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aisc.org/nascc
 January 2021

in every issue
departments resources features
65 ADVERTISER INDEX
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE 65 MARKETPLACE &
24 No Extra Innings Needed
BY DYLAN S. RICHARD, PE, AND
12 STEEL QUIZ EMPLOYMENT STEPHEN E. BLUMENBAUM, PE
60 NEW PRODUCTS An integrated delivery process keeps the new
61 NEWS & EVENTS University of Florida Baseball Stadium project
on track and within budget.
66 STRUCTURALLY SOUND

30 Winning Past, Winning Future

BY DAVID BIBBS, SE, PE, AND JOHN ROACH, SE, PE
A steel-framed renovation and expansion
project recognizes proud tradition and creates
a promising future for University of
Maryland athletics.

36 Upward Bound
BY ROBERT J. SCHUMACHER, PE, AND
LEVI WARNER, SE, PE
The largest venue at the “World’s Largest
Music Festival” wasn’t large enough for some of
the world’s largest live performances. Luckily,
there was no way to go but up for the steel-
framed roof.

44 Raising the Level of Care

BY MICHAEL KUHSE, SE, PE
Design and material changes lead to a

30 successful vertical expansion at a

Virginia hospital.

columns 50 Century of Service

BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
steelwise AISC turns 100 this year!

16 Well-Rounded
BY KIM OLSON, PE 52 Complexity, Simplified
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about HSS, but were afraid to ask. BY TERRI MEYER BOAKE
How do you keep a complex exposed steel
field notes project from becoming overly complicated?
20 A Strong Cast
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
Go back to the basics.

The founders of Cast Connex have turned a structural castings dream into strong,
inspiring realities around the world.
58 Design-Assist: What It Is,
Why It’s Beneficial
BY ED SEGLIAS
business issues A new paper created by AISC and AIA clarifies
22 Working on Teamwork
BY DAN COUGHLIN
newer approaches to project delivery, such as
design-assist, that can result in more efficient
Take the team seriously, don’t take yourself too seriously, and know when to say when. steel projects.

ON THE COVER: Steel stretches toward the outfield at the University of Florida’s new baseball stadium, p. 24. (Photo: Courtesy of Walter P Moore)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 61, 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 U.S. (Canada and
Mexico)—single issues $9.00; 1 year $88. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to MODERN
STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. Canti
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
Printed on paper made
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 from a minimum of
CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than 25 10% recycled content.
photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC.

4 | JANUARY 2021
No matter howw complex your steel project, V&S
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editor’s note Editorial Offices
130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400
Editorial Contacts
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Scott Melnick
312.670.8314
melnick@aisc.org
SENIOR EDITOR
Geoff Weisenberger
312.670.8316
weisenberger@aisc.org
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
312.670.8318
grubb@aisc.org
PRODUCTION SPECIALIST
Year after year, ASCE issues a toothless report detailing America’s crumbling Erika Salisbury
312.670.5427
bridges and roads. And every year, politicians from all ends of the spectrum salisbury@aisc.org
pledge their support for repairing and advancing America’s infrastructure. But GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
Kristin Hall
for much of my lifetime, this has simply been empty words. 312.670.8313
hall@aisc.org
We’ll soon see if President-elect Joe Biden We also need to hold Biden to this com- AISC Officers
is any different and if the Democrats and mitment: “For decades, big corporations and CHAIR
Republicans in Congress are interested in special interests have fought for loopholes Jack Klimp, Cianbro Fabrication
& Coating Corporation
helping the country or simply obstructing the that redirect taxpayer dollars to foreign com-
VICE CHAIR
other party. panies. The result: tens of billions of taxpayer Stephen Knitter
Shortly after the election, Biden stated that dollars each year go to support foreign jobs Geiger & Peters, Inc.
America needs an immediate infrastructure and to bolster foreign industries. In 2018 SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
stimulus of roughly $300 billion and a long- alone, the Department of Defense (DOD) Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
term transformational infrastructure initiative spent $3 billion on foreign construction con-
PRESIDENT
of $3 trillion. tracts, leaving American steel and iron out in Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
And he apparently isn’t talking about the the cold, and nearly $300 million on foreign SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
“shovel-ready” projects that we saw under engines and vehicles instead of buying from Scott Melnick
the Obama administration, when billions were American companies and putting Americans VICE PRESIDENT
spent filling potholes. Instead, he’s talking to work.” Carly Hurd
VICE PRESIDENT
about important mega-projects such as the Let’s hope that he means what he says—
Lawrence F. Kruth, PE
Sierra Madre and Chokecherry Wind Farm, that he’ll: VICE PRESIDENT
the Texas Central High Speed Rail Project, • Tighten domestic content rules Brian Raff
and the Gateway Tunnel between New York • Crack down on waivers to Buy American VICE PRESIDENT
and New Jersey. requirements Mark W. Trimble, PE
But just as importantly, it’s critical that we • End false advertising about whether Editorial Advisory Panel
hold Biden to his promise to stress “Made products are truly made in America Caroline R. Bennett, PE, PhD
University of Kansas
in America” for his infrastrastructure proj- • Extend Buy American to other forms Amanda Dean, PE
ects. Biden has promised the inclusion of of government assistance Walter P Moore
Buy American provisions in his infrastructure • Strengthen and enforce Buy America Bryan Frazier,
plans, he’s emphasized American manufac- • Update the trade rules for Zalk Josephs Fabricators, LLC
Keith R. Griesing, PE
turing, and he wants to invest $300 billion in Buy American Hardesty and Hanover
American R&D. But as we know, talk is cheap. A strong infrastructure supporting American Stephen Knitter
We need to hold him to these promises that workers is a win-win for everyone. Geiger & Peters, Inc.
he made: “When we spend taxpayer money, Advertising Sales
we should buy American products and sup- M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.
port American jobs.” 2 W Taunton Avenue
Berlin, NJ 08009
Scott Melnick 856.768.9360
Editor mjmrvica@mrvica.com
Address Changes and
Subscription Concerns
312.670.2401
subscriptions@aisc.org
Reprints
Erika Salisbury
312.670.5427
salisbury@aisc.org
6 | JANUARY 2021
 Better Together
Bone up on steel design with your very own copies of the
15th Edition Steel Construction Manual and the
3rd Edition Seismic Design Manual

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Learn more about these great AISC steel design resources

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aisc.org/publications | 800.644.2400
 If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something
related to structural steel design or construction, steel
Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you! interchange
Send your questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.

All mentioned AISC codes and standards, unless noted otherwise, refer Additional information can be found within the AASHTO/
to the current version and are available at aisc.org/specifications. NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration S2.1 document, Steel Bridge
All mentioned Engineering Journal articles are available at aisc.org/ej, Fabrication Guide Specification (available at aisc.org/sdocs)
and AISC Design Guides are available at aisc.org/dg. section 4.6.4. It states: “Holes in secondary members or in cross-
frames or diaphragm connection plates may be made full-size by
ASTM A529 Material drilling, punching, plasma-cutting, or water-jetting, as long as all
We have a project where the contractor submitted mill certs geometric and finish requirements are met.” It is also advisable to
that conform to ASTM A529. The mill certs also include consult the local department of transportation construction and
the following statement: “Also meets the requirements bridge specifications that may govern your specific project.
for F1554 S1 inclusive.” Table 2-6 in the AISC Steel Devin Altman, PE
Construction Manual does not include ASTM A529 as an
option for anchor rods. Is it acceptable to use ASTM A529 Combined Loading
for anchor rods that conform to the chemistry and strength It appears that in many of the design examples I see,
requirements of ASTM F1554? Equation 10-5 from the AISC Manual, or some modified
form of this equation, is used to address combined loading.
Yes, F1554 is a configuration specification for straight, bent, Why is Equation 9-1 not used, and in what cases would one
headed, and headless anchor rods. This is included in the Scope use Equation 9-1?
statement for F1554. F1554 can be ordered as Grade 36, 55, or
( PP ) + (VV ) ≤ 1.0 (9-1)
2 4
Mr r r
105 ksi. Table 1 gives specific chemical compositions for each of +
Mc c c
those grades. Supplement S1 is required for only F1554 Grade

(VV ) + ( MM ) ≤ 1.0 (10-5)

55 to ensure weldability. Any material meeting the specified yield r
2
r
2
strengths and chemical requirements can be used to produce an c c
F1554 anchor rod.
A529 is a material specification for high-strength carbon- Equation 9-1 describes the plastic strength of a rectangular
manganese steel of structural quality. It is available in Grade member or connection element. Equation 10-5 can be derived
55 and can be produced with a carbon equivalent of 0.55% if from von Mises’ criterion (see “Plastic Strength of Connection
requested, which would make it weldable and allow it to meet Elements” in the first quarter 2015 issue of Engineering Journal),
the requirements for the material used for F1554 Grade 55 with developed initially to predict the first yield load combination.
Supplement S1. Therefore, this elliptical interaction was used extensively to
For these reasons, the mill test reports for an F1554 Grade 55 develop design models in the old allowable stress design (ASD)
with Supplement S1 anchor rod would be for the material that philosophy. Although the AISC Specification for Structural Steel
was used to produce the anchor rod. Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360) is now based on strength design,
Larry Kruth, PE Equation 10-5 is still used as an empirical estimate of the
element strength. Although the equations are based on different
Bolt Holes for Bridge Projects assumptions, the resulting interaction curves are similar. It’s
I believe it used to be stated that bolt holes for bridge up to the engineer to determine the appropriate method. In
projects had to be drilled or thermally cut and reamed. Are practice, I use both equations. If you are interested in further
plasma-cut holes now acceptable when mechanically guided? information, a detailed review of connection element strength
under combined loads is in the above-mentioned article. As
Currently, the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction Specification discussed in a second EJ article, “Stability of Rectangular
Section 11.4.8.1 (visit www.transporation.org) only allows Connection Elements” (fourth quarter 2016), if stability is a
plasma-cut holes in instances where it also allows punching concern, the equations in Section H1.1 of the AISC Specification
full-sized holes. These instances include “holes in fillers, cross- are more accurate.
frames, lateral bracing components, and the corresponding holes Bo Dowswell, PE, PhD
in connection plates between girders and cross-frames or lateral
components.”

Modern Steel Construction | 9

steel interchange
Steel Beam from 1938
I am trying to identify a steel beam size and steel producer for a beam in a
building constructed in 1938. The beam is marked “Trade JUNIOR Mark.”
The specific beam in question has a field-measured depth of 111∕8 in., a flange
width of 27∕8 in., and a bottom flange thickness that ranges between 0.18 in. and
0.30 in. Do you have any ideas where I might find more information on this
particular beam?

There are quite a few resources offered on the AISC website (www.aisc.org) that
could help you identify the wide-flange shape size and the possible producer of that
shape. When looking at some of the resources available on our website, the following
items might be helpful:
A good starting place is AISC’s historic Steel Construction Manuals (free to
members), which are available at aisc.org/publications. Based on the year of
construction, I would look at the first printing of the AISC 3rd Edition Steel
Construction Manual. This manual contains a table that provides section properties for
“Junior Beams.” From the shapes listed in this table, it looks like the 11 × 27∕8 listed
matches up well with the measurements taken in the field. A footnote included in the
table indicates that this shape was rolled by Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.
A second option is Design Guide 15: Rehabilitation and Retrofit. Table 5-3.1 in this
design guide provides information for an 11-in. × 2.844-in. junior beam, designated
as Jr11 on page 168. The source reference number provided in this table can help
us identify more information about this particular shape’s possible producer. For the
Jr11 section size, the source reference number provided is 6. Table 5-3.3d provides
information on the producers of junior beams on page 321 of the design guide. For
reference number 6, the mill listed is Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation (J&L),
and the year is 1931. Therefore, the information provided in the table has been taken
from a 1931 J&L producer catalog. While not the case for this particular beam, if
Larry Kruth (kruth@aisc.org) is vice multiple mills and years are listed for a particular reference number, as is the case for
president, Carlo Lini (lini@aisc.org) reference number 5 in Table 5-3.3d, this indicates that information on a shape size
is director of the AISC Steel can be located in various producer handbooks from 1934 up through 1950.
Solutions Center, and Devin Altman Similar information can be found in the AISC Historic Shapes Database at
(altman@aisc.org) is a bridge steel aisc.org/manualresources (under the Shapes Database link). The same Jr11
specialist, all with AISC. beam is listed on excel line 15776 in the v15.0 Shapes Database. This excel line
Bo Dowswell, principal with ARC also includes reference number 6, similar to Design Guide 15. Copies of the
International, LLC, is a consultant producer reference tables in Design Guide 15 can also be found in the additional
to AISC. excel worksheets included in the Historic Shapes Database file.
The final option would be to look through the old producer catalogs at aisc.org/
publications/historic-shape-reference, although this would be the least efficient
approach. If you can identify the specific producer handbooks using the tables in
Design Guide 15 or the Historic Shapes database, you can view these handbooks
through our website if the specific version is available. Paging through old producer
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful catalogs might be a good alternative if you seek information on steel shapes not
and practical professional ideas and information
on all phases of steel building and bridge
typically used in building construction and not covered in older AISC Manuals.
construction. Contact Steel Interchange with Also, note that when evaluating existing structures, the requirements stipulated
questions or responses via AISC’s Steel Solutions in Appendix 5 of the AISC Specification need to be met. In addition to the section
Center: 866.ASK.AISC | solutions@aisc.org
properties, AISC Design Guide 15 also provides information on material properties,
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange
do not necessarily represent an official position design examples, and historical reviews of the AISC Specifications and Manuals as well
of the American Institute of Steel Construction as the RCSC Specification and ASTM standards.
and have not been reviewed. It is recognized
that the design of structures is within the Carlo Lini, PE
scope and expertise of a competent licensed
structural engineer, architect or other licensed
professional for the application of principles to
a particular structure.
The complete collection of Steel Interchange
questions and answers is available online at
www.modernsteel.com.

10 | JANUARY 2021
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 This month’s quiz focuses on the recently released AISC Design
steel Guide 36: Design Considerations for Camber, which is available for free
quiz to members at aisc.org/dg.

1 What was an economical option 2 True or False: If a beam is specified to 3 True or False: Mill camber should
for approaching the design of have ¾ in. of camber and is received be considered additive to the
composite beams in the early days by the fabricator with 9⁄16 in. of natural camber specified to counterbalance
before the advance of cambering camber, it is necessary to camber the some of the anticipated structural
technology? member an additional 3⁄16 in. deflections.
4 In some cases, heat cambering will
be the costlier option compared to
simply increasing the beam’s size.
What is a reasonable estimate for
beam weight addition in lb/ft?
a. 1 lb/ft
b. 10 lb/ft
c. 50 lb/ft
d. 100 lb/ft
5 What types of beams should not be
cambered? Pick all that apply.
a. Spandrel beams
b. Beams with end moment
connections
c. Beams longer than 25 ft
d. Cantilevered beams
6 When specifying camber on a
beam, several aspects should be
considered when calculating the
theoretical deflection of the beam.
Which is not one of these aspects?
a. Increased connection restraint
b. Possible deck span effect
c. Span length reduction
d. Live load effects
7 True or False: To conservatively
account for the additional deflection
that may be unaccounted for, it is
generally recommended to camber
members with nonuniform cross
sections.
8 True or False: Strain hardening is
not a concern for cambering beams.

TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR THE ANSWERS

12 | JANUARY 2021
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 Everyone is welcome to submit questions and answers
for the Steel Quiz. If you are interested in submitting one

steel quiz ANSWERS

question or an entire quiz, contact AISC’s Steel Solutions
Center at 866.ASK.AISC or solutions@aisc.org.

1 The design guide states in Section 1.3 that shoring was 5 a, b, and d. Section 5 of the design guide states that
an economical option at the time. However, bottom beams that are part of the lateral load resisting system,
flange bracing was required, and working around the spandrel beams, cantilevered beams, and beams with end
shores often created on-site schedule problems. moment connections should not be cambered.
2 False. The AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel 6 d. Live load effects. Section A.2 of the design guide
Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC 303, aisc.org/ states that when specifying camber, it is important
specifications) states, in Section 6.4.4: “For beams to consider how the effect of increased connection
that are specified in the contract documents with cam- restraint, possible deck span effect, and possible span
ber, beams received by the fabricator with 75% of the length reduction may combine to reduce deflection
specified camber shall require no further cambering.” when calculating the theoretical deflection of beams at
the column lines.
3 False. Any natural camber that exists in the member upon
delivery to the fabricator from the mill is not a concern 7 False. Section 5.9 of the design guide states that it is not
when cambering because those initial out-of-straightness recommended to camber members with nonuniform cross
variations will be superseded by the imposed camber. sections because they tend to twist when strained to yield
without special procedures.
4 b. Section 3.2 of the design guide states that a good
rule of thumb for heat cambering cost of a 20-ft-long 8 True. Section 2.1 of the design guide states: “The range
beam would be the equivalent of adding 10 lb/ft in beam of strains induced in the steel material during cambering
weight. Check with your local fabricator on their preferred is well below the range where strain hardening occurs.”
method of cambering.

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 1830
1847
Seneca Falls Convention launches
women’s suffrage movement. 1863
1840 President Abraham Lincoln
delivers the Gettysburg address.

1850

1860
NINE STEEL BRIDGES
that are still in service today were
open to traffic when it happened.

1870

63 STEEL BRIDGES
1880 that are still in use today were
already open to traffic.
5,189 SUCH BRIDGES
were already open when the
Nineteenth Amendment finally granted
women the right to vote in 1920.
1890
EVERY DAY IN THE U.S.,
AN AVERAGE OF
77 MILLION VEHICLES
1900
CROSS MORE THAN
25,000 STEEL BRIDGES
1933 BUILT BETWEEN
Police drag the Charles River
after a “cod-napping” in the 1910 1838 AND 1938.
Massachusetts State House.
These are just a few of the stories these
At least bridges could tell: dazzling innovation,
13,525 STEEL BRIDGES events that changed the world, and quirky
1920 people being...well, quirky.
that are still in service today were
already open to traffic.
Visit aisc.org/timeline for more.

1930

Smarter. Stronger. Steel.

1940
National Steel Bridge Alliance
Scott D Flickr
312.670.2400 | www.aisc.org
 steelwise
WELL- Everything you’ve always wanted to know
ROUNDED about HSS, but were afraid to ask.
BY KIM OLSON, PE

ROUND HOLLOW STRUCTURAL SECTIONS (HSS) have a lot going for them.
Not only are they aesthetically pleasing and favored by architects, but they are
also efficient structural members. With their lack of a weak axis, they are superior
in compression. Their closed shape makes them preferred when torsionally loaded.
When designing connections to round HSS, there are fewer limit states to consider
due to the geometric nature of the section. And they can also be filled with concrete to
increase compression capacity and provide fire resistance.
From bridges to transmission towers and stadium roofs to handrails and posts, HSS
can be used to overcome common design challenges and expand possibilities when
Kim Olson building and designing complex structures. In tandem with the many uses for HSS are
(kim@steeltubeinstitute.org) many questions on its design potential. Here, we’ll explore a few that will hopefully
is the HSS technical consultant provide a better idea of how you can get the most out of HSS on your projects.
with the Steel Tube Institute.
The fabricator on my current job requested a material substitution for
A500 Grade B round shapes. What else is available, and what will the
impact on my design be?
When it comes to materials, here’s what engineers need to know. Currently,
Steel Tube Institute (STI) producers dual-certify all of their products to ASTM
A500 Grade B/C, meaning that the material meets the specification requirements
for both A500 Grade B and Grade C. The AISC 15th Edition Steel Construction
Manual (aisc.org/manual) contains capacity tables are calculated for A500 Grade C
to reflect this as the predominant material in the marketplace. Therefore, the design
community should design using Grade C, as that is what is being purchased and
what has been provided for many years—not only for round sections but for all HSS.
Round sections should be specified as A500. Historically, the belief was that A53
was the most available round section and, therefore, the most cost-efficient. This is
not the case. A53 is the standard specification for steel, black lacquer coated, welded,
and seamless steel pipe. It is intended for use in mechanical and pressure applications
as well as for use in ordinary steam, water, and air lines. ASTM A500 is the standard
specification for cold-formed, welded, and seamless carbon steel structural tubing.
Available in four grades, A through D, it is intended for use in construction and struc-
tural applications. Unlike A53 piping, which is only round, A500 is available in more
shape options, most commonly round, square, and rectangular.
In addition to these differences in intended use between the two steel products,
many additional details are critically important for engineers, especially as they relate
directly to matters of cost and quality. Consider yield strength. No matter the grade,
A500 material’s yield strength will be greater than A53 piping. A500 Grade C round
HSS specifies a minimum yield strength of 46 ksi, and A53 Grade B piping requires a
minimum yield strength of 35 ksi. Although A53 was, at one time, the standard specifi-
cation for round shapes, specifying A53 for columns or braces of a building results in a
thicker, larger section than if using the stronger A500. Structures designed with A500
require less steel by weight; the cost-saving implications are clear.

16 | JANUARY 2021
 steelwise
An A500 round also has a tighter outside diameter (OD) and wall Table 1: Commonly available round HSS and corresponding
tolerances. When using an A500 round for a building column, you NPS designations.
could specify an HSS8.625×0.322 with an outside diameter tolerance
HSS Designation Standard Pipe
of +/-0.75% and a wall tolerance of +/-10%. The A53 equivalent, an
HSS3.5×0.216 3 in. STD pipe
8-in. standard pipe, has an OD tolerance of +/-1% and a wall toler-
ance of -12.5%. Another word to the wise: A53 pipe is available only HSS3.5×0.300 3 in. STRONG pipe
in lengths of 21 ft and 42 ft. A500 rounds can be produced in lengths HSS4×0.226 3½ in. STD pipe
from 20 ft to 75 ft. HSS4.5×0.237 4 in. STD pipe
When selecting section sizes for structural design, you can be assured
HSS4.5×0.318 4 in. STRONG pipe
of not only the desired cross-sectional dimensions but also the necessary
straightness with A500, as producers must also adhere to a straightness HSS5.563×0.258 5 in. STD pipe
tolerance specified in A500. With A53, there is no specification in the HSS5.563×0.375 5 in. STRONG pipe
standard for how straight the pipe must be. HSS6.625×0.280 6 in. STD pipe
Here’s why the external characteristics are equally important.
HSS6.625×0.432 6 in. STRONG pipe
Thus far, this discussion has focused on the structural characteristics of
A53 and A500, but what happens on the outside matters just as much. HSS8.625×0.322 8 in. STD pipe
When an A53 pipe is specified, part of its material cost is for the sealant HSS8.625×0.500 8 in. STRONG pipe
that producers use to coat the outside of the pipe. In order to weld to HSS10.75×0.365 10 in. STD pipe
these pipes, a fabricator must remove the sealant, creating an unneces-
HSS10.75×0.500 10 in. STRONG pipe
sary cost and extra step in the fabrication process. The bare surface of
the A500 tube makes it easier to paint after fabrication is complete. Also, HSS12.75×0.375 12 in. STD pipe
because A53 pipe is produced to carry pressurized steam, water, or gas, HSS12.75×0.500 12 in. STRONG pipe
the manufacturer must hydrostatically test the product, ensuring that it
can withstand pressure when in use. If A53 piping is used in structural
applications, the product includes the cost of those tests that a structural
application does not require.
Table 2: Commonly available handrail sections.

From experience, I am finding that not all HSS shapes given ×0.180
in the AISC Manual are actually produced. Is there a list of HSS1.9 ×0.145
sections available?
×0.125
Here are some key considerations around sizes and availability.
Round HSS can be specified in a wide variety of sizes. Discerning what ×0.140
sizes are readily available is a little trickier. Engineers frequently wonder HSS1.66 ×0.134
why there are fewer options for A53 pipe than A500 rounds. A53 pipes ×0.125
are designated to a nominal pipe size (NPS) referring to a “nominal” OD
×0.133
in inches, plus one of three scheduled wall thicknesses (standard, x-strong, HSS1.315
and xx-strong). They are sized this way because A53 pipes—designed ×0.125
to carry pressurized steam, air, or water—must work with standardized
fittings and valves. There is no such need with A500 tubes, which are
therefore designated with much more precision and, accordingly, more When sourcing smaller sections, can ASTM A513
efficiency. With A500 rounds, the outside diameter and wall thickness, in be substituted if A500 is “not available”?
inches, are carried to three decimal places. This is a multi-step answer. First, challenge the ques-
A good rule of thumb is to specify an HSS member that is equivalent tion of availability. Check the Capability Tool and contact
to the NPS sizes. These are listed in Table 1 with the corresponding STI for assistance. Second, the answer to the substitu-
callout for an HSS. If deviating from those listed, it is best to check the tion request is, “It depends.” ASTM A513 is a mechani-
STI Capability Tool at www.steeltubeinstitute.org to see if the section cal tubing specification intended for applications where
specified is domestically produced and, therefore, commonly available. dimensional tolerances are critical, but the strength of the
This can also be done for rectangular sections. You can also search for member is not paramount. ASTM A513 has no physical
HSS shape availability in the “Who makes the shapes you need?” search requirements (minimum yield, tensile, or elongation), and
box at www.aisc.org. often A513 material is not provided with a material test
report (MTR) indicating these properties. Therefore, if
If I’m working on a handrail design, what sections should I be a substitution is requested, it is essential to first perform
looking at? coupon testing or review the product’s MTR to ensure
Table 2 lists the sections commonly available in ASTM A500 Grade that it meets the physical requirements you assumed in
B/C for handrail construction. your design.

Modern Steel Construction | 17

steelwise
I need large round sections for my design. there are 40 other grades given in API 5L, many of which may
What is available domestically? be available.
The availability of these sections should be a concern when • One of the additional requirements PSL 2 stipulates a yield-to-
considering specifying them. ASTM A500 is limited to sizes tensile-strength ratio of 0.93 maximum for Grade B and X42 up
with peripheries less than or equal to 88 in. Anything larger than to X80. This is important, as some of the connection strengths
a 28-in.-OD round section cannot be specified as A500. However, given in Chapter K of AISC 360-16 are rooted in the ductility of
rounds even that large are not produced to the A500 specification the material that produces the anticipated connection deforma-
domestically. Currently, the largest A500 sections made in the U.S. tion. The maximum yield-to-tensile ratio for the materials used
are 20-in.-OD. It is worth noting that, by the end of 2021, there in the development of AISC 360-16, Chapter K, is 0.80.
will be a new domestic mill producing sections up to 28-in. OD. In • If a large section is required, but the stringent chemical and
addition to the periphery limits, A500 also has a limit on the wall testing requirements of the API 5L specification are not, it may
thickness. The maximum thickness of an A500 member is 1 in. be prudent to call out the section as “ASTM A500 Grade C
If a project requires members that exceed what is currently pro- or approved equivalent.” This allows a mill that has not gone
duced in A500, there is piping produced for other industries that through the rigorous certifications necessary to obtain an API
can be used in structural applications, with caution. Most com- license to produce the material needed for a construction appli-
monly, products that meet specifications like ASTM A252: Stan- cation and may save significant project costs.
dard Specification for Welded and Seamless Steel Pipe Piles, which is
used for pipe pile foundations, or API 5L, for the oil and gas indus- Is the substitution of ASTM A252 for ASTM A500 OK?
tries, can be procured in diameters up to 80 in. ASTM A252 is a material specification for steel pipe piles for
foundations, where the steel either acts as the permanent load-car-
What are some of the notable differences between rying member or as the form for cast-in-place concrete piles. STI
API 5L and ASTM A500? does not recommend the substitution of ASTM A252 for ASTM
• API 5L products come in many grades, denoted by “X65” or A500 unless extreme care is taken. A few items of note follow:
“X70,” which refers to the yield strength (i.e., X65 has a yield • ASTM A252 can be specified in one of three grades. Yield
strength of 65,300 psi). strengths vary from 30 to 45 ksi, and tensile strengths vary
• While API 5L is produced in very large diameters, the thick- from 50 to 66 ksi.
nesses of domestically produced pipes are limited to 1 in. • There are no chemical composition requirements in ASTM
Imported material, especially from Asia, is available with walls A252.
exceeding 1 in. in thickness, although the availability of such • Although A252 is frequently produced in large sections, the
products is often challenging to nail down. specification does not speak to the tolerance for sections
• As API 5L is intended for use as pipelines in the transport of exceeding 24 in. in diameter and/or ½ in. thick.
petroleum and natural gas, the tolerances and finishes that are • The tolerances in A252 are more lenient than A500 for wall
expected for building products do not apply to API 5L prod- thickness, and it has no tolerance for straightness.
ucts. API 5L is similar to ASTM A53 as both are hydrostatically • Similar to API 5L, ASTM A252 is not an approved material per
tested. However, API 5L material is of a much higher quality AISC 360-16.
as it is expected to withstand higher pressures and much higher If A252 is substituted, the EOR should account for its thinner
temperatures than A53 pipe is. wall, the lower yield strength, and the variable chemistry that may
• API 5L is not an approved material per the AISC Specification affect the members’ weldability.
for Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 360, aisc.org/
specifications), as specified in Section A3.1a. However, the What are the key considerations concerning the
Commentary to this section states: “Other materials may be fabrication of round HSS?
suitable for specific applications, but the evaluation of those When considering the total cost of a structure, the fabrication is
materials is the responsibility of the engineer specifying them.” a significant portion of the steel package cost. The handling of the
It is the engineer of record’s (EOR) responsibility to prove the material during fabrication is a contributor to the overall fabrication
material used conforms to an ASTM Specification specifically listed cost. It should be noted that round HSS can be more challenging
in AISC 360-16, Section A3. (The three “Unlisted Materials” to handle in the shop as they have a tendency to roll. Marking and
articles in the October, November, and December 2018 issues, adding pieces to quadrants at 90° to each other on a round piece is
available at www.modernsteel.com, may prove useful here.) not quite as easy as it is on a rectangular section. Additionally, when
• API 5L has two product specification levels: PSL 1 and PSL connecting a round section to another round section, like in the truss
2. PSL 1 provides a standard quality level for line pipe. PSL shown in Figure 1, the cut necessary to connect the branch member
2 includes additional requirements for chemical composition, to the chord is complex. This fabrication step has been simplified
fracture toughness, a maximum yield strength, and additional with the implementation of lasers into fabrication shops. However,
nondestructive testing. without lasers, it can be quite complicated. While round sections are
• Today, the most common grade of API 5L pipe available for often the most efficient per weight, it may be more cost-effective
structural applications is Grade B or X42 (PSL 1); however, to use a square or rectangular section to aid in the fabrication costs.

18 | JANUARY 2021
 steelwise
What are the key considerations concerning weldability?

Courtesy Terri Meyer Boake

The requirements for the chemical composition of the commonly specified struc-
tural steels and, in particular, the limiting values of carbon equivalents have been
selected to facilitate weldability. The American Welding Society’s AWS D1.1: Struc-
tural Welding–Steel, in Table 3.1, lists prequalified steel materials and grades that have
been selected because they have historically displayed good weldability. ASTM A53,
A500, A1085, and API 5L Grade B, X42, and X52 are all listed as approved base met-
als for prequalified WPS (welding procedure specifications). Steel grades not listed in
Table 3.1 may be new and have simply not been incorporated into D1.1 or, as is the
case for ASTM A252, have been excluded because their mechanical properties and
chemical compositions are not sufficiently defined. For these materials to be used, a
special qualification test is required. Fig. 1. Complex end profiling.

What do I need to know about weld seams?

Courtesy Nucor Skyline

ASTM A500 round sections are produced with a straight seam weld, with the
outside weld bead scarfed, or cut smooth with the outside surface. Specifiers should
be aware that other specifications for round sections, particularly large pipes, are
also produced with a spiral weld. In a spiral weld, the weld seam wraps around the
member like a spiral. This is of particular importance if the member is to be used in
an architecturally exposed condition as an architectural element (AESS). In that case,
it is likely necessary that the member should be specified on the contract documents
that it shall be “straight-seam welded.” (Note that spiral-welded HSS shapes are not
common in building construction and may not be readily available.)

What about the tolerances of these various materials?

All of the materials mentioned in this article have different tolerances innate to
their specifications (Table 3). As noted above, it is vital to ensure that assumptions
made about the material in the development of the code meet or exceed what is
provided in the actual member to be used. Additionally, there are other require-
ments, such as straightness, that may be worth investigating if an alternate material
is sourced for a project.
There are countless questions about all aspects of HSS. Hopefully, the ones we’ve
covered here will give you more clarity on the nuances and benefits of designing with
HSS—and possibly spark more questions. If the latter occurs, email me! ■

Fig. 2. Spiral weld pipe.

Table 3. Summary of tolerances.

Summary of Tolerances
ASTM 500 ASTM A252 API 5L ASTM A513 ASTM A53
cold rolled,
Grade C Grade 3 B X42 X52 Grade B
as welded
structural tubing for welded or steel pipe pipeline transportation mechanical and pressure
bolted construction of bridges mechanical applications; also acceptable
intended use piles for systems for petroleum and
and buildings and general tubing for ordinary uses in steam,
structural purposes foundations natural gas industries water, gas, and air lines
minimum
46 ksi 45 ksi 35.5 ksi 42.1 ksi 52.2 ksi no requirement 35 ksi
yield strength
based on cross-sectional based on cross-sectional
% elongation 21 20 area of test piece no requirement area of test piece
in 2 in. (same as A53) (same as API 5L)
Tolerances
for 2.375 in. < OD < 24 in., ranges from
+/– 0.75% (0.125 in. max)
OD +/– 0.75% +/– 1% for 24 in. < OD < 56 in.,
+/– ¼ to ½ %; +/– 1%
+/– 0.5% (0.16 in. max) see ASTM A513
ranges from
for 0.157 in. < t < 0.984 in.,–12.5%
wall thickness +/– 10% –12.5% for t > 0.984 in., max of –12% or –0.1t
+/– .001 to .009; –12.5%
see ASTM
weight no requirement –5%, +15% –3.5% no requirement +/– 10%
max deviation from straight line 0.03 in. per
straightness 0.125 in. per 5 ft of length no requirement no requirement
2% of pipe length 3 ft of length
Modern Steel Construction | 19
 field notes
The founders of Cast Connex have turned a
A STRONG structural castings dream into strong, inspiring
CAST realities around the world.
INTERVIEW BY
GEOFF WEISENBERGER

De Oliveira and Gray at Toronto’s Queen

Richmond Centre West. To read about the project,
see “Jacks of All Trades” in the March 2014 issue,
available at www.modernsteel.com.
Photo: Neil Ta

Field Notes is CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA AND MICHAEL GRAY, co-founders of AISC member
Modern Steel Cast Connex, forged a partnership as students that evolved into a company that is a global
Construction’s leader in steel castings for structural applications. They talk about how they met, how
podcast series, their student research became a steel construction phenomenon, their favorite Toronto
where we interview buildings, and their company’s humble beginnings—complete with a road trip to NASCC.
people from all
corners of the structural steel industry Let’s start from the beginning. How did you two meet?
with interesting stories to tell. Listen in Carlos: We met when we were both co-op students at a structural engineering firm
at modernsteel.com/podcasts. in Toronto. We were sitting beside each other and were tasked with similar projects.
Michael: Yeah, we got to know each other working side by side, and there were two
things that stood out for me from our first day working together. First, he told me he
was going to start his own firm. And second, he tried to sell me a CD from his rock band.
Carlos: He did buy it, although that’s a bit of a point of contention now because he
has threatened to play it for all of our employees.

You haven’t made good on that threat yet?

Michael: It’s the nuclear option. I don’t want to go there unless I have to. So anyway,
by the end of the work term, Carlos said, “We should start our own business,” and I was
thinking to myself, “This guy is nuts.”
Carlos: During this co-op work term, I was applying to grad schools and I was con-
sidering going to the U.S.—both Michael and I were born and raised in Toronto—and at
the time, Michael was studying at the University of Toronto and he suggested that I look
into going there for my master’s degree. He really pitched the University of Toronto to
Geoff Weisenberger me, talking about the excellent professors and the incredible structures laboratory and
(weisenberger@aisc.org) is senior test facilities, and so I applied and I was accepted. I ended up working with professors
editor of Modern Steel Construction. Jeffrey Packer and Constantin Christopoulos—Dr. Packer, of course being well-known

20 | JANUARY 2021
 field notes
for tubular connections and HSS and Dr. Christopoulos for seis- They were building a four-story office building in an empty lot
mic design of structures—and my master’s thesis topic was to study beside their fabrication shop, and they leveraged our connectors.
seismic-resistant braced-frame connections, looking at how we That turned out to be our company’s first commercial sale.
might be able to leverage casting manufacturing to simplify those Michael: There is one engineer in particular at Canam Group
types of connections for HSS brace members. So the topic of my that we will be forever grateful for, and that is Pierre Gignac. He
thesis was really the nexus of our business. recognized the value of our High Strength Connectors and was
A year into my thesis, my advisors encouraged me to change my instrumental in putting them into structural service for the first time.
master’s thesis to a PhD, and I turned them down. I obviously had
other aspirations! And so they came to me one day and told me since Can you tell me about another memorable project early in
I turned them down, they’d need to get another student to continue your company’s history?
my research, and they had a great one in mind. “He’s really bright Michael: I’d say the Queen Richmond Centre West in Toronto.
and intelligent,” they told me. “You might know him. His name is The team there was tremendously supportive in helping us get our
Michael Gray.” Of course, it was funny to me because unbeknownst start. It’s a huge project for us. If it weren’t for Stephenson Engi-
to my supervisors, Michael and I were best friends, and I thought neering, Sweeny &Co Architects, and Walters, the steel fabricator,
it was really fitting that Michael would be continuing my research. we wouldn’t have gotten a shot at it.
And that research eventually led to the creation of our business. Carlos: The building is a remarkable structural feat. Each of our
castings is carrying 20 million lb of force in supporting something
Tell me about the early years of the business. I recall a road like 12 stories of reinforced concrete office tower 70 ft in the air
trip story when we spoke at NASCC a couple of years ago. atop these seemingly purely sculptural forms. It’s a tremendous
Michael: Yes, that was our first trip to NASCC. We founded project and such a great way to leverage casting manufacturing.
Cast Connex maybe a year earlier and we had put a lot of effort
into getting our products developed and doing some testing, and Let’s take a step back before you met. Were you both always
this was going to be our big launch. The two of us were in a rented interested in buildings and construction?
van, driving from Toronto to Nashville, with prototype castings Carlos: Like most structural engineers, if you ask a lot of us
rolling around in the back and a few pop-up posters for our exhibit this question, you’ll hear people say, “Well, I used to play with
booth. We didn’t know what we were doing. Halfway down there, Legos and Tinker Toys growing up,” and it’s the same for me. I was
we realized we hadn’t even painted the castings and they were rust- always into math and sciences and really driven to create and build
ing, so we pulled over at a hardware store and bought a wire brush, and invent and design things. I have very fond childhood memo-
and we were really trying to clean the samples as much as possible. ries of going to Ontario Place, which features the Cinesphere,
Carlos: We were bootstrapping for sure. We were a company with a spherical theater structure. I always remember looking at the
one full-time and one part-time employee—Michael was finishing up structural framing of that building, which is actually on its outside,
his PhD—and we were just trying to get our materials down there and being fascinated and thinking about how it was put together.
and set it all up ourselves and try to look somewhat professional. And lo and behold, 20 years later we’re designing and engineering
and supplying gigantic cast steel nodes for what I believe will be
The only thing that could have made that story even better the world’s largest spherical structure, which is under construction
was if the van had broken down. right now in Las Vegas.
Carlos: Well, scrubbing rusty castings in the parking lot of a Michael: It’s kind of full circle on that as well for me. I guess
Walmart is pretty epic. the first building I remember making me feel some kind of inspira-
Michael: Those first few years of trade shows, I think I went to tion was Brookfield Place in Toronto and its atrium designed by
a hardware store in every city we visited to fix one thing or another. Santiago Calatrava. It’s got some really beautifully complex AESS
arches supporting the roof.
Can you talk about the first connection you developed?
Carlos: Our company’s first product was our High Strength As lifelong Torontonians, what are some of your favorite
Connector, our steel casting for use at the end of HSS bracing in things about the city?
special and ordinary concentric braced frames, and that one was Michael: I’d have to start with the diversity. There are cultures
actually developed as part of my master’s thesis work. The first from all around the world living together in reasonable harmony.
use of that product came about because we were clever enough Lots of great restaurants and places to go. And as a business opera-
to engage a very important steel fabricator in Canada, Canam tor, it’s great because it’s enabled us to have a very diverse team
Group, to build our lab test specimens when we were doing full- with lots of ideas and different backgrounds, which I think helps
scale testing at École Polytechnique at the University of Montreal keep our company really healthy and innovative. So we love it. We
with professor Robert Tremblay. We had the company fabricate couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home.
our test specimen because we thought if we could get our High Carlos: Although the winter sometimes makes me wonder
Strength Connectors in the hands of a big steel fabricator, they about that. ■
would appreciate how they can simplify fabrication, and this might
pave the way for something in the future. And sure enough, they To hear more from Carlos and Michael, including their thoughts on the
were actually the first company to use our connection in a building. Maple Leafs and Carlos’ college band, visit modernsteel.com/podcasts.

Modern Steel Construction | 21

 business
issues Take the team seriously,
WORKING ON don’t take yourself too seriously, and
TEAMWORK know when to say when.
BY DAN COUGHLIN

TEAMWORK IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT to improving the results of any

group or organization.
Teamwork happens when the people in the group or organization consciously and
proactively work together to support one another’s efforts toward fulfilling a meaning-
ful purpose and achieving positive outcomes.
It can also happen as a result of collectively dealing with a crisis, being called to-
gether to fulfill a significant purpose, or wanting to raise the bar in meeting the needs
of an important cause.
Teamwork is something to take seriously, but it’s important to be careful that you
Since 1998, Dan Coughlin has don’t take yourself too seriously. When your personal agenda conflicts with what’s best
educated for-profit and nonprofit for the team, you can inadvertently begin to ruin your organization’s collective efforts.
executives to consistently deliver Here are some factors that can cause you to put yourself before your team—and tactics
excellence in management, to keep you from doing so.
leadership, and teamwork. He
serves as a business coach and Emotions
teacher. Visit his free Business Intense emotions can include tremendous joy, unbridled optimism, deep-seated
Performance Idea Center at worry, and fiery anger. When you experience extremely positive or extremely negative
www.thecoughlincompany.com. emotions in a team setting, it’s beneficial to trace the source of those emotions.
Are you feeling positive or negative emotions because you got or did not get what
In addition, Dan has presented you wanted on a personal level?
multiple sessions at Are you feeling positive or negative emotions because the team did or did not fulfill
NASCC: The Steel Conference. a meaningful purpose or achieve its important desired outcomes?
Visit aisc.org/education-archives Are you feeling positive or negative emotions because of how you’ve seen people
and search on “Coughlin” within the team treat one another?
to access them. Take anger, for example. Let’s say you’re working with your team and something
happens that brings out your anger. Why do you feel that way?
You could be angry because you didn’t get the recognition that you thought you
deserved or you felt ignored, laughed at, or controlled by other people. In that case,
your anger is about you.
You could be angry because your team did not fulfill its purpose or achieve its de-
sired goals, and your emotions are overwhelming you. This is about your attachment
to the outcome.
You could be angry because you feel members of the team have mistreated other
members of the team. This is about perceived mistreatment within the organization.
If the source of your anger is you, then I suggest you work not to take yourself so
seriously. Remember: It’s not about you. Don’t take comments from other people as
an attack on you personally. They are just sharing their opinions and making decisions.
If this is becoming a major issue for you, then I encourage you to do things to lighten
and improve your mood. Read a book for enjoyment. Watch a comedy. Go for a long
walk or bike ride. Volunteer to help other people. Above all, recognize that part of the
reason that you’re angry is that you’re taking yourself too seriously.
If the source of your anger is a shortfall in results, then ask yourself what you and
your team can do to improve outcomes in the future. Put together a new plan and
move into action.
22 | JANUARY 2021
 business issues

If the source of your anger is what you perceive to be the mis- Apathy feels good for a little while. You no longer get worked
treatment of some teammates by others, then talk with the latter up over anything. You just sit there.
party. See if you can have an impact on how they treat other mem-
bers of the team. They might not even be aware they’re doing it, and Know When to Walk Away
engaging them will bring them awareness. Or they might be doing it Sometimes, apathy is short-lived or can be worked past. But if
intentionally, and engaging them will let them know that they can’t you’ve gotten to a point where the only way to be part of the group
get away with it without notice. And of course, if the mistreatment is to be apathetic, then it’s probably time to move on. If you feel
is extreme enough, you need to go beyond the team altogether and members of the team mistreat other members and you have done
report it to the appropriate people in your organization. everything you can to try to improve those behaviors, and nothing
has worked, then I encourage you to leave the team. Move on.
Apathy In the book Maslow on Management, Abraham Maslow says,
Apathy is another issue. It often manifests as a short-term “so- “Ultimately, real self-esteem rests on a feeling of dignity, of con-
lution” to anger that leads to a long-term problem. One way to trolling one’s own life, and of being one’s own boss.” Rather than
stop your anger is to stop caring about the team. Since all three being permanently angry over the mistreatment of other people,
sources of anger I mentioned are connected to caring about your sometimes you need to move to a different part of the organiza-
perceptions of the team (their opinion of you, the team’s results, tion or a different organization altogether. Being a good worker or
and the behavior of team members), you can cut out that source by team member doesn’t mean that you have to permanently remain
simply not caring about the team. in an unhealthy situation just to show your grit or commitment.
And at first, it can seem like a good idea. If you truly stop caring Sometimes the healthiest thing for the team and for yourself is to
about the team, then you won’t have any need to be angry about remove yourself from the group.
anything related to it. You attend meetings and events, but you do This can be very hard to do, especially if you have been a part of
so with a very apathetic attitude. If someone says something offen- the team for several years. However, in doing so, you give yourself
sive, you don’t become angry because you don’t care. If the team an opportunity to be a part of a new group where people can pull
doesn’t fulfill its purpose or achieve its goals, you don’t become together and support one another toward fulfilling a meaningful
angry because, again, you don’t care. If the team members are re- purpose and achieving positive outcomes.
ally rude to each other and treat each other in a mean-spirited way, Remember: While teamwork is certainly important, in the end,
you don’t become angry because—well, you get the picture. it’s your life and it’s your call. When working in a team environ-
You are still part of the team, but you are not emotionally in- ment, learn to recognize when you might be taking things too per-
vested in it. You become like a zombie walking around in a trance. sonally, whether apathy is something that can be worked past or
The good news is you no longer get angry. appears to be permanent, when it’s time to step in and stand up for
The bad news is you are wasting your life. You show up in name team members who are being mistreated, and when it might be
and body, but your passion is gone. You don’t contribute. You don’t time to look elsewhere. And then you can make the decision that is
complain. You are just a blob of purposeless matter. appropriate for you and the team. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 23

 An integrated delivery
process keeps the new
University of Florida
Baseball Stadium
project on track and
within budget.

No Extra
Innings Needed
BY DYLAN S. RICHARD, PE AND STEPHEN E. BLUMENBAUM, PE

24 | JANUARY 2021
 Rather than displacing the Gator baseball
team for an extended period by rebuilding
on the same site, the athletic department
decided to move the team to a new home
on the University of Florida campus near
the softball complex.

all images courtesy of Walter P Moore

WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA baseball team opens its 2021 season, it
will have already hit at least one proverbial home run.
The team’s new baseball stadium, Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field, in Gaines-
ville, Fla., is just one part of the University Athletic Association’s Facilities Master Plan designed
to enhance the overall experience of Florida Gator players and spectators in their facilities.
The state-of-the-art $55 million, 7,000-seat (4,200 fixed), 135,000-sq.-ft stadium features all
of the modern amenities a fan could imagine, including a 360° open concourse and seating,
allowing fans to walk around the venue without losing sight of the action on the field.
Rather than displacing the Gator baseball team for an extended period by rebuilding
on the same site, the athletic department decided to move the team to a new home on the
University of Florida campus near the softball complex. The new location not only pro-
vides a convenient location for the baseball team, but also makes room for construction of
a new football training complex on the old baseball stadium site.

Tying Back to History

Having a longstanding relationship with the University of Florida, Walter P Moore
(WPM) was proud to be the structural engineer for the new baseball stadium. Addition-
ally, the company continued its working relationship with Populous and Walker Archi-
tects, the prime and local architects for the venue.
During the early conceptual phase of the project, both steel and concrete were con-
sidered for the structural system. However, it was important to the design team that the Dylan S. Richard (drichard
ballpark tie back to the collegiate gothic style that defines the University of Florida’s archi- @walterpmoore.com) is a principal
tecture. Structural steel was the clear choice to accomplish this goal, and the project used and senior project manager,
933 tons of steel in all. and Stephen E. Blumenbaum
“One of the ways we made that connection was through the expression of the structural (sblumenbaum@walterpmoore.com)
steel and steel detailing of the seating bowl, scoreboard, and ballpark canopy,” said Zach is a principal and director of
Allee, associate principal at Populous. “By cantilevering the structural steel of the roof, we construction engineering,
were able to shade the upper-level seats, while using that deck to shade the seating below both at Walter P Moore.
for ultimate fan comfort throughout the ballpark.”

Modern Steel Construction | 25

 Approximately five months before con-
struction began in 2019, the cost estimates
on the stadium’s initial design were higher
than expected, so the owner, design, and
construction teams spent two months care-
fully reviewing, adjusting, and finalizing the
design to be in line with the budget. How-
ever, the university could not afford a slip in
the final delivery date for the stadium, as its
completion was necessary to allow demoli-
tion of the old baseball stadium and begin
above: The new $55 million, 135,000-sq.-ft stadium can seat 7,000 fans. It was important construction of the new football training
to the design team that the ballpark tie back to the collegiate gothic style that defines the complex. Thus, the challenge was to regain
school’s architecture, and steel was the clear choice to accomplish this goal. two months of the project schedule to
maintain the original completion date.

Integrated Delivery Process

The solution to the schedule challenge
came in the form of WPM’s integrated
delivery process. The firm’s construction
engineering team joined the project to
simultaneously prepare a steel fabrication
(LOD400) model as the structural design
work was completed. This process contrasts
traditional delivery, where 2D design docu-
ments are handed off to a steel fabricator for
interpretation and implementation after the
design documents are completed.
“When WPM approached me with the
above and below: There was a desire to express as much of the structural steel as possible idea of using their construction engineering
in all portions of the stadium, including the batter’s eye structure in center field, which uses services for structural steel detailing on the
30 tons of steel.
baseball project, I was initially skeptical. It
was a different approach, and I had a lot of
questions,” said Adam Cowan, operations
manager at Brasfield and Gorrie, the general
contractor for the project.
But after several conversations with
WPM and the athletic department, Cowan
became more comfortable with the idea as a
way to streamline the steel detailing process
and improve the schedule. Because struc-
tural steel detailing took place concurrently
with the structural design, it enabled the
mill order model to be given to steel fabri-
cator GMF Steel Group on the day it was
awarded the project, and steel was ordered
Models and Drawings and Documents, Oh My! the next business day.
As 3D modeling in steel design and construction evolves, so must the language “The direct collaboration between
that describes it. In an effort to keep everyone on the same page, so to speak, WPM and GMF Steel Group allowed for
the latest version of the AISC Code of Standard Practice (ANSI/AISC 303-16, quicker connection design preferences, as
aisc.org/specifications) now includes several updated terms. well as our means and methods to be incor-
You may notice two of these newer terms in this article: approval documents porated into the steel detailing,” said Jason
and fabrication documents. Approval documents are defined as “the structural steel Hall, executive vice president at GMF Steel
shop drawings, erection drawings, and embedment drawings, or, where the parties Group, the project’s steel fabricator and
have agreed in the contract documents to provide digital model(s), the fabrication erector. “This streamlined process ensured
model and erection model.” Fabrication documents are defined as “the shop draw- that our standard of quality was upheld,
ings, or, where the parties have agreed in the contract documents to provide digital while also saving weeks off the schedule
model(s), the fabrication model.” compared to a typical process.”
For more details on these and other terms related to 3D model-based This reformatted process yielded sev-
workflows, see “Speaking the Same Language” in the April 2017 issue, available eral benefits to the design and construc-
at www.modernsteel.com. tion of the stadium. First, it allowed the
26 | JANUARY 2021
project team to coordinate and finalize the design before secur- “The coordinated execution plan resulted in the delivery of
ing the steel mill order. WPMs integrated services eliminated the steel on-site early and completing erection three weeks ahead of
need to order steel from early structural documents before com- schedule, attributable to the quality of detailing, fabrication, and
pletion of the architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumb- erection,” Hall added. “This project delivery method with WPM
ing documents. Second, this method allowed a more thorough adds value for the owner and is our preferred approach to providing
understanding of the design intent by prospective fabricators, quality steel fabrication and erection with an expedited schedule.”
which helped reduce uncertainty and risk. The fabrication model Production of the LOD400 model during the design phase
communicated to the subcontractor’s precise material quantities, also proved valuable to the precast seating unit subcontractor. The
connection requirements, and the like versus having to estimate team had adequate time to coordinate the interfaces between the
material takeoffs from 2D paper drawings. Finally, this nearly steel and precast in a virtual environment, which brought further
eliminated review comments required on the approval documents schedule gains in the field compared to traditional methods.
from the design team, with corresponding reductions in process- In addition, open sharing of the BIM models between WPM,
ing time from the architect, builder, fabricator, and detailer. GMF, and precast subcontractor Gate Precast played a key role
in the successful construction of the upper bowl and helped find
Elimination of RFIs several small but important vertical and horizontal discrepan-
On a job of this size and complexity, and using traditional delivery cies early. Furthermore, constructability considerations during
methods, RFIs are common. But thanks to the ongoing, model-based the design stage allowed the steel sections to have enough stiff-
communication between the design team, Brasfield and Gorrie, and ness to accommodate the temporary unbalanced conditions that
GMF, the project had zero RFIs when it came to the steel package. occur when installing precast stadia.
“Another main benefit we noticed was the elimination of a lot “The early design coordination and attention to detail
of back-and-forth and RFIs during the detailing process,” Cowan resulted in UF Baseball being one of the smoothest running sta-
said. “WPM’s detailers were working hand-in-hand with their dium projects Gate Precast has ever built,” said Richard Pope,
designers, so questions were answered before and during fabrica- project manager at Gate Precast.
tion document generation.”

above and below: Because structural steel

detailing took place concurrently with the
structural design, it enabled the mill order
model to be given to the steel fabricator
on the day it was awarded the project, and
steel was ordered the next business day.

Modern Steel Construction | 27

above: By cantilevering the structural steel of the roof, the team was
able to shade the upper-level seats, while using that deck to shade
the seating below for ultimate fan comfort throughout the ballpark.

left and above: Production of the LOD400 model during the design
phase also proved valuable to the precast seating unit subcontractor.
The team had adequate time to coordinate the interfaces between
the steel and precast in a virtual environment, which brought further
schedule gains in the field compared to traditional methods.

The structural frame was designed to accommodate the

addition of two more framing bays to the upper seating bowl
at each end. Provided by USA Shade & Fabric Structures,
fabric shade canopies at each end (the third base canopy is
pictured) were designed to provide shading for the lower
bowl until the expansion happens.

28 | JANUARY 2021
 Achieving the Vision
Despite the time constraints associated
with the stadium, construction finished on
time in July 2020 and within budget.
“The schedule was complicated at
the end, but WPM dipped into their
resources to still deliver the stadium
on time,” said Joe Walker, principal in
charge at Walker Architects.
The design team used a reformatted
delivery process to help achieve the owner’s
vision for the new stadium, and integrated
services helped bridge the gap between
A model of a stairwell design and construction, providing a more
and concourse framing (above) and seamless transition from concept to reality.
actual steel in the field (below). “The ability to create and customize the
detailed steel fabrication documents was
the single most powerful item that saved
the project budget and schedule,” Walker
said. “WPM’s efforts saved approximately
$800,000 on bid day.”
Conventional delivery methods likely
would not have solved the project sched-
ule’s challenges without introducing higher
levels of risk in terms of cost, field dura-
tions, or both. The team success on the
Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan
Field provides reasons to expect further
innovations in project delivery.
“The 3D model can be the new deliv-
erable, but only if designers create their
models accurately and pack them with
information so that they can be trusted
by the downstream users,” said Aaron
White, principal and director of digi-
tal practice at WPM. “At the same time,
2D construction documents will only
go away when design, construction, and
owner teams are willing to leverage digi-
tal tools and try something new.”
below: The stadium is completed and ready for Florida’s team to take the field when the There is only one thing left to do:
2021 baseball season starts. Play ball! ■

Owner
University of Florida Athletic
Association, Gainesville, Fla.
General Contractor
Brasfield and Gorrie, Jacksonville, Fla.
Architects
Populous, Kansas City
Walker Architects, Gainesville
Structural Engineer, Connection
Designer, and Detailer
Walter P Moore, Tampa, Fla.
Steel Fabricator and Erector
GMF Steel Group ,
Lakeland, Fla.

Modern Steel Construction | 29

 Winning A steel-framed

Past,
renovation and
BY DAVID BIBBS, SE, PE, expansion project
AND JOHN ROACH, SE, PE
recognizes proud

Winning
tradition and creates
a promising future
for University of

Future Maryland athletics.

TRADITION RUNS DEEP at the University of Maryland, College Park, where athletic
achievement has long been an important part of the school’s culture.
That sense of history is tangible across the campus athletic complex, and perhaps
no building holds more sentimental value than the William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activi-
ties Building. Colloquially known as Cole Field House, the facility was the home of the
Maryland Terrapins men’s and women’s basketball teams and has hosted countless campus
events from its completion in 1955 until a new arena (now called the Xfinity Center)
opened in 2002.
For several years after that, Cole Field House was used for intramural sports and other
activities and also housed office space. But in 2015, the university partnered with architec-
ture and engineering firm CannonDesign to create a first-of-its-kind human performance
and academic research facility—a living laboratory where entrepreneurs, scientists, clini-
cians, trainers, and athletes can work together to advance the practice of sports medicine.
This 400,000-sq.-ft endeavor involved reimagining Cole Field House as a modern foot-
ball practice facility, as well as the creation of an adjacent Center for Sports Medicine and
Human Performance.

Fit for the Future

The success of the entire project was predicated on resolving a hefty challenge: how
David Bibbs (dbibbs to fit a football practice field into Cole Field House while maintaining the historic fabric
@cannondesign.com) is a structural of the former basketball arena, particularly its landmark vaulted roof. Comprised of 15
engineer with the Chicago office of steel arches spanning the full 250-ft width of the 80,000-sq.-ft building, the roof structure
CannonDesign and was the project’s ultimately provided the key to repurposing the building.
engineer of record. John Roach Rising 92 ft above the arena floor, the existing steel arches provided adequate clear
(jroach@cannondesign.com) is a height to accommodate the new football practice facility. Building on this feature,
structural engineer with the Buffalo CannonDesign structural engineers developed a strategy to expand the width and
office of CannonDesign. length of the arena bowl while maintaining the structure above.
30 | JANUARY 2021
 left: Cole Field House as it appeared upon completion in 1955.
The original seating bowl for the arena was carved into the site
from the at-grade concourse level.
below: The arena seating bowl was demolished and excavated to
accommodate the new football practice field.

University of Maryland Archives

opposite page and above: The bays added to the end of the building
were designed to closely match the construction of the existing steel
arches that support the roof.
right: The completed football practice facility at Cole Field House.
Paul Burk

To accommodate the required length of the indoor practice stratum below the proposed finished floor. Soil nails were pro-
field, the north end of the building was demolished, and three new vided at the perimeter of the interior excavation to serve as the
structural bays were added. Each new bay features an exposed steel permanent earth retention system, and a 33-ft-tall reinforced
arch designed and detailed to be indistinguishable from those in concrete foundation wall was constructed to serve as the finished
the original structure. The new arches were constructed from five interior surface.
curved W36 beams, each supported by a pair of W36×160 columns As this extensive earthwork continued below the roof structure,
at both ends. Bolted splices transfer shear and moment between the original Tectum roof deck was removed and replaced by gal-
members along the span and into the support columns, where pairs vanized B-Deck fastened to the existing purlins. New diaphragm
of braced frames resist the outward thrust. bracing was added to resist lateral loads, and the original steel was
The arena seating bowl, which was carved 33 ft into the cleaned and painted to match the new construction.
ground below the concourse level, was demolished to provide A 50-ft-high curtain wall along the upper portion of the new
the necessary width for the practice field. Because the existing north end brings natural light deep into the practice facility. To
roof arches were supported by concrete thrust blocks at grade, provide a sufficiently stiff backup structure, W36×182 columns
a new foundation system was required before excavation could span between the field and the bottom of the arch, and exposed
begin. To avoid undermining the existing foundations, the orig- hollow structural section (HSS) girts brace the columns at regular
inal arches were re-supported with more than 100 micropiles intervals and support the bottom of the curtain wall above portals
that transfer the roof loads and lateral thrust to a new bearing that connect the practice field to a new strength training center.
Modern Steel Construction | 31
Celebrating Terrapin Culture above: The Center for Sports Medicine wraps around a pair of practice
fields and serves as an extension of Cole Field House, whose arched
While the Cole Field House reconstruction featured a delib- roof can be seen at upper-right.
erate weave of new construction and preservation, the Center
below: The two facilities occupy a prominent location on the University
for Sports Medicine and Human Performance is entirely new of Maryland Campus.
construction. More than 2,261 tons of steel were used in this
320,000-sq.-ft portion building, where structural efficiency and
Terrapin culture are seamlessly intertwined and boldly expressed
through architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS).
To provide a column-free space within the strength training
center, seven pairs of steel trusses fabricated to AESS 2 span 100
ft across the facility and support a landscaped roof terrace above.
Echoing the steel arches of the adjacent Cole Field House as
well as the geometry of a terrapin shell, the bottom chord of
each truss consists of a curved W12×79 member field bolted to
W24×146 columns at each end. Rather than align with a straight
span across the training center, each pair of trusses is skewed
to intersect at the midpoint. Viewed from below, this array of Cole
trusses and diagonal web members creates a diamond pattern
Field
that serves as an homage to both the state flag of Maryland and
the natural patterns found on a terrapin shell. House
Crystal Steel fabricated each truss in two halves at its
Delaware facility. The team benefited from the large, open
nature of the project site, where the free end of each section
was temporarily shored while the chords at the opposite end
were bolted to wide-flange stubs welded to the W24 columns.
After alignment, the four truss segments were spliced using
a fully welded, intersecting pair of wide-flange beams with
bolted end connections.

32 | JANUARY 2021
Creating Connections At the north end of the complex, a four-story “glass box” proj-
Just as the Cole Field House reconstruction provides a symbolic ects 7 ft from the face of the Center for Sports Medicine and points
bridge between the proud past and exciting future of Maryland toward adjacent Maryland Stadium. Within this volume, ornamen-
Athletics, the project as a whole is designed to strengthen physical tal steel stairs provide circulation between each level of the atrium.
connections between the athletics facilities and the surrounding At the glass box, exposed HSS members protected with an intu-
campus. Important public spaces and circulation corridors adja- mescent coating support 65 ft of canted curtain wall. To reduce
cent to Cole Field House and the Center for Sports Medicine and field labor and mitigate potential quality issues, the entire HSS
Human Performance are aligned with adjacent roads, pathways, curtain wall support frame was welded together in the shop and
and campus landmarks. To emphasize their distinctive role within bolted to the primary structure in the field. This approach allowed
the complex, these multi-story spaces are clad with curtain walls the design team to achieve a visually acceptable result without the
rather than the masonry veneer that defines the rest of the exterior. need to specify an AESS finish.

above: An homage to important campus symbols, intersecting

groups of arched trusses support the rooftop terrace above the
strength training room. The renovated Cole Field House can be seen
in the background.
right: Exposed steel supports a multi-story canted curtainwall that
looks toward the football stadium.

Modern Steel Construction | 33

 left: More than 2,261 tons of structural steel
were used to construct the Center for Sports
Medicine and Human Performance.

Fear the Turtle

While sculpted forms of steel and glass imbue public areas of the performance and
innovation center with a sense of drama, the portions of the complex reserved for student-
athletes are more subdued. Many of these areas are transitional spaces—passages or team
corridors that provide a link between one public space and another. This is especially true
of the long underground tunnel that was constructed to connect Cole Field House with
Maryland Stadium. To give teammates a final, private moment before emerging into a sta-
dium filled with cheering fans, CannonDesign created a 45-ft-long terrapin shell canopy
to shelter the end of the tunnel.
While a variety of materials were considered for the terrapin shell, the team quickly
determined that using steel fabricated to AESS 4 (showcase elements) would be the most
effective method for balancing aesthetics with constructability (for more information on
the various AESS levels, see “Maximum Exposure” in the November 2017 issue, available
at www.modernsteel.com). Due to the complex geometry of the terrapin shell and its
support structure, CannonDesign worked closely with steel fabricator Shickel Corpora-
tion to refine the connection details. The terrapin shell is an assembly of built-up steel
plates welded together and mounted to a structural frame comprised of HSS members. below: Within the “glass box,”
Eight pairs of round HSS columns splay outward 4 ft below the shell to add visual depth ornamental steel stairs provide
circulation between each level of
and further reinforce the diamond motif found throughout the complex. the atrium.

34 | JANUARY 2021
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 Each welded connection was finished to
Players enter the field from beneath the terrapin shell, which consists NOMMA #3 (partially dressed weld with
of built-up steel plates supported by splayed HSS columns.
spatter removed) and all members received
SSPC-SP 7 (brush-off blast cleaning) sur-
face preparation. For constructability pur-
poses, the entire structure was segmented
into a series of modules that were bolted
together in the field. Prior to final erection,
Shickel verified member fit-up by assem-
bling the entire structure in its shop.

Preserving the Past, Preparing for

the Future
With a projected 2021 completion, the
Center for Sports Medicine and Human
Performance will serve as an unrivaled
beacon for sports excellence, innovation,
and campus pride. By integrating a revital-
ized Cole Field House into the new facil-
ity, CannonDesign leveraged the versatil-
ity of steel to preserve an important piece
of campus history and avoid the waste of
demolishing a serviceable structure. Today,
the Maryland Terrapins have a state-of-
the-art football practice facility, and the
proud legacy of Cole Field House carries
on, in a new form, to the next generation of
Terrapin student-athletes. ■

Owner
University of Maryland,
College Park, Md.
Construction Manager
Gilbane Building Company, Baltimore
Architect
CannonDesign, Arlington, Va.,
and Baltimore
Paul Burk
Structural Engineers
CannonDesign, Chicago
Columbia Engineering, Columbia, Md.
(tunnel and Human Performance
Center foundations)
Steel Team
Fabricators
Crystal Steel Fabricators, Inc. ,
Delmar, Del. (superstructure,
also detailer)
Shickel Corporation , Bridgewater,
Va. (terrapin shell)
Erectors
Memco, LLC , A Division of
Banker Steel, Lynchburg, Va.
L.R. Wilson and Sons, Inc. ,
Gambrills, Md.
Bender-Roller
WhiteFab, Inc. , Birmingham, Ala.

Like Cole Field House, the strength training

center also incorporates steel arches.

Modern Steel Construction | 35

 Upward Bound BY ROBERT J. SCHUMACHER, PE, AND LEVI A. WARNER, SE, PE

MILWAUKEE’S SUMMERFEST Presented by American over the years, and by raising the roof, we will continue to attract
Family Insurance has long been recognized as the “World’s Larg- top talent, ensuring Summerfest remains a driver of economic
est Music Festival,” even being officially certified as such by the impact and tourism for Wisconsin.”
Guinness Book of World Records.
Every year, the 75-acre Summerfest grounds, located on the Existing Roof, Existing Team
shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee, hosts hundreds The existing structure was framed with 12-ft-deep hollow struc-
of performances and a carnival over a nine-day run in late June and tural section (HSS) trusses spanning 240 ft from the stage over two
early July, often attracting upwards of one million visitors. columns to the outer seating area; these radial trusses form five 15°
But even the biggest music festival on the globe needs to grow wedges. Transverse trusses span between them at about 24-ft spac-
here and there. Due to a 39-ft clear height limit within Summer- ing, and the roof deck is supported on 12-in.-deep HSS purlins
fest’s primary music venue, the covered 23,000-seat American spaced at 12 ft. The six radial trusses are supported by a 16-ft-deep,
Family Insurance Amphitheater (AFIA), a recent Paul McCartney 120-ft-long “proscenium” HSS truss directly over the stage. The
show was forced to leave one-third of its video screens and spe- roof structure is braced by chevron bracing towers at the stage and
cial features “in the trucks,” thus eliminating a montage that would X-brace frames flanking the seating areas. A 70-ft by 100-ft the-
typically be part of the show. atrical hanging grid was integrated into the trusses over the stage
Thus, the Milwaukee World Festival (MWF), the nonprofit and was designed to support over 300 kips of sound equipment,
agency that oversees Summerfest and the amphitheater, chose to lighting, and props suspended above the stage. In addition, a four-
raise the central 25,000-sq.-ft, 300-ton portion of the steel-framed story steel- and CMU-framed dressing room area behind the stage
roof 26 ft, creating a vertical clearance of 65 ft. Doing so would was integrated with the truss bracing.
allow the venue to accommodate the largest and most extravagant The design team for the renovation included a handful of peo-
shows that might potentially be lost to larger, newer venues, par- ple that were involved in designing the original structure more
ticularly the Milwaukee Bucks new Fiserv Forum arena. than three decades earlier: Greg Uhen, CEO of Eppstein Uhen
“The roof lift was one of the most complex elements of the Architects, then a staff architect; Joel Becker, vice president of con-
building project, and one of the most important, as it will allow us struction for Hunzinger Construction, then the site superinten-
to host the world’s largest tours,” said Don Smiley, president and dent; and Bob Schumacher, structural project manager for Larson
CEO of MWF. “The Amphitheater has seen its share of legends Engineering, Inc., then a project engineer.
36 | JANUARY 2021
 The largest venue at the
“World’s Largest Music Festival” wasn’t large enough
for some of the world’s largest live performances.
Luckily, there was no way to go but up
for the steel-framed roof.

Larson

left and right: The 23,000-seat American Family

Insurance Amphitheater has upgraded from a 39-ft
Eppstein Uhen Architects
vertical clearance to 65 ft.

Going Up
The good news was that the plan to raise the roof aligned well with renovations that
MWF was already planning, which included replacing the wall panels and rebuilding
the stage/dressing room building. As this demolition and replacement work would have
required the roof to be raised or replaced anyway, a portion of the cost for the roof would
already be covered.
While MWF did consider demolishing and replacing the roof structure, after con-
sidering cost, schedule, sustainability, and feasibility of raising the roof versus rebuilding
it, the raising option was deemed the better choice. The renovation could also be staged
in two phases, allowing the venue to be available for performances during the warmer
months (it hosts performances throughout the summer, not just for Summerfest) and the
work to be performed during the colder months. The mostly HSS steel trusses could easily
be reinforced and modified for the new configuration and allowed for detachment, lifting,
and reattachment over the winter as long as cold weather provisions for welding were
maintained (which they were).
Once the decision to raise the roof was finalized, the question became, “How?” One
plan involved raising the entire roof and removing and replacing columns while the roof
was suspended in the air. However, the additional wind load and overturning moments
would also require significant additional lateral resistance in the form of vertical trusses Robert J. Schumacher
or composite “mega” columns as part of moment frames. This scheme would also involve (rschumacher@larsonengr.com) is a
adding a dozen or more helical piers to the foundation in the seating area, as well as a large senior project manager (and was with
pile cap that would need to be compatible with the existing column pile caps and future a previous firm during the design
enlarged column groups. Additional bracing around the stage would also be needed, and of the original project), and Levi A.
the proscenium truss at the stage would need to be lifted and reconnected to columns and Warner (lwarner@larsonengr.com)
bracing extended to the new height ahead of the lift. is a project engineer, both with
Larson Engineering.
Modern Steel Construction | 37
 Mammoet

The lift plan, indicating the portion

of the roof to be lifted and the
lifting frames.

The team eventually settled on an

option that involved raising only the
center portion of the roof adjacent
to the inner columns in the seating
area and connecting to new framing
preinstalled above the existing outer
roof. The stage truss would be lifted
as described in the first option above,
and additional bracing would be
Mammoet added within the new stage building
construction. In the chosen option, all
of the columns and foundations could
remain in place, and the raised roof
could be immediately welded to the
new steel instead of being suspended
for a long duration while the new col-
umns were erected from below on the
new foundations.
While roof raises are typically
designed as a routine part of the fram-
ing and erection plan for new stadiums
and arenas, the segmented fan shape of
AFIA’s roof made for a more compli-
cated situation than lifting, say, rect-
angular sections. Careful coordination
and communication throughout the
two-year project made it happen, as
did the decision to lift the roof from
outriggers on the existing columns.
Mammoet

38 | JANUARY 2021
 R Schumacher

New Steel
Once the lifting concept and plan were
decided, the new steel needed to support
the upper steel was designed. The roof was
designed to be cut and raised at the inner
columns, which are at tangential truss
T-5. A new truss, similar to T-5, would be
installed at the upper level to receive the
purlins, which needed to be cut for the
roof raise. The raised roof and the new
upper T-5 would be supported on a vertical
extension of the existing columns, with the
vertical chord member of the truss being
reinforced for the added local drift load
and an HSS8×8 extended upward to receive
the upper roof. A diagonal HSS12×8 chord
would be extended at about 45° to the The amphitheater with the stage building demolished and all siding removed.
lower top chord at the panel point where
the next tangential truss (T-6) joins the R Schumacher

radial truss. Additional diagonals were

designed for the third points of the new
T-6 for added continuity and to support
the new purlins supporting the new sloped
extension of the upper roof. The end bays
over the outer bracing were sized for the
added wind loads from the raised portion.
All existing truss members over the bracing
needed reinforcing, and the stage’s verti-
cal bracing was extended 26 ft vertically to
accept the raised proscenium truss.

right: Tangential roof support steel in place.

below: Stage bracing and proscenium truss
support steel in place, with some lift beam
assemblies installed.

R Schumacher

Modern Steel Construction | 39

 New framing to support
the lifted roof.
R Schumacher

below: New support steel in right: Roof lift proceeding near R Schumacher
place, with lift equipment installed the top, with the roof soon to be
and ready for lifting the next day. reattached to the new framing.

R Schumacher

Roof Analysis adequate, though some radial truss web diagonals needed rein-
Following the accepted concept, the existing roof structure and forcement and the tangential truss at the height change required
new framing were modeled and analyzed. The roof was modeled chord and web reinforcement for the added snow drift. Purlins
using RISA Structure and encompassed more than 3,000 members were also added between trusses T-5 and T-6 midway between the
and 3,000 nodes. The model included the new stage building with existing purlins to support the snow drift created from the upper
the braced bays on either side of the stage being extended to three roof to the lower roof.
bays to resist the significant added wind loads and higher overturn- Steel members were reinforced by placing steel plates on each
ing forces. In addition, knee braces were added to existing columns side of the HSS verticals and diagonals and stitch welding them as
in the seating area to provide moment resistance and additional needed. Ends were welded to chords as needed to transfer loads;
lateral stiffness. fortunately, the chords were 8 in. wide and accommodated the
For the most part, the existing structure was adequate to sup- reinforcement of the 6-in.-wide web members. All truss connec-
port the renovated roof. The existing columns resist essentially the tions were checked for the new loads, and some of these connec-
same dead and live loads plus the additional snow drift created by tions required reinforcement even if the members themselves were
the height change (added capacity was realized when the 12-psf adequate. This reinforcement was provided via additional welding
stone roof ballast was removed as part of a roof replacement 15 and the introduction of plates at the ends of member webs to trans-
years prior). The existing pile foundations were also found to be fer the additional load.

40 | JANUARY 2021
 R Schumacher

left: Attached above: A view from below: The temperature

lifting lug and below immediately was -10 °F the morning
R Schumacher temporary steel. following the roof lift. of the roof lift.

R Schumacher

Lateral Resistance Lift Analysis

The now-taller roof added over 7,000 sq. ft of wall area, The lift frames were designed to be mounted to the tops of the extended
which in turn added over 240 k of shear 70 ft above grade, columns, with the lift frame beams cantilevering 2 ft, 6 in. over the lifted
causing major overturning forces to be resisted by the lat- roof and back spans reaching to the adjacent columns or panel points. The
eral system. In addition to the three bays of added brac- lift frames and added loads from lifting were modeled and analyzed, and no
ing at the stage, the existing X-bracing flanking the seating additional reinforcing was required. Lifting lug plates were designed and
areas required some reinforcement. The bolts connecting welded to the frame with provisions to be removed after the lift.
the bracing columns to the pile caps were overstressed with In order to lift the roof, it was determined that the purlins connected
net uplift in excess of 200 k, so concrete collars were placed to truss T-5 would need to be cut, requiring temporary steel beams to sup-
around the columns, 16 headed studs were welded to each port the purlins and span between radial trusses since the existing frames
column, and collar-reinforcing steel was epoxy-doweled would lose continuity once cut. The whole and cut trusses, as well as the
into the pile caps. new extended steel columns and frames, were modeled and rotation and
When it came to truss connections, the lifted roof displacement values were calculated and compared. The model deter-
was field welded to the new upper steel columns and mined that when cutting the truss member for the lift, a larger gap would
existing raised truss using cheek plates. These long be required for clearance during the lift and to align with the final lifted
plates allowed for up to 2 in. of vertical and horizontal position. Based on this finding, a schedule of truss cut gaps and a cutting
offset in the final alignment. order were provided to the general contractor.
Modern Steel Construction | 41
 Construction
Construction began with demolition of the stage
building and removal of all siding and girts. Instal-
lation of the roof truss and connection reinforcing
took place while the stage building foundation was
being constructed. In order to facilitate erection of
the new upper truss frames on the outer portion of
the roof, the roof deck in the 26-ft-wide bay at the
new truss frame was removed to allow lifts to pass
through to facilitate erection and welding of the new
frame from the ground.
The construction team, including the construc-
tion manager, lift contractor, steel fabricator, steel
erector, and design engineers, held weekly meetings
to review and coordinate the lift with overall con-
struction progress, resulting in a lift that was exe-
cuted with minimal issues. The lift contractor used
R Schumacher 200-ton-capacity hydraulic strand jacks mounted
to lifting beams to pull up the roof. The jacks were
above: The bi-level reattached roof adjacent to the now-taller walls and siding.
interconnected at the control room, where lift prog-
below: Erection of the stage building and installation of the walls and siding. ress was monitored and loads at each jack were cal-
culated to ensure uniform lifting. By the time the lift
beams and equipment arrived at the project site in
December 2018, the support steel was erected and
the temporary steel and lifting lugs installed. Simul-
taneously, the stage that was demolished in Septem-
ber was being reconstructed. A 300-ft boom crane
was used to install the lift beams and jacks. Follow-
ing the lift and reattachment, the stage building was
erected, and a 500-ton crane with a 115-ft-long main
boom and a 220-ft-long mega-wing attachment was
used to remove the lift beams and temporary steel.
Once the lifting beams and jacks were installed and
interconnected at the control room, the strand jacks
were loaded to 90% of the anticipated load so that
the lugs could be seated and any lift issues could be
addressed. The lift took place the next day in late Janu-
ary 2019, and the temperature was -10 °F that morn-
ing. The jacks were loaded to the anticipated weight,
and the roof trusses and purlins were cut loose. The
member cuts were widened to the anticipated rotation
R Schumacher of the trusses following loss of continuity from the
cuts. The stroke of the hydraulic jacks was set to 18
below: Completed renovation of the amphitheater’s interior from a spotlight
position on the low roof. in., allowing for length adjustments between strokes to
ensure a uniform lift. The lift stopped at points where
R Schumacher the lower chord of the lifted trusses needed to clear
the top chord of the remaining trusses to grind por-
tions of the cut ends for clearance. The lift proceeded
for about six hours to reach the 26-ft level, and then
the jacks were secured for the night.
Reattachment of the trusses to the new upper
frame began the following morning, with lift jacks
being placed at eight locations on the main truss.
Eight welders and man lifts were used at each loca-
tion to reattach the roof as soon as possible, and eight
weld inspectors were on-site to verify that preheat
requirements were met and to observe and test welds.
The lifted roof main trusses were fully re-supported
within two days, and most main reattachment con-
nections were completed in about a week, after which
the lift equipment was removed from the roof.

42 | JANUARY 2021
 R Schumacher

above, right, and below: The structure was fully

erected and functional by June 2019. After
the 2019 concert season, the second phase of
the renovation took place: sandblasting and
repainting the entire roof structure. All 15,000
amphitheater seats and bleachers were removed
and replaced, and the concourses were enlarged
by 15,000 sq. ft of space on three levels to match
the existing grid.
R Schumacher

Eppstein Uhen Architects

While ALE erected its red lifting platforms, erector SPE, Inc., out a single lost-time accident. However, like so many things in
performed steel erection work for all permanent and temporary 2020, the unveiling of the dramatically enhanced venue was put on
steel (including large lifting lugs) for the lifted roof support frames hold until 2021. The economic impact of canceling Summerfest
and reinforcement for the existing roof structure. The company due to the COVID-19 pandemic was estimated at nearly $200 mil-
also erected the four-story stage building and all the steel for the lion in lost tourism revenue to businesses in Milwaukee. When the
bar/food service areas, restrooms, red plate accent framing on the amphitheater can safely reopen, it will be a key part of the local
fourth level, stairs, and miscellaneous steel. When it came to erec- economy’s recovery. ■
tion staging, the seating area east of the stage prevented crane Owner
setup and material lay-down there, and existing structures on the Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (Summerfest), Milwaukee
other sides of the site made for some long crane reaches. As such,
General Contractor
materials deliveries were coordinated and staged by SPE to opti-
Hunzinger Construction, Inc., Brookfield, Wis.
mize use of the limited lay-down area.
The structure was fully erected and functional by June 2019 for Roof Lift Contractor
the summer festival season. After the 2019 concert season, the sec- Mammoet (formerly ALE Heavy Lift)
ond phase of the renovation took place: sandblasting and repainting Architect
the entire roof structure. All 15,000 amphitheater seats and bleach- Eppstein Uhen Architects, Milwaukee
ers were removed and replaced, and the concourses were enlarged by Structural Engineer
15,000 sq. ft of space on three levels to match the existing grid. A four- Larson Engineering, Inc., Wauwatosa, Wis.
story elevator was added for ADA compliance, restrooms and other
Steel Team
amenities were gutted, renovated, and enlarged. The work included
Fabricator (roof and lift)
new steel-framed roofs over six bar and food service areas, as well as a
Ace Iron and Steel Corporation , Milwaukee
240-ft-long steel-framed signage and architectural feature.
All renovations for AFIA were ready for concertgoers in time Erector
for Summerfest 2020, with the two-year project completed with- SPE, Inc. , Little Chute, Wis.

Modern Steel Construction | 43

 Raising the
Level of Care BY MICHAEL KUHSE, SE, PE

BUILDING ON TOP of an occupied building is never easy. Building on top of a func-

tioning hospital without interrupting its day-to-day operations is especially difficult.
Over three decades ago, the River and Kaufman Pavilions at Sentara Norfolk General
Hospital in Norfolk, Va., were designed as five- and six-story concrete buildings, with
provisions for eventual expansion in the form of two additional concrete-framed floors. By
2015, the hospital reached the point where the expansion became necessary to add much-
needed patient rooms. And while the building was “expansion ready,” hospital leadership
preferred a different floor plan than the existing buildings. Desired changes in the new
patient room floor plans dictated that the footprints of the two vertical expansions would
Michael Kuhse recently retired not match the footprints of the floors below. In fact, the new floors of River Pavilion would
after working over 40 years as a need to extend beyond the existing walls of the below building.
senior structural engineer for HDR in
Omaha, Neb., specializing in large- A Change in Plans
scale healthcare projects but also This change in floor configuration also led to a change in framing material—from
working on numerous project types concrete to steel. Because the new floors extended beyond the existing floors—and were
all over the United States. also six stories in the air—forming the concrete in space would have been extremely dif-
ficult. In addition, a steel framing system would not require any shoring down to the exist-
ing roof. And while the roof was designed to carry the weight of the shoring load from
the future floors, thus making load capacity a nonissue, if concrete had been used for the
expansion, the shores sitting on the existing roof would have increased the likelihood of
leaks into the hospital space below.

44 | JANUARY 2021
 Design and material changes
lead to a successful vertical
expansion at a Virginia hospital.

Backus Aerial Photography

Dan Schwalm

above and right: The River and Kaufman Pavilions at Sentara Nor-
folk General Hospital in Norfolk, Va., were designed for future verti-
cal expansion, which recently came in the form of new steel-framed
Backus Aerial Photography
levels on top of both.

Backus Aerial Photography

Steel also brought benefits in terms of gravity design. By

using composite floor framing with a 3½-in. topping on 3-in.
metal deck for a total slab thickness of 6½ in., the Kaufman
Pavilion expansion could be increased to three additional floors
from the original design of two additional floors. The typical
gravity framing uses W16 purlins spaced at approximately 10 ft
on center, supported by W21 and W24 girders. The project used
nearly 1,300 tons of structural steel for both pavilions.
For lateral load resistance, the original buildings use shear
wall cores around stairs and elevators for lateral load resistance.
Extending the shear walls upward for the new addition would
have required the main elevators to be taken out of service for
the duration of construction—obviously creating enormous
operational problems for the staff. This led the structural team
at HDR to choose a steel moment frame as the primary lateral
load-resisting system for the vertical expansion.
Modern Steel Construction | 45
 Initially, HDR employed a traditional
design for these frames, but to meet inter-
story drift criteria, the bases of the columns
needed to be fixed at the top of the existing
structure. Due to the existing column geom-
etry and the rebar layout, it became appar-
ent early on that fixing the bases of the col-
umns would be difficult, if not impossible.
The columns could be pinned at the base to
eliminate the column moment, but pinning
the steel columns increased the story drift.
However, the columns were getting large
and heavy, which was adding to the construc-
tion costs.

Collaborative Moment
In a fortunate turn of events, early in the
structural design, the HDR structural team
attended a design seminar presented by AISC
associate member SidePlate, which featured
the company’s new all-bolted moment con-
nection. This connection had the benefits of
increasing the overall stiffness of the connec-
tion joint and eliminated a large amount of
field welding.
SidePlate performed preliminary analy-
ses of the buildings and found that with the
increased stiffness of its moment connec-
tion, the column bases could be pinned on
the two-story addition without a significant
increase in steel weight. For the three-story above and below: A change in floor configuration led to a change in framing material, from
addition, braced frames were used at the concrete to steel.
lowest level of steel framing, with SidePlate
moment frames above. Since the connection
is a proprietary design, the design team dis-
cussed the option with both the construction
manager, Whiting-Turner, and the steel fab-
ricator, North State Steel. As a group, there
was agreement that the SidePlate solution
with a pinned base was the best approach to
providing lateral load resistance. With this
problem solved, the team proceeded with the
bolted moment connections.
HDR worked collaboratively with Side-
Plate throughout the project, creating and
sharing a gravity analytical model in Ram
Structural System. SidePlate determined
locations, optimized frames, provided con-
struction documents, and checked fabrica-
tion documents for the moment frames—
which use W18 columns and W21 and W24
girders—thus freeing up time for HDR’s
structural team to focus on designing and
detailing the remainder of the gravity
structure and miscellaneous steel. With the
project’s aggressive schedule and early steel
packages, this division of work sped up the
structural design and the overall construc-
tion schedule.

46 | JANUARY 2021
Randy Schroeder Randy Schroeder

above: The project used nearly 1,300 tons of structural steel for both pavilions.
below: A helipad was added to the top of Kaufman Pavilion by extending the W14 building columns
above the roof and providing cap plates at the tops of the columns, on top of which the helipad fram-
ing was installed.

Dan Schwalm

Randy Schroeder

below: Steel erection progressing on both towers at Sentara Hospital.

Randy Schroeder

Modern Steel Construction | 47

Elevating the Project
One of the most noticeable elements
of the expansion is the addition of a new
elevator tower for River Pavilion. The
floor plan for the patient rooms required
that the existing passenger elevators not
continue up through the new floors, thus
requiring an elevator tower to be added
outside of the footprint of the existing
building. This exterior elevator tower
is 23 ft by 15 ft, 8 in. and is 138 ft tall.
Framed with steel, it uses braced frames
on three sides to provide lateral load
resistance. The columns are W14×211,
and the braces are HSS6×6×¼ and
HSS6×6×5∕16.
To avoid existing building foundations
and site conditions, the elevator tower is
placed 16 ft away from the existing build-
ing. It is also offset in plan from where
the elevator lobby meets the new hospital
floor plates. At levels eight, nine, and ten,
W33×118 beams cantilever 16 ft, 8 in.
off of the elevator tower to support the
elevator lobby floors. An additional 16 ft
of floor framing was required to close the
gap between the elevator lobbies and the
hospital floors, with a 2-in.-wide expan-
sion joint provided between the elevator
lobby and the patient tower to accommo-
date differential movement between the
elevator tower and the hospital.
To help resist wind loads on the can-
tilevered elevator lobbies, a braced frame
was added between levels eight and ten.
This assembly, left exposed in the eleva-
tor lobby and coated with Hilti Fire Finish
intumescent paint, is constructed of round
HSS8.625×0.250 and Cast Connex castings
at the connections to the gusset plates.

right and below: The new elevator lobby at

the top of River Pavilion features an exposed
braced frame made of round HSS with Cast
Connex castings at the ends.

Dan Schwalm

48 | JANUARY 2021
below and right: River Pavilion’s new exterior elevator tower is
23 ft by 15 ft, 8 in. and 138 ft tall, and uses braced frames on
three sides to provide lateral load resistance.

Randy Schroeder Dan Schwalm

On top of Kaufman Pavilion, provisions were made to sup- Owner

port a helipad—designed and built by FEC Heliports—by Sentara Healthcare, Norfolk. Va.
extending the W14 building columns above the roof and pro- General Contractor
viding cap plates at the tops of the columns, on top of which Whiting-Turner, Roanoke, Va.
the helipad framing was installed. The elevators were also
Architect and Structural Engineer
extended up to the floor elevation of the helipad to provide
HDR, Omaha, Neb.
dedicated service.
Although the construction was complex, close coordina- Steel Team
tion between the design team, contractor, fabricator, and erector Fabricator
resulted in a project that caused minimal disruption to the hospital North State Steel , Greenville, N.C.
during construction and provided the facility with 180,000 sq. ft of Detailer
much-needed new space. ■ Cistron Technologies , Mooresville, N.C.

Modern Steel Construction | 49

 Century
of Service BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

AISC turns
100 this year!

AISC IS NOW IN THE CENTURY CLUB.

Established in 1921 to serve the U.S. structural steel design community and construc-
tion industry, AISC turns the big 1-0-0 this year. And in the spirit of making this a year-
long celebration, we will include multiple articles related to this milestone throughout
2021 (and will post them in the “100 Years of AISC” section at www.modernsteel.com).
To kick off the new year, we’re highlighting a member fabricator that’s been in existence
even longer than we have (and we’ll feature other century clubbers throughout the year).

Answers provided by Laura Gerdes Ehrhart, president of Michelmann Steel Construction

Geoff Weisenberger Company in Qunicy, Ill.
(weisenberger@aisc.org) is senior
editor of Modern Steel Construction. How and when did your company start?
Our company was started in 1865 by my great-great-grandfather, J.H. Michelmann.
He came to the U.S. from Prussia at age 23 and started working in Evansville, Ind., for a
boilermaker named Valentine Stegemueller. Stegemueller moved to Quincy, Ill., in 1855
CELEBRATING and J.H. moved with him. In July of 1865, J.H. bought a small boiler and tank shop from

100
YEARS
Stegemueller. J.H.’s son Henry joined him in the business, which was called the Michelmann
Boiler Company, marking the beginning of the present-day Michelmann Steel Construction
Company. J.H.’s son-in-law, William F. Gerdes, Sr., joined the company in 1903, bringing
with him ten years of experience with Union Iron and Foundry in St. Louis. Under Gerdes’
1921–2021 direction, the company switched its focus from boilers to fabricated structural steel and was
incorporated and changed its name to reflect the new line of business. I am the fifth genera-
tion of the founding family to run the business (and the first woman).
50 | JANUARY 2021
Michelmann has been able to weather challenges for well What’s the best business advice you’ve received from, or an
over a century. How has this helped you weather the cur- anecdote involving, past leadership at the company?
rent pandemic? Our favorite anecdote has to be J.H. Michelmann’s work rules
I think past experiences have been a great help to us in weath- (see “Built to Last” in the September 2016 issue), which are a bit
ering the COVID-19 pandemic. Personally, I think the economic antiquated and fun to read by today’s standards. I think the most
downturn of 2008-2009 taught me the most about weathering a important thing my dad (William F. Gerdes III) taught me was
crisis. We changed our whole business model at that time to focus to focus on the people—employees, customers, vendors. Every-
more on relationships that brought us work we didn’t have to bid thing else takes a back seat to people. If you have good people and
on rather than bidding in the competitive open market. And we good relationships with those people, everything else will come
focused on quality, on-time delivery, customer service rather than together. Another thing Dad liked to stress was “thinking outside
trying to be the lowest price. We didn’t let any employees go, but of the box.” He even had a little award made up for it. He val-
we didn’t hire any new ones either, and at one point we went from ued creativity, ingenuity, and trying to find new and better ways of
30-plus employees to only 18. We learned to work together to get doing things. He was also very frugal. If you left your desk for even
the job done, whatever it took. So I think the economic downturn five minutes, you would come back to find your desk lamp and
taught us to be flexible and adaptable. And that lesson has served other things turned off.
us well during the pandemic.
How long has your company been involved with AISC and
taken advantage of its resources?
The company became a member in 1924. We have certainly
opposite page: A parking garage fabricated by Michelmann and been involved with AISC for my whole career, which started when
built in Quincy, Ill., in 1969. I worked at the company during the summers in the early 1980s.
below: The recently opened Blessing Hospital Medical Office We have always found AISC to be a valuable ally and a great cheer-
Building, another Michelmann project in Quincy. leader for the business of fabricated structural steel. ■

A Century (and then some) of Service • McGregor Industries, Inc., Dunmore, Pa.
These AISC member fabricators have been in business for a • Michelmann Steel Construction Company, Quincy, Ill.
century or longer. If you happen to know of another 100-year- • Paxton and Vierling Steel Co., Carter Lake, Iowa
old fabricator, email Carly Hurd at hurd@aisc.org. • Ralph H. Simpson Company, Elmhurst, Ill.
• Reno Iron Works, Reno, Nev.
• A Lucas and Sons, Peoria, Ill. • Romak Iron Works, Benicia, Calif.
• ArcelorMittal Plate, Coatesville, Pa. • Salem Steel, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Art Iron, Inc., Toledo, Ohio • Sioux City Foundry Co., Sioux City, Iowa
• Atlas Iron Works, St. Louis • Standard Iron Works, Scranton, Pa.
• Buffalo Structural Steel Construction Corp., Amherst, N.Y. • Stein Steel, Atlanta
• Central Texas Iron Works, Waco, Texas • Stupp Bros., Inc., St. Louis
• Garbe Iron Works, Inc., Aurora, Ill. • The Tarrier Steel Company, Columbus, Ohio
• Geiger and Peters, Inc., Indianapolis • The Berlin Steel Construction Co., Kensington, Conn.
• Herrick Steel Stockton, Calif. • Woerner Wire Works, Omaha
• Huntington Steel and Supply, Huntington, W.V. • Wyatt Resources, Inc., Fulshear, Texas
• LaSalle Iron Works, St. Louis • Zalk Josephs Fabricators, LLC, Stoughton, Wis.
• LB Foster Fabricated Bridge Products, Pittsburgh
Modern Steel Construction | 51
 Complexity,
Simplified
BY TERRI MEYER BOAKE

How do you keep a complex exposed steel project from

becoming overly complicated? Go back to the basics.

THERE IS AN INTRINSIC CONNECTION between advances in computing

technology and the evolution of complexity in architectural design.
This encompasses all facets of design, drawing, calculation, and production. So it’s no
surprise that the increase in complexity of steel structural systems has followed along quite
tightly with the evolution of computing systems since the last five decades.
The majority of these more complex steel structures are aesthetically driven. If a visual
product is the end goal, then we can begin to entertain a variety of means to achieve
this. Recalling the primary driving factor behind the methodology for specifying architec-
turally exposed structural steel (AESS)—the distance factor—we can begin to formulate
modified fabrication strategies to reach a satisfactory solution. And we can achieve the goal
Terri Meyer Boake of a complex, attractive project without driving the budget over the top.
(tboake@uwaterloo.ca) is
a professor in the School of Complex Typologies
Architecture at the University Complexity can be defined as the state or quality of being intricate or complicated.
of Waterloo in Waterloo, By applying this notion to steel structures, we are referring to those systems that deviate
Ontario, Canada. from the standard orthogonal structural systems that typified most 20th century build-
ings. The perception of complexity has changed over time—from complex in appearance
(high-tech) to complex in actual configuration (deconstructivism)—as has its relationship
to structural steel design.
Complex steel structures can be examined as typologies that can lead to more cost-
effective methods for aesthetically satisfying solutions. These would include structures
with a focus on multiple member types, angularity (eccentric loading), curvature, chaos,
castings, and a high level of custom fabrication.

Economically Driven Strategies

Here, we’ll look at a range of strategies that could be classified as AESS 2 (feature ele-
ments not in close view) or AESS 3 (feature elements in close view) approaches. As indi-
cated, these include “feature” steel at varying viewing distances but exclude AESS 4 (show-
case elements) projects that require high levels of weld remediation and contour blending
of custom fabricated members intended to be viewed at a very close distance. (See “Maxi-
mum Exposure” in the November 2017 issue, available at www.modernsteel.com, for
more detail on the various AESS levels.)

52 | JANUARY 2021
 The distance factor. The overall
strategy behind the category system for
specifying AESS is to allow the distance
to view to soften the fabrication require-
ments for the steel. If a surface or ele-
ment is situated further than 20 ft from
view, it is unlikely that the viewer will
either be able to see or appreciate fastidi-
ous detailing. This distance applies in all
directions and holds true for multi-story
atrium spaces, for instance—and this can
be advantageous when designing complex
structures, as there is no need to design
beyond AESS 2 when detailing atrium
roof structures. While AESS 3 should be
used for the supporting elements that are
close to view, giving the impression to the
viewer of a more fastidious overall level of
detailing, the detailing of the systems at
height can be softened and might include
standard hollow structural sections (HSS)
or wide-flange members, simpler bolted
connections, and un-remediated welds.
All pho
tos: Terr
Meyer i
Boake

The complex steel structure at Tokyo Midtown

applies a hierarchical system of detailing.
The tree-like columns use custom bending
combined with the use of plate steel to create
the tapering branches. A close view of the
upper-level truss reveals that the member
selection of the lower (white) portion of
the truss makes use of discreet bolted and
typical space frame nodal connections.
The temporary bolt tabs at the tops of the
branches have been cut tightly to the tubes
but not remediated because of the distance
to view. Dark gray-painted steel supports the
skylight, making use of standard orthogonal
connection details.

Modern Steel Construction | 53

 Semi-exposure and the use of screen A fine aluminum screen covers the galvanized steel frame at Caltrans District 7 Headquarters in
elements. The idea of layering via the use Los Angeles, providing shading for the façade. The silhouette of the steel can be seen and in
certain places, the screen is removed to completely expose the rugged steel frame. Here, the
of screens or semi-transparent membranes system is manipulated to create an oversized street number as iconic signage for the building.
located in front of the structural system The overall design of the frame has clean, organized lines, but the connection detailing
is an approach that can achieve a unique doesn’t need to exceed AESS 2.
presentation of complex steel. The struc-
ture is viewable through the screen, albeit
often in a near-silhouette situation. The
fabrication and material requirements for
the screen and the structure can be clearly
separated. The limited exposure of the steel
allows for a reduction in the AESS fabrica-
tion requirements. The detailing of the pri-
mary support structure sitting behind the
screen can be substantially softened. Even
if in partial view, there is little point to fab-
ricating beyond AESS 2. This will preclude
extensive on-site welding and favor more
simple bolted connections. In exterior
applications, the attachment systems must
be designed for corrosion resistance and
to preclude places for water and snow to
puddle. Clean lines in the overall finished
form become that much more important.

54 | JANUARY 2021
 Making the steel recede. In a simi- There is no denying the important role that
lar vein to the idea of using screens, adja- the modular steel support system plays in the
cency to other elements may be used to creation of the iconic Vessel at Hudson Yards in
New York. However, it is the reflective copper
shift the focus away from exposed sup- cladding on the exterior, not the steel, that
porting steel, thereby allowing its fabrica- takes center stage. Even though much of the
tion detailing to be softened. The viewer’s interior view is comprised of the gray walking
surfaces and the steel frame, the frame itself is
eye will be drawn to a more finely detailed hidden in the shadows and recedes from view.
and polished part of a project to the point This has allowed for the use of extensive un-
where the structural support system, remediated welds, as well as exposed bolts in
though clearly visible, takes a visual back some areas. Given its nearness to view and use
of welding, custom plate steel, and curved steel,
seat. This is different from the “distance the structure did not need to be completed to
to view” strategy, as the steel may actually AESS 4 requirements.
be very near to view and touch.

Modern Steel Construction | 55

Although State Farm Stadium (formerly University of Phoenix Stadium) the frame out to approximate a curve. This has allowed the use of
in Phoenix, home to the Arizona Cardinals, gives an impression of a flat cladding system that easily follows horizontal lines of implied
curvature when viewed from a distance, in actuality there is not a curvature, thereby creating economy in the structure and the cladding
single curved member in the project. The main structural frame is system. (The project was a 2007 AISC IDEAS2 winner; see the May
comprised of straight elements, and smaller sections are used to build 2007 issue at www.modernsteel.com.)

56 | JANUARY 2021
 Faking the curve. Bending and curving
steel remains a largely hand-crafted process,
adding to the cost of the contract. When
curving becomes central to the aesthetics
of the project, it is sometimes necessary to
question whether or not the viewing dis-
tance, sheer scale, or nature of the project
requires actual curvature, or whether the
elements can be faceted. (And to be clear,
there are plenty of situations where curved
steel members can and should be used.)
Recalling that the design is driven by
aesthetic intent, it may be possible to use
straight segments of structural steel to
achieve an impactful impression of curva-
ture. The overall scale of the form, surface,
or structure may be large enough or distant
enough to effectively use straight mem-
bers to create segmented or approximated
curves. This can also allow the use of pla-
nar cladding materials as these, too, tend
to be more expensive if manufactured and
installed with true curvature.
As you can see (regardless of viewing
distance) it is possible to break down the
aesthetic aims of complex steel structures
in a way that supports the overall project
intentions—often and perhaps ironically—
by addressing simple factors like viewing
distance, building scale, and intended use.
In short, you can keep your complex struc-
tures simple. ■

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Modern Steel Construction | 57

 Design-Assist:
What It Is,
Why It’s Beneficial
BY EDWARD SEGLIAS

A new paper created by AISC and AIA clarifies newer approaches to project delivery,
such as design-assist, that can result in more efficient steel projects.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD of ever-increasing complexity, and there is little prospect of

that changing.
As such, adaptation, innovation, and collaboration are essential to producing more
favorable outcomes in virtually every commercial activity.
In the construction industry, one of those efforts is the addition of design-assist to the
list of contracting delivery formats. But as with many innovations, the initial roll-out of
the design-assist concept did not come with a playbook or even a meaningful definition
of the term. Instead, the industry had only a vague idea of what design-assist entailed and
how it worked.

Edward Seglias (eseglias Collaborative Effort

@cohenseglias.com) is an attorney My friend and predecessor as AISC’s general counsel, David Ratterman, Esquire,
with Cohen Seglias and is AISC’s with Stites and Harbison, was early to recognize this gap and recommended to his
general counsel. counterpart at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) that they form a task group
to develop written materials to delineate the concepts of design-assist and delegated
design. The idea was to provide a better understanding of the duties and responsi-
bilities of interested parties under these two important project delivery formats and
how they differ in both application and expectation. It took a few years, but David’s
leadership on this effort has now materialized into a comprehensive and important
paper recently published jointly by AIA and AISC: Design Collaboration on Construction
Projects Part I: Delegated Design, Design Assist, and Informal Involvement—what does it all
mean? The paper not only provides clear descriptions of design-assist and delegated
design (as well as informal involvement) but also identifies specific responsibilities
between design professionals and collaborating constructors to minimize areas of
contention that may later arise due to erroneous assumptions about who owns what
responsibilities, or worse, who is liable for a loss or failure.
So what is design-assist, and what does it mean for a steel fabricator? Under Part 1
of the paper, design-assist is described as “a form of collaboration where a contractor
provides information to assist a design professional’s design, typically before pricing
for the work has been agreed upon or before the work has been awarded.”

58 | JANUARY 2021
 The paper further states that while the
design professional typically will have a
separate written contract with the owner,
the contractor still may incur contractual
liability (whether to an owner or GC) for
the information it provides. But the con-
cept of design-assist also holds that the
design professional is ultimately responsi-
ble for incorporating the contractor’s infor-
mation into its design, and that it maintains
professional responsibility for the overall
design. So although there is a clear obliga- While these services are somewhat address circumstances involving the work
tion to the contractor or steel fabricator to general given the nature of the paper, of structural steel fabricators. But until
provide accurate information for the ben- there is currently one form document that effort is completed, Part 1 will ably
efit of the project design, it also is true that written by the Consensus Docs Coalition serve our industry’s interest by provid-
if the information so provided is used by (541 Design-Assist Addendum) to coordi- ing guidance and advice on the evolving
the design professional to inform its design, nate efforts of design professionals, con- concept of design-assist, determining
the design professional is still responsible struction managers, and trade consultants whether it’s right for an upcoming proj-
for integrating the information into the in the design development phase. Other ect, and, if so, how to effectively imple-
design and resolving any design conflicts project-specific templates have been writ- ment it. ■
that may occur. ten by practitioners to identify the services
sought in the pre-construction design If you want to learn more about design-
Contractor Insight phase. But a careful review of such docu- assist and its benefits, you can access Design
Now that the scary part of design-assist ments is always required to ensure that Collaboration on Construction Projects
has been addressed, let’s consider its core they reflect the expectations of the parties Part I: Delegated Design, Design Assist,
benefit. A key underpinning is that contrac- as clearly and expressly stated. and Informal Involvement—what does
tors possess a wealth of experience plan- Currently, a committee within AISC is it all mean? for free at aisc.org/design-
ning and implementing the construction preparing a draft of Part 2 of the design- collaboration-aia. And if you have any
of systems, building materials, and other assist publication, which will specifically questions about it, email me!
tangible forms of design on multiple types
of projects. And design-assist allows you
to take advantage of that experience in the
pre-construction phase, where the design
is still being developed and costs are not
yet being incurred. While this makes good
business sense and the paper acknowledges
this benefit, it also recognizes that the col-
laborating contractor must be compensated
for its design input under a written agree-
ment, with the expressed recognition that
design-assist is not a delegation of design
responsibility.
The paper also identifies the types of
services that might be included in such a
written agreement. For example, a collabo-
rating contractor may:
• evaluate alternative design solutions
and constructability
• collaborate with the design team
to suggest improvement to design
elements
• suggest modifications to the specifi-
cation Over the Top Call or email us your inquiry!
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Modern Steel Construction | 59

 Welcome to Modern Steel’s new New Products page!
Every month, we’ll feature a handful of product, tool,
new machine, service, and software offerings for the steel design
products and construction industry. This month’s products focus on
material labeling, bolt capping, and worker comfort.

InfoSight PermaFlex
PermaFlex™ is the newest metal identification tag in the Perma-
Label™ family of scratch-proof metal tags. It combines all of the
durable properties and resistance of PermaLabel with the added
benefit of a flexible tag that can conform to curved surfaces. Since
the tags retain their shape once curved, they can be attached to
curved surfaces as small as 1-in. in radius. Tag sizes are 3 in. wide
and range from 0.75 in. to 6 in. long and can be printed with
InfoSight’s mill duty LabeLase™ Laser Metal Tag Printers.
For more information, visit www.infosight.com.

Typhoon Performance Products Bolt Caps

Bolted connections in multistory steel frames and structures have been
an Achilles heel when it comes to fire resistance. Bolt caps have displayed
consistently high performance in testing against common fire threats. The
bolt cap with a mechanical tap on the fixing is available as the standard
product, and bolt caps with a screw-fix system are also available. A further
variant, currently in development, will incorporate anti-corrosive proper-
ties in addition to fire protection. The cap provides a quick-fit engineered
solution and indefinite shelf life, and bolts require no special preparation
before application and can be installed in any weather.
For more information, visit www.typhoonproducts.com.

NoSweat Hard Hat Liners

NoSweat is a disposable moisture-wicking hard hat liner whose
patented SweatLock Technology is engineered to instantly
absorb sweat, keeping it out of the wearer’s eyes and allowing
them to focus on their work without the need to constantly wipe
sweat away. It also reduces fogging in glasses, face shields, and
other protective eyewear, helps prevent sweat stains on headwear,
reduces odor, and is comfortable and hypoallergenic.
NoSweat performance liners easily stick inside any hat, visor,
helmet, or hard hat. Application is easy: peel it, stick it, no sweat!
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60 | JANUARY 2021
 news & events
AISC NEWS
AISC Announces Two New Vice Presidents
Brian Raff has been named AISC’s new as a structural engineer at OWP/P (now
vice president of market development, and CannonDesign) and Thornton Tomasetti.
Carly Hurd has been promoted to vice “AISC has been my North Star with
president of operational engagement. respect to steel design and construction,
“I’m excited to recognize Carly and and I hope to make it the same for everyone
Brian, who have made key contributions to that interacts with us as an organization,”
advancing AISC’s mission to increase the said Raff.
use of domestically fabricated structural Hurd, formerly AISC’s director of mem-
steel,” said AISC president Charles J. Carter. bership, has been promoted to the newly
Raff will lead a team of steel building and created position of vice president of opera-
bridge specialists located throughout the tional engagement. “Carly’s new role will
U.S. to help architects, engineers, contrac- help advance the steel industry by building Brian Raff
tors, and structural steel fabricators in their stronger connections within the work we do
work designing and building steel structures. for our industry and the design community Carly Hurd
From facilitating communication between and also to our members, volunteers, and the
designers and fabricators to helping to edu- entire A/E/C community,” Carter explained.
cate the A/E/C community about innovative Hurd, a graduate of Western Michi-
steel systems, AISC’s market development gan University, joined AISC in 2006 as a
group is focused on increasing steel’s share membership services assistant, rising up
of the construction market. to membership services manager before
Raff first joined AISC in 2005 as manager becoming director of membership in 2008.
of certification business development and She has been responsible for developing
was later promoted to marketing director of and managing AISC member recruitment
the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA). and retention efforts, as well as membership
He left AISC in 2014 to take a job with the administrative functions, full member edu-
Canam Group but returned to AISC in cation, and the sponsorship program for the “I’m excited for this opportunity to help
2017 as director of government affairs and Student Steel Bridge Competition. She also strengthen our organization and industry,”
later added director of communications acts as a liaison between AISC and regional she said. “I know cooperation and coordina-
to his resume. He also previously worked fabricator associations. tion can help us achieve amazing things.”

IN MEMORIAM
Lewis Burgett, Former AISC Associate Director of Education, Dies at 92
from the University of Tennessee, worked contact with practicing engineers that he
at the TVA for a few years, and met and found most rewarding.
married JoAnn Noah. In 1958, he joined “The challenge of this job is the prepa-
NASA, where his projects included launch ration and presentation of lectures that will
pads and the Vertical (now Vehicle) Assem- convey some ideas and methods to the prac-
bly Building at Kennedy Space Center. ticing engineer that will improve him or her
Burgett began his career at AISC in as a professional,” he said upon his retire-
1970. His first role was as a regional engi- ment. (For more on Burgett’s career, see his
neer in Syracuse, N.Y., followed by stints retirement announcement in the June 1998
in Memphis and Charlotte. Next, he served News Briefs, available in the Archives sec-
as AISC’s southern regional engineer and tion at www.modernsteel.com.)
southeast regional manager in Atlanta “At home, he coached T-ball, led Boy
Lewis “Lew” Bradford Burgett, whose before becoming associate director of Scouts, and taught us how to ride a bike, hit
career at AISC spanned nearly three education. In the latter position, which he a baseball, and throw a football,” recalled
decades, passed away on November 6 at held until his retirement in 1998, he was his daughter, Amy. “But most of all, he
age 92. Born in Guntersville, Ala., Burgett responsible for preparing and presenting loved our mom.”
played football at East Mississippi Junior lectures on steel design, and answering Burgett is survived by his children,
College, then graduated from Auburn Uni- technical questions. He averaged more Amy and Bradford, and his grandchildren,
versity with a degree in civil engineering. than 30 presentations per year, traveling George, James, Todd, JoAnn, and Molly
He went on to earn his master’s degree at least twice per month. It was that direct Jean Hughes.

Modern Steel Construction | 61

news & events
SCHOLARSHIPS
AISC Awards Emergency Scholarships to 39 Students
Since the spring, AISC has been hearing run sophisticated design and analysis pro- AISC offers our sincere thanks to all
about how the Coronavirus pandemic has grams since computer labs are closed. All of those who donated and provided sup-
affected students and the extreme finan- of this is being shouldered by students that port to students in their time of profound
cial challenges they have been facing. The already face skyrocketing tuition costs. need. The AISC Education Foundation
stories are all too often the same: carefully AISC made a plan to help. In Sep- continues to accept donations in order
planned budgets that were turned upside tember, on behalf of the AISC Education to expand our scholarship programs for
down, paid internships and campus jobs Foundation, a fundraising campaign was the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year
that disappeared, parents who lost their launched to raise money that could be to further help with these ongoing chal-
jobs and could no longer contribute to their immediately provided to students in the lenges. If you wish to contribute, please
children’s educational expenses, savings form of emergency scholarships. By the visit aisc.org/giving.
accounts that have been depleted, and new, end of October, a total of $83,500 was Congratulations to the following 39
unexpected expenses like at-home high- raised to be awarded in time for the 2020- deserving AISC Scholarship recipients for
speed internet or upgraded computers to 2021 winter/spring term. the January 2021 term.

$500 Award Recipients

• Tayoshe Aluko, Senior,
Johns Hopkins University
• Elizabeth Laughlin, Junior,
Clarkson University
• Awoenam Mauna-Woanya, Master’s,
Stanford University
• Cooper Morris, Senior,
University of Memphis
• Trinity Schaefer, Junior,
University of Texas at San Antonio
• Niyam Shah, Master’s,
University of Texas at Austin
• Natasha Vipond, Master’s,
Virginia Tech

$2,500 Award Recipients

• Amanda Anderson,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Zachary Baker, University of
Minnesota – Twin Cities
• George Beck,
Illinois Institute of Technology
• Casey Boyle, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
• Spencer Browne, University of Arizona
• Luke Calabrese, Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology
• Nichole Criner,
University of Cincinnati
• Michael DePiero,
University of California, Berkeley

cont. on page 63

62 | JANUARY 2021
 news & events
$2,500 Award Recipients
• Kathryn Ebert,
Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Emma Fuentes, Angelo State University
• Roberto Furlan, University of
California San Diego
• Benjamin Garrett, Metropolitan
State University of Denver
• Thaddeus Hansen,
Utah State University
• Anthony Kantzabedian,
Colorado School of Mines
• Bryce Katen, John Brown University
• Katrina Knudsen,
City College of New York
• Ezra Lee, University of California
San Diego
• Iran Mejia, University of Texas
at Arlington
• Elton Nguyen,
Georgia Institute of Technology
• Adrian Porras, University of Utah
• Wakil Pranto, University at Buffalo
• Elisabeth Roberts, Marshall University
• Markus Rocca (not pictured), University
of California San Diego
• Devin Schmidt, Santa Clara University
• Vlad Slivkov, Oregon State University
• Mark St. Pierre, Jr., University of
Arkansas-Little Rock
• Jake Stogdill, Colorado School of Mines
• Julia Szabla, Northeastern University
• Zachary Tate, Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology
• John Wood, Metropolitan State
University of Denver
• Marc Woods, John Brown University
• Alexandra Zhao, University of
California, Berkeley

The AISC Scholarship jury consisted of the following

individuals:
• Benjamin Baer, Baer Associates Engineers, Ltd.
• David Bibbs, CannonDesign
• Christopher Brown, formerly of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP
• Luke Johnson, ECS Limited
• Rose McClure, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
• Steven Offringa, EXP
• Kristi Sattler, AISC
• Matthew Streid, Magnusson Klemencic Associates

Modern Steel Construction | 63

news & events
ENGINEERING JOURNAL
First Quarter 2021 EJ Now Available People & Companies
A new year means a new quartet of AISC Critical Temperature of Axially Loaded Walter P Moore’s board of
Engineering Journals, and the first quarter Steel Members with Wide-Flange directors has appointed three
issue is now available. (You can access this Shapes Exposed to Fire new senior principals and nine
issue, as well as past issues, at aisc.org/ej.) Ana Sauca, Rachel Chicchi, Chao Zhang, and new principals to the com-
Lisa Choe pany’s leadership team. The
Discussion: Investigation on the This paper presents closed-form equa- new senior principals are: Lee
Performance of a Mathematical tions that were developed to evaluate criti- Anne Dixon, director of opera-
Model to Analyze Concentrically cal temperatures of structural steel com- tions/Infrastructure in the com-
Braced Frame Beams with V-Type pression and tension members exposed to pany’s Houston office; Abhijit
Bracing Configurations fire. The deterministic approach involved a Shah, country managing direc-
Charles W. Roeder, Dawn E. Lehman, Qiyang parametric study using finite element simu- tor with Walter P Moore India;
Tan, Jeffrey W. Berman, and Andrew D. Sen lations in order to identify influencing fac- and Aaron White, director of
tors—for example, mechanical properties digital practice/Structures in
AISC Provisions for Web Stability under of steel, member slenderness, and axial load the Tampa office. The new prin-
Local Compression Applied to HSS ratios. Statistical models were employed to cipals are: Santiago Bonetti,
Fei Wei and Jeffrey A. Packer develop closed-form equations representing design Manager/Structures in
The relevant limit states for local the best fit of numerical results. the Washington, D.C., office;
compression loading on the webs of a Heather Guillen, team director/
rectangular HSS member are reviewed, and Design for Local Member Shear at Brace Infrastructure, in the Houston
the Chapter J provisions in the 2016 AISC and Diagonal-Member Connections: office; Al Hajka, director of civil
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings Full-Height and Chevron Gussets engineering/Civil Engineering
(ANSI/AISC 360, aisc.org/specifications) Rafael Sabelli and Brandt Saxey Martinez Moore Engineers in
are adapted from their normal application Large local member shear forces develop Austin; Jonathan Hurff, project
to the single web of a W-shape or I-section in beams in chevron-braced frames due to manager/Structures in the Atlanta
to this case. Two recent laboratory tests the delivery of brace forces to beam flanges, office; Soheil Mohammadi, senior
on matched-width, rectangular HSS-to- which are at a distance from the beam specialty structural engineer/
HSS cross-connections are described to centerline (Fortney and Thornton, 2015, Structures in the Los Angeles
illustrate the behavior of such connections 2017; Hadad and Fortney, 2020). Using the office; Matthew Rechtien, gen-
under branch axial compression. The “lower bound theorem” (Thornton, 1984), eral counsel in the Houston office;
data from these tests are supplemented Sabelli and Arber (2017) developed design Melissa Shea, project manager/
by experimental results from a further 76 methods to address this local member shear Structures, in the Washington,
cross-connection tests, with the branches by optimizing the internal stress distribu- D.C., office; Susan Turrieta, man-
being either welded plates or welded HSS. tion and thus maximizing the resistance aging director/Infrastructure in
used in design. the Austin office; and Tom Yost,
project manager/Structures in the
NASCC Denver office.
NASCC To Go Virtual for Second Straight Year;
Lincoln Electric Holdings,
Registration Opens Soon Inc., announced that Steven B.
The 2020 NASCC: The Steel Conference Online or in person, NASCC is your Hedlund will serve as execu-
didn’t go quite as expected—but it was still once-a-year opportunity to learn from lead- tive vice president and president
a success. Like everything else in 2020, the ing experts in the steel community and earn of both the Americas Welding
conference went online. PDHs. Also included are multiple confer- and International Welding seg-
AISC has made the difficult decision to ences within a conference: the World Steel ments. Regional presidents in
hold the 2021 conference—taking place Bridge Symposium, QualityCon, the NISD the Americas, EMEAR, and Asia
April 12–16—online as well. While it is dis- Conference in Steel Detailing, and Archi- Pacific will report directly to him.
appointing to miss an in-person NASCC tecture in Steel. One low registration fee In this newly expanded role,
for the second year in a row, the good news gains you access to all of these conferences/ Hedlund will lead the welding
is that last year’s online version went as well sessions, the keynote sessions, and the (vir- segments’ Higher Standard 2025
as could be expected, and we all made the tual) exhibition hall. Strategy initiatives to advance
most of it. The 50-plus online sessions were For more information and to register, growth and enhance margin and
packed, some of them bringing in more visit aisc.org/nascc. We hope to see you return performance.
than 1,500 attendees. this coming April—online!

64 | JANUARY 2021
 marketplace & employment
Connect with AISC on
SOCIAL MEDIA

aisc.org/linkedin @AISC

AISCdotORG @AISC

youtube.com/AISCSteelTV

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advertiser index
AISC 3 | 8 | 15 | 67 QuickFrames USA 57

Bull Moose Industries back cover SDS/2 7

CE Steel, Inc. 49 Simpson Strong Tie 13

Chicago Metal Rolled Products insert St. Louis Screw & Bolt 59

Controlled Automation 12 Steel Erectors Association of America 33

FICEP 11 V&S Galvanizing LLC 5

MDX Software 57 Voortman Corporation 14

Peddinghaus Corporation 2
Modern Steel Construction | 65
structurally sound

STRONG SUPPORT
A POINT-SUPPORTED CURTAIN WALL at the new UCHealth orthopedic and sports medicine center in Englewood, Colo.,
mimics the strength and tension testing that takes place at the facility.
The left portion of the entrance to the steel-framed building—which houses an advanced orthopedic clinic, physical therapy and
rehabilitation spaces, imaging services, training and technology areas, and a surgery center—features an open-air roof supported by
HSS12×6×¼ beams spaced at 5 ft O.C. spanning through the opening. The members are clad with metal panels, allowing for more light
to pass through the glass at the main entrance and atrium. The point-supported glass around the curved atrium façade added significant
point loads to the roof framing due to the tension in the wall system’s vertical cables, thus requiring considerable coordination between
structural engineer Stewart, architect BSA, glass manufacturer Novum, general contractor Haselden, and AISC member steel fabricator
Puma Steel. Thanks to this effort, the team was able to locate the beams above the cable supports and provide sufficient stiffness for the
cables once they were tightened. Had adequate stiffness not been provided, significant deflection could have resulted in insufficient ten-
sion in the cables—an “injury” that would potentially require the building to undergo its own rehabilitation.
Want to learn more about the project? Watch for next month’s issue, available February 1, at www.modernsteel.com. ■

66 | JANUARY 2021
Scooping up
the PDHs
AISC Continuing Education
Live Webinars
January 28
Fastener Fundamentals and Important Changes
in the Upcoming 2020 RCSC Specification
Presented by Chad Larson
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. ET | 1.5 PDHs
aisc.org/webinars

Education Archives
Did you know that AISC offers 30-minute to 6-hour
presentations on demand? Viewing is free—so grab some
hot chocolate (extra marshmallows!) and check them out!
And if PDHs are what you’re after, you can
purchase, take, and pass a quiz to earn a certificate.
There are over 200 hours of options to choose from.
aisc.org/educationarchives

Smarter. Stronger. Steel.

American Institute of Steel Construction
312.670.2400 | www.aisc.org
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