June 2024

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 June 2024

in every issue
departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
8 STEEL INTERCHANGE
10 STEEL QUIZ
62 NEWS & EVENTS
66 STRUCTURALLY SOUND

resources
65 ADVERTISER INDEX
65 MARKETPLACE &
EMPLOYMENT

48

features columns
steelwise
24 Frame of Reference 42 AI Arrival
BY DAVID J. ODEH, SE, PE, JAY TAYLOR, SE, PE,
AND CARL GIEGOLD
BY DANIEL KAMAU, PEng, AND
GRAYSON INGRAM, PhD
14 Joist Journey
BY BRUCE BROTHERSEN, PE, AND KEN CHARLES
Brown University’s Lindemann Center has The steel industry is increasingly turning to Evaluating open web steel joists for potential
a creative steel frame crafted for a versatile AI as one way to help improve efficiency and modification is both an art and a science.
performing arts space. tackle problems.
field notes
30 Retail to Rinks 44 Steel’s Slam Dunk
BY KATE DUBY, PATRICK ENGEL, AND
18 Giving Back
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
BY NICK ERECKSON, PE, AND SCOTT WERT, PE
A mall turned ice center in Tulsa redefines MEGAN ERICKSON Onur Avci pivoted from a career as a practicing
adaptive reuse. NASCC: The Steel Conference smashed engineer to academia, fulfilling his wish to
attendance records for a third straight year share his wealth of knowledge with the next
and united all corners of the industry. generation of engineers.
36 Heavy Lifting
BY ROGER HEERINGA, SE, PE, JESSICA
business issues
MARTINEZ, PE, AND DENNIS PILARCZYK, PE
48 2024 Hot Products
Steel was the essential piece of an innovative Modern Steel Construction’s roundup of the 21 Embracing AI
two-story distribution center that’s latest offerings for creating and building BY BARRY J. BRUNS
reimagining the future of urban warehouses. successful structural steel projects from the Steel fabricators should think about artificial
exhibit hall at NASCC: The Steel Conference. intelligence with an open mind instead of
worry or hesitation.

ON THE COVER: The Lindemann Center’s steel frame helps a tight space accomodate a wide range of performances, p. 24. (Photo: Iwan Baan)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 64, Number 6) 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. Single issues $8.00; 1 year, $60. 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
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
Printed on paper made
CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than 25 from a minimum of
photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC. 10% recycled content.

4 | JUNE 2024
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editor’s note

Along with many of you, Editorial Offices

I was in San Antonio this past 130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
Chicago, IL 60601
March for NASCC: The Steel 312.670.2400
Editorial Contacts
Conference—and I didn’t see EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Geoff Weisenberger
the Alamo. Fewer cities are so 312.493.7694
[email protected]
closely associated with a specific ASSOCIATE EDITOR
building than San Antonio, Patrick Engel
312.550.9652
so it felt a bit odd. [email protected]
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
312.804.0813
Did I eat Tex-Mex, one of the staple foods when he was first relying on a wheelchair to [email protected]
of my youth and something I can never truly get around. So he changed his slick tires to GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
get enough of? Several times. Did I make mountain bike tires, an adjustment that led to Kristin Hall
773.636.8543
the requisite late-night visit to Whataburger? a better, more efficient, and less tiring way of [email protected]
Obviously. Did I wander along the River Walk, moving around. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
eventually reaching the stretch where the An adjustment mindset was also present Scott Melnick
312.804.1535
tourists fade away and the serenity creeps in? in the Steel Conference’s exhibit hall, where [email protected]
Of course. Did I drink margaritas? Did I ever! the various product manufacturers, service
AISC Officers
But no Alamo for me. providers, and software developers were CHAIR
To be fair, I’ve seen it multiple times all demonstrating how their offerings could Hugh J. McCaffrey
on previous visits, so it had already been lead to a better, more efficient, and less Southern New Jersey Steel Co.
VICE CHAIR
checked off the bucket list. Besides, who tiring way to perform tasks and processes
Glenn R. Tabolt, PE
needs limestone when you’ve got steel? up and down the structural steel supply STS Steel, Inc.
And there was plenty of steel-related chain. As a matter of fact, we’ve compiled SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
activity a stone’s throw from the famed fort a collection of more than three dozen of Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
and mission in the Henry B. González Con- these innovative tools in our Hot Products Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
PRESIDENT
vention Center, which hosted this year’s edi- section, starting on page 48. You can also
Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
tion of The Steel Conference. Nearly 7,000 read a recap of the conference on page
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS
steel industry professionals trekked to deep 44, which highlights sessions, research, and Scott Melnick
in the heart of Texas for the show, topping highlights from the exhibit hall, and details Mark W. Trimble, PE
the previous in-person attendance record AISC’s new Fabricator Education Training VICE PRESIDENTS
by nearly 1,000, to check out as many of the Program, which is designed to provide AISC Todd Alwood
Carly Hurd
250-plus technical sessions and visit as many members with an easy way to introduce Mike Mospan
of the 355 exhibitors as possible. basic concepts to new employees at their Christopher H. Raebel, SE, PE, PhD
One of the show’s highlights was the fabrication shops. Brian Raff
Wednesday keynote, whose speaker, Chad If you didn’t make it to San Antonio Editorial Advisory Panel
Brandon Chavel, PE, PhD
Hymas, suffered a traumatic injury years ago but are interested in the sessions, fear Michael Baker International
that left him wheelchair-bound for the rest of not! We’ve posted recordings of them at Nat Killpatrick
his life. In his presentation, he encouraged aisc.org/learning, where you can view Basden Steel
the audience not to take things for granted them at your leisure. Christina McCoy, SE
Oklahoma State University
before they become sacred. He also used I’d personally like to extend my heart- School of Architecture
his accident, which involved a farm equip- felt thanks to everyone who worked or vol- Allison Shenberger, PE
ment malfunction that resulted in a massive unteered at, attended, exhibited at, and ruby+associates
hay bale being dropped on him, as a cau- sponsored the conference! We couldn’t Justin Smith, PE
Dekker Perich Sabatini
tionary tale, urging not to ignore warning do it without you, and you make this event
signs simply because you’ve gotten away a success every year! Speaking of which, Advertising Sales
Geoff Weisenberger
with it before. next year’s show takes place April 2–4 in 312.493.7694
Despite this monumental setback, Chad Louisville, Ky. We’ll see you there! [email protected]
learned to adapt to, live with, and even Address Changes and
thrive in his new reality. The message of Subscription Concerns
312.670.2401
adaptability was prevalent throughout his [email protected]
talk. He shared the example of how he had Geoff Weisenberger Reprints
trouble gaining traction with the ground Editor and Publisher Kristin Hall
[email protected]

6 | JUNE 2024
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steel interchange
If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something related to structural steel
design or construction, Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you!
Send your questions or comments to [email protected].

Structural Steel Dimensioning Tool – Some excellent references exist that focus on corrosion in
Metric Version bridges, and they can provide insight into other applications.
I am a structural designer and user of the AISC Structural Steel Appuhamy et al. (2013) classified corrosion section loss as minor,
Dimensioning Tool (found at aisc.org/dimensioningtool). moderate, or severe based on the corrosion depth ratio. They
Does a metric version of this tool exist? also developed equations for the effective thickness of corroded
elements. Kulicki et al. (1990) developed a comprehensive
No, we do not have a metric version of this tool. However, we do document for evaluating corrosion effects in steel members.
have a few other resources to obtain metric shape properties: It is important to remember that if the steel has corroded, it will
Shapes Database: Our shapes database, found at aisc.org/ continue to do so unless steps are taken to protect the steel from
shapesdatabase, can be downloaded for free and has metric values continued corrosion. The NSBA has a compilation of corrosion
included. The metric values are after the U.S. customary units (so, references that could also be helpful. The compilation is found at
in columns CG through FJ). There is an explanation of what each aisc.org/nsba/corrosionprotection.
value in the different columns included in the excel tab “Database Yasmin Chaudhry, PE
v16.0” are in the tab titled “v16.0 Readme.” References
These are consistent with the shapes shown in the 16th Appuhamy, J.M.R.S., Ohaga, M., Kaita, T., Chun, P. and
Edition Steel Construction Manual. The 15th edition shapes Dissanayake, P.B.R. (2013), “Development of an Efficient Maintenance
database, which is consistent with the 15th edition Manual, can Strategy for Corroded Steel Bridge Infrastructures,” Journal of Bridge
be found at aisc.org/oldshapes. Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 18, No. 6, June,
Steel Construction Manual: The Manual (available at pp. 464-475.
aisc.org/publications) lists the SI equivalents of standard Kulicki, J.M., Prucz, D.F., Sorgenfrei, D.F., Mertz, D.R. and Young,
U.S. shape profiles in Part 17. Only the equivalent shapes are W.T. (1990), Guidelines for Evaluating Corrosion Effects in Existing
listed, not all the properties. Steel Bridges, NCHRP Report 333, Transportation Research Board,
Yasmin Chaudhry, PE December.

Steel Corrosion Evaluation Minimum Inside Radius for Cold-Bending

How do I evaluate corrosion on a steel column-to-base Structural Stainless Steel
plate connection? Is there an acceptable limit or amount of Table 10-13 in the 16th edition Manual provides guidance
corrosion loss? on the minimum inside radius for structural steel. I could
not find similar guidance provided in AISC Design Guide
Corrosion is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and depends on 27: Structural Stainless Steel (a free download for members at
various factors, such as the amount of corrosion loss, where the aisc.org/dg). Do you know of any recommendations?
corrosion loss is, the load on the member, among other factors.
The first step is to evaluate how much section loss has occurred, Stainless steel flat sheet/plate and bar products can be bent using a
which can be accomplished by scraping off the rust scale and press brake or bending machine. The work should be executed as
measuring the remaining section with calipers or ultrasonic testing quickly as possible due to work hardening characteristics of stainless
instruments. Note that when steel corrodes, the resulting rust is steels, and a degree of overbending is necessary to counteract the
larger in volume than the original steel. Because of this expansion, spring back of the bend. The power requirements for bending
the corrosion often looks worse than it is, so it’s important to figure stainless steel are higher than for bending geometrically similar
out how much of the remaining section is left. carbon steel components due to work hardening (by about 50% in
The remaining section is evaluated to determine if the section the case of the austenitic steels or even more in the case of duplex
loss has a detrimental effect on the strength and stability of the stainless steel).
member or connection, which varies case by case. For example, an In general, limiting the minimum inside bend radius to a
engineer might determine that because the loads are small relative value of at least 0.5t is recommended for annealed (i.e. softened)
to the capacity of the member, a small amount of section loss is not austenitic stainless steels. If the material is cold-worked, then a
detrimental to the strength and stability of a particular member. larger bend radius will be needed.

All mentioned AISC publications, unless noted otherwise, refer to the current version and are available at
aisc.org/publications. Modern Steel articles can be found at www.modernsteel.com.
8 | JUNE 2024
 steel interchange
Duplex stainless steel alloys require a Yasmin Chaudhry
more generous bend radius because of their ([email protected]) is a Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional
higher strength; it is recommended that senior engineer in AISC’s ideas and information on all phases of steel building and bridge
construction. Contact Steel Interchange with questions or responses via
the minimum bend radius should be at least Steel Solutions Center. AISC’s Steel Solutions Center: 866.ASK.AISC | [email protected]. The
double the radius of standard austenitic Nancy Baddoo, associate complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and answers is
available online at www.modernsteel.com.
alloys, depending on the strength of the director of the Steel
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily
duplex stainless steel alloy. Construction Institute, and represent an official position of the American Institute of Steel
Nancy Baddoo Bo Dowswell, principal with Construction and have not been reviewed. It is recognized that the
design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent
ARC International, LLC, licensed structural engineer, architect or other licensed professional
are consultants to AISC.
Torsion and Weak-Axis for the application of principles to a particular structure.

Bending
I believe equations 3.9 and 3.10 in AISC
Design Guide 9: Torsional Analysis
of Structural Steel Members (a free
download for members at aisc.org/dg)
are for shear stress due to beam action
bending about the major axis. Do we
need to replace Qf and Qw with the first
moment of inertia calculated about the
minor axis for minor axis bending?
htf (bf – tw)
Qf = Eq. (3.9)
4
hbf tf (h – tf)2 tw Eq. (3.10)
Qw = +
2 8
where, as illustrated in Figure 1
tf
h=d–
2

Fig. 1.

Yes, Qf and Qw need to be replaced. The

shear stresses in the flange that are caused
by x-direction shear forces (minor-axis
bending) can be calculated using the
theoretical equation from any strength of
materials textbook which is:

v = VQ
It
Assuming only the flanges of the
I-shaped member resist the shear force,
the stress distribution is parabolic. The
shear stress is zero at the flange tips and
maximum at the mid-width, with the
maximum value equal to 50% greater than
the average shear stress:
3 Vf
vmax =
2 Af
where
Vf = shear force per flange.
Af = area of one flange = bf tf.
Bo Dowswell, PE, PhD

Modern Steel Construction | 9

 steel quiz
This is the second part of a two-part
quiz on hollow structural sections (HSS)
focusing on the newly updated AISC
Design Guide 24: Hollow Structural
Section Connections, 2nd Ed. This
updated guide includes many new
connection types and a dozen new
examples and greatly expands upon
the background discussion for each
connection. Download your copy today
at aisc.org/dg.
1 Tr u e o r F a l s e : A f i l l e t w e l d
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limit states, beyond conventional

DESIgn SoLuTIon fastener limit states, that should

be considered for bolts in tension
fastened to HSS members.
4 True or False: The force transmitted
through a fillet weld is uniform for
elements connected transversely to
the HSS face.
5 True or False: Reinforcing HSS walls
FREE to locally strengthen a member at a
15-DAY connection is typically an economical
solution.
TRIAL*
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for details
techniques for bolting HSS where
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The leading software package required?
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b. Structural nut holders
and straight steel girder bridges.
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10 | JUNE 2024
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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
steel quiz ANSWERS Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or [email protected].

Answers reference the recently pub- the welder and inspector then must C-K1.3 in the Specification and Sec-
lished AISC Design Guide 24: Hollow measure the amount of underfill. This tion 2.4 of Design Guide 24 illustrate
Structural Section Connections, 2nd is explained further in Section 3.4.5 the uneven load concept.
Edition. Again, you can download a of Design Guide 21: Welded Connec-
5 False. When designing connec-
copy at aisc.org/dg. tions – A Primer for Engineers, and
tions to HSS members, a key point
Section 3.1.4 of Design Guide 24.
1 False. Specification Section J2.4(a) to remember is that reinforcing HSS
does not allow the use of the fillet 3 True. Conventional fastener limit walls to strengthen the member
weld directional strength increase states found in Specification Sec- locally if needed is typically not an
factor for fillet welds to the ends tion J3 apply to mechanically fas- economical solution. Connections
of rectangular HSS loaded in ten- tened HSS connections. Additional should be evaluated at the time the
sion, i.e., kds = 1.0. It was found that limit states to consider for bolts in member size is determined, since the
the use of the fillet weld directional tension fastened to HSS members local strength of an HSS member at a
strength increase factor does not are pullout (or punching shear of connection may control the capacity
provide adequate structural reliability the fastener through the HSS face) of the connection (Chapter 5 and 6).
(safety factor) for tension-loaded rect- and HSS wall distortion (associated
6 d. All of the above. Several alter-
angular HSS-to-rigid plate welded with the flexibility of the HSS wall).
native techniques for bolting HSS
joints (Section 3.1). Both limit states are discussed in
have been developed where access
Chapter 4.
2 False. There is no requirement for to the inside of the HSS is not
flare groove welds to be filled flush; 4 False. For elements connected trans- required. These techniques include
if the throat of an underfilled joint versely to the HSS face, the force the use of through bolts and several
is sufficient to transfer the applied transmitted through a fillet weld different single-sided methods or
loads, considerable economy can be is not uniform due to the varia- bolts that are proprietary, such as
achieved with underfilled joints as tion of flexural stiffness of the HSS blind bolts and structural nut hold-
compared to flush-filled joints, but wall across its section width. Figure ers (Section 4.5).

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steelwise

Joist Journey
BY BRUCE BROTHERSEN, PE, AND KEN CHARLES

Evaluating open web steel joists for potential modification is both an art and a science.

OPEN WEB STEEL JOISTS and joist Steel Joist and Joist Girders, which explains with minor differences, open web products
girders are key components of steel con- methods and techniques to evaluate and are simple and amazingly strong.
struction. modify existing joists. Each project is different, and the evalua-
There are millions of open web steel Open web steel joists have five main tor will need to gather as much information
joists and joist girders in roofs and floors components. In simple terms, the chords as possible on the existing structure. Some-
of thousands of buildings throughout the are axial force carrying components on times, fact finding is easy. Other times, it’s
United States, Mexico, and Canada. As the top and bottom of the overall member. arduous and time-consuming.
building needs change, the joists will have These members are usually horizontal, with The older the building, the less likely
new requirements as well. Additionally, as some exceptions. The webs are members information such as shop bills or drawings
steel making and steel grades have evolved, connecting the chords that transfer the will be available. On projects completed
as the specifications of open web steel joists shear forces. Bearing seats are the means within the last 20 years, it’s likely the joist
progressively changed. on both ends of the joists to distribute the manufacturer can be contacted, and it may
Evaluating and determining if a joist forces to the supporting structure and are have all the necessary information.
needs modification is a valuable skill connected to the supporting structure by Older projects with limited avail-
that’s an art and a science. The art is welding or bolting. Welding connects all able information make joist engineering
easier than most might think, and there joist components. Bridging is the method an art and less exact. The art is careful
are tools to assist with the science. The for laterally bracing the chords during approximation based on available data
Steel Joist Institute (SJI), formed in erection and service. and facts to determine enough informa-
1928, has developed Technical Digest 12, Manufacturers will not have the exact tion to employ the more formulaic and
Evaluation and Modification of Open Web same method for building joists, but even precise science.
Evaluation questions to ask are listed
in the Joist Investigation Form (Figure
1), found on the website or in Appendix A
of Technical Digest 12. They’re a strong
basis for creating a guideline or checklist
for information gathering.
With enough information, you can
zero in on which specification was used for
the joist design. You can also make some
safe assumptions on the loading. Just by
identifying the seat depth, you can usually
assume the joist is either a K-series (2½ in.)
or LH-Series (5 in.).
Part of the art of joist design is under-
standing most manufacturers do not pur-
chase angle stock that would match angle
sizes in the 16th Edition Steel Construction
Manual (current and previous editions can
be found at aisc.org/manuals). In fact, for
joist use, you would likely find a 2 in. by 2
in. angle in seven different leg thicknesses,
ranging from .137 in. to ¼ in.
To practice the art, take a micrometer
thickness reading on the bottom chord.
Determine the maximum tensile force by
multiplying the bottom chord cross sec-
tional area by 0.6Fy. From there, based on
Fig. 1.

14 | JUNE 2024
 steelwise welding not in
the effective depth of the joist, a maximum
moment capacity can be determined. The
the schedule
design uniform load, w, can be determined
by back calculating M = (wL2)/8.
Keep your project going
The SJI has resources to assist the engi-
neer with the evaluation and modification
with no weld BOLT-IN
process. Technical Digest 12 has many ADJUSTABLE Support FRAMES
examples of different joists. Addition-
ally, SJI’s webinars include examples from
Technical Digest 12 in even more detail.
quickframes.com
Ideally, the required number of repairs is
minimized, and evaluating the existing joist
only for the required loads is key. The act
of reinforcing or repairing joists is a matter
of balancing the benefits of a stronger joist
with the actual requirements. Designers
should never gamble on safety, and using
building code load cases for an appropriate
force can minimize the number of repairs.
In the field, labor is always more expen-
sive than material. The goal is to minimize
the different materials or add more mate-
rial if it reduces the required labor.
The last part of the process is commu-
nicating the modification to the jobsite—
arguably the hardest part. Generally, hap-
penings in the field are not usually under
the direction of the specifying engineer.
Communicating to the field is an art, not
a rigid formula.
Here is an example of general notes for
communicating modifications from Tech-
nical Digest 12:
• No modification that affects the
strength of a steel joist or steel joist
girder shall be made without the

6-Axis Robotic
approval of the project structural
engineer of record. See OSHA 29 CFR
1926.757 (7).
• The details used herein were taken
Structural Steel
from the typical details provided in SJI Profile
le Cutting
Technical Digest 12 and require veri-
fication and approval by the structural
engineer of record.
• All repairs shall be done in a profes- With our Beamcut System 3D Robotic Profile Cutting
Machine, you can cut virtually any shape on mild
sional and quality manner. Workers
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• All steel shall be a minimum yield of plasma and Fanuc Robotics. Eliminate costly layouts and
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• All welding shall be performed by a Minimize errors. Increase production speeds. Find out more:
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dance with the AWS requirements. Web: beamcut.com • machitech.com
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Modern Steel Construction | 15

 steelwise

Fig. 2.

• All welds are to be made using E70XX

electrodes. Weld requirements are as
specified in the details above.
REINFORCING ANGLES (2)
• Repairs shall be inspected by an AWS
certified weld inspector.
A critical part of communicating to the
field is sequenced step-by-step instructions.
Even a simple repair of replacing a dam-
aged web requires some instruction. Here is
an example of field repairs procedures that
explains the damaged web should not be
CRIMPED WEB removed until after the new web is in place:
MEMBER • Measure and cut the reinforcing angle to
proper length.
• Place reinforcing angles on side(s) of
EACH END OF damaged web. Use two L2×2×¼ Fy =
EACH ANGLE 36 ksi.
Fig. 3.

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 steelwise

• Weld reinforcing angle to chords in joists and the other on the modification
accordance with the provided repair of existing joists.
sketch. The SJI also has free tools that can be
• Remove the damaged web without downloaded at www.steeljoist.org. These
damaging joist chords. tools include Historical Load Tables, Steel
Clear details and sketches make work in Joist Uplift Analysis Tool, Joist Girder
the field significantly easier. The details and Analysis Tool and the Joist and Joist Girder
sketches should clearly show which mem- Reinforcement Tool.
bers on the joist need repair. Figure 2 is one All of these resources can help you
example of a sketch, and Figures 3 and 4 quickly grow comfortable with the pro-
show clear and definitive sketches, helping cess of evaluating and modifying open
the field labor achieve the intended result. web steel joists and optimizing their use
One reason steel is the best material in your projects. ■
in a circular building economy is because
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it’s flexible in design and relatively easy ANGLE
to strengthen and modify, and joists are
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Modern Steel Construction | 17

field notes

Giving Back
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

Onur Avci pivoted from a career as a practicing engineer to academia, fulfilling his
wish to share his wealth of knowledge with the next generation of engineers.

ONUR AVCI came to the United States I always like to start at the beginning. embassy, though, was the one in London.
with grand visions for his structural en- Where are you from and where did you It’s about 30 to 35 ft high at the entry level,
gineering career. He started by complet- grow up? which made progressive collapse design
ing two graduate degrees at Virginia Tech I grew up in Ankara, Turkey, and I did challenging. I did not work on that project,
before moving to Las Vegas for his first my bachelor’s at Middle East Technical but I was part of the Weidlinger Associates
job, with Walter P Moore, then relocated University in Ankara. After that, I moved (which later became a part of Thornton
to New York City to take a job with Wei- to the United States for my master’s and Tomasetti) team that won the project bid.
dlinger Associates. He later worked for AE- PhD at Virginia Tech. I worked at struc- I was part of the Walter P Moore proj-
COM in New York. tural engineering firms in Las Vegas and ect team that designed the new Sheraton
It was the path he envisioned, but he New York City. Hotel in downtown Phoenix and Terminal
eventually realized something was missing. I was really fortunate to be part of 3 of what’s now Harry Reid International
Avci had accumulated plenty of knowl- signature projects in New York, including Airport in Las Vegas. I was lucky to be part
edge from his studies and experience. He One World Trade Center and the Second of design teams that worked on such big
felt compelled to share it with young minds. Avenue Subway. It was an excellent time to and public projects. We’re serving the com-
An academic career that began in 2012 be in New York City. The projects I worked munity, and I am happy about that. People
initially led Avci overseas, then he and his on were diverse—low-rise, mid-rise, high- just come and go through these structures.
family returned to the United States. He rise, below-ground, above-ground, with They don’t necessarily know us, but the
found a tenure track position at West Vir- seismic emphasis, within the U.S., and fact that they’ve been through these struc-
ginia University, where he’s the Herbert overseas—you name it. tures that we worked on is a good feeling.
P. Dripps faculty fellow in the school’s But after that, I wanted to go back to
Statler College of Engineering. His work academia. I moved to Qatar to be close to What made you want to get back into
there earned him an AISC 2024 Terry family members in Turkey. I was at Qatar academia?
Peshia Early Career Faculty Award, which University for about five years. Then, I I always wanted to come back to aca-
recognizes those who build a brighter came back to the U.S., and I was a non- demia because I wanted to connect with
future by supporting tomorrow’s leaders. tenure track faculty member at Iowa State students. I was very lucky to have great role
He was honored for his exceptional prom- University for about two years. West Vir- models in teaching: Thomas M. Murray, W.
ise and continued excellence in structural ginia hired me in 2022, and here I am. Samuel Easterling, and Daniel J. Inman.
steel research, teaching, and service to the They truly inspired me.
industry. What project from your time in New After the industry experience, I felt like
Avci spoke with Modern Steel Construc- York are you most proud of? I had put in time as a practicing engineer,
tion at NASCC: The Steel Conference in It’s hard to name one. One World Trade and it was time for me to go back and
San Antonio about his path, research inter- Center was a signature project. It had a teach it in an understandable way. I’m a big
ests, and more. lot of people—engineers, technicians, and believer in hands-on experience. Being in a
architects. I’m really proud to have been design office witnessing design problems—
part of a project like that. I learned from engineers are there to solve problems—is
everybody around me. not like what you see in a textbook. When
Another important project was the you’re in the game, you see different per-
Field Notes is Modern PATH Terminal Station right outside One spectives of things.
Steel Construction’s World Trade Center, which has a huge can- I wanted to transfer all the knowledge
podcast series, where tilever (the Oculus area) and required a lot and experience to students. It’s the ultimate
we interview people of vibration research. It cantilevers about job satisfaction for me. It’s more than the
from all corners of 60 ft out, if I remember correctly. projects, publications, and citations. It’s
the structural steel I also did work on about ten U.S. embas- the ultimate job satisfaction because the
industry with interesting stories to tell. sies. I worked on the embassy in Skopje, students are ready to learn from someone
Listen in at modernsteel.com/podcasts. Macedonia. I spent a lot of time on the U.S. who was part of an NFL stadium design
embassy in Afghanistan. The different U.S. or a signature tall building design. All this

18 | JUNE 2024
 field notes
experience, all this headache from solving
problems, and all that energy now has
better meaning because I can pass it on
to students. I think university faculty who
teach design classes must have real design
experience in an office and at jobsites.
In addition to the teaching side of
things, I have always been passionate about
research. I started on floor vibration ser-
viceability in grad school. Then, I switched
to structural health monitoring—still using
acceleration data and vibration behavior
observed in civil engineering structures.
I’ve been working on implementing
machine learning and deep learning tools
to structural health monitoring to elevate
and modernize conventional monitoring
practices to real-time data-driven struc-
tural damage detection.
By looking at the vibration response of
structures and forming baseline conditions,
we can now detect, localize, and quantify
damage with respect to the baseline con-
ditions for several types of structures. It’s
possible just by monitoring acceleration
information on the structure. I had tremendous colleagues and col- the instructor waves his hands and goes
Our several publications on this topic laborators, and I’m really proud of that over the slides. If the student thinks the
have been cited a lot because—to me— chapter in my research. We performed the question isn’t answered, the job isn’t done.
we performed and published pioneering research and people paid attention. To me, You must prepare yourself to be in the
research using acceleration information the mission is accomplished there. And of classroom. You should be under a little pres-
with machine learning tools. After a couple course, we didn’t stop. We’re working on sure so when the time comes, you’re ready
of successful publications, we were getting making it even better, faster, and cooler. to start teaching and pass the information.
a lot of questions from all over the world, When you have an example problem, they
and I told my graduate students at the time Was it intimidating at all the first time should be able to follow what you described.
that we should have a website so people can you got up in front of a lecture hall? It’s not that easy, especially if you want to
find the answers without asking us. Yes, and sometimes it still is. You have do a 120% complete job.
So, we formed the structuraldamagede- to have adrenaline and have to feel it. You I’m lucky because I’ve received posi-
tection.com website. It has a set of vibration need to be passionate about the topic so tive comments so far in multiple countries
data corresponding to 31 damage scenarios that the students can receive your energy. with different cultures and backgrounds.
for an inclined steel grid laboratory struc- You should be excited that the football is The Peshia Award is exciting. It fuels me
ture (to represent the inclined seating flavor being thrown at you—can you catch it? and puts more pressure on me to do bet-
of a stadium). It’s a benchmark database for Well, I caught it in practice; can I catch it ter things, which I like. I like to teach and
structural damage detection. in a real game when it matters? This is how research at the same time.
I thought we’d have fewer questions I look at it for the lectures; the students ask
from all over the world after we built the a stud question, and the instructor should What’s the next big research project on
website. Instead, we’ve probably tripled answer it on the spot correctly and surely. tap for you?
the questions, and I realized we were onto That goes back to my previous comment I’m really happy to be part of AISC’s
something big. We wanted to share the on the design office experience. FastFloor project and its outstanding team.
data for that research and make it publicly I look at teaching from this perspective: We have five universities, the Pankow
available. It’s always interesting to interact Let’s say you have $1 million, and I need Foundation, the MKA Foundation, AISC,
with other researchers. For instance, when $100. If you’re that rich, and if I need $100, and many other contributors. It’s a long
people look at our data and ask us questions, and you cannot give it to me, it doesn’t list; I don’t want to miss a name. I’m truly
it’s always a good feeling to see others on mean much to me that you have $1 mil- grateful to everyone involved in the Fast-
the planet using the data we generated, and lion. I have all this information. When Floor project.
the most important thing to me is that they the students ask about it, can I tell a story, My role is related to vibration service-
care about it. We’re glad it has been cited are we going to click, and is the question ability and acoustic testing. Structures are
a lot. answered? Otherwise, it doesn’t matter if becoming lighter and slenderer, and thus

Modern Steel Construction | 19

field notes

A 10 ft by 40 ft FastFloor module
being tested at West Virginia
University’s Structures Laboratory
under the supervision of Onur Avci.

Onur Avci

vibration serviceability is becoming more vibration serviceability, and acoustics. dynamic behavior of potential future dam-
critical. Even if you get the job done for These are important and relatively new age scenarios for any given structure.
strength and other limit states for deflec- items right now. In a machine-learning network model,
tions, that’s not necessarily good enough On another note, I’m focusing on other we can even transfer the damage informa-
when things are prone to vibration. For machine learning and deep learning meth- tion we learned on one structure to another
example, when you are sitting in front of ods, new materials to suppress vibrations, structure. That’s called transfer learning,
your computer, somebody walks by, and and new structural damage detection tools. and we have successfully applied it to
your screen shakes, it’s not exactly pleas- I have good team members and good stu- structural damage detection applications.
ant. You’re trying to focus, but your focus dents. I think we are in good shape. My recent publications are more focused
was disrupted by people walking or other on this topic. The bottom line is we’re
human-induced excitation. But you cannot What types of facilities are going to be always after the next novel idea in vibration
blame people for walking. responsible for the building boom? It serviceability, structural health monitoring,
Floor vibration serviceability has sounds like everything. and damage detection. ■
become a limit state because we have less Yes, and because of that, people want it
damping on structures nowadays. If you fast, I assume because we are almost in the This article was excerpted from my inter-
think about older structures where you second quarter of the 21st century. People view with Onur. To hear more from him,
have thick concrete slabs, and, at the same don’t have the time and patience they did listen to the June 2024 Field Notes podcast
time, have tons of shelves, furniture, and before. Once you rush, though, you don’t at modernsteel.com/podcasts.
papers, it’s a very congested floor with a lot have the luxury to miss important items.
of damping. But right now, if you look at Right now, understanding the dynamic
modern electronic offices, the slab is thin- behavior of engineering structures is
ner, and you don’t see much furniture and often overlooked, which can be dangerous.
bookshelves. Everything is in your hard Structural dynamics enables us to design
drive. That means less damping, and you’re for operational environments and design
more prone to vibration when you have for serviceability.
less damping. Based on all this, in my research, I’m
The global floor area is estimated to trying to blend fundamental structural
double by 2060 with 2.6 trillion sq. ft of dynamics knowledge with machine learn-
new floor added to the global stock. This ing tools. That has enabled my research
means there’s going to be a lot of construc- team to create novel structural damage Geoff Weisenberger
tion. People want it fast. When you put detection tools to detect, localize, and ([email protected]) is the
on a new floor, you not only worry about quantify unseen, small damage. The good editor and publisher of
the strength side of things, but also about news is that we can now generate the Modern Steel Construction.

20 | JUNE 2024
business issues

Embracing AI
BY BARRY J. BRUNS

Steel fabricators should think about artificial intelligence

with an open mind instead of worry.

THE THOUGHT OF AI pushing its If you want to avoid the disruption that Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC
way into the steel industry can create some AI is going to send your way, prepare to join 360-22), and other codes?
anxiety and nervousness among fabricators. the buggy whip manufacturers’ association. Maybe you laughed as you read the last
It’s a broad term and a nascent technology Here’s a real-life example relevant paragraph or thought, “No way.” But how
with a wide range of possible uses—all with to steel. I wrote an article in the June many of our grandparents and great-grand-
the potential to change a business’ process 2023 issue of Modern Steel Construction parents laughed at Henry Ford’s first auto-
of fabricating, ordering, estimating, and titled “Mapping Value” (available at mobile? Former IBM President Thomas
other essential functions. It could affect www.modernsteel.com) that broke J. Watson Jr. famously said his company
staffing needs and perform jobs currently down a process called value stream map- would sell no more than five computers on
done by workers. ping (VSM), a way of finding non-value- its first sales tour. They sold 18.
Uncertainty is scary, but it’s not a strong added time in a process. It had a visual of Laugh at your own peril. It does not take
enough reason to push the technology VSM in steel fabrication as an example much of an internet search to find a large
away and consider it poisonous to a busi- of a back-of-the-envelope map of steel group of people who laughed all the way to
ness. Rather, fabricators should be open to frame building processes. the poor house. The group of people who
it and curious about it. In the not-too-distant future, AI can embraced disruption and rose to the top of
Shift your mental gears: This is not replace the non-production coordina- the economic heap is much smaller. Steel
another call to peek outside your regular tion shown at the top of a steel construc- folks don’t usually consider themselves radi-
box, let alone think outside the box. Tear tion VSM, such as coordination between cal change agents. It’s time for a few of them
the box down and use it in the bottom of involved parties, evaluating preliminary to step forward and embrace the disruption.
your neighbor’s chicken coop. drawings, and soliciting and responding I would hate to see various fabricators,
Park the envelope and pencil you may to bid requests. As it learns to manage erectors, and general contractors try to
have long relied upon and engage the big- CNC production, it will also speed up out-compete each other in the AI world.
gest, baddest computer systems on earth. the shop workflow at the bottom of the The competition should be the concrete,
Yes, I’m talking about AI and machine VSM: ordering steel, managing inventory, wood, and other materials against steel—
learning. Both are booming in everyday life programming machines and workflow, and AI combined with steel’s advantage
now, for better or worse. Like steam power, scheduling deliveries, organizing loads, should help steel own the structural con-
internal combustion, jet engines, personal and coordinating with the erector. Even struction industries. Even when the other
computers, the internet, and social media, early involvement, with all its advantages, construction material industries employ AI,
AI disrupts norms. There may be fewer may join Blockbuster in the graveyard of and they will, the speed and flexibility of
things that it does not disrupt than it does. former essentials replaced by more conve- steel fabrication and erection should give it
Like I told a class of astronauti- nient new technology. an advantage—just as it does now.
cal engineering majors at the United What if? Spending time wondering if Or maybe we can all pick up some
States Air Force Academy in 2023, get AI will wedge its way into the steel industry empty Blockbuster stores on the cheap. ■
ready for change, because change is is focusing on the wrong question. Instead,
coming fast and furious. It’s not what assume it will and ask yourself what that
they normally hear, but it grabbed their means for the industry.
attention. That line destroyed their box What if AI replaced all those pre-pro-
of comfort, helping prepare them for duction processes? What if a builder just
defending our country and our way of asked for a structure that would satisfy
life long after us old folks are looking all needs on a particular piece of prop-
up at the roots instead of down at the erty, and a week later, it was coordinated,
grass. To paraphrase writer and aeronau- approved, and the steel ordered? What
tical engineer Robert Heinlein from five if AI handled environmental consider-
decades ago, we can bask in the warm ations, permits, and BIM interference, Barry J. Bruns, Col., USAF (Ret.),
fire of political correctness or live in the designing all the connections and ensur- formerly a fighter pilot for the
bleak uncertainty of reason and change, ing they met seismic codes, structural United States Air Force, is a
but we can’t do both. principles, the AISC Specification for Puma Steel board member.
Modern Steel Construction | 21
 Thank You Engineers
(and architects, contractors, builders,
designers, inspectors, manufacturers,
fabricators, students, and academics...)

Thank You Customers

To all you thousands and thousands.
You skilled artisans around the world.
You sharpen our minds and products.

30 years .

We are humbled. We are also

proud of what we have all created
together.

All the best,

Mr. Terry Kubat

on behalf of IES, Inc.

iesweb.com
Modern Steel Construction | 23
 Brown University’s Lindemann Center has a
creative steel frame crafted for a versatile performing arts space.

Frame of
Reference BY DAVID J. ODEH, SE, PE, JAY TAYLOR, SE, PE,
AND CARL GIEGOLD

24 | JUNE 2024
 BROWN UNIVERSITY sought more
than just a new performing arts space at
the center of its Providence, R.I., urban
campus. It wanted something designed on
the cutting edge. The school challenged
potential project designers to create a
dynamic space for artists and scholars to
collaborate and push the boundaries of the
performing arts.
Its chosen design team delivered.
The architect, REX, envisioned a bold
new building with unprecedented ability
to transform the shape and acoustics of
the performance space on demand. The
building would be transparent, unlike typ-
ical enclosed concert halls, hovering above
the surrounding streets and walkways and
engaging the community. The structural
engineering and acoustics teams—a col-
laboration of Odeh Engineers (a member
of WSP), Magnusson Klemencic Associ-
ates (MKA), and Threshold Acoustics—
devised a creative steel frame system that
gracefully achieves this vision, overcom-
ing the many challenges of the site and
program requirements.
The result is the Lindemann Perform-
ing Arts Center, which opened in October
2023 and used 1,800 tons of structural steel.
The Lindemann site, located on the
east side of Providence, is at the center of
Brown’s urban campus. A busy pedestrian
walkway and a city street abut the site,
making it a hub of campus activity. The
location was an opportunity to engage the
local community, but also a challenge to
isolate the performance space acoustically
from its surroundings.
The site had room for only one large
concert space, meaning the main hall had
to be versatile enough to accommodate
performances from large orchestras to
small recitals. Furthermore, the architect
proposed a clear glass slice through the
building, including the main hall, to let
passers-by see the performance and lobby
space inside. That architectural vision was
essentially a “floating box” hovering over
a transparent perimeter base, with moving
walls and ceilings to transform between
different types of concerts.
These challenges of the site and pro-
gram drove a unique structural solution—a
structure turned upside-down.

The Lindemann Performing Arts Center

opened in late 2023.
Iwan Baan

Modern Steel Construction | 25

 Odeh Engineers

Upside Down Structure: The Floating Box The floating box under construction.
To achieve the floating box, Odeh Engineers and MKA
designed a primary structural system consisting of deep perimeter
belt trusses, with diagonal members located in the solid walls of the The hanging gantries are four-level, 42-ft-tall by up to 59-ft-
box above the glass, supported by steel columns at the corners of long steel framed structures configured to support two levels of
the main performance hall. The belt trusses support north-south balcony seating and two levels of technical balcony. They also hold
roof trusses that clear span across the performance space, creating solid acoustic wall shaping and soffits. The moveable gantries are
an 86-ft by 113-ft column-free interior with an 8½-ft-tall unob- suspended from wheeled 3 ton “bogies” that traverse a series of hol-
structed transparent perimeter façade at its base. The belt trusses low structural section (HSS) members suspended from the roof truss
work with narrow braced frames at the east and west ends of the bottom chords. The side gantries can move up to 10½ ft toward the
performance box to create the lateral force resisting system. center of the performance hall, and the rear gantries can move up to
Instead of conventional, moveable seating towers bearing on 44½ ft toward the stage end of the performance hall.
the floor, the seating towers along each side and the rear of the Given the high sensitivity to vibrations at the seating and
Lindemann became four-level gantries suspended from the roof technical balconies, the gantries and all supporting framing were
above—hovering 9 ft above the performance level floor. Glass designed to very strict performance and deflection criteria. Addi-
walls with 1½-in. thickness are suspended from the gantries by tionally, each level of the suspended gantries had to align perfectly
their top edges and acoustically shape the room. These gantries with the adjacent ground-supported floor—requiring meticulous
retract in and out, acting as moveable walls and ceilings capable coordination between the design and contractor teams to account
of reducing the physical and acoustical volume of the perfor- for every 1⁄8 in. of construction tolerance and deflection to set the
mance space. gantries perfectly.

26 | JUNE 2024
 Odeh Engineers

above: The side gantries can move 10½ ft toward the center of the hall, below: The hanging gantries hover 9 ft
and the rear gantries can move up to 44½ ft toward the stage. above the performance floor.

Iwan Baan

Modern Steel Construction | 27

 Odeh Engineers

The erector used adjustable The center’s

shores to build the trusses exterior.
with a slight upward
camber.

One Room, Four Venues Traditional music spaces have heavy concrete or masonry
Lindemann’s main hall could best be described as multi-form walls, because the mass of those materials is important to acoustic
rather than multi-purpose. Most performance spaces that must warmth; the containment of low-frequency sound from basses,
accommodate multiple uses are built for the largest ensemble and bassoons, trombones, and low percussion are the foundation of an
audience—in this case an orchestra of 100 and chorus of 70 with orchestra’s sound. But heavy walls were not practical for the Linde-
an audience of about 550. These typical spaces accommodate the mann due to its unusual structural framing. Instead, the walls were
smaller performances as best they can by deploying absorption built of exceptionally stiff stud and drywall construction (l/720 at
and an orchestra shell or perhaps moving an acoustic canopy 9 psf uniform load—a criterion Threshold had used successfully in
over the stage. That approach can be acoustically successful, but the past for organ pipe chambers).
it does not fully acknowledge that rooms for solo performers and Threshold’s approach provides the required warmth inside,
their audiences are traditionally far more compact than those and combined with the somewhat lighter façade construction, it
accommodating a full orchestra and their much larger audiences. is equally effective at keeping street noise out of the hall. Walls
Audiences are closer to the performers in recital rooms and carried by the gantries (which would also ideally be concrete or
small theaters. The walls providing reflections critical to percep- masonry) are modular, bowed, medium-density fiberboard stiff-
tion of space are closer together, and sound reflected from them ened by a grid of plywood ribs with the cells filled with mineral
does not have to travel as far to reach listeners. The shorter dis- wool. They are much lighter than masonry, but the steel truss sys-
tances translate to shorter time delays and often distinctly more tem still supports a significant weight.
intimate acoustic and architectural experiences.
Lindemann’s main hall is unique in that its width, height, Cantilevered Lobby
and length—and thus its intimacy—are variable. The gantries To engage the adjacent pedestrian greenway and create an out-
essentially carry the acoustics with them, excluding the unwanted door gathering space for students, the lobby cantilevers 36 ft from
volume and placing the walls in the best location for the perfor- the east side of the building, with a stepped seating area leading
mance type. The acoustic volume can be further adjusted using to the building entrance above ground. The lobby is a dramatic
retractable acoustic ceiling panels that are suspended from the roof extension of the transparent band of windows, and the team was
trusses above the hall. Using these features, Threshold developed challenged to create these spans with minimal roof and floor fram-
four different modes for the hall: a concert hall, a recital hall, a ing depths and no diagonal members.
theater, and an immersive media cube. The structural engineers explored numerous ideas for the can-
The 62-ft concert hall mode width, required to accommodate tilevered lobby, including post-tensioned concrete, but settled on a
the orchestra of 100, can be reduced by 20 ft when all four side solution that incorporates seven steel Vierendeel trusses intercon-
gantries come in, right in the sweet spot of traditional recital hall nected at the floor and roof levels by horizontal diagonal members
and ballroom widths. In theater mode, the side gantries come in that further stiffen the system. The columns, arranged in a 10 ft by
at the audience and stay out at the stage to create wing space and 12 ft grid pattern within the lobby, consist of W12s with welded
define a proscenium. With the stage narrowed and the audience plates to form box sections, welded to W18 top and bottom chords.
widened, the east gantry can move 40 ft toward the stage to create The erector used adjustable shores to build the trusses with a
the immersive media cube. The room is always exactly the right slight upward camber, carefully calibrated to create a near level
size, with audiences and performers as close together as possible. structure after the placement of the floor slab and curtain wall. The
28 | JUNE 2024
 Iwan Baan Iwan Baan

Dynamic 3D light work covers the

30 columns inside the lobby.

cantilevered structure’s outer corners have ¾-in. diameter steel rods that allow for field
adjustment after erection and reduce deflections from floor live loads.
Brown commissioned a 3D dynamic light work called “Infinite Composition” by artist
Leo Villareal that covers the 30 columns inside the lobby, transforming the steel frame
into a beautiful work of public art.

A Creative Steel Solution

Through deeply collaborative work, the design and construction team successfully
used steel to achieve the transparent yet structurally resilient forms of the architecture
that meet the acoustic demands of this challenging project. The long span requirements,
architectural vision, suspended seating and technical gantries and unique construction
logistics made steel the only structural solution.
Beyond the architectural beauty and superlative performance spaces, the creative steel
structure delivered multiple advantages to the project. The building is net-zero ready, and
the electric arc furnace recycled steel structure provided a low embodied carbon system to
help meet Brown’s net-zero 2040 pledge for its campus.
Furthermore, the structure is truly adaptable, with future flexibility in the performance
spaces and rehearsal rooms built into the structural systems. The structure’s ability to float
above the public outdoor spaces below has already created a new gathering place for the
community to explore new ideas and experience the arts in a dynamic way. ■

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge the project structural and acoustical
design team members that included Brendan Mara, Jason Bacon, Michael Scancarello, Brian
Monteith, Lydia Moog (Odeh Engineers); Jay Taylor (MKA); and Shane Kanter and Nicolaus
Dulworth (Threshold Acoustics).

Owner
Brown University
Architect
David J. Odeh (odehdj
REX
@odehengineers.com) is a principal
Structural Engineers at Odeh Engineers (member
Odeh Engineers (member of WSP), Magnusson Klemencic Associates of WSP). Jay Taylor is a retired
General Contractor Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Shawmut Design and Construction senior principal, and Carl Giegold is
a partner at Threshold Acoustics.

Modern Steel Construction | 29

 A mall turned ice center in Tulsa redefines adaptive reuse.

Retail to Rinks BY NICK ERECKSON, PE, AND SCOTT WERT, PE

EMPTY SHOPPING MALLS are piling up at an increas- schedule when compared to construction of a new facility for
ingly fast pace. And practical solutions for reusing them instead of the same use. A condensed schedule allowed the facility to open
demolishing them are limited. roughly 18 months from project kickoff, with truss erection begin-
One Oklahoma mall’s second life, though, demonstrates a novel ning just eight months after design work started. Adaptive reuse
vision for transformation of a building designed for a no-longer- slashes labor time needed to install utilities and other building
essential and less popular activity. infrastructure.
The Tulsa WeStreet Ice Center project renovated an empty mall’s Moreover, adaptive reuse offers significant reduction in mate-
anchor department store into a versatile sports and entertainment rial use by keeping in place the exterior façade, roofing membrane,
facility that features twin ice rinks for community skating. Excit- and entire structural frame. When compared to a new-build facil-
ingly, it will also be the new home for the Tulsa Oilers minor league ity, re-adapting the existing department store building for the new
hockey team. The Twin-Ice Project showcases the possibilities that rinks provided a reduction in new construction concrete volume of
adaptive reuse offers in sports and commercial redevelopment. 75% and steel tonnage of 60%—lowering cost and project embod-
Beyond achieving the owner’s programmatic goals, adaptive ied carbon. Total steel weight for the building renovations reached
reuse of a building delivers benefits in cost, sustainability, and 510 tons.

30 | JUNE 2024
The arena opened to the public in March 2024. A look at existing steel column shoring during foundation replacement.

Perkins&Will Martin/Martin, Inc.

Renovating the department store for its new function meant Each rink required removal of 23,000 sq. ft of second-floor
significantly altering the floor and roof structures, which entailed framing and composite slab, equating to more than half of the
several complicated steps: total floor area. Additionally, 36 columns that existed within the
1. Convert the 28-ft by 56-ft bays into 28-ft by 112-ft bays footprint of the rinks needed to be removed. Those columns
over each ice rinks. supported the second floor, and 18 also supported the joist
2. Remove large portions of the second floor. and joist-girder-framed roof. Six new steel trusses provide re-
3. Address wind uplift pressures imparted on the light-framed support for the roof framing and span 112 ft across each rink—
and now long-span roof. designed to support the existing roof framing at the top of each
4. Leave as much of the exterior façade and roof in place as existing column.
possible while not affecting roof drainage at the new long- The new longer spans of the roof framing concentrates loads to
span elements. a smaller number of building columns and spread footing founda-
5. Maintain structural stability throughout the construction tions, which required replacement of 18 footings and reinforce-
process. ment of two remaining wide-flange columns.
6. Ensure the renovated structure meets current building
code requirements for a modified risk category.
Modern Steel Construction | 31
 The sequence of column demolition and
truss erection was closely coordinated with
general contractor Thompson Construction
Inc. and steel erector Bennett Steel (also the
fabricator) to ensure stability was maintained
during the erection process and that roof ele-
vations and slopes were not affected once the
trusses carried roof dead loads. Expected jack
loads and target jack heights were provided
to aid the erector in developing a jacking and
shoring plan and to identify issues during
jacking should the columns begin carrying
more load than anticipated.
Target jack heights ranging from 2 in.
to 3½ in. represented effective truss cam-
ber at which the truss members were to
be installed. Once the truss connections
were completed and the jacks lowered, the
trusses were intended to deflect, under the
self-weight of the roof system, back to the
original neutral position of the roof eleva-
tion. Bennett Steel provided feedback on
truss jack loads and truss deflection allow-
ing for adjustment of the target jack heights
using more accurate information regarding
the actual weight of the roof assembly sup-
ported by the new trusses.
The following construction sequence
was undertaken to re-support the roof:
1. Jack and shore existing columns
at truss ends and replace footings,
where required.
2. Attach top chords and webs to
existing columns, install bridging
elements loose.
3. One truss at a time, jack midspan
columns to target jack heights.
4. Install and tighten truss bottom
chord and web rods.
5. Demolish lower section of midspan
columns below jack point.
6. Lower jacks slowly and monitor
truss deflections.
7. Repeat process and re-tighten truss
above: A rink truss connection detail. below: The arena and former mall exterior.
rods for truss to deflect to neutral
position.
8. Repeat process with next truss,
weld bridging members between
completed trusses to stabilize each
completed truss.
Each new steel roof truss is effectively two
trusses; one positioned on each side of the
existing columns and joist girders—which
remained in place—with new double top and
bottom truss chords and double diagonal web
members. By integrating the existing col-
umns into the truss as vertical web members,
the existing roof structure remained fully
intact while erecting each truss.
Additionally, load was applied to the
trusses directly at panel points without

32 | JUNE 2024
 The completed steel roof trusses.
Adam Murphy Photography

changing how the existing roof joists and joist girders function and Connections for the rink trusses were customized for the Twin-
carry roof loads. The inverted bowstring shape of the truss allowed Ice Project to provide the erector with maximum fit-up tolerance
for the flat top chord to be located as high as possible beneath by utilizing built-up rod connections rather than specific hardware
the roof deck, and the curved bottom chord allowed for optimal for connecting and tightening the large diameter rods. Each rod
sightlines from the side of each rink. connects to a large gusset plate at truss panel points using nuts at
Rink truss design was fully customized to fit the unique condi- the threaded ends seated against a bearing plate welded between
tions of the new ice facility, including the chord and web member side plates. This simple nut connection allowed the erector suf-
shapes and truss connections. Top chords consist of deep hollow ficient field tolerance to tighten the rods enough to carry load as
structural section (HSS) tube shapes filled with grout to help add soon as the jacks were released.
weight and resist wind uplift pressures. The connection side plates connect to the truss gusset using
Meanwhile, bottom chords and diagonal web members use 2-in. solid steel pins, and the gusset connection includes central web
to 3-in. diameter high-strength rod members. The high rod strength plates welded to the existing column as well as horizontal stiffeners
led to the bottom chord sizes being controlled by truss deflection, to provide a simple and direct axial load path to the truss panel point.
with roof deflections under environmental loads limited in design to At the top chord, each HSS member is connected to the existing col-
ensure that roof slopes were maintained for effective roof drainage umn segment using built-up seat brackets, which aided in erection
and to limit distress on the existing framing being re-supported. of the chords prior to installation of the rest of the truss elements.

Steel truss and roof demolition diagram.

Modern Steel Construction | 33

 Martin/Martin, Inc. Martin/Martin, Inc.

above: The steel-framed raker and seating units.

left: Another look at the seating area framing.
below: The completed arena interior.

Adam Murphy Photography

34 | JUNE 2024
 Steel-framed seating was used
because of the building’s limited
interior height.
Martin/Martin, Inc.

Construction of the competition rink seating represents another leveraging the versatility of steel construction allowed the Tulsa
departure from convention by using steel framing and slab-on- Twin-Ice dream to be realized and a clunky unused space to find
metal deck to create the stepped stadia. Conventional arena stadia new life. ■
construction use steel or precast concrete rakers supporting pre- Owner and Owner’s Representative
cast concrete stadia. The building’s limited height, though, posed Andy Scurto, Tulsa Oilers
a challenge and caused issues with maneuvering large precast ele- International Coliseums Company (ICC)
ments within building confines.
General Contractor
Constructing the stadia with smaller steel framing for the raker
Thompson Construction, Inc.
and each tread allowed the erector to work with smaller equipment
and provided increased flexibility in forming the architect’s desired Architect
stadia shape. Composite decking formed the tread of each seating Perkins & Will
level, with concrete riser walls placed between each level. Structural Engineer
Another major upgrade and retrofit of the existing structure Martin/Martin, Inc.
involved the building’s lateral force resisting system. Removal of Steel Team
two large openings in the second-floor slab changed how lateral Fabricator and Erector
forces could be delivered from the second-floor diaphragm to the Bennett Steel Inc.
vertical lateral elements. Beam connections around the perimeter
Steel Detailer
of each opening were retrofitted to create effective diaphragm
Bennett Steel Inc.
chords and collector elements for lateral force transfer around the
CADeploy
large openings.
Existing braced frames were also found to be deficient in resist-
ing building wind and seismic forces formulated in accordance
with current building codes. Multiple bays of HSS tube bracing
were replaced and added, including modification to floor and roof
framing connections.
Furthermore, column base connections for shears and uplift
Nick Ereckson
forces delivered by the frames were also modified. The existing
(nereckson
building façade does not include windows or architectural features
@martinmartin.com)
with which the braces would clash, meaning a high number of
is a principal and
frames could be added to achieve a significant degree of redun-
Scott Wert (swert
dancy and to spread lateral force effects out across multiple foun-
@martinmartin.com)
dation elements. Adding those frames avoided costly foundation
is a senior project
element upgrades and replacement at the building’s perimeter.
engineer, both at
Building reuse offers a variety of benefits to owners and devel-
Martin/Martin.
opers and is a critical tool for engineers and builders to achieve
sustainability goals. Redeveloping an existing building can help
reduce a project’s embodied carbon, cost and construction duration
while still delivering an equivalent product for the owner. Think-
ing outside the box, developing creative engineering solutions, and

Modern Steel Construction | 35

 Heavy
Lifting
BY ROGER HEERINGA, SE, PE, JESSICA MARTINEZ, PE,
AND DENNIS PILARCZYK, PE

Steel was the essential piece of

an innovative two-story distribution
center that’s reimagining the
future of urban warehouses.

BUILDING A DISTRIBUTION CENTER just two

miles from a city center has obvious appeal for an owner.
The central location in a major city can offer unparalleled
access to a large concentration of consumers and com-
panies in a region. An urban location, though, means the
available building footprint shrinks.
As with all buildings in a dense area, the solution to
maximizing available space is building upward. But design-
ing a vertical warehouse has little in common with an office
or residential tower. One Midwest distribution center took
on the challenge.
The owner, structural engineer DCI Engineers, general
contractor The Walsh Group, project architect Ware Mal-
comb, structural steel fabricator Lyndon Steel, and Nucor’s
Construction Solutions team collaborated to bring a novel
multi-story warehouse distribution center design to life.
The warehouse is the first of its kind in the region and
offers an innovative solution to future demand for new
industrial facilities in more densely populated urban areas.
The building’s multi-story design posed some signifi-
cant design and construction challenges. One of its unique
features is that trucks can load and unload goods on an
elevated floor designed to maximize warehouse usage. The
rack loading is typically on the grade level in distribution
warehouses.
The elevated warehouse floor meant design consider-
ations needed to include high loads and deflection criteria.
The Walsh Group

The warehouse’s most distinct feature is its second-level

loading and unloading zone.

36 | JUNE 2024
Modern Steel Construction | 37
The Walsh Group

Accommodating a racking system to store shipments and the abil- above: The warehouse is 1.5 million sq. ft.
ity to operate forklifts meant the second-floor structure needed right: Aeos ASTM A913 reduced tonnage while meeting the required
to handle the HS-20 (highway safety) loading requirements for loading and turning radius conditions for having 18-wheelers on a
18-wheelers while also having enough space for a large turning second-floor loading area.
radius. The roof-level parking also contributed to the challenges
with its high loads and long spans.
The heavy loads imparted by the rooftop parking, elevated structure weight limits while also reducing costs and steel weight.
warehouse storage, and lateral system required the design and Aeos also provides substantially reduced preheat requirements,
fabrication team to develop a unique solution to keep the framing which can result in savings in fabrication, field-welded connec-
system weight down. Nucor’s Aeos™ ASTM A913 high-strength tions, and labor and energy costs compared to A992 without add-
structural steel was the clear choice to reduce tonnage while sup- ing additional effort for a fabricator. Aeos’ high strength-to-weight
porting the required loading conditions. ratio means reduced tonnage and easier material handling at the
DCI’s design team called Aeos A913 Grade 65 high-strength fabrication shop and job site, reducing time, weight, and cost.
structural steel a cost-savings “no-brainer” because it meant cut-
ting 15 to 20% of steel weight. Some of the warehouse’s large gird- A Sustainability Win
ers were extremely heavy, so using structural steel with a higher Using Aeos A913 resulted in 165 tons of material savings, help-
strength-to-weight ratio compared to more common building and ing DCI meet its commitment to reducing its projects’ carbon
warehouse material ASTM A992 offered a cost savings advantage footprints. One of the best ways to make a project more sustainable
because fewer tons were required to support the same load. Nucor’s is to reduce material, because a project saves 100% of the global
steel provided a solution that addresses clear height and overall warming potential for that material it didn’t use. Additionally,

38 | JUNE 2024
The Walsh Group

Modern Steel Construction | 39

 The Walsh Group

above: The warehouse sits on an 11.5-acre parcel. below: Aeos A913 Grade 65 reduced 15 to 20% of the steel weight.

The Walsh Group

40 | JUNE 2024
 The project found 1,063 metric tons
of CO2 equivalent savings.
The Walsh Group

much of the project’s structural steel, including Aeos, was produced at Nucor-Yamato
Steel Company in Arkansas, and the project team used that mill’s facility-specific Global
Warming Potential (GWP) values when it conducted a life cycle assessment.
Through efficient design practices and procurement strategies, DCI and Nucor’s
Construction Solutions team found 1,063 metric tons of CO2 equivalent savings—the
equivalent of taking 237 gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for one year, according
to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator.
Aeos is the only domestically produced A913 steel. It’s sustainably made with more than
95% recycled content (scrap metal is the primary feedstock) using Nucor’s circular elec-
tric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking process, the cleanest steelmaking method commercially
available today. That combination makes Aeos the lowest embodied carbon steel of its kind.
The multi-story distribution center is also pursuing a LEED Silver certification. To
achieve LEED certification—a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achieve-
ment—points are collected based on carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materi-
als, health, and indoor environmental quality.

A Model For The Future

Passersby will have difficulty missing the massive 1.2 million sq. ft, multi-story ware-
house on 11.5 acres near a city center. The building design includes two warehouse levels
where full-size trucks can enter to load and unload goods and two mezzanines. The roof
will feature parking for cars and can also be used for van parking, a unique feature for this
type of building. It will have a pedestrian bridge that connects to a separate parking garage.
This innovative warehouse will hopefully serve as an inspiration for other developers
who want to use prime, central city space for distribution warehouses and other types of
commercial projects that support the current and future waves of hybrid work, ecom-
merce, high-density urban living, and instant delivery. It underscores how steel can maxi-
mize limited space while helping meet sustainability goals.
The project team expects to see increasingly higher demand for low-impact designs
with sustainability commitments and legislation becoming the standard for the built
world. When coupled with the necessity for those sustainable designs to be durable and Roger Heeringa is a principal and
long-lasting, specifying steel products can help put architects, engineers, fabricators, and Jessica Martinez is a structural
owners in a good position to meet a project’s structural strength requirements and sustain- sustainability specialist, both with
ability goals. ■ DCI Engineers. Dennis Pilarczyk
Architect Connection Design ([email protected]) is a
Ware Malcomb Drucker Warner Associates Construction Solutions manager at
Nucor Corporation.
General Contractor Steel Fabricator
The Walsh Group Lyndon Steel
Structural Engineer
DCI Engineers

Modern Steel Construction | 41

 AI Arrival
BY DANIEL KAMAU, PENG,
AND
GRAYSON INGRAM, PHD

The steel industry is increasingly turning

to AI as one way to help improve efficiency and
tackle problems.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) has taken the world by performance on a wide range of tasks. In recent examples, AI sys-
storm, revolutionizing the way machines and computer systems tems have passed the multiple choice and written portions of the
think, learn, and perform tasks that were previously the exclusive bar exam and the highly competitive Fundamentals of Engineering
domain of human intelligence. While some industry sectors have Environmental Exam.
been reluctant to use AI and are skeptical of its impact, the steel Since late 2021, public awareness of AI has exploded with
industry is increasingly pushing past its initial hesitation and tack- advances in Generative AI, a subset of AI that can generate new
ling age-old challenges with AI. content, such as images, text, audio, or video, similar to or indis-
The construction and trade industries are plagued with signifi- tinguishable from real examples. These systems use vast amounts
cant issues in labor shortage, low productivity, volatile costs, and of data collected from the Internet to allow the models to learn
manual and repetitive workflows ripe for AI technology innova- patterns. The most well-known generative AI tool today is Chat-
tion. AI systems today can perform tasks like understanding human GPT, which can generate human-like responses to text prompts.
language, recognizing patterns, learning from experience, and Generative AI tools can paint pictures, write poetry, develop archi-
making predictions and decisions. There is no better time than tectural designs, and establish proposals independently.
now for innovations that can be used to reduce wasted time and
material, alleviate worker stress, and help our industries work safer Common Types of AI and Their Applications
and faster. AI is already impacting construction speed and quality, A single AI system has yet to match or exceed human-level
efficient material use, and will continue to impact the planning, intelligence across a wide range of cognitive tasks, a benchmark
designing, fabrication, and construction phases of projects. referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI). Instead, existing
AI applications are limited to narrowly defined ones that mimic
Historical Context human performance on specific tasks—referred to as narrow AI.
To understand why AI is poised to have a transformative impact Today’s most popular AI systems leverage vast amounts of
across industries, start from the earliest mentions of AI and the data using neural networks, a mathematical structure inspired
breakthroughs that led us to where we are today. In 1950, com- by the biological neural networks found in the brain, to uncover
puter scientist Alan Turing introduced the “Turing Test”—also patterns, learn, and make predictions from available data. These
called the “Imitation Game”—in his paper, Computer and Machine neural networks and the architectures developed around them
Intelligence. The Turing Test measures a machine’s intelligence by have led to significant advancements in computer vision and
having a human evaluator interact with a machine and a human, natural language processing—two subsets of narrow AI—as well
without knowing which is which, and judge the machine’s success as other areas. Project owners, engineers, architects, fabricators,
based on whether it can convincingly mimic human behavior. and contractors have leveraged the advancements to work faster
Five years later, scientist and professor John McCarthy, known and more accurately.
as the father of AI, held a conference at Dartmouth College and Computer vision is a powerful technology used to interpret and
coined the phrase “Artificial Intelligence.” Throughout the next understand the visual world. Within construction, computer vision
two decades, scientists advanced AI technologies and some compa- algorithms are used to monitor construction progress and identify
nies began using them to support human workers. safety risks faster and often more accurately than a human can.
After decades of incremental research progress and exponential One exciting application of computer vision allows fabricators to
growth in available computing power, AI can now replicate human scan construction bidding plans and output material takeoffs.

42 | JUNE 2024
 For example, King Steel, an AISC member fabricator in Law- financial, societal, or safety consequences, using systems and
renceville, Ga., is one of many fabricators using SketchDeck.ai’s designing workflows that incorporate human oversight and inter-
program “LIFT” to cut their material takeoff times by 50%, giving vention can mitigate risks and ensure safety. While AI can often
them two extra days per week to focus on higher-value tasks. outperform humans in narrow tasks with great accuracy, the more
Natural language processing (NLP) is an AI technique embed- complicated a decision-making process becomes, the higher the
ded in popular applications like virtual assistants or chatbots. It likelihood for AI errors. A human-in-the-loop approach is essen-
allows computers to understand, interpret, and generate text and tial to building trust within an organization and mitigating the
speech in a way that is understandable to humans. The steel indus- impact of errors that are inherent in probabilistic systems.
try and other construction contractors can use custom built NLP Successful AI implementation often requires identifying indi-
models and tools to scan contracts to identify risks, scope, and viduals within an organization who are enthusiastic about AI and
missing components ahead of time. willing to champion its adoption. They should be advocates, edu-
Many NLP applications function as virtual assistants, cators, and role models for others, helping to promote a culture
researchers, and consultants to help ensure consistent quality of innovation and learning. Companies should empower these AI
and considerations within contracts. When thinking about where champions or specialists to lead AI initiatives, share knowledge,
NLP might be useful in your organization, consider where you and drive organizational change.
could use an assistant to read documents and answer questions or It’s also important to invest in skills development and upskilling
write reports based on their reading. for your teams to gain the knowledge and expertise required to
In addition to working with images and text, AI can analyze a work effectively with AI. Many AI tools and educational options
wide range of structured and unstructured data sources that can be are available for free to the public.
used at all stages of a construction project. For those not sure where to start, think about your organiza-
In the design and planning processes, AI systems could analyze tion’s most pressing challenges. Are your teams overwhelmed by the
enormous amounts of data from past projects, material proper- amount of work they process? Are you having difficulty managing
ties, and environmental factors to support the design of efficient your schedules, completing your designs promptly, or responding
and cost-effective steel structures. Some engineers and designers to customers? Using AI to tackle your most significant challenges
are using these systems to create internal search engines for their will often lead to the highest impact on your organization. Despite a
technical data sets, and others have attempted to use these tools keen focus on your biggest problems, starting small and re-investing
to provide a cold start during design, proposal writing, contract in technologies that show great promise is a sure way to win with AI.
creation, and review that saves valuable time.
Predictive maintenance and quality control are other vital areas Future Outlook
where AI can impact the construction industry by monitoring steel Many fabricators across the country using AI software are
structures and collecting data in real time from various cameras, already seeing its benefits. SteelFab, Inc. vice president of pre-
sensors, and devices. AI algorithms can take the data and detect construction Jonathan Mertz and senior estimator Garrett Galla-
potential issues, such as corrosion, fatigue, and structural weak- gher each attest to AI creating time savings that help the company
ness, before they cause damage or harm. Proactive and predictive minimize errors, bid on more work, focus on proposals, respond
maintenance reduces downtime and ensures the safety and dura- to customers faster, and improve the overall quality of bids. A nov-
bility of steel structures. elty tool for them and others not long ago has quickly become an
Similar technologies to those that monitor structures can also essential part of their work.
predict equipment failures before they happen. By monitoring Similar stories are being told across multiple industries. As AI
machinery and equipment operational conditions, typically with continues to revolutionize industries, its transformative power is
sensors and data analytics software, AI can identify patterns that clear: by harnessing its potential, companies can overcome labor
could indicate a potential breakdown or significant wear, provid- shortages, reduce costs, and drive growth, ultimately gaining a
ing consistent quality during production and increasing safety. competitive edge in a rapidly evolving landscape. ■
Work previously done by an individual can now be completed
with AI’s help and reduce the time and effort required in design,
planning, and construction phases. Streamlined processes will
benefit owners, designers, fabricators, and contractors when deal-
ing with changing information during design and construction and
while processing numerous data points in complicated projects.
Daniel Kamau
Considerations for AI Implementation ([email protected])
AI’s opportunities are endless, but it is not yet infallible. Cre- is the founder and CEO,
ativity and speed can at times come at the cost of accuracy. In some and Grayson Ingram
cases, AI systems can hallucinate, making connections in the data ([email protected])
where none exist. A generative AI tool used to describe an image or is a product manager,
summarize a document may add details that aren’t present in the both at SketchDeck.ai.
image or in the document itself.
Those glitches have made companies and workers ask if they
can trust AI. Will it be accurate enough? Is company data private
and safe? Are teams and staff prepared for the impact it will have?
How and where should companies start implementation?
In high-stakes applications where errors could have severe

Modern Steel Construction | 43

 Steel’s Slam Dunk
BY KATE DUBY, PATRICK ENGEL, AND MEGAN ERICKSON

NASCC: The Steel Conference smashed attendance records for a third

straight year and united all corners of the industry.

THE STEEL INDUSTRY’S BIGGEST STAGE coincided with And often, cost scares clients away from choosing a sustainable
college basketball’s shining moment to deliver three days of opti- project—they hear “sustainability” and see a big dollar sign.
mal madness in San Antonio this March. Throughout his career, Hajjar has seen firsthand that when
Nearly 7,000 attendees from all areas of the steel industry gath- architects propose aesthetically beautiful designs, clients accept with
ered in Texas’ second-largest city from March 20–22 to network, little hesitation. Sustainability, though, brings out their trepidation.
see the latest innovations and products in the business, attend ses- “When [designers] propose something that is sustainable, the
sions that covered all areas of steel construction, and catch some client calculator comes out, and we start talking cost, technical
of the March Madness action at AISC’s basketball-themed booth. innovation and leadership alone may not do the trick.”
The solution, Hajjar said, is an industry-wide mindset shift
Rethinking Sustainability whereby if a structure is not resilient, it feels unsafe, and if it’s not
Northeastern University’s Jerome F. Hajjar, PE, PhD was one sustainable, it feels ugly.
of several keynote speakers at The Steel Conference, and he chal- “Let’s put a positive spin on it,” Hajjar said. “Let’s lead a culture
lenged all engineers in attendance. The industry is in an optimal shift in our mindset so that if our structure is resilient, it feels safe; if it
position to be a guiding force for resilience and sustainability, but is sustainable, it feels beautiful. There’s hope for the future.”
industry leaders must reframe how they think about both.
“This is a time when new materials, new design strategies, and Buckle Up
new systems have the potential to revolutionize the way we think A presentation from the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award win-
about our designs, our processes, and our profession,” Hajjar said ner is a Steel Conference staple, and Johns Hopkins University
to a crowd of about 1,700. professor Benjamin Schafer, PE, PhD, delivered this year’s.
Hajjar, the 2024 SSRC Beedle Award recipient, dove into the Schafer won the 2024 Higgins Award for his research on
role of structural engineers in mitigating the inevitable impacts of local buckling limits. On the surface, local buckling sounds like a
climate change by challenging existing mindsets around sustain- problem—and a presentation titled “Think Global, Buckle Local:
ability and resilience. Exploring Local Buckling in Structural Steel” sounds like a thor-
When engineers design for resilience, arming the built envi- ough examination of that problem.
ronment against damage from natural disasters and other impacts Schafer views it differently, though. Local buckling can be more
of climate change, they are already designing sustainably—the of an asset than a burden with the right understanding.
two go hand in hand. Hajjar shared findings from more than a Observed as far back as the mid-19th century, local buckling is
decade of research on resilience, explaining how engineers can a phenomenon that causes wrinkles, puckers, and as Scottish civil
apply fuse-based design to protect our buildings and bridges well engineer William Fairbairn described in his 1846 bending tests,
into the future. “hummocks” in plates. These tests and other early observations of
Hajjar discussed controlled rocking structural systems as one steel’s behavior under various conditions of stress paved the way
example of using easily replaceable inelastic fuses that prevent col- for industry-wide code that has helped engineers predict and con-
lapse but also enable quick reoccupancy after extreme seismic and trol local buckling.
wind events. That method stands in contrast to traditional collapse Schafer, who has centered much of his research on local buck-
prevention approaches that focus exclusively on occupant safety. ling, admits that engineers aren’t necessarily keen on embracing
Similarly, employing energy-dissipating elastomeric bearings in the phenomenon. In fact, they often take the route of eliminating
bridge design limits force transfer from the foundation and pro- local buckling because it simplifies material behavior, avoids defor-
tects bridges from collapse in a seismic event, Hajjar said. Over mation, and increases durability for the structures in question.
time, replacing these small fuses in a building or bridge’s substruc- He asked engineers to take a new look at local buckling as a means
ture is more sustainable, adaptable, and cost-effective than replac- to minimize member size while allowing for controlled deformation,
ing the entire building or bridge. even if it means there is more complex behavior involved.

44 | JUNE 2024
 Left: Jerome Center: Right:
F. Hajjar Benjamin Attendees
speaks during Schafer play Pop-A-
his keynote receives his T.R. Shot at the
address. Higgins plaque. AISC booth.

“Was it too complicated when I looked at that plate,” he urged “I challenge each of you to take your technical depth—for me,
engineers to ask themselves, “or can I use that to my advantage?” that’s local buckling—and apply it widely to see what you can make
Schafer discussed the mathematics and mechanics of local better,” Schafer said. “Our modern social needs and our scientific
buckling by examining the evolution of width-to-thickness knowledge provide an opportunity for a new era of structural engi-
ratios published in editions of the Specification for Structural Steel neering excellence.”
Buildings throughout the past century, pointing out that the
ratios have gotten more and more complex with new research. Working on the Future
Despite the complexity involved in predicting sites of local The Steel Conference had a forward-thinking aspect as well.
buckling, Schafer pointed out a key factor that can simplify the The Be Pro Be Proud virtual workshop trailer returned this year
calculations: slenderness. as the centerpiece of AISC’s Workforce Zone, a steel-building
“Getting local slenderness right is a huge ‘unlock,’” Schafer playground that introduces conference participants to every
said. “Instead of having huge tables, we can look at two values.” piece of a fabricator’s job and showcases engagement ideas for
Two separate paths—eliminating or embracing local buckling— recruiting in architecture, engineering, and construction, specifi-
are a historic precedent, but Schafer believes that modern tools cally in the skilled trades.
and design methods enable engineers to find a middle ground. “Bringing something physical to the conference this year was
“There’s no real reason why anyone shouldn’t be allowed to important,” said AISC director of workforce development Jennie
use all the tools,” he said. “With this unlock of local buckling and Traut-Todaro. “Programs, services, activities, and industry part-
modern design methods, you get to use both paths.” nerships came together to highlight different experiential ways to
This knowledge is vital for the understanding it imparts on the engage and attract new talent. Real life and virtual engagement
industry, but Schafer discussed the global goals it will also help the tools served as discussion starters, and that is where a lot of the
industry accomplish. Citing former Princeton University profes- steel industry is right now.”
sor David Billington, who studied structural excellence, he pointed The most enthusiastic Workforce Zone visitors were about 100
to society’s modern structural needs as perhaps the greatest bene- San Antonio-area Career and Technical Education (CTE) students
factor of local buckling understanding. who stopped by as part of an exhibit hall tour. They had a chance
“We’re not in a situation where we can afford to keep putting to connect with every corner of the structural steel industry and
‘more’ into the world,” Schafer said. “As we look to the future, consider it when planning their career path.
where advanced high-strength structural steels are more com- That connection appeared to be strong. Students were fre-
mon and every designer is pressed to maximize sustainability and quently heard comparing their scores on the virtual welding
minimize the thickness of the steel they employ, the importance of machine, gathering around a classmate operating a crane simula-
mastering local buckling is only growing.” tor, and laughing through their trial-and-error attempts on the
Local buckling as a social solution rather than a structural prob- machines. They also learned how to measure steel members and
lem is a new perspective to take, but one that can shape the future talked with Nucor representatives about the industry.
of structural engineering. Schafer discussed how engineers’ techni- The students left having experienced all pieces of the Work-
cal depth is a strength, but they must not be afraid of applying that force Zone, one small but significant step to help correct a growing
strength to issues of increasing breadth, including sustainability supply and demand problem. The construction industry will need
and resiliency in structures. to surpass its average hiring pace by 501,000 additional workers to

Modern Steel Construction | 45

AISC’s Newest Program meet the demand for labor, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
The Fabricator Education Training Program Attracting a younger workforce to offset a growing number of retiring
is designed to provide AISC members with tradespeople is crucial in combatting the shortage. Those efforts start with
an easy way to introduce basic concepts to challenging perceptions attached to working in construction and the trade
new employees at their fabrication shops. industry so the next wave of workforce entrants sees it as a promising path
As a robust supplement to in-person train- rather than a fallback option.
ing, the program intends to help new hires “Be Pro Be Proud’s mission is to change the view students, parents, and
acquire necessary skills as quickly as pos- teachers have of skilled professions, manufacturing, transportation, construc-
sible to feel more involved and supported in tion, and utility sectors,” said Andrew Parker, Be Pro Be Proud’s executive
their new roles, which will help them prog- director. “We hope a student will come on board the truck, explore the simu-
ress into more specialized career paths that lations, hear the message, look at the content, see what opportunities look
become available with experience. like, and pay attention.”
“New employees can get overwhelmed The student tours and trailer visits involve more than just a virtual step
with all the things they don’t know about into a skilled trade job. The students learned about the salary potential and
steel fabrication,” said Joel Landsverk, path to management in the trades, two essential pieces of a successful pitch.
AISC’s Fabricator Education Program man- Both have previously left students pleasantly surprised and knocked down
ager. “This new training will introduce them their perception, Parker said.
to the tools, language, and environment of Steel-related, hands-on engagement stations staffed by AISC and other
a real fab shop, helping them to get com- exhibitors who make steel components surrounded the trailer. Attendees
fortable and productive, faster than ever.” could try bolt installation, snap in magnetic welds, and learn how to identify
The first 14 courses of the program a member’s size through measurement and some simple math. They could
include about five hours of training content. compete against other attendees in a virtual welding competition and take
One standout quality of these courses is a virtual reality tour of a steel mill. The trailer had virtual-reality simulators
their training approach. Presented mostly where participants could practice welding, drive a truck, operate a robotic
in video segments, they are centered arm, drive an excavator, and more.
around mentor/employee scenarios, with “We’re always looking for ways to train and bring kids into the trades and
an expert fabricator standing in as the men- see what other people are doing,” said Kevin Traynor, President and COO of
tor. New hires who take the training will be JGM Fabricators and Constructors, following a stop at the Workforce Zone.
introduced to essential skills, such as how “The best way to learn is by getting all the smart people together and figuring
to properly read and use a tape measure, out what everybody is doing to get people into the trades.
how to use a grinder, and even how to torch “If you can get simulators into high schools and grade schools and let kids
cut. The scenarios depicted in the courses see how to be a welder, equipment operator, or a driver—that’s great and
play out just as they would in a real fabrica- where we all have to start as an industry.”
tion shop, and all content is created in fully All conference participants could learn something from the Workforce
active fabrication shops to deliver maximum Zone—even steel fabricators. The hands-on activities and engagement can
authenticity and effectiveness. serve as an educational springboard for local talent outreach efforts and inte-
Through firsthand experience working grate into fabricators’ own workforce development programs. They capitalized
with new hires, Kenny Hicks, a structural on the benefits of experiential learning, putting the architecture, engineering,
steel training specialist with Able Steel Fab- and construction industries at a distinct advantage over other careers.
ricators, Inc. in Mesa, Ariz., can attest to the Providing immersive introductory experiences to a fabricator’s local
benefits the program will bring to fabrica- Career and Technical Education (CTE) students can build and strengthen
tors across the country. community partnerships. A workforce development program has a limited
“Every steel employer in America is reach if it doesn’t effectively connect with and educate the future workforce.
looking for talent right now. We can get Many fabricators have partnerships with local trade schools, but they can
employees, but can we get talent?” Hicks effectively reach beyond them to a more general audience with the right
said. “The industry is starving for talent, so approach. And successful outreach and recruitment of new labor goes
the only way we’re going to fix it is through beyond convincing the potential worker that the trade industry is a viable
training. The industry needs what [AISC is] career path.
doing. We needed it 20 years ago [so that] “[Perception challenges] are usually not with the kids, but with their par-
we wouldn’t have gone through this slump ents,” Traynor said. “We try to do outreach to the parents as well. If we inter-
that we’re coming out of now.” view a high school kid or take one on a tour, we ask them to bring a parent and
The Fabricator Education Training Pro- see how they can build a career.”
gram is already growing and will go live in Meanwhile, engineers in attendance could witness and appreciate the
early summer 2024. Throughout 2024, it process of fabricating the steel members and connections they select when
will add fitter training courses to its library designing buildings—and the skill level required.
focusing on drawing reading, construction The Workforce Zone also included a sign-up station for BlueRecruit, a
math, and basic layout and fit-up strategies. job platform that can help steel industry employers find the right talent by
Visit aisc.org/fabricatortraining to sign up connecting tradespeople with their next step or first step into the industry.
for updates. Those employers are actively seeking help and looking everywhere for it.

46 | JUNE 2024
 “The skilled trade gap has been identified by our industry and beyond,” Traut-Todaro
said. “The activities we featured are the seeds of ideas of how our members can teach their
local community about the sustainable and rewarding careers found in steel.”

Floor Finds
Keynotes drew the highest attendance of all sessions, but they were just a few of the
300-plus presentations during the conference. Sessions ranged from technical talks geared
toward structural engineers to fabricator-specific topics to business acumen relevant to
any attendee in a leadership position.
Anyone who missed a session of interest can watch a replay of it online at
aisc.org/learning. Engineers can earn up to 16 PDHs by watching sessions online. If
you didn’t explore the exhibit hall floor, turn to page 48 for Modern Steel Construction’s
annual Hot Products section. This year, it highlights more than 35 exhibitors’ latest and
best offerings that were on display during the conference. The hall’s 250,000 sq. ft of floor
space had 355 exhibitors showcasing some of their best offerings.
The heavy machinery area was, as usual, a must-see for fabricators. At EMI’s booth,
visitors could grab a face shield and watch sparks fly from EMI’s Angle-Channel Process-
ing Center that can cut through a steel pipe in seconds.
“The plasma doesn’t melt the steel—it literally vaporizes it,” said manager Mark Ferrance.
The machine can heat metal up to 20,000 degrees—twice as hot as the surface of the sun.
Nearby, Peddinghaus had several machines displayed on its booth’s patented orange
carpet. The company ran the PeddiSubX 1120 beam drill line every 30 minutes. Ped-
dinghaus and Lincoln Electric could not demo their robotic welding offerings inside the
exhibit hall, but visitors to their booths could examine the machines up close and grab a
Guinness poured from a tap attached to the welding arm.
Elsewhere, exhibit hall explorers could use augmented reality to check if steel beams
are up to standard at FabStation’s booth. FabStation allows fabricators to get quick, precise
measurements and seamless 3D model visualizations of complex steel assembly structures
and integrates with several detailing softwares. Kate Duby ([email protected]) is AISC’s
Engineered Supply had ongoing demonstrations of its portable rope hoist system for communications content specialist,
easy use with roof and wall anchor points. AISC President Charles J. Carter was a special Patrick Engel ([email protected]) is
guest on the rope hoist system, taking a ride to the ceiling during the opening reception. the associate editor of Modern Steel
The Steel Conference and all its events—from familiar staples to new faces and fea- Construction, and Megan Erickson
tures—will return April 2–4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. ■ ([email protected]) is AISC’s digital
communications specialist.

Modern Steel Construction | 47

 Every year, the exhibit hall at NASCC: The Steel
Conference features the latest offerings for creating
and building successful structural steel projects.

2024
Hot Products
This year’s NASCC: The Steel Conference once again shattered
attendance and exhibitor records. Nearly 7,000 industry profes-
sionals gathered in San Antonio in late March, eclipsing the
2023 conference’s record crowd by nearly 1,000. All attendees
could visit 355 exhibitor booths—also a record—that featured
a wide range of products, services, equipment, and machines
targeting at least one link in the steel supply chain. Modern
Steel Construction gathered nearly 40 new and compelling
offerings that were on display in the exhibit hall.

All product, software, and service information was submitted by the manufacturers, developers,
and providers. This list does not constitute endorsement by Modern Steel Construction or AISC.

48 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

Lindapter Hollo-Bolt
Hollo-Bolt is the original expansion bolt designed and manufactured by
Lindapter since 1985. Its latest version is the only blind fastener for structural
steel approved by the ICC Evaluation Service for combined loads in high-
seismic regions. Lindapter is the only blind bolt manufacturer to have ICC-
ES approvals for its entire range, including every size (diameter and length),
every finish, corrosion protection and material, every head type (hexagonal,
countersunk, and flush fit), and every seismic design category A through F.
With Lindapter Hollo-Bolts, steel sections can be connected quickly to
pre-drilled hollow structural sections (HSS) with no proprietary tools and
access from only one side. This faster alternative to welding or through-bolt- Allfasteners NexGen2
ing enables contractors to reduce construction time and labor costs. Other Oneside Bolt
features and benefits of Hollo-Bolt include: The Allfasteners NexGen2 Oneside Bolt is
• Design for fatigue resistance now included in ESR 3330 a fastening solution designed to streamline
• LABC and LARC supplements for Los Angeles now included in installation processes and enhance structural
ESR 3330 integrity. With a unique design that allows for
• CBC and CRC supplements for California included in ESR 3330 one-sided installation, this bolt eliminates the
• ICC-ES approved for all seismic design categories (A through F) need for access to both sides of the connection,
• Carbon Steel variants independently fire tested per ASTM E-119 making it ideal for applications where space
• Fast cost saving installation from one side or accessibility is limited. It’s a versatile and
• Suitable for square, rectangular and circular hollow sections reliable fastening solution that offers superior
• High resistance to shear and tension performance and ease of installation.
• Unique high clamping force design The NexGen2 Oneside Bolt features high-
• Recognized in the AISC Steel Construction Manual strength steel construction, ensuring reliable
• Carbon steel variants tested to -50°F performance in demanding environments
For more information, visit www.lindapter.com/us. such as concrete, steel, and timber. Its innova-
tive design includes a self-tapping thread that
enables quick and easy installation without
needing pre-drilling, reducing labor costs and
project timelines. The bolt’s large diameter
and deep thread provide exceptional pull-out
resistance, making it suitable for heavy-duty
applications. Additionally, the bolt’s corrosion-
resistant coating ensures long-lasting durabil-
ity, making it ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
Visit www.allfasteners.com to learn more.

Canam Elocone Elongated Nuts

Elocone by Canam is the ultimate solution for unforeseen construction challenges.
As an erector, have you ever learned on a jobsite that your anchor rods were too
short? Have you ever poured concrete foundation but realized there’s not enough
projection to erect and connect the building’s columns? This is where Elocone nuts
can help.
These specially designed elongated nuts are crafted from high-strength steel
through precision machining, offering two distinct forms. By securely fastening
Elocone nuts to anchor rods, you can effectively address issues arising from inad-
equate projection above the concrete foundation. Elocone nuts should be fastened
to a length equivalent to the diameter of the rod, ensuring optimal tension capacity
for anchor rods made of steel boasting a tensile strength of 1,035 MPa (150 ksi).
Don’t let unexpected setbacks halt your progress. Visit www.shopus.canam.com
to learn more.

Modern Steel Construction | 49

HOT products

Canam Steel Corporation (CSC)

Anbo-X Nut
You’re on the job site and come across a little problem with
big implications. An anchor bolt is too short to engage the nut,
delaying your progress and forcing you to find solutions. The
U.S.-made Anbo-X Nut is your answer.
Anbo-X Nuts, one of Canam’s newest products, are elongated
nuts to help when an anchor rod doesn’t project high enough
above its concrete foundation to attach a regular nut. By machin-
ing a piece of high-strength steel into two different sections, this Ray Fu Self-Drilling Screw
special nut can attach to a shortened anchor rod, minimizing Ray Fu’s 8 Tek Self-Drilling Screw features point rein-
additional project costs, reducing installation time, and keeping forcement that can drill iron plates up to .79 in. thick
your project on schedule. without requiring pre-drilling—making the hassle of
The upper section stitch welding moot and saving time and labor for con-
resembles a standard nut tractors. With the self-drilling screw, customers can
that attaches to the column secure a large façade, piping, exterior appliances, and a
base or washer plate, while lighting system right onto steel beams.
the lower section has a Ray Fu also produces a Bi-Metal screw made of stainless
smaller diameter and fits the steel and alloy steel welded with carbon steel, which gives the
oversized hole of the base screw great weather-resistant ability while drilling into a ¼-in.
plate to screw on enough steel plate. These Bi-Metal screws can secure appliances on
threads of the anchor rod. roofs, concrete, and various metal plates. They’re specifically
Visit www.cscsteelusa.com designed for solar panels, providing easy drilling and effective
to learn more. rust prevention. Visit www.ray-fu.com to learn more.

P2
Programs
STSX
Software
P2 Programs’
newest prod-
uct, STSX, pro-
vides fabricators,
painters, galva-
nizers, and erectors with extreme mobility in bar-
coding using phones, tablets, and other devices. It Fatzer TRUpin
aims to increase the speed at which a steel project Fatzer’s TRUpin system continuously monitors cable assembly loads and
can be fabricated and erected. ensures that each assembly is properly tensioned. Regardless of cable
STSX is a web-based application that brings diameter or end connection, this always-on technology allows mainte-
real-time tracking information to your fingertips nance personnel to detect changes in cable force immediately. With that
to reduce decision-making time significantly. Bar- knowledge, preventive maintenance can be scheduled and performed
coding with STSX increases the speed of your before minor problems become costly repairs. An intelligent load pin
existing processes and negates inefficiencies long reads each assembly’s tension and allows the data to be examined locally,
accepted as standard operating procedures. STSX transmitted continuously, or uploaded daily using an autonomous battery-
will improve production by reducing decision- powered modem.
making time and errors while also cutting needed TRUpin and all associated software monitoring solutions are sup-
manpower and manhours. All the above leads to a plied and maintained by Fatzer’s subsidiary TRUcompany. At the heart of
decrease in hours and an increase in productivity. Fatzer’s condition monitoring and reporting process is TRUcockpit. This
Using STSX barcoded steel provides a virtu- web app, accessible via laptop, tablet, or phone, receives data from each
ally error-free data collection environment while sensor and aggregates the information for analysis in the customer-config-
saving money and employee time with a return on ured user interface. Or, the data can be sent to the building’s supervisory
investment of approximately one year. For more control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. For more information, visit
information, visit www.p2programs.com. www.fatzer.com/en/monitoring/trupin.

50 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

EHSMomentum MyMomentum
MyMomentum by EHSMomentum is the first fully integrated
safety management system built for small and mid-size fabricators
and erectors. Cloud-based, mobile, and easy to deploy, this system
is an accountability machine. Manage training, injuries, audit items,
inspections, and maintenance issues on any device and get a new
level of visibility into the effectiveness of a well-run safety program.
Scannable codes make for easy equipment inspections.
MyMomentum also automates safety program administration
so your team can engage on the shop floor instead of being buried
in paperwork. Designed to integrate safety requirements into pro-
duction, MyMomentum is built help under-resourced staff do it
right. For companies that want an easy way to improve shop safety
and stay in compliance, MyMomentum could be a great fit. Visit
www.ehsmomentum.com for more information.

Bimplus by ALLPLAN
With Bimplus by ALLPLAN, detailers
and fabricators can seamlessly share model
information with all project stakeholders
through advanced visualization tools and
other features.
As a cloud-based platform, Bimplus
allows you to access project data any-
time from any device and easily integrate
data from other stakeholders to manage,
merge, and review designs in a centralized
platform. Its advanced features, includ-
ing version control, model coordination,
clash detection, and task management,
empower you to coordinate seamlessly
with your teams and other stakeholders
throughout the project life cycle. Visit
www.allplan.com to learn more.

Pathways AI
Despite steel manufacturers facing more pressure than ever
to reduce their emissions today, merely understanding emis-
sions is costly, labor intensive, and prohibitively slow. It’s typi-
cally completed via one-off manual analyses by consultants.
Pathways’ AI-powered platform simplifies and accelerates
the emissions reduction process by transforming unstructured,
operational data into automated, real-time reporting on a man-
ufacturer’s emissions. With rapid deployments of life cycle anal-
yses (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs),
Pathways’ technology allows manufacturers to understand,
evaluate, and improve upon their current state of emissions at
scale. For more information, visit www.pathwaysai.co.

Modern Steel Construction | 51

HOT products

STRUMIS V11.1
STRUMIS V11.1 features an Estimodelling function and new
dashboards designed to increase your members’ efficiency and
boost their profitability. It promises to deliver unprecedented
speed and accuracy in steel structure project estimates.
The software’s standout feature is the game-changing
STRUMIS Estimodelling, which revolutionizes the speed
and precision of steel structure project estimates. STRU-
MIS V11.1 is an innovative combination of 3D CAD and
STRUMIS Estimodelling that delivers unparalleled bene-
fits. It imports SDS2 and Tekla models in seconds for excep-
tional speed, achieves flawless costing of the entire model
for unmatched accuracy, and generates comprehensive costs
encompassing main members and fittings.
STRUMIS Estimodelling aligns seamlessly with
existing benefits, demonstrating the company’s continu-
ous commitment to the steel fabrication industry. Visit
www.strumis.com to learn more.
SketchDeck.ai LIFT
Fabricators and Erectors all over North America are now auto-
mating their material takeoffs using LIFT, a software built by
SketchDeck.ai for the steel industry. LIFT is the first solution
for structural steel takeoffs that uses artificial intelligence and
machine learning technology to automatically detect structural
steel members from 2D engineering drawings.
Within seconds, LIFT can detect beams and columns on plan
as well as headers, girts, and braces on elevation drawings. Estima-
tors can quickly add multiple attributes to members and export a
bill of materials. LIFT also integrates into most common estimat-
ing software through a customizable bill of material export.
Clients using LIFT are saving hours on every bid, allowing
them to bid more work with greater accuracy and confidence. To
learn more, visit www.sketchdeck.ai.

Dlubal Enhanced RFEM

Dlubal Software has enhanced its RFEM 6 FEA structural analysis and
design software to incorporate the latest Specification for Structural Steel
Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360-22) for member and connection design.
Additional seismic member checks according to the Seismic Provisions
for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341-22) are also available.
RFEM’s unique connection design surpasses conventional analyti-
cal models by internally generating an FEA model, creating unique or
non-standard connections. Users can select from a diverse library of
predefined steel connection templates or create their own. They will
find complete bolt, weld, and plate checks with AISC design formu-
las and equations. Additionally, a buckling sub-model is automatically
generated to identify plate element buckling failure mode shapes.
The program includes a comprehensive design of the global struc-
ture where all member end forces are incorporated directly into the
steel connection design within a single model. Eliminate data loss dur-
ing the transfer of member end forces when switching between exter-
nal programs and experience RFEM’s all-in-one design solution. For
more information, visit www.dlubal.com.

52 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

BlueRecruit Talent Acquisition

BlueRecruit is a talent acquisition software
platform built for the skilled trades that allows
employers to find and connect with the exact tal-
ent they need. Rather than writing time-consum-
ing job posts and waiting for candidates to find
them, companies can use BlueRecruit to connect
with talent based on the exact skillsets, certifica-
tions, and licenses their roles demand.
Whether you’re hiring a fabricator, welder,
erector, detailer, or any other skilled trade pro-
fessional, BlueRecruit is an access point to tal-
ent across North America. Take advantage of an
exclusive 10% discount for AISC members and
visit www.bluerecruit.us.

SteelSUB
1 x Baugruppe Handlauf innen
BG 11
Ro 42.4x2 1 x Baugruppe Handlauf außen
X5CrNi18-10
Fl 60x10 BG 10
S235JR

How often do you have open capacity in your fabrication shop

Fl 60x8
1 x Baugruppe Geländer re
S235JR BG 9

BRFL 12x180
1 x Baugruppe Geländer li-1
BG 7
1 x Baugruppe Geländer li-2
or the field? How often do you find yourself in need of a qual-
ity partner to subcontract work to or from? What do you do
S235JR
BG 8
BRFL 12x220 1 x Baugruppe Rinne mitte
S235JR BG 12
1 x BG Wange oberer Lauf links

when your current partners have no work to subcontract or no

1 x BG Wange oberer Lauf rechts
BG 2
BG 3

1 x BG Wange unterer Lauf rechts

1 x Baugruppe Geländer re BG 5

open capacity in their shop? What if there was a better way?

BRFL 12x180 BG 9
S235JR 1 x BG Wange unterer Lauf links
BG 4
HQ 120x120x4
S235JRH

Ro 114.3x6.3

SteelSUB is a collaborative online platform where fabri-

S235JRH

Ro 168.3x6.3
S235JRH

HST M20x170/30 1 x Baugruppe Handlauf innen

Bl 15 BG 11

cators and erectors can connect transparently, fostering open

S235JR

1 x Baugruppe Rinne mitte

BG 12
1 x Baugruppe Geländer li-2

communication and problem-solving. Say goodbye to out-

BG 8
1 x BG Wange oberer Lauf rechts
BG 3 1 x BG Podest
1 x BG Wange unterer Lauf links BG 1
BG 4

Oberflächen Stahlbauteile:
alles feuerverzinkt
dated methods of subcontracting—SteelSUB’s Open Capac-
1 x BG Wange oberer Lauf links
BG 2
1 x BG Wange unterer Lauf rechts
RAL 9007 matt pulverbeschichtet

Geländer:
ity Marketplace allows instant sharing of production gaps and
Pfosten ... FL 60x10

facilitates connections with industry peers. Additionally, its

BG 5
1 x Baugruppe Handlauf außen vertikale Füllungsstäbe ... FL 60x8
BG 10 Obergurt ... FL 60x10
1 x Baugruppe Geländer li-1
BG 7
Handlauf:
Edelstahl-Rundrohr ø 42,4mm
Gitterroste:
two-sided SUB fabrication and erection marketplaces offer
Stufenroste in rutschhemmender Ausführung
1 x BG Podest
BG 1
inkl. Antrittskante mit 90mm Höhe
alle Roste mit Maschenweite 30/30mm seamless project management, enabling users to post, find
Unterlaufschutz wird gesondert behandelt!
matches, and communicate effortlessly. Explore the market-
place, connect with SteelSUB’s network, and experience the
benefits at www.steelsub.com.
ISD Group Software
The ISD Group is a specialist in CAD and PDM software.
Its HiCAD and HELiOS products offer a coordinated over-
all solution with integrated special functions, profile libraries,
and configurators for all industries, including steel engineer-
ing and the construction of stairs and railings.
Small manufacturing companies, medium-sized companies
with their own product development, or large international
corporations will find the right combination of all required
functions in just one system thanks to HiCAD’s modular
structure. With HiCAD, you can use 2D and 3D in single
interface, in addition to the field-proven, industry-relevant
functions. Furthermore, drawings can be transferred directly
to NC machines at the push of a button.
With all these automated processes, HiCAD can meet the
high demands of complex engineering projects. The inte-
grated PDM software HELiOS manages a wide range of data
that comes together during the design process of 3D models.
Visit www.isdgroup.us for more information.

Modern Steel Construction | 53

HOT products

Scotchman FI 8510-20M
The Scotchman FI 8510-20M Ironworker has an
85-ton punch capacity that can put a 11⁄16-in. hole
through 1-in. material. The FI8510-20M is made
in America with built-in tooling stations. Some
standard features include a 6-in. by 6-in. by ½-in.
angle shear and rod shear that will shear 1½-in.
round and 1¼-in. square rod, and a rectangular
notcher that can notch 3 in. by 5 in. by ½ in.
The 20-in. flat bar shear features a low-rake
angle that can shear up to 1 in. by 12 in. and ¾ in.
by 20 in. material. The machine also has an elec-
tric remote foot pedal, jog control, keyed punch
ram, punch gauging table with fence and scale,
shear table, miter fence, notcher table with guide
and scale, and a three-year warranty. For more
information, visit www.scotchman.com.
SDC Verifier
SDC Verifier is a powerful simulation and standard checking software
that works independently and within popular FEA interfaces. It seam-
lessly integrates structural design, analysis, optimization, and verifica-
tion processes. With its modern and intuitive graphical interface, engi-
neers can effortlessly import existing models from various sources or
create new designs from scratch.
SDC Verifier automates the verification of the FEA model against
industry standards, design codes, rules and regulations, and custom
criteria. Its library includes more than 40 standards, among them
the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360-22),
Eurocode 3, AIJ-2017, AS4100, FKM, ISO19902 and others. Struc-
tural items such as beam members, plates, welds, stiffeners, panels,
and connections are detected on the model to be directly verified
with the unique recognition tools. The optimization module allows
the best design decision to be made for the structure by calculating
different combinations of design inputs. For more information, visit
www.sdcverifier.com.

Miller Electric Welders

Miller Electric has released two new welding machines, the Bobcat 265 Air Pak and
Trailblazer 330 Air Pak. In addition to Air Pak options, the Bobcat 265 is available in
gas and LP models, while the Trailblazer 330 comes in gas and diesel.
Both offer all the legendary benefits with the added advantage of an integrated
industrial rotary-screw air compressor that eliminates the need for a separate com-
pressor. These powerful all-in-one machines are lighter and smaller than previous
models, offering multiprocess weld quality, auxiliary power, battery charge/crank assist
and, now, an air compressor—delivering all-in-one capabilities for maintenance, repair
operations, and field fabrication.
Both Air Pak machines allow operators to run air impact wrenches and give 100%
deliverable air. The compressor produces 30 cfm of air at a 100% duty cycle and deliv-
ers 80 to 160 psi of air with an optional storage tank for consistent airflow performance.
Visit www.millerwelds.com to learn more.

54 | JUNE 2024
Quality Management
Company, LLC (QMC)
is seeking qualified
INDEPENDENT
CONTRACT
AUDITORS
to conduct site audits for
the American Institute of
Steel Construction (AISC)
Certified Fabricators and
Certified Erector Programs.

This contract requires travel

throughout North America and
limited International travel.
This is not a regionally based
contract and a minimum of 75%
travel should be expected.
Contract auditors must have
knowledge of quality management
systems, audit principles and
techniques. Knowledge of the
structural steel construction industry
quality management systems is
preferred but not required as is
certifications for CWI, CQA, or
NDT. Prior or current auditing
experience or auditing certifications
are preferred but not required.

Interested contractors
should submit a statement
of interest and resume to
[email protected].
HOT products

Faccin Group Plate Roller

Plate rollers have experienced significant technological advancement in recent
years, aligning with the overall industry trend towards electrification.
Faccin Group has developed a 4-roll Direct Electric-Drive Plate Roll 4HEP-
MPE series that seamlessly integrates lower bending rolls’ hydraulic movement
with the electric rotation of the top roll. The rolling speeds reach a staggering
32.8 ft per minute. It accommodates a maximum plate thickness of up to 13⁄8
in. while also providing a maximum plate length of 10 ft. Moreover, the high-
efficiency electric design reduces energy consumption costs by up to 35%.
In addition, the plate roller provides ergonomic benefits for operators, as its
reduced working height allows for easier operation and handling of steel plates.
It achieves a silent operation by significantly reducing the noise levels by almost
15 decibels. To learn more, contact [email protected].

Peddinghaus PeddiSubX-1120
The PeddiSubX-1120 takes on efficiency challenges by uti-
lizing independent Sub-X axis spindle movement and pow-
erful carbide technology to maintain speed and accuracy
throughout the processing of each piece of material. Each
axis operates independently, meaning drilling and milling
functions can be performed simultaneously at triple the
speed of average drill lines. By rapidly decreasing the time to
process profiles, steel fabricators can keep production time-
tables far ahead of schedule. Expedite project deadlines and
take back the market share with this superior technology.
Next to accuracy, speed is one of the most important con-
ditions in the steel industry. The sheer speed of the Peddi-
SubX-1120 has rewritten the book on innovation. Imagine
processing a beam with milled block copes on both flanges
in just 90 seconds without any rework or touching a grinder.
By eliminating the need for grinding or any other post-pro-
cessing, manhours are restored, and profits are maximized.
Fabricators have never seen such a sharp spike in savings.
Visit www.peddinghaus.com/videos to watch the Peddi-
SubX-1120 in action.

Steelmax Plate Beveling Machine

Steelmax’s BM25 is a dynamic portable heavy duty plate beveling machine that
can effortlessly craft precise bevels from 0 to 90 degrees, with a 1 in. maximum
width. Equipped with a high-speed rotary milling head featuring five replace-
able carbide cutting inserts, it delivers unparalleled performance. The BM25
can consistently produce flawless bevel geometry that ensures superior fit-up
and top-notch welding results, slashing costs and minimizing rework.
Forget about grinding or secondary work—the BM25’s milled finish leaves
plates weld-ready, saving you time and effort. Its robust 2,200-watt variable
speed motor, coupled with an ergonomic design tailored for maximum comfort,
means this beveler isn’t just a tool; it’s an indispensable asset. For more informa-
tion, visit www.steelmax.com.

56 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

Kobelco ARCMAN Structural Steel

Welding Robot System
The Kobelco ARCMAN Structural Steel Welding Robot Sys-
tem is a fully automated complete joint penetration-capable
robot. It can realize unobserved operation for extended periods,
applies to a wide variety of work, will increase plant operation
rate, produces high-quality welding to match human effort, has
a simple operation with an easy-to-understand input screen, and
its existing delivered systems can be upgraded to two arc robots.
ARCMAN’s positioner load capacity is 33,000 lb. It can
be used in core welding, where it eliminates measurement
time for corner radius sensing, increasing quality. It does con-
nection welding, and depending on the matching of the back
plate, welding parameters are automatically adjusted to pre-
vent burn through.
ARCMAN can perform inner diaphragm welding to a depth
of 11.81 in. from the core’s upper surface to the diaphragm’s
lower surface. Lastly, it can do SRC shaft welding; the interface
between the robot and flange is automatically avoided based on
the shape of the work entered and sensing. For more informa-
tion, visit www.kobelco.co.jp/english/welding/system.

Daito DCM1000
Daito’s drilling coping machine, DCM1000, is a multi-tasking
machine combining a CNC drill with three spindles, a CNC robotic
coper for standard or complicated plasma cuts, and a marking
machine for part number marking and welding/layout marking. Each
drill has an automatic tool changer to cover tapping, milling, cham-
fering holes, and boring blind holes.
A wide range of functions makes the DCM1000 the most versatile
machine for non-repetitive structural steel processing: monitoring
cameras, a feeding system with a pinch roller, shuttle vise, a push bar,
a hybrid workfeed system, angle processing, and extra strong clamp-
ing. Go to www.daitousa.com to learn more.

Soitaab OMNIAtech
Market trends now demand multi-purpose machines that inte-
grate many technologies on a single platform, and the new
Soitaab OMNIAtech perfectly meets that all-in-one philoso-
phy. By seamlessly integrating all fabrication processes into a
single unified system, OMNIAtech delivers the ability to cut,
drill, thread, surface and hole mill, countersink. It offers a wide
range of marking options in a single machine.
OMNIAtech meets the highest industry standards for qual-
ity, precision, productivity, reliability, and ease of use. With the
most sophisticated, user-friendly CNC controls and software,
Soitaab delivers on the promise of an operator-friendly, multi-
process, all-in-one fabrication system. More pictures, informa-
tion, and videos of the system can be viewed on the OMNIAt-
ech product page at www.soitaabusa.com.

Modern Steel Construction | 57

HOT products

Columbia Safety and Supply Gearcor

Columbia Safety and Supply has introduced its revolutionary workwear and boot
platform, Gearcor, a one-stop destination for customizable workwear solutions.
Backed by world-class technology, Gearcor puts you in complete control of your
workwear program. Seamlessly tailor your work gear to match your team’s unique
needs and brand identity. Equip your team from head to toe, from durable jackets
and rugged pants to rain gear and boots. Gearcor’s extensive selection ensures that
every team member feels comfortable and confident on the job.
With a wide variety of brands trusted by professionals worldwide, Gearcor has
what you need to stay safe and pro-
ductive from sunrise to sunset. Step
into reliability and performance
with industry-leading brands like
Ariat, Thorogood, Danner, Muck
Boots, LaCrosse, Keen, Wolverine,
and Timberland. With superior
craftsmanship, advanced technol-
ogy, and unmatched durability, you
can provide your crew with the ulti-
mate protection and comfort in any
work environment with Columbia
Safety as a partner. For more infor-
mation, visit www.gearcor.com.

Engineered Rigging
Climbing Cylinders
Engineered Rigging has expanded its rental
fleet with the addition of Holmatro Ring
Climbing Cylinders, which provide incre-
mental lifting height up to 23.6 in.—much
more than a traditional hydraulic cylinder.
Starting at under 12 in. when retracted, each
portable, ergonomic cylinder has a lifting
capacity of 100 tons but weighs only 50 lb
and features a compact footprint. Its innova-
tive design eliminates the need for stacking
wood or filler blocks and expedites lifting.
With a stroke of 4.7 in., the solution can
safely lift and mechanically secure a load.
The ring climbing cylinders are ideal for
challenging locations with limited access,
including low-height bridge lift operations, ASC Steel Deck Smooth Series
bridge bearing replacement, and lifting large Smooth Series is an architecturally exposed riveted cellular deck that provides
or heavy industrial components, such as clean beam-to-pan connections by replacing traditional welded attachments with
transformers and other machines equipped aesthetically pleasing riveted attachments.
with low clearance lifting pockets. Smooth Series is a highly desirable product for all project stakeholders. It guar-
One set has four double-acting alumi- antees architects a clean, finished look. Engineers don’t have to compromise on
num cylinders, stacking rings, insert blocks, the structural capacity to deliver an aesthetically pleasing project. It helps general
and a fork accessory to place the stacking contractors and painting contractors reduce labor and time by skipping the need
rings safely. With the addition of a split to prep and touch up the spot welds on the traditional welded cellular deck.
flow pump, the operator can safely and Smooth Series is offered in roof, floor, and acoustic profiles. Its standard fin-
accurately lift or lower the component into ish offer is galvanized. Smooth Series is also offered in gray or white factory-
place with all points synchronized. Visit applied bottom side prime paint when specified. ASC Steel Deck’s welded cellular
www.engineeredrigging.com for more deck and Smooth Series may be specified interchangeably. Learn more by visiting
information. www.ascsd.com/products.

58 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

Nuwave Laser Cleaning

Nuwave Laser is at the cutting edge of Category 4 laser cleaning
technologies. With the newest models of pulse laser machines, con-
tinuous wave laser machines, and the three-in-one welding, cutting,
and cleaning machines, Nuwave has the most effective and reliable
options available.
Nuwave’s technology can degrease and eradicate erosion, wear
marks, and grime build-up from equipment, helping keep machinery
in top condition. Its portable laser cleaning technology allows you to
move efficiently between machines without affecting workflow. It can
prepare surfaces for welding and clean old weld joints, making it easier
to identify cracks and re-weld without manual sanding.
Whether you need to remove rust, paint, or other coatings from
metal surfaces, clean engine parts, or restore historical artifacts, our
laser cleaning technology provides a fast, effective, and non-damag-
ing solution, trust Nuwave Laser machines for all your laser clean-
ing needs, and experience the benefits of our advanced technology in
action. Visit www.nuwavelaser.com to learn more.

New Millennium RED Rolling Electric Deck

Create the strongest ever side-lap connections on interlocking B deck
and stop tripping over cords and hoses with New Millennium’s RED,
the industry’s first and only battery-powered deck tool on wheels. Elim-
inating the need for air compressors on the roof and hoses crisscrossing
the deck, RED enables users to effortlessly, consistently clinch side-laps
that have been tested and proven to be stronger and stiffer than those
of competing tools.
Since RED sits in the side-lap by default instead of requiring manual
alignment with the seam, you’ll create reliable connections every time.
You’ll know you’ve completed a connection when the green light shines
and the tool emits an audible tone. Its ease of use means you’ll do less
work to achieve superior connections, while its design will improve the
efficiency and performance of your personnel. For more information,
visit www.newmill.com.

Engineered Supply Single-Man

Basket System
Engineered Supply’s single-man basket system makes access-
ing tall building façades. The system includes a single-man
basket, traction chair, harness, battery-powered rope hoist
with rigging, and a throw line with a rigging pole. Light-
weight and easy-to-use, the basket system operates without
power cords. It can access hard-to-reach places on tall build-
ings for building construction, welding, bolting, and other
maintenance such as cleaning façades and windows.
The single-man basket system is part of Engineered
Supply’s suspended maintenance product suite that makes
servicing the roof, windows, and façades of multi-story
buildings safe and efficient, including anchorage connec-
tors, davit arms, rigging sleeves, and monorails. Visit www.
engineeredsupply.com to learn more.

Modern Steel Construction | 59

HOT products

GRM Custom Products FLUOROGOLD

Slide Plates
Any design needing movement, isolation, or stress relief can benefit from the
addition of GRM slide plates. FLUOROGOLD is a premium formulation of
PTFE combined with special reinforcing agents to offer a high compressive
strength and is widely considered the gold standard for quality and consistency.
This premium blend yields a structural material that offers significantly higher
mechanical properties than PTFE itself. Compressive creep is virtually elimi-
nated, wear is substantially reduced, and deformation is decreased.
A standard FLUOROGOLD slide plate assembly has two 3⁄32-in. plates,
which work together (bottom and larger top) to provide a durable and low-
friction surface for smooth sliding motion in various applications. It can also
include a lip for tack welding. It works to absorb the displacement of machinery
and structures due to thermal expansion, wind, or seismic vibrations, making it
an excellent selection for bridges, highways, buildings, retractable roof stadiums,
and pipelines. Visit www.grmcp.com/fluorogold-slide-plates to learn more.

ArcelorMittal Jumbo Sections

ArcelorMittal, a longtime innovator in rolled jumbo shapes,
has unveiled its latest creation in structural steel: the
W14×930 and W14×1000 sections. These shapes are the
heaviest rolled sections produced globally and are incorpo-
rated into the ASTM A6 specification.
These jumbo sections offer project teams excellent alter-
natives to cover plating and constructing built-up box col-
umns, traditionally labor-intensive solutions that add signifi-
cant costs to projects. They will be an important resource for
designers working on projects with major column demands,
such as high-rise buildings, stadiums and arenas, or seismic
force resisting system elements.
Available in A992 and A913 Grade 65, W14×930
and W14×1000 sections are a testament to why steel
should be the material of choice. For inquiries, contact
[email protected].

Infasco INF3013 Coating System

Infasco has developed the INF3013 corrosion-resistant coating sys-
tem, specifically designed for tension control and heavy Hex bolts.
The hydrogen-embrittlement-free coating is approved for ASTM
F3125 Grade A325 and is the only system approved for ASTM F3125
Grade A490 bolts. It offers superior corrosion resistance—providing
1,000 hours of salt spray protection—and the thin coating covers the
nuts’ threads and completely protects the fastening system.
The lubricant embedded in the system produces repeatable perfor-
mance regardless of environmental conditions. Wet, dry, hot, or cold,
the parts tension properly. The thin film coating allows for a standard
socket to be used for installation, meaning no special socket is needed.
In addition, it readily accepts paint, providing an enhanced finished
project. Visit www.infasco.com for more information.

60 | JUNE 2024
 HOT products

SSSBA Highway Bridge Designs

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) offers a compli-
mentary service to state departments of transportation that allows
producing of standard rolled beam and plate girder designs for
highway bridge applications. The designs conform to AASHTO
and owner-specified criteria. They are individually compared
against external software programs to ensure their compliance
with owner preferences and pertinent limit states.
The service has broad implications for improved infrastructure
quality and efficiency and allows:
• Owners to have a real-time understanding of cost.
• The bridge inspection community to be better equipped to
perform inspections on industry-vetted and known details.
• Fabricators to have readily available approved design and
detailing files to expedite project delivery.
• Contractors to perform jobs with minimal problems related
to design flaws or complicated piece installation.
BURKE Antimicrobial Coating • Transportation system users to experience a more
With over 50 years of expertise in high-performance coat- cost-effective and efficient infrastructure system.
ings, BURKE’s Silver Bullet Antimicrobial Coating stands To learn more, visit www.shortspansteelbridges.org.
at the forefront of industrial innovation. Featuring Agion
antimicrobial smart technology, our water-based, VOC-
compliant, and EPA-2 registered epoxy coating is 99.9%
effective against Staphylococcus (Staph), Escherichia Coli
(E Coli), Legionella, and Salmonella, as confirmed by an
independent study at the University of Arizona.
Agion combats microbes through sterilization, suffoca-
tion, and starvation by releasing silver and copper only in
their presence, halting cell reproduction, disrupting nutrient
transmittance, and ceasing energy production to keep sur-
faces germ-free.
The Silver Bullet line—available in clear, white, and
black—enhances cleanliness and ease of maintenance across
multiple industries, including food processing, healthcare,
government, education, transportation, hospitality, and
metal manufacturing.
BURKE’s coatings ensure a germ-free environment,
contributing significantly to public health and safety
standards in heavily utilized spaces. For more informa-
tion, go to www.burkeindustrialcoatings.com.

Indiana Group Bar Gratings

The Indiana Group is rapidly expanding its footprint in the
United States by offering bar gratings from warehouses in
Savannah, Ga., New Jersey, and Long Beach, Calif., in addi-
tion to its longtime warehouse in Houston. Indiana Group,
which has been selling bar gratings in the United States since
2004, is now also offering fabricated gratings and stair treads.
Going forward, it also plans to offer other products such dia-
mond-grip strut, expanded metal, wire mesh, and perforated
metal. Visit www.indianagroup.com to learn more. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 61

news & events
STANDARDS
AISC Releases New Version of Certification Standard People & Companies
The latest version of AISC’s Standard for quality at the start of a project by prevent- Hatfield Group Engineering man-
Certification Programs (AISC 207-23) is now ing errors, instead of correcting them,” aging partner Erleen Hatfield has
available for free download. It can be found said AISC Vice President of Membership been elevated to The College of
at aisc.org/cert-updates. and Certification Todd A. Alwood. “It’s Fellows of The American Institute of
The latest edition will continue to serve one thing that makes structural steel such Architects (AIA), a recognition of her
as the go-to reference for the AISC Certi- a reliable choice. This update ensures that career-long commitment and notable
fication program, setting the quality level certified fabricators and erectors are adher- contributions to the advancement of
for structural steel fabricators and erectors. ing to the latest best practices to provide the profession of architecture. With
It has been approved by the Certification high-quality work.” degrees in both architecture and
Standards Committee and AISC’s Board Changes include updates to the glos- engineering, she has an appreciation
of Directors. It will take effect for current sary, welding, inspection, testing pro- for the value of creative approaches
program participants and applicants for cedure requirements, clarifications on to design. Only 3% of the 98,000-plus
audits on or after June 1, 2024, superseding subcontracting work, and record retention AIA members are part of the College
the 2020 version. requirements. AISC Certification has also of Fellows.
“AISC’s Certification program is made the document easier to use by revis-
designed to help specifiers choose fabri- ing names of references, updating com- Lexicon, Inc., project administra-
cators and erectors who have the person- mentary, and aligning it more clearly with tor Magen Schlesier has been
nel, organization, experience, procedures, the Code of Standard Practice for Steel Build- named Woman of the Year for the
equipment, and commitment to build ings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303-22). Greater Little Rock chapter of the
National Association of Women in
Construction (NAWIC). As project
administrator at Lexicon, Schlesier
REFERENCES provides administrative and logistical
Second Edition of AISC Design Guide for support to the construction project
management team, and she advises
HSS Connections Now Available on the most effective and efficient
Design professionals now have a vastly background and commentary for each HSS use of resources. Before joining
improved resource for the design of hol- connection. These thorough explanations Lexicon in 2023, Schlesier served as
low structural section (HSS) connections of the relevant limit states and the experi- director of research and development
in the new second edition of AISC Design mental results for each connection provide at ACE Glass Construction Corp.
Guide 24, Hollow Structural Section Con- invaluable insight into the rationale behind
nections, authored by Jeffrey Packer, PEng, each connection design procedure. Walter P Moore promoted Brent
PhD, DSc, professor in the University of The design guide has been expanded to Bolerjack, PE, to Managing Director
Toronto’s Department of Civil and Min- include guidance and design procedures for of the Oklahoma Civil Engineering
eral Engineering, and Kimberley Olson, many new connection types, and a dozen team. Bolerjack brings over 20 years
PE, director of Nucor’s Construction new design examples bring the total to of experience to his new position.
Solutions Group. 33. This new edition has also brought the Throughout his career, he has suc-
Design Guide 24, 2nd Ed. is available discussions, guidance, and procedures for cessfully managed and designed
for download at aisc.org/dg. Like all digital HSS connection design into conformance more than 40 bridge replacement
design guides, it is free for AISC members. with the provisions of the current Specifi- and bridge rehabilitation projects,
This latest update to the AISC design cation for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/ establishing himself as a trusted
guide series greatly expands upon the AISC 360-22) as well as the new 16th Ed. industry leader in this field.
Steel Construction Manual.
The second edition includes exten- Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
sive background for each of the various has hired Colleen Stuber-Zukanovic
limit states relevant to HSS connections, as a project director, bolstering its
including welded joints and mechanically building enclosure consulting prac-
fastened/bolted joints. It also discusses tice. She joins SGH’s Building
design procedures for numerous shear Technology Division in Chicago and
connections, moment connections, ten- brings nearly 15 years of design and
sion/compression connections, line load/ construction experience as an archi-
concentrated force connections, HSS-to- tect, specializing in building enclosure
HSS truss connections, and HSS-to-HSS design consulting for new and exist-
moment connections. ing buildings.

62 | JUNE 2024
 news & events
IN MEMORIAM
AISC Remembers SEI Founder Jim Rossberg
Jim Rossberg, ASCE’s former managing teams for the World Trade Center and
director for engineering programs, died Pentagon. His work in that role earned
unexpectedly in late March. He was 65. him a Top 25 Newsmaker Award from
Rossberg significantly impacted ASCE Engineering News-Record in 2002. He
and the engineering profession in his 30 was part of several other ASCE disaster
years with the society. He joined ASCE response teams, including after the Murrah
as a full-time staff member in 1993 and Building bombing, Hurricane Katrina, and
remained with the organization until his the Chilean earthquake.
retirement in October 2022. In 1997, he “Jim was a good friend who worked
was instrumental in the creation of the closely with AISC on several initiatives,
Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), including co-locating the Structures Con-
one of ASCE’s first two institutes. He gress with our conference in 2010,” AISC
initially joined ASCE as part of the Civil senior vice president Scott Melnick said.
Engineering Research Foundation and was Rossberg shifted titles to managing
the marketing manager for the Highway director of engineering programs in 2011
Innovative Technology Evaluation Center. and held that role until he retired. Form-
Later, ASCE named Rossberg its direc- ing the Utility, Engineering, and Surveying
tor of codes and standards. He grew ASCE’s Institute was among his accomplishments
standards program from 10 standards when in that role. In 2022, he received the Wil-
he began the job to more than 50 when he liam H. Wisely Award from ASCE.
shifted titles. Rossberg is survived by his wife, Jan,
Rossberg also envisioned and staffed and two children: daughter, Jenny, and
ASCE’s post-9/11 building performance son, Chris.

AWARDS
Nominate Someone Remarkable for an AISC Award
AISC is accepting nominations for its To learn more or submit a nomination, 2023 to Michael Engelhardt, PE, PhD, of
award programs that honor people who please visit aisc.org/individual-awards. the University of Texas at Austin.
make a difference in the world of design Lifetime Achievement Awards honor The J. Lloyd Kimbrough Award honors
and construction. individuals whose long-term, dedicated living engineers and architects who are uni-
“Steel is a special material—and the service to AISC and the industry have made versally recognized as the preeminent steel
people in our industry are responsible a difference to drive innovation forward. designers of their era. Past winners of the
for its impact on how people live, work, Special Achievement Awards recognize sin- Kimbrough Award include Ludwig Mies
and play,” said AISC President Charles J. gular achievements in design, construction, van der Rohe (1961), Othmar A. Ammann
Carter, SE, PE, PhD. “AISC is honored to education, and research. (1964), Fazlur R. Khan (1973), and Leslie
provide a well-deserved spotlight for their In truly remarkable cases, AISC will also E. Robertson (2001). The award was most
achievements.” present its most prestigious awards. recently presented at the Steel Conference
Each year, AISC recognizes exceptional The Geerhard Haaijer Award for Excel- this March to Michael A. Grubb, PE, of
industry professionals, designers, and educa- lence in Education recognizes those who, M.A. Grubb & Assoc., LLC.
tors with Lifetime and Special Achievement through research and teaching, have had a The Robert P. Stupp Award for Leader-
Awards. AISC also presents the Terry Peshia profound and lasting impact on advancing ship Excellence is a special honor for those
Early Career Faculty Awards to tenure-track the use of structural steel framing in the who have demonstrated unparalleled lead-
faculty who demonstrate exceptional prom- construction industry. Only nine individu- ership in the steel construction industry.
ise in the areas of structural steel research, als have won the Haaijer Award since 1999; AISC has presented it to only 10 individu-
teaching, and other contributions to the they include Theodore V. Galambos of the als since 1998, including David Zalesne of
structural steel industry. University of Minnesota (1999), Lynn S. Owen Steel Company (2023), Duane K.
Nominations are due July 15, 2024. The Beedle (2003) and John W. Fisher (2006) Miller of The Lincoln Electric Company
2025 winners will receive special recogni- of Lehigh University, and Bruce R. Elling- (2016), Daniel R. DiMicco of Nucor Cor-
tion at NASCC: The Steel Conference in wood of Colorado State University (2018). poration (2012), and Robert D. Freeland of
Louisville, Ky., April 2–4, 2025. The award was most recently presented in Havens Steel Company (2002).

Modern Steel Construction | 63

news & events
GRANTS
AISC Presents Inaugural Design-Build Grants to Three Universities
Today’s architecture students are commu- decades, a project led by Lucas Brown and Houston Graduate Design/Build Studio.”
nity-minded and forward-thinking—and Daniel Luis Martinez of Indiana Univer- His presentation, as well as all other ses-
their work deserves to come to life. sity was awarded a 2024 grant of $15,000 sions from the conference, will be avail-
The AISC Education Foundation has for a creative bus stop. An outdoor class- able at aisc.org/learning by June. One of
awarded three grants from its inaugural room in Houston led by Patrick Peters of Peters’s previous University of Houston
Design-Build Grant Program, which the University of Houston’s designLAB classes designed and helped build an out-
promotes the use of structural steel in also earned a $15,000 grant for 2024. door classroom on campus.
student-designed projects that will benefit University of Texas at Arlington’s Julia The Design-Build Grant Program is
the local community—followed by the Lindgren will receive $30,000 in 2025 for sponsored by the AISC Education Foun-
construction of those designs by the stu- a project to build a rest stop for cyclists dation, a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to
dents in hands-on activities or in partner- and pedestrians in Dallas. supporting students, educators, and edu-
ship with a fabricator. Peters spoke about architecture cational programming that builds a better
The grants support projects across the design-build at 2024 NASCC: The Steel future with steel. Learn more about what
country. In Columbus, Ind., a city that Conference in a session titled “Rooted the AISC Education Foundation does at
has celebrated architectural design for Ligaments: 35 Years of the University of aisc.org/giving.

CARBON EMISSIONS
U.S. Steel Implements Innovative New Carbon Emission Capturing Technology
U.S. Steel and CarbonFree, a leader in the initial SkyCycle project responds to operation as part of the calcium carbonate
carbon capture technology, announced an the increasing demand for low-emissions production process.
agreement to harness carbon emissions products. The project is the first step in “U.S. Steel is setting a precedent for
generated from U.S. Steel’s Gary Works exploring SkyCycle’s scalability for future how manufacturers can and must pro-
blast furnaces using CarbonFree’s Sky- implementation across the enterprise. actively manage their carbon emissions,
Cycle technology. Construction on the SkyCycle plant and CarbonFree is honored to play a role
The first-of-its-kind project will capture in the U.S. Steel Gary Works facility is in this legacy,” CarbonFree CEO Martin
and mineralize up to 50,000 metric tons expected to commence as early as summer Keighley said. “As carbon capture contin-
of carbon dioxide per year—equivalent to 2024 with operations projected to begin in ues to be recognized as an indispensable
emissions produced by nearly 12,000 cars 2026. The agreement is for a 20-year term solution on the path to carbon neutrality
annually—and could be expanded in the following its in-service date. for carbon-intensive industries, we look
coming years. CarbonFree’s patented SkyCycle solu- forward to helping U.S. Steel achieve its
“Innovating to capture carbon at an tion captures carbon emissions before decarbonization goals while providing eco-
integrated mill is the latest example of they enter the atmosphere and converts nomic and environmental benefits to Gary
how steel is enabling a more sustainable them into a carbon-neutral version of cal- and Indiana.”
future,” said Scott Buckiso, U.S. Steel cium carbonate, which is essential to the The partnership will likely enable U.S.
Senior Vice President & Chief Manufac- creation of paper and plastics, as well as Steel to offer steel used in the automotive,
turing Officer. “Moreover, U.S. Steel has personal care, paint, and building products. appliance, and packaging industries with a
a history of ‘firsts’ that we’re confidently CarbonFree-produced calcium carbonate significantly reduced carbon footprint.
building on. Using SkyCycle technology made from captured carbon dioxide can U.S. Steel employs more than 4,300
for the first project of its kind in North help decarbonize global supply chains by people at Gary Works. The plant creates
America should benefit the community enabling manufacturers to reduce Scope 3 an economic multiplier effect, supporting
for generations to come.” emissions, or it can be stored in an environ- thousands of additional steel plant, chemi-
U.S. Steel’s involvement aligns with the mentally conscious way without the need cal, energy, transportation, and supplier
company’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas for pipelines or disposal wells. In addition jobs throughout Lake and Porter counties
emission intensity 20% by 2030 and achiev- to capturing carbon dioxide, CarbonFree and the greater United States.
ing net zero emissions by 2050. In addition, will use slag produced by the blast furnace

64 | JUNE 2024
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Modern Steel Construction | 65

structurally sound
Robb Williamson

Riveting River Crossing

A NEW ROADWAY over the Anacostia the 1,444-ft-long through-arch bridge, The bridge’s tight tolerances and precise
River in Washington, D.C., is the 2024 which carries South Capitol Street across fabrication are only possible with steel, and
NSBA Bridge of the Year. the river. It has two 452-ft spans, a 540-ft the team capitalized on both by designing
The Frederick Douglass Memorial center span, and three arches. The middle arch visually clean splices that require fewer
Bridge earned the award, voted on by arch rises 30 ft higher than the side arches, bolts than a normal splice connection.
attendees of the 2024 World Steel Bridge and the arch cross-section is hexagonal, The bridge also earned a 2024 Prize
Symposium, held annually during NASCC: casting shadows that decrease the arches’ Bridge Award in the major span category.
The Steel Conference. It’s the second visual mass. AISC member Veritas Steel, All told, eight structures were honored with
Bridge of the Year recipient, following an LLC, was the fabricator, and AISC member Prize Bridge Awards, which AISC presents
Interstate 91 exit ramp flyover in Hartford, Walsh Construction was part of the joint every other year.
Conn., that earned the inaugural honor venture that did steel erection. The design You can read more about the Frederick
in 2022. It opened in 2021 and replaced a team chose Grade 70 steel to provide extra Douglass Memorial Bridge and the rest of
71-year-old bridge. strength between the arches while maintain- the 2024 Prize Bridge Award winners in the
BEAM Architects and AECOM designed ing a consistent structure depth. July issue. ■

66 | JUNE 2024
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