Steel in the News

Banker Steel (an AISC member/AISC certified fabricator) will begin fabricating the steel-framed modules for the world’s tallest modular high-rise building next week, according to a recent AMM article.

Banker expanded its Lynchburg, Va., facility earlier this year to create a purpose-built workshop solely dedicated to the fabrication of these rectangular modules for the project — a 32-story residential tower named B2 — which broke ground late last year at the $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The modules will be manufactured in Lynchburg, using HSS and wide-flange beams, and assembled in Brooklyn, according to the article. B2 is expected to be available for occupancy in the summer of 2014 and is one of 15 modular buildings planned at the Atlantic Yards site.

For more information, see our previous news post: World’s Tallest Modular Building Breaks Ground. You can also learn more about the project and view an architectural rendering on Banker Steel’s website. 

Do you have the next great idea for a groundbreaking technology, model shop or building that could potentially revolutionize the future of the steel design and construction industry? Enter AISC’s first-ever Future of Steel competition! The competition rewards and celebrates innovative ideas for the future of structural steel fabrication, erection, engineering, design and construction. And you have the opportunity to win one of three cash prizes, totaling $2,000!

The first-place winner of the competition will receive a grand prize of $1,000 cash; the second-place winner will receive a $500 cash prize; and two third-place winners will receive a $250 cash prize. In addition, the winning designs and runners-up will be displayed at the 2014 NASCC: The Steel Conference, March 26-29 in Toronto. Designs may also be selected to be featured in MSC.

“What makes this competition truly fantastic is that there are no rules,” said Carly Hurd, AISC director of membership services. “AISC is looking for design concepts for innovations that haven’t been realized yet by the steel design and construction industry. We believe that the future of the industry lies in the areas of innovation, which is driven by great ideas. Let your inner visionary and inventor shine; the sky’s the limit!”

Entries are due by October 1, after which time they’ll all be posted publicly to AISC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AISCdotORG, where they’ll be voted on by fans. The three entries that receive the most votes will be crowned the winners.

For competition requirements and how to enter, go to www.aisc.org/FutureofSteel.

Here’s MSC’s Steel Structure Trivia challenge for April! In recognition of the all-time highest attendance at NASCC: The Steel Conference in St. Louis last week, we’ve posted the above photo, which shows the scope of the exhibit hall, where more than 200 exhibit booths were on display. Your trivia question is: What was the total number of attendees at this year’s conference?

Answer:

The total number of attendees at this year’s conference was 3,748 – an all-time record! Congratulations to our winners: Christopher Cichon of Sargent & Lundy, Chicago; Mark Da Gama Rose of Jacobs Engineering, St. Louis; and Timothy Gilbert of Louis Perry & Associates, Inc., Wadsworth, Ohio.

All three of our winners were right on the money with their guesses! This may have been due in part to the powers of social media; the conference attendance number was announced last week on AISC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AISCdotORG. (We were curious to see who might be checking out the page to find the answer!) The page also has photos and videos from the conference.

If you’d like to contribute photos to AISC’s Facebook page — NASCC or otherwise — please email Victoria Cservenyak at cservenyak@aisc.org.

AISC has already started planning next year’s NASCC, which will take place in Toronto, March 26-29. Mark your calendars!

The buildingSMART alliance will soon be accepting proposed changes, known as ballot submissions, to the National BIM Standard – United States (NBIMS-US).

All building professionals are invited to participate in the development process of NBIMS-US Version 3, and buildingSMART is looking to every sector of the industry to submit ballots. Ballots can amend or revise current NBIMS-US content or they can address the latest technologies, processes and practices not yet included in the standard.

As BIM covers all aspects of the building process, buildingSMART stresses, it is important for representatives from every segment of the industry to participate in the standard’s development.

The Ballot Submission Period for NBIMS-US V3 begins June 3, and ends August 19. Interested individuals and organizations can prepare by doing the following:

1.      Skim over the list of the standards and guidelines NBIMS-US Version 2 references.

2.      Review the language in NBIMS-US Version 2 (available at www.nationalbimstandard.org).

3.      Join the buildingSMART alliance and become a member of the NBIMS-US Project Committee. (Only members can submit ballots and vote on changes to the standard.)

4.      Communicate with any industry associations to coordinate efforts.

5.      Update the Alliance about any association-related BIM activities.

6.      Stay tuned for the next announcement, when the NBIMS-US Project Committee announces where members can download the ballot and supporting materials and start the process.

For more information about the National BIM Standard – United States and how to get involved in the Version 3 standards development process, visit www.nationalbimstandard.org/about.php.

Looking for a resource to keep up with the overhead crane industry? A new website called Crane Buzz provides an interactive online community, technical information, industry standards and news related to overhead cranes and hoists.

The website is designed to help you specify, buy, sell, operate and maintain overhead cranes and hoists. Users can also contribute their own blogs, submit interesting videos or recommend their favorite engineer.

To learn more, visit www.cranebuzz.com.

The National Steel Bridge Alliance’s 2014 World Steel Bridge Symposium will be held in conjunction with AISC’s NASCC: The Steel Conference in Toronto, March 26-29, 2014. The symposium brings together design engineers, construction professionals, academics, transportation officials, fabricators, erectors and builders to learn and discuss state-of-the-art practices for enhancing steel bridge design, fabrication and construction techniques.

The organizers of the 2014 event are interested in papers that deal with all aspects of steel bridge design and construction. If you’re interested in presenting, please submit an abstract, 500 words or less, summarizing your paper.

Abstracts are due by July 1, 2013, and should be sent to abstracts@steelbridges.org; the preferred format is PDF. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by August 15 and completed papers must be received by November 18 for final review.

For more information about the World Steel Bridge Symposium, visit www.steelbridges.org/wsbs.

Only two more days until the opening of the 2013 NASCC: The Steel Conference, which takes place April 17-19 at America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis! Here are some last-minute updates that you won’t want to miss as you plan your trip:

• View the Final Program for the latest updates on sessions and exhibitors, registration desk hours and other key scheduling information. And if you have not yet received your conference materials in the mail, you can pick them up when you check in at the registration area at the convention center.

• Planning your conference experience is now easier thanks to the new 2013 NASCC mobile app! By using this interactive digital show guide, you’ll be able to see detailed information on each session (you can even designate sessions by attendee interest for future reference), information about exhibitors, and even chat with other attendees. To download this free app, simply search for “NASCC” in Google Play or the Apple App Store (or download from http://crwd.cc/nascc2013).

• On April 17, the first day of the conference, Kansas radio station 95.5 FM The Rock will be airing an interview with AISC’s Scott Melnick about The Steel Conference on its new weekly show, “On the Mark with Mark Hamade,” hosted by Mark Hamade. The show will air at 5:30 p.m. (CST) and will also be streamed online through the radio station’s website, www.salina-radio.com. If you’re unable to catch it live, the recording will be available online as a podcast at http://thetip.podomatic.com/.

• Can’t make it to St. Louis for the conference? You can still participate and receive PDH credit by watching selected sessions online in real time. AISC has devoted two rooms for NASCC LIVE! and 22 sessions will be offered during the conference. Watch one or watch 11, it’s up to you. Registration for AISC members is $225 ($350 for non-members) for the first person from your firm and each additional registrant is only $10 (and since each participant can log in at their own computer, multiple people at the same firm can attend different sessions). To view the list of conference sessions that will be streaming live and to register, visit www.aisc.org/nascclive.

• If you will be in St. Louis for the conference, we’re looking forward to seeing you there! Stop by and say hello to MSC staff (booth #1545) and AISC staff (booth #1045) in the exhibit hall. The editors and AISC will also be sharing information and photos from the show via Twitter @ModernSteel, and @aisc, respectively. We encourage you to tweet your conference experiences and chat about the show using the hashtag #NASCC. Also look out for conference photos and videos on AISC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AISCdotORG.

See you in St. Louis!

We’ll be back here with a new news post on Monday, April 22.

Ultrasonic pin inspection experts from bridge engineering firm Modjeski and Masters will be implementing an advanced inspection technique to “see” inside critical steel pins on the eastbound span of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The above photo shows Michael Januszkiewicz, P.E., an associate at Modjeski and Masters, shooting a pin on the bridge. Photos: Courtesy of Modjeski and Masters

Bridge engineering firm Modjeski and Masters is currently inspecting the 3,200-ft. eastbound span of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge as part of a joint venture with RK&K Engineers. The Modjeski and Masters team will be inspecting part of the floor system, superstructure, railing anchor bolts, roadway deck, light poles and steel truss structural members.

Ultrasonic pin inspection experts from Modjeski and Masters will be implementing an advanced inspection technique to “see” inside critical steel pins. Ultrasonic testing (UT) technology will enable the team to evaluate structural integrity and conditions of bridge components that are not visible, aiding in the identification of irregularities within the structure. It is expected that the team will shoot approximately 15 pins throughout the duration of the inspection.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a vital traffic link that connects the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area with eastern shore cities, including Ocean City, Md. The bridge also serves as an alternate route for I-95 between northern Delaware and Washington, D.C. Because it is such a heavily traveled route, maintaining bridge traffic throughout the inspection is critical. Inspection teams will leverage access vehicles to minimize travel disruptions. Bridge traffic will remain open throughout the duration of the inspection, with one of the bridge’s two eastbound travel lanes closed through portions of the inspection.

Atlas Tube (an AISC member), a division of JMC Steel Group, offers a new online video, “Truss Connections,” as part of its “Designing with HSS” educational video series, available for free online viewing.

The video, presented by Atlas Tube senior sales engineer Brad Fletcher, discusses the specifics of trusses with HSS, including joint types, fabrication costs, failure modes, design approaches and welding.

According to Fletcher, some of the top things to think about when designing trusses with HSS are:

• Keep the number of different sizes small
• Try to minimize the number of connections
• Understand the effects of joint configuration and connection design criteria before analyzing truss and selecting member sizes

You can view the new Truss Connections video on JMC Steel Group’s YouTube Channel.

AISC recently named its 2012 Safety Award winners for safety and safe operating practices at structural steel facilities and construction sites. The award is presented to companies with a perfect safety record of zero disabling injuries in the categories of “Shop and Office” and “Field Erection.”

AISC’s annual Safety Awards program recognizes good records of safety performance. Periodic recognition of safety in the workplace has been demonstrated to provide worker incentive and a reminder of the importance of safe practices, according to the Institute.

More information about the awards program and other AISC safety resources can be found at www.aisc.org/safety.