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 November 2024

features
22 Expansion at Elevation
BY SCOTT WERT, PE
A massive addition to Colorado Convention
Center created dynamic open spaces with long-
span trusses and a creative erection plan.

28 Up to the Task
BY RYAN CURTIS, PE, JAKE ZACH, SE
Light weight, low cost, and sustainability
in every issue benefits made steel the perfect choice for a
swiftly erected hospital bed tower in Oklahoma.
departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
8 STEEL INTERCHANGE 36 Leaning on Steel
BY JAMIE FARRIS, PE
10 STEEL QUIZ An out-of-the-box design for a replacement
56 NEW PRODUCTS bridge over a migrating river came from rigorous
57 NEWS & EVENTS research and use of industry resources.
66 STRUCTURALLY
SOUND 42 Steel Innovators
The 2024 Steel Design Student Competition
resources challenged students to craft a building that will
65 ADVERTISER INDEX be a centerpiece of steel innovation, research, and
65 MARKETPLACE & training for years to come.
EMPLOYMENT
columns
steelwise
14 Beyond the Base-ics
BY JOSHUA BUCKHOLT, SE, PE, AMIT KANVINDE, PhD,
AND MAHMOUD MAAMOURI, SE, PE, PhD
36 Improve your knowledge of base connection
design with the recently released third edition of
AISC’s Design Guide 1.
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

field notes
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(All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications) (All Periodicals Publications Except Requester Publications)
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intentionality.

ON THE COVER: An expansion project added nearly 9,000 tons of steel to Colorado Convention Center, p. 22. (Photo: Martin/Martin, Inc.)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 64, Number 11) 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. Single issues $8.00; 1 year, $60. 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.
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
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4 | NOVEMBER 2024
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editor’s note

In mid-August, we dropped Editorial Offices

130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
our daughter off for her Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400
first semester of college. Editorial Contacts
A lot of life events get EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Geoff Weisenberger
described as bittersweet ad 312.493.7694
weisenberger@[Link]
nauseam, and this one is ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Patrick Engel
definitely up there. 312.550.9652
engel@[Link]
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
312.804.0813
I’m sad she’s no longer a permanent part of on page 42. These are the winners of the grubb@[Link]
the household, but I’m extraordinarily happy annual Steel Design Student Competition, DIRECTOR OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
Kristin Hall
for her and proud of her. Added bonus: My sponsored by AISC and administered by the 773.636.8543
car, which became our car and then ostensi- Association of Collegiate Schools of Archi- hall@[Link]
bly her car for the last couple of years, is now tecture (ASCA). The competition features EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
my car once again—though it is now branded two categories every year. The first presents Scott Melnick
312.804.1535
with a maize Michigan “M” magnet. Alas. a changing theme and the second is open. melnick@[Link]
My daughter has always been driven and This year’s theme challenged participants to AISC Officers
self-motivated and, frankly, has always been create a steel innovation center along the CHAIR
destined to be smarter than me (I came to Mississippi River in St. Louis near the famous Hugh J. McCaffrey
Southern New Jersey Steel Co.
this conclusion when she was about a year Gateway Arch. Geared toward AEC profes-
VICE CHAIR
old). I have no doubt she will achieve great sionals, its primary purpose is to provide Glenn R. Tabolt, PE
things. And trust me, you all will hear about it hands-on opportunities for full-scale steel STS Steel, Inc.
when she does. construction research and training. SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
Speaking of driven and motivated col- Eleven winners were selected from entries Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
lege students working to achieve great submitted by more than 750 students from
PRESIDENT
things, turn to page 60 in our News section, 47 universities. The designs are creative, Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
where you’ll see more than 100 undergradu- beautiful, and inspiring, all of them featuring SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS
ate and graduate students who, combined, an abundance of exposed steel. Scott Melnick
have been awarded more than $350,000 in One more initiative involving college kids Mark W. Trimble, PE
funding from AISC for their education this doing amazing things is, of course, the Stu- VICE PRESIDENTS
Todd Alwood
year. They’re the winners of this year’s various dent Steel Bridge Competition, an annual Brandon Chavel, PE, PhD
scholarships awarded by the AISC Educa- contest that challenges student teams to Carly Hurd
tion Foundation, whose mission is to invest develop a scale-model steel bridge. Each Mike Mospan
in the people who will drive the future of team must determine how to fabricate their Christopher H. Raebel, SE, PE, PhD
Brian Raff
design, fabrication, and construction of struc- bridge and plan for an efficient assembly
Editorial Advisory Panel
tural steel to create a future where people under timed construction. Nat Killpatrick
of all backgrounds work to build sustainable While the regional competitions won’t kick Basden Steel
steel structures and communities. If you’d off for a few months and the National Finals Christina McCoy, SE
Oklahoma State University
like to contribute to the success of college event doesn’t take place until the end of School of Architecture
and university students—and, ultimately, the May, the rules for this year’s competition are Allison Shenberger, PE
structural steel industry—you can learn more now posted at [Link]/ssbc. In addition, if ruby+associates
about the Education Foundation and how to you’re interested in supporting the competi- Justin Smith, PE
Dekker Perich Sabatini
help at [Link]/giving. tion and its students via a sponsorship, click
Another handful of high-achieving stu- the Sponsorships link at that page to learn Advertising Sales
Geoff Weisenberger
dents have crafted some jaw-dropping about the various opportunities—or feel free 312.493.7694
conceptual designs and are recognized to contact me directly! weisenberger@[Link]
Address Changes and
Subscription Concerns
312.670.2401
subscriptions@[Link]
Geoff Weisenberger Reprints
Editor and Publisher Kristin Hall
hall@[Link]

6 | NOVEMBER 2024
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steel interchange
If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something related to structural steel
design or construction, Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you!
Send your questions or comments to solutions@[Link].

Changes in Available Bolt Strength used to support the change is described in “Bolt Shear Design Con-
Values from 1989 to 2022 siderations” in the first quarter 2010 edition of Engineering Journal
When comparing the 1989 AISC Specification for Structural (read at [Link]/ej). The steel quiz in the March 2014 issue (read
Steel Buildings to the 2022 AISC Specification, there seems to at [Link]/archives) provides a good refresher on end-
be a lot more available strength in bolt shear. For a Grade loaded effects. A discussion on thread reduction area is provided in
A325 bolt with threads not excluded from the shear plane, Section 4.3 in AISC Design Guide 17: High Strength Bolts – A
Table J3.2 in the 1989 Specification lists an available strength Primer for Structural Engineers (download for free at [Link]/dg).
based on 21 ksi. In the 2022 Specification, the available strength When evaluating the strength of an existing Grade A325 bolt,
would be based on 27 ksi, per Table J3.2 (54 ksi / 2 = 27 ksi). you are permitted to use the 2022 AISC Specification. Section 5.3.2
Do you have any information that explains the difference in of the Specification states, “The available strength of members and
the available strength? connections shall be determined from applicable provisions of
Chapters B through K and Appendix 5 of this Specification.”
The changes in the available strength from the 1989 Specification Caitlin Colsia
to the 2022 Specification have to do with changes made in the Speci-
fication rather than changes to the bolt compositions themselves. Beam to HSS Column Moment
There are two changes that were made that would explain the dif- Connection
ference you are seeing. I am looking at Design Example 6.3 in AISC Design Guide
First, the reduced area of the bolt due to the threaded portion 24: HSS Connections and had a question about the weld design
was modified. This reduction was taken as 0.7 in the 1989 Speci- (see Figure 1). The strength of the weld was not explicitly
fication. We know this because the available stress for the thread checked. Doesn’t Table J2.5 in the 2022 AISC Specification
excluded condition in the 1989 Specification is listed at 30 ksi. 21 require that both the base metal and weld metal be checked?
ksi / 30 ksi = 0.7. Second, the factor accounting for differential
strain was changed from 0.8 to 0.9.
The commentary to Section J3.7 in the 2022 Specification states,
“The factor 0.563 accounts for the effect of a shear/tension ratio
of 0.625 and a 0.90 length reduction factor. The factor of 0.45 is
80% of 0.563, which accounts for the reduced area of the threaded
portion of the fastener when the threads are not excluded from
the shear plane. The initial reduction factor of 0.90 is imposed on
connections with lengths up to and including 38 in. (950 mm). The
resistance factor, φ, and the safety factor, Ω, for shear in bearing-
type connections in combination with the initial 0.90 factor accom- Fig. 1. Directly welded moment connection for Example 6.3
modate the effects of differential strain and second-order effects in
connections less than or equal to 38 in. (950 mm) in length.”
No. For the condition shown in the design example, Table J2.5
1989 Specification
states, “Strength of the joint is controlled by the base metal.”
0.8 [differential strain factor] × 0.7 [thread area reduction]
Since the strength of the joint is controlled by the base metal,
× 0.625 [shear/tension ratio] 120 ksi [Fu for Grade A325 bolts]
the strength of the complete joint penetration (CJP) groove weld
/ 2 [safety factor] = 21 ksi
based on the weld metal does not need to be computed.
2022 Specification For CJP groove welds with tension normal to weld axis,
0.9 [differential strain factor] × 0.8 [thread area reduction] “matching filler metal shall be used.” For CJP groove welds with
× 0.625 [shear/tension ratio] 120 ksi [Fu for Grade A325 bolts] compression normal to weld axis, “filler metal with a strength level
/ 2 [safety factor] = 27 ksi equal to or one strength level less than matching filler metal is
The change in the differential strain factor, which accounts for permitted.” These relationships will cause the strength of the weld
end-loaded effects, occurred in the 2010 Specification. The rationale to exceed the strength of the base metal.

Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional ideas and information on all phases of steel building and bridge construction. Contact Steel Interchange with
questions or responses via AISC’s Steel Solutions Center: [Link] | solutions@[Link]. The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and answers is available online
at [Link]. The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily represent an official position of the American Institute of Steel Construction and have not
been reviewed. It is recognized that the design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent licensed structural engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the
application of principles to a particular structure.

8 | NOVEMBER 2024
 steel interchange
Some additional information: or (b) Where connections and member rein- If no quantities or conceptual configura-
For moment connections, particularly forcement are specified to be designed by a tions are shown, member reinforcement at
moment connection to HSS columns, it is licensed engineer working for the fabricator, connections will not be included in the bid.”
important to consider stiffness. Chapter 6 the ODRD shall provide project-specific Larry Muir, PE
of Design Guide 24 (download for free at schematic details for member reinforce-
[Link]/dg) states, “Moment connections ment with sufficient information for a fab-
are defined as connections where the trans- ricator to obtain an accurate bidding quan- Caitlin Colsia (colsia@[Link]) is a staff
fer of moment forces is expected to occur tity and any limitations regarding the type engineer in AISC’s Steel Solutions Center.
and are classified as fully restrained (FR) and connection of member reinforcement. Larry Muir is a consultant to AISC.
and partially restrained (PR) in the AISC
Steel Construction Manual. FR moment con-
nections are sufficiently rigid to maintain
the angle between the members at the
joint when load is applied. A PR moment
connection’s behavior lies between the full
rigidity of a FR moment connection and
that of a simple shear connection.
“A PR connection can transfer moment
to the supporting member, but the rota-
tion is not negligible. The discussion in
this chapter assumes the supporting HSS
member is stiff enough to classify the con-
nection as FR, as defined in AISC Specifica-
tion Section B3.4b. Moment connections to
unstiffened HSS columns with thin walls
may behave in a semi-rigid manner. Design
moments are limited to the yield moment
produced by the plastification of the col-
umn wall, which is limited to a commonly
accepted ultimate load deformation limit of
3%. Regardless of the shape of the column,
developing full moment capacity of a beam
often requires transverse column stiffeners
to transfer axial loads in the beam flanges.
For HSS column connections, these stiffen-
ers can go through the HSS, internal to the
HSS, or external to (or around) the HSS.”
The Commentary to Section B3.4 pro-
vides guidance on how one can evaluate if
a connection is fully restrained. This brings
up a couple more points of consideration.
1. If the contract documents indicate
an FR moment connection, but you have
doubts that the connection detail is FR,
you may want to seek clarification. Keep
in mind that “developing full moment
capacity of a beam [to HSS columns] often
requires transverse column stiffeners.”
2. Where column stiffeners are required,
Section 3.2.4 of the Code of Standard Practice
for Steel Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/AISC
303-22) states, “(a) These items, if required,
shall be designed by the ODRD and shown
in the structural design documents so that
the quantity, detailing, and fabrication
requirements can be readily understood,

Modern Steel Construction | 9

steel quiz
Brace yourself for this month’s quiz on 2 True or False: Typical center type (or 5 True or False: For high-seismic
vertical bracing connections! Learn chevron) brace connections, such as applications (R > 3), the effect of
more with AISC Design Guide 29: that shown in Figure 1, are statically frame distortion in the brace
Vertical Bracing Connections – Analysis indeterminate. connections cannot be ignored.
and Design. This guide includes an
overview of common bracing systems 3 Fill in the Blank: The effective 6 True or False: When applied to
and connection arrangements, force width of the Whitmore section, lw, the same completely designed
distribution methods, and detailed is determined at the end of the joint connection, the unifor m force
design examples. Download your copy by spreading the force from the method (UFM) will always produce
today at [Link]/dg. start of the joint ______ degrees to a design capacity greater than or
each side in the connecting element equal to that produced by the KISS
1 True or False: Corner type brace along the line of force. method, parallel force method, or
connections are statically truss analogy method.
indeterminate. 4 True or False: Figure 2 illustrates an
admissible force field according to the
KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method. TURN TO PAGE 12 FOR ANSWERS

W-shape ℄
V
V VV
P ℄ P
W.P. H
℄ beam H

VV
W-shape W-shape
W.P. W.P.
R eb H
WT, both ℄ ℄L ℄
℄ brace sides or ℄ brace
two angles
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. ecc

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steel quiz ANSWERS

Answers reference AISC Design Guide 29: 2 False. Unlike corner brace connec- 4 False. When using the KISS method,
Vertical Bracing Connections – Analysis tions, typical central connections, as the horizontal component of the
and Design. Download your copy today shown in Figure 1, are statically deter- brace force is assumed to be carried
at [Link]/dg. minate, making the force distribution in through the gusset-to-beam connec-
1 Tr u e . Tw o t y p e s o f b r a c i n g them essentially unique. Section 4.1.2 tion, and the vertical component of
connections are generally discusses the most common approach the brace force is assumed to be car-
considered in Design Guide 29: to determine the force distribution for ried through the gusset-to-column
corner connections and central central or chevron type connections. connection, as shown in Figure 2.
However, unless couples are included
connections. Corner connections are 3 30. The 30° Whitmore section defines
statically indeterminate. There is no at the gusset edge, neither the gus-
the maximum effective width of the
unique solution to the distribution set nor the beam and column will
load spread from the beginning to
of forces within these connections, be in equilibrium. Thus, omitting the
the end of the brace-to-gusset con-
but in accordance with the lower gusset edge couples will invalidate
nection. When the entire Whitmore
bound theorem, any solution that the method. The KISS method is
section is accommodated, the entire
involves an admissible internal acceptable in its full form (with cou-
section is effective in resisting ten-
force distribution and satisfies all ples considered in the design) but
sile and compressive forces in the
the limit states of the configuration does not provide the most economi-
gusset; thus, accommodating the
(with appropriate steps taken to cal designs. (Section 4.1, Figure 4-1).
entire Whitmore section will result in
account for those of limited ductility) the minimum gusset thickness. If a 5 True. Typically, distortional forces
is an acceptable solution. Several smaller gusset is required, the spread have been ignored in bracing con-
acceptable methods for evaluating angle can be taken as any angle nection design with no known nega-
corner connections are presented in between 0° and 30°. Such an assump- tive consequences for non-seismic
Chapter 4. tion will result in smaller, thicker gus- and low-seismic (R = 3) applications.
sets (Section 6.1, page 303). However, because of the high drift
ratios of about 2% to 2.5%, which
produce very high distortional forces,
these forces cannot be ignored in
high-seismic design (R > 3). Section
4.2.6 discusses methods for control-
ling distortional forces, and Chapter
6 discusses design of bracing con-
nections for seismic resistance.
6 True. The UFM is universally applica-
ble and has been shown to produce
safe and economical designs. When
all four methods presented in Design
Guide 29 are applied to the same
completely designed connection, the
UFM will always produce a design
capacity greater than or equal to that
produced by any of the other three.
Appendix A provides a derivation
and generalization of the UFM.

Everyone is welcome to submit

questions and answers for the
1.800.552.1999 1.802.460.3100 Steel Quiz. If you are interested
in submitting one question or an
info@[Link] entire quiz, contact AISC’s Steel
Solutions Center at [Link] or
solutions@[Link].
12 | NOVEMBER 2024
Quality Management
Company, LLC (QMC)
is seeking qualified
INDEPENDENT
CONTRACT
AUDITORS
to conduct site audits for
the American Institute of
Steel Construction (AISC)
Certified Fabricators and
Certified Erector Programs.

This contract requires travel

throughout North America and
limited International travel.
This is not a regionally based
contract and a minimum of 75%
travel should be expected.
Contract auditors must have
knowledge of quality management
systems, audit principles and
techniques. Knowledge of the
structural steel construction industry
quality management systems is
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certifications for CWI, CQA, or
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Interested contractors
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steelwise

Beyond the Base-ics

BY JOSHUA BUCKHOLT, SE, PE, AMIT KANVINDE, PhD, AND MAHMOUD MAAMOURI, SE, PE, PhD

Improve your knowledge of base connection design with the recently released
third edition of AISC’s Design Guide 1.

BASE CONNECTIONS ARE, quite connection (shown in Figure 2) provides improved by using reinforcement, as
literally, the foundation of every steel an alternative approach taken when force shown in Figure 3. The strength of an
structure. They are a critical part of the demands exceed those that can be accom- embedded base connection is primarily
load path in resisting design forces and are modated using traditional exposed base developed by transferring forces through
usually the first elements to be erected in a plates. lateral bearing of the column flanges on
steel frame. In some common cases, base con- the encompassing concrete. This is supple-
AISC Design Guide 1: Base Connection nections may also be embedded within a mented by vertical bearing stresses that
Design for Steel Structures has been a foun- slab-on-grade, which conceals the base resist the rotation of an embedded base
dational document since the publication of connection from view even though the plate (if provided).
its first edition in 1990. In June, AISC pub- slab-on-grade is not relied upon to struc- Large uplift and shear force demands
lished the third edition of Design Guide 1 turally resist forces. Base connections sub- are expected for base connections taking
to expand and update the guidance avail- ject to large shear demands may be con- part in brace frames, while large flexural
able to designers and the steel industry for figured with shear lugs to transfer shear demands are expected for base connec-
base connection design of steel structures. forces from the base plate to the founda- tions that are flexurally restrained and
Steel base connection design, at its tion without transferring significant shear taking part in a moment frame system.
most fundamental level, looks to transfer to the anchor rods. Columns in the gravity load system may be
steel frame load reactions to the founda- Base connections, whether exposed or subjected only to compression loads and
tion by providing adequate strength and embedded, must be proportioned to resist see uplift or overturning demands mainly
stiffness in an economical and construct- the force demand and provide adequate during construction. Added requirements
ible way. Base connection configurations strength. Strength limit states pertaining for strength and ductility will be needed
vary depending on the intended use of the to steel elements in exposed base connec- for base connections that form a part of
connection within the structure. tions encompass the steel strength of the seismic force-resisting systems in areas of
For example, details for exposed base anchor rods, stiffeners, shear lugs, base elevated seismicity or are detailed accord-
connections (shown in Figure 1) use a base plate, and weld rupture. The strength of ing to the AISC Seismic Provisions for Struc-
plate supported by a foundation and steel an exposed base connection and its anchor tural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC 341-22)
anchor rods embedded within concrete. rods could also be limited by the concrete The stiffness of the base connection
Exposed base connections are prevalent limit states of bearing, pullout, breakout, influences global structural response, espe-
throughout the construction industry and side-face blowout, or pryout. cially under lateral loads. An evaluation of
are supported by a long tradition of use in Concrete limit state strength, such the stiffness of the base connection should
various configurations. An embedded base as concrete breakout strength, can be be done and compared to its intended

Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3.

14 | NOVEMBER 2024
 steelwise
behavior. Underpredicted flexibility in a A noteworthy addition to the third edi- column and elastic behavior within the
base connection may result in more story tion centers around providing guidance base connection. The second philosophy
drifts and an unexpected distribution for embedded base connections, shown encourages a ductile failure mechanism
of forces within the frame. Conversely, schematically in Figure 2. Embedded base within the anchor rods, resulting in a
underpredicted rigidity of a base con- connections rely on intentional encase- potentially lower force demand than the
nection may lead to unanticipated forces ment in concrete to provide moment
being drawn to that connection. resistance at the base of a column when
flexural demands are large, as may occur
What’s New in the Third when structures increase in height or in
Edition? level of seismicity.
The third edition of Design Guide 1 Research and testing performed
is a significant expansion of covered top- between 2010 and 2022 provided the sci-
ics relating to base connection design, in entific basis for a new chapter (Chapter 5)
addition to updating previously covered that summarizes the available research,
material for alignment with current prac- outlines a design procedure, and walks
tice and design standards. through a design example. Another new
References to codes and standards have chapter (Chapter 6) focuses on seismic
been updated to reflect changes since the design of base connections and discusses
publication of the second edition in 2006. three overall philosophies for seismic
The third edition also incorporates AISC- design of base connections.
sponsored and independent research that The first philosophy in Chapter 6
has occurred in the interim. Although previ- involves designing a flexurally fixed base
ously published material was maintained, it connection for the fully yielded and
was reorganized to allow for new chapters, strain-hardened capacity of the column,
appendices, and practical design examples. thus promoting ductility within the

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Modern Steel Construction | 15

 steelwise

first philosophy but imposing added rota-

[Link] tional demands on the connection. The
USA third design philosophy addresses pinned
819.693.9682 connections in which the connection must

WELD FASTER
account for the rotational demand on
itself without losing the ability to transfer

FIT SMARTER
shear forces.
New appendices address emerging and

KEEP IT SIMPLE
alternate topics about base connection
design. An alternative way of accounting
for base plate flexibility to reduce the
required base plate thickness for base
connections subject to compression is
included, in addition to guidance on base
ROBOTIC WELDING FITTING ASSISTANT plates subject to two-way bending. A new
appendix (Appendix C) outlines guidance
for simulating column base connections
in a global structural analysis for exposed
column base connections, base connec-
tions with incidental shallow embedment,
and intentionally embedded base connec-
tions. The final appendix provides guid-
ance on using finite element approaches
Largest installation Lose the in the analysis and design of exposed base
base in North America measuring tape!
connections (shown in Figure 4).

Base Column
plate

IN-FIELD ADJUSTABLE
PRE-ENGINEERED
Footing Grout pad Top nut and

NO WELD
plate washer
Fig. 4.

Structural Organization
Support All told, the third edition consists
of six chapters and four appendices. It
Solution that begins with introductory content and

Stops Coordination
outlines the history and research up to
the current edition. A chapter addressing
Hassles materials used in base connection design
is followed by a chapter on the roles
of base connections in overall system

FIND OUT MORE

behavior. The next two chapters focus
on conventional exposed base connec-
tions and embedded base connections,
respectively. The last chapter pertains to

[Link]
seismic design criteria.

16 | NOVEMBER 2024
 steelwise

The guide concludes with appendices Appendix A includes special consid-

addressing special conditions such as erations for double-nut joints, pretension
pretensioned joints, alternative methods joints, and special structures and holds
of design, base connection stiffness, and information brought forward from the
finite element analysis. Additionally, down- second edition of the design guide with
loadable software that facilitates embedded minor updates to reflect changes in refer-
column base design and calculation of ence documents.
base connection stiffness is included in the Appendix B provides alternative meth-
Design Guide 1 Bonus Materials, available ods for design, including alternative pres-
at [Link]/dg1. sure distribution philosophies between
Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter the concrete or grout and the base plate.
describing the scope of the third edition The triangular stress distribution is car-
and how it relates to the hierarchy of ried forward from the second edition, but
building codes and standards. Commen- new sections for the design of base plates
tary on relevant history and advancements considering plate flexibility and two-way
then follow, in which earlier editions of bending are added.
the design guide are discussed and new Appendix C is a new appendix with
research is introduced. guidance for simulating column base con-
Chapter 2 summarizes material criteria nections in structural analysis. The factors
pertaining to base connection design. It of base connections that contribute to their
outlines the material standards recom- flexibility are discussed and approaches to
mended for base plate, anchor rod, weld, predict their values are presented.
grout, and concrete materials. Appendix D is a new appendix that
Chapter 3 examines system issues that provides guidance for using finite element
affect base selection, design, and simulation. analysis in designing exposed base con-
A discussion of base connection configura- nections. Sections on model construction,
tions, direction on where within the guide geometry, boundary conditions, contact/
to find other information, and strength and interactions, element type, verification of
stiffness criteria are additionally outlined. results, and interpretation of results are
Chapter 4 makes up the bulk of design included.
guide content and focuses on the design Web-based tools associated with
of conventional exposed base connections. Design Guide 1 are available. The third edi-
Design procedures and examples are pro- tion features bonus material—posted online
vided for many loading types, including at [Link]/dg1—that provides web tools to
compression, tension, shear, bending, and facilitate base connection design and simu-
combined loadings. Sections on reinforc- lation. These web tools include strength Joshua Buckholt
ing concrete at anchors, base connection calculation tools for embedded base con- (jbuckholt@[Link]) is a
fabrication, base connection installation, nections, and rotational stiffness estimation vice president at CSD Structural
and base connection repair are also added tools for various types of base connection Engineers, Amit Kanvinde
or expanded. configurations. (kanvinde@[Link]) is
Chapter 5 is a new chapter in which Design Guide 1, Third Edition aims a professor of civil and envi-
the design of embedded base connections to build on basics, providing a meaningful ronmental engineering at the
is introduced, and procedures and an exam- distillation of that research into a practical University of California–Davis,
ple are provided. Approaches for resisting form that users can readily put into appli- and Mahmoud Maamouri
flexural demands at the base of the column cation. Design examples are also provided (mmaamouri@[Link]) is
using different approaches are delineated. for many common and unique design an executive vice president at
Factors affecting fabrication and installa- scenarios. Updates for current codes and CSD Structural Engineers.
tion are discussed. approaches—combined with other infor-
Chapter 6 is a new chapter which mation on seismic design and embedded
addresses the design of column base con- base connections—increase the usefulness
nections for seismic loading. It provides a of the design guide for design and educa-
research update and overview of differing tional purposes. ■
expectations and approaches for the seis-
mic design of base connections. An example Download Design Guide 1, Third Edition or
stepping through the process of designing purchase a copy at [Link]/dg. Downloads are
a base plate connection with ductile anchor free for AISC members.
rods is provided.
Modern Steel Construction | 17
field notes

Riveting Research
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

University of Notre Dame professor Ashley Thrall quickly immersed herself in

engineering when she discovered it after college, and she’s now a respected researcher
who runs a cutting-edge campus laboratory.

ENGINEERING WAS NOWHERE When did structures come into the

on Ashley Thrall’s career path consider- picture?
ations until she read a book on structures I came across them later. I didn’t really
while exploring options after graduation. know much about engineering growing up.
Once she picked that route, though, she I went to Vassar College, which is a liberal
had a sole focus: becoming a professor. arts school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. It didn’t
Thrall’s first teaching job—and so far, have an engineering track. I got a physics
her only one—has helped her become degree there, though my mom taught me
a respected voice in steel research and that I should always have an art class, so I
instruction, particularly with bridges. She is took art classes as well. I was doing print-
the Myron and Rosemary Noble associate making, drawing, and learning art history
professor of structural engineering at the to keep my creative side active alongside
University of Notre Dame and also directs my research and studies in physics.
the school’s Kinetic Structures Laboratory. When I graduated, I wanted to find a
This summer, Thrall was also one of career where I could integrate creativity
AISC’s two Innovation Scholars, a new AISC with science. I did a little soul searching and
program designed to boost collaboration on eventually read The Tower and the Bridge by
a steel-focused project to be performed in the late David Billington, a former engi-
conjunction with the scholar’s university. It neering professor at Princeton University.
involves a two-week summer residency at It’s all about structural art—structures that soon as I committed to engineering. I was
AISC’s headquarters in Chicago. are economic and efficiently use materials hired at Notre Dame in 2011, shortly after
Thrall spoke with Modern Steel Con- but are also very elegant. That combina- completing my PhD, and that was my first
struction about her research, path to Notre tion of science and art really brought me teaching position.
Dame, the Innovation Scholar experience, to engineering.
and more. I emailed David when I was in grad Can you describe the feeling of being
school at Princeton and asked if he could in front of a class for the first time as a
Where are you from and where did you take me on as a master’s student assistant. professor?
grow up? He did, and he taught me structural analy- It gave me a new appreciation for all the
I’m from a small town in Connecticut. sis one-on-one in his office. He took time professors who taught me. As a student, I
My mom is an artist, and my dad is a scien- out of his day to teach me and help me was always in the front of the class asking
tist. He was a professor at the University of catch up so I could succeed in a graduate tons and tons of questions. Seeing the other
Connecticut, so I grew up in a world of art program. He was amazing and is one of the side of it where I’m answering all the ques-
and science together. greatest figures in my life. tions was a very different feeling. Getting
used to guiding people and understanding
Did you work on the design side before the preparation necessary to give even
getting into academia? one lecture made me gain another level of
Field Notes is Modern I went straight from doing my PhD at appreciation for everyone who taught me
Steel Construction’s Princeton to academia. That comes from in class.
podcast series, where my father’s influence, where he taught me It was a lot of work, and the first lectures
we interview people the freedom of academia. You study what were a lot. Then you get into the rhythm of
from all corners of you want to study and work with young it, and it feels easier and more comfortable.
the structural steel people all the time. It keeps you young and I teach statics for sophomores in the fall and
industry with interesting stories to tell. in an exciting environment. Seeing that then bridge engineering for our senior class
Listen in at [Link]/podcasts. growing up, I wanted to go that route as and first-year grad students in the spring.

18 | NOVEMBER 2024
 field notes

Can you explain the kinetic structures What first attracted you to the
lab you work in at Notre Dame, which Innovation Scholar program?
I assume focuses on structures that I learned about it through AISC emails,
move? and I attended the education luncheon at
We study the design and behavior of NASCC: The Steel Conference in San
all kinds of moving, modular, and rapidly Antonio this year. I thought it was a great
deployable structures. Some of my projects opportunity to learn more from the indus-
have been origami shelters using compos- try, and a lot of my best projects have been
ite materials—deployable shelters for the collaborative with the industry. I figured
U.S. Army, for example. A lot of the work the Innovation Scholar program would set
I’m currently doing is in steel bridges, up a bigger network for a project.
which is part of my interest in working I’m on a teaching sabbatical for this
with AISC. I’ve focused on modular steel academic year. I took this year as a launch-
bridges and thinking about different ways ing-off point to come up with new ideas and
to build them faster and better. work on them throughout the year. It was
great timing and a good opportunity to get
What’s the genesis of a research to know AISC. This year, I’m based at home,
project? Does somebody come to you but I’m doing more research visits and
and ask you to do research on a topic, attending more meetings and conferences.
do you come up with the ideas, or is it The time at AISC was the first of them.
a combination?
I’ve been very collaborative with indus- Do you have any personal travel planned
try, so I’ve been working a lot with different Thrall (lower right) and her graduate during sabbatical, and even if not, what
industry partners and learning what their students inside a built-up press-brake- location is at the top of your list?
problems are, but also coming up with my formed tub girder. The top of my list for personal travel is
own ideas. Some things come up organi- Easter Island. I want to see the Moai sculp-
cally. It depends on the project. Do you have something you want to tures. That goes back to my foundation with
work on in the future, like a dream my mom, art and creativity, and all the engi-
What are some of your most memo- research project? neering that had to go into building those.
rable research projects? In my time as an AISC Innovation
One of my recent ones relates to AISC: Scholar, I’m trying to look at next steps. What have you grown to enjoy about
our work on built-up press-brake-formed A lot of my recent work is focused on living in South Bend since 2011, and
tub girders. It builds off the work that Karl modularity and thinking about redundancy. what should visitors know?
Barth, a professor and steel bridge-focused But that leads to heavy solutions, because You have to stop by the university if
researcher at West Virginia University, did you’re designing for the worst case of you’re there. It’s a beautiful place and it’s
on press-brake-formed tub girders made of everything. But I’m thinking about sustain- like working in a park. There are a lot of
one single plate of steel. We’re looking at ability now and how it fits into the mix. innovative people there. ■
built-up sections with flat flanges bolted on Where is the sweet spot between sus-
the cold-bent webs to make longer spans tainability and minimal material use with This interview was excerpted from my con-
and to harness the internal redundancy the modularity and redundancy work I’m versation with Ashley. To hear more from her,
that Rob Connor at Purdue has researched. already doing? That’s why I wanted to be listen to the November Field Notes podcast at
In four years, we went from a new con- an Innovation Scholar, and why I want to [Link]/podcasts, Apple Podcasts,
cept to two built bridges. One of those, the think about new ideas and where to go next. or Spotify.
State Route 32 bridge over Stony Creek
near Indianapolis, won an AISC/NSBA 2024 What’s a common piece of advice
Prize Bridge Award (Read about that project you give to students starting their
in the July issue at [Link]). engineering careers?
Our project was funded by the Indiana Have open ears, because you can learn
Department of Transportation (INDOT), something from everybody. On my research
which was willing to build two demonstra- projects when I’ve been out in the field, I
tion bridges. INDOT was instrumental in learned a lot from ironworkers and bridge
providing research funding and the invest- painters. Just pick people’s brains to learn
ment in the bridges themselves. It was new things, because you’re going to see dif-
collaborative, with HNTB serving as the ferent perspectives. Lose your ego and learn Geoff Weisenberger (weisenberger
design team. as much as you can from everybody. @[Link]) is the editor and publisher
of Modern Steel Construction.

Modern Steel Construction | 19

business issues

Seeking Continuous Improvement

BY CHRISTIAN CROSBY, PE

Employing the Deming cycle can improve your fabrication business, but it must
be done with intentionality.

EARLY IN MY CAREER, I had the op- Both cycles have origins dating back to Check yes or no. The Deming cycle
portunity to work with two well-respected Galileo, C.I. Lewis’ conceptual pragma- focuses more on predicting the results of
quality systems professionals who helped tism, and the Shewhart cycle. Sometime a cycle during the planning step, gathering
me understand the premise of “you don’t in the 1950s, the theories diverged: Dem- information during the “do” step, studying
know what you don’t know.” ing evolved the Shewhart cycle, while the the actual results, and comparing them in
Under their mentorship and leadership, Japanese quality community did the same the “act” step for revisions to the next cycle.
I acquired an immense amount of knowl- with the PDCA Cycle. Deming continued One could argue that “study” and
edge about quality management systems. his work through the 1980s, and in the “check” are interchangeable, however, I
They were intentional about providing a early 1990s, he named his cycle “PDSA would submit for your consideration that
vast array of topics and authors to broaden Cycle and Model for Improvement.” A they are not. The difference is studying
my horizons within the field. In my studies, model to improve the organization rooted takes the time to understand results and
I noticed several reappearing authors, and in four questions: What are we trying to think about what the data says. It requires
one stood out: W. Edward Deming. accomplish? What changes do we need to a high level of commitment, intentionality,
The first of the many texts those men- make? How will we know that a change and obligation beyond just “checking” the
tors encouraged me to read was Deming’s is an improvement? What change can we box pass or fail.
The New Economics, wherein he outlines an make that will result in improvement? So, how does this apply to structural
improved management method by employ- This model uses the four familiar steps: steel construction?
ing systems thinking and refers to his ideol- plan, do, study, and act.
ogy as the system of profound knowledge. Planning involves defining the objective, Plan
Years later, I am still compelled to offer a purpose, and questions. Then, outline the We talk all the time about planning, but
heartfelt thank you for those mentors’ time hypothesis and predicted outcomes. Finally, what does that mean? Planning is the pro-
discussing and answering countless ques- planning how to do the “doing”: the who, cess of establishing the goals and objectives
tions on Deming’s ideas with me. what, when, where, and how. of a project and determining the resources,
Deming’s 14 principles, which encom- The “do” step is simple: execute the actions, and equipment needed to achieve
pass the system of profound knowledge, plan. Along the way, document problems those goals and objectives—and predicts the
resonated with me. However, it took many and observations. Record notable data. desired results. This step is universal regard-
years before I connected a few dots as to The third step is analyzing the data and less of the task: estimating a project, detail-
their application to structural steel fabri- observations. Study, scrutinize, investigate, ing a project, purchasing steel for a project,
cation. Dr. Deming does not have all the contemplate, examine, and digest the out- developing a fabrication plan, developing a
answers to our industry’s problems, but he comes. Document what was learned. site-specific erection plan, and many others.
offers many tools to aid in our endeavors The final step explores actions that Let’s face it, there are times when our
in moving our organizations in a positive should be taken. What changes should be planning is no more than, “I plan to unroll
direction, and it’s our responsibility to apply made? What does the next cycle look like? the drawings the day we start the project.”
his tools with intentionality. Do we need another cycle to understand It happens more than any of us care to
One tool I have found especially help- what we discovered? What steps should be admit, but the outcomes from a lack of
ful is the Deming Cycle. Over the years, I implemented to move the organization in intentionality remind us why planning the
have shouted from the hilltops and pon- a positive direction? An organization can work is crucial. I learned at an early age
tificated over libations about the merits of employ this tool on repeat as a part of their that if I fail to plan the work, I should not
employing this idea. And like many others, continuous improvement process. expect a positive outcome. Pre-planning is
I have confused the Deming Cycle with The PDCA cycle, though, has no a proven method to increase the probabil-
the PDCA Cycle. Not until recently, while emphasis on study; instead, that step is a ity of a successful outcome. In my tenure in
reading Edward Martin Baker’s book The mere “check,” which is more about the suc- this business, I have seen too many people
Symphony of Profound Knowledge—did I cessful completion of the “do” step. Did we fail to plan their work and then spend their
realized the error in my ways. successfully complete the planned action? energy firefighting the entire project.

20 | NOVEMBER 2024
 business issues

Do One of my early career mentors was a work, executed the plan, and studied the
Execution of the plan. This is our well-seasoned journeyman named Fred results, but failed to implement change.
favorite part, right? We don’t get paid to Haas. He consulted with the small fab- We were not intentional in our efforts to
sit around. The planning step involves rication shop where I cut my teeth in the move the organization in a positive direc-
thinking, writing, discussing, and rewrit- early 1990s. One of his many lessons was to tion and thus repeated the same mistakes.
ing. These tasks can seem as if we are not perform a postmortem for each project, no An organization can apply the Dem-
“doing anything” and instead just sitting matter the outcome. ing cycle to any project or its operational
around and talking, but when the pres- Fred wanted an explanation of why a processes. The key to success with this tool
sure rises, we are tempted to rush through project performed well, poorly, or bet- is intentionality, determination, purpose-
planning or skip it altogether so that we ter than expected. Why did this project fulness, and awareness. If an organization
can get on with the doing. I can hear a past have a good outcome? Why did this sees value in the Deming cycle but is not
supervisor yelling, “Don’t just sit there, project not meet expectations? What was intentional in its activities, it should not
Crosby, do something.” learned? What went well, what could have expect positive results. Planning the work,
Even poor planning can increase the gone better, and what are we going to do executing the work, studying the results,
probability of a successful outcome. I still differently next time? Which processes, and making changes is an excellent method
clearly recall a complex box girder proj- methods, materials, equipment, and train- to move an organization in a positive direc-
ect that reinforced the need for planning. ing, performed well? Which did not? Fred tion, but the effort must be intentional.
These boxes had stiffeners and shear tabs in required intentionality about understand- And to those mentors who introduced
a small space, which required pre-planning ing what drove our results. me to the good doctor so many years ago,
the proper sequence of fitting and welding thank you. ■
to avoid building ourselves into a situation Act
where we could not access a weld. In our The “act” step is the change in the pro-
rush to do something, we failed to plan cess or system. It’s the payoff for the time,
the work and ended up cutting out parts energy, and effort. Unfortunately, we’re
to complete the inaccessible welds. We often too busy to study the outcomes and
were justified in our rush: the designs were are bound to repeat the same missteps.
late, shop drawings pushed, approval took I recall one of my former employers
longer than expected, and the customer held project close-out meetings where
wanted the hook accelerated. Sound famil- we discussed the results—not unlike what
iar? Lesson learned: planning before doing. Fred Haas taught. Looking back, I can see
that we repeated many of the same errors
Study time and time again but never acted on our Christian Crosby ([Link]
Evaluate results and dive deep into the studies to make meaningful change in our @[Link]) is the senior vice president
outcomes to improve future performances. processes and procedures. We planned the of fabrication at Schuff Steel.

Modern Steel Construction | 21

 Expansion
at Elevation
BY SCOTT WERT, PE

22 | NOVEMBER 2024
 COLORADO CONVENTION CEN-
TER’S history of evolution and continuous
improvement recently added a daring and
A massive addition to creative expansion of contemporary event
space to its ledger. In early 2024, the down-
Colorado Convention Center created town Denver venue gained more ballrooms
and attractive gathering spaces—all made
dynamic open spaces with long-span trusses possible with a clever steel frame design
constructed directly above existing exhibit
and a creative erection plan. halls and a parking garage.
At nearly 2.5 million total sq. ft,
Colorado Convention Center is among the
largest convention centers in the country
and now boasts significant improvements
delivered by the $233 million overbuild
expansion project. The project added an
80,000-sq. ft column-free ballroom, a
20,000-sq. ft outdoor terrace, and 35,000-
sq. ft of pre-function lobby spaces to cater
to any large event’s needs. In total, 8,362
tons of steel form the new long-span floor
and roof structures, which have numer-
ous customized assemblies where framing
interacts with existing structure elements.
Like any addition, the additional ball-
room space needed to fit into the existing
building architecturally and structurally. A
new cantilevered roof over the pre-function
and terrace spaces mimics the iconic can-
tilevered blade roof of the original archi-
tecture. Likewise, the architects designed
the new ballroom and pre-function spaces
to transition seamlessly from the existing
lobby spaces.

Ballroom Ballet
Structurally, the existing building
column grid at the expansive exhibit halls
dictated the same bays and truss spans at
the new ballroom floor, which is made
up of 66 7.5-ft-deep trusses spanning the
90-ft distance to extensions of the existing
36-in. pipe columns. To form the high roof
above, 27-ft-deep trusses span 270 ft across
the three bays of the ballroom. Further,
the shape of the addition’s footprint avoids
existing rooftop mechanical equipment and
specific column locations that are trans-
ferred at a lower ballroom. All led to more
efficient construction and lower costs.

The expanded Colorado Convention

Center hosted the 2022 NASCC: The Steel
Conference.

All photos courtesy of Martin/Martin, Inc. unless otherwise noted

Modern Steel Construction | 23

 The bluebird ballroom was an 80,000-sq.-ft addition.

Challenging these constraints were the owner’s minimum roof in the main lobby. Unique design criteria for the floor trusses
programmatic and square footage requirements. These space included large crawler crane loading and vibrational performance
mandates resulted in steel truss cantilevers up to 34 ft to make under rhythmic activities such as concerts or dancing events.
up the floor area deficit. Similar cantilevers occur at the adjacent Roof truss design had to consider designated event rigging
commercial kitchen and storage wing, where the roof trusses also point loads and 32-ft-tall operable walls that allow the ballroom
cantilever beyond the standard column grid. A storage mezzanine space to be divided into 19 separate spaces. Laterally, the floor and
level is suspended from the roof structure to help minimize overall roof trusses participate in moment frames oriented in both direc-
structural depth of the wing. tions by connecting both chords directly to the steel pipe columns,
The ballroom floor and roof trusses consist of W14 wide-flange which deliver lateral forces to the top of existing moment frames.
chord and web elements with webs oriented horizontally and bolted Conventional composite steel framing infills the distance
flange plate connections joining each truss piece. Heavy truss sec- between floor trusses and is also present at the surrounding pre-
tions, particularly at the roof truss chords, employed high-strength function and terrace spaces. The outdoor terrace is framed over the
steel (ASTM A913/65-ksi) while connections used 50-ksi material existing precast parking garage and the attached cast-in-place helix
to help limit connection lengths and plate thickness. Connection access ramp. Deep plate girders were used at the terrace floor to
types were coordinated with fabricator and erector preferences, transfer loads where new roof columns did not align with irregularly
including designation of shop and field-assembled connections to spaced existing garage columns, especially at the helix ramp.
provide for economical connections and maximum field tolerance, The outdoor terrace is a highlight of the new ballroom space,
particularly between new truss elements and the existing structure. delivering a unique experience and excellent views of the Rocky
Especially critical to ensuring a smooth erection sequence was Mountains. The terrace includes a 40-ft cantilever placed at the
detailing plenty of tolerance into the new floor truss to 36-in.- corner of the building and formed by 63-in.-deep plate girders that
diameter round HSS connections. These customized connections cantilever beyond the helix ramp structure, with diagonal bracing
consist of a new round HSS segment directly welded to the top of between flanges. This bracing stiffens the framing and increases
the existing round HSS columns. Collar plates connect the truss the natural frequency of the cantilever with the aim of improving
bottom chords to the round HSS. A thick cap plate at the top vibrational behavior.
chord with vertical gussets connects the truss chords and webs to The ballroom addition capitalizes on previous phase foresight
the column node using slip-critical bolts in oversized holes. These and experience designing convention spaces with future develop-
heavy-node connections transfer chord forces into the column ment and adaptability in mind. During a previous addition com-
and through the column where fixity is required and where truss pleted in 2004 (Phase 2), the primary structure was designed to
cantilevers occur. accommodate future expansion, including allowances for future
Columns extending up to frame the roof were then field welded floor and roof gravity loads, and specific maximum lateral forces at
to the top of the heavy cap plate at the top of the floor truss node braced frames and shear walls.
assembly. The combination of field welding and bolts in oversized The Phase 2 planning led to the unusual circumstances under
holes allowed the erector to adjust in the field based on as-built which these renovations required minimal strengthening and retro-
column locations and assembled truss lengths where they differed fitting at primary structural framing and foundations. Pre-planning
from the actual span between columns. allowed the large-diameter steel pipe columns to be filled with con-
The bottom chords of the floor trusses were set tight to the crete for enhanced lateral frame stiffness and increased axial capacity
existing roof with allowance for deflections, while truss depth was for new building loads. Other retrofits within the existing building
limited by setting the top chords and floor slab low enough to focused on supporting and making room for new escalators, eleva-
fit the adjacent pre-function space underneath the existing blade tors, and stairs to reach and egress the new ballroom space.

24 | NOVEMBER 2024
above: A floor truss attached to a column node.
left: The pre-function lobby framing.
below: Pre-function lobby spaces were part of the expansion.

Modern Steel Construction | 25

 Artistic Aerial Productions

above: A diagram of the crane path. below: The crawler crane erecting a roof truss.

Crane Creativity and accommodate an operating convention center at the level

Erection of the long-span floor and roof elements required below, adding further complexity to the chosen erection method.
creativity and extensive coordination between the general contrac- Floor trusses were positioned directly below a planned path of
tor, steel erector, and structural engineers. With maximum truss travel for the crawler tracks, and the erector’s engineer coordinated
pick weights of 70 tons and the maximum extent of the addition extensively with the design team to ensure those floor trusses met
measured from the street and tower cranes of 475 ft, there were all strength and performance targets. The erection sequence began
few feasible and safe methods of erecting. Instead of using a large with floor truss construction ahead of the crawler, followed by con-
tower crane or positioning intrusive fixed cranes within the existing crete slab placement and cure to create the platform needed for
building footprint, an audacious plan to operate a mobile crawler roof truss erection.
crane above the existing roof was pursued. The crane erected the long-span trusses and roof framing
With all counterweights installed, the LR1300 crane weighed before backing its way out of the ballroom footprint and being
500 tons, and the new ballroom floor framing was designed to carry de-mobilized at the terrace side of the expansion. Truss deflec-
the mobile crane and loads from maximum erection sequence picks. tions were monitored during crane operations and compared to
The crane’s 470-ft reach and 330-ton pick limits were reduced to a expected deflections to ensure safety of workers and that truss ele-
120-ft reach and 75-ton pick to limit forces imparted on the floor ments were behaving as expected while the crane moved around
trusses it was operating over. The contractor also had to protect the floor area.

26 | NOVEMBER 2024
 Tower cranes and a crawler crane on the
roof were part of the steel erection plan.

An overbuild expansion of this project’s scale is surely rare, and its success was the
result of a collaborative and innovative design-build team working towards a common
goal. Constructing upward with long spans presented numerous challenges, which were
creatively solved with steel solutions that made the impressive expansion fit seamlessly
atop the existing building. ■
Owner
City of Denver Steel Team
General Contractor Fabricator and Detailer
Hensel Phelps Construction Co. W&W | AFCO Steel
Architect Erector Scott Wert
TVS Architecture and Design Derr & Gruenewald Construction (swert@[Link])
is a senior project engineer at
Structural Engineer Erector’s Engineer
Martin/Martin, Inc.
Martin/Martin, Inc. Hassett Engineering

Modern Steel Construction | 27

 Light weight, low cost, and sustainability
benefits made steel the perfect choice for a
swiftly erected hospital bed tower in Oklahoma.

Up to the Task
BY RYAN CURTIS, PE, JAKE ZACH, SE

All photos courtesy of LEO A DALY

SAINT FRANCIS HEALTH SYSTEM felt the growing The project team relied heavily on a steel superstructure to
demand for more hospital bed space—and had the desire to meet keep the work on time and on budget—the result of thorough
it quickly. studies that revealed steel would best achieve its goals. All told, the
It acted rapidly on its need and broke ground in 2023 on an project contained an estimated 1,700 tons of steel.
eight-story patient bed tower addition to its existing hospital in
Muskogee, Okla. The project included a 150-bed consolidation, a Steel Wins the Study
main entry in the new tower, and a new chapel and clinic. Upon onboarding JE Dunn Construction, LEO A DALY spent
The project’s total estimated construction cost is $230 million, the early phases of project coordination analyzing the most efficient
and its critical goals were to maintain focus on customer experience and value-driven superstructure to achieve the client’s needs, archi-
and modernization of the facility in keeping with the high-quality tectural vision, and floor programming. Framing options included
care that Saint Francis Health System delivers across northeastern cast-in-place (CIP) two-way concrete floors, traditional concrete
Oklahoma. Saint Francis turned to LEO A DALY for architectural joists, and concrete on metal deck with composite steel beams and
and structural design, and the latter’s structural engineers worked columns. Lateral systems investigated included CIP shear walls,
with JE Dunn Construction in a construction manager at risk steel moment frames, and steel concentric brace frames. The study
(CMaR) delivery method. identified several benefits to an all-steel system.

28 | NOVEMBER 2024
 The bed tower is expected to open in 2025.

Foundation impacts. A CIP system estimate resulted in 60% production, installation, use, and disposal of a building’s materi-
to 70% more building weight, which would require much larger als. A whole building life cycle assessment was performed using
drilled pier sections and increase foundation concrete costs. industry average data to estimate the impact of the bed tower
Seismic mass. The lighter steel building results in less seismic construction.
mass to resist: The building location and soil properties dictated Accounting only for the structural system, the estimated embod-
a short-period spectral response acceleration parameter (SDS) ied carbon impact of the steel bed tower is 260 kg CO2eq/m2. Using
and a long-period acceleration parameter (SD1) that resulted in an early-phase embodied carbon estimating tool called EPIC, it
the structure being designed within Seismic Design Category C. was determined that a concrete system of the same height and area
With a seismic response coefficient (Cs) of 0.076, approximately would have an impact closer to 457 kg CO2eq/m2. The steel frame
7.6% of the additional weight of a concrete system would need to represented a more than 40% reduction in global warming impact.
be resisted by the lateral elements. The lighter steel frame tower In total, the design team saved approximately 5,000 metric tons of
reduced this lateral load and subsequently allowed for efficient CO2eq from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to the emissions of
braced frame systems to be introduced into the lateral system. more than 560,000 gallons of gas consumed in vehicles.
Better carbon performance. Embodied carbon is the measure In addition to excellent carbon performance, more than 85% of
of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the the structural steel framing came from recycled materials.

Modern Steel Construction | 29

above: The two-story lobby framing under construction. below: A rendering of the completed two-story lobby and monumental stair.

30 | NOVEMBER 2024
 A three-story structure connects the
new tower to the existing building.

Scheduling. To meet an aggressive construction schedule, the Open Spaces and Building Skin
design team and construction manager worked closely to develop The new main entrance features a two-story lobby. The vol-
dedicated design packages that allowed timely construction scopes ume’s east and north perimeters feature curtain walls spanning
to begin while the architectural and engineering teams were still from Level 1 to Level 3, maximizing daylight. Designing with steel
in design phases with the owner. The agile nature of steel design allowed for increased flexibility—columns that had to span two
allowed the team to iterate quickly through schematic design, stories unbraced were able to remain smaller in depth and width
which was submitted in fall 2022, and subsequent structural pack- than concrete alternatives.
ages in December 2022, allowing foundation construction to The project also modernized approximately 200 ft of the exist-
commence. Steel shop drawing packages were submitted through ing hospital’s north façade. Part of this process was the demolition
summer 2023 and steel erection began in December 2023. of an existing steel structure along the front of the building. The
Spans. Longer spans allowed more spacious patient room layouts existing structure was constructed on a tight field of irregularly
and nested toilet room locations. Typical bay size was 34½ ft by 30 ft, spaced piers that could not be removed and required careful
with beams spanning the longer direction and girders spanning the coordination for the new piers for the replacement steel structure.
shorter direction. The flexibility of a longer-spanning steel frame Since the new piers could not always align with the steel above,
system outperformed a more conventional cast-in-place system, pro- concrete grade beams were used to support some steel columns
viding optimal layouts to the patient rooms through the bed tower. and transfer forces to the foundation piers.
Available labor market: AISC structural steel specialists and A monumental stair in the lobby takes guests from Level 1
the design team identified 14 certified fabrication shops and 12 to Level 2. Stringers were designed by the engineer of record,
certified erectors available in the region who could bid on the proj- while the steps and their connection to stringers were delegated
ect. At the time of subcontractor bidding, the local labor market for to Bennett Steel.
iron workers was stronger than structural concrete trades. Bennett Standard vibration considerations for stairs are heightened
Steel was selected as the fabricator and erector, and a sole source for monumental stairs, because people often stop on them.
for both assisted in coordination. Field measurements, erection That makes vibration perception a possible risk. In this case,
aids, site trucking logistics, sequence detailing, and coordination of an intermediate support was added to dramatically increase sys-
fabrication to support erection were all seamless. tem stiffness and reduce the risk of perceptible vibrations. The
Additionally, industry misconceptions on steel availability and design team utilized Design Guide 11: Vibrations of Steel-Frame
pricing were clarified with assistance from AISC based on a deeper Structural Systems Due to Human Activity (download for free at
dive into inflating material costs. For example, during early design [Link]/dg) as a resource in the design procedures.
phases, the team learned rebar costs had increased more signifi- On the north side of the building, a large blade-like wall
cantly than hot-rolled W-shapes, providing additional benefit of a extends approximately 15 ft beyond the building perimeter and
predominantly steel solution. approximately 20 ft above the roof. The blade provides visual
An early foundation and earthmoving package and subsequent interest and a surface for brand signage—and it also creates a
steel order allowed for construction to start while Bennett Steel was hotspot for wind forces, acting like a parapet or sail. An isolated
generating shop drawings and fabricating steel in their shop. Steel steel column collects gravity on the north end of the wall.
was at the jobsite ready for erection as soon as foundations were Beams at each level connect the main building column to the
complete. Due to the project’s size, steel erection could occur in isolated column and act as a cantilever of the horizontal diaphragm
some parts of the site while foundation work was ongoing in others. to resist wind load. At the roof, building columns cantilever up
The design and construction schedule included a well-orchestrated to form the top of the wall. These columns had to be carefully
changeover to the steel erector once piers were set and anchor rods designed to resist bending from the wind forces in combination
were ready to receive columns. Approximately 18 steel sequences with the building dead and live loads.
allowed framing to be erected and topped out in a seven-month period.
Modern Steel Construction | 31
 Flattening, Bracing, and Tying
Early in the design phase, the owner
expressed interest in ensuring flat floors
throughout the bed tower. The client was
interested in shoring the deck during wet
concrete placement due to past performance
concerns around floor flatness, but the
proposed shoring process would be time-
consuming and costly.
To avoid shoring, the structural design
team used Bentley’s RAM Structural System
to design framing members, using a percent-
age of construction dead load to determine
required beam camber. Any later superim-
posed dead and live loads were considered
for strength and serviceability design of the
floor framing. The beam and girder cambers,
assumed concrete ponding, assumed concrete
density, and construction dead loads were
communicated to the construction manager
and flat-work team to ensure the pathway for
success was achievable.
During initial floor pours, the concrete
subcontractor found it could consistently pour
A large, thin, blade-like wall to constant elevation and thickness to create
extends about 15 ft beyond the flat floors. The resulting floors achieved FF
building perimeter and about ratings of 35, well exceeding the specified
20 ft above the roof. minimum requirement of 25.

RAM ®

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Intuitive modeling for steel-framed buildings
Analyze, design, and document steel and concrete buildings, foundations, and even
individual structural components; all in compliance with your local building codes.

Visit [Link] for more information

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32 © 2024 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the Bentley logo, and RAM are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems,
Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. 786600-24
 The building is approximately 350 ft Braced frames on
the north and south
by 150 ft, with the long side of the build-
perimeter were
ing oriented north-south. Single-bay steel designed to resist any
braced frames oriented east-west are on torsional behavior
the north and south perimeters. A concrete from the building.
shear wall core, including two 60-ft-long
east-west walls, is at the center of the build-
ing. These four elements make up the lat-
eral system in the east-west direction. The
core also contains two 30-ft-long shear
walls in the north-south direction, which
make up the north-south lateral system.
The steel braced frames on the north and
south perimeter were designed to resist any
torsional behavior from the building.
Braced frames were selected for the
north and south perimeter walls due
to their inherent rigidity compared to
moment frames, and they were easier
and faster to erect than concrete shear
walls. The braced frame connections were
designed using Option 3 for delegated
design in the AISC Code of Standard Prac-
tice for Steel Buildings and Bridges (ANSI/
AISC 303-22, [Link]/specifications).
Option 3, with a licensed structural engi-
neer working for the fabricator, was Ben-
nett Steel’s preferred approach.

Modern Steel Construction | 33

More than 85% of the structural steel
framing came from recycled materials.

The building topped out in

August 2024.

34 | NOVEMBER 2024
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 The new tower’s west façade.

Corner Challenges
The existing building featured many re-entrant corners along its perimeter, creating
challenging geometrical conditions at the intersection of new and old construction.
Structural steel could easily accommodate the geometry while maintaining expansion
joints between new and existing construction. Additionally, the new tower is built at
a plan angle to the existing hospital. Working with steel allowed for flexibility during
construction, as it was easy and efficient to modify pieces when field conditions varied
from what was expected.
All told, the project succeeded because it set and met an aggressive fast-track design
and construction schedule covering everything from construction to design to submit-
tal requirements. The schedule, which included early owner and construction manager
input, was feasible largely because of the steel erection’s speed and flexibility. The
project is set for completion in the winter of 2025 and will serve its patients, staff, and
community for many years. ■
Owner
Saint Francis Health System Steel Team
Construction Manager Fabricator and Erector
Ryan Curtis is a former project manager
JE Dunn Construction Bennett Steel
and senior structural engineer and
Architect and Structural Engineer Detailer Jake Zach (jkzach@[Link])
LEO A DALY Axis Virtual Construction is a senior structural engineer, both with
LEO A DALY.

Modern Steel Construction | 35

 Leaning
on Steel
BY JAMIE FARRIS, PE

An out-of-the-box design for a replacement bridge

over a migrating river came from rigorous research
and use of industry resources.

All photos courtesy of TxDOT

THE BRAZOS RIVER discovered by Spanish explorers centu- A new long-span bridge with few environmental disturbances
ries ago is not quite the Brazos River that exists today—at least not and all or most foundations out of the river was the ideal design for
in a rural area near Navasota, Texas. the site conditions. TxDOT proposed supporting the bridge, whose
The river is migrating south and has an active slope failure on main span was designed to be 300 ft long, with single column bents
the west bank where a bridge carried State Highway 105 over it. founded on multi-shaft footings. The project was let for construc-
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) noticed those tion with two design options for the river crossing: steel I-girders or
two natural circumstances and moved to replace the bridge before concrete spliced girders. The winning contractor, James Construc-
they could threaten the bridge’s viability. tion, LLC, chose steel for the long-span unit due to its economy,
That replacement project became a venture into new steel constructability at the site (it made using cranes possible), light
bridge design territory, backed by thorough research. weight, and the contractor’s familiarity with steel bridges.

36 | NOVEMBER 2024
 The replacement bridge
was placed about 820 ft south of the
original because of river migration predictions.

Before design started, the bridge’s exact location had to be The first step in the steel girder option design process was deter-
decided. Due to the slope failure region, the new bridge could mining the ideal type of girder—either an I-girder or trapezoidal
not be placed adjacent to the existing structure. TxDOT also box girder–and the number of girders for the transverse cross-
ruled out an upstream (north) placement due to the channel section. The fact-finding process focused on the most economical
migration to the south and the flow being severely skewed means of fabrication, shipping costs, erection, maintenance, future
to the proposed bridge. The only rational location for the inspection, and deck construction.
replacement would be downstream (south) of the existing The AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications was crucial in
bridge, because the river’s westward migration is likely to con- the investigation to begin preliminary sizing of the steel members,
tinue, and the team eventually chose a location about 820 ft along with a 2005 National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) publi-
south of the original bridge. cation titled Practical Steel Tub Girder Design and a 2007 TxDOT

Modern Steel Construction | 37

 The five-line I-girder design allowed for partial depth precast concrete deck panels.

research report, Design Guidelines For Steel Trapezoidal Box Girder TxDOT also contacted a steel fabricator for an expert view
Systems. The TxDOT Preferred Practices for Steel Bridge Design, Fab- on which girders were most cost-effective from a material
rication, and Erection also helped establish criteria and guidelines to standpoint. The fabricator’s input on flange transitions, plate
size the girders. Common practices, such as when to change flange thickness, and plate length provided valuable information for the
widths, maximum field segment lengths, flange width to web depth preliminary design process.
ratios, minimum flange and web thickness, flange splice locations, The girder options evaluation favored the five-line I-girder
and web depth are included in the Preferred Practices. option. That system allows for using partial depth precast con-
Three preliminary steel superstructure cross-section types were crete deck panels (PCP), which would be a benefit to the contrac-
considered: four I-girders spaced at 13 ft, five I-girders spaced at tor and add an extra element of safety to the deck construction.
10 ft, or three trapezoidal tub girders spaced at 14 ft, 11 in. AISC’s It would also be better for future maintenance and phasing of the
LRFD Simon ([Link]/simon) was an important design tool in deck for replacement.
obtaining preliminary size ranges for each cross-section.

38 | NOVEMBER 2024
 The five I-girder cross-section system has a constant web depth TxDOT felt confident in its venture after consulting several
of 92 in. and a constant flange width of 24 in. The bridge has a bridge design resources. According to the NSBA Steel Bridge
straight alignment and was fabricated with Grade 50W. Standard Design Handbook ([Link]/bridgehandbook), minimizing the
TxDOT bearing designs were modified to meet the structural number of cross frames on the bridge can lead to better overall
needs of the steel unit. bridge behavior and reduced maintenance costs. Lean-on brac-
Because cross frames represent a costly structural component ing provides multiple benefits to bridge owners, fabricators, and
in the overall steel bridge unit, a lean-on bracing concept was erectors, including improved structural performance and long-
chosen because it saved fabrication and erection costs by reducing term durability, simplified inspections, lower cost, and easier
the number of cross frames needed. TxDOT had used the lean- fabrication and erection, per the NSBA Lean-On Bracing Reference
on bracing concept only on bridges with skewed supports. In that Guide ([Link]/leanonbracing).
regard, the SH105 bridge—which does not have bents oriented on Furthermore, the TxDOT Bridge Design Manual – LRFD sup-
a skew angle—was a first for the department. ported the lean-on concept plan. The Manual was revised to allow

The five I-girders are placed 10 ft apart.

Modern Steel Construction | 39

the use of lean-on bracing design after the department completed modeled for the construction phases in UT Bridge, a software first
a research project on cross frame and diaphragm behavior for steel released in 2010 and developed through a TxDOT research proj-
bridges with skewed supports. The bridge’s straight-line geometry ect. The program allows an engineer to create a three-dimensional
also contributed to choosing the lean-on bracing concept. model of straight and curved bridge systems so that the behavior
The typical design method used for a bridge’s I-girder framing during erection and construction can be evaluated while con-
system is to place cross frames between each girder at a uniform sidering a wide variety of erection or deck placement scenarios.
spacing along the length of the girders. In contrast, using lean-on TxDOT also developed spreadsheets to check the stiffness at each
bracing allows several girders to be braced across the width of the line of bracing across the width of the bridge.
bridge by a minimal number of cross frames. Girders that lean on The aesthetic concept mirrors the original name Spanish set-
the cross frame brace require top and bottom struts to control tlers gave the Brazos River: The River of the Arms of God. The
girder twist, per the Steel Bridge Design Handbook. All told, this two columns represent two arms reaching up and supporting the
method reduced the number of cross frames from 148 to 80, saving bridge over the river. The single column splits into two columns
significant fabrication time and creating an easier erecting process. near the top with a recessed concrete area between them to appear
The bridge substructure consists of single column bents sup- as a void or window.
ported by footings and drilled shafts. A single column support was The aesthetic interior bents provide the support for most of the
chosen to minimize disturbances to the surrounding environment. bridge. The abutments, which support the beginning and end of
Due to the area’s clay soil and concerns with scour, the columns the bridge, are also unique and were designed as bent caps that will
could not be rectangular and therefore have large, chamfered edges. allow for bridge lengthening if the Brazos River’s projected future
An important piece of developing the lean-on bracing system migration renders it necessary.
configuration was the erection sequence of the steel girders, and The SH105 Brazos River Bridge replacement prompted
that had to be considered during the bridge design phase. TxDOT TxDOT to initiate another research project, 0-7093 Refined Design
consulted with a local steel erector to help form a plan for erecting Methods for Lean-on Bracing, whose scope included monitoring
the steel. The lean-on bracing configuration assumed steel erec- and field-testing bridges using lean-on bracing, finite element
tion would start at the first and last bent of the steel unit, with a modeling, parametric studies, and refinement of existing design
drop-in section at mid span of the middle span of the steel unit. expressions. The project—completed in spring 2024—resulted in
The framing plan was crafted assuming the leftmost girder is more efficient lean-on bracing concepts and optimal cross frame
placed first, with the other four girders placed in succession next system layouts and provided recommendations for improvements
to it. The bridge was designed using software from MDX and to design parameters, such as in-plane girder stiffness, effects of
40 | NOVEMBER 2024
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type. With this additional research, bridge
designers will have more tools and knowl-
edge to design steel bridges with a lean-on
bracing system. ■
Owner
Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT)
General Contractor
James Construction, LLC
Structural Engineer
TxDOT, Bridge Division
Steel Fabricator and Detailer
W&W | AFCO Steel
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Modern Steel Construction | 41

CATEGORY I:
STEEL
INNOVATION
CENTER
Winners

44 | NOVEMBER 2024
CATEGORY I: STEEL INNOVATION CENTER
This category asks students to design a Steel Innovation
Construction Center in downtown St. Louis. The site is part
of the Construction Innovation District and Master Development
just south of the Gateway Arch. Program spaces must include
areas for exhibition, fabrication, training, and community
outreach. Steel is the primary material.

The Exploration of Expression

1st Students: Russell Tong and Porter Watson
Faculty Sponsor: Carlo Sturken
Institution: Woodbury University
The Exploration of Expression Steel Center is an extension and continuation of St. Louis’
Mural Mile Wall, a Mississippi River flood wall section about a mile south of the Gateway
Arch. Each year, the city holds an event that brings people together to paint, tag, and decorate
a portion of the flood wall. The steel center alludes to the practices of street art used on the
Mural Mile Wall, acting as a metaphorical extension of the wall in addition to a literal one.
The center provides additional square footage and resources that house designated artist
spaces, exhibition spaces, and steel panel manufacturing. The steel panels can be shipped via
the Mississippi River or distributed and installed throughout the campus as open canvases for
expression.
Laboratories, workshops, and classes within the campus train staff for steel production and
are open to the public so people can learn and experiment with steel. There is no correct or
preferred form of artistic expression. The center’s atmosphere and open nature is designed to
encourage and foster the exploration of one’s creative expression. Overall, it aims to add life
and vibrancy into an aging industrial area.
The metal panels are instrumental to the center’s purpose. They’re manufactured in-
house and used throughout the campus as canvases for the artists to express creativity in any
way they see fit. The panels kept on site instead of shipped away are not a permanent fixture,
though. They’re a public gallery that is changed and added to over time. The panel filtration
and changeover process relies on public interest and a steady flow of artists. People can leave
their work on display for all, where other artists will eventually replace, change, or move it.
Red trusses seen throughout the campus grab attention, serving as guides of exploration
that offer a suggested path of journey. There is no designated path through the campus.
Instead, it’s designed to invite visitors to create their own, showing that not all people think
and move the same.
The open bays house the manufacturing of steel panels. Designated artistic spaces are
located throughout the campus and include the flood wall, panel spaces, exhibition spaces,
and resources for steel artwork. The campus has a unique circulation strategy, giving the
public a view of the artist spaces, steel production facilities, and steel experimentation spaces.
The nature of the circulation creates and emphasizes an atmosphere of exploration and a
non-traditional creative space.
Steel panels for artistic use can be installed in designated locations using a two-step mag-
net system that allows users to change out paneling easily. The panel storage yard is open to
the public, where panels and tools for transportation and installation are provided. Artists can
choose corrugated steel and perforated mesh paneling.
Panels are inserted into mounted brackets located in designated spaces. Each bracket has
a switch to turn on a magnet to keep the panel in place and prevent it from falling. After the
panel is inserted and held in place, a switch on the back acts as the final layer of panel support.
The overall layout follows a simple axis grid path in which the massing and structure is
laid out, and the steel frame and the truss walkway serve as the main axes. The center’s steel
frame acts as a central axis in which the rest of the spaces, structure, and massing follow. The
walkways act as an important circulation pathway that connects and ties together the pro-
grammatic spaces within the campus. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 45

CATEGORY I:
STEEL
INNOVATION
CENTER
Winners

Infinite Innovation The building’s main structure has large hollow structural sec-
Student: Eric Duenser tions (HSS) supports and a space frame celebrated with patterned
2nd Faculty Sponsor: Randall Deutsch glazing that uncovers it from an otherwise solid form. There are
Institution: University of Illinois, three distinct sections of supports. The first connects the structure
Urbana-Champaign to the caissons in the ground, the second segments the building into
triangles, and the third is a wire that loops around the building, con-
The Gateway Arch’s sleek stainless steel and striking weighted cat- necting the vertices of those triangular sections. In between each
enary form made it the signature structure along the Mississippi section is the space frame, which holds up the paneling system. The
River when it opened in 1967. Infinite Innovation would make a building is designed with a large, double-sided cantilever over the
similar impact—right in the arch’s shadow. levee wall and long spans over the steel fabrication bays.
Infinite Innovation draws inspiration from the arch’s extruded The structure’s inherent parametric shape posed a unique
triangular form and aims to create a new, unique geometrical shape façade challenge like the Gateway Arch once faced. The need for
on the riverbank near the arch. The project’s toroidal, twisting shape a seamless paneling system that worked for steel and glass panels
is reminiscent of a three-sided Möbius strip, nesting a center court- led to choosing a spider glazing system. Instead of using traditional
yard that looks over the site’s levee wall and the river. Its unique mullions to hold panes in place, this system uses aluminum “spi-
shape means that it only has one side, because the walls rotate with ders” that attach the glass to the space frame. The system preserves
the twist and continue to form the roof and floor. the flush organic forms without the need to curve any glass or steel
The seamless steel and glass panels account for the twist, fading and provides easy installation and replacement. The geometric
in and out with the angled walls to use daylight effectively. The pattern allows for the glass to fade in and out with the changing
glass paneling also reveals the unique structural supports required slope of the walls.
to hold up a long-span cantilever while retaining the building’s The levee wall to the east of the site was a significant consider-
sculptural form. The building has more than 100,000 sq. ft of ation during design. Rather than obstruct views of the Mississippi
space, primarily dedicated to developing new steel and structural River, the courtyard acts as a large ramp and park that looks out-
technologies. The structure, a marvel of steel innovation itself, ward over the river and inward toward the steel fabrication space.
seeks to inspire researchers in their own innovation efforts. The community hub and steel history museum on the second
floor look north towards the Gateway Arch, providing information
about various steel projects in St. Louis and giving direct context
to them.
The third floor houses administrative offices, a staff lounge,
and classrooms with nearly 360° views around the building and
easy access to the front- and back-of-house areas. The main
entrance and daycare are positioned on the north side, accom-
modating pedestrian and vehicular traffic from Gateway Arch
National Park, whereas the employee entrance and loading dock
are positioned on the south to separate trucks and heavy machin-
ery from the public entrance. ■

46 | NOVEMBER 2024
 Gateway South
Innovation Center
3rd Students: Sulaima Salim
Faculty Sponsors: Osman Attmann
University of Colorado Denver
A building’s design at its opening doesn’t have to be its only design.
Transformative architecture is useful when designing a building
that could undergo a change in use, appearance, or sustainability
during its lifespan. It involves making changes and improvements
to the building’s context through materials, a sustainable structure,
or an adaptable program, among other methods. Transformation
of buildings happens in response to varying conditions, such as
promoting well-being, contributing positively to the environment
and context as it evolves, and transforming to sustain elements that
consider the longevity of the building and structure.
The disassembly-oriented design philosophy behind Gateway
South Innovation Center is rooted in a transformative approach.
The project is a prefabricated unit that arrives at the site with
instructions, and pieces of it can be taken apart if the building later
needs additions or subtractions.
The building features a pier foundation system for stability in a
flood zone and a temporary over-grade grid system for flexibility,
offering adaptability to meet the evolving needs of the researchers,
trainees, students, and clients. The grid pier system will provide a
dynamic solution capable of growing quickly alongside develop-
ment from St. Louis’ master-planned Gateway South project.
An exposed steel structure runs throughout the building design,
creating a visually engaging experience as occupants move through
its spaces. The interior program functions as a building machine
that features varying levels connected by ramps, while a promi-
nent skylight runs along the building’s major datum acting as a
buffer zone through a green biophilic wall. The datum became the
building’s main exhibit, engaging the public by showcasing steel
production and new technologies. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 47

Overlapping Illumination
Students: Cristian Gomez and Mo Zaina
Faculty Sponsor: Osman Attmann
Institution: University of Colorado Denver
The design philosophy behind Overlapping Illumination is in its name.
The project, which aims to integrate concept and functionality seamlessly, is program-
matically driven by a commitment to illumination and overlap. It’s functionally driven
through the method of the building as a machine. Illumination symbolizes the enlight-
enment of understanding steel production, while operational functionality ensures every
aspect serves a purpose. Overlapping functionalities create a dynamic environment where
steel innovation and education harmonize.
All told, the building’s primary purpose is to be a hub for steel innovation and create
a safe space to care for and educate children while contributing to the visual and cultural
landscape. The architectural expression, embodied in a translucent façade, transforms
functionality into artistry, captivating visitors visually and intellectually.
Overlapping Illumination epitomizes the fusion of form and function, embodying the
essence of a living machine. It’s crafted with precision-cut nuts, bolts, and steel cables.
Every element showcases steel’s adaptability, speed, and resilience. Its expandable frame-
work anticipates growth, and its transparent design fosters collaboration. Light dances
through steel-framed windows, highlighting its industrial beauty. The building is tempo-
rary but sustainable and displays a new era of architectural ingenuity, showcasing steel’s
limitless possibilities in every detail.
By embracing steel’s inherent sustainability and efficiency, the project meets today’s
needs and anticipates tomorrow’s challenges. From the seamless integration of educational
spaces to incorporating innovative design elements, every aspect is meticulously crafted to
present steel’s potential in a practical and inspiring way.

Skyforge/Steel Horizon
Students: Kevin Bui and Garrett Gudmundson
Faculty Sponsor: Gerard Smulevich
Institution: Woodbury University
Skyforge/Steel Horizon is dedicated to the design, education, and explora-
tion of steel and its possibilities. The project delves into the intersection of
the vertical sky and horizontal land, symbolizing the genesis and realiza-
CATEGORY I: tion of ideas—where the sky signifies the formation of ideas, and the land
STEEL embodies their implementation. It seeks to push the boundaries of steel and
INNOVATION explores various aspects of design, such as space, orientation, and climate
CENTER control, that are central to the design philosophy.
Honorable The concept aims to reverse population fragmentation and draw people
Mentions in with its transparent design. Like the Gateway Arch, the tower’s transpar-
ency and height are visible from far away, sparking interest and desire to visit
from all around the city.
The design features three linear, interconnected open bays that cantilever
over the river’s flood wall. The cantilevering open bays—designed for efficiency
and river access—allow for efficient barge loading and unloading from the bay’s
underside and over the river, facilitating access to river shipments. This stream-
lined approach optimizes material movement within the open bays. The canti-
levering bays over the river are also a symbolic gesture of sky and land.
All other facility functions are centralized within the high-rise tower,
which is designed to resemble a fish tank and integrates with the cityscape.
This transparent design allows the community to engage with and feel con-
nected to the project. The exhibition center, located at the top of the tower,
is the project’s focal point. Its elevated position offers panoramic city views
and provides insight into the building’s structural design and support system.
The structure has many connection types. A five-joint connection links
the space frame to a steel plate façade. The space frame uses a four-way
glass spider fitting to hold up high-performance glazing glasses. Space
48 | NOVEMBER 2024
 A design philosophy centerpiece is the building’s pulsating overlap, where the clinks
and clangs of steel creation resonate with children’s laughter. The childcare facility,
infused with factory transparencies, becomes an interactive classroom, educating young
minds in a way that mirrors the energy of the steelmaking process. Meanwhile, spaces
tailored to adult learning foster a community that embraces a culture of continuous steel
innovation education.
Illumination as a guiding principle goes beyond the literal sense of lighting up a space.
It embodies the metaphorical light shed by knowledge and discovery. The concept, con-
ceived as a lantern, symbolizes enlightenment that stems from understanding the intrica-
cies of steel production.
Befitting its proximity to the Gateway Arch, it’s a gateway to a world where steel inno-
vation and education mesh and illuminate minds of all ages. It’s more than a factory facil-
ity. It’s a space where functionality, overlap, and operational efficiency create a space that
stands as a beacon of progress promoting knowledge and curiosity. ■

Splitting our I’s and

Straightening
our Tees

frames are connected to the open bay

truss through a steel plate, allowing for
a four-pipe connection. The plate is then
mounted onto the truss.
Elsewhere, combining an inverted
pyramid truss with vertical trusses formed
a primary internal structure that supports
the building. A three-point vertical truss is
used in conjunction with the primary tower
structure to counter lateral loads. This
connection to the tower frame results in a
stiffer, more resilient structure. Before & After: Curved Steel Tees Transformed
The three-point vertical truss stabilizes
Splitting beams into Tees can often cause a ‘banana’ shape. Our expertise
itself through its attachment to the main
tower structure. It is mounted on a C-beam in curving steel extends to splitting and precision-straightening beams,
that connects to the primary tower support. turning problematic Tees into perfectly usable pieces.
Using “bamboo” columns to support the
initial floor plates creates redundancy and
reduces the load on the main tower structure. Straightening Capabilities –
Skyforge/Steel Horizon’s cooling sys- Better than mill tolerance
Beam: up to W44 x 335
tem is inspired by GSW Headquarters,
Tee Stems: up to 22”
an office building in Berlin. Studying the
structure of aircraft wings provided a bet- Splitting Capabilities
ter understanding of Bernouilli’s principle, Beam: web thickness up to 3.5”
the pressure phenomenon that creates Beam: W&S [Link]
lift. The building incorporates the wing Beam: up to W40 x 431
concept in the form of an inverted airfoil Beam Split Length: up to 75ft+
Beam: Offset split & straighten capabilities
at the top that will function as a passive
cooling system. The low pressure created
between the airfoil and the building’s roof
will draw up warm air, effectively cooling
Call 866-940-5739 when you need straightened steel with no curves
the structure. ■
Modern Steel Construction | 49
CATEGORY II: OPEN
Architecture students could select a site and building program using steel as the
primary material. This competition category permits the greatest amount of flexibility
for any building type.

CATEGORY II:
OPEN
Winners

OPCS T-157 (Garbage Monster) deposit their collections on the main vessel. The crew then cleans,
Students: Logan Jacobs, Jude Bell, sorts, bales, and stores the plastic until exportation back to land.
1st and Christian Salazar Once plastic is baled, a knuckle crane loads it onto cargo ships.
Faculty Sponsors: Pasquale De Paola Drones bring the garbage to a chute at the base of the tower,
and Kevin Singh where it is lifted by a series of conveyors into the main recycling
Institution: Louisiana Tech University facility. Once in the facility, the garbage is sorted into recyclables
and non-recyclables, including non-plastics. It is then thoroughly
Rivers across the world dump more than 1 million tons of plas- cleaned and sorted into types of plastic. The sorted materials are
tic into the ocean most years, according to a 2021 study. Plastic baled and stored at the bottom of the plant, awaiting exportation. A
gathers in the ocean’s gyres, and the largest and densest collec- freight elevator lowers the bales to the lower deck, where a knuckle
tion is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers 618,000 crane moves the materials onto the deck of a waiting cargo ship to
sq. mi between Hawaii and California. An issue of these propor- transport back to land.
tions requires a solution of equal magnitude: The T-157 Gar- A steel cradle is the support structure for the recycling center and
bage Monster, a key component of the Ocean Plastic Collection is fabricated from tubular steel and wide-flange truss assemblies. It
System (OPCS). is specifically designed to withstand the dynamic loads and stresses
The OPCS includes an on-board recycling center, a tower of of the open sea.
pods for worker accommodations, and a fleet of aerial and nauti- The recycling plant is an enclosed space with an exterior
cal drones. The aerial drones identify hotspots of garbage, while wrapping structure that holds the envelope on the inside and is
the nautical drones work in pairs to collect the plastic using a suspended by the steel cradle above it. The legs connect the pon-
dragnet system. After gathering sufficient plastic, the drones toons to the space trusses and are designed with shock absorption
50 | NOVEMBER 2024
mechanisms to ensure stability when at sea. The pontoons are buoyant
structures that provide floating support for the entire assembly. They
ensure an even distribution of load by using a combination of air cham-
bers and ballast systems.
The 20-ft by 24-ft space trusses act as girders for the whole
structural assembly, connecting and securing all the pieces in their
proper positions. They also provide spaces for circulation, MEP,
and other functions.
The modular pods on the tower are mainly residential units for the
workers, with the larger pods serving as auxiliary labs and shops. The
larger pods on the tower house vertical gardens, ensuring a fresh food
supply for the vessel’s crew. The residential units are prefabricated and
installed onto the tower. Large gerberettes and high-tensile strength
steel cables support the four structural tiers.
The pods’ standardized nature and modularity permits flexible
reorientation and reconfiguration, with the crane atop the tower facili-
tating that process. The tower integrates vertical wind turbines that
passively produce electricity, contributing to its sustainable operation.
The vessel employs a network of semi-submersible pontoons that
maintain buoyancy at sea, minimizing ocean waves. ■
Modern Steel Construction | 51
CATEGORY II: OPEN
Winners

Liminal Library
Student: Collin Rohr
2nd Faculty Sponsors:
Lee Su Huang and Sarah Gamble
Institution: University of Florida
Liminal Library challenges traditional concepts of accessibility,
conceptualizing a library and an enabling center with the idea of
creating a unified experience. Situated in a flood zone in St. Peters-
burg, Fla., the site has a base elevation of 9 ft to prevent flooding To blend the two design approaches, positive and negative vari-
and resist shearing forces during hurricanes and intense storms. ants of a triangular panel system were applied to the tectonic and
The height creates accessibility challenges, though. In response, stereotomic systems. The positive system clads the tectonic library
the site is organized around an ADA-compliant ramp that progres- as a solar-responsive panel system. The perforated steel panels
sively moves people from the site entrance to a rooftop green space open and close to control the interior lighting, creating a com-
that overlooks the St. Petersburg harbor. The vertical rise gener- fortable, atmospheric experience. The depth of the space truss and
ated by the ramp not only addresses the flooding issues but also the positive panel system passively cool the building by preventing
reclaims the ground and rooftop space of the site, giving it back to undesirable amounts of heat from entering the interior.
the community of St. Petersburg. During intense storms and hurricanes, the positive panel sys-
Structural steel was the only material option for the concept. tem will rotate closed and lock into place, protecting the cantile-
Liminal Library expresses steel’s versatility through the use of tec- vered library like a steel shield. Galvanized steel with a protective
tonic and stereotomic systems that align programmatically. zinc layer prevents the salty coastal winds from corroding the steel.
The expressed tectonic system, composed of a large steel truss, Concrete cores anchor the building’s structure at primary points of
houses the library within its depth. The library holds nearly 30,000 contact, helping to resist shearing caused by hurricane-force winds.
volumes and ample reading and lounge space. It spans over the site The negative system subtracts triangular voids from the
and shades the space beneath. enabling center that work within the space truss, giving the illusion
The concealed stereotomic space truss bends and twists around of a solid mass that has been carved away. The unique structure
the tectonic system, housing the larger, open spaces of the enabling of the truss system enables the building to loop back onto itself,
center, including the community meeting space and main lobby. It creating an uninterrupted experience that doesn’t require stairs or
projects north to open the building to optimal lighting. elevators to reach the rooftop green space. ■

52 | NOVEMBER 2024
 Almaraz Cross-Creation Hub
Student: Benjamin Shapiro
3rd Faculty Sponsor: Ines Martin-Robles
Institution: University of Virginia
The Cross-Creation Arts Center is a meeting place for Los Ange-
les’ Latino and Chicano community that gives a new home to art
practices and groups previously forced into secondary and tem-
porary spaces. It’s centrally located between two commercial cor-
ridors in the primarily Chicano Boyle Heights neighborhood near
downtown and is near a Metro stop, allowing for easy non-car
access from all over the city. It also links two areas with plentiful
public art and a prominent pre-existing arts scene.
The building’s porous diagrid structure contains a series of
workshops and display spaces levitating within, and it supports art
creation and gathering at many scales. The spaces include a tex-
tile weaving workshop, a textile dying workshop, a textile loom
workshop, an artist lounge, a mural gallery, three pottery studios, a
pottery firing and drying workshop, and a visiting artist workshop.
The structure’s first floor is lifted above the ground, extending
the public plaza on the site into a covered space to create a 24-hour
accessible public space. Inside, the primary exhibition space moves
beyond the confines of the frame and invites the community to
interact with the art. As visitors move up the building, various scales
of workspaces sit in the frame and create a public commons between
them for display, collaboration, and cross-pollination of ideas.
The structural stability of the diagrid allows the workshops
and display spaces to function as adaptable shells, which will con-
tinue to support the community as its needs develop over time.
These shells can be quickly assembled or expanded along the grid
with simple, inexpensive materials that support the community-
driven capacity for self-determined use. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 53

CATEGORY II: Performing on the Cliff
OPEN Students: Lucas Peiyu Luo, Adrian Suciu
Honorable Faculty Sponsor: Fei Wang
Mention Institution: Syracuse University
Performing on the Cliff is embedded into an exposed cliffside overlooking the
East China Sea—and aims to blend into those surroundings as much as a modern
building can.
It integrates diverse immersive performance spaces within a larger community
cultural center in Wenling, China, targeted toward visitors and locals. The design
draws inspiration from the Taizhou region’s unique traditions and crafts, which are
heavily influenced by its coastal setting. Wenling is renowned for its crab shell paint-
ings and marine paper-cut artwork, reflecting the dominant fishing industry that
drives the town’s identity. Festive processions and drumming events also celebrate
tradition while fostering diverse interactions between performers and audiences.
With younger populations gravitating towards larger cities, the project aims
to create an institution that safeguards and preserves local cultures while offer-
ing visitors the opportunity to engage with and familiarize themselves with these
traditions. The design prioritizes versatile performance spaces to accommodate a
range of activities and experiences. The ground floor houses a traditional indoor
performance space, while a prominent exterior platform divides the building verti-
cally into two sections. The platform is the main gathering spot, providing stunning
ocean views and an informal outdoor performance area that grants easy access to
spaces above and below.
The concept’s upper volume introduces galleries, workshops, and studios, promot-
ing interaction and flexibility. An atrium cuts through the floors, extending to the
primary platform level to enhance engagement between spaces. The project meticu-
lously crafts dynamic vertical spaces that respond to the site, ensuring accessibility PRSM
and horizontal scaling to prevent a monotonous progression throughout the building. Students: Nathan Bucy and
Given the prominence of the uninterrupted outdoor platform level, significant Alfredo Avendano Salcedo
structural considerations were dedicated to creating a cantilevered system for the Faculty Sponsors: Pasquale
upper volume. Continuous large truss systems are embedded and cast within the cliff De Paola and Kevin Singh
to support these upper floors. The fifth and seventh floors are strategically utilized to Institution:
integrate most of the structure, freeing up vital public space on the sixth floor. Louisiana Tech University
The concept seeks to harmonize the massing with the stepped topography,
merging with the mountain to appear as an organic extension rather than an impo- PRSM (Predictive Research Station for
sition. The primary east façade is characterized by undulating setbacks that mimic Meteorology) is Southcentral Alaska’s
the mountain’s natural contours. Texture and seams incorporated into each exterior state-of-the-art weather research hub, and
panel further enhance the integration. Semi-transparent FRP panels act as the out- its location maximizes its research poten-
ermost decorative skin of the building, with a double-glazed window system behind tial. It’s perched just a few miles away from
them defining the protected interior spaces. Anchorage on the cliff edge of Goose Bay,
Additionally, the atrium space within the top floors is crowned by a lightbox that bordered by the Chugach Mountains to the
extends towards the south façade, cascading light onto the platform level and provid- east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The
ing ample natural illumination for the floor above. The thoughtful natural light inte- site experiences a wide range of weather
gration boosts the aesthetic appeal and contributes to the building’s energy efficiency. phenomena that will encourage study, dis-
Performing on the Cliff is a positive anchor point for preserving and promoting covery, and advancements in meteorology.
the local culture while exemplifying the regeneration of the entire neighborhood. PRSM has prime space for in-house
The project successfully addresses the architectural challenges posed by its unique laboratory research and research through
location and is also a catalyst for cultural preservation and community revitalization, its aviation operations division, which
seamlessly blending tradition with innovation in design and function. ■ helped decide its placement at Goose Bay-
Point Mackenzie Airport. It aspires to help
grow the single-runway airport into the
headquarters for meteorology aviation
operations as an extension of the center’s
research capabilities.
The building’s structural design is,
appropriately, derived from the weather.
Most notably, the structural elements
express a snowflake’s prisms. To ensure
PRSM services the surrounding community,
the building has lighting integrated with the

54 | NOVEMBER 2024
 Spires Mendenhall Research Center
Students: Noah Berryhill and Alex Klocek
Faculty Sponsor: Pasquale De Paola and Kevin Singh
Institution: Louisiana Tech University
The 1,500-sq.-mi Juneau Icefield originated from the Little Ice Age more than
3,000 years ago. It’s located in the southern Alaska panhandle, with the Gulf of
Alaska to the west and British Columbia to the east. The Mendenhall Glacier, one of
the area’s signature landmarks, extends approximately 13 miles south of the icefield
to Mendenhall Lake.
The glacier is a popular port destination for cruise ships. It draws more than
1.15 million tourists annually, making it an ideal location for a research facility
and observatory dedicated to educating the public about glaciers and glacier stud-
ies. A warming in the climate has increased glaciers’ rate of retreat, highlighting
the need for resilient and sustainable steel structures that can help observe and
research glacier decrease. The nearly 71,000-sq.-ft Spires Mendenall Research
Center aims to serve that purpose.
The center’s two-level, curved steel structure mimics the topography of the steep
eastern slope directly adjacent to and overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. A major
design factor was minimizing the building’s contact with and impact on the surround-
ing environment to reduce the need for any major mountainside excavation or poten-
tial glacier destruction. Preservation and conservation were of utmost importance.
A spire and gondola system incorporated into the building design achieves mini-
mal environmental contact and creates the appearance of a building that floats on
top of the landscape. The building’s entire outward-facing curved surface is made of
steel-supported windows, allowing maximum glacier-viewing vantage points.
steel structure that changes color based on Cable anchorage systems connected to the spires and the mountainside reduce
weather conditions, acting as a lighthouse the wind-induced sway the spires experience. Two expansion joints located on the
for the region. PRSM’s raised, cantilevered west and east corners of the curve hold the modular bridge curve together and safely
position near the cliff edge ensures its lights absorb temperature-induced expansion and contraction of building materials.
are visible from miles away. The concept represents a union between steel and the rugged Alaskan frontier,
The columns—driven by a snowflake’s highlighting the potential for innovation in design that can also support environ-
six-sided shape as the ice crystal forms— mental conservation. Its architecturally expressive design adds to an already awe-
are a central piece of the design, and their inspiring natural phenomenon that few people experience up close. The engaging
structure is comprised of multiple ele- design elements provide an inspirational foundation for research and education that
ments. At the center is the main interior will impact many generations.
steel beam reinforced with strength plates Among the spaces inside are a research workspace, a research library and co-
on each side and then clad with the exterior working space, a food and relaxation area, a restaurant, a lobby, a glacier display area,
plates. The edge caps and cladding panels and laboratories. ■
are secured, snapping into place.
A snowflake’s vertical elements are con-
centrated horizontally along the building’s
central spine. Each spine connection within
the truss is a system of overlapping plates
secured in place with pins. The snowflake
columns connect to the central spine with
tension cables set in place using a three-way
hinge and pin. Tension cables also secure
the glazing wall and are fastened into place
in the center of the column. Each column
is bolted to the base girder using custom
brackets that secure and fasten the receiv-
ing ends of the threaded columns.
PRSM’s base is a V-column-structure
consisting of four steel plates that encase
the reinforced concrete pedestals. Overlap-
ping steel plates secure the arms of the col-
umns, which are slid into place. The stairs
are suspended under the building using a
bracket that slides into place. The bracket
is then bolted to the tension cable. ■

Modern Steel Construction | 55

new products
This month’s New Products section features a telehandler, a telescopic boom lift,
a cutting bandsaw, and a beam rotator.

Magni Rotating Telehandler JLG Hi-Capacity

The Magni RTH 10.37 rotating telehandler sets a new stan- HC3 Telescopic
dard in construction equipment. Its 22,700-lb lift capacity and
120-ft reach excel in steelwork and other challenging appli-
Boom Lifts
JLG HC3 boom lifts can
cations. Its patented outrigger system adapts to uneven ter-
hoist up to 1,000 lb, reduc-
rain, while automatic leveling boosts safety and efficiency by
ing the need for multiple
reducing setup time.
trips and additional equip-
The telehandler is
ment. The HC3 boom
equipped with Magni’s
lifts feature three distinct
exclusive Load Moment
working zones to enhance
Indicator system, and its real-
safety and operational efficiency: An unrestricted 660-lb zone
time load chart adjustments enhance
and two restricted zones of 750 lb and 1,000 lb.
precision and security. The RTH 10.37
As the machine moves between these zones, the system
serves as a versatile 3-in-1 solution,
automatically adjusts the lifting capacity to match operational
operating as a telehandler, RT crane,
demands and ensure safety. This feature prevents overload-
and aerial work platform. A touchscreen
ing and maintains stability, giving operators the confidence to
display, ergonomic cab with HVAC, and
work at height with heavy loads. JLG also incorporated a zero-
multiple safety features make it a top choice
calibration, automatic load sensing system into its HC3 boom
for demanding job sites.
lifts. If an overload situation occurs, operators can quickly
The RTH 10.37 deliv-
respond by removing or unloading items, and the machine
ers unmatched ver-
will recognize when it is back within its rated capacity.
satility, innova-
The HC3 line includes six telescopic boom lift models
tion, and safety,
and three articulated boom lift models. Visit [Link] to
empowering steel
learn more.
erectors to com-
plete projects with
confidence. For more information, visit [Link].

BZI Beam Champ Beam Rotator

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56 | NOVEMBER 2024
 news & events
FORGE PRIZE
AISC Accepting Entries for 2025 Forge Prize
Do you have a visionary idea that pushes and a showcase at the 2025 Architecture The competition is open to designers,
the boundary of what’s possible? AISC’s in Steel Conference (part of NASCC: teams of designers, or interdisciplinary teams
Forge Prize challenges emerging archi- The Steel Conference, April 2–4, 2025, led by an architect based in the U.S. who are:
tects, architecture educators, and archi- in Louisville, Ky.). • Emerging practicing architects (those
tecture students to create design concepts Some previous concepts have gone even licensed for less than 10 years or on the
that embrace innovations using steel as a further. The Spin-Valence concept created path to licensure)
primary structural material—with up to • Tenured or tenure-track educators who
$15,000 on the line. It is co-administered have taught for less than 10 years in a
by AISC’s brand-new Architecture Center university-level architecture program
and AISC University Relations. in the U.S.
“The Forge Prize is the Architecture • Adjunct architecture educators who
Center’s flagship design competition— have taught for less than 10 years, have
and it’s just one way that the center sparks been licensed for less than 10 years, or
creativity to inspire great designers,” said are on the path to licensure
AISC director of architecture Nima Bala- • Graduate-level architecture students
subramanian, AIA, NOMA. “The basic enrolled in a university-level, U.S.-
questions are simple: What will the future based architecture program
look like? What will people build with? The design community has embraced
Where will they live, work, and play? And the challenge since the competition’s incep-
how could steel make it happen?” tion, creating concepts for jaw-dropping
Three finalists will each win $5,000 pedestrian bridges in San Diego and New
(plus free registration and travel support York, a revitalized public housing commu-
to attend the Architecture in Steel Con- nity in Harlem, and a revolutionary space-
ference) and work with a steel fabricator by the University of Arkansas’ Emily Baker frame system as beautiful as it is functional.
to refine their design before presenting was featured at the national AIA conven- Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m.
it to the judges and the world in a live tion, and her work will be exhibited at the Central on November 22, 2024.
YouTube stream on March 18, 2025. The National Museum of Industrial History in
winner will receive a $10,000 grand prize September.

AWARDS
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Announces 2024 Individual
Award Winners
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Calatrava is celebrated for his visionary ment Award) and the Structural Engineers
Habitat honored two prominent structural designs harmonizing architecture, engi- Association of Illinois.
steel designers with one of its annual awards. neering, art, and nature that appear all over The Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achieve-
Santiago Calatrava, a renowned archi- the world. He has received a multitude of ment Award recognizes an individual who
tect, structural engineer, sculptor, and awards and accolades for his innovative has made extraordinary contributions to
painter, earned the 2024 Lynn S. Beedle approaches and aesthetic brilliance. He was advancing tall buildings and the urban
Lifetime Achievement Award. John Zils, the architect of the Margaret Hunt Hill environment. These contributions signifi-
a retired engineer who spent more than Bridge in Dallas and the World Trade Cen- cantly enhance cities and the lives of their
40 years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill ter Transportation Hub in New York. The inhabitants and may take any form, includ-
(SOM), earned the 2024 Fazlur R. Khan latter won a 2018 AISC IDEAS² Award. ing completed buildings, research, technol-
Lifetime Achievement Award. Zils worked closely with the namesake of ogy, methods, ideas, or industry leadership.
“Santiago Calatrava has seamlessly the award he earned. He and Khan helped The Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achieve-
blended art and engineering to create iconic pioneer the bundled-tube design and the ment Award recognizes an individual for
structures that redefine skylines and urban other structural engineering pieces of the proven excellence in technical design and/
spaces across the globe,” Council CEO Willis Tower in Chicago. He also designed or research that significantly contributes
Javier Quintana de Una said. “John Zils has Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium to the design of tall buildings and the built
significantly advanced the structural design Park. He has led numerous projects world- urban environment. These contributions
of skyscrapers and helped make them more wide that range widely in scope and scale. may be demonstrated as specific techni-
efficient and enduring. We are thrilled to He has earned multiple individual honors cal advances, innovations, design break-
honor these individuals’ exceptional contri- from the American Society of Civil Engi- throughs, building systems integration, or
butions to livable vertical urbanism.” neers (including its 2001 Lifetime Achieve- innovative engineering systems.
Modern Steel Construction | 57
news & events
ENGINEERING JOURNAL
Fourth Quarter 2024 Engineering Journal
Now Available People & Companies
The fourth-quarter issue of AISC’s Engineer- examples—which are being used in design JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh
ing Journal is now available at [Link]/ej. for combined loading cases—have not been Corporation business and a lead-
It includes papers on design processes for formally validated for use by experimental ing global manufacturer of mobile
corrosion resistance, behavior of extended testing or finite element analysis. elevating work platforms and tele-
single-shear plate connections subjected This research aims to study the behav- handlers, acquired AUSACORP
to combined shear and compression ior of these connections when subjected S.L. (AUSA). The acquisition adds
forces, and seismic local buckling limits to combined loading of shear and com- the market-leading brand’s compact
for HSS and built-up box columns. Here pression force by performing a nonlinear all-terrain machines for transporta-
are some highlights. finite element analysis in ABAQUS. The tion and material handling to the
variables considered in the study are col- Oshkosh Access segment. Following
Steel Structures to Withstand the umn web stiffness, connection configura- the 2023 acquisition of Hinowa,
Elements: What Structural Engineers tions, and different bracing conditions of adding AUSA further supports the
Need to Know About Corrosion the beam. The results from these analyses Oshkosh accelerated growth strategy
Jennifer McConnell were compared to the available interaction and strengthens the JLG equipment
While regimented design processes equations in the Manual and in literature portfolio.
for load-induced effects in structures to assess their applicability under different Established in 1956, AUSA spe-
are ubiquitous, similar design processes conditions. cializes in designing, manufacturing,
for considering corrosion resistance are and selling wheeled dumpers, rough-
lacking and create a significant gap. This Steel Structures Research Update terrain forklifts, and compact tele-
paper reviews basic principles governing Seismic Local Buckling Limits handlers. The equipment is targeted
corrosion, how these corrosion principles for Hollow Structural Section and toward the residential, civil, and road
translate to real-world environments, Built-Up Box Columns construction industry and the trans-
commonly available corrosion protection Judy Liu portation and handling of industrial
systems, long-term field data assessing Recently completed research on seis- and agricultural materials.
corrosion in varied quantified environ- mic local buckling limits for steel hol-
ments and associated conclusions, and low structural section (HSS) and built-up Acrow is supplying 186 modu-
practical design and maintenance strate- box columns is featured. These National lar steel bridges to the Republic of
gies for improving corrosion resistance. Center for Research on Earthquake Engi- Angola that will help modernize the
These concepts are connected through neering (NCREE) studies are led by Dr. country's road and transportation
a proposed framework for considering cor- Chung-Che Chou and Dr. Tung-Yu Wu infrastructure. The bridges will be
rosion as a limit state that can be applied in the Department of Civil Engineering at installed throughout the country by
to all structures. Detailed consideration of National Taiwan University (NTU). Angolan engineers, technicians and
uncoated weathering steel (UWS) bridges Dr. Chou’s research has focused on seis- contractors trained by Acrow in the
is provided as a pilot material and struc- mic testing, analysis, and design for steel assembly, installation, and mainte-
ture type for considering corrosion as a and post-tensioned self-centering struc- nance of the bridges.
limit state. Thoughtful application of these tures. Some recent work includes studies Acrow has provided sustainable
concepts can be used to optimize corrosion on hybrid simulation of a full-scale steel infrastructure solutions to more than
resistance, improving life-cycle costs and moment frame, a post-tensioned self-cen- 150 countries since its founding in
service lives of civil engineering structures. tering brace, novel prediction models for 1951. Since the 1990s, the firm has
early earthquake warnings, and earthquake supplied more than 2,000 bridges to
Behavior of Extended Single-Plate reconnaissance work in eastern Taiwan. more than 40 African nations. These
Shear Connections Subjected to Dr. Wu’s research interests include col- durable and permanent infrastructure
Combined Shear and Compression lapse behavior of cold-formed HSS columns assets can withstand the most rug-
Forces Using Finite Element Analysis under seismic loading, subwavelength seismic ged conditions and are well-suited
Sunil Sapkota, Gian Andrea Rassati, James A. metamaterial structures, crack growth in rail- for secondary and rural road net-
Swanson, and Bo Dowswell way crossings under high wheel-rail impacts, works. Acrow modular bridges are
Extended single-plate shear connec- and seismic resilience of steel buildings. manufactured to the finest interna-
tions can be subjected to compression The National Science and Technol- tional quality standards and custom-
loads—in addition to shear loads—dur- ogy Council is supporting this research on ized to meet site requirements. They
ing extreme events like wind and earth- seismic local buckling limits for HSS and can be quickly transported to remote
quakes. However, the existing interaction built-up box columns. Selected highlights sites and assembled in a matter of
equations found in the 16th Edition Steel from both projects are presented, along days or weeks with local labor and
Construction Manual, literature, and design with a preview of future research tasks. minimal heavy equipment.

58 | NOVEMBER 2024
 news & events

IN MEMORIAM
Industry Remembers Vibration Design Trailblazer Thomas M. Murray
always thinking, and he always contributed Murray Structural Engineering Laboratory
a practical solution to our discussions. We in his honor.
will all miss his wisdom and talent—and “I couldn’t have asked for a better
the quick wit he’d use to help us get past teacher, mentor, and friend than Dr. Mur-
an impasse.” ray,” said Brad Davis, SE, PhD, an associate
Murray joined Virginia Tech’s faculty professor of civil engineering at the Uni-
in 1987 after 17 years at the University of versity of Kentucky and a former student
Oklahoma. At Virginia Tech, he was named and collaborator of Murray’s. “When I first
the Montague-Betts Professor of Structural had him as a professor in 1992, his class
Steel Design, and in 2006, he received the was on a completely different level, and
Outstanding Faculty Award from the State that hooked me on structural engineer-
Council of Higher Education in Virginia. ing. In his research, he poured countless
He also served on the AISC Specification hours into developing graduate students
and Manual committees and the Connec- to get their careers off to a good start. His
tion Prequalification Review Committee. research was unique because it provided
In 2007, he received the AISC Lifetime direct guidance for real-life problems. Dr.
Achievement Award, and in 2010 he was Murray’s knack for explaining technical
presented the prestigious AISC Geerhard material was simply the best.”
Haaijer Award for Excellence in Education, During his career, Murray was involved
which at the time had only been given to in more than 130 research projects, many
five other recipients. with an emphasis on floor serviceability.
In 2002, Murray was elected to the He authored or co-authored more than
National Academy of Engineering, and in 200 books, design guides, and papers and
Thomas M. Murray, PhD, the nation’s 2012, he became a Distinguished Member supervised around 150 grad student theses
leading expert on the vibration design of of ASCE. and dissertations. Many of his papers can
buildings, died August 29 at the age of 84. “Tom Murray was an icon in the steel be found in AISC’s Engineering Journal
Murray, an emeritus professor at Vir- community,” said W. Samuel Easterling, and Modern Steel Construction archives, and
ginia Polytechnic Institute and State Uni- PhD, a longtime Virginia Tech colleague nearly a dozen of his lectures are available
versity, was well known for his expertise who is now the dean of engineering at at [Link]/learning.
on steel connections, floor system service- Iowa State University. “His passing is a Murray retired from his full-time teach-
ability, pre-engineered building design, great loss to the profession, but an even ing job at Virginia Tech in 2008. In 2021,
and light-gauge design. His place among greater loss to those of us who knew him Virginia Tech established the Thomas M.
the highest pantheon of steel researchers, as a colleague, mentor, or friend. It is dif- Murray Family Junior Faculty Fellowship
though, was secured by his foundational ficult for me to process that someone who through a gift from Murray.
work on vibration design, including his has meant so much to me personally for “Tom was more than a mentor to me,”
plainly titled paper “Building Floor Vibra- nearly 40 years is no longer here to talk, said Mark Holland, PE, chief engineer at
tions,” for which he won AISC’s 1991 T.R. provide advice, or just enjoy each other’s AISC full-member fabricator Paxton &
Higgins Lectureship Award. company. I will miss him dearly.” Vierling Steel in Omaha, Neb. “I owe my
Murray was also one of the authors of Murray started his engineering career career to Tom. He got me my first job,
AISC Design Guide 11: Vibrations of Steel- in 1962 after graduating from Iowa State. trained me to think like an engineer, and
Framed Structural Systems Due to Human He later earned a master’s in civil engineer- was everything a mentor needed to be. His
Activity, which is one of AISC’s most widely ing at Lehigh University and a PhD in ability to explain complex problems in ways
accessed technical resources, and a peren- engineering mechanics at the University people of different levels of technology
nially popular lecturer on the subject. of Kansas. Early in his career at Virginia knowledge could understand set him apart
“Tom’s involvement, contribution, and Tech, he led the development of an experi- from most other academics. Tom was also
legacy are extremely broad and significant mental research laboratory and within two my friend. I will miss him personally and,
in AISC’s technical resources over the years, it became the fifth-largest structural along with the rest of the steel industry,
last four decades,” said AISC President engineering research lab in the nation. In professionally.”
Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD. “He was 2002, the lab was renamed the Thomas M.

Modern Steel Construction | 59

news & events
SCHOLARSHIPS
AISC Education Foundation Awards More Than $350,000 in Scholarships
The AISC Education Foundation has AISC full-member company employees AISC also awarded a total of $15,000 in
awarded 107 undergraduate and master’s who will be freshmen and sophomores funds to the top-scoring teams in the Student
students with $357,250 in scholarships during the 2024–25 academic year—or the Steel Bridge Competition, plus three team
for the 2024–2025 academic year. The employees themselves, in some cases. The awards for spirit, ingenuity, and engagement.
AISC Education Foundation is a registered students may attend two- or four-year pro- The AISC Education Foundation, in
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and every grams and may choose any area of study. partnership with several other structural
penny donated to the AISC Education Six students in Wyoming are turning steel industry associations, awarded the
Foundation is 100% tax-deductible and up the heat with Rex I. Lewis Fast Start remaining $251,750 to 72 additional stu-
goes to students, educators, and education Scholarships they won at the 2023 Puma dents. The Foundation is deeply thankful
programs. Visit [Link]/giving for more Steel welding competition in Cheyenne, for the growing support of industry part-
information. Wyo. They competed against other high ners and all the individual contributors
The AISC David B. Ratterman Fast schoolers to win scholarships to local who help support the next generation of
Start Scholarships program awarded 19 welding programs. The AISC Educa- great thinkers. The following students
scholarships totaling $86,000. The program tion Foundation administered $4,500 to received AISC scholarships for the 2024–
supports the immediate family members of these six recipients. 2025 academic year:

David B. Ratterman Fast Start Scholarships

• Elijah Beebout, Faith Baptist Bible
College and Theological Seminary
• Lydia Burrows, University of
Wisconsin – Stevens Point
• Clara Cobb, Louisiana Tech University
• Elijah DeBruler, Indiana Wesleyan
University
• Caleb Dodd, Mississippi Delta
Community College
• Gianna Frasher, University of Mary
• Julia Huls, Montana State University
• Molly Lusk, North Carolina
State University
• Marissa McLaughlin, University of
Maine Farmington
• Josie Miller, SUNY Plattsburgh
• Michael Moyano, Thaddeus Stevens
College of Technology
• Payton Rude, North Dakota
State University
• Ayden Sandefur, Western Kentucky
University
• Mallie Zielinski, University of Mississippi

AISC thanks this year’s David B. not pictured:

Ratterman Scholarship jury for their time • Amber Winzenburg, Ridgewater College
and dedication: • Olivia Ehlers, University of Nebraska –
• Greg Borchardt, Infra-Metals Co. Lincoln
• Kelsey DeLong, DeLong’s, Inc. • Osihel Leos, University of Texas
• Babette Freund, Dave Steel Co., Inc. at Arlington
• Steve Knitter, Geiger & Peters, Inc. • Konner Parsley, Purdue University –
• John O’Quinn, High Steel Indianapolis
Structures, LLC • Ella Rogowski, University of
• Duff Zimmerman, Cooper Steel Wisconsin – Green Bay
60 | NOVEMBER 2024
 news & events

AISC Education Foundation Scholarships for Juniors, Seniors, and Master’s Students
• Jonathan Adkins, University of Missouri
• William Almaraz Vargas, Michigan
State University
• Ethan Baum, Arizona State University
• Sean Bernhard, CUNY New York City
College of Technology
• Ryan Bigler, Ferris State University
• Miles Book, Virginia Tech
• Jacob Bowers, Clemson University
• Christian Brack, Oklahoma State
University
• Tyler Burns (W&W | AFCO Steel
Scholarship), University of Arkansas
at Little Rock
• Sabina Busch (Cohen Seglias
Scholarship), Columbia University
• Alonzo Calvillo, University of
South Alabama
• Wayne Carter (Cohen Seglias Scholar-
ship), University of California, Berkeley
• Sarah Cole, Boise State University
• Leon Crawford, Columbia University
• Samuel Curry, Belmont University
• Christopher Dent, CUNY New York
City College of Technology
• Maxwell Fletcher, University of Florida
• Josh Gargan, Georgia Tech
• Julie Garry, Stevens Institute of
Technology
• Ryan Hamman, University of Arizona
• Grant Harrington, Oklahoma State
University
• Tori Hay, Ferris State University
• Amelia Hilterbrand, Brigham Young
University
• Jonathon Keller, University of
Nebraska Omaha

AISC Scholarships continued on page 62

Thank you to this year’s AISC Scholarship

jury for Juniors, Seniors, and Master’s-level
scholarships:
• Ezra Arif Edwin, SE,
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
• Benjamin Baer, SE, PE,
Sheffee Lulkin & Associates, Inc.
• Jeanne Homer, AIA, AISC
• Luke Johnson, SE, PE, Nucor
• Matt Streid, SE, PE,
Magnusson Klemencic Associates
• Jacquelyn Wong, PE, California
Department of Transportation
Modern Steel Construction | 61
news & events

AISC Education Foundation

Scholarships (cont.)
• Tracy Kinzer, Penn State Harrisburg
• Berit Klein, University of Minnesota –
Twin Cities
• Jack Laws, Auburn University
• Austin Leland, California Polytechnic
State University
• Abigail Markel, Ferris State University
• Connor May, Auburn University
• Joseph Mirza, Stanford University
• William Newhoff (Steven J. Fenves
Scholarship), Stanford University
• Kaitlin Pickart, Lawrence Technological
University
• Megan Quinn, University of
Colorado Boulder
• Rebecca Rasmussen, Brigham Young
University
• Justin Reed, University of Arizona
• Lennart-Fredrik Schmitz
(Fred R. Havens Scholarship),
University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Lelyan Shaded, Texas A&M University
• Anne Townsend, University of Virginia
School of Architecture
• Anna Turco, Clemson University
• Shaun Varghese, Temple University
• Kelsi Weilage, University of Nebraska
Omaha
• Donald White, University of Missouri
• Jacob Wills, Stevens Institute of
Technology

not pictured:
• Calvin Reeves, University of Virginia
• Joshua Trimm, University of Texas at
Austin

• Stephanie Bonilla, University of Illinois

AISC/Associated Steel Erectors of Chicago Scholarships Chicago
• Elizabeth Capretta, University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
• Alec Spano, University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
• Zoe Sterr, Rose-Hulman Institute
of Technology
not pictured:
• Prasant Kafle, Illinois Institute of
Technology
62 | NOVEMBER 2024
AISC/W&W | AFCO Steel/ news & events
Oklahoma State University Scholarships
Seniors
• Georgia Giddens,
Civil Engineering
AISC/Rocky
• Elyssa Gowriluk, Mountain
Architectural Steel
Engineering Construction
• Weston Light,
Association
Construction
Engineering Scholarships
Technology • Jonathan Fezell,
Colorado School
Juniors
of Mines
• Joseph Black,
• Megan Quinn,
Construction
University of
Engineering
Colorado
Technology
Boulder
• Caitlyn Lutrell,
Architectural
Engineering
• Griffin Moore,
Sophomores Civil Engineering
• Cadence Cross, Civil Engineering
not pictured:
• Alyssa Durham, Architectural Engineering AISC/
• Cade Scarbrough, Construction
Southern
Engineering Technology
Association
of Steel
Fabricators
Scholarships
• Jack Laws,
AISC/Indiana Fabricators Auburn
University
Association Scholarships • Connor May,
• Karsten Arnold, Purdue University
Auburn
Fort Wayne
University
• Bradley Richman, University of
Notre Dame
• Mady Seif, Purdue University
• Kate Wood, Rose-Hulman Institute
of Technology
not pictured:
• Mateo Duran, Valparaiso University AISC/Virginia
• Connor Thiel, Trine University
• Zachary Worley, University of
Carolinas
Evansville Structural
Steel
Fabricators
Association
Scholarships
Virginia Carolinas Structural • Shannon Hodul,
Steel Fabricators Association Virginia Tech
Family Scholarships • Samantha
• Anna Beddingfield, University of Villeda Salinas,
North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of
• Molly Lusk, North Carolina North Carolina
State University at Charlotte

Modern Steel Construction | 63

news & events
Student Steel Bridge Competition Scholarships AISC/Ohio Steel
Association Scholarship

• Nate Salata,
The Ohio
State
University

Rex I. Lewis Scholarships

not pictured:
• Spencer Browning Jr., Laramie
County Community College
• Nicolas Cantu, Laramie County
• Kevin Chen, University at Buffalo • Kathryn Wright, Lafayette College Community College
• Maple Crow, University of Nevada, not pictured: • Dalton Erickson, Laramie County
Las Vegas • Gabriel Papiernik, South Dakota School Community College
• Christopher Good, Virginia Tech* of Mines and Technology • Jedidiah Hoyt, Western Wyoming
• Kaeden He, University at Buffalo • Donald Stowell-Moore, University College
• Angelina Paoni, University of Nevada, of Florida • Chloe Pruitt, Laramie County
Las Vegas Community College
• Anthony Perez Ortegon, University *Recipient chose to begin their postgraduate • Tyshon Swalstad, Casper College
of Florida studies at a new school. The school listed does
• Emily Tan, University at Buffalo not indicate the winning SSBC team.

SSRC
Todd Helwig Named 2025 Lynn S. Beedle Award Recipient
The Structural Stability Research Coun- University of Texas at Austin, will receive also a member of the AISC Committee on
cil (SSRC) has selected Todd Helwig, PE, his award and give a presentation titled Specifications. He served on the Executive
PhD as the 2025 recipient of the Lynn S. “A 30-Year Career Led by Buckling and Committee for SSRC from 2002–19 and
Beedle Award, SSRC’s highest honor. It Bracing Problems” on April 1 at the 2025 was its chair from 2016–19.
recognizes longtime SSRC members who Annual Stability Conference, held in con- Helwig’s research has been recognized
have carried out world-class research or junction with NASCC: The Steel Confer- with several awards, including the 2023
structural design in the field of structural ence in Louisville, Ky. George Richardson Medal presented at
stability, been a leader in fostering coop- Helwig’s primary area of interest is the the International Bridge Conference,
eration between professionals worldwide, design and behavior of steel structures 2022 Richard S. Fountain Award given by
and made significant contributions to code with an emphasis in full-scale testing, field AASHTO/ AISI/NSBA, a 2022 AISC Life-
development. It was established in honor monitoring, structural stability, fatigue, time Achievement Award, the 2017 AISC
of the late Lynn S. Beedle, who was an and stability bracing requirements. He is T. R. Higgins Lectureship Award, an AISC
international authority on stability and the a member of several technical commit- Special Achievement Award, the ASCE
development of code criteria for steel and tees within AISC, the AASHTO/National Collingwood Research Prize, the ASCE
composite structures. Steel Bridge Alliance Collaboration, the Moisseiff Award, and the ASCE Shortridge
Helwig, who holds the Jewel McAlister Design Advisory Group and Steel Bridge Hardesty Award.
Smith Professorship in Engineering at the Task Force for AASHTO, and SSRC. He is

64 | NOVEMBER 2024
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Bentley 32–33 SDS2/Allplan 7

Birmingham Fastener back cover [Link] 9

Chicago Metal Rolled Products insert, 49 St. Louis Screw and Bolt 41

Innovatech 5 Voortman 10

Integrated Engineering Software 11

Modern Steel Construction | 65

structurally sound

Raise the Roof

AN UNUSED, EMPTY COURTYARD The roof is made of eight identical cus- onto decades-old buildings without issue.
became a school’s centerpiece, and a steel tom-framed king post trusses, which rest What’s Cool in Steel showcases recent
roof that created an inviting atmosphere was on a perimeter frame that helps transfer the projects, initiatives, and happenings from
the driving force behind the transformation. roof loads directly to existing columns and around the country. It primarily focuses on
Downers Grove North High School foundations. The undersides of the trusses smaller projects and temporary structures
in Downers Grove, Ill., wanted to turn a are exposed to view and were specified to that creatively use steel. The 2024 iteration
landlocked courtyard into a student com- AESS Category 2 requirements. Three will also highlight a new rest stop in Indiana
mons with communal spaces and ample years after its completion, the commons designed to honor its surroundings, a fishing
natural light. To achieve the latter, the has become the school’s student life hub. platform and city overlook on the Schuylkill
space needed to be enclosed with a roof The commons roof is one of several River in Philadelphia, a reconfiguration
that permitted a steady flow of sunlight. A projects in the annual Modern Steel Con- project that led to a Manhattan building
steel structure provided the ideal solution struction What’s Cool In Steel feature. changing its address, a photo book that
and did not disrupt the pre-existing build- Check out the December issue to learn highlights a historically significant adaptive
ings that support it. more about the roof design and how it fit reuse project in Chicago, and more. ■

66 | NOVEMBER 2024
Rake in the PDHs
with AISC Continuing Education
NIGHT SCHOOL
Design for Stability
presented by Ronald Ziemian, Perry S. Green, Todd Helwig, Donald White
Mondays | October 21 – December 9 | 6:00 p.m. CT
Catch up with access to the recordings!

Upcoming live sessions:

November 4: Behavior of Flexural Members
November 11: Design of Flexural Members
November 18: Fundamental Concepts of Bracing Members
November 25: Design of Bracing for Columns and Beams
December 2: Stability of Structural Systems
December 9: Design for Combined Compression and Flexure

[Link]/nightschool
Presented in
conjunction
with:
It’s All About the
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