This October, SteelDays drew fabricators, students, and steel enthusiasts nationwide to experience careers in fabrication, compete for welding scholarships, and immerse themselves in the energy of the American structural steel industry. Were you among them?
In case you missed out on something cool, check out the highlights--and watch out for similar events in your area next year!
This annual weeklong event, championed by AISC, brings companies and communities together to celebrate structural steel and the people who work, design, and build with it. With facility tours, hands-on ironworker experiences, and exclusive presentations, SteelDays is a unique glimpse into a world that people outside of the industry seldom see.
It’s not every day you get the chance to try welding and torch cutting, or even see the steel structures that shape modern life before they’re completed! SteelDays events showcase the innovations that make the industry increasingly more sustainable and safe, giving attendees a firsthand look at the technology behind our infrastructure.
This year, SteelDays took its greatest strides yet toward reaching young minds, with a variety of student-focused events designed to introduce high school and college students to the sights and sounds of fabrication shops. From hands-on welding demonstrations to discussions with industry leaders, SteelDays 2024 provided a memorable experience sure to inform students on the next steps they will take in their careers.
Whether student-centered or not, these local events give attendees firsthand insights into steel production processes and the industry's significant economic contributions. SteelDays helps bridge the gap between industry experts and the public, raising awareness of steel's importance in building a resilient and sustainable future.
Welding competitions: Sparking bright futures
SteelDays coincides with several flagship student welding competitions AISC sponsors via the Rex I. Lewis Scholarships. Hundreds of high school students--who will go on to become future industry leaders--competed to win more than $40,000 in scholarships as well as state-of-the-art welding supplies.
Students get schooled--in a great career option
Fabricators and industry organizations put out the welcome mat for local students, giving them insight into the variety of exciting, lucrative careers that await in the structural steel industry. Crystal Steel in Federalsburg, Md. partnered with the American Welding Society to offer real and virtual welding experiences for dozens of high schoolers, and Basden Steel in Burleson, Texas put students to work with a crane rodeo!
Lexicon, Inc. hosted the AWS Careers in Welding Workshop in Little Rock, Ark., giving Arkansas high school and college students the opportunity to try their hand at welding--with scholarships on the line!--while demonstrating the crucial role of welders in the industry. View THV11’s coverage of the event below.
Outside of welding, students learned a variety of other useful steel skills at fabrication shops. (Below left) Representatives from Germantown Iron & Steel in Jackson, Wis. taught Slinger High School students how to use a tape measure and a little math to identify wide flange steel sections. (Below right) Just south of there, Kaneland High School students visited GIW in Aurora, Ill., where they picked up crucial drawing reading skills from none other than Vice President of Fabrication Ted Peshia.
Inside access for new context
From learning how to install bolts to fundraising fun to simply admiring enormous steel sections, professionals and steel fans made a ton of new memories during SteelDays--and learned a bit more about how projects leap off the page and into the real world!
(Above) Following presentations from structural engineer Walter P Moore, SidePlate, and fabricator SteelFab, members of the Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina (SEA of NC) visited the job site of a new steel-framed 12-story bed tower currently under construction on the Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center’s campus in Charlotte, N.C. The project, scheduled to top out in the coming months and open in 2027, is framed with 10,500 tons of structural steel and includes nearly 900 SidePlate joints.
(Above) Participants at BAPKO Metals’ facility tour in Orange, Calif. got a close look at some of the steel that will end up in a nearby building or bridge project.
Alonso & Carus Iron Works, Inc. in Catano, Puerto Rico opened its doors to students, clients, engineers, and architects for a firsthand look at what goes into steel fabrication.
AISC staff even got in on the action! (Below left) Membership and Certification Process Specialist Maureen Boyle learned how to install a TC bolt from an expert at JGM in Coatesville, Pa. (Below right) Senior Director of Bridge Initiatives Jeff Carlson measured his height against a massive girder soon to make the journey from High Steel Structures in Lancaster, Pa. to a jobsite.
Finally, Patriot Erectors in Dripping Springs, Texas entertained guests with the chance to dunk CEO Parley Dixon--a fun event that also helped the company raise funds for a local non-profit.
A day in the life: Iron worker training demos
Several Iron Worker Training Centers across the country welcomed guests and gave them a chance to experience training stations that showed them what it’s like to be an ironworker.
(Above) A participant in Pittsburgh got a hands-on tutorial at the structural rigging station.
(Above left) Riley Drake, an apprenticeship coordinator with Ironworkers Local 482 in Austin, Texas, demonstrated his preferred column climbing technique just above the ground to University of Texas engineering graduate student Matthew Gasienica. (Above right) On her first try, a Stevens Institute of Technology student cut a perfectly shaped heart out of steel at the Iron Workers Training Center in Queens, N.Y.
Professional education
SteelDays is also an opportunity to gather and hear experts present on exciting topics.
(Below left) Derek Manz of Stupp Bridge Company presented the "ABCs and D’s of Structural Steel… Don’ts and Do’s for Better Steel Bridge Design and Fabrication” for the Association for Bridge Construction & Design Northeastern Ohio Chapter. Nearly 40 people learned how efficient design detailing can reduce fabrication costs and project delays and require fewer RFIs in bridge construction.
(Below right) An AISC Education Foundation Campus Connection Grant brought Stan Carroll of Beyond Metal to Juan Jose Castellon's architecture class at Rice University. His "Reviving the Master Builder Mindset" presentation focused on computational methods Carroll has used in steel projects. Following the presentation, he critiqued student work as part of the Experimental Explorations of Space and Structure program at the Rice School of Architecture.
Celebrations!
What is SteelDays without the chance to recognize great feats in the industry?
STS Steel in Schenectady, N.Y. celebrated its 40th anniversary during SteelDays. CEO Glenn Tabolt, the STS Steel team, local dignitaries, students, and other participants gathered for an interactive facility tour, virtual welding simulators, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Finally, the 2024 IDEAS² Award presentations continued with an event honoring the team behind CITYPARK, a St. Louis soccer stadium recognized for Excellence in Architecture. Below, individuals from the entering firm, HOK, accepted their award.
Excited to participate in an event like any of these next year? Don’t let FOMO get you twice--keep an eye out for news about SteelDays 2025 next fall!