Trimble (an AISC member) has announced that it has acquired the assets of FabSuite, LLC, a North American supplier of Management Information System (MIS) solutions for steel fabrication (and also an AISC member). With the acquisition of FabSuite software—which complements the Tekla Structures and Trimble Connect software packages—Trimble's portfolio now includes the complete structural steel workflow for planning, managing, designing, modeling and fabrication.

The winning sculpture in AISC’s seventh annual Steel Sculpture Competition is “Steel Is Only As Strong As Those Who Fabricate It,” designed and fabricated by Cody Builders Supply (an AISC member and certified fabricator).

Superman turns 80-years-old today! Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the Man of Steel was introduced on April 18, 1938, in Action Comics  No. 1. He struck a chord with readers and, faster than a speeding bullet, he became a multimedia sensation, representing mankind's potential for greatness. DC Entertainment will publish Action Comics  No. 1,000 in celebration of this iconic superhero.

AISC’s 2018 NASCC: The Steel Conference attracted a record attendance of 5,175 in Baltimore last week. The record follows last year’s peak attendance of 4,597 in San Antonio.

Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD, AISC’s president, has been named a 2018 Outstanding Engineering Alumnus by the Penn State College of Engineering.

The digital version of AISC’s 15th Edition Steel Construction Manual is now available. Intended as an affordable supplement to the print version, the digital 15th Edition is a subscription-based product that provides on-the-go access to the information in the Manual including the most recent revisions. (This is a full version of the 15th Edition with digital rights management applied.)

AISC congratulates this year’s Engineering News-Record (ENR) Award of Excellence winner, Ron Klemencic. His achievements include leading the development of SpeedCore, a revolutionary method of composite structural-steel framing, aiming to replace the reinforced concrete core in steel office-tower construction. 

The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is accepting applications through June 4 for its 2018 Work Ethic Scholarship Program. Now in its fifth year, the program awards scholarships to people attending trade school to learn skills such as welding, pipefitting and electrical contracting and is open to interested high school seniors or graduates/GED recipients. Zekelman Industries, the parent company of Atlas Tube (an AISC member), is a sponsor of the program.

Acrow Bridge (an AISC/NSBA member and certified fabricator) has furnished a modular steel panel bridge being used during the replacement of the Montroyal Bridge over Mosquito Creek in the District of North Vancouver in British Columbia. The old structure was a 60-year-old timber bridge which was both undercapacity and at the end of its useful life.

The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations’ Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity Committee (NCSEA SE3) is currently administering a nationwide survey of structural engineering professionals. This survey is designed to be one of the largest comprehensive surveys to date providing information regarding demographics, compensation, satisfaction and engagement.

An all-steel house in north suburban Wilmette, Ill., that was built for the 1933 Chicago “Century of Progress” World’s Fair, is looking for a new home. 

AISC’s half-day seminar on the 15th Edition Steel Construction Manual and 2016 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360) is being offered across the U.S.! Attendees can receive 4 PDHs and be able to purchase the Manual  for $125 (a $200 value).

A 100-ft-long steel truss structure was recently lifted into place as an elevated deck and viewing platform central to the Hunter’s Point South redevelopment project in New York City. 

Seventeen steel bridge projects have earned national recognition in the 2018 Prize Bridge Awards competition. Conducted every other year by the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), the Prize Bridge Awards honor significant and innovative steel bridges constructed in the U.S.

The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) has announced its 2018 live webinar schedule. With a new lineup of topics pertaining to the steel joist industry, SJI will present one webinar per month April through December.

St. Louis’ Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is now officially Gateway Arch National Park. The renaming bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate last year and was signed into law by President Trump this past February. Supporters say renaming the national park makes it more recognizable to visitors.

AISC will present a free, one-hour webinar "Tariffs & Trade Issues: Will They Impact How You Design?" on Friday, March 23 at 11 a.m. EDT. To register for this important one-hour program, please visit www.aisc.org/tradetalk.

Twelve leaders from across the structural steel design, construction and academic communities will be presented with awards by AISC at the 2018 NASCC: The Steel Conference (April 11-13 in Baltimore). 

If you can't make it to Baltimore April 11-13 for the 2018 NASCC: The Steel Conference, you can now register for the next best thing. NASCC Live offers a choice of 26 of the best sessions streamed live. You can watch the sessions from your home or office, ask the speaker questions and receive PDH credit.

Attention college and university faculty: The deadline to register your students for the 2017-2018 Steel Design Student Competition is fast approaching!

Taking the fear out of selecting the appropriate architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) category.

AISC has advised its membership of possible market impacts from any Section 232 tariffs of the Trade Expansion Act, and the news is being shared via media nationwide. American Metal Market reports that AISC was quick to caution that a 25% increase in steel prices would not equate to a 25% increase in the cost of steel building projects. In fact, an increase in steel prices, even of 25%, would likely end up as a total project cost hike of about 2%.

A free, online series in support of women in engineering and technology worldwide kicks off today. Timed to coincide with International Women's Day, the Global Marathon features live interactive webcasts, running through April.

AISC is offering a webinar, “Design of Strengthening for Existing Steel Members,” on Thursday, March 22, from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. ET. 

Full-time juniors, seniors and masters students enrolled in civil engineering, architectural engineering, construction engineering or construction management programs at U.S. universities are encouraged to apply for AISC scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year. A total of $98,000, provided by the AISC Education Foundation and various steel industry organizations, will be awarded to students.

Following the March 1 announcement by President Trump that the Administration intends to impose a 25% tariff on imported steel, AISC has received many questions about the potential impacts on the structural steel fabrication and construction markets. Here is what AISC sees at this point.

AISC has sent a letter to the White House urging the Administration to protect the American steel industry through the inclusion of fabricated structural steel in the products covered by the planned tariffs under the process described in Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

Nearly 70 structural steel fabrication and erection facilities are being honored with AISC Safety Awards for their excellent safety performance records in 2017. 

AISC is offering a free webinar, “Effective Bracing of Flexural Members and Systems in Steel Buildings and Bridges,” on Wednesday, March 7, from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET. In this webinar, Todd A. Helwig, PhD, professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, will present his 2017 T.R. Higgins award-winning lecture on the stability of flexural systems in steel buildings and bridges with a particular emphasis on bracing requirements.

AISC is accepting public comments through March 7 on the proposed Program Requirements for Fabricator, Erector and Manufacturer Certifications. 

Jonathan Humble, FAIA, regional director of construction codes and standards for the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), has been named to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

Stephen A. Mahin, a world-renowned expert in earthquake engineering, passed away on February 10, 2018.

Today is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, an annual event dedicated to inspiring girls to explore the field of engineering through workshops, lab tours, online discussions and more at businesses, universities, libraries and other venues across the country.

If you can’t make it to Baltimore for the 2018 NASCC: The Steel Conference (April 11-13), you can register for the next best thing. NASCC Live offers a choice of 26 of the best sessions streamed live from the conference. You can watch the sessions from your home or office, ask the speaker questions and receive PDH credits.

The American Galvanizers Association (AGA) relies on architects, engineers and other specifiers to volunteer their expertise and opinions as judges for this year's Excellence in Hot-Dip Galvanizing Awards. The voting period has been extended to this Friday, February 23, and AGA encourages any interested specifiers to sign up to judge the awards.

Despite labor shortages and rising material costs that continue to impact the construction sector, construction spending for nonresidential buildings is projected to increase 4% this year and continue at that pace of growth through 2019. 

AISC welcomes the Trump administration's proposals to address America's aging infrastructure and anticipate future infrastructure needs.

A new free guide specification by the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration, Specification for Application of Thermal Spray Coating Systems to Steel Bridges (S8.2), is now available. The document provides guidance on shop metallizing steel girders while establishing and defining the functions, operations, requirements and activities needed to achieve a consistent quality.

The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) is kicking off its 2018 webinar series with a new webinar, “New Methods for Ponding Analysis of Open Web Steel Joist Roofs,” on Wednesday, February 21, from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (EDT), followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Engineers Week is coming February 18-24. This annual national event celebrates how engineers make a difference in the world, increases public dialogue about the need for engineers and brings the profession to life for kids, educators and parents. The theme of EWeek 2018 is “Inspiring Wonder.”

The nearly 48,000-mile Interstate Highway System literally moves the U.S. economy. It carries 75% of the nation’s heavy truck traffic. A new report finds there is the equivalent of one “structurally deficient”-rated bridge, on average, for every 27 miles of our major highway network. The 1,800 structurally deficient Interstate bridges are crossed 60 million times daily. When it comes to bridges needing attention, however, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

A new composite assembly is positioned to set the pace for future high-rise buildings and elevate steel to dominance in core construction.

A dozen structural steel projects have earned recognition in the 2018 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel Awards program (IDEAS2). 

Responding to feedback from AISC certified fabricators and erectors about the need for more frequent and effective communication, AISC Certification is now publishing a quarterly newsletter. The publication will bring the latest news from AISC Certification and include a quality-related article that adds value to participants’ investment and commitment to quality, through certification.

In response to increased demand for AISC Design Guides, AISC has renewed its offer of discounted Design Guide Sets. AISC has produced more than 30 design guides to address special topics related to structural steel design and construction. The guides are now available in packages in softcover print format at special discount pricing at www.aisc.org/dg. 

The current draft of the 2018 AISC Specification for Safety-Related Steel Structures for Nuclear Facilities (AISC N690) is available for public review until March 12, 2018. 

Duane Ellifritt, a University of Florida professor best known for creating the first AISC Steel Teaching Sculpture, died on January 22 at the age of 82.

Earlier this week, AISC, NSBA and nine other industry organizations expressed their collective support of President Trump addressing America’s growing infrastructure crisis and his efforts to maximize the economic impact of infrastructure investment through strong Buy America policies.

The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Architecture Billings Index (ABI) concluded the year in positive terrain, with the December reading capping off three straight months of growth in design billings. 

Naomi Parker Fraley, the inspiration for the iconic female World War II factory worker Rosie the Riveter, has died. She was 96.