Any discussion of the construction of the Buffalo Bills’ New Highmark Stadium, one of western New York’s biggest projects in history, is incomplete without discussing the many fabricators involved.

In a May 28 Buffalo News article, reporter Michael Petro explains the role of steel fabricators in bringing the $1.7 billion stadium to life--and, in turn, their role in bolstering the local economy.

According to the article, of the 25,000 tons of structural steel being used to build the stadium, 60% is from in-state fabricators. The prime contractor, Cives Steel in St. Lawrence, N.Y., is responsible for about half of the steel for the stadium, and a dozen other fabricators, including JPW Structural Contracting in Syracuse and A&T Ironworks in New Rochelle, are also contributing to the project.

A draft update to the standard Certification Standard for Shop Application of Complex Protective Coating Systems, a joint standard developed by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), is now available for public review and comment.

The next edition of this standard will supersede the version published in 2010 under the designation AISC 420-10/SSPC-QP 3. This update intends to bring the standard in line with current companion reference standards.

Nearing the end of a successful competition season, qualifying student teams from 49 U.S. colleges and universities will go head-to-head at the 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals on May 31 and June 1 at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La.

This year’s participants, who advanced from 20 regional competitions earlier this spring, were challenged to design and fabricate a functional, aesthetically pleasing bridge to cross over a man-made river in a disc golf course--without using piers. They must then assemble their bridges in a timed setting. This year, the competition rules allow for up to two builders to act as barges within the river if they choose, but at an additional cost.

AISC’s new Sustainability Partner Program is a win for specifiers, fabricators, and--of course!--the environment.

"Few people recognize that structural steel fabricators are the key player for a project's sustainability," said AISC Director of Sustainability and Government Relations Max Puchtel. "Fabrication itself accounts for less than 8% of structural steel's cradle-to-gate carbon footprint, but a fabricator's procurement responsibility means that their upstream influence is far greater."

Just a handful of projects in the country will receive the structural steel industry’s top design honor next year. Will yours be one of them?

The American Institute of Steel Construction’s flagship competition for buildings, the IDEAS² Awards, is now accepting entries!

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 most prestigious design honor for building structures.

In a joint letter to Congress, the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), and Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) outline their firm opposition to the proposed Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act (S4149)--and urge members of Congress to reject the anti-competitive bill.

The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and James Risch (R-Idaho) on April 17, would give favorable treatment to the mass timber industry in the awarding of federal and military construction projects – at the expense of other building material competitors, including steel. The letter from steel industry leaders raised substantive concerns about the potential ramifications of this legislation on fair competition, taxpayer value, and sustainability practices within the construction sector.

A draft of the next edition of the AISC Specification for Safety-Related Steel Structures for Nuclear Facilities (AISC N690) is now available for limited public review and comment.

This edition of N690 will supersede the 2018 version, and it is anticipated to be finalized this year.

The scope of this public review includes revisions to some requirements for steel-plate composite structural elements as well as an updated provision for quality assurance documentation.