Steel in the News

Adding steel cross braces to stiffen tall concrete piers made isolation bearings an effective seismic solution for the retrofit of the Antioch Toll Bridge in Northern California. Photo: Y.P. Kim

If you’re a bridge in California, you’re going to need your outfit updated every so often to prevent any damage to your apparel. The Antioch Toll Bridge in Northern California recently received a seismic makeover and is one of the last two toll bridges to be retrofitted in the northern part of the state.

The seismic retrofit of the bridge consisted of replacing the existing bearings at all 39 piers and at the abutments with seismic isolation bearings. In order to make the isolation bearings work effectively, it was also necessary to install steel bracing in the tall piers to make the pier portal frames stiffer. The 1,850 tons of steel for the retrofit was fabricated and prime painted by AISC member Brooklyn Iron Works, Inc., Spokane, Wash.

The main structure is 8,650-ft long with 40 spans arching over San Joaquin River. The midsection of the bridge rises as high as 147 ft to allow for ship passage. The superstructure consists of two weathering steel plate girders that are continuous over the piers. The girders are in excellent condition, having formed the expected uniform protective outer coating with no degradation in structural capacity.

The Antioch Toll Bridge was constructed in 1978, so the lessons learned from the San Fernando Earthquake of 1971 were implemented in the original design. For this reason, the bridge was long considered to have sufficient earthquake resistant features and deemed safe. However, reevaluating the bridge based on on the latest seismic design criteria and an extensive geotechnical investigation, Caltrans concluded that the bridge needed to be retrofitted.

The seismic retrofit based on isolating the superstructure was a simple but effective solution. Implementing this scheme by adding steel cross braces to the concrete pier frames was an ideal match. Shop fabricated segments of the steel braces were field assembled with bolted connections and the bracing was easily integrated to the existing concrete frame by connecting the two different elements through a cast-in-place concrete pedestal.

Due to steel’s light weight, the additional weight of the bracing could be accommodated within the capacity of the existing foundation. Not requiring a foundation retrofit meant big savings in the construction cost and also minimized the disturbance to the sensitive environment.

You can read more about the seismic retrofit of the Antioch Toll Bridge in the February issue of MSC, available now.

The Huey P. Long Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River in New Orleans, has been named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The designation makes this steel structure one of fewer than 250 ASCE landmarks in the world including the Eiffel Tower, the Panama Canal and the U.S. Capitol Building. You can find a full list of appointed landmarks on the ASCE website at http://bit.ly/zzA6LK, all illustrating the creativity and innovative spirit of civil engineers.

The Huey P. Long Bridge is now in the final phase of a $1.2 billion widening project. When completed in 2013, the expanded bridge will have an additional travel lane and inside and outside shoulders to each side of the bridge. The total width will more than double the current driving surface to 43 ft wide. The project also includes construction of new elevated bridge approaches and ramps, as well as new intersections with traffic signals at Bridge City Avenue and Jefferson Highway. 

(Click on the thumbnail photo to view one of our previous news posts with links to more photos and information about the Huey P. Long Bridge widening project.)

“The ASCE is nationally recognizing what civil engineers in New Orleans have always known,” said New Orleans ASCE President Malay Ghose Hajra, Ph.D., P.E. “The design and construction of the Huey P. Long Bridge was a groundbreaking achievement for our country and the world. We are extremely proud to have played a role in getting this historic recognition for this historic bridge.”

Design of the bridge began in 1926 and at that time, engineers had only limited tools for measuring and calculating, unlike today. They designed the bridge for safety and strength to deal with difficult, sandy soil conditions. It was the first Mississippi River Bridge in New Orleans when it opened in 1935 and the longest railroad bridge in the world for about 15 years. Prior to the bridge being built, railroad cars had to be ferried across the river.

Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long was responsible for the addition of driving lanes for automobiles during construction of the bridge, which began in 1932. He provided the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad with $7 million to build the two narrow lanes in each direction. The lanes were adequate for the types of vehicles and limited traffic of the time, but are not wide enough by current standards.

“Huey Long prided himself on forward-thinking and well-designed infrastructure projects,” said Russell Long Mosely, the great-grandson of Huey P. Long. “Although completed in 1935, the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans remains structurally sound. It serves millions of motorists each year and remains one of the longest and highest railroad bridges in the United States. The family of Huey Long is delighted that this bridge has been designated as a Civil Engineering Landmark.”

 What do you get when you cross a kaleidoscope and a skyscraper? A building with independently rotating floors whose appearance changes continuously. That’s the brainchild of architect David Fisher, whose Dynamic Architecture Group has worked out a plan to develop such a structure (an 80-story version) using pre-fabricated elements shipped to the site for assembly. It would, in essence, be a factory produced skyscraper. And although it’s pricey, just the fact that we now have the technology to do this is pretty amazing.

For a great explanation and appreciation of this thought-provoking concept, as well as additional images, read the recent post by Tami Hausman at http://bit.ly/zXDAso. 

With transportation infrastructure spending a key issue in Congress, MetalMiner (a sourcing and trading intelligence website for global metals markets) recently interviewed Roger Ferch, NSBA executive director and Jennifer Diggins, director of public affairs for Nucor Corp., to get an update on the Buy America legislation and its effect on U.S. manufacturers.

In the interview Ferch discusses how contractors on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge project skirted Buy America provisions to procure structural steel and labor from China, potentially costing hundreds or even thousands of jobs for U.S. steel industry workers. NSBA has been active in voicing its objections to purchasing foreign steel and off-shore fabrication for U.S. domestic projects such as the Bay Bridge project.

Watch Ferch’s video interview segment on the MetalMiner website at http://bit.ly/wq9YhD.

In Diggins’ interview she clarifies common misconceptions of the Buy America legislation, and offers her perspective on how prospective U.S. presidential candidates would serve the country’s manufacturing industry and job creation.

Watch Diggins’ video interview segment on the MetalMiner website at http://bit.ly/yvjHz8.

NSBA and AISC encourage the steel community to take action on Buy America issues and contact their local representatives through the NSBA/AISC Legislative Action page at www.aisc.org/action.

If you haven’t had the time to take advantage of the following AISC opportunities, or weren’t aware they were available to you — don’t panic! The deadlines to participate have been extended:

• Recently work on an innovative steel building project? Entries for AISC’s 2012 IDEAS2 Awards program are now due on Friday, February 3, at 5 p.m. Central Time. There is no fee to enter for AISC members. More information about the program and how to enter can be found in our previous news post.

• Brewing any ideas that can help advance steel building design and construction? AISC is seeking proposals for research projects aimed to improve the safety and economy of steel building design and construction, including the development of innovative structural steel systems. Proposals will be awarded in 2012 and the research will be conducted in 2012 and 2013. The deadline for notice of intent to submit a proposal has been extended to 5 p.m. Central Time on Friday, February 10. The complete proposals are still due March 5. You can find additional information and links to enter in our previous news post.

P.S. — Speaking of deadlines, remember that you can still save money on your 2012 NASCC: The Steel Conference registration by signing up early. Register this week and save $90 or more. Details are at www.aisc.org/nascc.

Students are encouraged to register as soon as possible for the 12th annual Steel Design Student Competition sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and administered by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Teams must register by February 15, 2012, to participate in this year’s competition, although registration information may be modified until submission of the final project. Entries are due May 24, 2012. There is no fee to enter. Each team must have a faculty sponsor.

Two categories of competition are being offered again this year. Category I challenges architecture students to design a Culinary Arts College in an urban setting. “Steel construction offers students great benefits in this endeavor,” the program materials state, “as it is ideal for covering long-spans without sacrificing flexibility and aesthetic lightness, multi-story buildings, quick delivery and assembly in congested urban environments.” Category II provides an open design option.

Steel should be used as the primary structural material for entries in either category, with special emphasis placed on innovation in steel design. The structure also should include at least one space that requires long-span steel structure.

There are three possible prizes in each category. Winning students and their faculty sponsors will receive cash prizes totaling $14,000.

Learn more about the ACSA/AISC Steel Design Student Competition on the AISC website at http://bit.ly/i8lwfk, where links also are available to the full competition program including registration and all the rules and guidelines.

To view the winning entries from 2011 on the ACSA website, click here.

Student team members from the University of Texas at Arlington hustle to erect their steel bridge entry at this year’s first Student Steel Bridge regional competition held at the University of Houston earlier this month. Photo: James Williams

Eleven universities from Texas and Mexico gathered at the University of Houston, January 13-14, to showcase their engineering talent and teamwork in the first ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge regional competition of 2012. Now in its 21st year, the competition convenes engineering students from across North America to build their designed and fabricated steel bridges under the pressure of the clock.

This year’s design requirements challenge students to construct a cantilevered short-span bridge that can carry specified patterns of loads without exceeding sway and deflection limits. Teams can display different approaches to structural support for their bridges while striving for the shortest time under specific building constraints.

Categories of competition are construction speed, stiffness, lightness, economy, display, and efficiency. The teams with the best combined rankings across all six categories earn overall award recognition.

“This competition is such a good learning experience for the students,” said James Williams, P.E., Ph.D., professor of civil engineering at University of Texas at Arlington and the team’s faculty advisor. “They get to design, fabricate, and build a real project and get to see how it holds up to the design loads.  Plus, they learn to work as part of a team.”

Throughout the year, student teams work for months perfecting the design, fabrication, and construction of each bridge. To reach the national event, each team must place among the top schools in one of 18 regional competitions held across the country each spring. There are plenty of opportunities to attend one of these exciting events! View the schedule of upcoming regional competitions (including host school contact info) on ASCE’s website at http://bit.ly/z6uGHm.

The 2012 National Student Steel Bridge Competition finals will be held May 25-26 at Clemson University in South Carolina. Interested in becoming a judge for the national competition? Contact universityprograms@aisc.org for information.

Learn more about the 2012 SSBC at www.aisc.org/steelbridge or www.nssbc.info.

The U.S. Energy Administration (EIA) released the Early Release Overview of its Annual Energy Outlook 2012  on January 23, projecting that residential and commercial building energy use is expected to decline more rapidly in the next couple of decades than originally thought. EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) projections since 2005 illustrate that estimates for energy consumption to 2030 have dropped by nearly 70% due to considerable movement within the building sector to improve building design and efficiency.

The final Annual Energy Outlook 2012 will be issued later this spring.

Saving Costs
The 2011 AEO forecasts that American consumers will spend $3.66 trillion less on energy between 2012 and 2030 than was originally projected in 2005. If, by 2030, we embrace efficient building technologies, these savings will top $6 trillion.

More Buildings, Less Energy
In 2005, the AEO forecasted an increase in total U.S. building floor area of 51.9% from 2005 to 2030, with energy consumption and CO2 emissions increasing by 44.4% and 53.1% respectively. While the AEO 2011 projects a slightly lower building floor area increase of 38.6% over this same time period, the projected energy consumption and related carbon emissions from the building sector are dramatically less than projected in 2005.

A movement that is making strides to reduce building energy consumption in the building sector is the 2030 Challenge. Developed by Architecture 2030, a non-profit organization dedicated to slowing and reversing the growth rate of greenhouse related emissions in the building sector, the program encourages the global architecture and building community to adopt various building energy reduction targets to achieve industry-wide zero net energy use by 2030.

To learn more about the 2030 Challenge, visit http://architecture2030.org/2030_chall
enge/the_2030_challenge. 

The latest version of Tekla’s free construction collaboration tool, Tekla BIMsight 1.4, is now available for use on the job site. The software offers a dedicated user interface for Windows tablet computers and features enhanced presentation tools. You can choose which interface is best suited for your working environment, desktop or tablet.

“We developed this version from conversations with our users and the industry and we will continue this practice in the future,” said Stephen Jones, Tekla BIMsight product manager. “Tablet computers are becoming an integral part of construction industry workflows and BIM creates huge opportunities for more effective interaction between the construction site and the office.”

Want to learn more?
Join Tekla’s free webinar tomorrow, January 26. This one-hour introductory presentation on BIMsight 1.4 will be hosted twice from Paris at 9 a.m. CET and 3 p.m. CET. You can search for which times the webinar begins in your time zone by visiting the registration site at http://bit.ly/z32Tsj. (ie 9 a.m. Eastern Time)

Learn more about the latest version of Tekla BIMsight and download the software for free at www.teklabimsight.com. Video tutorials and a customer support forum are also available on the website.

Daniel R. DiMicco, chairman and chief executive officer of Nucor Corporation, is the recipient of AISC’s prestigious Robert P. Stupp Award for Leadership Excellence. The award, presented on a selective basis by AISC, honors individuals who have provided unparalleled leadership in the steel construction industry. It will be presented to DiMicco at the 2012 NASCC: The Steel Conference at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center in Dallas, April 18-20.

“Dan is an exemplary leader in the steel construction industry and a strong advocate for domestic manufacturing jobs,” said Roger E. Ferch, P.E., AISC’s president. “He served as an instrumental ambassador of producer support on the AISC Board of Directors and has championed technological advancements in steelmaking and environmental leadership in the industry.”

For more information, you can read the press release on the AISC website at http://bit.ly/wiFLym.