People & Companies
The Steel Erectors Association of America’s winners and presentations focused on Kathleen Dobson, safety direc-
48th Convention and Trade Show, previ- management topics. tor for Alberici Constructors
ously scheduled for April 2021 in Orlando, Preceding the convention is the Dave ( wh ose f ab ri cat ion divis ion,
Fla., will now take place Oct. 12–14, 2021. Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament, sup- Hillsdale Fabricators, is an
The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree porting safety, training, and education proj- AISC member) and a mem-
by Hilton at the entrance to Universal in ects. Through this event, SEAA has awarded ber of the AISC Safety
Orlando, Fla. more than $40,000 in Craft Training grants Committee, has been appoint-
“Escape to Orlando—Adventure Awaits is and for the development of training videos. ed to serve on the National
the theme of this year’s meeting,” said Car- The Captain’s Choice-style tournament Advisory Committee on
rie Gulajan, chairman of the Convention will be held on October 12 and is open to Occupational Safety and
Committee. We have enhanced the schedule members and non-members. Prizes will Health (NACOSH). The pur-
packed it with networking opportunities.” be awarded for first- through fourth-place pose of NACOSH is to advise,
The Trade Show provides erectors and teams, longest drive, closest to the pin, consult with, and make recom-
fabricators a chance to see the latest prod- and more. Registration fees include green mendations to the Secretary
ucts, services, and innovations they need for fee, cart, range balls, lunch, and beverages. of Labor and the Secretary of
a safer, more productive worksite. “We will Sponsorship opportunities are also available Health and Human Services
have three hours of dedicated trade show at seaa.net/daveschulzgolf. regarding the administration
time at indoor and outdoor booths, with Companies interested in exhibiting can of the Occupational Safety
hands-on presentations from exhibitors for take advantage of two promotions. The and Health Act (OSHA) of
a highly-engaged trade show experience,” Early Bird Special is for exhibitors that 1970. Dobson has joined the
noted Gulajan. reserve and pay for their booth by May 31. 12-member committee as a
To accommodate social distancing and They receive one complimentary e-mail safety representative for a two-
small group engagement, attendees will be blast in SEAA’s Convention Products and year term. She has worked in
split into two groups. Half will visit indoor Services Showcase. the construction industry for
booths, while half will visit outdoor booths. Attendee registration is now open. Reg- more than two decades and
Groups will rotate at the mid-point in the istration discounts end August 31, and the is an advocate for workplace
schedule, and the live demonstrations will hotel room block cutoff date is Septem- safety and women’s represen-
be staggered between two time slots. ber 22. Visit seaa.net/seaa-convention- tation in construction building
Education sessions include a panel -trade-show.html to book a booth, register trades. She also presented on
discussion with SEAA Project of the Year to attend, and reserve a hotel room. hazards related to worker illness
in steel fabrication and erec-
tion at the 2021 NASCC: The
Virtual Steel Conference (visit
aisc.org/nascc for details).

Modern Steel Construction | 61

news & events
SAFETY
AISC Announces Winners of Annual Safety Awards
More than 100 structural steel facilities are FABRICATOR HONOR AWARD Martin Iron Works, Inc.
being honored with AISC Safety Awards Alamo Structural Steel McPeak Supply, LLC
for their excellent records of safety per- Arcosa Traffic Structures Metal Solutions
formance in 2020. Awards are given in the Aristeo Mike Owen Fabrication, Inc.
categories of “Fabricator” and “Erector” B & B Welding Company, Inc. Mobil Steel International, Inc.
and include the Safety Award of Honor— Ben Hur Steel Worx, LLC Moore & Morford, Inc.
AISC’s top safety award, presented for a BENCHMARK Fabricated Steel NMI Industrial Holdings, Inc.
perfect safety record of no disabling inju- Blue Atlantic Fabricators, LLC NOVA Group, Inc.
ries—as well as the Safety Award of Merit Broome Welding & Machine Co. PAX, LLC
and Safety Commendation. Center Point Contractors, Inc. Pederson Bros., Inc.
“‘Stay safe’ has become a favored Central Minnesota Fab., Inc. (CMF) Phoenix Fabrication & Supply, Inc.
sign-off for 2020 as COVID put an extra Charleston Steel Company Phoenix Manufacturing, LLC
hazard in our safety planning,” said Tom Cianbro Fabrication & Coating Pikes Peak Steel, LLC
Schlafly, AISC’s chief of engineering staff. Corporation RCC Fabricators, Inc.
“The AISC Safety Award recognizes those Con-Fab Welding, Inc., dba Con-Fab Red Dog Fabrication, LLC
member fabricators and erectors that have Engineering & Welding Reno Iron Works
managed their organizations safely and Cooper Steel Richardson Steel, Inc.
last year made that especially difficult and Cooper Steel South, LLC Rochester Structural, LLC
important. AISC congratulates those who Cooper Steel of Virginia S.W. Funk Industrial Contractors, Inc.
achieved a commendable record of safe Custom Fabrications and Coatings Sanford Steel Corp.
performance n that demanding year.” Dixie Southern Industrial, Inc. Sanpete Steel Corporation
All AISC full fabricator members and Doherty Steel Scott Steel Services, Inc.
erector associate members are eligible and Eastpointe Industries, LLC Sefton Steel, LP
asked to participate, and data for the pro- Eddy's Welding, Inc. Shure Line Construction
gram is solicited annually. In order to facil- Extreme Precision Industrial Contactors SSOE, Inc.
itate data collection and to make statistics Fabco Metal Products Steel Service Corporation
meaningful in terms familiar to safety pro- Fiedeldey Steel Fabricators, Inc. Steward Steel, Inc.
fessionals, the program uses data that com- G2 Metal Fab, Inc. Structural Steel & Plate Fabrication Co.
panies also report to OSHA. The program Garbe Iron Works, Inc. Summit Industrial Construction
recognizes performance measured in terms GEM Ind, Inc. Summit Steel Works Corp
of Days Away, Restricted or Transferred George Steel Fabricating, Inc. Systems Fab & Machine, Inc.
Rate (DART). The DART is a measure of Gibson Industrial, Inc. Talley Metal Products, Inc.
the number of recordable lost work cases GMF Industries, Inc. The Arthur Louis Steel Company
per 200,000 hours worked. Only the num- Grunau Metals The Gateway Company of Missouri, LLC
ber of cases (not days) that are required High Plains Steel Services, LLC Trinity Fabricators, Inc.
to be reported on the OSHA 300A form Industrial Resources, Inc. TrueNorth Steel
and that cause a lost work day, as defined J.R. Hoe and Sons Turner Construction Company
by OSHA, are reported to AISC, along Jimco Sales & Manufacturing Twin Brothers Marine, LLC
with the hours worked in the year. AISC Larwel Industries USNC, LLC
Safety Awards are given for perfect records Lyndon Steel Company Veritas Steel
(Honor, DART=0), excellent records Maccabee Industrial, Inc. Zimkor, LLC
(Merit, 0<DART≤1), and commendable
records (Commendation, 1<DART≤2).
For more information about the pro- ERECTOR HONOR AWARD Martin Iron Works, Inc.
gram as well as safety resources available Black Cat, LLC Metal Pros, LLC
to the fabricated and erected structural Center Point Contractors, Inc. North Alabama Fabricating Company, Inc.
steel industry, please visit aisc.org/safety. Cooper Steel Reno Iron Works
Here are the winners: Extreme Precision Industrial Contactors Richardson Steel, Inc.
GEM Ind, Inc. Rochester Rigging & Erectors, Inc.
Gibson Industrial, Inc. Rochester Structural, LLC
GMF Industries, Inc. Shure Line Construction
High Plains Steel Services, LLC SunSteel, LLC
Hillsdale Fabricators, a Division of Turner Construction Company
Alberici Constructors
62 | MAY 2021
 news & events
PROJECTS
Spiral Steel Tower Tops Out at Hudson Yards
Which tops out faster, a steel core or a con- 2020, the domestic steel team working on
crete core? A race between two buildings 66 Hudson pulled ahead, resulting in the
on a similar construction timeline in New all-steel building topping out faster than
York City showed a clear winner: the steel its shorter neighbor, which finally topped
FABRICATOR MERIT AWARD core. 66 Hudson Boulevard, also known as out on February 12. AISC member fabrica-
DIS-TRAN Steel, LLC The Spiral, reached its 66-story 1,041-ft tor Banker Steel fabricated 31,500 tons of
Prospect Steel, a Division of Lexicon, Inc. pinnacle on January 26, three weeks before structural steel for The Spiral.
Schuff Steel - Atlantic, LLC its concrete-core neighbor, 50 Hudson When completed next year, the Bjarke
SunSteel, LLC Yards, topped out. Ingels Group-designed superstructure will
Construction on 66 Hudson Boulevard occupy a full block between West 34th and
ERECTOR MERIT AWARD started at the same time as the adjacent 50 35th Streets and encompass 2.8 million sq.
Aristeo Hudson Yards tower, which is a 58-story, ft of office and ground-floor retail space.
Ideal Contracting 1,011-ft tower supported by a concrete Owner Tishman Speyer announced nearly
Stonebridge, Inc. core. The two towers have been close three years ago that biopharmaceutical
in height throughout construction, with company Pfizer signed a 20-year lease to
each team hoping to beat the other. In late move its global headquarters to the building.

CityRealty

FABRICATOR SAFETY
COMMENDATION
AIW, Inc.
Alamo Structural Steel
Dave Steel Company, Inc.
Ducworks, Inc.
Ford Steel, LLC
Gayle Manufacturing Company
Geiger & Peters, Inc.
High Steel Structures, LLC
Jesse Engineering Company
Kwan Wo Ironworks, Inc.
Metal Pros, LLC
Milton Steel Company
North Alabama Fabricating Company, Inc.
Padgett, Inc.
Schuff Steel Company
Shickel Corporation
Tampa Tank, Inc./Florida Structural Steel
TrueNorth Steel
Universal Steel, Inc.
Western Slope Iron & Supply, Inc.

ERECTOR SAFETY COMMENDATION

AIW, Inc.
Doherty Steel
Golden State Bridge, Inc.
Kwan Wo Ironworks, Inc.

Modern Steel Construction | 63

news & events
HIGGINS AWARD
Nominations Sought for 2022 Higgins Lectureship Award
Nominations are being accepted through • Reasons for nomination lecturer. If your organization is interested
July 1, 2021, for AISC’s T.R. Higgins Lec- • A copy of the paper(s), as well as any in hosting a T.R. Higgins lecture, please
tureship Award, which includes a $15,000 published discussion contact Christina Harber, AISC’s director
cash prize. Presented annually, the award The author must be a permanent resi- of education, at [email protected].
recognizes a lecturer-author whose tech- dent of the U.S. and available to fulfill the The award is named for Theodore R.
nical paper(s) are considered an outstand- commitments of the award. The paper(s) Higgins, former AISC director of engineer-
ing contribution to engineering literature must have been published in a profes- ing and research, who was widely acclaimed
on fabricated structural steel. The winner sional journal between January 1, 2016 and for his many contributions to the advance-
will be recognized at the 2022 NASCC: January 1, 2021. In addition, the winner is ment of engineering technology related to
The Steel Conference, taking place March required to attend and present at the 2022 fabricated structural steel. The award hon-
23–25 in Denver, and will also present their Steel Conference and also give a minimum ors Higgins for his innovative engineering,
lecture, upon request, at various professional of six presentations of their lecture on timely technical papers, and distinguished
association events throughout the year. selected occasions during the year. lectures. For more information about the
Nominations can be emailed to AISC’s The award will be given to a nominated award, visit aisc.org/higgins.
Rachel Jordan at [email protected]. If individual based on their reputation as a
you’d prefer to mail your nomination, lecturer and the jury’s evaluation of the
contact Rachel for mailing information. paper(s) named in the nomination. Papers
Nominations must include the following will be judged for originality, clarity of
information: presentation, contribution to engineering
• Name and affiliation of the individ- knowledge, future significance, and value
ual nominated (past winners are not to the fabricated structural steel industry.
eligible to be nominated again) The current T.R. Higgins Lecturer is
• Title of the paper(s) for which the Purdue University’s Amit Varma, PhD,
individual is nominated, including who received the award for his papers on
publication citation Concrete Filled Composite Steel Plate
• If the paper has multiple authors, Shear Walls (SpeedCore) as well as for his
identify the principal author outstanding reputation as an engineer and Amit Varma, current T.R. Higgins lecturer.

100 YEARS OF AISC

New Timeline Depicts AISC’s First Decade
AISC is celebrating its centennial this As we look forward to the next 100 • The birth of welded steel buildings
year—in true historic style! years, we’re also taking a deep dive into the • The first Academy Awards ceremony
decades that defined both AISC and the • The debut of the steel bridge that
world in general, starting with the 1920s. would serve as the busiest border
A new interactive timeline from AISC crossing into Canada until 1992
places key events from the history of AISC The timeline contains an array of engag-
and structural steel in context with other ing historical images and videos, as well as
historical benchmarks of the 1920s. documents, patents, tours, and interactive
“It’s remarkable how much we’ve present-day views of buildings built in the
accomplished—and continue to accom- 1920s—even a cocktail recipe, should you
plish—together,” said AISC’s vice president want to really embrace the speakeasy spirit!
of operational engagement, Carly Hurd. It is part of a yearlong celebration of
“As a proud Chicagoan, I particularly AISC’s centennial and joins a retrospec-
enjoyed learning that the Wrigley Building tive of historic articles, other interactive
and the Wells Street Bridge are almost as timelines, and more. Next up is the 1930s,
old as AISC!” which saw the construction of some of the
Some highlights of AISC’s “roaring” most iconic steel buildings in the country.
first decade include: The AISC 1920s timeline is available
• AISC’s founding in 1921 under the at aisc.org/legacy/1920s-timeline. For
name “National Steel Fabricators more on AISC’s centennial and subsequent
Association” timelines, visit aisc.org/legacy.

64 | MAY 2021
 marketplace
& employment
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ONLINE AUCTION CLOSES APRIL 14TH
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PW-250 Plasma Layout Machine, 2017 Peddinghaus
FPB-1800 Plate Processor, 2016 Peddinghaus Ocean
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STEIN STEEL
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• For Current Openings, please visit our website and
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• Please call or email Brian Quinn, PE: 616.546.9420
[email protected]
so we can learn more about your goals and interests.
advertiser index
AISC 8 | 20 | 67 | back cover
All inquiries are kept confidential.
SE Impact by SE Solutions, LLC | www.FindYourEngineer.com Applied Bolting 57
Automated Layout Technology 56
Cast Connex Corporation 12
CE Steel, Inc. 19
Chicago Metal Rolled Products 26–27
FICEP 13
Integrated Engineering Software 3
Nucor Corporation 14 | 15
Nucor Vulcraft 5
Peddinghaus Corporation 2
QuickFrames USA 19
SDS2 7
St. Louis Screw & Bolt 57
Trimble 11
Voortman Corporation 54
To advertise, contact M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.: 856.768.9360 | [email protected]
Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com. Modern Steel Construction | 65
structurally sound
REMOTE RACE
BY THE TIME YOU RECEIVE this
issue of Modern Steel Construction, the
2021 Student Steel Bridge Competition
(SSBC) will be well underway.
In normal times, AISC staff would
be flying around the country during the
spring to attend SSBC Regional Events.
But like last year, these aren’t normal
times (fingers crossed for next year).
The good news is that we’ve had a lot
more time to adjust the competition for-
mat than we did in 2020. While AISC is
not holding Regional Events this year,
schools are still building their bridges on
their own campuses and submitting pho-
tos, videos, and scores remotely.
The first team to complete its bridge for
this year’s competition? The University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). And they did it in
under eight minutes. For those not famil-
iar with the competition, that is an excel-
lent time—especially since there were only
three builders! To see a video of the team
building their bridge, visit the Project
Extras section at www.modernsteel.com.
“When COVID hit last spring semester,
we’d been very busy with our bridge’s fabri-
cation and had it around 50% completed,”
said Ben VanderHart, UAF’s steel bridge
team captain. “When the cancellation of the
2020 SSBC was announced, we were very
disappointed that we’d have to leave the
bridge unfinished. Thankfully, the SSBC
Rules Committee decided to keep the 2021
rules virtually unchanged, so we didn’t need
to start from scratch again this year.”
The National Finals awards presenta-
tion will take place June 3, and we’ll have
more comprehensive coverage of the
SSBC in the coming months. ■

66 | MAY 2021
 1830
1847
Seneca Falls Convention launches
women’s suffrage movement. 1863
1840 President Abraham Lincoln
delivers the Gettysburg address.

1850

1860
NINE STEEL BRIDGES
that are still in service today were
open to traffic when it happened.

1870

63 STEEL BRIDGES
1880 that are still in use today were
already open to traffic.
5,189 SUCH BRIDGES
were already open when the
Nineteenth Amendment finally granted
women the right to vote in 1920.
1890
EVERY DAY IN THE U.S.,
AN AVERAGE OF
77 MILLION VEHICLES
1900
CROSS MORE THAN
25,000 STEEL BRIDGES
1933 BUILT BETWEEN
Police drag the Charles River
after a “cod-napping” in the 1910 1838 AND 1938.
Massachusetts State House.
These are just a few of the stories these
At least bridges could tell: dazzling innovation,
13,525 STEEL BRIDGES events that changed the world, and quirky
1920 people being...well, quirky.
that are still in service today were
already open to traffic.
Visit aisc.org/timeline for more.

1930

Smarter. Stronger. Steel.

1940
National Steel Bridge Alliance
Scott D Flickr
312.670.2400 | www.aisc.org
 September 24, 2021

SteelDay
USA

We’re bringing SteelDay back better than ever in 2021!

SteelDay, the nationwide celebration of America’s
structural steel industry, raises the profile of the
fabricated structural steel industry as facilities across the
country open their doors to design and construction
professionals, elected officials, and the general public.

Join us for exciting virtual and in-person tours,

presentations, and webinars across the country.
CELEBRATING
To find an event or learn how to host visit 100 YEARS
aisc.org/steelday 1921–2021