Ronald “Ronnie” Glenn Sherrill, 72, an AISC Board of Directors member from 2005 to 2018, died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on October 3, 2021.

The AISC Steel Sculpture was once a one-of-a-kind teaching tool for engineering students. Now, after 35 years of service and scenery, the AISC Steel Sculpture has siblings all over North and South America. Delve into its inception and heritage.

A recent dive into the AISC archives uncovered a treasure trove: Kodachrome slides (remember those?) from the construction of the Gateway Arch. Dim the lights and join us for a nostalgic glimpse back at the making of an American icon.

Structural steel is already the gold standard for rapid erection. But what if we could make it even faster?

AISC is offering $5,000 for up to three great ideas to revolutionize steel floor beam connections. Your back-of-the-napkin, so-crazy-it-just-might-work concept could become the next revolutionary, non-proprietary connection system!

Running from October 26 to 28, this virtual event takes the compelling, must-have info you expect from AISC’s conferences and packages it into an efficient set of 20, half-hour-long flash sessions that fit perfectly into your busy life.

The 2022 edition, which AISC expects to release next summer, will include a new chapter that compiles fabrication and erection tolerances, revised criteria for AESS members, and new requirements for contract documents that cannot be omitted as specific instructions to the contrary. It also has expanded guidance on erector means and methods and access holes, preferred material specification, and updated tolerance figures.

AISC has awarded William N. Collins, PE, PhD, associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Engineering, the 2021 Milek Fellowship. His research project--the first bridge-focused project funded with a Milek Fellowship--will explore innovative steel deck systems for highway bridge applications, which could reduce bridges' weight and ensure faster erection times.

George Wendt, former president of AISC member bender-roller Chicago Metal Rolled Products and member of AISC’s Bender-Roller Committee, passed away on September 11. He was 73.

Laurence “Larry” LeJeune, former AISC Board Member and owner of LeJeune Steel Company, died on August 12 at the age of 85.

In 1967, he and his brother, Tom, purchased LeJeune Steel from their father and developed it into the preeminent steel fabricator in the Twin Cities. The company has been a longtime major contributor to AISC, assisting with research projects and devoting substantial staff time to raise the profile of fabricated structural steel, and Larry served as an AISC Board Member from 1981 to 1989.

As the nation solemnly marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we'd like to take a moment to thank a very special group of people who answered the call and offered their expertise in a time of great need: structural engineers. As first responders combed through the debris at ground zero, engineers kept them safe by ensuring that the partially collapsed structure was sound as excavations progressed in precarious conditions.

"We couldn't be more honored to have Evelyn, Miles, and Alex on the Forge Prize jury this year," said Houston-based AISC Structural Steel Specialist Alex Morales, Associate AIA, EDAC, LEED Green Assoc. "They are true industry thought leaders, and I look forward to hearing their analyses of this year's visionary Forge Prize entries!"

Do you know someone whose dedication and contributions to the industry deserve special recognition? Tell us all about it!

The American Institute of Steel Construction is soliciting nominations for its 2022 awards that honor individuals.

Each year, AISC presents Lifetime and Special Achievement Awards to exceptional industry professionals, designers, and educators. The 2022 winners will receive special recognition before the whole industry at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Denver, March 23-25, 2022.

“This investment in America’s roads and bridges is long overdue, and America’s fabricated structural steel industry is standing by to answer the call,” said AISC Director of Government Relations and Sustainability Max Puchtel. “The U.S. structural steel industry directly supports around 200,000 jobs in almost every Congressional district. AISC calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to move this bill forward quickly so these dedicated American men and women can get to work building a strong, safe, smart future for our country.”

The key words are FAST and EASY--to design, fabricate, and erect safely. The ideal solution will be fast and easy to install, will reduce or eliminate welds and/or bolts (or use them in a different way), will use technology that is not typically found in construction (think: 3D printing, adhesives, etc.), and will be equal to in cost or less expensive than current designs and methods.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today announced a renewed partnership for the Student Steel Bridge Competition, starting with the 2021-2022 school year. The two organizations plan to run regional competitions at ASCE Student Symposia throughout North America with a national finals to be held in May.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) has chosen Pete Gum as its new executive director.

Gum, who has led not-for-profit construction trade associations for 29 years, was most recently president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Pennsylvania. In this position and previous roles, Gum has demonstrated an aptitude for helping associations increase their memberships.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) recently announced the winners of two of its annual awards programs: Safety Excellence and Craft Training Awards. 

200 Park, a 19-story office building that will be the tallest office tower in San Jose, Calif., when it is completed, has begun erection. It is the first building in California to be built using the SpeedCore system and only the second SpeedCore project in the United States. The first is Rainier Square Tower in Seattle, and both were designed by structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, which developed the system.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) recently announced the winners of its annual Project of the Year Awards. 

Seven steel erection companies won Project of the Year awards this year, with one winner being selected in each of four categories based on the dollar amount of the erection contract and three winning Honorable Mentions.

On June 24, just in time for Fourth of July festivities, Cleveland Metroparks opened the Wendy Park Bridge, a 500-ft-long pedestrian bridge that provides a new link between downtown Cleveland and waterfront parks alongside Lake Erie.

On May 11, 2021, a partial fracture of the steel tie-girder box section was discovered during a routine visual inspection of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which carries I-40 over the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn. Upon discovery of the fracture by inspectors from Michael Baker International, Arkansas and Tennessee Department of Transportation (ADOT and TDOT) officials closed the bridge to vehicular traffic, and river vessel traffic below the bridge was restricted by the U.S. Coast Guard. The bridge, which opened in 1973, carries approximately 60,000 vehicles a day.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has elected Maria Lehman, PE president for the 2022-2023 term. 

As president, Lehman will act as the chief representative and spokesperson for ASCE, along with the Society’s executive director. She will also chair the Board of Direction and Executive Committee in addition to promoting ASCE’s principles, policies, and goals to members and potential members.

Seeking to address common technical questions related to the design and installation of short span steel bridges, the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) has released a series of 12 short videos that are available to view free of charge.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) has announced the lineup for its 48th Convention and Trade Show, which will feature education sessions, a trade show with live exhibitor demonstrations, a golf tournament, and more. The convention will take place Oct. 12-14 in Orlando, Fla.

John D. Hooper, SE, PE, Senior Principal and Director of Earthquake Engineering at Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), has been elected to the National Academy of Construction (NAC), whose mission is to “recognize and honor individuals for their distinguished contributions to the industry and to share this reservoir of expertise as a service to the nation.” This honor recognizes Hooper’s contributions to advancing building design in seismically active areas.

“The Forge Prize is a unique opportunity to experiment with a conceptual design without limits in scope or complexity--the sky really is the limit here,” said Houston-based AISC Structural Steel Specialist Alex Morales, Associate AIA, EDAC, LEED Green Assoc. “It provides a structure and a sandbox for emerging architects to play with what’s possible in steel.”

More than a thousand student engineers at 102 colleges and universities around the country pulled off a remarkable feat this year: They safely participated in the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Student Steel Bridge Competition, either competing from their own campuses with a fabricated and constructed physical bridge, entering a design-only Supplemental competition, or both.

Gordon Finch, known as president of AISC-certified fabricator Builders Steel and for connecting Kansas City-area steel fabricators, died May 3 at the age of 94. 

Finch’s contributions to the Kansas City Regional Steel Fabricators Association and to the wider steel industry led the AISC Board of Directors to present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Nucor Corporation President and CEO Leon Topalian is taking on a prestigious new role -- chair of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). On May 25, the AISI Board of Directors elected Topalian to serve for a two-year term, replacing outgoing chair John Brett, CEO of ArcelorMittal North America.

Throughout June, bridge owners, designers, faculty, and students will have the opportunity to participate in a free six-part webinar series on the design and construction of steel bridges. This series, hosted by NSBA, the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA), and the University of Wyoming, will bring a panel of 15 industry experts together to discuss topics such as streamlined design using NSBA's new Guide to Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design, the Pricing Study of Recently Constructed Bridges, and more.

A draft of the 2022 edition of the AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges (AISC 303) is now available for second public review and comment. This is the second public review of this version of the Code, which will be released during the summer of 2022.

“America has a proud history of steel bridges connecting communities for decades or even centuries, and new landmarks open around the country all the time,” said NSBA Director of Market Development Brandon Chavel, PE, PhD. “NSBA is committed to showcasing the best bridge engineering and construction our industry has to offer, and I’m excited to see which bridges win this year’s Prize Bridge Awards!”

AISC’s Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Awards recognize outstanding projects that illustrate the exciting possibilities of structural steel. They are the industry’s top design honor. This year, we’ll harness the power of YouTube to draw attention to outstanding steel projects across the country!

Seven of the leading groups representing the domestic steel industry and labor today urged President Joe Biden to ensure steel tariffs, put in place in 2018 to protect national security, are preserved.

 "Eliminating the steel tariffs now would undermine the viability of [the American steel] industry. Opponents of the steel tariffs argue that they should be eliminated to increase supply, given the current environment of rising prices and long lead times," the groups wrote to President Biden.

Novel Iron Works, an AISC member and AISC-certified fabricator and erector, hosted New Hampshire’s first-ever regional welding competition on Friday, May 7. This competition is the second to tie into the AISC Education Foundation’s Rex I. Lewis Scholarship Program besides the first that Puma Steel co-owner Lewis himself started five years ago in Wyoming.

Robert “Bob” Wallace Pyle, Jr., a longtime AISC regional engineer, passed away April 30. He was 65.

Born in California in 1955, Pyle spent several decades in the construction industry and was a strong advocate for structural steel. In recent years, he had retired in Utah to spend time with his sons and grandson.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) surveyed its members in January to find out which business challenges they face, and a large majority indicated that their biggest challenge is hiring issues. Of the 40% of respondents who cited hiring as the biggest challenge, 37% of them believe hiring will continue to present a problem over the next three years.

Helmut Jahn, a German-American architect known for his use of structural steel in designing several of Chicago’s modernist landmarks as well as iconic buildings around the world, died Saturday at the age of 81.

“The sad news of his death has included many reminders of his prolific influence on architecture and society. So many of his ideas were built by our industry and we mourn his loss as we celebrate his legacy," AISC president Charlie Carter said.

The new structural steel Wellsburg Bridge connecting Brooke County, W.V.’s Route 2 and Brilliant, Ohio’s Route 7 over the Ohio River was lifted into place last month after being  transported to the site via barge--and the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) live-streamed the entire trip.

A free one-hour webinar will explore sustainable steel options for replacing America’s aging bridge infrastructure, which President Biden has identified as a top national priority. 

The webinar, “Building a Sustainable Infrastructure with Short Span Steel Bridges,” will be presented by three industry experts and held on Tuesday, May 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST. It will be hosted by the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), and American Galvanizers Association (AGA).

"AISC enjoys and appreciates the involvement of NCSEA representatives and members in the work of our committees as well. It’s this spirit of volunteering that makes it possible for all of our organizations to contribute to improving the built environment," said AISC president Charlie Carter.

Ingenuity is on full display at American universities across the country, as student engineers from 32 schools have qualified to move on to the National Finals in a Student Steel Bridge Competition that’s been like no other.

This year, the American Institute of Steel Construction’s signature university competition offered two ways for schools to participate safely: either through a remote program in which teams designed, fabricated, constructed, and tested their bridges from campus, or in a design-only supplemental competition.

The T.R. Higgins Lecture on the final day of NASCC: The Virtual Steel Conference showcased more than 12 years of research into SpeedCore, a groundbreaking system consisting of composite plate shear walls and coupling beams, and its advantages in commercial, industrial, and nuclear construction. 

Presenting the lecture, “SpeedCore and Steel-Concrete Composite Construction--The Best of Both Worlds,” was Amit H. Varma, Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Bowen Laboratory of Large-Scale CE Research at Purdue University's Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

Congratulations! Your company got the project--so what happens next? Mark Holland, PE, of AISC member fabricator Paxton and Vierling Steel Co. walked participants through all the basic concepts necessary to plan and schedule the steel fabrication and erection process from project award to final billing in “Fundamentals of Projects Scheduling for Steel Fabrication.”

How would you approach designing, engineering, and erecting a stadium roof canopy that weighs approximately 30,000 tons and covers more than 1.2 million sq. ft? The team behind the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., did it--and in under a year! 

Those same engineers and erectors from Hassett Engineering, Degenkolb Engineers, and Schuff Steel presented the design complexities and innovative engineering solutions that brought this landmark structure to life at NASCC: The Virtual Steel Conference.

Dave Eckmann, SE, PE, FAIA, of Magnusson Klemencic Associates presented the ins and outs of AISC’s Designing with Structural Steel: A Guide for Architects this morning. In his session, Eckmann discussed tips and resources from the latest edition of the guide, including preliminary sizing of beams and columns, isolating sound, specifying architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS), detailing enclosure systems, and much more.

A new fundraising drive by the American Institute of Steel Construction's Education Foundation is designed to provide new opportunities for both students and faculty.

"'Funding the Future' is a new program to help future designers gain more experience with structural steel," explained Christina Harber, SE, PE, AISC's Director of Education.

In his keynote presentation this morning, James M. Fisher, PE, PhD, of CSD Structural Engineers shared his advice for creating successful designs stemming from more than 50 years in the industry. Rather than discuss calculations and analysis methods, Fisher focused on how to use good judgment and consider the needs of structural team members, including engineers, steel detailers, steel fabricators, erectors, and material suppliers, in the design process.