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.

Ten innovative projects throughout the U.S. have won 2021 IDEAS² Awards, the steel industry’s top design honor.

This year’s projects range from a massive arena to a jaw-dropping school that appears to defy gravity to a sculpture that draws inspiration from West African “talking drums” to honor the founders of the National Bar Association.

“These projects showcase the versatility of structural steel,” said AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD, “and they all demonstrate a remarkable amount of innovation and creativity. Congratulations to the team behind each project for a job very well done!”

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.

In support of OSHA’s 8th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction event from May 3-7, 2021, the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) is making it easy for employers to participate in this event with an array of new fall prevention resources specifically related to steel erection. 

SEAA’s Safety Stand-Down resources page includes a free downloadable infographic titled Get the Most from Your Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down: 7 Tips from a Steel Erector; articles from SEAA, OSHA, and NIOSH; and other publicly available training materials. 

Hunter Ruthrauff of T.Y. Lin International in San Diego won the 2021 Forge Prize with a 3D-printed steel pedestrian bridge concept! Ruthrauff will give an encore of his award-winning design’s presentation at NASCC: The Virtual Steel Conference on April 12.

The 2020 Forge Prize winners, Rosannah Harding and Matthew Ostrow of HardingOstrow, will join him to present their award-winning weathering steel footbridge concept.