A concept that would use structural steel to reinvent the gas station experience for the EV age has won AISC’s 2023 Forge Prize.

LVL (Level) Studio collaborators Jeffrey Lee, Christopher Taurasi, and Lexi White won the $10,000 grand prize in a YouTube live stream Thursday afternoon. They worked with Schuff Steel Senior Vice President Christian Crosby to refine their Electric Oasis vision and make the process of bringing it to life in steel more efficient.

The project team will give an encore presentation at Architecture in Steel at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Charlotte, N.C. at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12.

The AISC Education Foundation is pleased to announce that Cristopher Montalvo will receive the first-ever Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional Award.

Montalvo is a structural engineer for Dekker Perich Sabatini (DPS)--and he's already well on his way to forging connections to industry and education for his local community in New Mexico!

"Cristopher is just the type of remarkable leader the AISC Education Foundation aims to support through its programs," said AISC Director of Foundation Programs Maria Mnookin. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to connect Cristopher to our activities, resources, and networks for future career development and mentorship opportunities."

The new bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) is expected to increase infrastructure investment by nearly 40% – and this year’s NASCC: The Steel Conference keynoter will tell us what the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) priorities are and how this public/private partnership will deliver a once-in-a-lifetime generational investment to meet our infrastructure needs today and in the future.

FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt will also provide valuable insights into the FHWA’s ongoing research and technology programs.

“This is a great opportunity to hear first-hand about the impact the IIJA will have on the steel design and construction industry,” said Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD, president of AISC. “Shailen Bhatt is a dynamic speaker with a lot of keen insight, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say.”

A new report by the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) highlights strategies for increasing participation and expediting the success of women in the trades to improve project outcomes.

To tell a fuller story beyond the existing research on women in the construction industry, typically centered around numbers and statistics, the NCCER interviewed 176 tradeswomen and analyzed 770 responses to a survey directed to women in the industry. By asking women about their experiences working in construction, the NCCER focused on the unique benefits women bring to the construction industry, the obstacles they encounter entering and staying in the industry, and their advice on what contractors can do to recruit and retain more women in the craft workforce.

The Steel Bridge Task Force, comprised of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T-14 Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design, announced it has selected Ryan J. Sherman, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as the recipient of the 2023 Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture. Sherman will present a lecture on his research findings at the next meeting of the Steel Bridge Task Force on September 21, 2023 in Denver.

AISC is pleased to honor more than 130 structural steel fabricators and erectors for their outstanding safety records in 2022.

"The dedicated people who work in fabrication shops and on jobsites across the country are what really sets domestically fabricated structural steel apart,” said AISC Senior Director of Engineering Tom Schlafly. “AISC is proud to recognize those who truly put safety first to protect our industry's greatest asset: talented, passionate workers."

Most of this year’s winners have earned the Institute’s top safety award, the Safety Award of Honor, which is presented for a perfect record of no disabling injuries (DART=0--see below for more info about DART data).

Philip Torchio, former president of Williams Enterprises of Georgia and a prominent contributor to AISC’s Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303), passed on January 21 at his home in Jasper, Ga. He was 73.

AISC has added a new design guide to its library, and it’s all about speed!

Design Guide 38, SpeedCore Systems for Steel Structures gives designers everything they need to take advantage of the nonproprietary concrete-filled composite steel plate shear wall core system that shaved a whopping 10 months off the erection schedule of Seattle’s 58-story Rainier Square. It’s available for download at aisc.org/dg; a printed version will be available in March.

Stanley T. Rolfe, PE, PhD, one of the nation’s leading experts on fracture and fatigue, died January 23, 2023, at age 88.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Rolfe began his career at U.S. Steel but is best known for the more than four decades he spent as a professor at the University of Kansas. A longtime member of ASTM International and recipient of the 2003 Charles B. Dudley Medal, he served for over 50 years on Committee E08 on Fatigue and Fracture and also contributed to the AASHTO Technical Committee on Steel Design (T-14).

One of three emerging architects’ visions of the future will win $10,000 on March 30--but which will it be?

Tune in live at youtube.com/@aisc at 11:30 a.m. Central on March 30 to watch the 2023 Forge Prize finalists present their ideas to the judges!

The American Institute of Steel Construction’s annual Forge Prize competition celebrates emerging architects who create visionary designs that embrace steel as the primary structural component while exploring ways to increase project speed.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) proudly support President Joe Biden’s new standards that "All construction materials used in federal projects to be made in America."

The American steel industry produces more than 6 million tons of structural steel in factories around the country and our nearly 1,000 structural steel member fabricators stand ready and able to support this mission for all steel bridge, federal building, and steel-intensive critical infrastructure projects.

The latest version of the American Institute of Steel Construction’s flagship standard, the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360-22), is now available at aisc.org/2022spec.

This document supersedes ANSI/AISC 360-16, and it is the foundation for the forthcoming 16th edition of the Steel Construction Manual, which AISC expects to publish later this year.

Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) has named David E. Eckmann, SE, PE, FAIA its new president. In addition his role as president, Eckmann also serves as the managing principal of MKA’s Chicago office and as a member of MKA’s board of directors.

Eckmann’s qualifications as a licensed architect and structural engineer have positioned his career to bridge the gap between design and function, creating“first-ever” projects that combine architecture and structure.

Since joining MKA in 2005, Eckmann has served a leadership role in more than 100 of the firm’s projects, including Chicago landmarks Aqua Tower, River Point Tower, the Wabash Building at Roosevelt University, The University of Chicago’s Gerald Ratner Athletics Center, and O’Hare International Terminal 5. Eckmann also led structural design for the American headquarters of CoStar and Dominion Energy in Richmond, Virginia; the Mutual of Omaha and Applied Underwriters headquarters in Omaha, Neb.; Northwestern Mutual Life in Milwaukee; and other notable projects.

The jury has spoken, and 10 projects across the country have won 2023 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Awards!

These awards, presented annually by AISC, are the industry’s most prestigious design honor, recognizing projects that illustrate the exciting possibilities of building with structural steel and highlight the many ways steel can help express architectural intent while harnessing its unique advantages for both simple and complex structural systems.

This year’s winners are an intriguing mix of adaptive reuse and brand-new structures.

NASCC: The Steel Conference is heading to Charlotte, N.C., April 12 to 14--and registration is now open.

Register today to get the best price on the industry’s top education event, featuring 200 sessions full of must-have practical information that you can implement as soon as you get home, an exhibit hall packed with more than 250 innovations you need to know about right now, and a chance to network with thousands of the world's best designers, fabricators, erectors, and other steel fans.

Who will win the 2023 Forge Prize and $10,000? Will it be a groundbreaking idea to convert gas stations to electric charging stations, a self-sustaining micro city concept, or a transit center designed for a future that includes rideshare by electric airplane? Find out during a live streaming event in March.

“The Forge Prize is particularly exciting because it gives the next generation of great design innovators a chance to dream big and imagine how steel can bring about a bright future,” said Alex Morales, AISC’s senior structural specialist leading the competition. “Based on these three finalists, it’s clear that the future of visionary design is in good hands. I can’t wait to see what their initial concepts turn into after they work with a steel fabricator to refine them!”

AISC has named Fernao A.O. Cesar, Director of Marketing–Gerdau Long Steel North America, to its Board of Directors. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the steel industry, both in Brazil and the U.S.

"Interacting with the fabrication community as a supplier over the last years has been an amazing experience," said Cesar. "Now, I am looking forward to contributing to the advancement of steel construction in a new capacity as a member of the AISC Board."

2023 marks a new year and a new chapter for two outstanding leaders at AISC: retirement!

Vice President of Engineering and Research Lawrence F. Kruth, PE, has spent more than four decades in the structural engineering world. He spent almost 40 of those years at Douglas Steel Fabricating Corporation in Lansing, Mich., where he served as a vice president and member of the Board of Directors. He retired from Douglas Steel in 2015 and joined AISC as the vice president for engineering and research the following November. He’s held that position since then and is succeeded by Christopher Raebel, SE, PE, PhD.

Senior Director of Engineering Cynthia Duncan also retired at the end of the year. She joined the Institute in 1985--as AISC'S first engineer of her gender--and has been integral to the development of all AISC standards, specifications, and manuals since then. Cindi left AISC for a few years in the mid-1990s to raise her family, before returning to lead AISC’s specifications and publications work.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) will hold its annual Convention and Trade Show March 28-31, 2023 in St. Augustine, Fla., at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort. Former Notre Dame football player, Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, will give the Keynote Presentation.

"We are thrilled to have Ruettiger share his personal experiences with our attendees," said R. Pete Gum, SEAA's Executive Director. "More than just an exceptional athlete and motivational speaker, Ruettiger is also an entrepreneur with insights that members can apply to their own businesses," said Gum.

A draft of the next edition of the AISC Standard for Certification Programs (AISC 207) is now available for public review and comment. When completed, this document will supersede AISC 207-20. AISC expects to finalize and release it by early 2024.

A 1952 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe design, finally brought to life. A winding canopy trail that gives humans a lemur’s-eye view. A 116-year-old unreinforced brick factory, upgraded for a second century of service--in a seismic zone, no less. A new place for travelers at one of the world’s busiest airports to begin their journeys and come home again.

What do they have in common? They’re all built with American steel, and they’re all finalists for the steel industry’s top design honor, AISC’s Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Awards.

The IDEAS² Awards recognize projects that illustrate the exciting possibilities of building with structural steel, highlighting the many ways steel can help express architectural intent while harnessing its unique advantages for both simple and complex structural systems.

AISC will present some of its most prestigious awards to 11 remarkable people at the 2023 NASCC: The Steel Conference. AISC’s Lifetime Achievement Awards recognize living individuals who have made a difference in the success of AISC and the structural steel industry.

“This is a time of extraordinary innovation in design and construction with structural steel,” said AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD. “It’s always a pleasure to recognize the exceptional people who have driven our industry to where it stands today--and who continue to ensure a bright future.”

AISC will present its highest industry honor, the Robert P. Stupp Award for Leadership Excellence, to David Zalesne, president of Owen Steel Company and a former chair of the AISC Board of Directors.

"David is a visionary who sees opportunities and solutions the rest of us can't. Even better, he's wonderfully able to share his vision and engage the rest of us," said AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD. "David commits and always builds great outcomes."

Zalesne is only the 10th Stupp Award winner since the program's inception in 1998. The award is named for the late Robert P. Stupp, president of Stupp Bros. Bridge and Iron Co. in St. Louis, who won the inaugural prize.

AISC is proud to present University of Texas at Austin Professor Michael D. Engelhardt, PhD, PE, with the Geerhard Haaijer Award for Excellence in Education to recognize his profound impact on the structural steel design and construction industries.

Engelhardt boasts a formidable portfolio of groundbreaking research.

"It seems that no matter what topic he touches, he makes a significant impact and dramatically advances the state of the art (or the state of the 'Engelhardt' - pun intended)," said AISC Director of Research Devin Huber, PE, PhD. "He has made a lasting impact on the industry and been a mentor to many engineers."

On December 5, North American industrial steel pipe and tube manufacturer Zekelman Industries completed its acquisition of EXLTUBE from SPS Companies, Inc. Zekelman and SPS finalized the acquisition less than a month after announcing their agreement in November.

Headquartered in North Kansas City, Mo., EXLTUBE manufactures hollow structural sections (HSS), mechanical tubing, standard pipe, and specialty products. With three Kansas City-area mills and more than 530,000 sq. ft of manufacturing and warehouse space, EXLTUBE complements and strengthens the products and manufacturing capabilities offered by the Zekelman family of companies.

Since the 1960s, Departments of Transportation around the country have taken advantage of a remarkably sustainable, efficient, economical building material: uncoated weathering steel, or UWS.

The new Uncoated Weathering Steel Reference Guide, developed by Modjeski and Masters, offers bridge designers and owners everything they need to take full advantage of this efficient and low-maintenance corrosion protection system, from design to detailing to fabrication to construction to inspection and beyond.

"This guide will provide much-needed support for owners and designers alike on the use of weathering steel, in particular on the suitability of the use of weathering steel at a specific bridge site," said Thomas Murphy, PE, SE, PhD, senior vice president and director of the national bridge group, CTO, and Board Chair at Modjeski and Masters.

For the past three decades, many young professionals were fortunate to share a truly remarkable experience: When they attended their first AISC committee meetings, a prominent researcher would take them under their wing, introducing them to key contacts, and setting them up with valuable connections that would serve them well for the rest of their careers.

Who was that good Samaritan? Reidar Bjorhovde.

The AISC Education Foundation is proud to honor his inspiring legacy by establishing the Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional Award. It’s designed to do precisely what he used to do at those meetings, but on a larger scale.

AISC has released the latest revision of one of its flagship standards, the Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303-22).

The document is now available as a free download at aisc.org/2022code.

“The 2022 AISC Code of Standard Practice is the result of a tremendous effort by the committee over the last six years,” said Babette Freund, chair of the AISC Committee on the Code of Standard Practice. “Of special note is the work of a joint task group that harmonized terminology and coordinated requirements between the 2022 AISC Code and the 2022 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, a major development in this latest edition.”

Six international steel manufacturers, including AISC member fabricators Nucor Corporation and Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), have formed a new coalition to establish and promote a global steel standard that leads toward a cleaner future. The coalition, named the Global Steel Climate Council (GSCC), is a nonprofit association dedicated to sharing best practices, establishing standards, and advocating for carbon emissions reductions by members of the steel industry.

The specific purposes of the GSCC include supporting technology-agnostic reduction methods that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the global steel industry; creating a system boundary that includes Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions; and adopting a science-based glidepath to achieve a 1.5 degree Celsius scenario by 2050.

“Hugh’s work was instrumental in CISC’s success,” said Scott Melnick, senior vice president at AISC. “Hugh was well known for his honesty and candor, as well as his dedication to Canada and commitment to the standards development process. Under his leadership, AISC and CISC worked on many projects together, including the North American Steel Construction Conference (now known as NASCC: The Steel Conference).”

Hot-rolled structural steel is the greenest structural material on the market, thanks to its unsurpassed recycled content and ability to be recycled into new steel, over and over again, with no loss of properties.

It's an obvious choice for the Buy Clean movement, which advocates for environmental properties that encourage the use of products and materials with a smaller carbon footprint.

But the industry is complex. That's why the American Institute of Steel Construction has released a series of guidelines to help legislators leverage everything structural steel has to offer for sustainable design and construction.

In a ceremony held on October 28 at the University of Minnesota, AISC dedicated the 2022 edition of its Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360) to longtime volunteer and structural behavior research pioneer Theodore (Ted) V. Galambos. This dedication honors Galambos’ service on the AISC Committee on Specifications and several of its Task Committees since 1956. His pivotal research and publications on the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) method transformed the AISC Specification, which was most recently updated in 2016.

PartILLATION: Visions in Steel, a traveling art exhibition celebrating steel in the built environment, debuted Wednesday, October 12, at the Architecture Center Houston (ArCH). The exhibition curates photography and other work of visual artists from across the country to introduce visitors to steelworkers and their trade through portraiture, interviews, sound, and video.

Its name, PartILLATION, is a created word that borrows from the idea of it being a mix of art and installation. Owing to the latter, the centerpiece of PartILLATION is a tunnel that uses video-projected images and soundscapes to immerse visitors in a steel fabrication facility and to learn from the expertise of architects through a series of interview vignettes explaining the strong ties between design and steel.

AISC is proud to present the 2023 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award to Jennifer McConnell, PhD, of the University of Delaware.

McConnell has conducted groundbreaking research into the performance of uncoated weathering steel (UWS) in bridges. Her work incorporates long-term field data on the performance of steel structures and corrosion protection methods in various environments and includes an analysis of practical design strategies that improve corrosion resistance.

SteelDay 2022 is in the books--and it was one for the books, too!

AISC members, the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust, and others affiliated with the industry celebrated steel last week with events from Puerto Rico to Portland.

"Ray was a purposeful volunteer and leader in the technical activities of AISC, RCSC, and other organizations," said Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD. "He always had things he wanted to accomplish and rarely did he fail. More personally, I remember how encouraging he was early in my career that I should pursue and achieve licensure as a PE and SE."

AISC’s ad hoc task group on Transbay has wrapped up its work and made its recommendations to the AISC Committee on Specifications. The group was formed after cracks were discovered in steel members in the newly opened Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco.

It’s expected the report will lead to a number of changes in future steel specifications. “The task group presented a holistic set of proposals dealing with fracture toughness, sharp discontinuities, stress levels, and inspection practices, while also considering practical commercial issues,” said AISC Vice President of Special Projects Lawrence F. Kruth, PE.

More than any other material, steel inspires big design ideas--so big that sometimes they exceed the scope of the Specification for Structural Steel Buildings.

Smart firms call on the research community when that happens. 

"Designers, fabricators, and researchers are all at the forefront of steel innovation," says Christopher Raebel, AISC's new vice president of engineering and research. "Great things can happen when they work together to solve problems and confirm that creative design solutions actually work--and, as a bonus, these projects can build connections between exceptional students and firms looking for a new generation of talented thinkers."

SteelDay, the annual celebration of the domestic fabricated structural steel industry, is fast approaching! SteelDay is October 21, but this year we just couldn't contain the festivities to one day. You'll find events throughout the week across the country.

"This year's SteelDay will be one for the books--that’s why our tagline is 'Can’t stop. Won’t stop'!" said American Institute of Steel Construction Vice President Carly Hurd. "It's our honor to represent this industry every day of the year, but SteelDay is a special day to recognize everyone who designs and builds with structural steel. We're thrilled to continue the program in 2022."

Merchants Bridge in St. Louis reopened to rail traffic last week, marking the completion of a decade-long, $222 million reconstruction of the vital rail artery connecting Missouri and Illinois.

As one of the most heavily traveled crossings over the Mississippi River, Merchants Bridge links the eastern and western rail networks in the United States, providing an alternative to more congested rail hubs like Chicago. The 133-year-old bridge required reconstruction due to speed, clearance, and load restrictions.

The American Institute of Steel Construction is pleased to announce that Sean Joyner will serve on the 2023 Forge Prize jury with Rona G. Rothenberg and Melanie Harris.

Joyner is a writer and essayist based in Los Angeles. He is currently the Southwest regional communications strategist at Gensler and previously served as an adjunct professor and director of communications at Woodbury University, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree.

Federal agencies will prioritize the purchase of key low-carbon construction materials, the White House announced Thursday, the latest action in its Federal Buy Clean initiative.

America's structural steel industry stands ready to support that mission, and it has already exceeded the Kyoto Protocol's emission reduction requirements by a factor of seven.

The American Institute of Steel Construction is pleased to announce that Melanie Harris, AIA, LSSYB, NCARB, will join Rona G. Rothenberg on the 2023 Forge Prize Jury.

An expert in healthcare architecture, Harris is currently the national healing practice director at BSA LifeStructures.

Alan "Ted" Sheppard has died at the age of 89.

"Ted was integral to connecting AISC with the erector community," said AISC Senior Vice President Scott Melnick. "He had friends everywhere and could always be counted on to make a needed introduction, offer practical advice, or join a group in a good glass of wine."

Registration is now open for AISC's Flash Steel Conference, which is designed to give busy professionals the technical and business information they need--fast.

The Flash Steel Conference, October 18 to 20, is a virtual event that features 20 insightful half-hour sessions whose impact far exceeds the time commitment. Participants can earn up to 10 PDHs.

The American Institute of Steel Construction is pleased to announce that Rona G. Rothenberg, FAIA, DBIA, will serve on the 2023 Forge Prize Jury.

She is currently serving as the president of AIA California and brings decades of expertise from more than 200 government, industry, health care, and higher education projects. In 2020, she received AIA's Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Steel Bridge Task Force named metallurgical engineer Dean Krouse, a longtime member on AISC, AISI, and ASTM technical committees, as the first recipient of the new Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award.

The award, which AISI will present annually, recognizes individuals who have made significant industry contributions to advance steel as the material of choice for bridges.

Fourteen student projects have won the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Steel Design Student Competition.

This year's competition offered an open category as well as a prompt that asked students to consider novel approaches to monuments and democratic public space in the 21st century.

The American Institute of Steel Construction’s Education Foundation is pleased to present Undergraduate Research Fellowships to two exceptionally promising students.

Aneesh Kakirde of Rutgers University and Haixin Zhou of Washington University in St. Louis will each receive $2,500 to conduct research projects during the fall 2022 academic term.

"These fellowships prepare today's promising students to become tomorrow's thought leaders," said AISC Director of Research Devin Huber, PE, PhD. "Domestic structural steel is already the most sustainable, resilient, cost-effective, fast, reliable, and adaptable material on the market, and great ideas from promising young researchers like Aneesh and Haixin will continue to keep steel on the cutting-edge."

AISC is proud to welcome Christopher H. Raebel, SE, PE, PhD, as its new vice president of engineering and research. He succeeds Larry Kruth, PE, who is retiring later this year.

Raebel will oversee all AISC technical activities, including the development of AISC's standards and technical publications, research programs, and technical assistance through the AISC Steel Solutions Center.