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Executive Summary

AISC and NSBA believe there is potential to better utilize materials such as adhesives (epoxies, glues, etc.) and chemical fillers within steel structures to give engineers and owners more tools to improve economics and potentially enhance the reliability and robustness of a given structure or structural system. Further, we believe that these enhancements could be realized in both building and bridge structures assuming we are deliberate and informed when trying to utilize available products or specifying new ones.

This workshop was specifically setup to try and identify and quantify specific uses of adhesives and fillers for us in the structural steel industry. The impetus for the workshop stemmed from specifically from a Research Needs Statement (RNS) developed at a previous research innovations workshop that proposed the use of structural adhesives in steel bridge applications. AISC feels there is potential in both steel bridge and building applications. As such, some of the primary objectives of this workshop include:

1. Highlight potential uses of adhesives, fillers and other related materials as it pertain to bridges and buildings utilizing structural steel as their primary load resisting system
2. Examine historical and current research that has looked at using adhesives or similar materials
   within structural steel application
3. Determine the current state-of-the-art with respect to adhesives and similar products in both the general construction industry and other potentially relevant industries (automotive, aerospace, etc.)
4. Gain input from manufacturers regarding products that may already be available for our intended uses and what we, as an industry, may need to do to encourage further development of new products
5. Lay out an action plan to lay out next steps required to further develop potential systems and uses

This summary document provides a record of the Workshop and can be used as a reference for future work related to this endeavor.