June 2022

June 2022

in every issue features

departments
30 Immersive Installation
6 EDITOR’S NOTE BY JOHN JUCHA, SE,
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE SHAUN FRANKLIN, PE, AND
12 STEEL QUIZ MICHAEL OLSEN, PE
Steel helps arts and entertainment
62 NEW PRODUCTS
company Meow Wolf achieve its
63 NEWS & EVENTS
immersive vision with a quirky new
66 STRUCTURALLY SOUND venue on a tight site in Denver.
resources
65 ADVERTISER INDEX 36 Treading Lightly
BY BRETT SAUTER, SE, PE
65 MARKETPLACE A Chicago bridge project powers
& EMPLOYMENT through COVID-19 impacts while
minimizing its own impacts on the
train and highway traffic it traverses.

40 Faster and Faster

BY BRETT MANNING, SE, DAVE P.
WRIGHT, KEITH D. PALMER, SE, PHD,
AND RYAN COOKE, PE, PHD
An already speedy steel plate
core system becomes even faster
thanks to an innovative “split”
planning mindset.

40 48 Hillside Steel
BY RALPH PARRISH AND
ROBERT HORTON, PE, PENG
A new steel fabricator headquarters
building is both carved out of and
columns blended into the foothills of the
steelwise field notes Appalachians.
16 Are You Properly Specifying 26 Intercontinental Connection
Materials? INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
Gian Rassati, a 2022 AISC Special
54 Navigating Sustainability
BY LAURA MICHELI, PHD, BRUCE
BY JONATHAN TAVAREZ, PE
Learn what’s new in the world of structural Achievement Award winner, began life in a BROTHERSEN, SE, PE, PENG, AND
steel materials. small Italian mountain town and has gone on SCOTT RUSSELL, SE, PE, PENG
to do big things in bolting research. Notes on navigating the evolving
data driven sustainability landscape.
business issues
24 Rough Waters
BY JOE DARDIS 28 A Letter to Entry-Level Engineers 60 And We’re Back
As we navigate the turbulent seas of BY RYAN CURTIS, PE BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
construction pricing, remember that we’re all Advice for today’s young engineers on NASCC: The Steel Conference
in the same boat. their way to becoming tomorrow’s returns to an in-person format for
engineering leaders. the first time since 2019.

ON THE COVER: It’s a tight squeeze for a new Denver museum located on a sliver of land between highways, p. 30.
(Photo: KL&A Engineers and Builders)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 62, 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. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.—single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44. Outside the U.S. (Canada and
Mexico)—single issues $9.00; 1 year $88. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to MODERN
STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601.
DISCLAIMER: AISC does not approve, disapprove, or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted
Printed on paper made
from an acknowledged source. Opinions are those of the writers and AISC is not responsible for any statement made or opinions expressed in MODERN STEEL from a minimum of
CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than 25 10% recycled content.
photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC.

4 | JUNE 2022
Building

AESTHETICS | ACOUSTICS | FLEXIBILITY | CONSTRUCTABILITY | SUSTAINABILITY

Faster, more cost-effective multi-story construction

Minimize floor depth and maximize project performance. Deep-Dek® Composite
enables open spans up to 36 feet, and low-profile slabs as thin as 7.635 inches.
With Panelized Delivery Method™ floor panels are assembled on the ground,
increasing worker safety, and decreasing assembly time.

LEARN
MORE
Newmill.com/smartkey

BUILDING SUCCESS TOGETHER

editor’s note
Editorial Offices
130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
If you were a teen (or like me, Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400
had teenage or pre-teen kids) Editorial Contacts
CHIEF EDITOR
a decade ago, you were Geoff Weisenberger
312.493.7694
probably all too aware of a [email protected]
handful of mildly entertaining, PUBLISHER
Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
mostly harmless Nickelodeon 312.804.0813
[email protected]
shows such as iCarly GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
Kristin Hall
and Victorious. 773.636.8543
[email protected]
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
What you probably aren’t aware of is that more have carbon footprints around half the industry Scott Melnick
recently, millions of people like my youngest son world average (by comparison, Chinese steel has 312.804.1535
[email protected]
have watched hours and hours of online videos roughly three times the greenhouse gas emissions
talking about these shows. These videos include of American steel). AISC Officers
recaps longer than the actual episodes, as well as And improvements are steadily advancing. CHAIR
incredibly dense philosophical discussions of the Some of the reductions are organic. Remember Stephen H. Knitter
Geiger & Peters, Inc.
shows’ impact on the greater metaverse. And to be that a large portion of steel’s carbon footprint
VICE CHAIR
clear, I have no idea what all of that means. is purely based on its energy intensity—and as
Hugh J. McCaffrey
But if you can imagine the level of complexity the U.S. grid moves to more renewable energy,
Southern New Jersey Steel Co.
devoted to analyzing innocuous TV programming, we can expect a continuing decrease in carbon
SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
you can probably begin to grasp the complexity of footprint (by some estimates, the pivot to more Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
looking at a topic like sustainability. renewable energy alone will lead to around a Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
On its most basic level, we can equate sus- 41% reduction in carbon emissions from domestic PRESIDENT
tainability in design with net-zero carbon con- structural steel production). Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
struction. The wood industry folks are gods at But we’re also seeing a lot of other SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
oversimplifying this equation. They conveniently technological improvements that will further reduce Scott Melnick
ignore the details and make overly broad general- steel’s environmental impact. We’re seeing steel SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
izations—e.g., what happens with the 40% to 60% producers begin to build their own sustainable Mark W. Trimble, PE
of material left behind when trees are harvested, power sources next to their mills. We’re seeing VICE PRESIDENT
the environmental differences between not just two the incorporation of carbon-scrubbing equipment. Todd Alwood
different species of tree but also two different trees We’re seeing mills retaining most of their cooling VICE PRESIDENT
within the same species, what percentage of wood water in closed-loop systems, as well as looking Carly Hurd
products is actually obtained from sustainably man- at alternatives to water as a cooling source. We’re VICE PRESIDENT
aged forests, and what happens to wood after a seeing mills move away from natural gas to power Lawrence F. Kruth, PE
building reaches the end of its life. (Seriously, does their preheat furnaces. And much more. VICE PRESIDENT
anyone really believe that 30-year-old CLT panels In fact, all the domestic structural steel mills Mike Mospan
are going to be carefully demounted from exist- have made substantial commitments to reduce VICE PRESIDENT
ing buildings and somehow incorporated into new their carbon footprint. For example, you can read Brian Raff
construction?). about Nucor’s commitment to reducing its carbon
Editorial Advisory Panel
Likewise, you can achieve today a net-zero footprint by 35% by 2030—and how they’ll accom- Brandon Chavel, PE, PhD
carbon project using structural steel. The nation’s plish it—at nucor.com/greenhouse-gas-reduction- Michael Baker International
largest steel producer, Nucor, is happy to sell you target-strategy. You can read about Gerdau’s Nat Killpatrick
its Econiq-branded product. Using a combination efforts at www2.gerdau.com/climatechange Basden Steel
of carbon offsets and purchasing agreements for and SDI’s at stld.steeldynamics.com/valuing- Christina McCoy, SE
renewable energy, the company can designate its our-environment. (You can also read more about Oklahoma State University
product as net-zero carbon—all for a very modest sustainability and steel on page 54.) School of Architecture
premium. And if the demand exists, other mills can Today, American structural steel, thanks to its Allison Shenberger, PE
offer a similar product. 93% recycled content, is already an earth-friendly ruby+associates
And as a first step, products like Econiq are construction material. But that’s not good enough— Justin Smith, PE
Walter P Moore
great. Fortunately, the steel industry isn’t content and thankfully, the industry is investing both time
with this approach alone. Companies like Nucor and money to truly reach the goal of being a car- Advertising Sales
are committed to continuous reductions in their bon-neutral material. And since video speaks louder M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.
2 W Taunton Avenue
carbon footprint and are investing millions of than words, check out aisc.org/vr to see the mod- Berlin, NJ 08009
dollars every year to develop and implement ern steelmaking process, as well as videos of other 856.768.9360
improved solutions. steps in the structural steel supply chain. [email protected]
For decades, American steel (and remember, Address Changes and
the U.S. structural mill capacity in 2022 already Subscription Concerns
exceeds the demand for structural steel for Ameri- 312.670.2401
[email protected]
can building and bridge projects, and new mills
are under construction) has worked to truly reduce Scott Melnick Reprints
its carbon footprint. Currently, the major U.S. mills Editorial Director Kristin Hall
[email protected]
6 | JUNE 2022
Better fabrication
starts with SDS2.
The right detailing software can drive efficiency and profitability in your fabrication shop. With SDS2, you
can quickly build and adapt the detailing model to suit your needs, integrate seamlessly with any MRP, MIS
and tracking system, and maximize returns on your automated equipment.

Efficiency, accuracy, results—it all starts with SDS2. Get started today at sds2.com/start.

SDS2 2022 NOW AVAILABLE

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].
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].

Significant Load Reversal: Part 1

The Commentary on page 16.2-34 effect and, therefore, whether slip can be were pretensioned as required in Section
of the 2020 RCSC Specification for permitted or must be prevented. 4.2 of the RCSC Specification but still
Structural Joints Using High-Strength High-strength bolting began to be used designed as bearing connections, as is done
Bolts states: “Joints that are required around the 1950s. In my experience (both in AISC Design Guide 29: Vertical Bracing
to be slip-critical joints include: firsthand dating to the early-to-mid-1990s Connections—Analysis and Design, the Design
(2) Those cases where a slip of any and secondhand looking at calculations Examples associated with the AISC Steel
magnitude must be prevented, such and interacting with older engineers), it is Construction Manual, and, I believe, in all of
as in joints subject to significant load rare to see bracing connections designed the handbooks I have ever encountered that
reversal and joints between elements as slip-critical connections when standard address such conditions. Given the ubiquity
of built-up compression members in holes are used. Note that Section 4.3.1 of the practice, one might expect problems
which any slip could cause a reduction states that slip-critical joints are required to have occurred in service if the practice
of the flexural stiffness, which is for “joints that are subject to fatigue load was likely to result in problems. The lack
required for the stability of the with reversal of the loading direction.” of issues might then be taken as evidence
built-up member." The AISC Specification for Structural Steel that there will not be future problems.
Some engineers in our office have Buildings (AISC 360-16), in Section B3.11, It is possible that one could have lateral
taken that to mean slip-critical bolts are states: “Fatigue need not be considered for force-resisting system connections that
required for all lateral force-resisting seismic effects or for the effects of wind will see tension and compression for which
system connections that will see tension loading on typical building lateral force- “slip of any magnitude must be prevented”
and compression. Is this correct? resisting systems and building enclosure because “slip at the faying surfaces would
components.” At this point, there must be detrimental to the performance of the
No, it is up to the engineer of record be thousands of structures in which the structure.” But based on my experience,
to determine whether the load reversal connections subject to “significant load this would be unusual.
produces a significant or negligible reversal” due to wind or seismic loading Larry S. Muir, PE

Significant Load Reversal: Part 2

Section 4.2 of the RCSC Specification These seem to be referring to the The critical statement in the Commentary
states: “Pretensioned joints are same thing. Is this an error in the is: “Those cases where slip of any magnitude
required in the following applications: RCSC Specification? must be prevented…” For joints subjected
( 2 ) Jo i n t s t h a t a r e s u b j e c t t o to significant load reversal, the joint must be
significant load reversal.” However, No, it is not an error. Section 4.2 and the pretensioned. If, for that same joint, there is
the Commentary on page 16.2-34 Commentary you refer to do not address also enough concern about slip such that slip
states: “Joints that are required to be the same thing, and I believe they are using of any magnitude must be prevented, then the
slip-critical include: (2) Those cases the term “significant load reversal” in a joint should be designed as slip-critical. Note
where slip of any magnitude must be consistent manner. that this is consistent with the requirement in
prevented, such as in joints subject Significant load reversal means that the Section 4.3 in the RCSC Specification, which
to significant load reversal and load reverses direction in a manner that states: “Slip-critical joints are required in
joints between elements of built-up causes more than a negligible effect. When the following applications involving shear
compression members in which any this occurs, the RCSC Specification Section or combined shear and tension: (4) Joints
slip could cause a reduction of the 4.2 requires the joint to be pretensioned. in which slip at the faying surfaces would
flexural stiffness, which is required for The RCSC Specification does not require be detrimental to the performance of the
the stability of the built-up member.” the joint to be designed as slip-critical. structure.”
Larry S. Muir, PE

All mentioned AISC standards, unless noted otherwise, refer to the current version and are available at aisc.org/specifications,
AISC Design Guides are available at aisc.org/dg, and Engineering Journal articles can be found at aisc.org/ej.

Modern Steel Construction | 9

steel interchange

Galvanized High-Strength Bolts

Is it permissible to galvanize high-strength “Mechanical galvanizing of spline-end Table 2.1
bolts? twist-off and fixed matched bolting Group Designations for Bolts and
assemblies shall be performed only Matched Bolting Assemblies
Yes, this is addressed in the 2020 RCSC under the direction of the Manufacturer
Matched
Specification in Section 2.8.1: and as permitted by their respective Tensile
Group Bolts Bolting
“Group 120 and Group 144 bolting standards. Hot-dip galvanizing of Strength
Assemblies
components are permitted to be hot- spline-end matched bolting assemblies ASTM
dip or mechanically galvanized, except is not permitted.” Group F3125 ASTM F3125
120 ksi
that direct-tension indicators are only 120 Grade Grade F1852
“Hot-dip or mechanical galvanizing A325
permitted to be mechanically galvanized
of Group 150 heavy hex bolts or Group ASTM F3148
in compliance with ASTM F959.” 144 ksi —
Group 150 spline-end matched bolting 144 Grade 144
“Hot-dip galvanized bolting components assemblies is not permitted.” ASTM
shall meet the requirements of ASTM Group F3125 ASTM F3125
150 ksi
150 Grade Grade F2280
F2329. Mechanically galvanized bolting The “groups” referred to here are
A490
components shall meet the Class 55 defined in Table 2.1, which lists the
requirements of ASTM B695. All applicable bolt ASTM standards. The Jonathan Tavarez, PE
threaded components of the bolting Commentary in this section also provides
assembly shall be galvanized by the helpful guidance that you should review.
same process.”

Various Interaction Equations

When designing a single-plate shear Each of the interaction equations you to determine what is appropriate for
connection for combined axial, shear, mentioned is valid for its intended your situation.
and flexural loads, the 15th Edition AISC purposes. Different equations are used in AISC Manual Equation 9-1 is applicable
Steel Construction Manual recommends various situations in AISC publications. to the plastic strength of members and
using Equation 9-1. However, in AISC In many cases, more than one interaction connection elements with rectangular
Design Example II.A-17B, which looks equation is valid, and the equation is cross sections. The development of this
at a connection subjected to axial selected based on the author’s judgment. partially empirical equation is discussed in
and shear loading, an equation that is I have used all of these equations and the first quarter 2015 Engineering Journal
derived from Chapter H in the AISC several more in my connection design article “Plastic Strength of Connection
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings practice. The selection of an appropriate Elements.” This equation is limited to
(ANSI/AISC 360), in conjunction with interaction equation is dependent elements with low slenderness (where
AISC Manual Equation 10-5, is used. on several considerations, including buckling is prevented). As discussed in
Can you help me understand why the cross-sectional shape (I-shaped, the fourth quarter 2016 Engineering
different interaction equations are used T-shaped, rectangular, etc.), the stress Journal article “Stability of Rectangular
for similar load combinations? distribution on the cross section Connection Elements,” when stability is
2 4
(elastic, inelastic, plastic), the loading a design consideration, the interaction
Mr
+ Pr + Vr ≤ 1.0 (9-1) types (shear, axial, flexure, torsion), equations in the 2016 AISC Specification,
Mc Pc Vc and the slenderness for members that Section H1.1 are more appropriate.
Vr 2+ Mr 2≤ 1.0 (10-5) are subjected to compression stresses. Bo Dowswell, PE, PhD
Vc Mc Ultimately, you must use your judgment
Pr
+ Mrx + Mry ≤ 1.0 (H1-1b)
2Pc Mcx Mcy

Jonathan Taverez ([email protected]) is The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not

necessarily represent an official position of the American
AISC’s structural steel specialist in the Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed.
New York City Market. Larry Muir and It is recognized that the design of structures is within the
scope and expertise of a competent licensed structural
Bo Dowswell, principal with ARC Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and
engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the
practical professional ideas and information on all phases
International, LLC, are consultants to AISC. of steel building and bridge construction. Contact Steel
application of principles to a particular structure.
Interchange with questions or responses via AISC’s Steel The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and
Solutions Center: 866.ASK.AISC | [email protected] answers is available online at www.modernsteel.com.

10 | JUNE 2022
 This month’s questions and answers were developed by Michael Desch, an AISC intern
steel quiz and current graduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Thanks, Michael!

This month’s Steel Quiz explores the design considerations that impact the structural
design of hybrid steel-framed structures with mass-timber floors.

For guidance, you can consult the newly released AISC 5 What is the maximum joint tolerance for panel gaps
Design Guide 37: Hybrid Steel Frames with Wood Floors suggested by the design guide?
(available at aisc.org/dg). a. 1∕8 in. b. 3∕16 in. c. ¼ in. d. 3∕8 in.
1 Which of the following is a benefit of hybrid steel-timber 6 Which of the following is an actual difference between
building systems?
glue-laminated-timber (GLT) and cross-laminated-timber
a. Larger columns sizes c. Less prefabrication
(CLT) products?
b. Increased construction speed d. All of the above
a. Layer-to-layer bonding differs. Adhesives are used to
2 True or False: For hybrid construction where both the steel bond the layers of GLT, while CLT uses mechanical
structure and mass timber are exposed, intumescent paint fasteners (screws, nails, or dowels).
may be used when fire protection is required for the steel. b. The layer type differs. The plies of GLT are made of
many thin layers of wood veneer, while CLT is made
3 True or False: A 6-in.-thick five-ply CLT floor panel alone from plies of dimensional lumber.
can sufficiently isolate acoustic transmission for most office c. The orientation of each layer differs. GLT layers may be
and residential applications. oriented in parallel, while in CLT, every layer is oriented
4 True or False: Two key advantages of the steel framing in perpendicular to adjacent layers.
a hybrid system are that (1) the flexibility of the steel lateral d. The fabrication location differs. GLT products are
force-resisting system (LFRS) can minimize the impact of the generally fabricated on-site, while CLT products are
lateral system on the building architecture and (2) using a usually prefabricated in factories
steel LFRS provides a proven path to code compliance.
TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR THE ANSWERS

DRAGON A400

CNC Plasma Tube & Pipe Processing Machine Easily auto imports from Tekla and SDS2
Easily handles round, square, rectangle, angle, and
channel up to 24 feet.

12 | JUNE 2022
THE MOST
SUSTAINABLE
HSS AVAILABLE
Sustainability drives decision-making more than ever before. Nucor Tubular Products
is your partner for achieving your sustainability goals and bringing your projects to
life. And because all of our steel is made with electric arc furnace (EAF) technology,
our HSS is the greenest produced in North America.

Whether you need HSS for a long span truss or a handrail,

take your project to the next level with Nucor Tubular Products.

nucortubular.com
 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
steel quiz ANSWERS AISC’s Steel Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or [email protected].

1 b. Increased construction speed. reduced column sizes, lightweight exposed to fire. More information on
There are many advantages of construction, prefabrication, increased designing fire protection for hybrid
using a hybrid steel-timber build- speed of construction, and more. You systems can be found in Chapter 3 of
ing system. Both materials can can find more information on the ben- Design Guide 37.
play to their respective strengths efits of hybrid steel-timber systems in
Section 2.1 of Design Guide 37.
3 False. As discussed in Section 4.2 of
to provide benefits over typical
the Design Guide, a 6-in.-thick five-
steel or timber structures. These
2 True. Intumescent paint protects ply CLT panel will typically provide a
advantages include aesthetics, sus-
the underlying steel by charring and sound transmission class (STC) rating
tainability, long-span capabilities,
expanding to insulate the member when of about 40 and an impact insula-
tion class (IIC) rating in the mid-20s.
These ratings are insufficient for most
applications, with the International
Building Code (IBC) recommending
a minimum rating of 50 for both mea-
sures. Additional topping materials
can be used to improve the acoustic
performance of the floor assembly.
4 True. Braced frames and moment
frames are the most commonly
used LFRS. However, any steel LFRS
allowed by the authority having
jurisdiction can be used in a hybrid
project. In high-seismic areas, more
ductile LFRS are used in accordance
with the AISC Seismic Provisions for
Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC
341, aisc.org/specifications). CLT
panels can help reduce the mass of
the building, which in turn reduces
the seismic forces. More informa-
tion on designing lateral systems for
hybrid steel and mass timber floor
projects can be found in Section 6.2
of the Design Guide.
5 b. 3∕16 in. As discussed in Section 7.3
of the Design Guide, no standard
code of practice exists for erection
tolerances of mass timber construc-
tion. Therefore, the authors proposed
several erection tolerances to serve
as reasonable starting points when
discussing specific tolerance require-
ments with the contracting team.
6 c. The orientation of each layer
differs. GLT, due to the paral-
lel orientation of each ply and the
anisotropic nature of wood, offers
the most strength along a single axis,
so it is useful for beams, columns,
and slabs in one-way bending. CLT,
due to the alternating orientations of
each layer, provides strength in mul-
tiple directions. It is useful for walls,
floors, and roofs and has two-way
span capabilities. More information
on GLT, CLT, and other mass timber
products can be found in Section 1.2
of Design Guide 37.
14 | JUNE 2022
 Software with
flexibility built-in.

Yield-Link® Yield-Link® software from Simpson Strong-Tie makes it easier

YL

Software to quickly design, model and document structural-steel buildings.

From Revit, SAP2000 and ETABS plugins to integration with
RISA and RAM software, our broad range of solutions help you
design and construct smarter, faster and easier than ever.
To learn more about our Yield-Link connection software, visit
go.strongtie.com/yieldlinksoftware or call (800) 999-5099.

RAM Structural System

CONNECT Edition

© 2021 Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. YLSP20-S

steelwise

Are You Properly Specifying Materials?

BY JONATHAN TAVAREZ, PE

Learn what's new in the world of structural steel materials.

WITH THE UPCOMING publication of the ments but rather guidance (see the 65, or QST 70. Atmospheric corrosion
16th edition AISC Steel Construction Man- article “Says Who?” in the August 2013 resistance (weathering characteristics) can
ual comes an opportunity to verify that you issue, available in the Archives section be obtained by specifying ASTM A588
are correctly specifying materials. at www.modernsteel.com). AISC rou- for building construction or ASTM A709
As we know, ASTM specifications tinely surveys structural steel fabricators and Grade 50W and QST grades for bridge
undergo periodic revisions, and new ones producers to determine the most common construction. These and other material
come into existence. The design and con- and preferred material specifications for specifications applicable to S-shapes and
struction process is significantly simpli- various shapes. You may still be able to spec- M-shapes are shown in Table 2-4.
fied through the reference of appropriate ify something that does not align with these Channels. Both Standard Channels and
ASTM specifications because they allow recommendations, but this should only be Miscellaneous Channels (MC) are most
you to define all the relevant characteristics done based on engineering judgment and commonly available as ASTM A992. Some
of a specified product. after discussing with the fabricator. smaller channels less than 8 in. may still
However, with dozens of ASTM speci- only be available as A36 material. Please
fications applicable to steel construction Structural Shapes confirm with a local fabricator before spec-
alone, keeping the standard designations Let’s start with structural shapes, sum- ifying ASTM A992 material for channels
used in contracts current can be challeng- marized in Table 2-4. smaller than 8 in. Atmospheric corrosion
ing. Here, we’ll provide an updated sum- W-shapes. The preferred material resistance (weathering characteristics) can
mary of the most common ASTM speci- specification for W-shapes is ASTM A992 be obtained by specifying ASTM A588 for
fications used in steel building design and (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). The availability building construction. Also, refer to Table
construction, including standards for struc- and cost-effectiveness of W-shapes in 2-4 for the preferred material for channels.
tural shapes, plate products, fastening prod- grades other than ASTM A992 should be HP-shapes. The preferred material speci-
ucts, and more. This information is based confirmed before specifying. W-shapes of fication for HP shapes is ASTM A572 Grade
on similar information in the new version limited sizes with higher yield and ten- 50 (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi); other grades’
of the Manual. Another useful AISC publi- sile strength can be obtained by specify- availability and cost-effectiveness should
cation is Selected ASTM Standards for Steel ing ASTM A529 Grade 55, ASTM A572 be confirmed prior to specification. HP-
Construction including Structural Stainless Grades 55, 60, and 65, ASTM A913 Grades shapes with atmospheric corrosion resistance
Steel, which provides a compilation of 98 60, 65, 70, and 80, or A709 Grades QST (weathering characteristics) can be obtained
structural and stainless steel-related ASTM 50S, QST 65, and QST 70. W-shapes with by specifying ASTM A588 Grade 50. These
standards. Selected ASTM Standards is pres- atmospheric corrosion resistance (weath- and other material specifications applicable
ently available at aisc.org/publications. ering characteristics) can be obtained by to HP-shapes are shown in Table 2-4.
The AISC 16th Edition Steel Construction specifying ASTM A588 for building con- Angles. The preferred material specifi-
Manual will be available in mid-2023. struction or ASTM A709 Grade 50W and cation for angles is ASTM A572 Grade 50.
All ASTM standard specifications have QST grades for bridge construction. These Angles may be available in other strength, but
a typical format. Of course, the chemical and other material specifications applicable the preferred material is shown in Table 2-4.
and mechanical property requirements are to W-shapes are shown in Table 2-4. Structural tees. Structural tees are split
essential, but an often-overlooked section S-shapes and M-shapes. The pre- from W-, M- and S-shapes to make WT-,
is “Ordering Requirements.” This section ferred material specification for these MT- and ST-shapes, respectively. For the
lists the items necessary to list when pur- shapes is now ASTM A572 Grade 50 preferred material specifications and other
chasing materials to ensure that you obtain (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). The availability suitable material specifications for struc-
the product required. Some standards also and cost-effectiveness of S-shapes and tural tees, refer to the preceding sections
depend heavily on other ASTM standards, M-shapes in grades other than those listed on W-, M- or S-shapes, as appropriate.
with an example being the reliance on should be confirmed prior to their speci- Rectangular (and square) HSS. The
ASTM A6 for common delivery require- fication. S-shapes and M-shapes with a preferred material specification for rectan-
ments. Some standards also contain help- higher yield and tensile strength can be gular hollow structural sections (HSS) is
ful information in notes and Annexes that obtained by specifying ASTM A529 Grade ASTM A500 Grade C (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 62
should be reviewed as well. 55, ASTM A572 Grades 55, 60, and 65, ksi). Two notable options for HSS are A1065
Note that this article, along with the ASTM A913 Grades 60, 65, 70, and 80, or, and A1085. A1085 (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi)
Manual, should not be taken as require- for bridges, A709 Grades QST 50S, QST provides actual wall thickness and tighter

16 | JUNE 2022
 steelwise
corner radii tolerances for design. Additional
benefits include a maximum yield stress of Table 2-4
70 ksi for A1085 and a defined standard for Applicable ASTM Specifications for Various Structural Shapes
Charpy V-notch material toughness. The Applicable Shape Series
availability and cost-effectiveness of rectan-
HSS
gular HSS in grades other than ASTM A500 Fy Fu
Yield Tensile

Round
Grade C should be confirmed prior to their

Rect.
Stressa Stressa

Pipe
ASTM
specification. Since A500 Grade C require- Steel Type Designation (ksi) (ksi) W M S HP C MC L
ments also meet the requirements of A500 A36 36 58–80b
Grade B, it is likely that you will receive A53 Gr. B 35 60
A500 Grade C material regardless of what Gr. B 46 58
you specify. It is, therefore, best to specify A500 Gr. C 50 62
Grade C to take advantage of the increased Gr. D 36 58
design strength. Rectangular HSS with
A501h Gr. B 46 65
atmospheric resistance (weathering char- Carbon
Gr. 50 50 65–100
acteristics) can be obtained by specifying A529c
Gr. 55 55 70–100
ASTM A847 or A1065 Grade 50W. These
A709 Gr. 36 36 58–80b
and other material specifications applicable
Gr. 36 36–52 58
to rectangular HSS are shown in Table 2-4. A1043d,g
Gr. 50 50–65 65
Round HSS. The preferred material
specification for round HSS is ASTM A500 A1085 Gr. A 50-70 65

Grade C (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 62 ksi). This is Gr. 42 42 60

a significant change from the 46-ksi yield Gr. 50 50 65
stress that was previously the standard for A572i Gr. 55 55 70
round HSS specified as A500 Grade C. This Gr. 60e 60 75
change occurred in the revision to ASTM Gr. 65e 65 80
A500 Grade C in 2021. Note that A1085 Gr. Iag, Ib
50f 70f
(Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi) may also be speci- A618h & II
fied for round HSS members for actual wall Gr. III 50 65
thickness. The availability and cost-effec- High-Strength Gr. 50 50 65
tiveness of round HSS in grades other than Low-Alloy A709 Gr. 50S 50–65 65
ASTM A500 Grade C should be confirmed Gr. 50W 50 70
prior to specification. Generally speaking, Gr. 50 50 65
only round HSS with the same cross-sec- Gr. 60 60 75
tional dimensions as steel pipe are stocked A913 Gr. 65 65 80
and readily available (see the “12 Tidbits” Gr. 70 70 90
sidebar for further information). Round Gr. 80 80 95
HSS with atmospheric corrosion resistance A992 50–60 65
(weathering characteristics) can be obtained A1065g Gr. 50 50 60
by specifying ASTM A847. These and other Corrosion- Gr. QST 50 50 65
material specifications applicable to round Resistant Gr. QST 50S 50–60 65
HSS are shown in Table 2-4. Quenched A709
and Tempered Gr. QST 65 65 80
Steel pipe. The Manual lists ASTM
Low-Alloy Gr. QST 70 70 90
A53 Grade B (Fy = 35 ksi, Fu = 60 ksi) as
Corrosion- A588 50 70
the preferred material specification for steel Resistant
A847 50 70
pipe used in structural frames—however, High-Strength
Low-Alloy A1065g Gr. 50W 50 70
the following considerations should be
addressed first. Round ASTM A500 Grade
Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-4 are intended to be the
C can be specified using pipe dimensions = Preferred material
versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2.
specification.
instead of A53 to take advantage of the a
Minimum, unless a range is shown.
b
For wide-flange shapes with flange thicknesses over 3 in.,
increased strength. A53 pipes need to = Other applicable
material only the minimum of 58 ksi applies.
be pressure tested, which results in an c
For shapes with a flange or leg thickness less than or equal to
specification,
unnecessarily increased overall cost for the availability of d
1½ in. only.
For shape profiles with a flange width of 6 in. or greater.
less strength than what could have been which should be e
For shapes with a flange or leg thickness less than or equal
obtained if round A500 Grade C was confirmed prior to 2 in. only.
to specification. f
specified. Additionally, regional availability Minimum applies for walls nominally ¾-in.-thick and under. For wall
thickness over ¾ in. and up to 1½ in., Fy = 46 ksi and Fu = 67 ksi.
may play a factor, so be sure to contact your = Material g This specification is not a prequalified base metal per AWS
fabricator. See the sidebar “12 Tidbits” for specification
D1.1/D1.1M:2020.
does not apply. h ERW or seamless HSS only.
further information. i Type 1, 2, or 3 only.

Modern Steel Construction | 17

steelwise
Table 2-5 Plate Products
Applicable ASTM Specifications for Plates and Bars Next, let’s look at steel plate, which
is summarized in Table 2-5.
Plates and Bars, thickness, t, in.
Structural plates. ASTM A36 and

over 0.75 to 1.25

A572 Grade 50 should be readily avail-

over 1.25 to 1.5

able for main member or weldment

over 1.5 to 2
over 2 to 2.5
over 2.5 to 4
over 4 to 5
over 5 to 6
over 6 to 8
design. It is more common for plate
Fy Fu
material to ASTM A572 Grade 50 (Fy

to 0.75
Yield Tensile

over 8
Steel ASTM Stressa Stressa = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). If plate mate-
Type Designation (ksi) (ksi) rial is specified as A36 (Fy = 36 ksi, Fu
32 58–80 = 58 ksi), it is very likely that you will
Connecting
58–80 be receiving an A572 Grade 50 plate
A36 elements
36 since the mechanical properties of A572
All other
58–80 Grade 50 meets the same requirements
applications
Carbon d of A36. One caution when specifying
Gr. C 30 55–75
A238e d
plates over 4 in. thick. A572 Grade 50
Gr. D 33 60–80
material is not commonly available for
Gr. 50 50 65–100 b b b b b
A529 plates over 4 in. thick. When ASTM
55 70–100 c c c c c
Gr. 55 A36 is specified for plates over 4 in.
A709 Gr. 36 36 58–80 thick, the yield strength drops to 32 ksi
Gr. 42 42 60 rather than 36 ksi. One major change
Gr. 50i 50 65 in the new Manual is the preference
A572h Gr. 55 55 70 of material for connecting elements is
now ASTM A572 Grade 50. This does
Gr. 60j 60 75
not prohibit the use of A36, but it rec-
Gr. 65 65 80
ognizes the prevalence of 50 ksi mate-
A709 Gr. 50 50 65
High- rial in the supply chain. ASTM A36 is
Strength Gr. 36 36–52 58 included as the preferred material for
e
Low-Alloy A1043 50–65 65
Gr. 50 connecting elements with thicknesses of
Gr. 50 50 65 4 in. through 8 in. The availability and
Gr. 60 60 75 cost-effectiveness of structural plates in
A1066 Gr. 65 65 80 f grades other than these should be con-
Gr. 70 70 85 firmed prior to their specification. Note
80 90 g that thickness ranges are also different
Gr. 80
e
for other grades, as shown in Table
Corrosion- 42 63
Resistant 2-5. Structural plates with higher yield
A588 46e 67
High- and tensile strength can be obtained by
Strength 50 70 specifying ASTM A572 Grade 55, 60,
Quenched
90 100–130 or 65; ASTM A529 Grade 55; ASTM
and
A514e A1066 Grade 60, 65, 70, or 80; or
Tempered
Alloy 100 110–130 ASTM A514 Grade 90 or 100. Struc-
Gr. 50W 50 70 tural plates with atmospheric corrosion
Corrosion-
Resistant 50 70
resistance (weathering characteristics)
Gr. HPS 50W
Quenched can be obtained by specifying ASTM
A709 Gr. HPS 70W 70 85–110
and A588 Grade 42, 46, or 50. These and
Tempered Gr. HPS 90 100–130
other material specifications applicable
Low-Alloy 100We 100 110–130 to structural plates are shown in Table
Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-5 are intended to be the
2-5. For significant orders, ASTM A709
= Preferred material
specification. versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2. HPS 50 or70 can be considered.
a Minimum, unless a range is shown. Structural bars. The preceding
= Other applicable b Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness and bars to 3½ in. thickness.
material c Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness and bars to 3 in. thickness. comments for structural plates apply
specification, d Thickness is not limited to 2 in. in ASTM A283 and thicker plates equally to structural bars, though note
the availability of may be obtained but availability should be confirmed. that ASTM A514 is not applicable.
which should be e This specification is not a prequalified base metal per
AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020. While frequently falling in the same
confirmed prior
to specification. f Applicable for plates to 3 in. thickness. size ranges as plates, bars are a separate
g Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness. classification and are generally available
= Material h Type 1, 2, or 3 only as given in Specification Table A3.1
specification i Round bars up to and including 11 in. diameter are permitted. in widths up to 8 in. The terminology
does not apply. j Round bars up to and including 3½ in. diameter are permitted. section in the ASTM A6 Standard (see
18 | JUNE 2022
 steelwise
Selected ASTM Standards for Steel Construc- maximum carbon by heat analysis, and standard with many types and grades; the
tion including Structural Stainless Steel) pro- without specified mechanical properties.” structural steel type is designated “SS” and
vides thickness, width, and length defini- Alternatively, if a defined strength level is the standards provide for grades from 25
tions to differentiate between steel plates desired, ASTM A786 raised-pattern floor or 30 to 80. High-strength low-alloy and
and bars. plate can be ordered to a specific plate high-strength low-alloy with improved
Raised-Pattern Floor Plates. ASTM material specification, such as ASTM A36, formability are designated as HSLAS and
A786 is the standard specification for A572, or A588; see ASTM A786 Sections HSLAS-F, respectively, and may also be
rolled steel floor plates. As strength 5.1.3, 7.1, and 8.1. specified if needed. When using shims and
considerations seldom control the floor- Sheet and Strip. Sheet and strip prod- similar products, note that 3∕16 in. is the
plate design, ASTM A786 “commercial ucts, which are generally thinner than minimum thickness to specify and receive
grade” is commonly specified. In those structural plate and bar products, are pro- a mill test report conforming to an ASTM
cases, per ASTM A786-15, Section 5.1.3, duced to such ASTM specifications as A606, standard material. Availability should be
“The product will be supplied with 0.33% A1008, or A1011. This is an “umbrella” checked before specifying the grade.

12 Important Tidbits
Here are a dozen points to consider HSS6.000×0.250 is an HSS-only product to embarrass you by pointing out that
when specifying materials for your next and may require a mill-order quantity. you’ve specified a product that does
project. 5. Properly designate your HSS. not come in the length you likely speci-
1. When in doubt, check it out. A round HSS is designated by out- fied—or as a hooked or longer-threaded
Have questions about availability? Call side diameter and wall thickness, each rod. Use ASTM F1554, which covers
a fabricator or contact the AISC Steel expressed to three decimal places—e.g., hooked, headed, and threaded/nutted
Solutions Center ([email protected]; HSS6.625×0.28. A square or rectangular rods in three strength grades and even
866.ASK.AISC). Either one can keep you HSS is designated by nominal outside has only slightly greater tensile strength
swimming in available steel. Also, visit dimensions and wall thickness, each than A325 when specified as Grade 105.
aisc.org/aisc-membership to search for in rational numbers—e.g., HSS4×4×3∕8. ASTM F3125 Grade A325 has a tensile
member providers. Rectangular HSS with even dimensions strength of 120 ksi, while ASTM F1554
2. Times change. When ASTM A992 for sides—e.g., HSS6×4×5∕16—is more Grade 105 has a tensile strength of 125–
was initially introduced, only W-shapes readily available than odd-numbered 150 ksi.
were covered. A later revision to this dimensions—e.g., HSS5×3×3∕8. 8. Have all the information at your
ASTM standard expanded its scope to 6. Properly designate your steel fingertips. More extensive information
include other hot-rolled structural cross pipes. Use nominal pipe size (NPS) des- can be found in the 16th Edition Man-
sections (channels, angles, S-shapes, ignation through NPS 12—e.g., Pipe 5 ual (available in 2023) and the Selected
etc.), allowing them to be made to ASTM Std., Pipe 5 x-strong, or Pipe 5 xx-strong. ASTM Standards for Steel Construction
A992. Nevertheless, A992 still is not Note that this notation has commonly including Structural Stainless Steel (avail-
common in shapes other than W-shapes been abbreviated for the examples able at aisc.org/publications).
and channels. given: P5, PX5, and PXX5, respectively. 9. Remember to specify the alter-
3. Round HSS ≠ steel pipe. Know Above NPS 12, use the format “Pipe” nate core location CVN requirement
the difference between ASTM A500 and followed by nominal diameter × nominal when you have heavy shapes or plates
ASTM A53. While ASTM A53 (Fy = 35 ksi) wall thickness, each expressed to three with CJP groove welds and subject to
is the listed preferred material for pipes, decimal places—e.g., NPS 14 Standard tension; see AISC Specification Sections
ASTM A500 (Fy = 50 ksi for Grade C) is designated Pipe 14.000×0.375. The A3.1c and A3.1d for further information.
can be specified instead of using pipe latter format also applies to any steel 10. When specifying weathering
dimensions. See Tidbit 4 to learn how to pipe size smaller than NPS 12 that does steel plates or bars, think ASTM A588
specify pipe dimensions for round HSS. not have an NPS size. first. ASTM A242 is no longer commonly
4. Generally speaking, only round 7. Don’t confuse anchor rods with used and has been removed from Table
HSS with the same cross-sectional structural bolts. Do not specify your 2-5 in the Manual.
dimensions as steel pipe are stocked anchor rods as ASTM F3125 Grade A325 11. Use the MC12×14.3 for stair
and available. Avoid specifying a round or A490. The ASTM F3125 standard cov- stringers. Due to its flange width, the
HSS with a cross section that does ers headed bolts, with limited thread handrail pipe sizes will fit, as will the fillet
not match up to one of the steel pipe length, generally available only up to welds used to connect them to this new
cross sections. This is much easier than 8 in. in length and governed by provi- channel with a wider flange.
it sounds; use round HSS with non- sions for steel-to-steel structural joints 12. When in doubt, check it out
zero numbers after the decimal point. only. You say you’ve always specified and ask your fabricator. Oh wait, this
For example, HSS6.625×0.28 has the your anchorage devices this way and it’s is number 1; well, it’s important enough
same cross section as a Pipe 6 Std. never been a problem? Well, the reality that it warrants being the first and last
And it will generally be available, while is that your fabricator has been nice not consideration.
Modern Steel Construction | 19
steelwise
Fastening Products Specification for Structural Steel Buildings for anchor rods are usually larger than
Next, let’s explore fasteners, summa- (ANSI/AISC 360, aisc.org/specifications) those for steel-to-steel structural bolting
rized in Table 2-6. to use other material specifications in applications. AISC Manual Table 14-2 pro-
High-strength bolts. The umbrella steel-to-steel bolting applications, the use vides recommended hole sizes that corre-
bolt standard ASTM F3125 includes grades of materials besides those identified in this late with anchor rod placement tolerances
that were previously manufactured under article is relatively rare. from ACI 117. Accordingly, washers used
the standards ASTM A325, A490, F1852, Nuts. The preferred material specifica- in such applications generally must be
and F2280 for high-strength bolts in steel- tion for heavy-hex nuts is ASTM A563. The larger and require design consideration for
to-steel connections. Under the umbrella appropriate grade and finish for steel-to- proper force transfer, particularly when the
standard F3125, the previous ASTM stan- steel structural bolting applications are sum- anchorage is subject to tension. Table 14-2
dard designations become grades—i.e., marized in Section 2.3 of the 2020 RCSC is revised to reflect different material thick-
Grade A325 and A490 and Grade F1852 Specification for Structural Joints Using High- nesses for Grade 36, 55, and 105 anchor
and F2280. A325 and A490 are hex-headed Strength Bolts (aisc.org/specifications). If its rods. Such anchor rod washers are generally
bolts, while F1852 and F2280 are twist-off availability can be confirmed prior to specifi- made from rectangular plate or bar material.
tension-controlled bolts. Additionally, the cation, ASTM A194 Grade 2H nuts are per- Compressible-washer-type direct-
bolts were previously grouped by strength mitted as an alternative, as indicated in Sec- tension indicators. When bolted joints are
groups: Groups A (120 ksi), B (150 ksi), and tion 2.3.2 of the RCSC Specification. While specified as pretensioned or slip-critical and
C (200 ksi). Group C bolts were ASTM RCSC (Research Council on Structural the direct-tension-indicator pretensioning
F3043 or F3111 bolts. An additional bolt Connections) is the authority on the use of method is used, ASTM F959 compressible-
was added to the AISC Specification in 2022. nuts, Table 2 in the ASTM F3125 specifica- washer-type direct-tension indicators can
The new bolt standard ASTM F3148, with tion may have more up-to-date information be specified. Type 325 is used with ASTM
a tensile strength of 144 ksi, is introduced as and should be checked. F3125 Grade A325 or F1852 assemblies,
an applicable material for spline drive bolts Washers for structural bolts. The pre- and Type 490 is used with ASTM F3125
where the spline is used to pretension the ferred material specification for hardened Grade A490 or F2280 assemblies. ASTM
bolt, but it does not twist off. steel washers is ASTM F436. This speci- F3148 bolts are pretensioned to the same
To more clearly designate these bolts, the fication provides for both flat and beveled tension as Group 150 bolts (Grade A490),
previous Group letters were replaced by the washers. An “extra thick” option is available so the A490 DTIs should be used for this
material strength designations—i.e., Groups for the cases in RCSC Specification Table 6.1 application if DTIs are required. The use of
120, 144, 150, and 200. Type 1 is the most that require a special 5∕16 -in. thickness (when these devices must conform to the require-
commonly specified (medium-carbon steel). oversized or slotted holes are used in the ments in the RCSC Specification, which pro-
When atmospheric corrosion resistance outer ply of a steel-to-steel structural joint). vides detailed requirements for preinstal-
is desired, Type 3 can be specified. While Washers for anchor rods. In base lation verification (Section 7), installation
it is still formally permitted by the AISC plate applications, anchor rods’ hole sizes (Section 8), and inspection (Section 9).

New Things low alloy steel flux cored arc welding also be obtained and are discussed
Here’s a list of recent developments to electrodes. This standard is currently in the article “Larger Hollow Struc-
help guide your material specifications. present in D1.1:2020, but it has since tural Sections” in the November 2011
• Several new W, WT, and HSS shapes been withdrawn, with the two previous issue (www.modernsteel.com). This
are introduced in the 16th edition Man- standards remaining as the applicable includes a discussion of ASTM A1065
ual and are listed below: specifications. shapes produced by forming two chan-
– New W Shapes: W44×408, • A new bolt standard, ASTM F3148, is nels and welding them together.
W44×368, W36×387, W36×350, introduced and is meant to provide a • A channel especially for stair string-
W36×318, W36×286 strength between that of F3125 Grade ers. The MC12×14.3 that was recently
– New WT Shapes: WT22×204, A325 and A490, hoping to supersede added to ASTM A6 was conceived as
WT22×184, WT18×193.5, them both in the future. ASTM F3148 a stair stringer. It has a 21∕8-in. flange
WT18×175, WT18×159, WT18×143 bolts are also able to be mechanically width, wide enough to accept the stan-
– For brevity, the entire list is not galvanized. dard handrail pipe size and fillet weld
included here but note that there • Larger HSS. Until recently, ASTM around it. No more crimping the pipe
are 16 new square HSS shapes, A500 HSS was limited to 7∕8-in. thick- or goobering the weld!
130 new rectangular HSS shapes, ness and 88-in. perimeter. It now per- • Bigger HP-shapes. While not recently
and 64 new round HSS shapes. mits HSS to 1-in. thickness and 88-in. added to ASTM A6, the HP18 and HP16
• It should be noted that the AWS A5.36 perimeter. While the standards permit series shapes provide for even higher
standard was previously introduced these larger sizes, they are not currently pile strengths. Like all HP shapes, they
with the intention of combining A5.20 made in the U.S.; availability should be have thicker webs (tw = tf) and may help
and A5.29 into a single specifica- checked. HSS with sizes that exceed eliminate the need for stiffeners and
tion covering both carbon steel and ASTM A500’s 88-in. periphery limit can doublers when used as columns.
20 | JUNE 2022
 steelwise
Anchor rods. The preferred material
specification for anchor rods is ASTM Table 2-6
F1554, which covers hooked, headed, Applicable ASTM Specifications for Various Types of Structural Fasteners
threaded, and nutted anchor rods in two Bolts Anchor
Washers
strength grades: 36, 55, and 105. ASTM High-Strength Rods
F1554 Grade 55 is most commonly speci-

Threaded & Nutted

fied, although grades 36 and 105 are gener-

Tension Control

Tension Control

Threaded Rods
Common Bolts

Direct-Tension
ally available. Note that per Section 6.4 in

Twist-off-type
Conventional
ASTM F1554, when Grade 36 is ordered, Fy

Fixed-end

Hardened
Min. Fu

Indicator
the supplier may substitute weldable Grade

Hooked
Headed
Yield Tensile
55 at their discretion. ASTM F1554 Grade

Plain
Nuts
ASTM Stress Stressa Diameter
36 may be welded as is, and Grade 55 may Designation (ksi) (ksi) Range (in.)
be welded if ordered with Supplement S1; Gr. A325d – 120 0.5 to 1.5
ASTM F3125

this is the more common approach when Gr. F1852d – 120 0.5 to 1.5
welding is required. Grade 105 may not be Gr. A490d – 150 0.5 to 1.5
welded, as the heat will detrimentally affect Gr. F2280d – 150 0.5 to 1.5
performance. Several other ASTM specifi- F3111 – 200–215 1 to 1.25
cations may also be used. ASTM A36, A193, F3043 – 200–215 1 to 1.25
A307, A354, A449, A572, A588, and A687 F3148d – 144 0.5 to 1.25
can be specified for applications involving A194 Gr. 2H – – 0.25 to 4
rods that are not headed. All except A572 A563 – – 0.25 to 4
and A588 can be specified for applications F436 – – 0.25 to 4b
involving headed rods. F844 – – any
Threaded rods. The preferred mate- – 0.5 to 1.5b
F959 –
rial specification for threaded rods, whether
A36 36 58–80 to 15
provided with plain or upset ends, is ASTM
105 125 to 2.5
A36. Other material specifications that can
A193 Gr. B7 95 115 over 2.5 to 4
be specified include ASTM A193, A307,
75 100 over 4 to 7
A354, A449, A572, A588, and F1554. Note
that ASTM A354 Grade BC and A449 are A307 Gr. A – 60 0.25 to 4
125 0.25 to 2.5 e e
permitted to be used for bolts when the Gr. BC
109
A354

e e
size required is outside the range of ASTM 99 115 over 2.5 to 4
F3125 Grade A325. ASTM A354 Grade Gr. BD 130 150–173 0.25 to 4 e e

BD is permitted when the size required is 92 120 0.25 to 1 e e

outside the range of ASTM F3125 Grade A449d 81 105 over 1 to 1.5 e e

A490. These standards are material stan- 58 90 1.75 to 3 e e

dards, not bolt standards, so the desired Gr. 42 42 60 to 6

dimensions must be specified as per ANSI Gr. 50 50 65 to 4c
ASME B18.2.6 heavy hex class 2A.
A572

Gr. 55 55 70 to 2.5
Shear stud connectors. Shear studs Gr. 60 60 75 to 3.5
are specified as given in AWS D1.1 Clause Gr. 65 65 80 to 2
9, with material as required in Clause
50 70 to 4
9.2.6. Type B is usual, and the correspond-
A588 46 67 over 4 to 5
ing mechanical requirements are stated
42 63 over 5 to 8
in AWS D1.1 Table 9.1 (Fy = 51 ksi, Fu =
Gr. 36 36 58–80 0.25 to 4
65 ksi). When ordering, remember to add
F1554

Gr. 55 55 75–95 0.25 to 4

the required length by the amount of the
Gr. 105 105 125–150 0.25 to 3
“melt-off,” which depends on the number of
deck plies the stud is shot through.
Filler metal. AWS provides specifica- = Preferred material Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-6 are intended to be the
specification. versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2.
tions for filler metals in the A5 series of – Indicates that a value is not specified in the material specification.
specifications. Typically, there are two filler = Other applicable a Minimum unless a range is shown or maximum (max.)
metal specifications for each process: carbon material specification, is indicated.
the availability of b For use with fasteners with diameter range given.
steel for strengths up to E70 and low alloy which should be c ASTM A572 permits rod diameters up to 11 in., but practicality
for higher strengths or other properties such confirmed prior to of threading should be confirmed before specification.
d When atmospheric corrosion resistance is desired,
as weathering. These specifications provide specification.
Type 3 can be specified.
chemical composition requirements for the = Material specification e See AISC Specification Section J3.2 for limitations
filler metals and tensile property and CVN does not apply. on use of ASTM A449, A354 Gr. BC and A354 Gr. BD.
Modern Steel Construction | 21
steelwise

toughness requirements for weld metal pro- surfaces. Often, crane rails are ordered as are available in plate form only. Grade 50S
duced to specific classification test require- end-hardened, which improves the crane is available in shapes. The other grades are
ments. It should be noted that the AWS rail ends’ resistance to impact from con- available in plate form and shapes, though
A5.36 standard was previously introduced tact with the moving wheel during crane availability should be confirmed prior to
with the intention of combining A5.20 and operation. Alternatively, the entire rail can specification. ASTM A709 provides tough-
A5.29 into a single specification covering be ordered as heat-treated. When maxi- ness levels for three exposures and two
both carbon steel and low alloy steel flux mum wheel loading or controlled cooling uses. Much of the material supplied to
cored arc welding electrodes. This standard is needed, refer to manufacturer catalogs. A709 meets one of those toughness levels.
is currently present in D1.1:2020, but it has Purchase orders for crane rails should be Material furnished to ASTM A709 grades
since been withdrawn, with the two previ- noted as “for crane service.” Light 40-lb is acceptable for use where the correspond-
ous standards remaining as the applicable rails are available in 30-ft lengths, stan- ing parent standard is specified.
specifications. dard rails in 33-ft or 39-ft lengths, and
crane rails up to 80 ft. Consult manu- Staying Up to Speed
Other Products facturer for availability of other lengths. While the fundamentals of steel design
In addition to typical structural prod- Rails should be arranged so that joints on and construction stay constant, shapes,
ucts, there are other related steel products opposite sides of the crane runway will be strengths, and steel products continue to
to consider. staggered with respect to each other and evolve—and so do the publications that
Steel castings and forgings. Steel with due consideration to the wheelbase provide guidance on them. Staying up to
castings can be produced in a wide variety of the crane. Rail joints should not occur date with the right specifications for your
of chemical compositions and mechani- at crane girder splices. Odd lengths that various steel shapes is one of the key meth-
cal properties; most are heat-treated. Two must be included to complete a run or ods for getting the most out of your steel
standards useful in steel structures are obtain the necessary stagger should be no framing system. ■
ASTM A27 Grade 65-35 and ASTM A216 less than 10 ft long. Rails are furnished
Grade 80-35. Steel forgings are specified as with standard drilling for splice bars in
ASTM A668. both standard and odd lengths unless stip-
Crane rails. Crane rails are furnished ulated otherwise on the order.
to ASTM A759, ASTM A1, and/or the
manufacturer’s specifications and toler- A Note on Bridges
ances. Rail is designated by unit weight in Another possibility for structural shapes
units of pounds per yard. Dimensions of and plates is ASTM A709, which is an
common rail are shown in the AISC Man- “umbrella” standard that assembles ASTM
ual Table 1-21; other rail profiles also exist A36, A572, A992, A588, A1010, three high-
and may be available. Most manufacturers performance steel (HPS) grades, and four
chamfer the top and sides of the crane quenched and self-tempered (QST) grades Jonathan Tavarez ([email protected])
railhead at the ends unless specified oth- into a convenient single standard for bridge is AISC’s structural steel specialist for the
erwise to reduce chipping of the running designers and fabricators. The HPS grades New York City market.

22 | JUNE 2022
 FAST. ECONOMICAL. SUSTAINABLE.

Hybrid systems featuring steel frames

and timber floors are the ideal choice
for residential buildings.
AISC’s new Design Guide 37: Hybrid Steel Frames with
Wood Floors provides you with the latest information
to make these innovative structures a reality. And you
can for a limited time you can download a FREE COPY
of this valuable resource at no charge by visiting
aisc.org/hybrid411

A new dorm for the Rhode Island School of Design: Six stories,
hybrid steel frame with wood floors, just 2.5 weeks to erect.
data driven

Rough Waters
BY JOE DARDIS

As we navigate the turbulent seas of construction pricing, remember that we’re all
in the same boat.

Fig. 1.
Scrap, Shapes, and Fabricated Steel Cost Index
210 TO SAY THE LAST FEW YEARS
Shredded Steel Scrap have led to uncertainty in the construction
190 industry would be an understatement.
Hot Rolled Shapes, Bars, Plates This is particularly true when it comes
170 to material prices, including steel. It’s
Fabricated Steel for Buildings important to remember that there are
150 many different types of steel products,
and prices for these products can vary
130 greatly. Headlines such as “Steel prices
have tripled” can be alarming at first,
110 but they don’t typically refer to all steel
products. While hot-rolled sections, steel
90
coil, or rebar will periodically experi-
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics ence price jumps, they typically don’t
70
all jump at once. Also, keep in mind that
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 while all of these products are used in
building construction, some of them
are used much more heavily in other
industries. Coil, for instance, is used to
make steel deck and hollow structural
sections (HSS), but it is used in even
Fig. 2.
greater quantities in the automotive sec-
Material Price Index tor. This can cause increased volatility in
prices as these other industries scramble
260
to secure enough material when supply
Hot Rolled Shapes, Bars, Plates
240
is disrupted. And as wide-flange pricing
Softwood Lumber has steadily climbed over the past few
220 years to roughly two times the amount
Ready Mix Concrete from 2020, coil pricing has looked much
200 more like a roller coaster, increasing
450% in 2021 before coming back down
180
in early 2022, followed by another sud-
160
den upswing shortly after the start of the
Russia-Ukraine conflict.
140 The other important component to
consider when it comes to steel price
120 fluctuations is input costs. In the case of
hot-rolled shapes, this means scrap pric-
100
ing. Figure 1 shows the price index of
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics shredded steel scrap and how it relates
80
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 to hot-rolled shapes and ultimately fab-
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 ricated structural steel prices. Scrap and

24 | JUNE 2022
 data driven

Fig. 3.
Project Cost Index
hot-rolled shape prices, for the most 140
part, fall and rise together and have both Office
roughly doubled in the past few years, Healthcare
135
inferring that the fluctuations in hot- Warehouse
rolled prices have more to do with input Schools
130
prices than supply disruptions.
What does all this mean for the struc-
125
tural steel industry? Will price volatility
make steel less competitive in the construc-
tion market? The short answer (and good 120
news) is: No. Figure 2, which shows the
price index for steel, lumber, and concrete, 115
tells us that all framing materials have been
experiencing price increases lately. At first 110
glance, it may seem like concrete is gain-
ing a competitive advantage. However, 105
keep in mind that all the rebar used in con-
crete construction has been subjected to Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
100
the same supply disruptions and input cost Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
increases that steel shapes have endured. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
At the end of the day, project costs have
increased regardless of which material is
selected. This can be further seen in Figure
3, which shows the cost index for differ-
ent project types over the last several years
regardless of framing material.
Bottom line, steel is no less competitive
today than it was two years ago. Yes, steel
prices have increased dramatically, but all
material prices have increased dramatically.
While this does present some challenges
for fabricators and the design community,
particularly when trying to address project
budgets and bid prices, it is one that every
other trade is also going through. And for
those of you who influence framing mate-
rial choices, this is an important point to
make to your customers. ■

Joe Dardis ([email protected]) is

AISC’s senior structural steel specialist
for the Chicago market.

Modern Steel Construction | 25

field notes

Intercontinental Connection
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

Gian Rassati, a 2022 AISC Special Achievement Award winner, began life in a small
Italian mountain town and has gone on to do big things in bolting research.

IF YOU ATTENDED the Wednesday

keynote session at NASCC: The Steel
Conference in Denver in March, chances
are that you saw Gian Andrea (aka G.A.)
Rassati.
He was one of this year’s award winners,
having earned an AISC Special Achieve-
ment Award, along with his colleague
James Swanson (both are associate profes-
sors at the University of Cincinnati), for
his research on the behavior and design of
bolted steel connections as well as major
contributions to the latest national design
specifications for high-strength steel bolts,
including the RCSC Specification.
I was able to sit down with Rassati
(as well as several other 2022 award
winners) at NASCC, where we chatted
about bolts, teaching, sports, Cincinnati,
and other topics.

First of all, congratulations on the

Special Achievement Award!
Thank you very much. That was an
unexpected reward, and that made it that
much better.

So can you tell me a bit about your

professional journey?
My hometown is a little ski village in
the Alps in the northeastern corner of Italy,
not very far from the borders with Austria
and Slovenia. When I was working on my
master’s thesis, which involved the simula-
Rassati (center) being presented his tion of bolted partially restrained compos-
AISC Special Achievement Award ite connections, I had an opportunity to
by AISC president Charlie Carter contact Roberto Leon, who had done a lot
and AISC board chair Steve Knitter
of testing at the University of Minnesota,
at the 2022 NASCC: The Steel
Conference in Denver. and I stayed in touch with him. I enjoyed
doing research, so I stayed on for my PhD
at the University of Trieste, and then I saw
Roberto at one of the European committee
Field Notes is Modern Steel Construction’s podcast series, where we meetings. He mentioned there were some
interview people from all corners of the structural steel industry with tests being done at Georgia Tech where
interesting stories to tell. Listen in at modernsteel.com/podcasts. he was and asked me if I was interested in

26 | JUNE 2022
 field notes

coming and helping out. And so I came to I’m 20 years older now, so I may be getting of nice restaurants in Cincinnati. I’m also
the United States and worked with him more cranky and curmudgeonly. The a carnivore, and there are some really top-
and with whom I was very pleased to be relationship I had with students when they notch steak houses around, so I’m a pretty
sharing the stage this morning [Leon was were only seven or eight years younger happy camper.
this year’s AISC Geerhard Haaijer Award than me, when I started, is different now.
for Excellence in Education winner]. And They’re still the same age, but I’m older now. Speaking of Cincinnati, the Bengals
he basically became my second family. So it’s tough to separate the observation made it to the Super Bowl. Do you
It’s a trite expression that we stand on of how students have changed versus think Joe Burrow will eventually lead
the shoulders of giants, but Jerry Hajjar, my own evolution. But my impression is the team to a championship?
who just got inducted into the National that students nowadays seem to be more He was very close this time, and there’s
Academy of Engineering, was the next per- focused on overall career goals than their certainly promise for the future. There was
son I worked with because after Georgia education itself. And so we need to find an excitement in town this season—and re-
Tech, I got a call from Jerry asking me if I new ways to provide them with the tools ally, even over the past several years when
was interested in a post-doc at the Univer- they need to actually become successful the team wasn’t as good, the excitement
sity of Minnesota. I said yes, so that’s how I in the profession and not so focused on never quite died down. But the town was
stayed in the U.S. After that, I applied for a simply what boxes to check to get a degree. crazy over the last season. As an Italian that
teaching position and landed in Cincinnati. The continuous challenge is to find ways really loves soccer, I also enjoy American
And I’ve been there for 20 years. to motivate students to actually want to football and loved seeing the high level of
learn more, to be more involved. And I play this year and that level of excitement
So what’s new with bolts? applaud what AISC has done for students, in town. It’s been a good year for Cincinnati
There’s always something brewing in making it affordable for them to come to sports since the Bearcats football team also
the industry, which is awesome and part of this conference and meet all these people. made it to the playoffs. For being what’s
the pleasure of doing research in collabora- It’s good to get the classroom experience predominantly known as a basketball uni-
tion with the steel industry. There’s always and then also come to a show like this and versity, we did pretty well in football.
something new, something different, to be actually see people who have been in the
investigated. In the last probably five to profession for a while. OK, so as an Italian soccer fan, who’s
seven years, two major types of bolts came your favorite team back in Italy?
to the surface, and I had the opportunity Do you have advice for students that That’s an easy answer: Juventus F.C. in
to do most of the research work associ- are considering a career in the steel Torino. It was my dad’s team, so it easily
ated with them. Folks are always coming industry, whether it’s as an engineer or became my team. ■
up with new ideas, like blind bolts or con- some other area?
nections that can be done without having I must say that it’s been a blast working This column was excerpted from my conver-
to hold one side of the connection, better with everyone in the steel industry. It’s al- sation with G.A. To hear more from him,
ways of tightening bolts, better materials, ways interesting, and it appeals to any kind including his thoughts on Cincinnati chili,
and better coatings. of taste. There’s hands-on work that can be check out the June Field Notes podcast at
done, and there are the super-cool problems modernsteel.com/podcasts. G.A. was one
What courses are you currently to be solved. There is the ultimate satisfac- of several AISC award winners that I inter-
teaching? tion of being able to point out that some- viewed at this year’s Steel Conference in Den-
I teach a slew of different courses. I thing that has been done based on your work ver. We will post videos of all the interviews
occasionally teach steel design, but that’s and that many people use. And I always think later this year on AISC’s YouTube channel at
mostly Jim Swanson’s purview. I teach that’s what brought me to engineering in the youtube.com/AISCSteelTV.
structural dynamics, earthquake engineer- first place. Working within the steel industry
ing, finite element analysis, and a lot of has been a pleasure for the last 20 years, and
undergraduate analysis classes. I always say I look forward to 20 more years.
that 50% of my time is spent teaching, 50%
is doing research, and 50% is doing service. Have you grown to love anything in
particular about Cincinnati?
You’ve been at the University of It’s a nice place to live. The cost of living
Cincinnati for 20 years, which is is not crazy. What I typically tell visitors or
basically a generation. Do you think candidates interviewing for positions here
college students have changed over is that it is a small big city. You can find
that time? Has teaching changed? basically anything you find in a big city,
Yes, I think college students have including traffic, but it’s smaller and more Geoff Weisenberger
changed. But I need to preface my answer manageable. And, you know, I’m Italian, so ([email protected]) is chief
by saying that I also think I’ve changed. I appreciate good food and there are a lot editor of Modern Steel Construction.

Modern Steel Construction | 27

business issues

A Letter to Entry-Level Engineers

BY RYAN CURTIS, PE

Advice for today’s young engineers on their way to becoming tomorrow’s

engineering leaders.

THEY DON’T TEACH you everything on your technical skills, as they will serve be too quick to jump to the computer and
you need to know in school. as the foundation for your growth and start modeling before you understand and
While colleges and universities do an eventual leadership opportunities in the define your baselines and desired outcomes.
excellent job of preparing engineering stu- engineering industry. Dedicate time to A quick hand calc is often faster and more
dents how to be, well, engineers, the right understanding and reviewing gravity and effective than developing a rushed 3D ana-
types of experiences are often the best edu- lateral load paths, strength of materi- lytical model! Remember, your employer
cation for becoming engineering leaders. als, and building behavior serviceability needs your speed, and PE and SE exams
Here are some tips for young engi- requirements. There are many excellent don’t allow computer software usage at
neers in training and those that are newly AISC Design Guides available (aisc.org/dg) your leisure. Don’t forget the art of pencil
licensed—and really, they’re also good to help you dive into various technical aspects and paper. The need to be able to draw up
reminders for those of us that have been of the structural steel design and building. a connection concept when on a job site
in the profession for a little while—that Also, when given the opportunity to go or in a project team meeting when you are
can help you navigate the nuances of the on a job-site tour, don’t hesitate. General only carrying paper and pencil (or pen and
profession and help you grow into leader- contractors, steel erectors, and special napkin) is critical—and unfortunately, it’s
ship roles. inspectors are incredible resources for an become a bit of a lost art. But you can help
Hone your technical skills. With emerging engineer—plus, they can offer revive it as standard practice. (Plus, it’s fun.)
licensure requirements changing in the advice (often in the form of constructive Mistakes will be more common early in
engineering profession, some new gradu- criticism) on how you, as an engineer, can your career. Learn from them, write them
ates are entering the workforce with only make their jobs go more smoothly. down, and ensure you remember them.
experience requirements left to gain Work smarter, not harder (but work- Mistakes early in your design career are
licensure. Regardless of the timing of ing hard is always welcomed). When usually of a much smaller magnitude than a
your PE or SE exam, those initial years of starting design tasks, build rhythms to design error when you are a senior engineer.
working are the best time to focus on your kicking off projects and undertaking basic Engage your nonstructural col-
craft and gain the necessary knowledge assignments. These rhythms should always leagues. Whether you work for a struc-
of structural analysis and design. Being a start with defining loading assumptions tural consulting firm or a full-service
balanced professional in other areas of the and material strengths before the design architecture and engineering firm, you are
job, such as community engagement and work begins. This routine will help with surrounded by experts in their respective
young professional networks, is always organization when projects and tasks fields. Take advantage of this opportunity
beneficial, but be sure to maintain focus become larger and more challenging. Don’t to learn the roles of other disciplines and
28 | JUNE 2022
 business issues

their relation to you as a structural designer. Embrace community involvement. If been performing. Unfortunately, for many
As you become more familiar with chillers, you are intrigued or eager to serve, look organizations, employee reviews and per-
air handlers, generators, envelope detailing, outside of your company to find a non- formance feedback have been delayed or
and slab depressions for tile flooring, you profit/community/church/arts group that even nonexistent over the duration of the
will become a more well-rounded engineer appeals to you. Engineers bring unique pandemic. This is not acceptable. Check in
and a more valuable player on your project perspectives and solutions to other organi- and seek out positive critiques as much as
team. Ideally, when you become busy, it zations in our communities. Engineers are possible. Steel sharpens steel, so embrace
will not be due primarily to workload but the problem-solvers of the world, and our advice and performance feedback as much
rather because all of the project managers skills don’t always have to be used for solv- as you can tolerate.
will want you on their team! ing second-order forces on a steel building Implement communication technol-
Start small so as not to feel over- frame. They can be used for sharpening ogy appropriately. Communication across
whelmed. “Learning to walk before you processes or communication gaps in other project teams has become very dependent
run” is applicable in just about any profes- organizations. The most well-rounded on emails, online video chats, and other
sional development scenario. If you are engineers are often noted for their mentor- web-based methods. At the very least, learn
assigned a one- or two-day task from your ing connections and the services they bring these communication devices well so you
supervisor, communicate deadlines and the to their community. The relationships can share images, videos, notes, and ideas
deliverables clearly. If you are assigned to a you develop in the earlier years of your without letting the technology slow you
mega-task (weeks or months of analysis or career in and outside of the architecture/ down. The good news is that if you are a
design time), start with the fundamentals of engineering/construction industry will younger engineer, you have likely already
engineering statics and material strengths play a significant role in the middle and embraced these technologies faster than
to keep you on the right path. Check in later years of your life, both personally and some of your more experienced cowork-
with your supervisor at agreed-upon times professionally. Use your problem-solving ers. That said, you should understand and
when direction is needed or when you have skills for the greater good. respect your colleagues’ preferences when
deliverables to present. Understand the “business.” Don’t it comes to the best ways to communicate
CEUs are not just for the “licensed.” feel obligated to jump the gun on an MBA and coordinate with the various platforms
Many organizations, such as AISC, offer until you at least first understand the busi- available.
free learning opportunities throughout the ness practice of your firm. Find a mentor As a younger professional, be sure to
year. These may be in-person or web-based in your organization that leads a specific dedicate some time to long-range career
training sessions. Even if you are not a team of interest to you. This could be a planning and set milestones and goals.
licensed engineer seeking continuing edu- C-suite leader (technology, finance, mar- These goals and the above tips can help
cation credits, these training opportunities keting), a project manager, or even a busi- put you in a position to make a positive
can spur your development in specific ness development representative. Ask them difference in your organization and com-
learning areas. Learning opportunities questions to become better informed on munity while also making you a stronger,
with local engineering organization chap- ways you can assist and improve your firm. more connected, empathetic, and impact-
ters in your city or state are also a great What makes engineers valuable? How do ful leader. The engineering and construc-
opportunity to network with other younger we market our services? How do we build tion industry is stronger than ever, and
professionals and industry leaders. fees for projects? What are our operating it will need the best and brightest (you!)
Don’t limit your project and material costs? What are the risks we take on when to carry it to new heights—as well as to
exposure. Many structural firms work in we start a new project? Learning the busi- prepare the next generation when you are
specific client markets such as commercial, ness from the outside in will give you a the seasoned professional and no longer a
healthcare, or residential, whereas others better perspective of your role within your young engineer yourself. ■
touch many markets and different build- organization and will help inform you on
ing types and shapes. If you feel you are the nuances that make companies sustain
limited in your project type exposure, ask excellence.
your supervisor for different project types. Don’t ignore COVID impacts.
This will set you up for your engineering COVID has disrupted the office environ-
PE/SE exam success and make you a more ment for well over two years, and it has
valuable engineer for your current and drastically altered work on what would
potential future employers. If the diversity appear to be a permanent basis. Working
of building shapes (high-rise, mid-rise, from home and physical separation from
low-rise) or specific materials are not avail- teammates and mentors, while beneficial
able, take time outside of your work hours in many ways, has hampered career growth
to study other design methods or material for a large portion of the workforce Ryan Curtis ([email protected])
types. You will inherently benefit from the in and outside of the AEC community. is a senior structural engineer and
knowledge gained—and when that big job When working from home, take time to project manager with LEO A DALY
finally shows up on your desk, you will be regularly check in with your mentors and in Omaha.
more than ready to take the task. supervisors to see how they feel you’ve
Modern Steel Construction | 29
 Immersive
Installation
BY JOHN JUCHA, SE, SHAUN FRANKLIN, PE,
AND MICHAEL OLSEN, PE

Steel helps arts and entertainment company

Meow Wolf achieve its
immersive vision with a quirky new venue on a tight site in Denver.

MEOW WOLF’S GOAL is to create an immersive art experi- building perimeter, creating varying boundary conditions and
ence that transports visitors into new dimensions, urging them to load cases for the perimeter columns between the storage case and
explore their own imaginations and reconsider what’s possible— museum case. For the majority of the structure, a 250-psf heavy
and its new Denver outpost needed a space that could appropri- storage live load controlled the floor design; however, the areas
ately accommodate its artistic ambitions. supporting multi-story exhibits and large-scale rockwork them-
The build-to-suit 90,000-sq.-ft structure not only needed to ing controlled the local design of several beams. This unique dual
meet the needs of a one-of-a-kind art installation but also the con- design criteria required the engineering team to carry out multiple
straints of a small, angular building site between a series of elevated parallel building analyses during the design phase and then deter-
roadways. On top of that, it also needed to be designed for potential mine the controlling design case for each structural element before
adaptation to a future storage facility. This dual functionality cre- incorporation into the construction documents.
ated some interesting design challenges, including a large building The building also includes multiple catwalks, exhibit-focused
grid in a tight footprint, heavy storage floor loads, and large floor structural elements, ramps, unique stair geometries, tilted tunnels,
openings that would need to be infilled for the conversion to occur. and very specific artist-driven standalone structures. In order to
In addition, Meow Wolf, whose flagship installation is located create a versatile structure that could support multiple occupan-
in Santa Fe, N.M., expressed the need for anchor exhibits that cies, unorthodox geometries, and future retrofit possibilities, as
would stand multiple stories high, creating the need for long-span well as Meow Wolf’s requirement for minimal columns, the design
floor beams and design loads to accommodate structures within team turned to structural steel for the framing system (incorporat-
the structure. These tall exhibit spaces were also adjacent to the ing 865 tons of structural steel in all).
30 | JUNE 2022
 Meow Wolf, whose first location is in Santa Fe, N.M., chose
Denver as its second location for displaying its whimsical,
surreal art displays. Some of the taller exhibits necessitated
long-span steel floor beams and design loads that could
accommodate structures within the structure.

All images: KL&A Engineers and Builders unless otherwise noted

Contractual and Site Challenges of cranes over the surrounding roadways, the team elected to
One of the largest challenges to the project came from place a crane within one of the building’s elevator cores.
the structural building contract and the tenant improvement The gravity systems for the primary structure and the sec-
contract bumping into each other. Many of the exhibit struc- ondary exhibit structures were all highly unique from each
tures were large pieces of steel that needed to find their way other and from the way they are traditionally laid out in stan-
into the building. Rather than finding solutions to fitting the dard buildings. Because there were fewer connections and many
pieces through the doors, the team proposed to condense of the connections involved skew between the supporting and
the entire design schedule, fast-tracking both the steel pack- supported members, what would normally be conventional con-
age and the tenant improvement process to ensure all the nections became heavily loaded connections that required a lot
major steel components were in the building prior to the roof of attention and innovative customization. For example, some
placement. of the most interesting connections are on the Cosmohedron
Another major challenge was the site itself, whose location art exhibit structure. The framing is made up of W4 and W8
between three elevated highways dictated the “lazy pizza” members in a circular shape and employs tension ring connec-
shape and aesthetic of the building, which includes very few tions and moment connections on very small members. Because
90° angles and plenty of heavily skewed connections. The both structural design and steel detailing took place in parallel
material laydown area was outside of the triangular site, so due to the fast-track nature, the design team took advantage of
the steel had to be hauled underneath the overpass before it the connection design capability of SDS2 to back-check hand
could be hoisted by crane. And in an effort to eliminate the use calculations.
Modern Steel Construction | 31
 Meow Wolf explored multiple locations in Denver for its new facility, ultimately choosing Another structural design consideration
an unorthdox option: a tight, triangular parcel of land between three highways that that necessitated a high degree of team col-
informed the building’s shape.
laboration was the deflection and vibration
performance of the serpentine catwalks. The
catwalks and viewing platforms, which are
part of the tenant improvement design, slope
and weave throughout the three-story open
volumes. The structural design team consid-
ered the effects of differential and compound
deflections along these catwalks, with some
catwalks being attached to the building col-
umns and others hung from the roof above or
posted down to a transfer beam below.
The geometry and number of column
e
transfers also complicated the vibration
or
ck
m analysis. To address this issue, the team cre-
Ro
s+ ated RISA 3D design models of the catwalks
dkin
r sA to run modal analyses and check their natural
ea
Sh frequencies in both the vertical and horizontal
directions against the recommended design
criteria AISC Design Guide 11: Vibrations of
Steel-Framed Structural Systems Due to Human
Activity (aisc.org/dg). As a result, beam sizes
were adjusted to meet the vertical criteria,
and the team also discovered that using the
32 | JUNE 2022
above: The steel had to be hauled underneath an overpass from its laydown area before it could be hoisted by crane.

Shears Adkins + Rockmore

A plan view of the building from the south (above), with the arch
entry shown in the middle (also seen in the below photo).

Modern Steel Construction | 33

reinforced concrete slab on metal deck as a
diaphragm was the most efficient method
of meeting the desired horizontal vibration
criteria. At some locations, the curvature of
the catwalks was extreme enough to compro-
mise the ability of the catwalks to behave as
diaphragms. Consequently, rectangular hol-
low structural section (HSS) moment frames
(HSS8×4×3∕8) were added to provide interme-
diate lateral stiffness.
One of the most iconic architectural expe-
riences for visitors approaching the building
is the elliptical arched entryways carved from
the exterior CMU wall. The main lobby
entrance is a 50-ft-wide by 19-ft-tall CMU
arch with a glass storefront infill. The length
of the surrounding structure on each side of
the arch was insufficient to resist the thrust
associated with masonry arching action,
so the design solution needed to bear the
weight of the CMU while also bracing the
wall and storefront from out of plane loads.
The solution came in the form of HSS wind
girts that were faceted around the arch and
tied into HSS wind columns that aligned
with the storefront mullions for concealment.
Segmented angles of varying lengths were
then attached to the HSS girts to reach and The framing for the Cosmohedron art exhibit structure is made up of W4 and W8
support the bottom of CMU, then the facets members in a circular shape and employs tension ring connections and moment
connections on the smaller members.
of the steel support system were coordinated
with the storefront manufacturer to ensure a
tight fit. The finishing touch was a plasma-cut
steel fascia covering the head of the storefront
to complete the curved aesthetic.
When it came to the MEP systems, rather
than routing them below the heavily loaded
and skewed steel framing, the team elected to
raise them into the steel structure to allow for
maximum headroom and full artistic expres-
sion. As the artistic design was constantly
evolving, the dozens of beam penetrations had
to be reviewed and coordinated many times to
allow for the art to shine and remain unen-
cumbered by the various building systems.
Though this project didn’t officially incor-
porate an integrated project delivery (IPD)
process, it had the feel of being an integrated
project, and the team, from project leader
Shears Adkins + Rockmore to Meow Wolf to
the rest of the players, worked extremely well
together. Structural engineer KL&A’s multi-
service approach contributed to the integrated
mindset. When the company joined the proj-
ect, it immediately started hand-sketching
designs and collaborating with an in-house
steel construction team that provided a real-
istic steel package estimate within single-digit
percentage points of the final construction
cost (steel fabricator HME and erector LPR
were engaged in early design development

34 | JUNE 2022
 “Elevating” Train Stations
with Elliptically Curved Pipe

Cermak-McCormick Place
Elevated Train Station, Chicago IL
Chicago Metal Rolled Products curved
68 pieces of round 8” HSS .375” wall
A500 grade B pipe to an ellipse curvature
featuring multi-radius bends for the
structural ribs that hold up stainless steel
panels and polycarbonate skylights of
the Cermak-McCormick Place “L” Station
in Chicago, IL. The tube structure
was designed so the covered platform
was both light-filled and weather-protected
while still providing direct views of the city.

Call us at 866-940-5739 CHICAGO • KANSAS CITY

For savings on quality roll-curving cmrp.com
of structural steel, sheet and plate
delivered to meet your schedule.
Standard Mill Shapes - Rolled To Your Specifications Call 866-940-5739

We also roll stair stringers, helical hand rails,

CHICAGO • KANSAS CITY
off-axis bends, formed shapes and extrusions.

Visit cmrp.com for more information.

 to provide logistics and budgeting input
through the remainder of design). In
addition, the artists at Meow Wolf were
also involved in the process, using VR and
SketchUp to shape many of the organic
shotcrete elements, providing a more accu-
rate idea of what the museum’s landscape
would entail. ■

Owner
Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, N.M.
General Contractor
Turner Construction, Denver
Architect
Shears Adkins + Rockmore, Denver
Structural Engineer and Steel Detailer
KL&A, Golden, Colo.
Steel Team
Fabricator
HME, Inc. , Topeka, Kan.
Erector
LPR Construction ,
Loveland, Colo.
The framing of the building includes very
few 90° angles (as seen above) and plenty of Bender-Roller
heavily skewed connections (sample at left). Shaped Steel, Inc. , Liberty, Mo.
below: In order to create a versatile
structure that could support unorthodox
geometries, as well as Meow Wolf’s
requirement for minimal columns, the
design team turned to structural steel for
the framing system (which incorporates
865 tons of steel in all).

John Jucha ([email protected]),

Shaun Franklin ([email protected]),
and Michael Olsen ([email protected])
are all with KL&A.

Modern Steel Construction | 35

 View of the completed bridge deck,
with entrances to the CTA train platform
on either side of Montrose Ave.

Treading Lightly BY BRETT SAUTER, SE, PE

All images: Courtesy of IDOT District 1

A Chicago bridge project powers through COVID-19 impacts while minimizing

its own impacts on the train and highway traffic it traverses.

FOR COMMUTERS TRAVELING along the Kennedy should be replaced. Prior to starting the design for a replacement
Expressway (aka Interstate 90/94) corridor between downtown structure, IDOT performed a detailed inspection to determine
Chicago and O’Hare Airport, the Montrose Avenue Bridge was the condition of the substructure and whether there were any
easily distinguishable from other bridges traversing the highway. emergency repair needs, given the superstructure damage. The
Built in 1957 when the expressway itself was being constructed, inspection revealed that the substructure was in good condition,
the three-span bridge carried four lanes of traffic (18,000 vehicles a with only superficial damage, and could be salvaged, and the super-
day) and crossed over 12 lanes of inbound and outbound vehicular structure could stay in place until its replacement—provided the
traffic on I-90/94 (which carried 133,000 vehicles per day on this replacement plans stayed on schedule.
corridor), and two train tracks for the Chicago Transit Authority’s
(CTA) Blue Line and also provided two access points to the Mon- Maximum Clearance, Minimum Impact
trose Avenue Blue Line station. What made the bridge stand out One of the $16.2 million project’s main goals was to increase
was that it was an 86-in.-deep cast-in-place post-tensioned (PT) the vertical clearance over the expressway to reduce the probability
tee-beam superstructure, giving it a monolith-like appearance, and of vehicle collisions—and this needed to be accomplished without
it was much deeper than other bridge superstructures along the changing the roadway profile of Montrose Avenue, given that the
corridor. The three spans crossed the expressway at a 49°35’ angle, CTA stations connected to the bridge were not to be modified as
which is why a deep concrete structure was required. a part of this project.
But in recent years, the superstructure had shown signs of dete- Another high priority was to minimize the impact on traf-
rioration, with several exposed PT strands. It was also hit several fic as much as possible, including keeping the Montrose Avenue
times because of its low vertical clearance (14 ft, 6 in.). Given the entrance and exit ramps open to traffic. Lastly, train traffic along
age and type of the superstructure, the Illinois Department of the CTA tracks could not be impacted as Blue Line trains run 24
Transportation (IDOT) had determined that the superstructure hours a day.

36 | JUNE 2022
 above: The framing plan for the new steel crossing.
A detail of a Type 2 cross frame (left) and a detail of an end cross
frame (below). The design team specified a metalized finish on
the girders and hot-dip galvanizing for the cross frames.

With the substructure staying in place and no opportu-

nity to adjust span lengths, configuration, or skews, the team
chose a steel plate girder superstructure design, which was
deemed the most flexible option to meet all the project’s goals
and requirements. Plate girder sections could be designed to
accommodate the less-than-ideal span configuration, high
skew, and the challenges of erecting a bridge over an active
highway and train tracks.
The final design uses nine plate girders with 64-in.-deep
webs spaced at 9 ft, totaling approximately 1,000 tons of Grade
50 structural steel throughout the superstructure. The team
specified a metalized finish on the girders and hot-dip galvaniz-
ing for the cross frames to avoid the need to repaint the bridge
in the future. Segment lengths of 129 ft, 10 in. and shorter were
optimized both for transportation and erection purposes as well
as to minimize the overall structure depth. The shallower struc-
ture provides for a 15-ft, 5½-in. minimum vertical clearance over
the vehicular lanes, a gain of almost 1 ft over the original bridge.
Given the 20% weight reduction from the existing concrete
superstructure, there was no need to strengthen the substructure
since the new plate girders were much lighter. The abutment
backwalls were replaced to alleviate years of deterioration from
water, which found its way past expansion joints, and bearing
seats were modified to accommodate the shallower struc-
ture. The original piers were composed of single columns, so
pier caps were constructed using the existing columns, which
allowed for flexibility during the design phase to place the new
girders in locations offset from the existing columns. The team
chose high-load multi-rotational (HLMR) bearings, given the
superstructure loads, high skew, and rotations that new steel
girders would experience. With an overall bridge width of 81 ft,

CTA train clearance was fairly tight next to the Pier 2 cap formwork.

Modern Steel Construction | 37

non-guided bearings were specified at the fascia girders to allow for Erecting the Span 3 girder over I-90/94.
transverse temperature expansion.
Due to the bridge’s high skew, the team used a LARSA 4D
model during the design phase to analyze the final condition of The bright spot? This scenario drastically reduced vehicular
the bridge as well as its stability during erection and the deck pour. traffic along the Kennedy Expressway, providing some wiggle room
The analysis prompted the team to install X-cross frames com- for removing the PT T-beams, which weighed up to 94 tons each.
posed of 4×4 angles spaced at a maximum of 24 ft, 9 in. to accom- During this downtime, Granite proposed closing the inbound lanes
modate the construction stages. End cross frames at the abutment, of I-90/94 and directing traffic into reversible express lanes located
which measured almost 14 ft long, required a W12×40 rolled beam in the center span. Using a full weekend closure of the inbound lanes
to support the end of the deck and modular expansion joints. to downtown Chicago starting on a Friday evening, Granite placed
sand and gravel on the travel lanes and then dropped the concrete
Tight Squeeze girders onto the expressway below, where they would be processed
With the highly urban environment of the bridge location, and hauled off. This took place over the course of Saturday and Sun-
space for staging construction activities was at a premium. Directly day, with all lanes cleaned and opened for Monday morning traffic.
adjacent to the bridge on the east, commercial businesses along The same procedure was performed for the outbound lanes.
Montrose Avenue remained open and needed to be accessible, and The center span proved to be more difficult to remove. With
100 ft to the west of the bridge, a Union Pacific Railroad bridge, the CTA tracks and platform directly under the center span, the
which also could not be impacted during construction, crosses over removal couldn’t mimic the end spans, and the weight of the gird-
Montrose Avenue. In addition, the Montrose Blue Line CTA sta- ers required two cranes with a very small pick radius just to pick
tion is accessed from entrances on either side of the bridge, with the girders up. Granite used an innovative rail system placed along
the passenger platform running underneath the bridge, requiring the portion of the bridge to remain in each stage. The existing
an approach that would balance providing space to construct the girders were lifted onto the rail system, and Hillman rollers carried
bridge with allowing pedestrian traffic to the station entrances. the 94-ton girders off the bridge to be processed and hauled off, all
After evaluating several options, general contractor Granite with no impact on CTA operations.
Construction determined that building one half of the bridge at While the reduced vehicular traffic benefited the construction
a time while closing Montrose Avenue to vehicular traffic facili- schedule, the pandemic slowed down construction in other ways.
tated staging construction equipment while maintaining accessi- Steel fabrication and delivery were delayed due to COVID issues
bility to the CTA station from one side at all times. A specialized affecting the supply chain and fabrication personnel. When steel
protective shield was specified over the existing CTA platform to was ready to be erected, Granite was delayed because of social
protect pedestrians crossing underneath the bridge during demo- unrest that occurred throughout the summer of 2020. Police
lition and erection activities. At no time could there be a track escorts were required for the 15-minute nighttime closures of
shut down, and all construction activities had to maintain train I-90/94 during erection, yet these resources were required else-
clearances, which were within inches of the formwork necessary where, further impacting the construction schedule.
for pier cap construction. Granite looked to expedite the steel erection in any way possible.
Construction plans were bid in November 2019, and construc- Fascia girders were erected with cross frames on the inside, balanced
tion was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2020 and last for one by overhang formwork brackets on the outside. Shorter girder seg-
season. And then the world stopped. March 2020 saw a “stay at home ments were erected in pairs, reducing erection time. Longer segments
order” implemented for two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were set within the rail system used for demolition and spliced with
followed by several months of many commuters working remotely. shorter segments on the ground, resulting in quicker fit-up.

38 | JUNE 2022
 Once the steel was erected, utilities
crossing the bridge could be installed while
the deck was being formed. These utilities
included a ComEd 12 duct package and an
ATT 6 duct package, both of which were
vital crossings for the utilities. Chicago
DOT ducts carrying emergency communi-
cations and IDOT ITS/Traffic Surveillance
ducts were also located within the girder
bays and had to be transferred over with-
out impacting service. These crossovers
delayed deck forming and pouring. Even
Despite pandemic-related supply issues,
with all of the schedule impacts, Stage 1
the structural steel was fabricated and
was completed in 2020, with demolition delivered to the site for $1.67 per lb, with
for Stage 2 happening in early 2021. And the metalizing costing approximately
the bridge was completed and reopened to $0.27 per lb. The fabricator performed
the metalizing in-house, which reduced
traffic on the morning of August 24, 2021. rehandling costs. In all, the furnished and
While there were several impacts dur- erected steel price was $3.08 per lb.
ing construction due to the pandemic, this
important arterial on the north side of Chi-
cago minimalized impacts to vehicular and
rail traffic while it was being rebuilt. And
the new steel superstructure has provided
new and elongated life—with minimal
maintenance requirements—to this impor-
tant crossing. ■
A temporary shield was put in place to
If you’d like to see more images of the Montrose protect CTA riders crossing under the bridge
during construction.
Avenue Bridge’s construction sequence, visit the
Project Extras section at www.modernsteel.com.

Owner
Illinois Department of Transportation
District 1
ThE PRovEn
STEEL BRIDgE
General Contractor
Granite Construction

DESIgn SoLuTIon
Engineer of Record
Ciorba Group
Steel Team
Fabricator
Industrial Steel Construction ,
Gary, Ind.
Detailer
Tenca Steel Detailing, Inc. ,
Quebec, Canada
FREE
15-DAY
TRIAL*
*see website
for details

The leading software package

for designing and rating curved
and straight steel girder bridges.
Brett Sauter ([email protected]) is
Used by Many State DOTs and Top Design Firms
vice president of structures with Ciorba
Group and was the engineer of record
(573) 446-3221 n www.mdxsoftware.com n [email protected]
for the project.

Modern Steel Construction | 39

 An already speedy steel plate core system becomes even faster
thanks to an innovative “split” planning mindset.

Faster and Faster

BY BRETT MANNING, SE, DAVE P. WRIGHT, KEITH D. PALMER, SE, PHD, AND RYAN COOKE, PE, PHD

All images: Courtesy of Schuff Steel and SGH

WITH INNOVATIVE NEW DESIGN CONCEPTS come MKA and architect Gensler, the building is configured with two
innovative new ways of executing them in the field. separate cores and includes an approximately 21-ft-tall Level 1 for
Take the composite plate shear wall/concrete-filled system, the lobby, as well as three 16-ft-tall floors for the above-ground
more commonly known as SpeedCore, for example. Devel- parking levels. These taller floors required the SpeedCore compo-
oped by structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates nents to be sectioned differently than the more typical 14-ft floor-
(MKA)—with research assistance from Purdue University, the to-floor levels located above Level 5.
University at Buffalo, AISC, Charles Pankow Foundation, and
MKA Foundation—the system involves a concrete-filled steel- Developing a “Split” Plan
plate core wall that can reduce a project schedule by several Projects that implement a new system like SpeedCore for the
months. (See aisc.org/speedcore for more on SpeedCore.) central core require a new way of thinking when it comes to steel
The most recent SpeedCore project—and only the second over- detailing and construction. Here, we’ll take a look at the method-
all thus far—is 200 Park Avenue in downtown San Jose, Calif., a ology that fabricator Schuff Steel developed for 200 Park Avenue,
19-story mixed-use project with a framing system containing more which can be applicable to future SpeedCore projects.
than 10,000 tons of structural steel. (The first SpeedCore project, The first step is to evaluate the geometry and general configu-
Rainier Square in Seattle, was built 43% faster than it would have ration of the building to determine the best approach to “split-
taken using a concrete core system and cut 10 months off the proj- ting up” the core for detailing and construction. The “split” plan
ect schedule; see the IDEAS2 coverage in the May 2022 issue, at should consider floor-to-floor heights, boundary element col-
www.modernsteel.com, for more on that project.) Designed by umn locations and configurations, and other core geometry such
as door openings into the elevator lobby, coupling beams, and
penetrations required for MEP systems. During this early phase,
the steel team should also evaluate crane capacities intended to
AISC’s Need for Speed initiative be used for the project and how they relate to the locations of
recognizes technologies and the largest and heaviest fabricated steel assemblies to be erected.
practices that make steel projects Potential restrictions on shipping oversized elements to the job
come together faster. Check out site must also be evaluated to ensure that the core modules do not
aisc.org/needforspeed for more. have a negative impact on the erection schedule.

40 | JUNE 2022
 After the split plan for the core is established, the team can finalize the above: The structure will stand 19 stories above grade when
total quantities and sizes of the fabricated core modules that will need to completed.
be supplied. This also helps determine the general locations of all field below: A 3D model showing a portion of the steel framing (gray)
splices, which in turn will help guide the next steps of construction engi- and the full height of the cores (blue).
neering. After the number of core “modules” is finalized, the fabricator
and erector can develop field schedules for erection and welding.

Matching Construction and Design Requirements

Engineering requirements for the SpeedCore system, along with
fabrication and erection details, require close collaboration early in the
process by all related parties, even prior to bidding. Having detailed fabri-
cation and erection plans are essential for success. Ensuring wall panel tol-
erances are not exceeded due to fabrication and are stable during erection
requires internal support between the panel plates, which are considered
means and methods that are not included as part of the structural design.
For the 200 Park Avenue project, the fabrication method entailed lay-
ing the “bottom” panel horizontally and supporting the top panel above
at the required distance while installing and welding the rods on the top
side of the panel, which enabled the fabricator to install and weld the
rods from above. To ensure the relatively long plates did not deflect and
exceed tolerances, the plates required support at discrete points. Addi-
tionally, lifting, transportation, and erection loading requirements for the
core modules also needed to be satisfied. While the initial loads for the
panels (e.g., two plates separated by rods at 12 in. or 18 in. on center) were
an issue due to the chosen shipping sizes for the core modules, the team
developed internal stiffening trusses that eased fabrication and added the
required strength and stiffness for all stages of construction, including
transit to the site. Finite element analyses (FEAs) were performed to
determine the optimum truss spacing to satisfy these requirements.
Tripping, lifting, and erecting the panels required lugs capable of
supporting panel weights of up to 17.5 tons without overstressing the
panel plates and rods. The team accomplished this by welding lugs
spanning between the plates close enough to the trusses to provide an
adequate load path, thus minimizing plate stresses and transferring the
loads to the internal trusses. A finite element model of a core panel during fabrication.

Modern Steel Construction | 41

 Tripping, lifting, and erecting the panels required lugs capable of supporting panel
weights of up to 17.5 tons each without overstressing the panel plates and rods.

A typical internal stiffening truss (top detail) and typical

panel lugs located at one-third points of the panels, on
the top and bottom, to allow for efficient maneuverability
in the shop and field (bottom detail).

Erection Engineering
Safe erection requires that any steel framing ele-
ments, including SpeedCore, all maintain strength
and stability throughout erection, at which time the
lateral and gravity systems are incomplete. Therefore,
a complete and viable load path must be ensured at
all stages, and the demands on the system during con-
struction are determined using ASCE 37: Design Loads
on Structures During Construction. These include appli-
cable construction loads, wind loads, and seismic loads
if the building is in a high-seismic region, which is the
case with 200 Park Avenue. Additionally, to maintain
the schedule, demands from tower cranes on the north
and south side needed to be resisted by the incomplete
structure, including the un-grouted SpeedCore walls.
Lateral stability for the steel framing was accom-
plished using typical wire rope diagonal bracing, metal
deck diaphragms, and the completed or semi-completed
SpeedCore walls. Typically, the working floor could be
erected in any order, as long the required wire rope
bracing was installed as erection progressed and the core
wall erection aids were installed. These erection aids
were typically designed to resist two levels of steel while
the panel and boundary column welding was completed.
Boundary columns were welded first and could sup-
port construction loads for several levels of steel prior
to completion of infill panel welding. The SpeedCore
wall panels and box columns were staged on the floors
prior to diaphragm completion, which required analyses
of unbraced beams and specific loading requirements to
prevent lateral-torsional buckling of the floor beams.
Providing flexibility for the erector and general con-
tractor was a primary objective in order to ensure that the
schedule was maintained and the “speed” in SpeedCore
could be fully achieved. To facilitate this, the team per-
formed high-fidelity FEAs on the core at various stages of
completion and with various levels of internal stiffening,
using ABAQUS software to evaluate several wall types, The largest wall panels reach up to 530 sq. ft in size and contain more than 500 cross
both coupled and uncoupled. The analysis results were ties each.

42 | JUNE 2022
Hoisting a SpeedCore panel onto a trick. Transporting a panel to the job site.

Providing flexibility for the erector and general contractor was a primary objective to ensure that the schedule was maintained and the “speed”
in SpeedCore could be fully achieved.

Modern Steel Construction | 43

above: The building sits on a prominent location in downtown San Jose, a few blocks from the San Jose State University campus.
below: Schuff used ½-in. ASTM A572-Gr 55 plate for the vast majority of the core wall elements and required the 1-in.-diameter cross ties to be
spaced at 12 in. center-to-center in the lower regions of the building before transitioning to 18 in. center-to-center for the upper floors.

44 | JUNE 2022
 The NEW
ELEMENT 400
Productivity Redefined

An ABAQUS model of an uncoupled

wall panel with internal stiffening trusses.

used to determine the most efficient internal

stiffening scheme, installation and welding
sequences, required erection aids, and maxi-
mum number of steel levels that could be
supported prior to placing the wall grout, all Scan to
helping to ensure that the general contrac- learn more
tor’s schedule was maintained. The Element 400 cutting machine can be customized with multiple options
including plasma beveling, oxyfuel cutting, and markers. The new plasma
Shop Fabrication Bevel-S rotator can be added with cutting up to +/- 45 degrees, it has
To successfully and efficiently produce a high-acceleration drive with a C-axis ±540° rotation, for maximum
SpeedCore elements, the steel fabricator production and efficiency for cutting steel plate.
needs to possess a strong resume in plate
work. This includes a fabrication facility Messer Cutting Systems, Inc. | Menomonee Falls, WI, USA | Phone: 262-255-5520
with sufficient space to devote to assembly www.messer-cutting.com | [email protected]
fixtures and jigs needed for preassembly
and welding operations. It is also impor-
The
Know the bolts are tight!
tant to use modern CNC plate processing
equipment wherever possible to provide the Best
core’s main outer surface components in the Way to
most accurate and productive manner pos- DuraSquirt DTIs ®

Bolt!
sible. With more traditional steel projects,
fabrication shops typically use beam and
column “lines” to produce the “sticks” of
the steel framing—but a different approach
is required when planning out the workflow
for SpeedCore elements. These issues must
be considered from the very start to allow
the most efficient build plan and execution.
Prior to full production detailing for
200 Park Avenue, MKA required full-scale
mockups to validate the split plan, module
construction engineering of additional
steel required for fabrication and erec-
tion, field installation of modules, welding,
grouting, and quality control—which pro-
vided a wealth of valuable information for
all parties. In addition, because of the speed
at which a composite core system can be
constructed at the job site, it is necessary
to ensure there is an adequate stockpile of
fully completed SpeedCore components
ready for shipment prior to starting erec-
1 800 552 1999 appliedbolting.com
tion. Depending on the project schedule
and available fabrication windows ahead Designed, Engineered & Made In USA Since 1994
of steel erection, this can often mean that
more than one fabrication facility will be

Modern Steel Construction | 45

above: Looking through one of the elevator cores.

above: Bracing in an elevator core.

left: In addition to removing many of the challenges typical of concrete
core projects, SpeedCore can improve safety and provide benefits for
embed coordination at stairs, elevators, and other trades.
below: Openings in the panels for routing MEP systems.

needed to support the project’s schedule demands without causing elements (fireproofing was specified for the cores of the first Speed-
potential lulls for field crews. Core project, Rainier Square, as it was designed and built before
And of course, the quality of the steel fabrication needs to be this fire research was finalized). To read about the testing, go to
of the highest level to ensure that completed components can sup- aisc.org/speedcore and click the “Structural Fire Engineering and
port the degree of accuracy that this method of core construction Design of Filled Composite Plate Shear Walls (SpeedCore)” link.
requires. As the completed components can be very large (nearly
40 ft long, 14 ft tall, and 4 ft thick), great care must be taken during Field Erection
every step of the shop planning and execution to ensure that dimen- The most rewarding element of SpeedCore—and again, the rea-
sional control is carefully maintained throughout the entire process son for its name—is seeing how all of the preplanning pays off in
of assembly, welding, handling/loading, and shipment to the job site. the field as a faster method for erecting structural steel in mid- to
For 200 Park Avenue, Schuff Steel developed a plan that assigned high-rise structures. In addition to removing many of the challenges
the custom plate work required for the project’s dual cores to be dis- typical of concrete core projects, SpeedCore can improve safety and
tributed between two of its fabrication shops. This allowed Schuff to provide benefits for embed coordination at stairs, elevators, and
use three of its other locations to support the more typical fabrica- other trades. A single trade erects the entire structural frame.
tion of columns, girders, beams, and other rolled shapes for the rest Erection commences with the setting of “starter” elements,
of the building’s framing. For the core wall elements, Schuff used which, as the name suggests, are the lead-off elements that inter-
½-in. ASTM A572-Gr 55 plate for the vast majority of the plate and face with and integrate the SpeedCore system with the build-
required the 1-in.-diameter cross ties to be spaced at 12 in. center- ing’s concrete foundation. The starter elements are followed by
to-center in the lower regions of the building before transitioning the typical core shipping assemblies—i.e., two-tier box columns
to 18 in. center-to-center for the upper floors. This design resulted (boundary elements) and single-level wall panel modules (coupled
in the largest wall panels reaching 530 sq. ft in size, containing more or uncoupled)—which require a particular erection sequence. Spe-
than 500 cross ties each and weighing upwards of 17 tons. cifically, the box columns are erected, aligned, and plumbed. To
Also, thanks to recent AISC-sponsored fire testing research avoid weld access issues, the interior welds of the box columns to
(performed at Purdue University) on the concrete-filled core the tier below are made prior to setting the wall panel assemblies,
walls, no fireproofing was necessary for the building’s SpeedCore which span between the boundary elements. As suggested, once

46 | JUNE 2022
below: Including the core modules, the framing system comprises 10,000 tons of steel in all. above: Final on-site welding.

interior welds of the box columns are made, the panel modules are installed and connected
to the boundary elements for temporary stability and fit-up prior to installation of the next
level of panels. Also preceding the next level of panels is the erection of the floor framing.
One level of floor framing adjacent to the core is erected, which allows for additional sta-
bility of the SpeedCore elements, maintaining plumb and alignment, and a working floor
to facilitate staging for the next level of panels, noting that the latter is critical in high-rise
buildings or projects with little to no lay-down or staging area at the project site. The
welding crew(s) follow close behind, completing the panel-column and panel-panel welds,
and this process is repeated up the height of the building, generating a very prescribed and
repetitious flow that supports the “speed” in “SpeedCore.”
200 Park Avenue was erected roughly three months faster than what would have
occurred with a traditional reinforced concrete core system. Two tower cranes and rais-
ing gang crews were employed due to the large floor plates and the fact that the building
contains two SpeedCores. The framing came together quickly, not just due to the inher-
ent speed benefits of the system itself but also thanks to the “Split Plan” developed during
preconstruction—which effectively made a fast-moving steel system move even faster! ■
Owner Erection Engineer
Jay Paul Company Simpson, Gumpertz and Heger
General Contractor Steel Team Brett Manning is the Western Region
Level 10 Construction Fabricator and Erector vice president of engineering, David
Schuff Steel Wright is the Western Region director
Architect
of preconstruction, and Ryan Cooke is a
Gensler Detailer
project manager, all with Schuff Steel. Keith
Structural Engineer DBM Vircon Services, USA, Inc.
D. Palmer is a senior project manager with
Magnusson Klemencic Associates Simpson, Gumpertz and Heger.

Modern Steel Construction | 47

 A new steel fabricator headquarters building
is both carved out of and blended into the foothills of the Appalachians.

Hillside
Steel
BY RALPH
PARRISH
AND ROBERT
HORTON, PE, PEng

Fisher Studios

EMERGING FROM THE SLOPE of a rocky wooded hillside, To further emphasize the beauty of structural steel, the build-
SteelRidge Center simultaneously achieves a harmonious blend of ing prominently features architecturally exposed structural steel
architecture and nature while also striking a powerful steel pose. (AESS) columns and braces. In addition, conference tables and
Serving as the new corporate office for North Alabama Fabricat- coffee tables use steel bases as supports to highlight the design
ing Company, Inc. (NAFCO), the 35,345-sq.-ft building is planted motif throughout the space, and a commissioned piece of art in the
between a creek at the base of a hill and old-growth trees that crest entrance lobby of the building showcases the skyline of NAFCO’s
the ridge above—not only preserving the site’s natural beauty but founding city, Birmingham, Ala. This artful expression reflects the
also enlisting it to enhance the overall aesthetic of the entire project, backbone of an industry built by hardworking craftspeople.
which showcases the company’s primary product: fabricated struc-
tural steel. Approximately 50 people currently work in the building, An Easy Material Choice
and that number will eventually grow to around 80. While steel was basically a given for the framing system due to
The edifice employs a floor-to-floor truss system that eliminates the company’s focus, it also provided the best material for accom-
interior columns and allows for abundant light to flood in through plishing the goal of integrating the building with the difficult
the prominent glass that joins with metal panels to wrap the building but beautiful terrain and allowed for early fabrication of building
in both metal and light. Numerous balconies, artfully wrapped and components while the extensive site work progressed. Once steel
sheltered with steel designed to match the prominent staircase inside, erection/installation commenced, the entire frame and all deck-
also highlight the harmony between interior and exterior. The project ing were completed in only five weeks. The 14-ft-high floor-to-
team worked diligently and judiciously to appropriately account for floor primary trusses were designed to be stick-built, a necessity
neighboring properties, and the cantilevered structure reduces site due to very limited laydown space. The team designed bolted end
impact by allowing vehicle access to pass underneath the building. connections for beams, girders, and braces, as well as designed

48 | JUNE 2022
 A framing model
for NAFCO’s new
corporate office,
which the company
designed itself.

NAFCO

NAFCO

The 35,000-sq.-ft facility was built between a creek at

the base of a hill and old-growth trees that crest the
ridge above.

Fisher Studios
The building employs a floor-to-floor truss system that
eliminates interior columns and allows for abundant light to
flood in through the prominent glass that joins with metal
panels to wrap the building in both metal and light.

Modern Steel Construction | 49

moment connections as shop-welded end
plates, to facilitate speedy erection. The
design incorporated shear tabs at many
simple beam end connections to eliminate
the need for flange coping such that the
beams could easily drop into place while on
the hook. In addition, shop-welded tread
and stringer stair elements were installed
early in the process and provided safe con-
struction access to the elevated floors. In
all, the structure incorporates 500 tons of
structural and miscellaneous steel, all fabri-
cated by NAFCO.
One of the building’s defining structural
attributes is its primary 30-ft cantilever, which
helped maximize site space by extending the
building over the slope leading to the protected
stream at the lowest elevation of the property
without disrupting the stream in any way. The
main building space was left open at all levels,
uninterrupted by columns to provide parking
and access beneath the building as well as flex-
ibility and open office concepts at each level.
The deflection management required by these
NAFCO
long spans was best addressed by the flexibility
of steel in a combination of simple connec-
Fisher Studios
tions, moment connections, and composite
design. The initial concept involved concrete
retaining walls at the edge of the building on
the cut side of the site and at the last column
line on the fill side. As the project building
program progressed, these walls were moved
away from the building, allowing for a more
open and steel-prominent foyer featuring col-
umns extending from the ground floor to the
third floor.

Addressing the Slope

The conventional wisdom for situating
a building on a sloped lot is to orient the
longest direction of the footprint with the
topography lines to minimize the impact of The project team worked diligently and judiciously to appropriately
the slope. Given the project goals, however, account for neighboring properties, and the cantilevered structure reduces
the project team realized early that they site impact by allowing vehicle access to pass underneath the building.
would have to defy convention—a chal-
lenge that created both difficulties and Fisher Studios
unique opportunities for building configu- Numerous balconies, artfully wrapped and sheltered with
steel designed to match the prominent staircase inside,
ration and expression. A desire to maximize
highlight the harmony between interior and exterior.
uphill green space led to the decision to
orient the building with the longest dimen-
sion running down the slope.
When this counterintuitive idea and its
potential solution were presented to the
architect, the response was, “Now this proj-
ect is getting exciting.” In the final design,
the major truss extends over the parking
access area and cantilevers over the hillside
to capture all available building space at the
lower end of the lot. The design also show-
cases the structural steel, with the architect

50 | JUNE 2022
 embracing a “show what you do” mentality
and developing a space for NAFCO that
allowed steel to be recognized for its art-
istry and beauty.

Supporting Role
In addition to supporting the build-
ing, steel also facilitated myriad other
smaller elements. For example, the lobby’s
monumental stair is supported on two
inboard plate stringers that allow daylight
around the treads, which are composed of
HSS10×2 with a wood finish. The guardrail
is made up of steel plate frames supporting
stainless steel wire rope and grab rails, and
this guardrail theme is used throughout
all interior and exterior spaces. The lobby
itself is a three-story glass window box pro-
viding views into nature. At night, it’s trans-
formed into a glowing lantern by its art-
fully placed illuminated pendants. Visible
through the glass exterior, the interior of
In all, the structure incorporates 500 tons the lobby features weathered metal panels
of structural and miscellaneous steel, all
fabricated and detailed by NAFCO. that deftly break the grid of the exterior’s
lighter-toned metal panels.
The building has a recurring theme of
straight lines. The canopy at the glass foyer
is no exception, creating the challenge of a
linear canopy with no knee brace or hanger.
The exposed structure supports both the
canopy and the three-story window wall,
and both the canopy and glass are supported
by HSS members offset from the column
line by moment connection-supported out-
riggers. Since the canopy stops short of the
column line, the HSS is designed to take
the torsion of the extended canopy.
A unique double-knee brace system sup-
ports the fourth-floor boardroom balcony
and the canopy above it. The two HSS knee
braces run through the balcony on the way
up to support the canopy. The cantilevered
Fisher Studios elements over these braces and the cantile-
ver of the outside face serve as the primary
The team specified AESS Level 1 for the exposed steel, combining function and form.
This is the minimum treatment of exposed steel beyond standard fabrication. For details
support for the floor and roof areas.
on all of the AESS levels, see “Maximum Exposure” in the November 2017 issue, In many projects, sunshades are made of
available at www.modernsteel.com. lightweight aluminum. However, for Steel-
Ridge Center, six over-the-window steel
Fisher Studios
sunshades wrap the west-oriented corners
and are supported by outriggers at columns
and girders. The spacing of the steel plate
fins varies to optimize their effectiveness in
deflecting the sun’s rays and minimizing the
solar gain and glare. For this project, the
desired placement and function of the sun-
shades became more economical with steel.
Finally, even the backdrop of the building’s
entry sign is a steel-framed structure with a
weathering steel skin that doubles as a very
discrete trash-management area.

Modern Steel Construction | 51

A commissioned piece of art in the entrance lobby showcases the skyline of The main lobby is a three-story glass
NAFCO’s founding city, Birmingham, Ala. The company’s two fabrication shops window box providing views into
are 45 and 65 miles away from the corporate office, which includes administration, nature. At night, it’s transformed
estimating, engineering, and project management.This format originated with the into a glowing lantern by its artfully
company’s inception in 1953, where detailing was remote from the shops. placed illuminated pendants.
Fisher Studios

Maximizing Limited Space direction, the team created a rigid frame by using vertical brac-
The two primary superstructure features are the aforemen- ing at the upper floors at the outside elevation column lines and
tioned cantilever and the long span to accommodate the parking moment connections at the inner column lines, which allowed for
lot and parking access. The long span translates up through each clear walking and driving space at grade. In addition, achieving the
floor of the structure, and the initial concept involved the second architectural goal of leaving the lower columns near the parking
level floor-to-ceiling truss at the North and South elevations sup- area exposed required an intumescent coating, so NAFCO applied
porting all interior elements. Although the stresses in members Sherwin-Williams Firetex to the steel in this area prior to delivery
were acceptable, the control of overall deflections and excessive and installation at the project site.
differential deflections between adjacent members became one of
the driving forces for design. Intimate Involvement
The basic deflection of the primary building cantilever was NAFCO was intimately involved from the beginning of the
controlled by using tension bracing up over the effective mast project with the architect and contractor in an effort to model
of the column line supporting the cantilever and back down to how a project can be very successful when all parties collaborate
the column line at the opposite side of the parking and parking throughout the process. Further, the steel erector determined the
access. (NAFCO uses a similar approach of a tall mast and wire crane size and placement locations for efficient steel erection on
rope in tension for the design of both fixed and luffing radial the very challenging site. The chosen design concepts, combined
stacking conveyors in bulk material handling applications.) The with the exact loading and staging of fabricated pieces, allowed for
floor-to-floor dimension of 14-ft limited the depth of girders the efficient flow of structural steel through the shop to support
and beams. just-in-time field delivery for steel erection.
The floor-to-floor height of 14 ft and the use of 10-ft ceilings With minimal laydown area, interior floor beams for all three
limited space for girders, utilities, and the ceiling support grid. floors were staged incrementally at the site while the columns,
Deflection had to be managed by other means than simply steel girders (carrying beams), and perimeter beams were delivered
profile depth. To address the two-way deflection of the roughly and set from the trailers. The efficient design, fabrication, and
70-ft by 70-ft long-span area, moment end connections and com- erection helped overcome delays due to COVID-19 and inclem-
posite design were used on column lines running parallel with ent weather during the site preparation stage of the project and
the north and south elevation trusses. This allowed for simple brought the schedule back to the original plan. Weekly drone
extended shear tabs to support the beams running transverse shots were taken to evaluate progress, determine construction
to the trusses and moment-connected girders. In addition, the action items, and provide information for any additional design
bent line supporting the cantilever and the beginning of the long elements related to constructability that needed to be addressed.
span and the bent line at the opposite end of the long span cre- This weekly drone review also assisted with rock removal and site
ated hard spots relative to vertical deflection. As such, the team cut-fill balance.
implemented more rigid transverse beams adjacent to these All in all, by using simple lines and shapes, the larger concepts
non-deflection hard spots to help smooth out the deflection dif- of the building’s design are skillfully woven throughout the intri-
ferential. cate details, annunciated into a triumphant, expressive project
A combination of vertical bracing and moment frames pro- that honors the surrounding environment while also celebrating
vides lateral load-carrying capacity. In the longitudinal east-west NAFCO’s industry. ■

52 | JUNE 2022
 Fisher Studios

Owner
Parrish Realty, LLC, Birmingham, Ala.
General Contractor
Rives Construction Co., Birmingham
Architect
Butler and Company Architects, LLC,
Birmingham
Structural Engineer, Steel Fabricator,
and Steel Detailer
North Alabama Fabricating
Company, Inc. , Birmingham

Ralph Parrish ([email protected])

is the president and CEO and Robert
Horton ([email protected]) is
the chief engineer, both with North
Alabama Fabricating Company.
Modern Steel Construction | 53
 Notes on navigating the evolving sustainability landscape.

Navigating
Sustainability
BY LAURA MICHELI, PHD,
BRUCE BROTHERSEN, SE, PE, PENG,
AND SCOTT RUSSELL, SE, PE, PENG
Nucor

IN THE LAST DECADE OR SO, sustainability and environ- Typical life-cycle stages are depicted in Figure 1, including pro-
mental impacts have gained significant relevance in the structural duction (A1-A3), construction (A4-A5), use (B1-B5), and end-of-life
design and construction fields. (C1-C4) stages. An LCA can include all or only some of the life-cycle
As a result, terms such as life-cycle assessment (LCA) and envi- stages, depending on the scope and intended use of the assessment.
ronmental product declaration (EPD) have become part of the com- When the LCA comprises only the production stage, the term “cradle-
mon AEC vocabulary. When it comes to designing and building steel to-gate” is usually employed to designate the boundaries of the LCA,
buildings, it’s important to recognize the meaning of these terms— from resource extraction (cradle) to leaving the manufacturing facility
and other related terminology—and how they can help provide a (gate). The gate is typically the steel fabricator in the case of build-
better understanding of the environmental impacts of steel and how ings and structures. If all four life-cycle stages are included, the LCA is
it compares to other structural options. And for those of you who are referred to as “cradle-to-grave.” (Note that steel can be thought of as a
already familiar with these terms, a refresher never hurts. “cradle-to-cradle” material, given that it is infinitely recyclable.)
The results of the LCA are presented in a tabular format, which
Life-Cycle Assessments includes six impact categories, namely global warming potential
Let’s start with LCA, which is a standardized method to evalu- (GWP), ozone depletion potential, acidification potential (AP),
ate the environmental impact of consumer products throughout eutrophication potential (think oxygen-hungry algae blooms in
their lifetimes, as defined by the International Organization for bodies of water), smog formation potential, and abiotic depletion
Standardization (ISO). While still gaining traction in the AEC potential (the usage of nonrenewable resources for energy produc-
industry, LCAs are widely used in the consumer product manu- tion). The most well-known impact category indicator is the GWP,
facturing world to quantify the carbon emissions associated with which is measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg
different stages of a product’s life, ranging from raw material CO2 eq.) and represents the amount of energy/heat the emissions
extraction to end-of-life. The environmental impact is typically of one ton of a given gas will absorb over a given period of time,
estimated based on the energy inputs and greenhouse gas (GHG) relative to the emissions of one ton of carbon dioxide. The larger
emissions at each stage of the product’s production, construction, the GWP value, the more a given gas warms the earth compared
use, and end-of-life. to carbon dioxide over a period of time, usually taken as 100 years.

54 | JUNE 2022
 Fig. 1. The stages of an LCA.

Environmental Product Declarations additional third-party company (the program operator) to review
Another important sustainability term is an EPD, which is a and verify the EPD. On the other hand, industry-average EPDs
report that summarizes the LCA results of a given product, com- report the weighted industry average production for a number of
municating its carbon footprint in a transparent and comprehensive companies manufacturing the same product. As an example, Table
way. For construction materials, EPDs are regulated by ISO 14025, 1 summarizes the industry average EPD of fabricated hot-rolled
ISO 21930, and EN 15804; in addition, the EPD must follow the structural sections. Industry average EPDs of steel products can be
guidelines and requirements of the appropriate product category rule found on the following websites:
(PCR); the PCR governing EPDs for structural steel is the “Prod- • Fabricated hot-rolled structural sections, fabricated steel
uct Category Rule (PCR) Guidance for Building-Related Products plate, and fabricated hollow structural sections: aisc.org/epds
and Services.” While all the stages reported in Figure 1 could be • Open-web steel joists: steeljoist.org/about-us/
included in the background LCA, EPDs typically include life stages environmental-product-declarations
A1 through A3 (cradle-to-gate). Note that the beyond end-of-life • Primary structural steel frame components (columns, rafters),
stage (D1-D4) is not considered a life-cycle stage by ISO 21930, but secondary structural steel frame components (cold-formed
it could be included in the LCA as additional information. steel purlins), roll-formed wall panels, and roof panels:
An EPD must contain a description of the product and the mbma.com/environmental_product_declarations.html
life-cycle stages considered in the analysis, referred to as system • Steel roof and floor decks: sdi.org/publications-2/epd
boundaries. The LCA results are expressed in terms of environ- It should be noted that EPDs of different construction materi-
mental impact indicators, calculated based on a declared unit, such als (e.g., timber, steel, and concrete) are based on different PCRs
as one ton of product, as is the case of steel products EPDs. To and declared units. Therefore, a direct comparison between the
ensure a transparent process, the EPD study commissioner must data reported in their EPDs may lead to inaccurate results. Fur-
rely on a third-party company (the LCA practitioner) to per- thermore, choosing the material with the lowest GWP in the
form the LCA study, which feeds data into an EPD, as well as an EPD doesn’t necessarily imply selecting the product that will

Table 1
Industry Average EPD of Fabricated Hot-rolled Structural Sections (LCA results per one metric ton of product)
Parameter Symbol Unit Total (A1+A2+A3)
Global warming potential GWP 100 kg CO2 eq. 1.22E+03
Ozone depletion potential ODP kg CFC 11 eq. 1.63E-09
Acidification potential AP kg SO2 eq. 2.98E+00
Eutrophication potential EP kg N eq. 1.56E-01
Smog formation potential SFP kg O3 eq. 4.58E+01
Abiotic depletion potential ADPfossil MJ surplus 1.43E+03

Modern Steel Construction | 55

 AISC

603-402-3055 • Automated Layout Technology™

Visit AUTOMATEDLAYOUT.COM for a Quote

The first automated marking machine created specifically

for the layout of commercial handrails, stair stringers and
so much more utilizing your steel detailer’s dxf files.
• Cut Fabrication Time by More Than 50%
“It easily doubles our output – no mistakes” • Ensure the Highest Level of Accuracy
Plant Manager • Papp Iron Works • Boost Your Profit Margins!
• Lay out complex geometry in seconds
One current customer’s team can layout 26 stair
• Designed to replace your existing fabrication table
stringers in 58 minutes and ended up purchasing
another machine for their second location.
“The guys love it. They jumped right in on it and have been
working to make the most use of it. Great purchase.”
Nat Killpatrick • Basden Steel Corporation

“I think it’s fair to say that this machine continues to

exceed our expectations. We are very happy with it.”
Chief Operating Officer • Koenig Iron Works

“The machine is fantastic and could not be happier.

Keep selling this machine, it’s a winner.”
Misc. Shop Foreman • Koenig Iron Works

56 | JUNE 2022
yield the lowest overall carbon emissions since the entire life cycle WBLCA is usually performed by inputting the bill of materi-
of a building needs to be considered in the analysis. An accurate als for a given design into specialized software. The software out-
comparison of different construction materials can be achieved by put will be a summary of the six above-mentioned environmental
accounting for the difference in declared units and considering all impact indicators. Commonly used software packages are Athena,
the life stages of the structure, from raw material supply to end-of- Tally (Revit), and One-Click LCA. In addition, the SEI Sustain-
life. Using manufacturer-specific EPDs in lieu of industry-average ability Committee has developed ECOM, a web-based platform
values can also lead to more accurate estimates of embodied car- that allows users to approximate the embodied carbon for con-
bon. An example of this in the steel industry is the EPD differ- struction materials and structural frames. The carbon footprint
ence between an electric arc furnace (EAF) recycling steel from of various design scenarios can be compared by performing the
scrap and a blast furnace making steel from ore. Another distinc- WBLCA of different design solutions.
tion is the country in which the steel is manufactured. In most It is essential to understand that uncertainties inherent in
cases, domestic steel production has less of a carbon footprint than the WBLCA results exist, as each software has its own database,
imported steel. inputs, bias, and assumptions. It is advisable to use multiple soft-
ware programs and compare the results. Analyzing the same build-
Whole Building Life-Cycle Analysis ing configuration with different software could lead to a different
Taking the concept of a product LCA to a different level, the carbon footprint, and failure to include relevant life-cycle stages
whole building life-cycle analysis (WBLCA) has emerged as a or processes could yield incomplete results. For instance, when
tool to estimate carbon emissions and energy consumption for an biogenic carbon is included in the LCA of timber structures, it is
entire building. WBLCAs employ the same principles outlined appropriate to extend the analysis to stage D to avoid considering
above for LCAs and enable engineers and other stakeholders to full carbon sequestration without accounting for the possible CO2
compare the environmental impact of different design solutions release in the beyond life-cycle stage. As EPDs, LCA processes,
by providing information on embodied carbon and operational and related software evolve over time, the GWP values they pro-
energy. In addition to stages A, B, and C, WBLCAs can also duce may change for a particular building or structure.
include stage D, which considers the carbon emissions related
to recycling or reusing construction materials at the building’s Buy-Clean Laws
end of life. Lastly, stages B6 and B7 (Figure 1) can be added to a As the sustainability landscape continues to evolve, so do fed-
WBLCA to account for operational energy, such as energy and eral and local regulations aimed at reducing the carbon emissions
water consumption. of new and existing buildings. The Buy Clean California Act

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

coping oxy-fuel plasma bevel layout

cutting cutting cutting marking

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

Modern Steel Construction | 57

(BCCA) pioneered regulations on embodied carbon reduc-
tion, introducing GWP thresholds for four construction
materials: structural steel, concrete reinforcing steel, flat
glass, and mineral wool board insulation (note that BCCA
only applies to federally funded projects). The maximum
acceptable GWP values for these materials are reported in
Table 2. With public works projects contracted by the State
of California, the awarding authorities are responsible for
verifying that the four eligible materials have a GWP that
does not exceed the BCCA thresholds. Note that the limits
reported in Table 2 are valid for “unfabricated products,”
while the values reported in Table 1 refer to “fabricated
products.” Thus, a direct comparison between the GWP in
Tables 1 and 2 would not yield consistent results.
Table 2
Buy Clean California Act
GWP Thresholds for Unfabricated Products
Material GWP limit
Hot-rolled structural
1010 kg CO2 eq./1 metric ton
steel sections
Hollow
1710 kg CO2 eq./1 metric ton
structural sections
Steel plate 1490 kg CO2 eq./1 metric ton
Concrete
890 kg CO2 eq./1 metric ton
reinforcing steel
Flat glass 1430 kg CO2 eq./1 metric ton
Light-density mineral
3330 kg CO2 eq./1 m2
wool board insulation
High-density mineral
8160 kg CO2 eq./1 m2
wool board insulation

Following California, Colorado passed the HB21-1303:

Global Warming Potential for Public Project Materials in
2021. According to this act, the Office of the State Archi-
tect and the Department of Transportation will be required
to establish GWP thresholds for eligible materials by 2024
and 2025, respectively.
Also, in December 2021, the Biden Administration signed
a new federal sustainability executive order. Although specific
GWP thresholds have not been set yet, the sustainability
order explicitly promotes the use of construction materials
with lower embodied carbon in federally funded projects.
Additionally, the sustainability executive order supports a
transition to a circular economy, aiming to drastically reduce
the construction and demolition waste lying in landfills by
2030. Materials that are highly recyclable, like steel, have
advantages in the beyond life-cycle stages (D1-D4). The
executive order also emphasizes the importance of energy
efficiency for new and existing buildings, pursuing net-zero
emissions buildings through electrification strategies, deep-
energy retrofits, and water conservation measures.

In EAFs, steel is produced from scrap, with the addition of

a small percentage of direct reduced iron. At the end of its
useful life, steel products can be recycled, remelted, and used
to produce new steel products. This circular process makes
steel a cradle-to-cradle material, ideal for supporting a circular
economy and zero-waste policies. Many steel components,
such as open-web steel joists and wide-flange beams, can
also be reused after a building is decommissioned. Billy Hustace

58 | JUNE 2022
 It is expected that the new state and
federal regulations will fuel a sustainability
renaissance in the construction industry, pro-
moting the transition to clean, zero-emission
technologies. In the near future, in addition
to cost, schedule, constructability, aesthet-
ics, and space usage, decision-makers will
likely be required to consider sustainability as
well—and in many cases have already been
doing so. The demand for LCAs, EPDs, and
WBLCA will continue to grow, along with
new legislation regulating embodied carbon
limits. It is also important to understand the
uncertainties inherent in the direct compari-
son of different construction materials due to
the different PCR assumptions, units of mea- C
Connecting
g amazing
g structures Nationwide!
d !
sure, and database variability. Steel has a great
sustainability potential, especially regarding
how it fits into a circular economy. Sustain-
ability is here to stay, and we should all be
familiar with its vocabulary. ■
Call or email us your inquiry!
For more on structural steel and sustainability, St. Louis Screw & Bolt
visit aisc.org/sustainability.
[email protected]
[email protected]
800-237-7059
PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA

Now Prequalified in AISC 358-22!

oment
frame connection

Laura Micheli ([email protected])

is a research engineer, Bruce Brothersen
([email protected]) is a
senior innovator, and Scott Russell
([email protected]) is the
manager of innovation services,
all with Vulcraft-Verco Group of
Nucor Corporation.

Modern Steel Construction | 59

 And We’re Back! BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

NASCC: The Steel Conference

returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2019.

TABITHA STINE MAY HAVE SAID IT BEST. And the writing was certainly on the wall in Denver. Sessions such
“This is like a family reunion.” as “Never Let the Structural Software Think for You, Only Let It
The general manager of construction solutions services at Think Faster,” “SpeedCore Design Guide: It’s Finally Here,” “AISC
Nucor Corporation (and former AISC vice president) made this and the Steel Industry: 100 Years of Innovation,” “The Myriad Ways
statement while introducing the Wednesday keynote session at the that Connected Models Drive Efficiency,” “Accelerated Welding,”
2022 NASCC: The Steel Conference in March. “Scheduling Shop Resources to Create Productive Flow,” “Erection
And she was right. After all, the conference, which took place Engineering in Support of a SpeedCore Tower Project in Califor-
in Denver, was the first in-person edition since 2019. We made the nia,” “Streamlining Steel Girder Design,” “Achieving Speed in Steel
most of the last two years with virtual versions—and they were Bridge Fabrication,” “ABC… As Easy as 1,2,3,” and others touched
certainly successful in terms of reaching and educating thousands upon the many different ways that steel design and construction can
of online attendees—but it wasn’t quite the same. become faster. If you didn’t make it to the show or were there and
“The main thing that stood out to me was the positive energy simply unable to be in two places at once, you can view recordings
I felt from every attendee, exhibitor, and staff member I interacted of these sessions at aisc.org/education-archives.
with,” said Maysa Kantner, AISC’s Atlanta structural steel special- An accelerated attitude was also apparent in the exhibit hall,
ist. “Everyone was just so excited to be back and reconnect.” where university bridge teams demonstrated the build portion of
And approximately 4,800 attendees apparently agreed, making AISC’s Student Steel Bridge Competition. While the competition
this one of the biggest Steel Conferences ever (more than 2,000 judges student bridges in various categories, including efficiency,
streaming attendees tuned in as well, nearly double the number aesthetics, and deflection, the build portion is all about how fast a
from the 2019 show). bridge can come together while minimizing errors. (On a related
note, the 2022 SSBC National Finals just wrapped up over Memo-
Picking Up the Pace rial Day weekend. You can find out more about the competition and
Many of these attendees were on hand for the Wednesday key- see this year’s results at aisc.org/ssbc. In addition, the August issue
note, whose speaker, Gerry O’Brion, is a strategy and branding will feature coverage and great photos of the National Finals.)
visionary who has provided his expertise to companies like Procter Speed was also a focus of several exhibitors. For example, Pro-
and Gamble, Coors Brewing Company, Quiznos, and Red Robin. devco premiered its new PCR41 compact high-definition robotic
One of the ideas he presented was giving customers a rational rea- plasma cutting system, which the company says can make produc-
son for an emotional response, citing the 2007 horror film Para- tivity up to ten times faster and whose small footprint and flexible
normal Activity as an example. The film’s trailer, instead of merely placement allow fabricators to locate the system anywhere in their
showing footage, enticed potential views by showing actual audi- shop. Another product on display, a remote-controlled hook from
ence reactions to some of the more harrowing moments, a rational OTH Rigging, offers speed advantages at the job site, allowing work
(and ultimately successful) “show me, don’t tell me” approach— teams to release riggings from a safe distance (read more about it in
and one that effectively “changed the rules.” the New Products section on page 62). In addition, Simpson Strong-
While that tactic hasn’t become common with movie trailers, it Tie showcased a soon-to-be-released all-field-bolted connection for
illustrated a new way of thinking. To demonstrate a more gradual braced frames that will help speed up installation while providing
and lasting change, he turned to one of the world’s most famous superior performance and resiliency. There was also the new Lincoln
sporting events, the Indy 500. At the race’s 1950 running, a pit crew Electric Cobot, a collaborative robotic welding solution designed to
numbered more than 20 and took more than a minute to perform help steel fabricators and erectors safely and economically increase
a full pit stop. Today, a pit crew of four can perform the same work productivity in the shop or at the job site. The company provided
in mere seconds. a hands-on demo showing how users can program a weld with no
This change didn’t happen overnight and wasn’t due to one fac- robotic experience in under five minutes. Keep an eye out for the
tor. And this type of change is at the core of AISC’s Need for Speed December issue, which will highlight plenty of other speed-related
initiative, which was promoted at the conference. The goal is to products, services, and software from NASCC exhibitors and AISC
increase the speed at which a steel project (either a building or a member companies. And check out aisc.org/needforspeed for
bridge) can be designed, fabricated, and erected by 50% by the end more about our Need for Speed initiative.
of 2025.

60 | JUNE 2022
The Wednesday night Elevate Reception. The Student Steel Bridge Competition demonstration in the exhibit hall.

2022 AISC Award winners Todd Helwig, Charlie Carter (AISC president), Larry Kloiber, Susan Burmeister, Grady Harvell, Robert Tremblay,
Gian Rassati, Allen Adams, James Swanson, Roberto Leon, Ryan Sherman, Kara Peterman, Dave Ruby, Carol Drucker, and Steve Knitter
(AISC board chair). For details about these winners, see the related news item in the May 2022 issue at www.modernsteel.com.

Advocating for Equity and Education The return to the in-person format also allowed for presenters’
Of course, it wasn’t all just about speed. Equity has recently passion to shine through more clearly. For example, the session
become a more visible concept in business, including the construc- “Structural Art in Steel Bridges: Past, Present, and Future” was
tion industry, and AISC has worked to bring together and promote presented by Maria Garlock as part of the bridge segment of the
the importance of a wealth of different experiences and backgrounds Steel Conference, the World Steel Bridge Symposium.
in the steel industry. This year’s Steel Conference featured the first “Maria’s passion for the subject was contagious, and her pre-
Elevate Reception, which gathered advocates for and allies of under- sentation was an uplifting call to arms that we deserve beauty in
represented groups in the architecture, engineering, and construc- our structures and should take time to consider it,” said Chris
tion industries and showcased the work being done by AEC industry Garrell, NSBA’s chief bridge engineer, of the session. “As design-
nonprofits focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. ers adopt technologies like parametric modeling and additive
“The Elevate Reception was an incredible opportunity to cel- manufacturing, this opens a world of possibilities for creativity
ebrate the work of underrepresented groups in AEC professions that can be economical.”
with food, drinks, and amazing views of downtown Denver,” said For some, the Denver show wasn’t just the first live Steel Con-
Jonathan Tavarez, AISC’s New York structural steel specialist. “It’s ference in what seemed like forever but was, in fact, the first one
exciting to think how this event can be even bigger and better in the they’d ever attended.
coming years.” “The first thought that comes to my mind is how impressed
To learn more about AISC’s equity efforts—and hear podcasts I was with the number of exhibits,” said J.D. Lanz, a first-time
featuring diverse voices from the industry—visit aisc.org/equity. attendee and structural engineer working for the Denver Fire
The conference also offered in-person opportunities for college Department. “Quite honestly, as a first-timer at NASCC, I was
and university students in the form of Students Connecting with overwhelmed trying to digest all the exhibits. There is a constant
Industry Sessions (SCIS). One of these, the Direct Connect session, movement for improving the steel industry, and I can understand
let students connect and interact with leading industry experts from why such a large number of people attended the conference.”
design and construction companies from across North America. Next year, the Steel Conference heads back east and is set to
“This was the best session of all the years we’ve attended,” said take place at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.,
Bora Erbilen, president of BBM Structural, a Direct Connect par- April 12–14. We hope to see you there! ■

ticipant. “We’re definitely interested in attending again next year.”

This was also the first year of the Student Travel Grant pro- Geoff Weisenberger
gram, which provided two university engineering students with an ([email protected]),
all-expenses-paid trip to the conference. seen here with the
“I am very thankful that the grant created opportunities to meet Colorado Convention
with so many people and learn from their experiences,” said one of Center’s famed big blue
the winners, Katie Davis, an engineering student at the University bear, is chief editor
of Kansas. “I also thoroughly enjoyed the SCIS speakers. It was a of Modern Steel
great networking event for students looking for jobs or learning Construction.
about different companies.”

Modern Steel Construction | 61

new products
This month’s New Products offerings are geared toward the job site and include
sleeves to prevent arm lacerations, remote-controlled hooks for releasing riggings
from a safe distance, and hangers that ease load placement on open-web steel joists.

Milwaukee Tool Protective Sleeves

Milwaukee Tool has expanded its personal protective equip-
ment offerings into arm protection with the debut of Cut
Level 5 and Cut Level 3 Protective Sleeves, which help prevent
arm lacerations. The sleeves feature a secure tapered fit and a
silicone printed bicep band to prevent sliding, reduce sagging,
and limit material bunching, as well as an elastic thumb loop
to keep the sleeve in place when putting on gloves. To help
users stay cool and protected while working in hot conditions,
the sleeves are made of a moisture-wicking fabric that dries
fast and are UPF 50+ rated. The protective arm sleeves are
constructed of a comfortable four-way stretch material that
does not restrict movement and allows a greater range of
motion. The Cut Level 5 model is constructed of a 13-gauge OTH Pioneer Rigging
knit, while the Cut Level 3 sleeves feature a 15-gauge knit
that is lightweight and breathable. For more information, visit
Remote-Controlled Hooks
OTH’s brand-new lifting auto-hooks come with a color-coded
www.milwaukeetool.com.
remote control (with a 200-ft range) to trigger the opening mech-
anism and cut the load loose while keeping the rigging with the
hook, making it available for the next lift. With unlimited hooks
synchronized on the same remote, users can design their own setup
to lift up to 80,000 lb. Both versions (4,400-lb and 11,600-lb WLL
LudwigHook) work with vertical, basket, or choker setups and
any kind of attachment (wire rope, nylon rope, chains, eye bolts,
etc.). The system can work for a full week with only one needed
recharge regardless of the number of lifts. The OSHA-compliant
system’s safety features include a mechanical fall-protection design,
an opening mechanism switched off from +55 lb loaded, a two-
button sequence release on the remote to open the hook, and a
locked state if the battery is fully discharged. For more informa-
tion, visit www.othrigging.com.

MCL Hangers
MCL Hangers were designed to place the hanger and threaded
rod in the gap between the joist chord angles, thus hanging loads
concentrically from either the top or bottom chord. By design, as
the hanger is tightened to the joist, it will not rotate. The hang-
ers feature a low profile that allows installation within 6 in. of
panel points and easy installation with standard decking profiles.
Designed to work on all open-web steel joists with 0.85-in. to
1.25-in. chord gaps, they can be used with threaded rods, carriage
bolts, or standard hex head bolts and can be preassembled for
quick installation on the joist. M1 models are designed for use on
top and bottom chords where there is a 1-in. gap between angle
irons, M2s can be used on top and bottom chords where there
is either a 1-in. or 11∕8-in. gap between angle irons, and M3s are
intended for all threaded rods, standard bolts, or carriage bolts.
For more information, visit www.mclhangers.com.
62 | JUNE 2022
 news & events

HIGGINS AWARD MEMBERS

Nominations Sought for AISC’s 2023 AISC Board Announces
Higgins Lectureship Award New Members
Nominations are being accepted through The award will be given to a nominated The AISC Board of Directors has approved
July 1, 2022, for the prestigious T.R. Hig- individual based on their reputation as a the following companies for membership.
gins Lectureship Award, which includes lecturer and the jury's evaluation of the
a $15,000 cash prize. Presented annually paper(s) named in the nomination. Papers Full
by AISC, the award recognizes a lecturer- will be judged for originality, clarity of
author whose technical paper(s) are con- presentation, contribution to engineering C.A. Hull, Walled Lake, Mich.
sidered an outstanding contribution to knowledge, future significance, and value C & F Steel Design, Inc., Elmsford, N.Y.
engineering literature on fabricated struc- to the fabricated structural steel industry. NYSFAB, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.
tural steel. The winner will be recognized The current T.R. Higgins Lecturer is Professional Piping Systems, LLC, Phoenix
at the 2023 NASCC: The Steel Confer- Amit Kanvinde, PhD, who received the
ence, April 12-14, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C., award for his paper “Column Base Con- Associate
and will also present their lecture, upon nections: Research, Design, and a Look to
request, at various professional association the Future” as well as for his outstanding Brainstorm Infotech, Bangalore, India,
events throughout the year. reputation as an engineer and lecturer. If Detailer
Nominations should be emailed to your organization is interested in hosting a Columbia Safety and Supply, Columbia,
AISC’s Martin Downs at [email protected]. T.R. Higgins lecture, please contact Chris- Mo., Equipment Manufacturer
Nominations must include the following tina Harber, AISC’s director of education, Core Cogent Detailing Services, Inc.,
information: at [email protected]. And for more informa- Hyderabad, India, Detailer
• Name and affiliation of the individual tion about the award, visit aisc.org/higgins. Electro-Mechanical Integrators, Inc.,
nominated (past winners are not Green Lane, Pa., Equipment Manufac-
eligible to be nominated again) turer
• Title of the paper(s) for which the Industria Metalica Integrada, SA, DE, CV,
individual is nominated, including Santa Cruz Chignahuapan, Mexico,
publication citation Erector
• If the paper has multiple authors, Kumars Safe Structures, LLP
identify the principal author Karumandapam, India, Software Vendor
• Reasons for nomination L. Wiley Steel Solutions, La Mesa, Calif.,
• A copy of the paper(s), as well as any Detailer
published discussion Ling, LLC, The Woodlands, Texas,
The author must be a permanent resi- Detailer
dent of the U.S. and available to fulfill the NC Steel Detailing, Kernersville, N.C.,
commitments of the award. The paper(s) Detailer
must have been published in a profes- Outpace Steel Detailing, Kakinada, India,
sional journal between January 1, 2017, and Detailer
January 1, 2022. In addition, the winner is Sirius Steel Services, Inc., Columbus,
required to attend and present at the 2023 Ohio, Detailer
Steel Conference and also give a minimum StraeCon, Tempe, Ariz., Detailer
of six presentations of their lecture on Visai Energy, Inc., Calgary, Canada,
2022 T.R. Higgins Lecturer Amit Kanvinde.
selected occasions during the year. Detailer

ENGINEERING JOURNAL
Engineering Journal Seeks Technical Articles
AISC is always looking for Engineering improvement to an old idea, please submit
Journal articles on interesting topics or your abstract or paper to Margaret Mat-
products relevant to steel design, research, thew ([email protected]) for potential
construction, and fabrication methods. publication in Engineering Journal. You can
We are especially interested in technical find detailed information on our review
articles with practical applications in the process and requirements for submittals at
steel industry. If you have a new idea or an aisc.org/ej.

Modern Steel Construction | 63

news & events
IN MEMORIAM
William Nottingham, Prolific Alaskan Steel Bridge People & Companies
Engineer, Dies at 84 The American Galvanizers Association
William Dennis Nottingham, PE, a co- bulkhead technology. In addition, three (AGA) board of directors recently
founder of PND Engineers, Inc. (PND), of his steel bridges in Alaska were hon- announced the appointment of Alana
died on March 6. He was 84 years old. ored as NSBA Prize Bridge Award win- Fossa as technical director for the orga-
Born in 1937 in Fort Benton, Mont., ners: Kuparuk River Submersible Bridge, nization. Tom Langill, AGA’s previous
Nottingham was one of the most influen- North Slope, Most Beautiful Bridge technical director, will be cutting back to
tial engineers in Alaska history, designing Award (Special Purpose) in 2000; Tudor three days a week as technical director
more than 300 bridges over the course of Road Trail Crossing, Anchorage, Most emeritus. Fossa has been with the AGA
his career. After receiving bachelor’s and Beautiful Bridge Award (Special Purpose) since 2015, serving as the corrosion
master’s degrees in civil engineering from in 1996; and Endicott Causeway Bridge, engineer and senior corrosion engineer.
Montana State College, he moved to North Slope, Most Beautiful Bridge During her tenure, she has become an
Juneau, Alaska, in 1962, where he eventu- Award (Special Purpose Merit) in 1996. invaluable source of hot-dip galvaniz-
ally met Roy Peratrovich, Jr., with whom ing (HDG) knowledge for members and
he founded PND in 1979. Nottingham specifiers and a trusted expert on HDG
served as the company’s president for 30 with key influential organizations such as
years until his retirement in 2009. AISC’s National Steel Bridge Alliance
Nottingham won the prestigious (NSBA), the Association for Materials
NOVA Award from the Construction Protection and Performance (AMPP),
Innovation Forum, Inc., in 1998 for ASTM International, and the American
PND’s Open Cell Sheet Pile (OCSP) Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Two AISC member companies have

FORGE PRIZE joined the Steel Erectors Association
Harlem Housing Concept Wins 2022 Forge Prize of America’s (SEAA’s) network of
SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Training
Units and Assessment Sites: GMF
Steel Group and SL Chasse Steel
Fabricators and Erectors. The program
grants SEAA member companies access
to nationally recognized credentials for
ironworkers, riggers, crane operators,
and signal persons. Because of SEAA’s
affiliation with NCCER, members also
have access to the craft training materi-
als, assessments, and certifications for
all of NCCER’s craft training curricula.

Engineering, architectural, planning,

A vision of a reinvigorated public hous- that could make the three finalist design and program and construction manage-
ing community in Harlem has won the concepts easier and more economical to ment services company STV recent-
AISC’s 2022 Forge Prize. construct in the real world. ly announced it has brought aboard
The three finalists presented their Lai and Lee worked with fabricator George Gorrill, SE, PE, to serve as
projects live on YouTube in a stream that Rob Williams of Steel LLC to refine vice president and Midwest business
drew an international audience from as far their concept in the second phase of unit leader. Based in the Chicago
away as South Africa. After tough delibera- the competition. One of the things that office, Gorrill will lead all STV efforts in
tion, the 2022 Forge Prize jury rendered emerged from that partnership was a the Midwest, including recruiting and
its verdict. Vincent Yee Foo Lai of Adjaye steel column with a tectonic train-track managing talent throughout the region,
Associates and Douglas Lee of the Univer- rail. That component of the steel struc- as well as developing plans to better
sity of California, Berkeley took home the ture would facilitate transporting materi- serve STV clients and the market. The
$10,000 grand prize for an inspiring con- als up to the job site. The rail would also company has also hired Kim Vierheilig,
cept to transform public housing in New contain mechanical systems. AIA, as its new president of buildings
York City's Harlem. For more information on the Forge and facilities. Vierheilig will lead the
The Forge Prize is unique in that it Prize, see www.forgeprize.com. And architecture and engineering practice
matches emerging architects with steel check out the August issue for details and nationally and serve on STV’s executive
fabricators to brainstorm innovations images of all three finalists. leadership team.
64 | JUNE 2022
 marketplace & employment

Connect with AISC on

SOCIAL MEDIA
aisc.org/linkedin @AISC

AISCdotORG @AISC

youtube.com/AISCSteelTV

Structural Engineers LATE MODEL STRUCTURAL STEEL

Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity? MACHINES AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY
Voortman V630/1000 CNC Drill Line, (3) Drill Units, ATC, VB1050 20" x 44" Saw,
We are a niche recruiter that specializes in matching great
Conveyor & Transfers, 2006, #31801
structural engineers with unique opportunities that will help Peddinghaus PCD-1100 Drill & Saw Line, 44" x 18" Capacity, (3) Spindle,
you utilize your talents and achieve your goals. Meba 1140/510 Saw, Siemens CNC, In/Out Conveyor, 2006, #31842
• We are structural engineers by background and enjoy Peddinghaus AFCPS 823-B Anglemaster ,8" x 8" x 3/4" Capacity, Infeed Conveyor,
helping other structural engineers find their “Dream Jobs.” PC Based CNC, 2006, #31841
• We have over 30 years of experience working with Peddinghaus HSFDB 2500/B Plate Processor, 3" Plate, 96" Maximum Plate Width,
structural engineers. HPR400XD Plasma, Drill, Oxy, 2015, #31660
• We will save you time in your job search and provide Roundo R-13-S Section Bender, 8" x 8" x 1.25" Leg In, 31.5" Diameter Rolls,
additional information and help during the process of
105 HP, Universal Rolls, 1998, #29237
Ficep K100 Structural CNC Band Saw, 40" W x 17.75" H Capacity, 1.61" Blade Width,
finding a new job. Mitering, Ficep CNC, 2013, #31910
• For Current Openings, please visit our website and Peddinghaus ABCM-1250A Beam Coping Line, 50" x 24" Maximum Profile,
select Hot Jobs. Fagor 8055 Retrofit, #31655
• Please call or email Brian Quinn, PE: 616.546.9420
[email protected]
WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR USED
so we can learn more about your goals and interests. STRUCTURAL STEEL EQUIPMENT
All inquiries are kept confidential. CONTACT: [email protected]
SE Impact by SE Solutions, LLC | www.FindYourEngineer.com www.PrestigeEquipment.com | (631) 249-5566
To advertise, contact M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.: 856.768.9360 | [email protected]. Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com.

advertiser index
AISC 8 | 23 | 67 Messer Cutting Systems 45
Applied Bolting 45 New Millenium Building Systems 5
ACT Metal Deck Supply 25 Nucor Tubular 13
Automated Layout Technology 56 Peddinghaus Corporation 2
Bend-Tech 12 QuickFrames USA 53
Chicago Metal Rolled Products insert SDS2 7
Controlled Automation 14 Simpson Strong Tie 15
DuraFuse 59 St. Louis Screw & Bolt 59
IDEA Statica 3 Structural Steel Manufacturing, Inc. 53
Locomation back cover Trimble 11
MDX 39 Voortman 57
Modern Steel Construction | 65
structurally sound
CTDOT and O&G BHD

Foremost Flyover
AN INTERSTATE FLYOVER in Con- Steel Structures, the 880-ft-long bridge even more opportunities for savings by
necticut is the first-ever NSBA Bridge of is the centerpiece of a recent project to choosing uncoated weathering steel, in
the Year. reduce daily congestion. The interchange which a patina protects the structural steel
National Steel Bridge Alliance staff and now features a two-lane, high-speed ramp from corrosion. The Connecticut Depart-
participants at the 2022 World Steel Bridge that showcases a novel approach: a triple ment of Transportation has used uncoated
Symposium, which took place as part of I-girder straddle bent that provides load weathering steel since the early 1960s, and
NASCC: The Steel Conference in March path redundancy, eliminating fracture-crit- some of the oldest bridges are still in very
in Denver, selected the I-91 Interchange ical designations and the associated long- good condition after more than a half-
29 Exit Ramp Flyover Bridge in Hartford term inspection costs. century of service.
for the top honor in this year’s NSBA Prize An additional benefit became clear The bridge was also honored with a
Bridge Awards program. This is the first during fabrication: The triple I-girder Prize Bridge Award in the Medium Span
year NSBA has presented the Bridge of the configuration is surprisingly economi- Category. To read more about it and the
Year Award. cal to fabricate, costing substantially rest of this year’s winners—and see plenty
Designed by CHA Consulting and with less than a comparable box girder with of great images—check out next month’s
steel fabricated by AISC member High reduced shipping costs. The team found (July) issue. ■

66 | JUNE 2022
 CALLING ALL
INNOVATORS! If you recently worked on an amazing
project that featured structural steel,
we want to hear from you.
Submit it for a 2023 IDEAS2 award!

2023
IDEAS2
AWARDS
Entries close on September 30, 2022
Enter now at aisc.org/ideas2

2022 NATIONAL AWARD

$75 Million to $200 Million
Buddy Holly Hall
of Performing Arts
and Sciences
Lubbock, Texas

Casey Dunn
Follow the leaders
to efficiency

The success of business often hinges on the strength

of the partnerships forged along the way.

That is why we’re proud to announce the partnership

of PGT Trucking + Locomation to deliver the future of
freight transportation.

When you bring together a leader in the Start your journey

flatbed transportation industry with the leader in to efficiency.
human-guided automated trucking technology, well,
you end up with a pretty strong bond. Together,
PGT + Locomation are leading the way to increased
efficiency, more capacity, elevated safety, and a
greener footprint. Better for drivers, better for the
earth, and better for your bottom line.

Follow the leaders