Modern

STEEL CONSTRUCTION

January 2018
 Truly Constructible Models
Detail, Fabricate and Erect from a Single Source

“Three things prevented me from adopting

3D detailing ten years ago. The first was the
fear of learning a new system, the second
was having to earn a living while learning it
and the third was the cost. If I had known
then what I know now, I would never have
waited so long.”
- Doug Malm, Steel Detailing Services.
tekla.com/TrulyConstructible

TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

 January 2018

38 in every issue
departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE
12 STEEL QUIZ
61 NEWS
66 STRUCTURALLY SOUND

resources
65 MARKETPLACE & EMPLOYMENT

columns
manualwise
16 Making the Most of the Manual
BY NATHAN ECKER AND
MUAAZ MUSTAFA
A bevy of resources will help optimize your
use of the latest AISC Manual, thus helping
you optimize your steel-framed projects.

economics
22 Reaching the Peak?
BY JOHN CROSS, PE
A look at the construction economy in 2018
and beyond.

features
26 A New Angle on Art
BY ANDREW JOHNSON, PE
44 Centered on Innovation
BY ANGELA FANTE, PE
52 Safe at Every Stage
BY ALFONSO GONZALEZ
A new art building’s angular, exposed framing Facilitated by the successful connection Six safety tips to keep in mind for steel
supports, teaches, inspires and memorializes of new and existing steel framing, the fabrication and erection.
on a small Midwestern campus. Pennovation Center reboots an industrial
neighborhood adjacent to the University of conference preview
32 Big Gain for the Little River
BY JONATHAN HISEY, PE
Pennsylvania’s campus. 56 The Changing Business Climate
BY JAMES STEVER, JAMES SCHWARTZ,
A plate-girder scheme was the only
feasible option to replace a small county
50 Optimized Ordering
BY LUKE FAULKNER
ANDREW RUFFIN, PE, AND
JOHN OTTINGER
bridge over the Little River in Oklahoma’s We all know that steel makes construction How global modeling is affecting our world.
southeastern-most county. projects run more smoothly for designers
and builders. But the material ordering
38 Functional Folds
BY JONATHAN L. BAYREUTHER, PE,
process can be cumbersome for fabricators
and others in the steel supply chain. Luckily,
AND JONATHAN HAMANN there’s an easy way to make that part of the
An angular glass and steel pavilion brings project run more smoothly too.
a spot of ground-level lightness to the
towering density of central Boston.

ON THE COVER:
The University of Pennsylvania’s new tech incubator facility gets straight to the point(s), p. 44. (Photo: ©Michael Moran/OTTO)

MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 58, Number 1) ISSN (print) 0026-8445: ISSN (online) 1945-0737. Published monthly by the American Institute of
Steel Construction (AISC), 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.—single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44. Outside the
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address changes to MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601.
DISCLAIMER: AISC does not approve, disapprove, or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or
quoted from an acknowledged source. Opinions are those of the writers and AISC is not responsible for any statement made or opinions expressed in MODERN
STEEL CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes
where fewer than 25 photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC. Printed on paper made
from a minimum of
4 JANUARY 2018 10% recycled content.
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 editor’s note
Editorial Offices
130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400
Editorial Contacts
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Scott Melnick
312.670.8314
melnick@modernsteel.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Geoff Weisenberger
312.670.8316
weisenberger@modernsteel.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Tasha O’Berski
312.670.5439
“THE PAST MAY BE A SHAKESPEAREAN PROLOGUE, BUT THE FUTURE IS oberski@modernsteel.com
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
DODGEBALL,” STATED ANDY KESSLER IN A FASCINATING OPINION PIECE IN Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
THE NOVEMBER 6 EDITION OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. 312.670.8318
grubb@modernsteel.com
It’s a great, pithy quote, but what designed to provide a mix of educational PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Erika Salisbury
the heck is he really talking about? He’s sessions and networking opportunities. 312.670.5427
referring to the difference between AISC’s booth is even designed not to salisbury@modernsteel.com
success and failure. According to Kessler, promote our activities, but instead to give GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
Kristin Hall
a well-known venture capitalist who made conference participants a place to stop, 312.670.8313
his early mark at Morgan Stanley, the sit and lob a few verbal dodgeballs at hall@modernsteel.com
secret to success is to get in the middle of each other. AISC Officers
the action. This year’s conference is in Baltimore CHAIR
David Zalesne
“You need to go to places where the from April 11-13. For AISC members who
VICE CHAIR
future is discussed,” Kessler asserts in register during the first week registration Jack Klimp
the article. At first, nothing may make is open, the cost is just $360. But try and SECRETARY/GENERAL COUNSEL
David B. Ratterman
sense; balls will be flying at you from register early—the rate goes up $10 every
PRESIDENT
every direction—like a chaotic game of week. (Registration opens January 15 at Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
dodgeball. And when you embrace the www.aisc.org/nascc.) SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
game, when you start getting involved, only The Steel Conference is designed to Scott Melnick
then will you be on the path to success. make you think. Make time to wander VICE PRESIDENT
John Cross, PE
“Every industry has these events,” he the 250-booth exhibit hall and grill the
VICE PRESIDENT
urged. “Make the time to go. And not product and service manufacturers. But Anne-Marie Eischen
only to hear keynoters billow hot air, but don’t miss the thought-provoking sessions. VICE PRESIDENT
Lawrence F. Kruth, PE
for the panel discussions where people From Dan Goods (visual strategist at
VICE PRESIDENT
disagree. The conversation spills out into NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory) to Ron Tabitha S. Stine, SE, PE
the hallways between talks. There will be Klemencic’s (the K in MKA Associates) VICE PRESIDENT
all sorts. The smug ponytailed guy who talk on a new core system that will Mark W. Trimble, PE
talks about his Phish tribute band and revolutionize building design (for real), Editorial Advisory Panel
insists he knows everything. The woman our nearly 200 sessions are designed to Caroline R. Bennett, PE, PhD,
University of Kansas
you see at every event but only in the give you the information you need to Keith R. Griesing, PE,
hallways chatting and who never makes make better decisions. And don’t forget Hardesty and Hanover
eye contact to let you into a conversation. the conference dinner—a lively affair Steve Knitter, Geiger and Peters
Barge in anyway.” with more than 1,500 of your new closest Janice Mochizuki, PE, Arup
For the structural steel design and friends. Finally, remember to share your Dylan Olson, Olson Steel

construction community, the leading thoughts with the other participants. It’s Advertising Contact
ACCOUNT MANAGER
event is, of course, NASCC: The Steel time to get involved in the world of design Renae Gurthet
Conference. The event is purposely and construction dodgeball. 231.995.0637
renae@gurthetmedia.com
Address Changes and
Subscription Concerns
312.670.2400
subscriptions@aisc.org
SCOTT MELNICK
EDITOR Reprints
Erika Salisbury
312.670.5427
salisbury@modernsteel.com

6 JANUARY 2018
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 If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something
related to structural steel design or construction,
Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you!
Send your questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.
Note: Unless specifically noted, all AISC publications mentioned in the
questions and/or answers are independent of the edition and can be
found at www.aisc.org/specifications.
Field-Modified Base Plates
Due to misplaced anchor rods, the holes in a column base
must be enlarged. The contractor is proposing to turn the
round, oversized holes into oversized slots by thermally
cutting the base plate. Is this acceptable? If so, what is the
minimum edge distance for the enlarged hole?
Yes. Section M2.9 of the AISC Specification for Structural Steel
Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360) addresses holes for anchor rods
and indicates that they are permitted to be thermally cut in
accordance with the provisions of Section M2.2. As indicated
in Section M2.2, thermally cut edges shall meet the require-
ments in clauses 5.14.5.2, 5.14.8.3 and 5.14.8.4 of AWS D1.1.
The Specification contains no minimum edge distance
requirements for base plate holes. AISC Design Guide 1: Base
Plate and Anchor Rod Design (a free download for members at
www.aisc.org/dg) states: “When the hole edge is not subject
to a lateral force, even an edge distance that provides a clear
dimension as small as ½ in. of material from the edge of the
hole to the edge of the plate will normally suffice, though field
issues with anchor rod placement may necessitate a larger
dimension to allow some slotting of the base plate holes. When
the hole edge is subject to a lateral force, the edge distance pro-
vided must be large enough for the necessary transfer.”
Carlo Lini, PE
Erection Bracing
I am an erector and have a contract to erect a series of
steel frames along three separate column lines. The three
lines are not interconnected. None of the frames appear
to contain lateral force-resisting elements in that there
are no designated moment connections and no vertical
bracing. The beams are also very deep, with long spans.
The steel supports a floor that is part of a building other-
wise constructed of concrete, and I suspect that the con-
crete slab and the shear walls provide stability.
I believe it will be difficult to erect these frames in a
safe manner, and that even once erected the structure
will be inherently unstable without whatever temporary
bracing I provide. It now seems that my bracing will have
to remain throughout the duration of construction and
will also have to support loads due to the performance of
work by other trades.
1. Am I allowed to simply remove my bracing at the
completion of my work?
steel
interchange
2. If not, should I be compensated for the use of my
bracing during the time it remains in place after
erection?
3. Should my bracing be removed and returned to me
when the structure is finally stable?
I have addressed your three questions below:
1. No. From your description, it would not seem reason-
able or safe to simply remove the bracing when your
work is complete. However, it seems that some impor-
tant elements of the contract may have been neglected.
Section 3.1.4 of AISC’s Code of Standard Practice for
Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303) states: “When
the structural steel frame, in the completely erected and
fully connected state, requires interaction with non-
structural steel elements (see Section 2) for strength
and/or stability, those non-structural steel elements shall
be identified in the contract documents as required in
Section 7.10.”
Section 7.10.4 states: “Temporary supports provided
by the erector shall remain in place until the portion
of the structural steel frame that they brace is complete
and the lateral force-resisting system and connecting
diaphragm elements identified by the owner’s designated
representative for design in accordance with Section
7.10.1 are installed.” You have stated that you suspect
the concrete slab and the shear walls provide stability.
Based on the uncertainty, I will assume that the contract
documents are silent relative to the lateral force-resisting
system. They should not be.
Section 7.10.1 requires the engineer to identify “the
lateral force-resisting system and connecting diaphragm
elements that provide for lateral strength and stability in
the completed structure.”
Since no lateral force-resisting system or connect-
ing diaphragm elements are identified, you will need to
request information from the owner’s representatives.
The information provided will hopefully clarify the
engineer’s intent.
2. Your question reflects a contractual issue and I cannot
arbitrate. The parties will have to find a way to resolve
the issue. However, I will provide some thoughts.
Though seemingly not clear in the contract docu-
ments, common sense dictates that you cannot simply
remove your bracing when the bare steel is erected.
However, leaving your bracing until the other trades
complete their work is not the only option. Others could
provide temporary bracing necessary to safely complete
the project, leaving you free to remove your bracing and
be done with your portion of the project.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 9
 steel interchange
It may be that leaving your bracing in place will
be the best option for the project. However, Section
7.10.2 states: “The owner’s designated representative for
construction shall indicate to the erector, prior to bid-
ding, the installation schedule for non-structural steel
elements of the lateral force-resisting system and con-
necting diaphragm elements identified by the owner’s
designated representative for design in the contract
documents.”
Not only should the non-structural steel elements of
the lateral force-resisting system have been identified,
but you also should have been provided with a schedule
that would have indicated how long your bracing would
likely be required after the completion of your work.
Providing this information after award is likely a
revision to the contract. Such revisions are addressed in
Section 9.3.
You also mention loads produced by the work of
other trades. Section 7.10.3 states: “The erector need
not consider loads during erection that result from the
performance of work by, or the acts of, others, except
as specifically identified by the owner’s designated rep-
resentatives for design and construction…” Again, a
request for information would seem to be in order.
3. Yes. Section 7.10.4 states: “Temporary supports that are
required to be left in place after the completion of struc-
tural steel erection shall be removed when no longer
needed by the owner’s designated representative for con-
struction and returned to the erector in good condition.”
Larry S. Muir, PE
Shear on Round HSS and their Welds
Section G5 of the Specification limits the effective area
of a round hollow structural section (HSS) subjected to
shear to half of the gross area. However, when evaluat-
ing welded connections, many textbooks and handbooks
indicate that the entire circumference is the length of the
weld. Can you explain this discrepancy?
The welds should be designed based on the stiffness of the
connected element. For solid round bars, 100% of the weld
length can be used. However, because thin-walled circular
structures such as stacks have negligible strength and stiffness
perpendicular to the wall, weld components perpendicular to
the wall are ineffective. In this case, only about 50% of the
weld length is effective. The stiffness of round HSS is between
these two extremes; therefore, 50% of the weld length can be
used as a conservative approximation. Ultimately, you must
use your own judgment to determine what is appropriate for
your situation.
Bo Dowswell, PE, PhD
10 JANUARY 2018
Weld Access Holes in Seismic Base Plates
Per Sections E3.6a and F2.6a of the AISC Seismic Provi-
sions for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341) welds
at column-to-base plate connections are demand-critical,
though some exceptions can apply. Does this mean that
the weld access hole geometry needs to conform to the
alternate geometry of AWS D1.8 Clause 6.10.1.2? What
are the impacts, if any, on structural performance of
demand-critical welds at the column bases if we allow
either weld access hole geometry?
AWS D1.8 provides welding requirements for demand-
critical welds.
Clause 6.10.1.1 of AWS D1.8 permits weld access holes
meeting the dimensions and tolerances of AWS D1.1 or the
AISC Specification. At the option of the contractor, the geom-
etry specified in AWS D1.8 clause 6.10.1.2 may be substituted
for the clause 6.10.1.1 geometry.
The Commentary to Section 8.5 of AISC’s Prequalified Con-
nections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic
Applications (ANSI/AISC 358) speaks to your second question
on structural performance related to differing weld access hole
geometries. It states: “A key feature of the WUF-W moment con-
nection is the use of a special weld access hole. The special seismic
weld access hole has specific requirements on the size, shape and
finish of the access hole. This special access hole… is intended to
reduce stress concentrations introduced by the presence of the
weld access hole.” It should be noted that the inelastic demand at
a column base will likely be much lower than that at a WUF-W
moment connection. The alternate geometry is also not required
for reduced beam section moment connections. Though there
are benefits to the alternate geometry, it should only be required
where these benefits are likely to be realized. The only conditions
for which it is required are the WUF-W connections and the
prescriptive OMF (ordinary moment frame) moment connection
described in Section E1.6b(c) of the Seismic Provisions.
Jonathan Tavarez
The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and answers is available online.
Find questions and answers related to just about any topic by using our full-text search
capability. Visit Steel Interchange online at www.modernsteel.com.
Larry Muir is director of technical assistance, Carlo Lini is a senior staff engineer and
Johnathan Tavarez is a staff engineer in the Steel Solutions Center, all with AISC. Bo
Dowswell is a consultant to AISC.
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional ideas and
information on all phases of steel building and bridge construction. Opinions and
suggestions are welcome on any subject covered in this magazine.
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily represent an official
position of the American Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed. It is
recognized that the design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent
licensed structural engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the application of
principles to a particular structure.
If you have a question or problem that your fellow readers might help you solve, please
forward it to us. At the same time, feel free to respond to any of the questions that you
have read here. Contact Steel Interchange via AISC’s Steel Solutions Center:
866.ASK.AISC • solutions@aisc.org
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 We’re shaking things up, as Steel Quiz
steel quiz becomes Seismic Quiz this month.

1 LRFD Load Combination #6 in ASCE
7-16 can expressed as shown below.
Indicate which expression would be
used when overstrength is included:
a. 6.) 1.2D + Ev + Emh + L + 0.2S
b. 6.) 1.2D + Ev + Eh + L + 0.2S
2 True or False: Per the AISC Seismic 3 For the lateral
Provisions for Structural Steel force-resisting
Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341-16), Emh system shown
need not be taken larger than Ecl. in Figure 1,
indicate which
members
buckle, which
members yield
and which
members
r e m a i n
nominally
elastic.
4 When checking LRFD Load
Combination #6, please indicate
which of the below expressions could
be applied when designing each of
the members indicated in Figure 2.
(Assume OCBF and SCBF—ordinary
concentric braced frame and special
concentric braced frame, respectively.)
a. 6.) 1.2D + Ev + Eh + L + 0.2S
b. 6.) 1.2D + Ev + Emh + L + 0.2S
c. 6.) 1.2D + Ev + Ecl + L + 0.2S

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Figure 2

TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR THE ANSWERS.

12 JANUARY 2018
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1 a. Emh is used when overstrength is
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2 True. A user note in Section B2 in
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4 OCBF SCBF
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The Blasting & Coatings Experts

AMPLE CAPACITY • RAIL ACCESS
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Anyone is welcome to submit questions and
answers for the Steel Quiz. If you are interested in
submitting one question or an entire quiz, contact
AISC’s Steel Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or at
solutions@aisc.org.

14 JANUARY 2018
  


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 manualwise
MAKING THE A bevy of resources will help optimize your use
MOST OF THE of the latest AISC Manual, thus helping you
MANUAL optimize your steel-framed projects.
BY NATHAN ECKER
AND MUAAZ MUSTAFA
IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T HEARD, the 15th Edition of
the AISC Steel Construction Manual is here!
Accompanying its release are some useful, free resources
that are at available at www.aisc.org/manualresources. These
include the new Version 15.0 Design Examples, Shapes Database
and Historical Shapes Database, Basic Design Values Cards
and Interactive Reference list. These resources will help you
make the most of the new 15th Edition Manual as well as the
new 2016 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/
AISC 360, available at www.aisc.org/specifications).
Design Examples
The AISC Design Examples publication (www.aisc.org/
designexamples) is a companion resource to the AISC Manual
that contains more than 1,600 pages of design examples and
tables. Version 15.0 has been completely updated to illustrate
the provisions of the 2016 AISC Specification and 15th Edition
Manual for designing members, connections and structural
systems. Several new examples and design tables have been
added to this new version.
One of the new examples, geared toward plate girders,
demonstrates how to apply the provisions of Specification
Nathan Ecker is is pursuing an M.S. in civil engineering at
Michigan Technological University and is planning to graduate
this spring. Muaaz Mustafa recently graduated from from Bradley
University with an M.S. in civil engineering. Both were AISC interns
this past summer.
16 JANUARY 2018
Chapter F to the design of a built-up type flexural member.
This example also covers the procedure for designing both
continuous and intermittent welds between flanges and the
web of a built-up section.
In the 2016 Specification are new provisions to satisfy structur-
al integrity requirements when they’re required by the building
code. There are five new design examples that demonstrate how
to apply these provisions for some of the most commonly used
shear connections, including: bolted double-angle connections,
end-plate shear connections, unstiffened seated connections, sin-
gle-plate connections and bolted single-angle connections.
The 15th Edition Manual includes several new high-
strength materials, such as ASTM A913 Grades 65 and 70
W-shapes and ASTM A500 Grade C HSS shapes. In addition
to covering these high-strength materials, Design Examples also
includes ASTM A1085 HSS, which has recently been adopted
into the 2016 Specification.
If you’ve already perused the 15th Edition Manual, you may
have noticed that a few tables from the 14th Edition are miss-
ing. These tables are not gone for good but rather have been
relocated to the Version 15.0 Design Examples. The Combined
Flexure and Axial Force Table, previously found in Part 6 of the
Manual, and the Available Strength in Compression for Filled
HSS Members Tables, previously found in Part 4 of the Manual,
can now be found in Part IV of Design Examples. A couple of
things to note are that the material grade used for the com-
posite tables has been updated to ASTM A500 Grade C, and
additional tables are now provided for ASTM A1085.
The 15th Edition Manual also includes a new “Super Table”
(Table 6-2; see page 18) that is essentially a one-stop member
design aid that can be used to determine available compression,
flexural and shear strength for W-shapes (for more on this table,
see the July 2017 SteelWise, “One-Stop Shop,” available at
www.modernsteel.com). Design Examples further expands on
this concept with several additional “super” tables for W-shapes
in both ASTM A913 Grades 65 and 70 and rectangular, square
and round HSS shapes in both ASTM A500 Grade C and
ASTM A1085.
Another handy design aid found in Design Examples is a new
Plastic Section Modulus, or “Znet”, table for W-shapes. This table
is a useful companion to the “Snet” table, already included in the
Manual, for checking the strength of coped W-shape beams.
 Basic W-, S-, C- and MC Shapes
Design Values W-Shapes
S-, C- and MC-Shapes
ASTM A992
ASTM A36
Fy = 50 ksi Fu = 65 ksi
Fy = 36 ksi Fu = 58 ksi
This reference is based upon simplifying assumptions and
arbitrarily selected limitations. Direct use of the 2016 AISC
Specification (ANSI/AISC 360-16) may be less constrained
and less conservative.

Condition ASD LRFD Related Info

For Ae, see AISC Specification

Tension 0.6Fy Ag d 0.5Fu Ae 0.9Fy Ag d 0.75Fu Ae
Equation D3-1.

Lb d Lp 0.66Fy Sx 0.99Fy Sx 300 ry

Lp =
Strong Axis Lp < Lb d Lr Use linear interpolation between Lp and Lr. Fy
Bending See Note 1.1.
Lb = Lr 0.42Fy Sx 0.63Fy Sx Lr and strength when
Lb > Lr are given in
Weak Axis 0.9Fy Sy 1.35Fy Sy the AISC Manual.

Shear (in strong axis) 0.4Fy Aw 0.6Fy Aw See Note 1.2.

Lc r ≤ 800 Fy 0.6Fy Ag (0.658)P 0.9Fy Ag (0.658)P

Fy ( Lc r )
2

Compression P=
150, 000 Ag 226, 000 Ag 286, 000
Lc r > 800 Fy
(Lc r )
2 2
Lc r
See Note 1.3.

Notes
1.1 Multiply equations given for strong axis with Lb d Lp, or weak axis, by values in parentheses for W21×48 (0.99), W14×90 (0.97), W12×65 (0.98),
W10×12 (0.99), W8×10 (0.99), W6×15 (0.95) and W6×8.5 (0.98).
1.2 Multiply equations given by 0.9 for W44×230, W40×149, W36×135, W33×118, W30×90, W24×55, W16×26 and W12×14 and all C- and MC-
shapes. In weak axis, equations can be adapted by using Aw = 1.8bf tf.
1.3 Not applicable to slender shapes. For slender shapes, use Ae from AISC Specification Section E7 in place of Ag. For C- and MC- shapes, see
AISC Specification Section E4.
➤

Card 1 of the Basic Design Values resource.

One of the significant changes in the 2016 Specification in-
volves the provisions for compression members with slender
elements. The new provisions not only have a significant im-
pact on the compressive strength for members, but also make
the design process easier by providing a unified approach for
both stiffened and unstiffened elements. In Chapter E of the
new Design Examples, there are several updated examples that
demonstrate how to apply these new provisions for a variety of
shape types.
Shapes Databases
As with previous editions of the AISC Shapes Database, the
updated Version 15.0 (available at www.aisc.org/shapesdatabase)
compiles the dimensions and properties of all shapes found in
Part 1 of the 15th Edition Manual into a single Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet that includes both U.S. customary and SI units. Using
the electronic database makes design and analysis calculations
on a computer much more efficient by eliminating the need to
manually enter values provided in the Manual Part 1 Tables.
The latest Shapes Database has some new features that will
make it worth your while to use in place of previous versions.
For starters, it includes the dimensions and properties for all
96 of the new shapes that have been added to the latest Manual.
Several new dimensions have been added to the database,
including all the “T” and “Workable Gage” values that are
printed in the Manual. The updated database also provides
some additional properties that are not found in the Manual,
including properties for single angles and shape parameters for
use with AISC Design Guide 19: Fire Resistance of Structural Steel
Framing (available at www.aisc.org/dg). In addition to these new
features, the database now also includes a built-in “Readme” file,
which serves as the glossary for all the variables included in the
database and provides a complete list of all the new shapes.
AISC has also updated the Historical Shapes Database
with the new version V15.0H (available at: www.aisc.org/
historicshapesdatabase). This resource contains the published
dimensions and properties for all shapes since the 5th Edition
AISC Manual, and also includes earlier shapes originally
published in Iron and Steel Beams 1873–1952. The new version
of the database also includes all the values published in the 14th
Edition Manual. Basically, the Historical Shapes Database is a
complete list of all shapes recorded by AISC from 1873 to 2010.
Basic Design Values Cards
With the printed copy of the 15th Edition Manual, AISC
has included a separate laminated resource called Basic Design
Values Cards (www.aisc.org/designvaluecards). The four
cards include the most commonly used provisions of the AISC
Specification in an abbreviated “pocket” format (see above for
the first card). This resource can be kept on your desk or in
your field notebook to be used as a reference for back-of-the-
napkin calculations in situations where the available strengths
for members and connections are needed quickly but you don’t
have access to your Manual.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 17
 manualwise

➤ Available compression, flexural and shear

➤

A sample page from Table 6-2.

strength for W-shapes are covered in a new
“Super Table” in the 15th Edition Manual.

Table 6-2 (continued)

Available Strength for Members
Fy = 50 ksi Subject to Axial, Shear,
Fu = 65 ksi Flexural and Combined Forces
W-Shapes W12
W12× Shape W12×
72 65 58 lb/ft 72 65f 58
Pn /Ωc φc Pn Pn /Ωc φc Pn Pn /Ωc φc Pn Mnx /Ωb φbMnx Mnx /Ωb φbMnx Mnx /Ωb φbMnx
Available Compressive Strength, kips Design Available Flexural Strength, kip-ft
ASD LRFD ASD LRFD ASD LRFD ASD LRFD ASD LRFD ASD LRFD
632 949 572 859 509 765 0 269 405 237 356 216 324
606 911 549 825 479 720 6 269 405 237 356 216 324
597 898 540 812 469 705 7 269 405 237 356 216 324
Effective length, Lc , ft, with respect to least radius of gyration, ry ,

587 883 531 798 457 687 8 269 405 237 356 216 324
576 866 521 783 445 668 9 269 405 237 356 215 323
564 847 510 766 431 647 10 269 405 237 356 211 318
550 827 497 747 416 625 11 268 404 237 356 207 312
or unbraced length, Lb , ft, for X-X axis bending

536 806 484 728 400 601 12 265 398 237 356 204 306
521 783 470 707 384 577 13 261 392 233 350 200 301 ➤ Card 1 contains equations
505 759 456 685 367 551 14 257 387 230 345 196 295
489 735 441 663 349 525 15 254 381 226 340 192 289 to calculate the available
472 709 426 640 332 499 16 250 376 222 334 189 283 strength of W-, S-, C-, and
455 683 410 616 314 472 17 246 370 219 329 185 278 MC-shapes in tension, shear,
437 656 393 591 296 445 18 242 364 215 323 181 272
419 629 377 567 278 418 19 239 359 212 318 177 266 flexure and compression.
401 602 360 542 261 392 20 235 353 208 313 173 261 ➤ Card 2 provides equations
364 547 327 492 227 341 22 228 342 201 302 166 249 for determining the avail-
328 493 294 442 194 292 24 220 331 194 291 158 238
292 440 262 394 165 249 26 213 320 186 280 151 227 able strengths of bolted or
259 389 231 348 143 214 28 205 309 179 269 143 215 welded connections and
226 340 202 304 124 187 30 198 297 172 259 135 203
connected parts.
199 299 178 267 109 164 32 190 286 165 248 125 188
176 265 157 236 96.7 145 34 183 275 158 237 116 174 ➤ Card 3 is similar to Card 1
157 236 140 211 86.3 130 36 176 264 149 224 108 163 except it covers the available
141 212 126 189 77.4 116 38 167 251 139 209 102 153
127 191 114 171 69.9 105 40 157 236 130 196 95.7 144 strength for square, rectan-
115 173 103 155 42 148 223 123 185 90.5 136 gular and round HSS shapes.
105 158 93.9 141 44 140 211 116 175 85.8 129 ➤ Card 4 gives a summary for
96.2 145 85.9 129 46 133 200 110 166 81.6 123
88.3 133 78.9 119 48 127 191 105 158 77.8 117 stability design of structures
81.4 122 72.7 109 50 121 182 100 150 74.3 112 using either the first order,
Properties effective length, or direct
Available Strength in Tensile Yielding, kips Limiting Unbraced Lengths, ft
analysis methods. This card
Pn /Ωt φt Pn Pn /Ωt φt Pn Pn /Ωt φt Pn Lp Lr Lp Lr Lp Lr
632 950 572 860 509 765 10.7 37.5 11.9 35.1 8.87 29.8
also provides a simplified
Available Strength in Tensile Rupture (Ae = 0.75Ag ), kips Area, in.2 method that is based on the
Pn /Ωt φt Pn Pn /Ωt φt Pn Pn /Ωt φt Pn 21.1 19.1 17.0 effective length method.
514 770 465 697 416 624 Moment of Inertia, in.4 The information on these cards
Available Strength in Shear, kips Ix Iy Ix Iy Ix Iy follows the equations in the AISC
Vn /Ωv φv Vn Vn /Ωv φv Vn Vn /Ωv φv Vn 597 195 533 174 475 107
Specification but is presented in
106 159 94.4 142 87.8 132 ry , in.
Available Strength in Flexure about Y-Y Axis, kip-ft 3.04 3.02 2.51
condensed format with fewer vari-
Mny /Ωb φb Mny Mny /Ωb φb Mny Mny /Ωb φb Mny rx /ry ables by incorporating the φ- or
123 185 107 161 81.1 122 1.75 1.75 2.10 Ω-factors and setting the modulus
fShape exceeds compact limit for flexure with Fy = 50 ksi. of elasticity, E, to 29,000 ksi. The
Note: Heavy line indicates Lc /r equal to or greater than 200.

18 JANUARY 2018
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Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 19


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manualwise
➤
The new Manual features several new high-strength materials, including various grades of HSS.
equations for flexure are further condensed
through the use of a shape factor (which is
determined by dividing the plastic section
modulus, Z, by the elastic section modu-
lus, S). All W-, S-, C- and MC-shapes have
shape factors that are greater than or equal
to 1.1. By setting this factor equal to 1.1—
it is used to convert Z to S in the flexural
strength equations—only a single variable
needs to be referenced in order to perform
these calculations.
To further enhance the ease of use, the
strength properties are provided for the
most commonly used grades of material
for W-, S-, C-, MC- and HSS shapes. The
strengths are provided for all grades of
bolts (Groups A, B and C) along with the
E70 weld electrode.
Due to their condensed format, these
cards have limitations and are not intended
to be solely relied upon as a replacement
to the Manual or Specification. Some solu-
tions obtained using the cards may be more
conservative than those provided by the
Specification as a result of some conservative
assumptions integrated into the equations,
while others will provide identical solutions.
In certain situations, the equations on these
design cards may not be applicable, or the
solution may require a modification factor,
so be sure to check the “Related Info” and
the “Notes” sections on the cards.
Interactive References
The AISC website also includes
an updated version of the Interactive
Reference List (available at www.aisc.org/
interactivereferences), a complete list of
all the references found in both the 15th
Edition Manual and 2016 Specification.
AISC members will be able to access all
references published by AISC, including
Design Guides and Engineering Journal,
directly from this page. For non-
AISC references, a link is provided
to the homepage of the entity or the
organization that publishes the reference.
You will find these references are
useful in providing further background
information on a variety of topics found
in the Manual.
Investing in the 15th Edition Manual
and spending time with the various re-
sources will be very beneficial to your de-
signs moving forward. The new provisions
included in the Manual can significantly
reduce the cost and increase the efficiency
of a structure, and these resources are great
guidance tools and references to help you
accurately follow the new provisions. ■
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 economics
REACHING A look at the construction economy

THE PEAK? in 2018 and beyond.

BY JOHN CROSS, PE

ADMIT IT: Your favorite amusement park ride is the roller coaster. lowed by a relatively flat period from 2015 (flat), 2016 (+4%),
If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be a design and construction indus- and 2017 (+6%). It is anticipated that growth in 2018 will be
try professional. More than any other domestic industry, the near 2%, with 2019 flat to slightly decreasing, followed by a
construction industry in the United States is noted for its diz- continuing decrease in 2020, hitting bottom in 2021 and an
zying peaks and rapid drops. Some peaks are higher than others, expansion in 2022. This is not going to be a one of the scarier
some drops are gentler and sometimes it seems as if the car you parts of the roller coaster ride, but only a slight undulation in
are riding in hangs at the top for a while after a long climb. But advance of another climb.
no matter where you are during the ride, there will always be
another climb, another peak and another drop.
The building construction market over the past several years
has been slowly reaching a new peak. The peak we will experi-
ence in 2018 will continue through early 2019 before the roller
coaster heads downhill. The good news is that the drop begin-
ning in mid-2019 will not be the stomach-wrenching drop
experienced in 2008 and 2009, but rather a much more gradual
dip before a new climb begins.
The prime building construction market in the United
States for structural steel is the combination of all nonresi-
dential building construction and residential construction five
stories and greater. When measured in square footage of con-
struction starts, the highest peak for this segment of the overall
construction market since 1970 was in 2000, with 1.87 billion
sq. feet of building construction starts; 2006 came close, with
at 1.77 billion sq. ft. The lowest level of construction starts
occurred in 2010 at just 0.68 billion sq. ft. The fastest drop
occurred between 2008 and 2009, with the market decreasing
in volume by 45%, while the sharpest climb occurred between
1983 and 1984, with the market increasing by 20%.

Bouncing Back
Following the low point of the Great Recession (2010) the One of the features of a roller coaster is that you can’t see
market rebounded quickly, with climbs of 8% in 2011, 15% in what’s coming until you go over the top of the peak. The same
2012, 16% in 2013 and 17% in 2014. These increases were fol- could be said of the construction market. The predictions
regarding 2018 and the years beyond are just that—predictions.
But just like you might have a sense of the what’s at the bottom
John Cross (cross@aisc.org) of the next drop on a roller coaster—based on your memory
is AISC’s vice president of of what the ride looked like when you got in line, a sense of
special projects. what the designer might have been trying to accomplish and
the screams of the riders that preceded you—there are indi-
cators of what may happen next in the building construction
market. Likewise, our view of 2018 and beyond is currently
being driven by the cyclical nature of construction, the balance
between nonresidential and residential construction, supply
and demand fundamentals, the labor market, the political cli-
mate and the overall economy.

22 JANUARY 2018
 economics
Building Construction Starts 1970 to 2022
2.0

1.8
Billions of Square Feet

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017P
2018P
2019P
2020P
2021P
2022P
The roller coaster ride that is building construction.

Peak to Peak Changing Balance

The building construction market is cyclical, with peak-
to-peak cycles ranging from 8 to 10 years. The last peak was
in 2007, which would indicate that a new peak (followed by a
downturn) is drawing near. Several real estate developers have
speculated that this cycle will be slightly longer than the typi-
cal cycle because of 1) the depth of the trough in 2010 and 2)
the more disciplined approach to building construction that
has been evident ever since. This will probably result in push-
ing out the next peak until the late 2019/early 2020 time frame.
There has been much discussion regarding the peak of 2007
and whether that peak actually short-circuited a normal down-
turn, resulting in a deeper dip in 2010. There is little debate
that the overall economy was super-heated in the years leading
up to 2007 by the excesses of what led to the financial crisis,
particularly with respect to loaned dollars flowing to consum-
ers through equity financing. This did ratchet up construction
activity and resulted in an overbuilt market.
The rebound in building construction activity since 2010
has been driven by activity in the multi-family apartment mar-
ket, particularly in the segment of that market that is five stories
and above; a similar growth has not occurred in the single-fam-
ily residential market. This increase in multistory residential
construction was the result of a reticence on the part of buyers
due to the recent losses in home value, high debt levels among
college graduates and a preference among Gen-Xers to live
in urban rather than suburban or rural areas. In 2010, at the
lowest point of the recession, multistory residential construc-
tion comprised only 5.4% (41 million sq. ft) while by 2015 it
represented 22.9% (264 million sq. ft) of the overall building
market. Since 2015, the volume of multistory residential con-
struction has plateaued and is beginning to decline. At the same
time, nonresidential construction is expanding. This trade-off
between multistory residential and nonresidential construction
will result in the overall market remaining flat to slightly rising
over the next two years.
This slowing of multistory residential construction is the pre-
dictable result of a changing balance between supply and demand.
The construction market moves through four phases in response
to imbalances in supply and demand, which are best measured by
the interaction between vacancy and rental rates. When vacancy
rates are increasing and rents are falling (or rising less than the
rate of inflation) construction activity is falling during a reces-
sional period. A recovery begins at the point where vacancies
start to decline and rents are still stagnant or falling, providing
the basis for future expansion of construction activity. As rental
rates begin to increase faster than the rate of inflation and vacan-
cies are still decreasing, construction activity accelerates in a
period of expansion. But as with all expansions, the momentum
of construction activity drives the marketplace in an oversupply
condition where the vacancy rate increases even as rents increase.
It is during the times of expansion and oversupply that the great-
est level of construction activity occurs. In today’s market, all of
the major construction segments are in either an expansion or
an oversupply situation. Apartments, condominiums and manu-
facturing facilities are in a state of oversupply, while office and
retail/warehouse construction is still in a period of expansion.
Over the next two years, it is anticipated that all of these sec-
tors will move past the oversupply condition and experience
increasing vacancy rates and slowing increases of rental rates,
signaling a recessional status.
Labor Availability
Expansion of construction activity depends on the availability
of a skilled labor force. Recent surveys conducted by the Associ-
ated General Contractors (AGC) have indicated that both gen-
eral and specialty contractors are finding it increasingly difficult
to hire workers and fill open positions. As of the end of October,
the unemployment rate cited by government officials was 4.1%.
This rate (U3) measures the percentage of unemployed workers
actively seeking employment. The other unemployment rate (U6),
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 23
 economics
struction activity. The current unsettled political climate in
Washington, D.C., and across the country has slowed progress
Retail/Warehouse on proposals related to construction. The infrastructure plan,
Manufacturing which was supported in various forms by both parties, is now
Office bogged down behind other legislative issues. States are wres-
Hotels

O
n tling with deficits, pension funding and growing infrastructure
io

ve
ns

r
su
demands. Probably the only bright spot with respect to pub-
pa

Apartments

pp
Ex

Increasing Peak Construction

licly funded projects scheduled to start in 2018 will be school

ly
Activity
Rents construction funded through local referendums, particularly in
Decreasing California, Texas, Colorado and Washington.
n
Re

sio
co

s
ce
ve

Economic Growth
Re
ry

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the U.S. is expected to

Decreasing
Vacancies
which stands at 7.9%, measures the percentage of unemployed
workers who are employable. Whenever the U3 rate falls to 4%
or below and the spread between U6 and U3 is less than 4%, it is
considered to be a period of full employment. The United States
is nearing full employment, at which time hiring new employees
becomes difficult. According to the AGC survey, 70% of the firms
surveyed indicated challenges in filling open positions. In today’s
marketplace, there are only 1.1 workers for every open position,
down from 6.5 in 2010, and it currently takes 31 days on average
to fill an open position compared with under 15 in 2009. We have
reached the point at which the availability of workers to support
construction activity expansion is actually limiting that expansion.
Public Projects
As a construction cycle begins to peak and activity moves
lower, it is often publicly funded projects that sustain con-
grow at a 2.6% rate in 2018. While this is an increase over the
2.2% growth experienced in 2017, it still is below the 3% growth
rate that has traditionally accompanied robust expansion of the
Increasing building construction market or the lengthening of a typical
construction cycle. Discussion of GDP growth rates inevitably
raises the question of when the next recession will occur in the
overall U.S. economy. A recession is commonly defined as two
consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. Economists gen-
erally agree that there will be a mild recession lasting only two
quarters at some point over the next three years, but they vary
with respect to when that recession will begin. Some see it begin-
ning in the first half of 2019 while others push it back to the last
half of 2020. In either case, it will occur at about the same time
as the downturn in building construction activity. Also, the 2%
growth anticipated in 2018 will not be uniform across different
project types, as indicated in the below table.
So what’s the bottom line? You made the choice to get on
the building construction roller coaster—and once the ride
begins, it’s impossible to get off. So make sure you are strapped
in, holding on tight and prepared for what lies ahead. The good
news is that the next dip isn’t going to be as dramatic as the last
one, and the climb from the bottom should take the market to
levels above what we saw in 2017. ■

U3 and U6 Unemployment Anticipated 2018 Growth

18.0 by Project Type
Stores 1%
16.0
■ U6 ■ U3 Warehouses 4%
14.0 Offices 6%
Unemployment Rate

12.0 Parking 9%
Manufacturing 3%
10.0 Industrial Flat
8.0 Schools 6%
Hospitals -1%
6.0
Government 3%
4.0 Religious -1%
Arenas 5%
2.0
Misc. Nonresidential 2%
0.0 Hotels -3%
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

Dormitories 1%
Apartments/Condos -10%

24 JANUARY 2018
 technical sessions
networking
product showcase

• 220+ exhibitors
• 4,500 design and It's the premier event
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• 140+ educational seminars in the design and
construction of steel-
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registration opens and bridges.
JANUARY 15

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incorporating the World Steel Bridge Symposium
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Baltimore, Maryland | April 11–13, 2018

Sounds
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www.aisc.org/nascc
 A new art building’s angular, exposed framing
supports, teaches, inspires and memorializes
on a small Midwestern campus.

A New
Angle
ON ART BY ANDREW JOHNSON, PE
Tom Kessler

26 JANUARY 2018
JACKSON DINSDALE was passionate about art. In the theater world, a scrim creates illusions of light and
A studio art major at Hastings College in Hastings, Neb., he shadow, and this is the effect that JDAC’s scrims accomplish
died unexpectedly in 2014 at the age of 21. But his artistic spirit as well. The strategically located scrims overhang the exteri-
now lives on in a state-of-the-art facility that honors his passion ors of the glassblowing and outdoor metal studios, screening
and generous nature. them from the sun and creating changing shadows along the
Funded by his parents, college and community, the new $6.8 ground as the sun moves across the sky. The light diffused
million, 24,600-sq.-ft Jackson Dinsdale Art Center (JDAC) on through the semitransparent metal panels placed over the
the Hastings College campus includes classrooms, galleries steel frames creates a welcoming and open area. By night, they
and studios for glassblowing, metal sculpture, ceramics, draw- are lit from below for a striking effect.
ing, painting, printmaking and photography. In addition, the The west scrim is multifaceted with four planes, the lon-
building is supported by an office suite, permanent collection gest edge running more than 90 ft from the front gallery
storage and a wood shop. and wrapping the corner around the glassblowing studio. It
Steel, glass and brick formed the palette the design team anchors to the building via six unique HSS frames and into
used to bring the school’s vision to life: a building designed a concrete footing in the ground at the corner, overhang-
functionally and mate-
rially to represent the
three primary art in-
struction areas of met-
alworking (steel fram-
ing), ceramics (brick
façade) and glass-
blowing (glass curtain
wall). The interplay
of these elements car-
ries throughout the

Tom Kessler
structure, and struc-
tural steel (110 tons in
all), with its strength,
lightness, durability,
adaptability and vari-
ety made it the only
material to fulfill the
requirements for both
the internal structural
The new 24,600-sq.-ft Jackson Dinsdale Art Center (JDAC) on the Hastings College campus.
skeleton and external
embellishments.

Exposed to Art
JDAC’s superstructure is comprised primarily of wide-flange
steel supported by hollow structural sections (HSS) and wide-
flange steel columns. Infill framing consists of a combination of
wide-flange steel beams and steel joists and HSS frames large
window openings and roof monitors as well as forms diagonal
braces (HSS5×5) to resist wind and seismic loads. As the steel
framing is exposed to view in all locations, order and cleanliness
were imperative to the structural design.
Several additional steel elements envelop the exterior, in-
cluding canopies at four locations and two large “scrim” struc-
tures. The canopies were designed as cantilevered elements,
using pairs of steel channels to create the column and beam,
and a custom bent-plate pan system forms the lid. This sys-
tem is made of ¼-in. sheets bent to a shallow U-shaped panel
with a 16-in.-wide base and 2½-in. verticals at each side. These
elements are placed side by side to create the lid of each can-
opy, and the steel was hot-dip galvanized to resist corrosion.
All these components connect in interesting ways and are left
exposed to create a visually stimulating design that becomes a
learning opportunity for the art students.
ing and shading the openings for three large garage doors
at the glassblowing studio. The east scrim is faceted with
three planes and wraps the building’s south corner (the out-
door metal studio) and rests on the central student entrance
canopy. It creates an inviting entry for students and helps
provide solar diffusion for those working in the indoor and
outdoor metalworking studios.
Andrew Johnson (ajohnson@
td2co.com) is a project engineer
with Thompson, Dreessen and
Dorner, Inc., and was the structural
engineer of record for the Jackson
Dinsdale Art Center project.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 27

 The design team reviewed different options but ultimate-
ly decided on a scrim structure consisting of HSS framing
(HSS6×6×¼ and HSS5×5×¼) arranged in a triangular pattern
that specifically coordinates with the scrim skin. The skin is
3
⁄16-in.-thick perforated steel cut from 4-ft × by 8-ft sheets. At
the beginning of the design stage, each triangular perforated
panel was to be set inside a frame made of steel angle. Those
frames were to be bolted together and then attached to the

Andrew Johnson
Diagram sketches of the scrims.
The steel-supported entrance.
Framing for the west scrim.
Tom Kessler

Infill framing consists of a combination of wide-flange steel beams

and steel joists.
Tom Kessler

28 JANUARY 2018
main structure. To reduce the high cost associated with this costs while resulting in a comparable design to the original idea.
route, it was decided to field weld diagonal HSS3×3×¼ between The exposed nature of the steel system for the JDAC made
the main structural supports and have the perforated panels coordination between the structural engineer and the archi-
mechanically screwed to the tops of the tubes—thus reducing tectural team critical, and this cooperation began at a very

Tom Kessler

The building is named for Jackson Dinsdale, a studio art major at

Hastings College who died unexpectedly at 21.
In the painting studio.

Tom Kessler

Tom Kessler

The scrims are framed with HSS.

Andrew Johnson

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 29

 Andrew Johnson

The scrim framing is covered by semitransparent metal

panels that diffuse sunlight.

Tom Kessler

Tom Kessler

Exposed steel in various spaces in the building.

Tom Kessler

30 JANUARY 2018
 early stage of design. A 3D model, as well
as Rhino and Sketchup models, was con-
tinually shared to understand the complex
geometry of the structure. The 3D models
were also shared with the steel fabricator
to assist with its SDS/2 model and to help
create detailed shop drawings.
Buildings communicate, and JDAC

Tom Kessler
speaks boldly through its design and steel
construction, yet subtly through the influ-
ence of light and shadow. The hope is that
One corner of the building glows like a lantern at night. this artistic building will stand as a memorial
to its namesake and inspire students, staff
The scrim framing was hot-dip galvanized to resist corrosion.
and community for generations. ■
Owner

Tom Kessler
Hastings College, Hastings, Neb.
General Contractor
Hawkins Construction Company, Omaha
Architect
TACKarchitects, Omaha
Structural Engineer
Thompson, Dreessen and Dorner, Inc.,
Omaha
Steel Fabricator and Detailer
Kully Pipe and Steel Supply, Inc.,
Hastings

OWNERS, CONTRACTORS AND IRONWORKERS:

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Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 31

 BIG GAIN
for the Little River BY JONATHAN HISEY, PE

A plate-girder scheme was the only feasible option to

replace a small county bridge over the Little River in
Oklahoma’s southeastern-most county.

THE LITTLE RIVER BEGINS in the Ouachita Moun-

Jonathan Hisey (jhisey@mkec.com) is
a transportation engineer and project
manager with MKEC Engineering, Inc.
32 JANUARY 2018
tains of southeastern Oklahoma and runs for 130 miles be-
fore entering Arkansas and finally the Red River.
It cuts across southern McCurtain County, Okla., and is
crossed by seven bridges, three of which are owned by the
county. One of these, a structurally deficient single-lane
Parker through-truss, was in poor condition, with a weight
limit of only three tons and a sufficiency rating of 9.4 out
of 100.
Efforts were made to repair the substructure, but the
condition of the truss eventually caused the Oklahoma De-
partment of Transportation (ODOT) to close the bridge to
all traffic in 2014. Temporary bridge options were investi-

The bridge has span lengths of 100 ft, 237 ft and 100 ft.
gated, but the locally available bridge was too short and pur-
chasing a temporary bridge was deemed too expensive. The clo-
sure created an 18-mile detour that was a major inconvenience
to commuters, school buses, and local farmers and ranchers
hauling livestock.
As a result, the bridge was slated for replacement as part of
the Oklahoma County Improvements for Roads and Bridges
(CIRB) program, which is overseen by the Local Government
Division of ODOT. The design of the new bridge began with
an initial three-span configuration of 120 ft, 160 ft and 120 ft,
composed of simple-span plate girders.
Manhattan Road & Bridge
Endangered Species and Schedules
However, significant construction challenges were encoun-
tered during the preliminary environmental clearance process.
The Leopard Darter, an endangered species of fish, and several
endangered species of mussels were present in the river, which
would complicate and lengthen the time needed to obtain per-
mits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their consul-
tation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Based on previ-
ous experience, the consultation process was expected to take
two to three years.
The engineer of record, county commissioner and environ-
mental consultant met with ODOT staff to figure out how to ac-
celerate the timetable for replacement. It was determined that if
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 33
 Jonathan Hisey

Girder depth was limited to 6 ft to fit

Jonathan Hisey

within the proposed roadway profile,

and also to allow for the low beam
elevation to clear the 25-year event
water surface elevation.

all construction activities were performed

outside of the Ordinary High Water Mark
(OHWM) of the river, the federal nexus of
oversight, consultation and review would
be greatly reduced—which in turn would
reduce the wait from years to months.
In order to move all construction activ-
ity outside the OHWM, the piers of the
proposed bridge were moved outside the
two-year water surface elevation. The end
spans were sized to be long enough to cre-
ate a total bridge length that would meet the
hydraulic requirements necessary for the
county road. Once the hydraulic design was
analyzed, the structural team settled on final
span lengths of 100 ft, 237 ft and 100 ft.

Preferred Plate
Most county bridges in Oklahoma are
built using standardized prestressed con-
crete beam designs specifically developed
Jonathan Hisey

by ODOT for county roads. However, giv-

en the span lengths and the remote location,
the use of continuous parallel-flange steel
plate girders was really the only option for
the superstructure. The typical section of
the bridge consisted of four girders on 9-ft,
2-in. centers, a 32-ft clear roadway, 8-in.-
thick deck and an ODOT TR3 concrete
traffic rail. The project, whose total cost
was just over $4 million, used nearly 400
tons of structural steel.

The entire bridge was completed by

December 2016, and the 2,500 ft of
approach roadway was completed in
January 2017 and immediately opened
for traffic.
34 JANUARY 2018
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 Girder depth was limited to 6 ft to fit within the proposed
roadway profile that had already been designed, and also to al-
low for the low beam elevation to clear the 25-year event wa-
ter surface elevation. This created a span to depth ratio of 39.5,
which is greater than the minimum ratio of 37 recommended
in Chapter 2 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifica-
tions; this depth limitation did cause the flanges to be slightly
wider than would have occurred with a deeper section. Ulti-
mately, 24-in.-wide flanges with thicknesses ranging from 1 in.
to 2½ in. were selected for the design. With a girder-spacing
to girder-depth aspect ratio of 1.5, K-type cross-frames were
used and spaced at approximately 25-ft centers.
The customary design practice for continuous girders nor-
mally uses end span lengths that are approximately 80% of the
center span length. The Little River Bridge end span lengths
are almost half of that, at only 42% of the center span length.
The NSBA Steel Bridge Design Handbook (www.aisc.org/nsba)
states that for bridges using integral abutments, end span
lengths of less than 60% of an adjacent interior span are eco-
nomically feasible with the use of integral abutments.
With this in mind, integral abutments were chosen for
three reasons. First, the abutment would act as a counter-
weight. While there was no dead load uplift, some uplift
would occur under the design live load. Second, integral abut-
ments are simpler and less expensive to construct compared
to conventional abutments. Third, expansion joints, which
are prone to leaking and are maintenance problems, would be
eliminated at the abutments.
Since most integral abutment bridges in Oklahoma are typi-
cally limited to 300 ft in length, a literature review was done to
ensure proper detailing and design of the connection between
the girders and the abutment. The girders were analyzed for
both simple and fully fixed support conditions at the abutment,
and shear connectors were designed for the web at the end of
the girders to ensure proper connection to the concrete abut-
ment diaphragm. Holes were also detailed through the web
to allow reinforcing steel in the abutment diaphragm to pass
A typical cross-section view between the four girders.
through. Bearing assemblies at the abutments consisted of
1-in.-thick plain elastomeric pads with 15⁄8-in.-diameter anchor
bolts passing through the bottom flange.
Per traditional continuous girder design practices, field
splice locations were located at points of dead load contraflex-
ure. However, due to the small end-span to center-span ratio,
the contraflexure location in the end spans were approximate-
ly 20 ft from the abutment. Therefore, two field splices were
placed in the center span 45 ft from both piers, with optional
field splices located 67 ft from each end of the girder. The sole
purpose of the optional field splices was to shorten field sec-
tions of the girders for shipping.
Staying Above Water
Since all construction activity would be prohibited below
the OHWM, no cranes or equipment of any kind would be al-
lowed between the piers. Before bridge design had progressed
too far, two bridge contractors in Oklahoma were consulted on
the feasibility of construction, given these constraints.
Two options were considered: using one large crane or using
a barge in conjunction with several smaller cranes. The barge
option was ruled out due to the exclusion of activity below the
OHWM, the difficulty of launching a barge within the environ-
mental constraints and the water level of the river. The contrac-
tor chose not to use the optional field splices, resulting in three
equal 146-ft sections for each girder. While most cranes used in
Oklahoma bridge construction range from 100 tons to 250 tons,
the larger crane size was needed to place the 30.5-ton center sec-
tions while also reaching out nearly 165 ft for the furthest lift. A
quote from a local crane service was obtained, and it was esti-
mated that a 500-ton crane with a 140-ft reach would be needed
to place the center section of the girder. Construction of the new
bridge was awarded to Manhattan Road and Bridge in January
2016, but was slowed by spring rains and significant flooding on
river, which delayed girder erection until late summer. To place
the center section, Manhattan used an 818-ton Liebherr LTM
1750-9.1 mobile crane with a luffing jib.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 35
 End-of-girder detail. An elevation view The project uses nearly 400 tons
of the crossing. of structural steel.

Jonathan Hisey

36 JANUARY 2018
 A luffing jib, while reducing the ultimate lift capacity, was Owner
required to gain the required lifting radius. While placing the McCurtain County, Okla.
furthest girder, the crane was operating at nearly 93% of lifting General Contractor
capacity. This required extensive safety precautions, since a lift Manhattan Road and Bridge, Tulsa, Okla.
exceeding 75% of a crane’s capacity is classified as an OSHA
Designer
Critical Lift.
MKEC Engineering, Inc., Oklahoma City
Girder erection was completed by the beginning of Septem-
ber 2016, and the entire bridge was completed by December. Steel Team
The 2,500 ft of approach roadway was completed in January Fabricator
2017 and immediately opened for traffic—a big success for this W&W | AFCO Steel, Little Rock, Ark.
important crossing over the Little River. ■ Detailer
ABS Structural Corporation, Melbourne, Fla.

An elevation view of the plate girders.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 37

 Functional
FOLDS
BY JONATHAN L. BAYREUTHER, PE, AND JONATHAN HAMANN

An angular glass and steel pavilion brings a spot of ground-level

lightness to the towering density of central Boston.

RISING NEXT TO CONGRESS STREET

Jonathan Bayreuther in the heart of Boston’s Financial District, a
(jbayreuther@mcsal. plate steel and glass prism seems to have been
com) is a senior pushed from the earth.
project manager with The project serves as a new entry pavilion
McNamara Salvia and for 100 Federal Street, a 591-ft-tall office build-
Jonathan Hamann ing that opened in 1971 and is defined by its
(jhamann@cives.com) angled design near the base. The final form of
is a senior project the pavilion, known as The Exchange at 100
manager with Cives Federal Street, is the result of a highly collabor-
Steel Company—New ative, iterative design process with a clear focus
England Division. on design intent while also balancing cost and
constructability.

38 JANUARY 2018
 The new steel-framed entry pavilion for 100 Federal Street, a 591-ft-tall office
building that opened in 1971 and features several floors protruding out over the
street near the base.

Perkins+Will Perkins+Will

Inspired by Paper
Initially visualized with a folded piece of graph paper, the de-
sign intent was clear (and angular): a sharply faceted form with
an exposed steel structure. A series of conceptual working ses-
sions between architect Perkins+Will and structural engineer
McNamara·Salvia yielded multiple options for steel piece siz-
ing and shapes, including W-shapes, hollow structural sections
(HSS), built-up boxes and cable-trusses. However, none of these
options could be cost-effectively sized for the 75-ft main spans
and still achieve the architectural vision of narrow members (less
than 6 in. wide) with sharp edges. Leveraging a longstanding re-
lationship with Cives Steel Company’s Augusta, Maine, facility,
McNamara·Salvia reached out for pricing and size guidance on
a new, simpler idea. Cives presented a design using solid plate
members with exposed bolted connections and this approach
became the design language for the entire exposed volume.
Though not as efficient as rolled W-shapes or HSS, sol-
id-plate steel was able to meet the desired look where these
other options could not. And while the built-up shape option
was viable from an aesthetic standpoint, the solid-plate design
was significantly lower in terms of fabrication costs. While it
did present a structural stability challenge in that the plates
required frequent lateral bracing, this problem was solved by
adding sufficient additional steel bracing plates and matching
the panel spacing of the curtainwall system, thereby eliminating
additional aluminum mullions in the process.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 39

 1. 5 ft × 15 ft
GRID
3. FOLD
Once the decision to use solid plate steel shapes was made,
the next question to answer was clear: Field weld or bolt? The
answer would have significant cost and erection time impli-
cations. With input from Cives, McNamara·Salvia proposed
a concept for using a simple double shear plate, slip-critical
connection, located at the inflection point of each plate. The
owner (Boston Properties) was amenable to having exposed
connections, and after some compromising on splice location
to provide uniformity, Perkins+Will was on board as well. The
bolted connections allowed stubs and tabs as needed to be shop
welded, providing connections sized to meet shear and mo-
ment demands, and reduced field-welded splices to just a few
locations. To increase uniformity, only 30 connection arrange-
ments were used for the nearly 300 plate-to-plate connections.
In some cases, slightly larger plates than strictly required by
design were used to reduce noticeable differences in adjacent
connections. In other cases, bolt diameters were increased to
reduce bolt quantity. In addition to the loading requirements,
the typical plate-to-plate connection also accommodated a pen-
etration for a sprinkler supply line and electrical conduit. A full-
40 JANUARY 2018
2. TRIM +
CREASE
fo
FOld
LD
fFoOld
LD
scale wood mockup of a typical connection, including bolts, was
built and painted for review and later used in checking sprinkler
and conduit runs.
After finalizing steel member shapes and connections, the
last piece of the design development puzzle was optimizing
steel tonnage. The main volume slopes from 35 ft tall up to
50 ft and leans over 10 ft at the “prow” in two directions, in
addition to changing width from 75 ft down to 35 ft. The
geometry resulted in significant variation in steel depth and
thickness requirements.
As a baseline tonnage, the structure was optimized with min-
imum depth and thickness for all pieces. From there, depths and
thicknesses were adjusted with architectural input to limit no-
ticeable jumps in depth or thickness between adjacent members.
Thickening of the main members was avoided as much as pos-
sible, since ¼ in. of added thickness on the deepest 28-in. main
rib plate would add one ton of steel. The adjustments resulted
in a tonnage increase of less than 10% over baseline, and cost
increases were mitigated by limiting the bracing plates to just
three depths and thicknesses to allow for repetition.
4. FOLD
5. HINGE
6. PULL
PROW
From All Angles
The exposed, mitered shop connections, and the fact that
the steel would serve as the curtainwall mullions, meant that
many small tweaks to the steel geometry were required be-
fore finalizing the steel locations and orientations. Typically, a
detailer would begin the modeling process with fully dimen-
sioned drawings and a Revit model from the architect and engi-
neer, but the team realized that the typical document issuance
would significantly slow down production of the shop draw-
ings. To simplify the workflow, the structural drawings provided
member sizes, but member locations were determined solely
through 3D model coordination.
A Revit model was issued by McNamara·Salvia with mem-
ber sizes and approximate member positions. Perkins + Will
simultaneously supplied a precise Rhinoceros model of the cur-
tainwall system and mitered steel joints, which was imported
through Revit into the SDS/2 steel model. Cives then located
and oriented all plate members to accurately maintain the 53⁄8-
in. offset required by the curtainwall system. Where the vertical
rib members were not oriented perpendicular to the plane of
fold
FOLD
The design was initially visualized
with a folded piece of graph
paper, the design intent became
clear (and angular): a sharply
faceted form with an exposed
steel structure.
fFoOlLdD
HINGE
hin ge
PULL
pull
graphics on this spread
courtesy of Perkins+Will
A Note on the Prismatic Form
The pavilion at 100 Federal Street is a prismatic form that
subtly echoes the angular geometry of the building from
which it grows, unfolding from the tower’s base to en-
velop a triangular site and reaching toward Boston’s Post
Office Square Park. Its faceted glass and metal surface
alternates between reflecting the sky, the street and the
park, and revealing the life inside the building. The pat-
tern of the skin and structure, a simple 5-ft by 15-ft grid
synchronized with the tower, is manipulated like a sheet
of graph paper that has been folded, producing an ener-
getically directional skin. Articulating the structure in sol-
id plate steel gives this skin a depth that baffles daylight
and views, and that can appear simultaneously heavy
and light as one moves around it. The detailing of the
exposed steel structure emphasizes the continuity of the
folded surface while integrating structural connections
and essential building components such as lighting, fire
protection and curtainwall support into a unified system.
—Matthew Pierce, Senior Project Designer/
Senior Associate, Perkins+Will
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 41

A splice sketch.
the glass, this required chamfering the outside plate edge paral-
lel to the glass plane.
Creating 2D shop drawings from the 3D model proved to
be a difficult task for even an experienced detailer. The main rib
plates, particularly on the east and north walls, required up to
five 24-in. × 36-in. drawings to fully illustrate the dimensions
and bevels needed for assembly. The most complex assemblies
were detailed with each main plate on a separate drawing, and
the main assembly drawing then detailed the exact bevels for
each connecting plate. All of the joints between rib plates were
welded with complete joint penetration welds.
Even with multiple shop drawings and dozens of section
views per piece, it was often necessary to consult the SDS/2
model during fit-up of the rib plate assemblies via 3D PDFs
that were loaded on the QA inspectors’ tablets. These digital
views could be zoomed and rotated to enhance understanding
of difficult joints and geometries. In a number of instances, a
42 JANUARY 2018
J. Ba
yreut
her
Jon Hamman
A complex rib plate assembly in the shop.
custom steel jig was modeled and fabricated to maintain mem-
ber positions during fit-up and welding.
As all of the pavilion steel would be architecturally exposed
structural steel (AESS) in the final condition, great care was
taken to maintain the crisp, square edges of the plates. Groove
welds were of the highest quality and were not required to be
ground smooth. Shop splices, where necessary, were typically
full-penetration welds, and these welds were ground smooth so
as to become invisible in the finished member. A table of AESS
requirements specifying only those items that would have sig-
nificant visual impact in the final condition for each piece was
included in the contract documents to reduce AESS costs and
ensure the correct levels were applied to the specified pieces.
Proper Position
The main rib plates form the main lateral load resisting
system for the pavilion. As such, the structure was not self-
 Fabricator Cives’ approach, using solid
plate members with exposed bolted con-
nections, became the design language
for the entire exposed volume.

J. Bayreuther
supporting during erection. Field-bolted
connections simplified fieldwork and re-
duced erection time, but the angular shape
still required extensive shoring and bracing
for stability until fit-up was complete. The
erection engineer, using the SDS/2 model
and proposed erection sequences, analyzed
the potential wind loads on the structure
based on the portion of the structure that
would be erected by the end of each day of
the anticipated six-week erection schedule.
Shoring towers with custom-made cradles
supported the main rib plates at the roof,
while a lattice of ½-in.-diameter cables se-
cured to the grade-level slab provided lat-
eral bracing.
In order to maintain the proper position
and elevation of each of the main rib plates
during erection, nearly 150 survey points
were stamped onto the outside edge of the
wall and roof rib plates during fabrication.
An erection drawing provided X, Y and Z
coordinates to each of these points from
a project control point for verification in
real time as each piece was installed by the
raising gang. The as-built tolerance for
support of the curtainwall mullions was
limited to 3⁄8 in. in any direction (includ-
ing all fabrication and erection tolerances).
Only minor adjustments to the plates were
J. Bayreuther

required just ahead of glass installation.

At once bold and yet naturally fitting into
its surroundings, the angular steel structure
of the pavilion at 100 Federal Street show-
As all of the pavilion steel would be AESS in the final condition, great care was taken
cases how steel in its simplest form can lend to maintain the crisp, square edges of the plates.
dynamism and life to the built environ-
The framing required extensive shoring and bracing for stability until fit-up was complete.
ment—and also serves as a model for cre-
ative collaboration in integrating the design
and construction teams. ■
Owner
Boston Properties
Construction Manager
Turner Construction Company
Architect
Perkins + Will, Boston
Structural Engineer
Jon Hamman

McNamara Salvia, Boston

Connection Design/
Erection Engineering
Meyer Borgman Johnson
Steel Fabricator
Cives Steel Company—
New England Division

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 43

 Centered on
INNOVATION
Facilitated by the successful connection of new and existing
steel framing, the Pennovation Center
reboots an industrial neighborhood
adjacent to the University
of Pennsylvania’s
campus.

BY ANGELA FANTE, PE

ONE OF THE NATION’S oldest and most prestigious uni-
versities has made it a mission to bridge the intellectual with
the entrepreneurial, with the goal of advancing knowledge and
generating economic development.
The focal point of this effort is the 58,000-sq.-ft Pennovation
Center, a newly renovated flagship building on the University of
Pennsylvania’s 23-acre Pennovation Works research development
site, located across the Schuylkill River from the school’s main cam-
pus in West Philadelphia. With the vision of creating affordable
laboratory and technology incubator space for recent Penn gradu-
ates and other promising start-ups, the university tasked the design
team with creating an iconic, anchor building to attract innovators.
Specifically, the charge was to renovate and add onto the existing
building, the former home of a DuPont paint testing facility. The
overall goal for this growing innovation ecosystem is to “bring to-
gether the university’s researchers with the private sector and start-
ups, to foster discoveries, entrepreneurship and new alliances and
generate economic development for the region.”

44 JANUARY 2018
 Angela Fante

The 58,000-sq.-ft Pennovation Center was built as a

new flagship building on the University of Pennsylvania’s
Pennovation Works research development site.

©Michael Moran/OTTO
Angela Fante (afante@ballinger.com)
is an associate principal and chief
Bridging Past and Future structural engineer with Ballinger.
Structured in the classic Philadelphia factory style,
the original circa-1953 building consists of a concrete-
encased steel-framed structure with 11-ft by 22-ft column
grids and a combination of one-way concrete, steel plate
and precast plank floor systems. Although the existing
frame’s gravity load system was robust, no apparent lat-
eral system existed beyond the repetitive beam-to-column
shear connections.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 45

 Angela Fante

Structural engineer Ballinger developed a framing

concept comprised of a series of diagonal compression
props/columns with corresponding tension ties at the
floor levels (or vice versa) in order to minimize the new
structure’s weight and depth.
Angela Fante

To provide the iconic design desired by Penn, Mat-

©Michael Moran/OTTO
The angular nature of the addition created unique interior spaces.
Custom gusset plate connection plan details and sections were
provided at each of the 28 distinct connection points.
Angela Fante
thias Hollwich, principal with HWKN Architects, called for
the transformation of the existing industrial building into a
focal point, with a faceted northern façade that “bursts from
the existing building.” Reaching toward the university’s main
campus to the north, the goal of the illuminated façade was
to serve as both “a beacon for the center and the interface
where invention meets business.” Architecturally, this vi-
sion manifested itself into a random, geometrically complex,
glass-enclosed north addition, housing a “pitch” presentation
bleacher, conference rooms, event space and offices.
A highly complex framing system was called for to
bring the design vision to life, with the requirement that
the same thickness of existing horizontal banding, creat-
ed by the existing perimeter concrete-encased steel floor
beams, be carried northward into the “bursting” north ad-
dition. No beams deeper than 10 in. deep were permitted
to frame the entire north addition, which was to appear to
cantilever 32 ft at its longest point.
On a tight schedule and strict budget, Ballinger’s struc-
tural engineers had to issue an early structural steel and
foundation package 2½ months after the building was hand-
ed over to the construction manager for interior demolition.
No drawings of the existing structure were available, aside
from the foundation plan and first-floor framing plan, thus
requiring extensive field survey in a short amount of time.

Diagonal Design
Rather than rely on heavy, deep cantilevered members to
frame the north addition, Ballinger developed a lightweight
framing concept of maximum W10×33 wide-flange floor
members, and HSS8×8 vertical and diagonal members to
frame the north addition. These members were arranged
as a series of vertical and diagonal compression props/col-
umns with corresponding tension ties at the floor levels (or
vice versa) in order to minimize the new structure’s weight
and depth. Twenty-eight distinct connection nodes exist:
seven column bays wide by four floor levels high. Each of
46 JANUARY 2018
 ©Michael Moran/OTTO
Structured in the classic Philadelphia

Angela Fante
factory style, the original circa-1953
building consists of a steel-framed
structure with 11-ft by 22-ft
column grids.

the seven new column line elevations were

analyzed separately to determine the magni-
tude of compression or tension in each floor
member or prop. Then, depending on the
location, magnitude and direction of new

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 47

 loads, new wide-flange horizontal in-plane

THE PROVEN bracing was inserted within the footprint of

the existing structure, where the new struc-

STEEL BRIDGE ture connected to the existing columns, in

order to push or drag the new point loads
into the existing floor planes.
DESIGN SOLUTION The horizontal in-plane bracing is in
turn laced back to new diagonally vertical
braced frames inserted full-height into the
existing building. One of these three new
braced frames is exposed to view as part of
the raw, industrial interior aesthetic while
the other two are hidden within solid walls.
At the base of the three braced frames, the
FREE tension forces imposed by the new addition
15-DAY accumulate into several hundred kips of
net vertical uplift. The bases of the braced
TRIAL* frames are encased in 22-ft-long by 30-in.-
*see website thick, full-basement-story-height ballast
for details
walls, with uplift column base anchor rods.
The structural drawings for the north ad-
The leading software package dition were produced in 2½ months—again,
for designing and rating curved with the design phase beginning on the date
and straight steel girder bridges. that the contractor was allowed access to the
building to begin interior demolition, and
Used by Many State DOTs and Top Design Firms finishing with the issue of contract docu-
ments 10 weeks later. Custom gusset plate
(573) 446-3221 Q www.mdxsoftware.com Qinfo@mdxsoftware.com connection plan details and sections were
provided at each of the 28 field surveyed
connection points to allow the compression
or tension force to be transferred directly
into the new network of in-plane horizon-
tal braces. The project would not have been
possible using any other structural material,
as concrete would have been too heavy and
thick, and wood or cold-formed metal fram-
ing would not have met the load demands.
The Pennovation Center was com-
pleted in 2016 and has become an iconic
feature in the neighborhood with its “dis-
rupted” glass façade. Many of the labs and
office spaces are leased, with additional
fit-out space coming online soon, and the
facility continues to be a popular place to
hold events for many organizations. ■
Owner
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
General Contractor
Hunter Roberts Construction Group,
Philadelphia
Architects
HWKN, New York (Design)
KSS Architects, Philadelphia
(Architect of Record)
Structural Engineer
Ballinger, Philadelphia
Fabricator, Erector and Detailer
Steel Suppliers Erectors, Inc.,
Wilmington, Del.

48 JANUARY 2018
 Hot dog!
You’ll be as happy as a dog with two tails
with your very own copy
of the 15th Edition Steel Construction Manual!

Updates for this edition include:

• New heavier W-shape sizes and larger
HSS, pipe and angle sizes
• A new all-in-one “super table” that gives
the available compressive, flexural, shear
and tension strengths for W-shapes
• W-shape column tables for 65- and
70-ksi steel
• HSS design tables updated to higher
strength ASTM A500 Grade C steel
• Updated coped beam strength design
procedure

And of course, the Manual includes print

versions of current steel standards:
• ANSI/AISC 360-16, Specification for
Structural Steel Buildings
• ANSI/AISC 303-16, Code of Standard
Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges
• 2014 Specification for Structural
Joints Using High-Strength Bolts from
the Research Council on Structural
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There’s always a solution in steel. www.aisc.org/publications
American Institute of Steel Construction
800.644.2400
312.670.2400 www.aisc.org
 OPTIMIZED
Ordering BY LUKE FAULKNER

We all know that steel makes construction projects run more smoothly for
designers and builders. But the material ordering process can be cumbersome
for fabricators and others in the steel supply chain. Luckily, there’s an easy
way to make that part of the project run more smoothly too.

TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS EVERYTHING. That much ➤ Availability inquiry

is clear.
From an industry standpoint, it’s easy to point to areas that
can be improved by a broader, smarter application of technology.
It’s far more difficult to pinpoint the areas that are the most
behind and stand to benefit the most from a little added technol-
ogy. In that sense, e-commerce stands out as a painfully obvious
part of the equation that can benefit from a technology boost.
Several years ago, AISC decided to undertake an effort to
improve the efficiency of the structural steel procurement cycle
via e-commerce. The effort was branded as steelXML (XML
is short for eXtensible Markup Language, the language that
supports communications between different purchasing and
procurement systems). Initially, the idea sounded complicated
but in reality, it was rather straightforward; data would need to
move back and forth between systems that may not communi-
cate easily, so the intent was to create a neutral platform that
everyone could use to bridge that gap.
Waste Not
The case for steelXML is simple: As an industry, we waste
thousands and thousands of man-hours by manually enter-
ing procurement data and combing through it for errors.
We waste additional thousands of hours fixing and clarifying
these errors, not to mention the uncounted opportunity costs
of having employees do manual data entry on quotes as op-
posed to value-added activities. A more direct, digital platform
would have the potential to save thousands of hours across the
structural steel industry.
The steelXML development team identified ten critical
transactions in the overall procurement process that have the
most benefit and cover virtually every need:
➤ Request for quotation
➤ Purchase order
➤ Order status
➤ Advance ship notice
➤ Material test report
➤ Invoice
➤ Payment
➤ Sustainability information
➤ Bill of lading
steelXML is neither software nor is it expensive. steelXML
is an XML schema—simply put, a common way to organize (al-
phanumeric) data so that two different systems can communi-
cate. (You can download this schema for free at www.aisc.org/
steelxml.) The “cost” involved with steelXML is in deciding
whether to implement it.
And there’s a good chance you’ll need to at some point—
perhaps soon. E-commerce is tricky to disseminate, a lot like a
fax machine; no one particularly needs it until they need it. That
is to say, no one is at a distinct disadvantage until their com-
petition decides to take advantage of it. Among the industry
team tasked with developing the steelXML schema, there was a
general consensus that the ability to use steelXML must be put
in the hands of the purchasers (in this case, steel fabricators) as
a starting point. On the software side, FabTrol, FabSuite, Stru-
MIS and SteelProjects have all stepped in and offered to im-
plement at least a portion of steelXML’s capabilities into their
respective software packages. Doing this was a major leap of
faith on the part of software developers who were willing to as-
sume that their customers were hungry for added efficiency. It’s
a critical first step in opening up the supply chain to steelXML
and the efficiency it can bring.

50 JANUARY 2018
Recognizing the Benefits
And now, a few years and several iterations of the
schema later, we’re finally seeing steelXML being
deployed. Those that are using it are having success
in eliminating excess man-hours that they’ve been
pouring into procurement. For some, the potential
alone was all it took to begin down the road to using
steelXML. A prominent Midwestern AISC member
fabricator recently offered this accolade: “Since us-
ing steelXML, we have seen a noticeable drop in
shipment errors and have really been able to benefit
from the quote turnaround time.” And Will Stoner,
director of marketing for AISC member service cen-
ter Infra-Metals, noted, “We are seeing a tremen-
dous interest and adoption rate of fabricators willing
to use steelXML. They are really seeing the benefits
and are more than willing to participate.”
So how are companies doing this and what are
they doing to get started? It’s as simple as verifying
that your material requirements planning (MRP)
software supports steelXML. Most fabricators with
commercial MRP software will find that their vendor
has implemented at least part of steelXML. (If they
haven’t yet, you should ask them to.) The interface
from program to program will vary slightly, but for
the most part it will already be there for you to use.
From there, finding a willing supplier is the next
step. While steelXML is straightforward, you should
expect to do some testing between your MRP soft-
ware and your steel supplier. Outreach at this point
is critical. A steel supplier needs to see demonstrated
customer demand in order to make steelXML a real-
ity on their end. Without customer demand, suppli-
ers are left with little reason to implement steelXML
since, while the schema is free, there are still costs
involved with implementing it (in terms of program-
ming, implementation and learning curve).

No Going It Alone
E-commerce with one player, though, is not very
useful. In order for our industry to reap the benefits
of steelXML, it will need to be widely distributed
and implemented on the supply side of the struc-
tural steel chain. This is both biggest challenge and
biggest opportunity for any new significant process
change. The industry can develop the schema and
promote the benefits, but in the end market pres-
sure will be what drives the successful implementa- Luke Faulkner (faulkner@aisc.org) is AISC’s
tion of steelXML. director of technology initiatives.
Persistence is key. Suppliers are keenly aware of
customer demand, and customers that are persistent
about their wants and needs tend to be heard. AISC
supplies form letters for those that are trying to con-
vince their suppliers to take advantage of steelXML,
but it’s far more effective to reach out to your sup-
pliers directly, in your own words, and ask them why
they’re not making your life easier and implement-
ing it. There is too much potential for our industry
not to adopt it. ■

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 51

 Safe at
EVERY STAGE BY ALFONSO GONZALEZ
Six safety tips to keep in mind for steel fabrication and erection.
SAFETY IS MORE THAN just following a list of rules or
wearing the right equipment.
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires all employers to provide a safe working en-
vironment for all workers and implement the required safety
standards to reduce workplace injuries; general awareness, lo-
cation-specific insight and common sense can also go a long
way in ensuring a safe environment.
In the steel fabrication industry, where workers are exposed
to processes like metal cutting, welding, bending, assembly and
erection, the potential for injuries can be high—but it certainly
doesn’t have to be that way. The majority of injury cases in fab-
rication shops occur as a result of carelessness, lack of proper
employee training and worker reluctance to follow safety pro-
cedures. But if you address these issues and others, you can help
ensure that your shop is as safe as any workplace.
Here are my top six safety tips to keep in mind during steel
fabrication and erection:
1. Identify Workplace Risks
Risk assessment is considered the first critical step when it
comes to ensuring worker safety. Knowing the potential risks
Alfonso Gonzalez serves as a
consultant for Metal Supply, Inc.,
an AISC member and certified
fabricator in Los Angeles.
52 JANUARY 2018
that can pose safety hazards to workers can help you formulate
an effective safety and health plan while also developing emer-
gency plans in case something unexpected happens. The ulti-
mate goal is to ensure a secure working environment at every
stage of steel fabrication and erection.
Supervisors and safety experts in charge should follow spe-
cific procedures when identifying workplace safety risks, such as:
➤ Determine the workplace or on-site hazards
➤ Identify workers who are most likely to be harmed
and by what means
➤ Weigh up the safety risks and establish solid
safety measures
➤ Document your risk assessment findings
➤ Examine your risk assessment again and revise
if required
It’s important for supervisors and safety experts to consult
with workers to get their insights and day-to-day work expe-
riences. This will go a long way into helping them develop a
more effective workplace and on-site safety plan that ensures
everyone’s safety.
2. Implement Workplace Safety Measures
Steel fabrication and erection involve many different pro-
cesses that need proper care when handling materials and
equipment. It’s crucial that the right safety measures are fol-
lowed for each of these processes. In order to avoid injuries
on the job, it is mandatory to comply fully with OSHA stan-
dards . While most metal fabrication companies and shops
have workplace safety plans in place, few of them implement
them to their fullest extent. But doing so is critical to re-
ducing injuries. A safer working environment helps improve
production operations while also increasing the effective-
ness and efficiency of your employees. As an employer, you
must also ensure that safety guidelines and hazard signs are
easily visible at all times.
 If you don’t already, make an effort to
display all the vital safety signs and infor-
mation within your workplace so you can
remind your workers of the proper safety
procedures to follow when carrying out
their specific tasks. Visible hazard signs can
help you enforce extra caution in certain
steel fabrication and installation processes
so that you can prevent accidental injuries.

3. Provide Proper Employee Training

Every employee must receive proper
training before they start working in a shop
or on a job site. This is critical in ensur-
ing that they perform their duties correctly
and safely. It’s important that employees
also hold relevant certifications that dem-
onstrate knowledge in their areas of exper-
tise and know the right thing to do without
putting themselves at risk of being injured.
Safety training is considered the key driver
in reducing workplace injuries.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 53

 It’s important to develop a simple, ef-
fective and practical safety training pro-
gram that trains your employees on the
best practice policies and the proper use
of metal fabrication tools, systems and
equipment. This is critical in helping
them understand how to handle their
work safely and follow the right storage
procedures for machinery in workshops.
Safety training also introduces to
workers the types of injuries that are
common to their working environ-
ment, informing them of the potential
risks and hazards that they could en-
counter and help them perform their
steel fabrication and erection tasks
more responsibly.
4. Supply Personal Protective
Equipment
Fabrication shops must safeguard their
workers by supplying the right personal
protective equipment to prevent the risk of
injuries, health issues and accidents. Metal
fabrication and erection workers should
always wear protective clothing and gear.
Such clothing includes long-sleeved shirts,
gloves, long pants, safety goggles, ear-
plugs and hard hats or helmets. Wearing

Control
the right safety shoes is also important to
prevent slipping and falling on materials.
Safety-toed shoes are essential to protect
toes from falling objects.
But providing protective clothing and
equipment alone is not enough. Work-
ers must be trained in the proper use of
personal protective equipment, how to
Wherever You Are – Whenever You Need It. identify defects and proper care and stor-
age procedures. Supervisors must ensure
that protective equipment is available to
all workers and follow up to ensure that
every worker is wearing protective gear
as expected.

5. Practice Proper Tool and

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Control of the Project into your hands from any mobile device.
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Equipment Usage
Tool- and equipment-related injuries
are one of the most recorded injury types
in the metal fabrication industry. Before
any employee uses welding equipment,
metal cutting and folding equipment, or
any other equipment, they should learn
the proper way to use it. Improper use
can cause serious injuries. Tools must also
be inspected before being used to ensure
they’re in perfect working condition.
Whether workers are using large com-
mercial-grade machines or simple tools
like metal cutting saws, the right safety
precautions must be followed when using
the tools to prevent accidental injuries. For
instance, wearing loose clothing or jewelry
that can be caught in a machine can eas-
ily cause injuries. In addition, the built-in
safety features of any and all equipment
should be reviewed and understood by
their operators.

6. Perform Regular Inspections

www.fabsuite.com
and Maintenance
To ensure that metal fabrication shops
and job sites are safe, regular inspections
and maintenance procedures must be car-
757.645.0842 info@fabsuite.com ried out to ensure that workers are follow-

54 JANUARY 2018
ing safety procedures as expected. Inspections also help reveal work environment, you can easily prevent injuries. Increased
any faulty machines that need repairs. safety results from considering the issue from all angles, and
Steel fabrication and erection procedures involve several making sure that the various procedures aren’t just understood,
key safety concerns, but by managing the safety risks within the but also followed. ■

Interested in
business development
and making structural steel
the material of choice?

AISC
has a job
for you!

now hiring in
Atlanta Boston
to learn more visit
www.aisc.org/mynextcareer

There’s always a solution in steel.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 55

 conference
preview
THE CHANGING How global modeling
BUSINESS is affecting our world.
CLIMATE
BY JAMES STEVER, JAMES
SCHWARTZ, ANDREW RUFFIN, PE,
AND JOHN OTTINGER

MODEL-BASED DESIGN IS NOTHING NEW, but it’s
perpetually evolving.
Four industry experts from different areas of the steel design
and construction industry share their experience with model-
based workflows and offer their advice on how it can and should
be used moving forward.
James Stever, Detailer
In the 1990s, it was “electronic data interchange” or EDI. In
early 2000s, the new buzz phrase was the now-familiar “build-
ing information modeling” or BIM. Each concept was based
upon the best technologies of the day and promised big pro-
ductivity gains that would lower project costs and make steel
the building material of choice.
While it was an improvement in terms of project commu-
nication—which is always a good thing—in my opinion, it was
still a digital flavor applied to a historical process and did not
deliver the significant cost savings expected. Manufacturers and
detailers were still reviewing information and models that were
static snapshots in time, transmitted via historical communica-
tion channels. This process shifted some of the coordination lia-
bility and cost to downstream players. On the manufacturing side,
modern technologies such as high-speed internet connections
for video conferencing and large file transfer protocols had to be
implemented, along with an exponential increase in electronic
file storage. Additional software support such as Revit, Navis-
works, FabSuite, Procore and other applications were required
to deal with design-side electronic information and downstream
BIM collaboration. As a detailing firm, our costs went up along
with our deliverables, with very little compensation to show for it.
Today, we are hearing the term “global modeling.” How is it
different and what are its implications? From a manufacturing
perspective, global modeling can be defined as: sharing design
and fabrication models for collaborative purposes to the com-
plete integration of design models and associated information
with the manufacturing models for dissemination across all
construction disciplines through erection. (Got it?) This inte-
gration is being brought together in cloud-based technological
solutions that allow for real-time review and collaboration in
lieu of the historical static 2D evaluation.
The implications of global modeling from the manufactur-
ing side are yielding profound results. The approval process, for
example, can now be done in real time, with the comments from
the architect and structural engineer applied to elements in the
consolidated models in lieu of the 2D PDF abstract markups we
have been accustomed to. This allows the detailer to visualize,
isolate and focus on those elements with comments for evaluation.
Elements with no comments can typically be released for fabrica-
tion that same day without the need to sift through hundreds of
2D drawings. In many situations, minor structural changes can
be facilitated with no cost impact. And even if there are costs
involved due to size changes, etc., pixels are much cheaper than

James Stever is president and owner of Virtual Steel Technologies, James Schwartz is Design Data’s software advocate with Nemetscheck,
Andrew Ruffin is a structural engineer with Britt, Peters and Associates and John Ottinger is an architect with VMDO Architects.

56 JANUARY 2018
 A 3D model of Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium at Wofford College. The engineer was able to take advantage of cloud computing and
log in to a remote desktop provided by the steel detailer to open the live detailing model.
physical concrete and steel. Typically, we are realizing a one-half
to two-thirds decrease in approval cycle times, not to mention a
reduction in or even elimination of RFIs that can translate into
costly change orders. This is a significant factor to an owner and
can be the difference between using steel verses concrete.
James Schwartz, Software Developer
It was around 1996 when the company I worked with first
brought a 3D model from a design product into a 3D fabrica-
tion product. Though there were a large number of repairs
required to achieve the required fabrication level, it was still
quite exciting. Since it was a relatively new process, we were
quite forgiving, with the belief that things would only get bet-
ter. Even back then, we were complaining about the quality
of contract drawings that we were receiving and hoped this
process would improve the drawing issue. The early 2000s
brought us from EDI to BIM, and I still have a lot of Modern
Steel articles expounding the virtues of BIM, EDI and VDC
(virtual design and construction). The early adopters were
seeing great gains in communication and RFI reductions. But
even with all of this progress, I still recall conversations with
clients trying to talk them off the ledge due to issues with
importing data from one program to another.
More than two decades later (no flying cars yet!) we are pro-
gressing—and yet still struggling in the transition stages. With
new technologies come new problems. We have seen great gains
between architectural and engineering modeling, as well as with
data-rich federated or collaborative models used for coordinating
the various trades. But we still struggle with the delivery between
the design model and the fabrication model. With all the advance-
ments, software companies still have not completely bridged this
gap—to the point that some larger companies have taken this
upon themselves to improve this process by creating their own
software or plug-ins. We all know the effect of revisions and try-
ing to communicate across the secondary steel. On the fabrication,
detailer and erector side, we are seeing a new struggle with what
governs: the drawings or the model (even though the Code of Stan-
dard Practice says that either can). Though the contract states that
the drawings govern, in a number of cases that I have consulted
with, this is not what is reflected. At best, it can be a hodgepodge
of the two. At this point, I want to express that data is just data,
and for some purposes, 3D may be the best form of communica-
tion—other times, 2D or Excel files suffice. Also, software does not
create communication, it only facilitates it! We tend to become
too dependent on software, trying to replace communication with
software instead of using software as a bridge. Due to this, we find
ourselves in this resolvable dilemma. In my experience and from
some research, it all begins at the beginning.
Years ago, I read a series of Modern Steel articles (“It Doesn’t
Have to Be That Way! Parts 1-3,” January-March 2003, available
at www.modernsteel.com) on communication and bringing all
involved parties together early as possible to create a clear plan
of expectations, which are to be documented—a concept I fully
support. As the saying goes, “Good fences make good neighbors.”
A good BIM execution plan needs to be negotiated, one that
carries all the way through to the fabrication and erection level.
If the engineer is required to provide and maintain a model with
LOD 300 elements, there is a cost that is associated with this.
Concerning LOD (level of development), there is no such thing
as an LOD model, only LOD elements within the model. (See
www.bimforum.org/lod, as well as the article “BIM Execution
Plans” on page 52, for more on this.) In short, clear processes are
required to be set—e.g., which elements in a model are accurate
and what is to be done when the model is deviated from, not
forgetting the erectors that may not have 3D model access.
Andrew Ruffin, Structural Engineer
Most readers of this magazine are familiar with the process
of steel shop drawing review and have likely had nightmares
about receiving multiple copies of huge sets of steel shop draw-
ings. The process of flipping through pages of erection draw-
ings and piece marks—and possibly a connection calculation
package that’s hundreds of pages—has been a dreaded task in
many engineering offices across the country. Transferring, by
hand, each and every comment to the duplicate sets to be sent
to the rest of the team was not only an act of tedium, but also
an opportunity for human error or omission.
The advent of electronic shop drawing review provided a
welcome relief from the task of transferring comments to ad-
ditional sets, but still requires flipping between multiple pages
to find all the information of a connection. When connection
calculations are submitted, the structural engineer of record
(EOR) is also left flipping through hundreds of pages, looking
for a specific connection to verify that the detailer has met the
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 57
 conference preview
3D models for the
Concert Hall at Liberty University.
design criteria. Think of all the time spent during this process
simply looking for information in drawings before that infor-
mation can even be processed and reviewed.
As our industry continues to make advances in 3D model-
ing, clash detection and cloud computing, it only makes sense
that the steel shop drawing review process should evolve as well.
Many architects and structural engineers have already made
the switch to BIM and are building intelligent 3D models that
are accurate enough for most coordination. While many steel
detailers have been building and using their own 3D models for
years, they rarely have the luxury of starting from the structural
model. The process of representing the 3D structural model in
2D drawings, then having the steel detailer turn 2D drawings
into a 3D model—to then put back into 2D drawings for shop
drawing review—creates a duplication of work that does not
make sense in today’s fast-paced environment.
So how do we leverage the advent of cloud computing and
3D modeling to take the steel shop drawing review process to
the next level? At a minimum, I would suggest providing the
steel detailer with structural, architectural and any other rel-
evant models. Even if you want the 2D construction drawings
to govern instead of the 3D model, it makes sense to provide
the detailer with the same information that the designers have.
With this information in hand, many questions that may typi-
cally be pushed through the RFI process can be answered using
the models. The detailer can also link in BIM from other sub-
contractors to aid in dimensional coordination and connection
locations (e.g., precast seating). Having the information con-
tained within the model can significantly reduce administrative
time for processing RFIs, for both the detailer and EOR, and
minimize delays for the detailer.
Once the model is ready for review and approval by the design
team, the virtual review process has many benefits for the team.
When we used this project on a basketball arena project, for exam-
ple, we were able to take advantage of cloud computing and log in
to a remote desktop provided by the steel detailer to open the live
detailing model. Within this model, segments were released for
review as the detailing was finished, and we were immediately able
to begin the review process. We were provided with traditional
erection plans and details, but instead of flipping through pages
and pages of 2D piece drawings, we had a 3D model to see exactly
58 JANUARY 2018
how all the steel was framed. Selecting a member provides all the
data associated, including a piece drawing, access to the specific
connection calculations and any comments or questions made by
team members. The model can easily be filtered to display mem-
bers that have detailer or EOR questions so that they can quickly
be addressed. As segments of framing are approved by the design
team, they can be put into fabrication much faster than with the
traditional shop drawing approval process.
Using the structural 3D model and a virtual steel approval
process has many advantages for the project team. The reduc-
tion of administrative tasks allows each team member to spend
more time focused on critical items and enables the entire pro-
cess from RFIs to approval to move significantly faster than tra-
ditional steel delivery methods.
John Ottinger, Architect
In my career as an architect, there has always been a great frus-
tration over the 2D limitations that we seem to place on the shop
drawing review process. I see vast quantities of useful information
produced in our 3D modeling efforts, which we then consciously
dilute into an antiquated format based on pen and paper. I see plans,
sections and details extrapolated from a highly detailed fabrication
model that tell only a fraction of the story available to the project
team. As architects, we are reviewing submittals with the whole
building in mind. From finishes to footings, we are analyzing and
integrating multiple systems into a whole. Why do we continue to
ignore the opportunity to use the entire picture that is presented
by the technology we work with? If we changed how we operate
just a little, wouldn’t we be better able to coordinate and manage
the production of the complex buildings of today?
Not only is the current 2D review process more difficult
and time consuming compared to an integrated 3D process, but
also the chances of missing critical coordination issues are ex-
ponential. This is especially true of structural steel fabrication
drawings. We have the tools; the next step is to figure out the
way. I took a first step down this road on a recent project, the
Concert Hall at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
The 1,600-seat concert hall was designed to support a music
program that encompasses a dynamic spectrum of musical styles.
Conceived as a finely tuned, wood-lined chamber for natural
acoustic musical performances, the hall can also be configured to

The project was the architect’s first experience integrating 3D modeling during the steel fabrication submittal review process.
support a wide range of amplified events through sound dampen-
ing measures that can be deployed throughout the chamber. The
key concept was flexibility. To increase the degree of difficulty even
further, we were faced with a fast-track schedule that required
multiple early packages, including structural steel. Steel fabrica-
tion drawings were being prepared simultaneously with the full
interior package of the concert hall. There was not much room for
error. This confluence of factors placed even more emphasis on
trying to figure out ways to save time at any possible point while
maintaining our ability to provide a quality review of submittals.
It was obvious early on that a good deal of work was going to
be required in the submittal review phase and that trying to do this
using the standard 2D document review process would be a huge
challenge. I would like to say that we had a strong clear plan in place,
but the truth is a little different. Much of this process developed
organically during the structural steel submittal review process as
a conversation with the steel detailer and the structural engineer.
As we proceeded through the sequence review of the standard 2D
drawings, more and more questions arose that required online
meetings to review 3D fabrication model. After many of these meet-
ings, the team realized the necessity of having the steel fabrication
model integrated into our Revit model for review. It was going to
be the only way we could assure that the decisions we were making
did not have adverse effects on all of the construction trades later
down the line. It would also help streamline the submittal process.
Although we had not reached the stage of cloud-based real-time
submittal markup that I am one day hoping for, just having the 3D
steel information imported into our Revit model allowed us to turn
around submittals and RFIs in an extremely expedited manner. An
analysis of our first foray into this process is listed below.
Positives of 3D model integration at the submittal phase:
➤ The review time for submittals was significantly expedit-
ed by integrated online model review
➤ The ability to overlay the architectural model with the
steel fabrication model is the only way some of the areas
in this project could have been resolved, as there was very
little room for error
➤ The accuracy of final fabrication drawings was proven
through model review. Change orders were minimized
due to close coordination of all structural members, steel
plate seating tiers and connections with the architectural
conference preview
finishes and concrete
➤ RFI requests were handled directly through online model
review, removing lengthy delay inherent in paperwork
and pass-through intermediaries
➤ “Revise and resubmit” was often replaced with “submit
for record copy only,” resulting in more time saved
➤ A reduction in change orders led to a savings in cost; quality
increased thanks to increased accuracy in fabrication draw-
ings that were coordinated with the architectural elements
in 3D; and the expedited review and RFI process saved time
Issues to work out moving forward/lessons learned:
➤ The delivery method requires setting up protocols for
model sharing and submittal review with the construc-
tion manager and steel detailer, preferably in advance
➤ Having an accurate architectural model is a must—LOD
300 per AIA document E202 at a minimum, with added
detail required in some cases
➤ BIM clash detection of architectural/MEP/structural
systems is often performed by the general contractor or
construction manager using Navisworks. On this project,
the review did not include clash detection between archi-
tectural and structural systems. It would seem a logical
step in complex projects for contractors to build in this
review as part of their protocols
➤ For the next project, take the next step and use an inte-
grated cloud-based 3D model submittal review
The ultimate goal for any architect is to produce the building
that they have envisioned for their client within budget and on
schedule. This never happens exactly as you plan, but using 3D
modeling during the steel fabrication submittal review process
for this project allowed us to overcome many of the issues associ-
ated with the complex geometry and connections presented by
our design. The concert hall project ended up pushing us beyond
the realm of our standard workflow and opened up doors to how
we could operate more efficiently as architects moving forward.
They were small steps, but at least the door is now open! ■
This article is a preview of Session T2 “The Changing Business Cli-
mate: How Global Modeling is Affecting Our World” at NASCC:
The Steel Conference, taking place April 11-13 in Baltimore. Learn
more about the conference at www.aisc.org/nascc.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 59
 www.aisc.org/nightschool

AISC

Night School Class begins February 5, 2018

Seismic Design in Steel:

Concepts and Examples
presented by Rafael Sabelli, SE

Monday nights 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

(90 minutes each)

This 8-session course examines seismic

design concepts and then applies them
to the design of a low-rise office building.

Topics include: steel behavior, building

codes, design criteria, moment frames,
braced frames, seismic connections
and more…

There’s always a solution in steel.

American Institute of Steel Construction

www.aisc.org 312.670.2400

ENGINEERING JOURNAL
First Quarter 2018 Engineering Journal Now Available
The First Quarter 2018 issue of AISC’s
Engineering Journal is now available. You
can access the current issue as well as past
issues at www.aisc.org/ej.
➤ Framing Strategies for Enhanced
Robustness in Steel Buildings
Gustavo Cortes, Rachel Chicchi and
Judy Liu
This paper describes the use of stiff-
story framing to increase robustness
in steel buildings subjected to column
loss. Two case study buildings were de-
signed; building A features a perimeter
moment frame structure, while build-
ing B uses chevron braced frames. The
lateral-force-resisting systems (LFRSs)
and stiff stories of these two prototype
buildings were then modified to cre-
ate different configurations in order to
study which configurations were more
robust. A linear static alternate path
analysis was performed for each of the
configurations, and the effectiveness in
resisting column loss was determined.
Based on the results from the analyses,
two indices that quantify vulnerability
and framing efficiency were developed
that can be used by designers to evaluate
framing alternatives.
IN MEMORIAM
Structural Engineering Legend Irwin G. Cantor Dies
Structural engineer Irwin G. Cantor died
this past November of natural causes. He
was 90 years old.
Cantor’s career spanned more than
six decades. During that time, he built
an international structural engineering
firm—initially named the Office of Irwin
G. Cantor in 1971 and renamed the Can-
tor Seinuk Group (CSG) in 1992—which
was responsible for numerous prominent
high-rise structures in Manhattan and
around the world. After he retired from
the firm, he continued to be involved
with the engineering profession through
his work for the New York City Planning
Commission, serving as commissioner for
20 years, and also providing in-house con-
sulting for Tishman Speyer in New York.
➤ Assessment of I-Section
Member LTB Resistances
Considering Experimental Test
Data and Practical Inelastic
Buckling Design Calculations
Lakshmi Subramanian, Woo Yong Jeong,
Raja Yellepeddi and Donald W. White
The current AASHTO and AISC
Specification equations characterizing
the lateral-torsional buckling (LTB)
resistance of steel I-section members
are the same, with minor exceptions,
and are based in large part on uni-
fied provisions calibrated to experi-
mental data. This paper takes a fresh
look at the correlation of the flex-
ural strength predictions from these
equations with a large experimen-
tal data set compiled from research
worldwide. To account fully for the
moment gradient and end restraint
effects present in the physical tests,
the study employs practical buckling
calculations using inelastic stiffness
reduction factors (SRFs) based on
the design resistance equations. The
study focuses on uniform bending
tests as well as moment gradient tests
in which the transverse loads are ap-
plied at braced locations.
He was the main force behind New York
City’s first seismic building code, which
went into effect in 1995, and the city’s
peer-review rules, in addition to serving
as structural committee cochair. Over his
career, he received numerous awards, in-
cluding the AISC Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2009.
Cantor graduated from the City Col-
lege of New York with a B.S. in civil en-
gineering and was also a U.S. Air Force
veteran. He was active in and recognized
by multiple Jewish foundations and or-
ganizations, and he and his wife, Gloria,
were founding members of the Bay Ter-
race Jewish Center in 1955.
Cantor is survived by Gloria, three
daughters and three grandchildren.
news
➤ Cyclic Inelastic In-Plane
Flexural Behavior of Concrete-
Filled Sandwich Steel Panel
Walls with Different Cross-
Section Properties
Erkan Polat and Michel Bruneau
Flexure-dominated, concrete-filled
sandwich steel plate walls (CFSSP walls)
have been studied experimentally by
various researchers using a small num-
ber of cross sections and wall aspect ra-
tios. Using these past results to calibrate
finite element models, the expected be-
havior of CFSSP walls having different
geometries and cross-section properties
is investigated here using finite element
approaches. Results obtained show that
the plastic moment can be used to con-
servatively predict maximum flexural
strength in all cases considered and to
provide valuable insights into stress and
strain demands at various points during
nonlinear response. Results also provide
quantification of the contribution of
concrete infill on wall effective stiffness;
assessment of wall ductility having a fail-
ure criteria based on cumulative plastic
strain at steel plate fracture; and effect
of wall flange width on wall behavior of
T-shaped sections.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 61
 news
SUSTAINABILITY
SMDI Releases Guide to LEED v4 Certification
The Steel Market Development Insti-
tute (SMDI) has released a guide to us-
ing steel construction products for the
latest version of the U.S. Green Build-
ing Council’s Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED)
green building certification program.
The guide, LEED v4 for Steel Products
Used in Construction Applications, is a
resource intended to help construc-
tion professionals understand how
steel products can earn points toward
LEED v4 certification.
“A rapidly evolving green building in-
dustry and increasing demand for sustain-
ability have led to a number of updates
and a more rigorous certification process
in LEED v4,” said Mark Thimons, vice
president of sustainability with SMDI.
“The new process places an increased
focus on material and resource transpar-
ency. This new guide for steel construc-
tion products will help builders leverage
steel’s sustainability benefits to meet their
certification goals.”
Steel has always been well-positioned
for credits in categories like recycled
content, but LEED v4 offers even more
opportunities to earn credits for steel use
across a range of categories, such as:
BRIDGES
New Thermal Spray Bridge Coatings
Guide Now Available
A new free guide specification by the
AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collabora-
tion, Specification for Application of Thermal
Spray Coatings on Steel Bridges (S8.2), is now
available. The document provides guid-
ance on shop metallizing steel girders and
establishes and defines the functions, opera-
tions, requirements and activities needed to
achieve a consistent quality. A collaborative
effort was taken in the development of this
document to ensure that owners’ and ap-
plicators’ representatives have clearly de-
fined roles and responsibilities. The guide
is written in specification language so it can
be adopted in whole as part of the project
contract documents.
The Steel Bridge Collaboration is a
joint effort between the American Asso-
62 JANUARY 2018
➤ Materials and resources: Steel-inten-
sive design truly excels in this category,
which focuses on minimizing the em-
bodied energy and other impacts asso-
ciated with the extraction, processing,
transport, maintenance and disposal of
building materials. The requirements
are designed to support a life-cycle ap-
proach that improves performance and
promotes resource efficiency.
➤ Energy and atmosphere: This category
approaches energy from a holistic per-
spective, addressing energy use reduc-
tion, energy-efficient design strategies
and renewable energy sources. Steel
framing can provide the building block
for truly energy-efficient designs, while
steel cladding products can help create
exceptionally tight building envelopes.
Additionally, steel roofing provides an ex-
cellent platform for photovoltaic systems
to earn energy and atmosphere credits.
➤ Sustainable sites: Construction profession-
als can earn sustainable sites points by us-
ing steel roofing products to reduce heat
island effects, and prefabricated steel prod-
ucts to reduce on-site construction times.
The guide is available at www.
steelsustainability.org/construction/
leedv4.aspx.
ciation of State Highway and Transpor-
tation Officials (AASHTO) and the Na-
tional Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) with
representatives from state departments
of transportation, the Federal Highway
Administration, academia and various
industry groups related to steel bridge
design, fabrication and inspection. The
mission of the Collaboration is to pro-
vide a forum where professionals can
work together to improve and achieve
the quality and value of steel bridges
through standardization of design, fab-
rication and erection.
This document and other guide
specification documents from the
Collaboration are available for free at www.
steelbridges.org/collaborationstandards.
People
• Nemetschek Group, maker of
structural analysis and design
software SCIA, has agreed to
acquire RISA Technologies,
Inc., a developer of structural
engineering software for multi-
material structures such as
steel, concrete, masonry and
wood—with approximately
10,000 users—as part of its
worldwide structural engineer-
ing software strategy.
• Integrated design firm
SmithGroupJJR has expanded
its national presence with the
opening of an office in San
Diego. This is the 10th U.S.
office for the firm, in addition to
its location in Shanghai, China.
The San Diego office is led by
Bonnie Khang-Keating, who
is also maintaining her current
role leading SmithGroupJJR’s
Los Angeles office.
• T h e A m e r i c a n We l d i n g
Society’s (AWS) Board of
Directors has appointed the
organization’s current COO,
Matt Miller, to succeed Ray
Shook as executive director and
CEO upon Shook’s retirement.
Miller will officially begin his
new role this month, and Shook
will transition to the role of
executive director emeritus.
 news
BRIDGES
High Steel Completes Fabrication for New Tappan Zee Bridge
High Steel Structures, LLC, announced to fabricate the bridge. High Steel also And just as the fabrication was provided
that it has completed its part of the steel fabricated new bridge’s components at is domestically, so too was the steel produc-
fabrication for New York’s $3.98 billion Lancaster, Pa., facilities. tion, with 160,000 tons of steel plate for
Tappan Zee Bridge replacement (offi- The bridge is being built by Tappan both the superstructure and sheet pilings
cially renamed the Governor Mario M. Zee Constructors, a design-build LLC coming from AISC member ArcelorMit-
Cuomo Bridge), the largest transporta- composed of Fluor Corporation, Ameri- tal. The design-build approach generated
tion infrastructure design-build project can Bridge Company, Granite Construc- more than $1 billion in savings compared
in the U.S. In a ceremony at High Steel’s tion Northeast and Traylor Bros. Three with the state and federal cost estimates.
Williamsport, Pa., facility, the company AISC/NSBA member fabricators—High The first span of the new bridge
unveiled the last girder, freshly painted in Steel, along with Hirschfeld Industries opened to westbound traffic this past Au-
the project’s trademark blue. and Canam-Bridges—have together gust, and the second span is on track to
High Steel’s contract to produce provided more than 110,000 tons of open this year. For more about the proj-
more than 50,000 tons of structural steel structural steel while playing a key role ect, see the August 2017 News section,
for half the approach spans to the iconic in the support of more than 7,700 jobs. available at www.modernsteel.com.
three-mile-long, twin-span steel bridge
is the largest in the company’s history.
“With fabrication complete, we are proud
to say that we have hit every engineering
and delivery milestone with outstanding
quality,” said Jeffrey L. Sterner, president
and COO of High Industries, Inc.
To support the project, High Steel
completed a $11.4 million, 30,000-sq.-
ft expansion of its Williamsport facility,
installed new state-of-the-art equipment
to improve efficiency and added ap-
proximately 200 jobs. The expansion was
supported by a $430,000 grant awarded
by the Governor and the Pennsylvania
Department of Community and Eco-
nomic Development, and was contingent
upon High Steel’s winning the contract

SAFETY
AISC Now Accepting Annual Safety Awards Submissions
On-the-job safety and a positive safe
work culture are essential for any steel
fabricator or erector to be successful. It
makes good business sense, and having a
management system in place where ev-
eryone is responsible for safety is a key
component. And AISC wants to recog-
nize the best safety efforts in the industry.
AISC member steel fabricators and
erectors are eligible and encouraged to
submit their company’s safety record
for AISC’s annual Safety Awards. The
awards, given in the Fabricator Cat-
egory and Erector Category, include the
Honor Award (DART=0)—the Institute’s
top safety award, presented for a perfect
safety record of no disabling injuries—
the Merit Award (0<DART≤1) and Com-
mendation Awards (1<DART≤2).
“AISC’s annual Safety Awards program
recognizes excellent records of safety per-
formance, and we commend these facilities
for their effective accident prevention pro-
grams,” said Tom Schlafly, AISC’s director
of safety. “Periodic recognition of safety in
the workplace has been demonstrated to
provide worker incentive and a reminder
of the importance of safe practices.”
“Owners and clients pay attention to
these awards,” notes Kathleen Dobson,
AISC Safety Committee member and
safety director for Hillsdale Fabricators/J.S.
Alberici Construction (AISC member/cer-
tified). “They want to know that a fabricator
or erector is proud of their safety records—
and just as important, it means a lot to the
workforce to see that their efforts are recog-
nized by an industry leader like AISC.”
The AISC Safety Awards program is
open to all full fabricator members and
erector associate members of AISC. For
more information about the program as
well as safety resources available for the
fabricated and erected structural steel in-
dustry, please visit www.aisc.org/safety.

Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 63

 news
BOARD NEWS
AISC Elects New Board Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Director
The AISC Board of Directors is pleased
to announce the election of David
Zalesne, president of Owen Steel
Company, Inc., Columbia, S.C., as its
new chair; Jack Klimp, vice president and
general manager of Cianbro Fabrication
and Coating Corporation, Georgetown,
Mass., as vice chair; and Dan Kadrmas,
president of TrueNorth Steel, West
Fargo, N.D., as treasurer. In addition, the
board welcomes a new director, Tyler R.
Owen, general manager of Paxton and
Vierling Steel, Structures Division, and
president of Owen Industries Inc., Carter
Lake, Iowa. All were elected to serve two-
year terms at AISC’s annual meeting this
past September in Chicago.
Zalesne previously served as vice chair
of the AISC Board and succeeds James
G. Thompson, president of Palmer Steel
Supplies, Inc., McAllen, Texas, as chair.
Zalesne has served on the AISC Board
for more than 10 years and chaired its
government relations committee. He is
also currently a vice chair of the Industry
Trade Advisory Committee for the steel
industry (ITAC-12). Prior to becoming
president of Owen Steel Company in
2004, he practiced law as a partner in
the Litigation Department of Klehr,
Dan Kadrmas
64 JANUARY 2018
Harrison in Philadelphia, and worked as
an assistant U.S. attorney in the eastern
district of Pennsylvania. He has also
served on the boards of several local
business and community organizations.
He earned a B.A. in international
relations and finance from the University
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a law
degree from Emory University School of
Law in Atlanta.
“I am honored by the AISC Board
to be elected to serve as its chair, and
look forward to building on the great
work that AISC has done to lead the
American structural steel industry for
nearly 100 years,” said Zalesne. “With
a rich history and a bright future,
structural steel is a core American
industry, and AISC is committed to
maintaining its excellent brand in the
marketplace; promoting the continued
use of structural steel in America’s
skylines, infrastructure networks,
bridges and other great projects; and
supporting opportunities for American
jobs and workmanship in the steel
industry. Our fabricator members
deserve the best representation and
advocacy for our industry, and I look
forward to working with the AISC
David Zalesne
Tyler R. Owen
Board and our outstanding staff to
meet those expectations.”
Klimp joined the AISC Board in
2001 and has served terms as chairman
of NSBA and president of the Steel
Fabricators of New England. Prior to
joining Cianbro in 2008, he worked for
L.B. Foster Company and Bethlehem
Steel Corporation. He earned a B.S.
in metallurgical engineering from
Michigan Technological University in
Houghton, Mich., and an M.B.A. at
Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
“I am looking forward to an active
and productive term with incoming
chair, Dave Zalesne; AISC president,
Charlie Carter; and the entire AISC
team,” said Klimp. “I'm very excited to
be working with such a great group and
look forward to continuing to promote
the use of structural steel. Following
closely behind outgoing chair Jim
Thompson's leadership, Dave and I will
be seeking to continue to further update
and strengthen the really broad range
of tools AISC has developed over the
years, from the quality of our technical
specs and literature to the creativity of
our Steel Solutions Center and steel
marketing teams.”
Jack Klimp
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Director of Sales
Merrill Steel is the largest structural steel fabricator in
Wisconsin and is looking to fill a key role on the executive
management team.
Reporting directly to the President, the Director of Sales
provides leadership, direction, and resource stewardship to
the Sales function. As the company’s senior-most Sales leader,
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Steel Fabrication Detailers
Egger Steel Company is an AISC steel fabricator that
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detailing includes structural and miscellaneous steel for
commercial, industrial, and bridge projects. We are in
search of full-time steel detailers. The desired individual
should have experience with the construction industry,
the ability to read blueprints, and computer knowledge.
AutoCAD or Tekla experience is highly desired. This
individual should have initiative, responsibility, good
work ethics, and good communication skills.
Egger Steel Company provides a stable and dependable
position with opportunities to grow within the company.
Starting pay is dependent on experience. We offer a
competitive benefit package.
Please send resumes to hr@eggersteel.com.
LATE MODEL STRUCTURAL
STEEL FABRICATING EQUIPMENT
Peddinghaus FPDB-2500 CNC Heavy Plate Processor, 96” Width, (3)
Drill Spindle, HPR260 Plasma, (1) Oxy Torch, Siemens 840, ‘08 #27974
Peddinghaus FPB1500-3E CNC Plate Punch with Plasma, 177 Ton,
Fagor 8025 CNC, 60” Max. Width, 1-1/4” Plate, 1999 #25161
Behringer HBP-530/1104G Structural Steel Mitre Cutting Band Saw,
20.8” x 43.3” Maximum Cutting Capacity, 2” Blade, 2000 #27083
Controlled Automation BT1-1433 CNC Oxy/Plasma Cutting
System, 14’ x 33’, Oxy, (2) Hy-Def 200 Amp Plasma, 2002 #20654
Controlled Automation ABL-100-B CNC Flat Bar Detail Line, 143
Ton Punch, 400 Ton Single Cut Shear, 40’ Infeed, 1999 #24216
Controlled Automation 2AT-175 CNC Plate Punch, 175 Ton, 30” x
60” Travel, 1-1/2” Max. Plate, PC CNC, 1996 #23503
Controlled Automation DRL344 CNC Beam Drill Line, Hem WF140
Saw, Tandem Line, 2008 #24937
Ficep Gemini 324PG Plate Processor, 10’ x 40’, 15 HP Drill,
HPR260XD Plasma Bevel Head, 2014 #28489
Ficep Gemini 36-HD Plate Processor, 12’ x 40’, 35 HP Drill,
HPR400XD Plasma Bevel Head, 2012 #28490
ɠɠɠʳƻNjsǣǼÞ¶srLJȖÞƼŎsŘǼʳOŸŎʿƻÌʲ̛ˠʳ˥ˢˠʳˡˣ˨ʳˤˤ˥˥
ǣĶsǣ˔ƼNjsǣǼÞ¶ssLJȖÞƼŎsŘǼʳOŸŎ
PROJECT MANAGER
Garbe Iron Works, an Aurora Illinois AISC Certified structural
steel fabricator seeks a project manager. As a key member
of the management team, the position requires the ability
to successfully manage all aspects of our structural steel
projects in the Chicago area, including representation of our
firm with our customer and the project design team. Visit our
web site www.giwinc.com to learn more about our com-
pany started in 1919.
Please submit resume to Attn: John Peshia info@giwinc.com.
Looking for something from an old issue of Modern Steel?
All of the issues from Modern Steel Construction’s
first 50 years are now available as free PDF downloads at
www.modernsteel.com/archives.
Modern STEEL CONSTRUCTION 65
 structurally LIFTED
sound LOUNGE
Melissa Lukenbaugh

THOMAS EDISON PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL in Tulsa screams “high academic standards.”
Over half of the student population is enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, and the school is listed at number five in
Oklahoma in U.S. News and World Report’s 2017 high school rankings.
An 18,500-sq.-ft addition to the school, the Collegiate Center at Edison, required high wind load standards to match its
academic prowess, given the propensity for tornadoes in the area. As such, the two first-floor lecture/testing halls also serve as
ICC-500, FEMA-361 safe rooms. Built to resist the wind pressure and debris impact from an EF-5 tornado (250-mph wind
speed) each hall can seat 150 students for a class and can also provide shelter for up to 300 people in the event of a tornado. The
addition, designed by architect ksqdesign and structural engineer Wallace Engineering, also includes classroom and office space,
a computer research center and an academic study hall and lounge on the second floor above the lecture halls.
The student lounge is the most striking feature of the building, hovering 14 ft above an outdoor plaza located along an arterial
street on the north side of the building. This effect was achieved using two one-story-high Vierendeel trusses, one running along
each side of the 80-ft-long space. The continuous trusses have a 40-ft back spans and cantilever 40 ft beyond the outermost support.
Diagonal bracing was incorporated in the back span to provide resistance to wind and seismic loads, as well as to reduce the vertical
deflection at the free end of the cantilever. The 15-ton trusses are visible along the sides of the glass-enclosed space.
The trusses, composed of wide-flange chords and webs, were assembled in place using complete joint penetration (CJP)
welds. The contractor, Crossland Construction, was presented with an option to assemble the trusses in fabricator Unique Metal
Fabrications’ (an AISC member and certified fabricator) shop, thus reducing the inspection requirements, but elected instead to
assemble them in-place using falsework to support the structure during assembly.
The falsework supporting the cantilever was removed prior to installation of the glazing, allowing the cantilever to deflect
under its own weight and the weight of the floor and roof structures. The cantilever was then preloaded to produce the
calculated deflection resulting from the weight of the glazing, and this preload was removed as glazing installation progressed.
The calculated deflection at the end of the cantilevered trusses is 0.53 in. under the weight of the trusses, 1.62 in. under total
dead load and 0.89 in. under live load. The 2015 International Building Code allows for greater deflection than what was incorporated
in the design, but the trusses were made stiffer than required to mitigate floor motion and vibration—allowing students to enjoy the
views from their elevated vantage point in the lounge without a hint of the fact that there is no structural support below them. ■

66 JANUARY 2018
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