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.

Classes begin Monday, February 5, for AISC’s new Night School course “Seismic Design in Steel.” Presented by Rafael Sabelli, SE, principal and director of seismic design at Walter P Moore, the course comprises eight, 90-minute live webinar sessions, which all take place on Monday evenings beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Steel framing for the second residential tower at Philadelphia’s East Market development topped out this past November, marking another big construction milestone in the revitalization of the historic East Market commercial district. 

“It started one day in fourth grade when I was sitting in a parking lot with my father, watching them build a new elementary school,” recounts Lawrence F. Kruth, PE, vice president of engineering and research at AISC, on how his father inspired him to be an engineer. “I asked my father specifically how they knew what size beams went into the building, and he said, ‘That’s what engineers know how to do.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’d like to do that.’” Kruth is featured in the latest episode of AISC’s Steel Profiles podcast series at www.aisc.org/podcasts.

Seventy-five percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2018 as contractors are optimistic that economic conditions will remain strong as tax rates and regulatory burdens fall, according to survey results released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate. Despite the general optimism outlined in Expecting Growth to Continue: The 2018 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, many firms report they remain worried about workforce shortages and infrastructure funding.

The first supplement to the 2016 AISC standard, Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (AISC 358-16), is now available for public review until March 2, 2018. 

If you’re involved with the design or construction of steel buildings or bridges, NASCC: The Steel Conference is the premiere opportunity to immerse yourself in the latest design concepts, construction techniques and cutting-edge research while engaging with thousands of industry professionals. The 2018 conference takes place April 11-13 in Baltimore and offers more than 130 sessions covering a wide array of topics, and more than 200 exhibitors showcasing products ranging from fabrication equipment to structural design software. Registration for the conference is now open at www.aisc.org/nascc. 

Registration is open for the third annual Leadership Lab for Women in Manufacturing. The program, a joint initiative by Women in Manufacturing (WiM) and Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) Weatherhead School of Management, was created in 2014 to provide a first-of-its-kind executive education program designed specifically for women in manufacturing.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) new publication, Significant Changes to the Minimum Design Load Provisions of ASCE 7-16, describes more than 100 changes from ASCE 7-10, accompanied by an explanation of the rationale behind each change and a detailed analysis of its implications. The four subject matter expert authors summarize and explain the major differences between the two versions, highlighting the most noteworthy developments for readers.

AISC is hosting a 90-minute webinar, “Unmasking the Ductility Factor, Shear Rupture, and Element Capacity in Welded Connections,” on Wednesday, January 24, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

A new steel/concrete composite core wall system has been called “revolutionary” in the design and construction of tall buildings and is now being put into practice in constructing the new 850-ft-tall Rainier Square Tower in Seattle. 

A new art building’s angular, exposed framing supports, teaches, inspires and memorializes on a small Midwestern campus.

Acrow Bridge (an AISC/NSBA member and certified fabricator) announced it has provided the Indiana DOT (INDOT) a temporary steel detour bridge that is being used on U.S. Route 41 over the Cheatam Slough in Evansville, Ind. The structure will be in place for two years as part of the larger, $25 million Fix For 41 construction collaboration between INDOT and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that will rehabilitate seven bridges on the highway from near the Interstate 69 interchange in Evansville south to the Kentucky border.

Software development company Bentley Sytems, Inc. (an AISC member) has announced the release of its newest title, Plain Language BIM, authored by Iain Miskimmin, one of Bentley Institute’s BIM Advancement Academy experts. The company publishes textbooks and professional reference materials for building information modeling (BIM) under the name Bentley Institute Press.

The first quarter 2018 issue of AISC’s Engineering Journal is now available at www.aisc.org/ej. You can view, download and print the current digital edition.