Modern Steel Contruction 2010-11

November 2010
MSC
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION
IN THIS ISSUE
One Challenge,
Several Solutions
A Timed-Release
Design
SteelDay Field
Reports
Ecologically
Sound
Nov10_cover.indd 1 10/8/2010 1:49:36 PM

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4 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION NOVEMBER 2010
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 50, Number 11. ISSN (print) 0026-8445: ISSN (online) 1945-0737. Published monthly by the American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC), One E. Wacker Dr., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44; 3 years $120. Outside the
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AISC does not approve, disapprove, or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted from
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CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than
25 photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and MSC logos are registered trademarks of AISC.
22

Steel on the Slopes
BY MICHAEL JEWSBURY, S.E., P.E., AND ADAM
EVARTS
Roof framing system optimizes space with
strength and speed.
26
Ecologically Sound
BY JOSHUA A. SNYDER, P.E.
Planned and constructed for sustainability,
new music facilities earn LEED certification
as well as acclaim.
32
Economy Parking
BY ALAN H. SIMON, P.E.
Bridging underground utilities and reducing
future maintenance needs are just two of
the benefits steel provided.
36
One Challenge, Several Answers
BY GREG DIANA, P.E.
The Irving Convention Centers bold
architectural style is supported by creative
structural engineering.
40
Making Platinum Out of Steel
BY NINA KRISTEVA, P.E.
Achieving a top LEED rating was only one
of the goals in this project to reclaim a
desolate industrial site.
42
A Timed-Release Design
BY CRAIG WEISENSEL, P.E., LEED AP
Constantly updating vendor-supplied
loading information allows engineers to stay
just ahead of fabrication and construction.
48
Field Reports on SteelDay 2010
AISC staff members share tales and photos
from a variety of events across the nation.
November 2010
ON THE COVER: Sweetwater Sounds Fort Wayne, Ind., headquarters.
departments
6 EDITORS NOTE
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE
12 STEEL QUIZ
18 NEWS & EVENTS
resources
63 NEW PRODUCTS
64 MARKETPLACE
65 EMPLOYMENT
columns
features
32 22 26
quality corner
52
Thinking Through Corrective
Actions
BY DUKE OKES
Determining why corrective action is
needed can keep your quality management
system on track.
standards
54
The Performance Basis for
ASCE 7-10
BY RONALD O. HAMBURGER, S.E.
New provisions set the guidelines for using
a performance-based design procedure.
sustainability
56
Ready for Prime Time?
BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER, LEED GA
A first-hand look at the code-making
process and how green codes like the IGCC
could affect how we make, fabricate and
design with structual steel.
business
60
Best Practices for Effective
Meetings
BY ANNE SCARLETT
Tips on how to make the most of
meetingsas a facilitator and as an
attendee.
topping out
66

Temporary Support
BY ALAN T. (TED) SHEPPARD, P.E.
By designing your own temporary steelwork
you get what you need and can reuse it
many times.

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VICE PRESIDENT
Scott L. Melnick
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Reprints
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editors note
1. Write a meaningful subject line (dont title
your email meeting; rather, tell me its
notes from Mondays meetings).

2. Dont overuse the high priority option
(everyones email is urgent to them!).

3. Keep it focused and readable: be brief (a lot of
people dont read beyond the first few paragraphs);
use standard capitalization and spelling (not
everyone understands that u r gr8); skip lines
between paragraphs; avoid fancy typefaces;
dont use ALL CAPS (its shouting!); be clear
(short paragraphs facilitate understanding);
use emoticons sparingly; and be precise and
to the point.

4. Minimize the use of attachments (large
attachments are sometimes blocked by IT
departments, sometimes they come across as
spam, often they cant be opened on mobile
devices); if possible, either paste relevant sec-
tions into the email or post the document to
be viewed with a web browser.

5. Always identify yourself (use a signature line).

6. Dont make personal attacks.

7. Proofread your message (whether youre
writing to one person or a blast email to
30,000, its still a professional communication).

8. Dont assume privacy (email is easily
forwarded).

9. Distinguish between formal and informal
situations (err on the side of formality).

10. Dont respond all when you mean to
respond to an individual.

11. Dont forward chain letters (and be careful
sending jokestheyre easily misinterpreted).

12. Dont respond to spam (it will only cause
you to receive more!).

13. Respond promptly.

14. Answer all of the questions that are asked
in an email.

15. Show respect and restraint; be tolerant of
others; dont take insult where none was
intended.

16. Dont assume you know the emotional state
of an email writer; remember, emails dont
readily convey all the information you get
from body language and tone in a face-to-
face conversation.

17. Dont send long URLs (use a service, such as
www.tinyurl.com that shortens URLs).

Of course, every good referee knows theres
an unwritten 18th Law. And that same law
applies in writing emails: Use common sense.
WHENEVER I TELL PEOPLE THERE ARE ONLY 17 LAWS IN SOCCER, THEY SEEM
SURPRISED. But from the size of the ball to the intricacies of offside, thats all there are. So
when I did a recent presentation on business writing, I decided I should just as easily be able
to summarize the rules of email into 17 laws.
SCOTT MELNICK
EDITOR

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Nov2010.indb 7 10/8/2010 1:42:08 PM

NOVEMBER 2010 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 9
steel interchange
Plates as Beams
Im used to the old ASD approach. How do I design a plate
in strong-axis bending using the 2005 AISC Specification?
A plate designed as a main member in strong-axis bending
would be designed according to Section F11 of the 2005 AISC
Specification. Typically strong-axis bending will not govern the
strength of plates used for connections, except for the extended
configuration of the single-plate shear connection. Bending in
this case is checked as described on page 10-103 of the 13th
Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Weld Metal Choice in Seismic Applications
Are my choices of electrode strength level more limited in
high-seismic applications? Specifically, where could I choose
to use E60 electrode for welding ASTM A36 material?
For the purposes of this inquiry there are three types of welds
in a high-seismic application (when AISC 341 applies): Demand
Critical, which is required where AISC 358 says it is required; AWS
D1.8 welds in the seismic force resisting system other than those
that are Demand Critical; and AWS D1.1 welds for connections
that are not in the seismic force resisting system (SFRS).
The welds outside the SFRS meet D1.1 requirements
that define E60 as matching weld metal and permit its use in
prequalified welding procedure specifications (WPS) where the
connected base metal is A36 and less than in. thick (see AWS
D1.1 Table 3.1 Category I). In the SFRS, AWS D1.8 requires the
use of E70 or E80. Additionally, the filler metals used in these
welds need to be Charpy V-notch (CVN) tested and exhibit
20 ft-lb at 0 F or better (see AWS D1.8 Section 6.3). Demand
Critical welds add a further requirement that the filler metal must
be tested to show a level of toughness at a range of heat inputs by
passing heat input envelope testing.
Thomas J. Schlafly
Minimum Percentage for Composite Design
The Commentary to the AISC Specification recommends that
small levels of partial composite design (low percentages)
should not be used. I like that it is left to my engineering
judgment, but what guidance can you give me?
AISC has used 25% as a minimum amount of composite action
in tables and information in the AISC Manual because low levels
of composite action may require significant deformations to
achieve the strength. Figure C-I3.5 of the Commentary to the
2005 AISC Specification (which is available as a free download at
www.aisc.org/2005spec) illustrates this graphically. Moreover
some tests have shown that below composite action ratios of 25%
some physical separation between the steel and concrete may be
exhibited at maximum loading.
Amanuel Gebremeskel, P.E.
Fire protection for HSS
Can I fill an HSS or steel pipe with concrete to serve as fire
protection?
Yes. Filling with concrete works better if it is reinforced
(the rebar maintains the heat sink capability as the concrete
inside the section cracks when exposed to heat). A calculation
procedure to determine the fire rating is discussed in AISC Steel
Design Guide 19, which is available as a free download for AISC
members at www.aisc.org/epubs.
Charles J. Carter, S.E., P.E., Ph.D.
Sawing Inside Corners
Can I use a band saw to cut an inside corner square or do I have
to form a radius at the intersection of the sides of the cut?
It is not acceptable to cut an inside corner square, and I also
should point out that an overcut at this corner creates an even
worse condition. Section M2.2 of the Specification states:
Reentrant corners, except reentrant corners of beam copes and
weld access holes, shall meet the requirements of AWS D1.1,
Section 5.16. If another specified contour is required it must be
shown on the contract documents.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Tee Stem in Compression Due to Bending
Im comparing the 2005 AISC Specification (Chapter F,
Section F9 as well as F6 and F11) and an ancient article
that was published in the 1965 AISC Engineering Journal
titled One Engineers Opinion, by William A. Milek. There
are some differences between these references; does the
2005 information agree with the Milek paper?
The Commentary to Section F9 (see page 277) discusses the
derivation of the lateral-torsional buckling equation used in the
2005 AISC Specification. There is a reference in this information
to the 5th Edition of the Guide to Stability Design Criteria for
Metal Structures, while the Milek paper references the 1st Edition
of this same document (note that the 6th Edition is now current,
available at www.stabilitycouncil.org). Both references recognize
that the solution of this limit state is somewhat complex, and each
provides a simplified equation for WTs in bending.
The 2005 AISC Specification benefits from additional, more
recent research, which allows a further simplification beyond
what the Milek paper recommended. The effect of the stem
in compression on the lateral-torsional buckling strength is
accounted for with the B factor. It is negative for stems in
compression, thus reducing the available flexural strength.
Heath Mitchell, P.E.
IF YOUVE EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY? about something related to structural steel design or construction, Modern
Steel Constructions monthly Steel Interchange column is for you! Send your questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.

steel interchange
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional ideas and
information on all phases of steel building and bridge construction. Opinions and
suggestions are welcome on any subject covered in this magazine.
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily represent an official
position of the American Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed. It is
recognized that the design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent
licensed structural engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the application of
principles to a particular structure.
If you have a question or problem that your fellow readers might help you solve, please
forward it to us. At the same time, feel free to respond to any of the questions that you
have read here. Contact Steel Interchange via AISCs Steel Solutions Center:
One East Wacker Dr., Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601
tel: 866.ASK.AISC fax: 312.803.4709
solutions@aisc.org
The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and answers is available online.
Find questions and answers related to just about any topic by using our full-text search
capability. Visit Steel Interchange online at www.modernsteel.com.
Balancing Welds for Snow Load?
AISC Specification Section J1.8 requires weld balancing for
unsymmetric members subjected to cyclic loading. Should
the designer consider snow load as a cyclic load?
No. Snow load is not considered to be a cyclic load. Cyclic
loading is something that produces more than 20,000 cycles in
the life of a structure, like a crane or vibratory equipment.
Amanuel Gebremeskel, P.E.
Strength Increase for PJP Groove Welds?
I know that you can take up to a 50% increase on the
strength of fillet welds loaded other than longitudinally. Im
wondering whether this is also applicable to PJP welds. Does
the reasoning behind the increase for the fillet weld also
apply for PJP groove welds?
The AISC Specification does not apply the 50% increase to PJP
groove welds. The use of the 50% increase is based on testing of
fillet welds that indicated this design approach is safe. No such
testing has been conducted on PJP groove welds.
Although it has been discussed, there is no agreement about
what the results of these PJP tests would likely be, if they were
conducted. Some believe a similar strength increase would be
found to apply. Others, noting that the fracture plane was nearer
the leg than the 45 assumed throat in the transversely loaded
fillets, argue that the strength increase will not be present in PJP
groove welds since the geometry of the weld is different.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Cracking in Composite Slabs Over Girders
We have a building with large cracks over the girders. I know
these are not structurally of concern, but why did they occur
and what can I do to prevent them?
It is common to have cracks over the beams and girders that frame
into columns in unshored slabs. These often are thought to be
due to negative moment, but also can occur due to shrinkage. The
slab is thinnest at those locations and it will crack somewhere.
Often, these cracks do not matter. However, if the floor treatment
is sensitive to the presence of these cracks, reinforcement can be
provided over the support to prevent one large crack (and instead
cause several smaller cracks to occur over a distributed width).
Brad Davis, S.E., Ph.D.
Paint on Faying Surfaces
Was there a recent change in the AISC Specification that now
allows paint on the faying surfaces of slip-critical joints?
There has been no recent change, but perhaps the change
you are referring to is an old one. It is (and has been for
some time now) permissible to use paint on faying surfaces
of joints as stated in Section 3.2 of the RCSC Specification (a
free download at www.boltcouncil.org). That section allows
paint unconditionally in bearing-type joints and allows paint
that has been qualified to achieve the necessary slip resistance
for slip-critical joints. AISC requirements follow what is in
the RCSC Specification. Amanuel Gebremeskel, P.E.
Finding an AISC Member Fabricator or Erector
Im trying to find an AISC member fabricator. Does AISC
provide such a list?
Yes. There is a tab at the top of the AISC website that says Find a
Company/Person or you can use the URL www.aisc.org/members.
This is a directory search of AISC member fabricators and
erectors. There is a drop-down menu on this page where you can
select a fabricator or an erector. Also, you can search by city and/
or state for a person or company. Erin Criste
Axial Force and Rotational Ductility in Shear
Connections
I am designing a beam end connection for combined axial
force and shear force where the axial force is large compare
to shear force. A double angle connection is not workable,
but I can use a shear end-plate connection detail with a
thickness of in. How can I do this when for flexibility the
maximum thickness is limited to
5
8 in.?
You have a couple of options.
(1) The rotational ductility requirements are based on shear
connections that have proven capable of accommodating the
simple beam end rotation, which usually is assumed to be 0.03
radians. If the beam is subjected to a large axial load relative to
the shear load, it may not develop as large an end rotation and
you might decide that the rotational ductility checks (maximum
thickness in this case) can be relaxed.
(2) You also could apply the rotational ductility checks given in
Part 9 of the 13th Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual to determine
the acceptability of the detail. These ductility checks are based on the
worst case assuming an ASTM A325 bolt is used. If ASTM A490 bolts
are used the minimum bolt diameter could be less.
It is common to relax the ductility procedures in the Manual
when beams are subjected to significant axial loads, because these
beams will often have reduced end rotations.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Charlie Carter is vice president and chief structural engineer, Tom Schlafly is director of
research, Amanuel Gebremeskel is a senior engineer and Erin Criste is steel solutions cen-
ter advisor at AISC. Larry Muir, Heath Mitchell and Brad Davis are consultants to AISC.

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steel quiz
LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE? Modern Steel Constructions monthly Steel Quiz tests your knowledge of steel design and
construction. The answers for most of the questions this month can be found in the 2010 AISC Code of Standard Practice (COSP)
and the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings. Both are available as free downloads at www.aisc.org/freepubs.
1 Are base plates and bearing plates considered
structural steel?
2 True/False: The 2010 COSP allows delegation of
connection design work by the Structural Engineer of
Record to the steel detailer.
3 Is there a difference between Contract Documents
and Design Drawings?
4 If members or trusses without specified camber have an
incidental camber, what does the 2010 COSP say the
fabricator should do?
a) Remove the incidental camber by heat
straightening.
b) Ignore the incidental camber and continue
fabrication.
c) Notify the Engineer of Record and seek a solution.
d) Fabricate the member or truss so that the incidental
camber is upward after erection.
5 True/False: The 2010 AISC COSP requires that erec-
tion drawings be released to the erector prior to
their completion.
6 How does the AISC Specification become applicable in
a project?
7 True/False: The 2010 AISC COSP becomes applicable in
a project by being referenced in the AISC Specification.
8 Which ASTM specification should be used when ordering
rectangular hollow structural sections (HSS) with minimum
specified yield strength of 50 ksi?
a) ASTM A53 Grade B
b) ASTM A500 Grade B
c) ASTM A500 Grade C
d) ASTM A501 Grade B
9 What is the outside corner radius limit in ASTM A500 for
square and rectangular HSS members?
a) 1.5 times the thickness of the HSS wall
b) 2 times the thickness of the HSS wall
c) 2.5 times the thickness of the HSS wall
d) 3 times the thickness of the HSS wall
10 True/False: Internal protection from corrosion of HSS is
not required by the AISC Specification.
TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR ANSWERS
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steel quiz ANSWERS
1 Yes, but there is an exception. The
newly released 2010 AISC Code of
Standard Practice, which is available
as a free download at www.aisc.
org/freepubs, has clarified the
classification of base plates and
bearing plates. Section 2 of the
COSP states that base plates and
bearing plates are structural steel
when they are attached to the
structural steel frame; but not when
they are loose items.
2 False. Option 3 in Section 3.1.2 of
the 2010 COSP allows delegation
of connecti on desi gn work by
the Structural Engineer of Record
to another licensed professional
engineer working for the fabricator.
3 Yes. According to the definitions pre-
sented in the glossary of the 2010
COSP, the Design Drawings are a
part of the Contract Documents,
which also include specifications, the
contract itself, etc.
Anyone is welcome to submit questions and
answers for Steel Quiz. If you are interested in
submitting one question or an entire quiz, contact
AISCs Steel Solutions Center at 866 ASK.AISC or
at solutions@aisc.org.
4 (d) According to Section 6.4.3 of the
2010 COSP the fabricator shall fab-
ricate the member or truss so that
any incidental camber is upward
after erection.
5 False. Section 4.7, which is newly
added to the 2010 COSP, requires
that erection drawings must be
provided to the erector in a timely
manner. The Commentary goes on
to clarify that this may include release
of preliminary erection drawings, if
requested by the erector.
6 The AISC Specification is referenced
in model building codes, such as
the International Building Code.
The model building code in turn is
commonly adopted by reference
by a locality (the Authority Having
Jurisdiction), which thereby makes it
into law for that jurisdiction.
7 False. The AISC COSP becomes
applicable to a project by reference
in the project contract. It also has
standing within the legal system as
the standard of custom and usage,
which means that the courts will apply
its specific provisions when a contract
does not contain a specific provision
to address a situation that arises.
8 (c) Both ASTM A500 Grade C and
ASTM A501 Grade B specifications can
be used to obtain rectangular HSS with
a minimum specified yield strength of
50 ksi. However A500 product is readily
available for purchase, whereas A501
is a product that should be confirmed
for availability before specification. For
further information see Table 1-1 of
AISC Steel Design Guide 24, which is
available at www.aisc.org/epubs as a
free download for AISC members and
for purchase by others.
9 (d) The maximum outside radius of
square and rectangular ASTM A500
HSS corners is 3t, where t is the wall
thickness.
10 True. The AISC Specification does
not require internal protection of
HSS against corrosion. The Com-
mentary to Section B3.11 states that
internal protection is needed only in
open HSS where a change in air vol-
ume by ventilation or direct flow of
water is possible. It adds that HSS
subject to temperature gradient that
would cause condensation also may
require protection.
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the Lumbee Tribe decided to honor a Native American iconthe turtle.
To do so, their engineers needed a partner to help them navigate the uncharted waters
of this unique and complex structure. Vulcraft proved to be that partner.
We assisted with the design in addition to supplying quality joists and decking.
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Newly Certified Facilities: September 130, 2010
news
Newly Certied Fabricator Facilities
Apex Steel Corp., Raleigh, N.C.
Interstate Steel Corporation, Knoxville, Tenn.
J & W Construction Specialties, Paramount, Calif.
Kasco Fab, Inc., Fresno, Calif.
Liphart Steel Co. Inc., Richmond, Va.
Malin International Ship Repair & Drydock, Inc.,
Galveston, Texas
MIG Construction Services, LLC, Lexington, Tenn.
Steel Erectors, Inc., Pooler, Ga.
Newly Certied Erector Facilities
Hughes and Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.
JD2/ISE Innovative Steel Erectors, Auburn, Calif.
M&T Erection Ent., Inc., Mantua, N.J.
National Steel Construction, Inc., Greeneld, Mo.
S.E.K. Construction, Gap, Pa.
Topping Out, Inc. dba Davis Erection &
Northwest Steel Erection, Grimes, Iowa
Newly Certied Bridge Component Facilities
Western Fabrication Center, LLC., Kelso, Wash.
Existing Certied Erector Facilities

Existing Certied Bridge Component Facilities
Existing Certied Fabricator Facilities
Newly Certied Fabricator Facilities

Newly Certied Erector Facilities
Newly Certied Bridge Component Facilities
To nd a certied fabricator or
erector in a particular area, visit
www.aisc.org/certsearch.
People and Firms
Richard Phillips, president of San
Angel o, Texas- based Hi r schf el d
Industries, has joined the AISC board
of directors. Confirmed during AISCs
recent quarterly meeting in Chicago,
Phillips will serve a three-year term on
the board of directors, assisting with
the organizations planning and leader-
ship in the steel construction indus-
try. Phillips initially joined Hirschfeld in
2004 as chief financial officer and was
named president in
2008. He is respon-
sible for the manage-
ment of all operating
divisions for the com-
pany, which is one of
the largest fabrica-
tors of steel bridges,
structural, industrial
and nuclear projects
in North America.
Justin Ocel, P.E., Ph.D., (center) is the
recipient of the 2010 Robert J. Dexter
Memorial Lecture. Dr. Ocel accepts
congratulations from Alex Wilson (left),
manager of customer technical service
for ArcelorMittal USA and chairman
of AISIs Steel Market Development
Institute Steel Bridge Task Force; and
Ed Wasserman (right), director of struc-
tures for the Tennessee Department
of Transportation and chairman of the
AASHTO-T14 Committee. The program
was instituted in 2005 in memory of
Robert J. Dexter, an associate professor
of civil engineering at the University of
Minnesota, who was an internationally
recognized expert on steel fracture and
fatigue problems.
Sanjeev Tankha has joined FabriTec
Structures as design director based in
their Costa Mesa, Calif., headquarters.
Formerly with Gensler, he has more
than 15 years of experience in the
design and construction of tensile fab-
ric structures worldwide.
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This fall the American Galvanizers
Association (AGA) has been hosting
regional seminars in cities all across the
U.S. One more remains for this season,
scheduled for November 15 in Chicago.
Each seminar includes a two-part pre-
sentation by AISC (Innovations in Steel
and Steel and Sustainability) and two
AGA presentations (Galvanize It! and
Sustainable Development and Hot-Dip
Galvanizing). The cost for the 5-hour
seminar is $40 per person and includes
PDHs or CEUs and lunch.
For more information from the AGA
website, go to http://bit.ly/93Yrte.
EDUCATION
Galvanize It! Seminar on the Road
BUSINESS
FMA Survey Reports on Shop Wages and Benefits
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association
Internationals 2010 Salary/Wage & Benefit
Survey provides data for both salaried and
hourly shop floor employees in a single-
survey tool, and is available for electronic
download at the FMA Store (www.fmastore.
org). The cost is $150 for FMA and TPA
members and $350 for non-members.
The survey details employment practices,
benefit packages, salaries, and wages for 132
participating companies. It reports annual
base compensation information for 6,717
employees in 61 applicable industry positions,
and includes the mean, median, minimum
and maximum ranges for each wage/salary.
Wages are reported by company size,
region, area population and sales volume,
while employment practices and benefit
details are reported by company size.

news
Louis F. Geschwindner, P.E., Ph.D., has retired from his active
role with AISC after serving as an AISC vice president for the
past nine years. His distinguished career of service to the archi-
tectural engineering community tallied more than 40 years and
culminated in his continuing service as professor emeritus of
architectural engineering at the Pennsylvania State University.
As an AISC vice president, Geschwindner was responsible for
leading the development of the 2005 AISC Specification for Structural
Steel Buildings and the 13th Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual,
as well as all other technical activities of the Institute.
Lou put a lot of himself into his role at AISC, said Charles
J. Carter, AISC vice president and chief structural engineer, and
Geschwindners successor. His skill at simplifying concepts and
processes helped to transform our specifications, publications,
and seminars.
In recognition of Geschwindners contributionsand his
love of educationAISC has renamed its annual seminar series
in his honor. The first AISC Louis F. Geschwindner Lecture
will be given in the fall of 2011 and will focus on the 2010 AISC
Specification and 14th Edition Steel Construction Manual.
Before joining AISC, Geschwindner served as a faculty mem-
ber in the Architectural Engineering Department at Penn State
for more than 30 years. Although he formally retired from
Penn State in 2004, he continued to serve as Professor Emeritus
and taught his last formal class in 2009. His scores of students
describe him with great affection as a dedicated educator and
respected faculty member with high academic standards and a
commitment to teaching.
Geschwindner is a recipient of numerous industry and profes-
sional awards including the Penn State Graduate School Alumni
Society (GSAS) Lifetime Achievement Award and AISCs pres-
tigious T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award, which recognized his
contributions as an outstanding lecturer and author for his paper
A Practical Look at Frame Analysis, Stability, and Learning
Columns. He is a past chairman of the Committee on Design of
Steel Building Structures and the SEI Committee on Metals, co-
chair of the Tension Membrane Structures Standards Committee,
all of the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society
of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE). He also serves as a member
of several AISC committees, including the AISC Committee
on Specifications, Committee on Manuals, and Connection
Prequalification Review Panel.
Beyond his career, he has been
generous with his time and financial
support of numerous charitable and
philanthropic endeavors. In 2000,
he and his wife Judy established
the Louis and Judy Geschwindner
Endowed Under gr a dua t e
Scholarship in the Architectural
Engineering Department at Penn
State. This scholarship provides
annual tuition support to deserving
undergraduate students.
Ges chwi ndner r ecei ved
his bachelors degree in build-
ing science from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute and both
his Master of Science in architectural engineering and his Ph.D.
in civil engineering from Penn State.
RETIREMENT
AISC Vice President Louis F. Geschwindner Retires
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news
Jiun-Wei Lai, a student at the University
of California-Berkeley, is the winner in the
AISC 2010 Student Photo Competition.
Students were invited to submit a set of
three photos demonstrating the theme of
SteelDay: Interact. Learn. Build. Lais
photos show three ironworkers making
a connection, a welder and an inspector
evaluating a new welding procedure, and
the steel box girders of the new Bay Bridge
and the massive steel falsework being used
to erect it.
Lai is working toward his doctorate
in structural engineering with a focus on
earthquake engineering, which he expects
to complete in 2011. He earned his under-
graduate and masters degrees in his native
Taiwan, where he also worked for several
years before coming to the University of
California-Berkeley in 2006. His current
research, which is being carried out under
a National Science Foundation grant, is
in the field of concentrically braced steel
frames. For more information, visit http://
bit.ly/c7FhW8. A video of one of Lais
full-scale tests can be viewed at http://bit.
ly/9QuJAe.
DESIGN TOOLS
Online Wind Speed
Reference Launched
EDUCATION
AISC T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award
The Applied Technology Council has
developed a website that will allow users to
find site-specific ultimate wind speeds used
in ASCE 7-10, Minimum Design Loads for
Buildings and Other Structures, published by
the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Developed with financial help from the
ATC Endowment Fund and many engi-
neering practitioners, the website is free
of charge to users. Information is provided
in a one-page format that includes the
ultimate three-second peak gust speeds for
Category I, II, III and IV buildings that
are shown on maps in ASCE 7-10 (and
the equivalent ASCE 7-05 and 7-93 wind
speeds). It also includes serviceability wind
speeds for 10-year, 25-year, 50-year and
100-year mean recurrence interval wind
speeds that are provided in the ASCE 7-10
Commentary.
Scheduled to launch on November
1, 2010, the website address is www.
atcouncil.org/windspeed.
IINDUSTRY EVENTS
The Spirit of SteelDay Captured in Photo Contest
Interact. Three ironworkers work to
make a bolted connection in the CITRIS
Building on the University of California-
Berkeley campus.
Learn. An inspector uses a stopwatch
to measure the welding speed per sin-
gle pass of a new weld procedure. The
photo was taken in Herrick Corporations
Stockton, Calif., shop.
Build. Taken on a recent field trip
to the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge, this photo shows the scale of tem-
porary steel trusses wrapped around the
reinforced concrete bridge piers. The
trusses will support the white steel box
girder bridge deck of the self-anchored
suspension bridge during construction.
James O. Malley, P.E., S.E., of Degenkolb

Engineers, will present his 2010 T.R.
Higgins Lecture three more times this
year. It also is already scheduled for one
presentation next spring. Malley received
the award for his paper, The 2005 AISC
Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel
Buildings, published in the First Quarter
2007 AISC Engineering Journal.
Upcoming lectures are scheduled for
the following dates and locations:
November 9, 2010, Portland, Ore.,
sponsored by the Pacific Northwest
Steel Fabricators Association.
November 10, 2010, Seattle, spon-
sored by the Pacific Northwest Steel
Fabricators Association.
December 14, 2010, Sacramento, Calif.,
sponsored by the Structural Engineers
Association of Central California.
March 3, 2011, Lawrence, Kan., spon-
sored by the University of Kansas Civil
Engineering Department.
Contact the local sponsor for more infor-
mation about any of these lectures.
The T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award
is named for Theodore R. Higgins,
Ph.D., AISC director of engineering and
research from 1944-1968, who was widely
acclaimed for his many contributions to
the advancement of engineering technol-
ogy related to fabricated structural steel.
The award honors Higgins for his innova-
tive engineering, timely technical papers
and distinguished lectures.
Each year since 1972 the award has
recognized an outstanding lecturer and
author whose technical papers are con-
sidered an outstanding contribution to
the engineering literature on fabricated
structural steel. The first presentation of
each new Higgins Lecture takes place at
NASCC: The Steel Conference. Following
NASCC, the Higgins Lecture is presented
at a variety of venues around the U.S.
To schedule a T.R. Higgins Lecture,
contact Nancy Gavlin, AISC director of
education, at gavlin@aisc.org. For more
information visit the Competitions and
Awards channel at www.aisc.org.

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Entry materials are now available for
the 2010-2011 Steel Design Student
Competition sponsored by AISC and
administered by the Association of
Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).
The program challenges students, working
individually or in teams, to explore a vari-
ety of design issues related to the use of
steel in design and construction.
The 2010-2011 competition offers
two categories. For Category I, entrants
will develop a program for a Homeless
Assistance Center and design the facility
on an urban site of the their choosing.
Category II is an open submission design
option. For both, steel should be used as
the primary structural material.
Winning entries will be displayed at
the 2012 ACSA Annual Meeting and the
2012 AIA National Convention and will
be published in a competition summary
catalog. Additionally, the first, second and
third place winners in each category will
receive cash awards. There is no fee to
enter. Registration deadline is February 9,
2011. Entries are due June 8, 2011.
For more information, including a down-
loadable program brochure and entry form,
visit www.acsa-arch.org/competitions.
To see the winning 2009-2010 entries
in the ACSA competition archive, go to
http://bit.ly/920s39.
The Thi rd Quarter 2010 i ssue of
Engineering Journal is now available to AISC
members online in digital edition format.
Members can view the current issue online
by going to http://bit.ly/cSfGhC.
Due to the popularity of EJs digi-
tal edition, the archive feature also has
been enabled for the next few issues.
The archive feature allows you to browse
prior digital editions beginning with First
Quarter 2010.
Article searches for the complete col-
lection of Engineering Journal issues is
available at www.aisc.org/ej. Downloads
of current and past articles in PDF for-
mat remain free to AISC members and
ePubs subscribers.
Email comments and questions to
Engineering Journal editor Keith Grubb at
grubb@aisc.org.
PUBLICATION
3rd Quarter EJ Now
Available Online
COMPETITION
11th Annual Steel Design Student Competition
news

T
Roof framing system optimizes space
offering strength and speedy construction.
THE MONTAGE DEER VALLEY PROJECT near Park City,
Utah, initially was conceived of by the developer as a smaller
boutique ski resort but quickly grew into a large-scale resort and
spa comprising more than 950,000 sq. ft and 13 levels. Located
partway up the Deer Valley Resort ski mountain, the project was
a signifcant undertaking, given the environmentally sensitive
mountain site, prior mining activities in the area, high seismic
hazard, and complex building geometries. Together, the owner-
ship, design, and construction teams rose to the challenge, devel-
oping a resort that will provide 360-degree, ski-in/ski-out access
to the resort and boast some of Park Citys most stunning views.
Designed in a mountain craftsman style, the lodges four
wings of residential and hotel space terrace across the sloping
hillside, arranged in a butterfy pattern around a central core.
A three-level underground parking garage sits below the hotel
and lobby-level spaces, and a ski run skirts the sites perimeter.
The lodge design cuts into the hillside to minimize its scale and
presence. When approached from the uphill side, the 13-level
building appears as a smaller, nine-story hotel.
The site was a silver mine in the 1800s, with remnant mine
shafts near the building footprint that had to be flled. During
excavation, there was a brief scare when a mining-era dynamite
cache was unearthed. An extensive evaluation using ground-pen-
etrating radar ensured no similar surprises would be found.
Multi-facted Structure
The structural system developed had to address several com-
plicated criteria unique to the high-mountain resorts location.
The relatively high seismic risk (from the nearby Wasatch fault),
steeply sloping site, heavy snow loading requirements, and intri-
cate nature of the multi-story stepped roof all called for a cre-
ative and fexible structure.
Permanent shoring including both tieback soldier pile walls
up to 50 ft tall and built-up mechanically stabilized earth walls
were part of the fnal design for the sloping site. The parking,
residential, and hotel foors are cast-in-place concrete fat plates.
Two concrete cores around elevators and stairways provide lat-
eral resistance and provide vertical circulation for the building.
Of most challenge and interest was the multi-story roof, with
its articulated hips and valleys. Because penthouse residencies
were being located within the sloped roofs, the structure had to
maintain open and fexible space below the roof framing. Multi-
ple options were considered for supporting these areas, including
concrete, steel, and wood. Ultimately the fexibility, strength, and
spanning capabilities of structural steel made it the ideal answer.
The solution was to fnish the roof enclosure structure with
3-in. metal deck spanning between steel purlins, with cantile-
vered eave supports in many locations. Architectural fnishes and
roof tiles were then placed above.
Snow, Long Spans, and Steel
Snow load requirements in excess of 230 psf increased the
level of design diffculty relative to rooftop strength, seismic
loading, and column transfers. Differential snow loads also held
the potential to cause movement and distress to the building fn-
ishes after every heavy snow fall. Columns landing on transfer
girders would be especially susceptible.
The structural engineer proposed a solution of steel trusses and
bent steel frames spanning to non-transferring perimeter columns
in locations where column transfers were required above the main
hotel lobby and ballrooms. This eliminated the possibility for dif-
Steel
BY MICHAEL JEWSBURY, S.E., P.E., AND ADAM EVARTS, LEED AP
on the
Slopes
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ferential movement due to snow from inte-

rior framing above the lobby. These trusses
and bent girders also allowed for fexible,
open penthouses at the upper levels of the
building. The fundamental framing con-
cept of truss and bent girders was repeated
throughout the project with variations based
on geometry.
Open spans also were called for lower in
the central portion of the building, below
the typical guest rooms, to accommodate
lobby and ballroom functions. After trans-
ferring snow loads to perimeter columns
via long-span trusses at the roof, the inte-
rior columns also were transferred using
two-level opposite and opposing column
knuckle transfers. This arrangement pro-
vided wide-open spans while maintaining
the shorter-span effciency of the typical
foors above. Due to the anticipated seismic
movement, the transfers were modeled in
the lateral system and designed with reserve
ductility to accommodate the anticipated
diaphragm forces. Lateral stability to these
transfers was also ensured due to the sym-
metrically arranged concrete core walls on
either side of the transfer locations.
The lateral loads in the roof are col-
lected in the diaphragm through in-plane
braces and delivered to the various levels
of the concrete structure below by braced
frames. The braced frames all are designed
as special concentrically braced frames,
with the gusset plates designed for ductile
hinging. The plastic hinging of the brace
is forced into the gusset connection so that
a buckling failure in the stiffer connec-
tions and braces is prevented. Very careful
detailing of the gusset plates was required
to ensure this behavior. In addition to the
gusset and the connecting gravity framing,
the braced frames were oriented at skewed
angles, also calling for careful detailing.
The complex roof slopes, transfer con-
ditions, heavy snow loads, and substantial
lateral loading initially led to the anticipa-
tion of heavy roof steel weights. However,
through optimization and attention to
design, the fnal roof steel, as constructed,
is estimated to be 13.5 psf. Given all the
design requirements, this is a very econom-
ical result, compared to other comparable
framing metrics.
The Salvation of BIM
With the design direction established,
the next challenge was how best to achieve
detailing, fabrication and erection. The
answer was found in Building Informa-
tion Modeling (BIM). BIM initially was
employed by the design team as part of
the design process. Additional models were
generated by the general contractor and
the detailer. This approach proved both a
salvation and a demonstration of how pow-
erful BIM can be when used effectively by
the design and construction teams.
The general contractor worked closely
with the design team as well as the fabrica-
tor and erector, who were engaged during
early design to best coordinate the con-
struction process. It quickly became evi-
dent that BIM would be key to meeting the
Michael Jewsbury, S.E.,
P.E., is a senior associate
with Magnusson Klemencic
Associates. Adam Evarts,
LEED AP, is a project engi-
neer with Layton Construc-
tion Company, Inc.
Overall isometric of structural steel framing.

Overall Navisworks steel framing.
BIM truss framing with compound angles.
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accelerated schedule demands and facilitating fabrication
of the complex connections.
Ultimately, the team established an optimum BIM
sequence. The steel detailer provided a structural steel
model as .dwf fles exported from Tekla Structures. At the
same time, the general contractor maintained a concrete
and exterior skin Revit model that was used as a baseline
model. The combined BIM (Tekla and Revit) models were
imported and overlaid in Autodesk Navisworks, where
orientation, location, and scale were coordinated so that a
common model could be reviewed in detail.
Enhanced Review and Resolution
BIM allowed for real-time confict review/resolution
and streamlined responses. The erector used 2D erection
drawings in the feld, taken from the original Tekla model.
These drawings included the scope of the project, but there
were areas that were hard to comprehend on the erection
drawings due to the various angles of the hips and valleys.
The erector therefore frequently reviewed the combined
3D model in the general contractors offce to obtain clar-
ity from the all-inclusive, birds-eye view and examine the
pieces and connections from various angles. This yielded a
complete picture of the erection and enhanced safety of the
construction process.
BIM also allowed the general contractor to readily
review the steel-to-concrete embed connections. By over-
laying the multiple models, confict areas were identifed
and resolutions found prior to fabrication of the embeds
and structural steel. Where conficts occurred in the feld,
such as misplaced embeds, the model was used to electron-
ically convey the issue to the engineer, and a response was
often available the same day.
The initial submission of shop drawings generated many
redlined documents, requiring quick answers to compli-
cated questions. The use of web conferencing in conjunc-
tion with BIM proved to be an exceptional platform for
expedited resolutions to the fabrication and erection issues,
particularly given the differing geographical locations of
each team member. When the steel schedule was acceler-
ated, shop drawing review time was reduced to only a few
days turnaround.
BIM also simplifed understanding of the complex roof
confguration. The truss framing was conventional, but
each truss had a custom geometry due to roof slopes and
incoming beams. In addition to the compound angles, eave
locations required careful coordination. The Revit model
facilitated coordination by revealing areas of reduced over-
head clearance due to the compound slopes.
The lateral system was integral to the life safety of the
building and required a much more detailed shop draw-
ing review. Using the available BIM along with the 2D
shop drawings accelerated this process and gave the team
a higher level of confdence that the system was accurately
conveyed and ultimately built from the shop drawings.
The Montage Deer Valley resort and spa will be open
for the 2010-2011 ski season. The fast track project was
a challenging design and construction effort, requiring a
high level of coordination to procure, fabricate, and erect
the steel roof. The roof design highlights the dramatic
appearance of the chalet-style resort. The roof also creates
As-built special concentrically braced frames.
Winter construction.
As-built truss framing with compound angles.
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Building cross section of column transfer. Roof construction.
an intimate slope experience that belies the vast size of the overall
project. Steel framing was the best choice for the roof, and the
BIM process enhanced the quality control in the fabrication and
review process. BIM and electronic review also made the acceler-
ated schedule possible.
Developer
The Athens Group, Phoenix
Architect
HKS/Hill Glazier Studio, Palo Alto, Calif. and Salt Lake City
Structural Engineer
Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle (AISC Member)
Steel Fabricator
Sanpete Steel Corporation, Moroni, Utah (AISC Member)
Steel Detailer
Phoenix Drafting Services, Inc., Abbotsford, British Columbia
(AISC Member)
General Contractor
Layton Construction Company, Inc., Sandy, Utah
Geotechnical Engineer
Golder Associates Ltd., Redmond, Wash.
MSC
Shawn Newman/HKS
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Planned and constructed for
sustainability, new music facilities earn
LEED certication as well as acclaim.
Ecologically
Sound
BY JOSHUA A. SNYDER, P.E.
PHOTOS BY MSKTD & ASSOCIATES, INC.,
JONAH GAROUTTE AND JAMES WILSON, PHOTOGRAPHERS

W
WHEN CHUCK SURACK started Sweetwater Sound in 1979,

it was a recording studio based out of his house with a porta-
ble four-track recording rig in a Volkswagen bus. As technology
advanced, he began doing very creative things with sound mixing.
Clients quickly became interested in his programming skills and
knowledge of music technology, which coupled with the compa-
nys commitment to the highest levels of customer service led to
continued growth and success. In early 2006, Surack realized the
company needed signifcantly larger facilities and commissioned
MSKTD & Associates to design and master plan a new 44-acre
corporate campus.
Sweetwaters new headquarters today includes an offce, a
distribution center with warehouse, a high-tech auditorium and
training center, as well as a spacious retail store. In addition to
the auditorium, a new multi-room professional recording studio
features an acoustical and technical design that is on par with the
worlds fnest recording studios. This $35 million, 150,000-sq.-ft
facility was completed in January 2008.
Sweetwater Sounds drive for innovation played a major role
in shaping the holistic building scheme; the design focused on
integrating all of the required systems with an emphasis on creat-
ing a healthy indoor environment and achieving LEED Platinum
certifcation.
Meeting Design Needs with Steel
The site had an existing 38,000-sq.-ft, single-story conven-
tional steel-frame offce building, a simple rectangular shape with
a ribbon window around the perimeter. Early in the design phase,
the decision was made to modify and reuse the existing build-
ing and integrate into the overall campus, which was clearly in
line with the design teams sustainable design strategy of limiting
unnecessary new development.
One key to creating a successful LEED Platinum project was
using a process where one step was decided before moving to the
next, which was facilitated by adopting a design-build approach.
Sweetwater Sound selected Auburn, Ind.-based Corporate Con-
struction as its general contractor, and the project got under way.
Weekly team meetings were scheduled in order for the design
team to present to the owner and the contractor different options
for gaining LEED points as the design progressed so the design
team could get valuable feedback and help the owner decide what
features to employ. One of the early decisions was to recycle all
of the existing concrete from an existing building on the site and
reuse it for the upcoming construction. The contractor set up a
system to demo the existing building, sort the materials, and store
them on site until they were used. This reduction in the use of
new materials reduced the projects overall embodied energy and
was one of many contributions to LEED points.
The existing building retroft was straightforward compared
to the rest of the project scope. Because the general contractor
already had been selected as a design-build contractor, the ret-
roft construction was easily designed in Phase I of the project
Joshua Snyder, P.E. is an associate

and structural engineer at MSKTD
& Associates, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.
He has almost 10 years experience in
design of low-rise commercial struc-
tures, food processing facilities, edu-
cational buildings, health-care facili-
ties and other various structures.
Large skylights were installed in the existing roof structure to
bring more natural light into the interior of the building. Extra joist
bridging was added to brace the top chords of the existing joists
where the roof diaphragm was removed.
inset: Sweetwater Sounds success over the years led to the need
for larger facilities. Now five buildings on a 44-acre campus pro-
vide an environmental showpiece as well as a highly functional
new headquarters.
Using non-orthogonal angles throughout the structures adds
visual interest as well as helping to manage the sound.
Retrofitting an existing steel-framed building on the campus in the
first phase of construction permitted its use while the rest of the con-
struction continued. It also contributed to the LEED certification effort.
Designed to harness the spirit of the recording industry, the mall

serves as a common area, connecting each entity and also hous-
ing the dining and recreation areas and features architecturally
exposed structural steel, clerestory windows, and an unusual 7
angle that was used throughout the building.

along with the product/shipping warehouse, which is a separate
stand-alone building. That allowed the architect team to continue
designing the mall area, the studios, and the auditorium that was
to connect the newly retroftted offce building to the warehouse.
The greatest beneft to retroftting this building as part of an ear-
lier phase was that Sweetwater would be able to occupy the newly
retroftted facility while the remaining mall, auditorium and studio
buildings construction continued.
With LEED and healthy indoor living in mind, one of the
project goals was to bring in natural light to 80-90% of the entire
building. Because this building was conventional steel construc-
tion, it was easily modifed for the new project needs. To bring
more natural light into the interior of the building, fve large alu-
minum skylights were installed in the existing roof structure. Each
skylight covered several joist spaces where the roof diaphragm was
removed, so extra joist bridging was added to brace the top chords
of the existing joists.
Further modifcations were made to the buildings existing
structure to prepare for the attachment of the new mall area on
two adjacent sides. A new conference room was to be located under
the existing roof and open up to the mall. To accommodate this,
an existing perimeter column was removed and the buildings roof
shored with a new 60-ft-long W36135 girder that spans two
existing bays. Also, because the new adjacent mall structure was
to be taller than the existing building, it was necessary to add steel
joists to account for the new snow drift condition that will occur
against the mall perimeter. Each new joist was brought into the
building in two pieces, hoisted into place, and spliced at mid-span
to ft into the existing roof framing.
After the design of the existing building retroft was complete,
the next phase was to design the mall area, studios and auditorium.
The mall was to serve as a common area that would connect each
entity and also house the dining and recreation areas. To appeal
to Sweetwater Sounds primary clientelemusic artiststhe mall,
studios and auditorium were designed to harness the spirit of the
recording industry. This building features architecturally exposed
structural steel, cantilevering roofs, balconies and canopies, curtain
walls and clerestory windows to let in natural light, and an unusual
7 angle that was used throughout the building.
This 7 angle was also a valuable functional feature due to the
nature of sound reverberation within an enclosed space. Parallel
walls inside a theater or sound studio are undesirable because sound
bounces back and forth between them. Non-parallel walls help dis-
sipate the sound more quickly. In addition, acoustic deck was used
in the mall area to help absorb sound and reduce noise reverbera-
tion everywhere the metal deck was exposed, including the long-span
metal roof deck.
The dining area, which is part of the central mall area, includes
architecturally exposed structural steel, cantilevering roofs, balco-
nies and canopies, curtain walls and clerestory windows.

{

}
Working Hard to Accommodate Success
Creating an environmental showpiece as well as a highly functional new headquar-
ters relies on making conscious decisions throughout the project. From the begin-
ning we wanted a green, eco-friendly building, said Sweetwater Sounds founder
and president Chuck Surack. Working with the LEED program, our architectural rm
MSKTD, and general contractor Corporate Construction, we implemented a variety
of ways to make the Sweetwater campus save energy and reduce its overall impact
on the environment.
With Sweetwaters desire for LEED Platinum certication for its new corporate
campus established, early design discussions included design strategies for achiev-
ing LEED points. While working through the LEED design process, the design team
did not lose focus on the purpose of the project: to create an environment that would
promote the health and well-being of the individuals within.
The nal product allows a work experience that goes beyond serving solely as a
place of employment. Employee needs are brought to the workplace through a variety
of amenities. There is a private health club that includes a racquetball court and per-
sonal trainers to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. A gaming area is complete with
pinball machines, golf simulator and video games. A full-service kitchen, coffee shops,
professional services, and other social/recreational opportunities are part of Sweetwa-
ter employees daily lives. An expandable convention hall hosts product conventions
both for employee training and the local community, and an outdoor music terrace
features live bands throughout the summer months, are ways the company gives back
to its employees and the surrounding community.
I hope that other businesses will examine whats happened here and think seri-
ously of going green as they plan new facilities, Surack said.
Sweetwater Sounds new facilities include a gaming area complete with pinball machines, golf
simulator and video games. A full-service kitchen, coffee shops, professional services, and other
social/recreational opportunities are part of Sweetwater employees daily lives.
Sweetwater Sounds new auditorium and multi-room professional recording studio feature
an acoustical and technical design that is on par with the worlds finest recording studios.
Due to the sensitivity of the recording
equipment in the studios and the theater it
was desirable to minimize sound transmis-
sion from the outside and from the mall
area. This was done by surrounding the
area with as much mass as possible, using
concrete on metal deck roof above the stu-
dios and auditorium and heavy stone for
the exterior walls.
To break up the monotony of long and
tall stone walls, the stone over the entryways
is supported with sloped beams. Also, angled
cantilevers on the exterior walls create an
angled and sloping sofft, forcing an upper
section of the stone wall to jut out over a
lower section of wall to create more appeal.
The mall area has clerestory windows
above the studio/theater wing and the
newly retroftted offce wing. One goal was
to reduce the mall roof height to reduce
the volume of space that needed to be con-
ditioned by mechanical equipment to save
heating and cooling costs, yet maximize
the clerestory height. Conventional joists
and deck would have required a depth that
would either clutter the clerestory windows
or require more volume for the mechanical
units to condition. The design teams solu-
tion was to use a long-span metal roof deck
that allowed lowering the thermal line of
the roof to just above the clerestory win-
dow elevation without obstructions. This
reduced the long-term costs for the owner
as well as reducing the environmental
impact and being a very attractive alterna-
tive to conventional joist and deck.
Because of the openness desired in the
clerestories and the use of the long-span
metal roof deck, a lateral bracing system
could not be used at the roof elevation. Also,
x-bracing was not an option due to the open-
ness required for doors and windows below.
Therefore, a moment frame system was
implemented by lowering the frame beams
from the roof elevation to below the clere-
story windows, and allowing the columns to
cantilever above the moment frame beams
to support the roof structure.
One challenge that the long-span metal
roof deck presented was that there was not a
convenient place for mechanical ductwork. All
of the roof structure in the mall is exposed, so
adding chases and bulkheads would look out
of place. The next best option was to place
the ductwork underground. Consequently,
an underground structural ductwork system
from the mechanical room serves all of the
mall area. Overhead sprinkler lines were
required so the sprinkler lines are concealed
inside long span deck, and the sprinkler heads
poke out of the bottom hat of the deck.

The long-span metal roof deck presented additional challenges because
it is completely exposed to view, including its perimeter. The architects
wanted a roof footprint that tapers, but placing a beam below the long-span
metal deck on the tapered edge was out of the question to maintain the fat-
plate look of the roof over the structural beams. Therefore, a unique beam
was designed to ft within the depth of the long-span roof deck, support the
unsupported tapered edge of the deck, bear on the structural beams below
and be wrapped with brake metal at the fascia so that it is unseen.
Steels Contribution to LEED
The versatility and fexibility of steel contributed to making this a success-
ful LEED Platinum project. The open framing capabilities of steel construc-
tion allowed the building to achieve daylight and outdoor views for more than
80% of the building. The fexibility of steel construction allowed the existing
building to be modifed to be repurposed for the new owners and integrated
into the overall campus plan. Steels versatility allowed using a long-span metal
deck to reduce the volume of interior space of the building, thus increasing
mechanical effciency.
Steel from the existing buildings was reclaimed and recycled to reduce
embodied energy. Goals were established early in the construction process
to divert construction waste from landflls, with specifc recycling locations
The warehouse and shipping facility started as a stand-
alone building in Phase 1 of the project. With completion
of the mall, in Phase 2, it was connected with the other
building components.
To break up the monotony of long and tall stone walls, the stone over the
entryways is supported with sloped beams.
throughout the construction site. Materials were sorted
meticulously to identify items that could be sent back to
the manufacturing process. In some cases opportunities
were identifed to redirect materials for reuse. Many con-
tainers of concrete, wood, glass, plastic, and steel were sal-
vaged throughout the construction process, contributing
overall to 19,026 tons of construction waste98% of the
totalbeing diverted from the landfll.
Careful consideration was given during the selection of
materials to ensure that a certain percentage of recycled
content would be maintained throughout the project.
Carpet, fabric, steel and other miscellaneous metals are a
few of the materials throughout the offce space that con-
tain recycled content contributing to an overall recycled
content percentage of 31.4%. The new steel, a commonly
recycled material, used in the project has a recycled con-
tent ranging from 25% to 83%. When it came time to
total the project LEED points, the overall contribution of
recycled steel accounted for a signifcant 8% of the total
LEED points attained.
Materials and products that were extracted and manu-
factured within the region were chosen with the intent of
supporting indigenous resources and reducing the envi-
ronmental impacts resulting from transportation of build-
ing materials. Approximately 44% of the projects materials
have been extracted, harvested, recovered, and manufac-
tured within 500 miles of the project site including, but not
limited to: structural steel, stone cladding, drywall, insula-
tion, and doors.
A Ring of Success
Sweetwaters newly designed campus surrounds visitors
with the nostalgia and history of the recording industry, com-
bined with the excitement of what is yet to come. It provides
a unique experience whether visiting to work, shop, play or be
entertained. Industry leading high-tech equipment, recording
studios, instruments and performing studios are available to
the creative musicians, encased by the timeless architectural
building. The new corporate campus exhibits a holistic design,
focused on sustaining the health and well-being of individuals
within, as well as being effcient and functional.
Owner
Chuck Surack, Sweetwater Sound, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Architect and Engineer
MSKTD & Associates, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Steel Fabricator
Almet Inc., New Haven, Ind. (AISC Member)
Design/Build Contractor
Corporate Construction, Inc., Auburn, Ind.
Accoustic Specialty Designer
Russ Berger Design Group, Addison, Texas
Structural Software
Cadvance (detailing), Ram Structural System, Ram
Advance (now Elements), Enercalc

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F
Bridging underground utilities and reducing future maintenance
needs are just two of the benets steel provided.
FOR YEARS, there were discussions of replacing Eero Saarin-
ens aging Trans World Airlines Terminal at New Yorks John
F. Kennedy International Airport. In 2007, those discussions
became a reality when JetBlue Airways chose JFK as its hub.
To support JetBlues new Terminal 5, (T5), expansion proxi-
mate parking for 1,500 vehicles was required. The so-called
Yellow Garage had to be built in a limited timeframe that
corresponded with the opening of T5. The Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), in conjunction with
JetBlue Airways, compiled preliminary bridging documents
and issued a Request for Proposals that was made available to
a select group of general contractors.
The bridging documents established preferred points
of egress and desired car counts, and the general footprint
parameters based on a six-story, precast structure. Pedes-
trian egress included elevator cores, enclosed stairwells, and
connections to the existing AirTrain monorail system. A key
criterion indicated in the documents was that the new park-
ing structure needed to refect and compliment the aesthetic
nature of the surrounding area, including the new T5 expan-
sion and monorail system. Although the existing site utilities
were indicated in the bridging documents, it also was noted
that the number, location, and types of utilities had not been
fully verifed. This apparently innocuous note would later
prove to impact the project in a signifcant way.
The Wellesley, Mass.-based structural engineering frm Simon
Design Engineering, LLC, and The Berlin Steel Construction
Company, Inc., Kensington, Conn., were approached as a team
by Peter Scalamandre & Sons, Inc., a local New York contrac-
tor with signifcant Port Authority experience. Although the
preliminary bridging documents were based on a fully precast
concrete solution, they allowed for alternative structural systems.
Scalamandre, the general contractor and lead on the design-build
team, believed that a steel solution would greatly beneft the Port
Authority and JetBlue based on comparing the available solutions.
Simon Design revised the precast structural system, footprint, and
Economy Parking
BY ALAN H. SIMON, P.E.
Simon Design Engineering

column grid with the assistance of Berlin Steel and Scalamandre in
response to the RFP and bridging documents.
The design-build teams structural steel beam and column
solution with a precast concrete decking system was ultimately
the preferred design solution, making the Yellow Garage the frst
PANYNJ design-build garage project using this approach. The
fnal design incorporated precast spandrels, steel railings, and steel
mesh, refecting the surrounding structures while meeting the
building code requirements as an open parking structure, which
had several benefts. As an open parking structure the use of struc-
tural steel, devoid of supplemental freproofng, allowed for open
stairwells as a means of egress. It also permitted the use of exposed
fre suppression standpipes and eliminated the need for sprinklers
(no sprinklering). In addition, the Port Authority realized the ben-
efts of steel construction, including the initial economical costs
and the minimal maintenance requirements, among others.
The fnal design approach used 15-ft-wide precast concrete
double tee foor slabs, manufactured off site, that were deliv-
Alan H. Simon, P.E., is presi-

dent of Simon Design Engi-
neering, LLC. Highly regarded
for his perceptive and innova-
tive approach, he has dedicated
his career to the advancement
of structured parking to beneft
every client, each community,
and the environment.
The design-build teams decision to use steel framing with long-
span precast spandrels resulted in an open parking structure and
reduced both the initial cost and maintenance requirements.
As part of constructing the new Terminal 5 at New Yorks John
F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey added a steel-framed new six-story parking
structure for 1,500 cars.
ered by barge to the construction site. The double tees were fur-
nished by Bayshore Concrete Products Corp. of Virginia, which
also recently had provided the AirTrain monorail systems seg-
mental, precast concrete elements to the Port Authority at JFK.
The ability to use 15-ft double tees and other long-span pre-
Simon Design Engineering

manufactured structural elements, which
are traditionally considered too large to
be transported on roadways, provided the
Port Authority and JetBlue with a host
of inherent benefts. Using steel framing
and wider foor units allowed for longer
spans, large parking bays and stalls, fewer
columns and visual obstructions (ideal
for patron safety and utility conficts).
It also considerably reduced the number
of deep foundations and foundation ele-
ments, overall construction time, and the
amount of joint sealants and waterproof-
ing elements required.
The teams original steel coating con-
cept called for the use of hot-dipped gal-
vanized steel, which is economical and has
demonstrated longevity and signifcant
durability with little to no maintenance
required in the frst 50 years of a structures
life. However, the Port Authoritys own
design standards for steel required a three-
coat paint system to provide a less indus-
trial fnish and appearance. As a result, all
steel beams and columns were blast cleaned
to an SP6 standard, and a stringent qual-
ity assurance program was implemented to
ensure the surface preparation and coating
applications were done in the factory with
the requisite quality.
Using steel framing and the ability to deliver the precast double tees by barge enabled the
use of 15-ft-wide panels and other long-span structural elements, resulting in larger parking
bays as well as fewer columns and visual obstructions.
{ }
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Nov2010.indb 34 10/8/2010 1:45:06 PM
Foundational Issues
Speed of delivery was paramount. A full geotechnical explo-
ration and test pit program was set in motion immediately upon
contract initiation to support the fast-track construction of founda-
tions, prior to design of the steel superstructure. The Port Author-
ity originally had planned to relocate the existing on-site utilities
prior to commencing construction of the new steel and precast six-
level parking structure; however, due to schedule constraints, the
relocation of the utilities was released to the design-build team.
Once construction began, it became apparent that the existing
utilities could not be relocated in a timely manner and that the
project delivery schedule would be compromised. Even with con-
siderable preconstruction design coordination and efforts, many
conficts with existing underground utilities still needed mitiga-
tion. Ultimately, more than 50% of the original foundation plan
design had to be modifed or redesigned during construction.
In real time, Simon Design worked with both the design
and construction teams to enable the pile-driving and over-
all construction operations to keep moving as the foundation
structural redesign was being done. By using BIM technology
in conjunction with the steel and precast manufacturers, Simon
Design was able to quickly and accurately lay out and design
the projects foundations and superstructure in response to the
daily discoveries of additional existing utilities, with a resolu-
tion turnaround of 24 hours or less. The BIM model also aided
in the integration of the steel and precast systems, which greatly
reduced the number of architectural component conficts.
Existing electrical utility conficts were bridged with shallow,
heavy steel box beams, weighing up to a ton per ft, allowing the
utilities to remain in place and functioning throughout construc-
tion. Structural steels inherent ability to provide a high degree of
torsional resistance made steel box beams the ideal solution for
utility bridging, and allowed the box beams to be used as integral
elements in the structures steel moment frames, with large forces
transferred to the foundations. After the steel box beams were
in place, they were color coded for future reference and safety,
and ultimately concrete encased and backflled. Pile caps were
also used to bridge the primary utility feeders that lead directly
to JFK and were redesigned as the utility feeder locations were
uncovered during construction.
Access Relocation
Another noteworthy modifcation during construction was
the decision by the owner and architect to relocate the primary
pedestrian core from the outside perimeter of the structure, to
the center of the interior. To accommodate this change numerous
columns were retroftted with cover plates or swapped out, more
than half of the foundations were redesigned, and transfer girders
were addedall without consequence to the projects fabrication
and construction schedule.
Although there were several hurdles throughout the Yellow
Garage project, the revisions of the structural system saved 20%
of the overall project cost and reduced the construction schedule
by a year. The garage was completed in time for the opening of
the T5 terminal.
Architect, Civil and MEP Engineer
STV Inc., New York (AISC Member)
Structural Engineer
Simon Design Engineering LLC, Wellesley, Mass. (AISC
Member)
Steel Fabricator and Erector
The Berlin Steel Construction Company, Inc., Kensington,
Conn. (AISC Member)
{ }
Toward Parking Automation
With the advancements in materials handling and robotics
made in recent years, providing each client with a customized,
optimal solution to meet individual parking needs is no longer
restricted to traditional solutions. Solutions to parking have
advanced signicantly over the decades, and that advancement
is gaining momentum.
Automated parking, often referred to as robotic parking, is
here and carries with it a myriad of benets. For example, with
the absence of oors, an automated facility may be implemented
under zoning code rules to avoid Floor Area Ratio (FAR) controls,
which limit the size of buildings, even for above-grade facilities.
Structural steel is the logical choice for automated parking
structures. Structural members are small and compact, which
increases the speed of construction, supports the elimination
of concrete oors, and potentially eliminates the need for re
ratings. Automated parking is also environmentally friendly.
The facilities provide small building and construction site foot-
prints, fewer structural and foundation elements, negligible
carbon footprints, low head heights that greatly reduce overall
building heights, and the ability to use a variety of green
faade options such as solar panels. All those benets and
every patron could have a wait time of just 60 seconds to
retrieve his or her car. To learn more about automated parking,
visit www.sde-us.com/docs/autoparking.htm.
photos by Simon Design Engineering

T
Convention centers bold architectural style is
supported by creative structural engineering.
One Challenge,
Several Answers
THE NEW IRVING CONVENTION CENTER at Las Colinas is at
the intersection of Northwest Highway and John Carpenter Free-
way in the heart of Las Colinas, Texas. It is visible from the Four
Seasons Resort and Club and its championship golf course, immedi-
ately across the highway, where the Byron Nelson Championship is
played every year. The city wanted to take advantage of this promi-
nent location with its high visibility to market the use of the facility.
The owners goals were to obtain statement architectural
expression and an identifable landmark structure with high vis-
ibility while maintaining optimal functionality of their marketable
space. The buildings architects, RMJM (formerly Hillier), pro-
vided a striking stacked and rotated design that accomplished the
owners goals in an exciting way.
The master site plan includes the convention center and park-
ing garage, along with a 350-room hotel and a 190-room boutique
hotel, due to complete construction in 2011, plus a future perform-
ing arts center, residential, and retail space. The lower podium con-
tains the main exhibit hall, along with offce and mechanical space.
The exhibit space is approximately 190 ft by 270 ft, column-free,
with 35 ft of clear headroom above the exhibit foor. The offce
space is divided between the main foor level and a mezzanine. The
mechanical space is on an additional mezzanine level above the
offce space.
The native soil in Las Colinas is highly expansive, with potential
vertical rise (PVR) values in excess of 5 in. However, because large
areas of the exhibit foor space are open, with no sensitive fnishes,
partitions, or doors, engineers used a mix of foundation systems for
the ground foor structure. In the large, open exhibit space, a slab-on-
grade foundation over 12 ft of moisture-conditioned soils was used.
This reduced the predicted heave due to expansive clay to 1 in. and
allows the exhibit foor to economically support 350 psf live loads. A
structured pan-joist system over a crawl space was used in the main
entry lobbies, prefunction space, frst foor offce space, and other
ground foor areas with sensitive fnishes and lower live load require-
ments to isolate the foor structure from the highly expansive soils.
The upper building structure contains two additional foor
levels. One level supports 20 meeting rooms, each approximately
1,000 sq. ft. Eight of the meeting rooms are created using move-
able partitions, which, when opened, create a 60-ft by 120-ft junior
ballroom to allow greater fexibility for use of the foor space. The
top foor is primarily for the main ballroom. The column-free ball-
room is approximately 115 ft by 180 ft, plus a separate prefunction
area. This level also contains the kitchen space and a mechanical
mezzanine. The elevated structure is rotated 20 from the orthog-
onal podium grid, causing the corners to cantilever out beyond the
lower building spaces.
BY GREG DIANA, P.E.
PHOTOS BY DATUM ENGINEERS

Between the podium and the upper structure, an outdoor ter-

race level connects to the ground level below and the meeting
level above via exterior stairways. This terrace level also cantilevers
above the two main glass entrances in the southwest and southeast
corners of the podium. An interior/exterior concrete elevator tower
serves all foors and creates part of the architectural expression.
The podium and elevated structures are clad on all sides with a
combination of embossed and perforated copper paneling. These per-
forations create a lantern effect on the south facade, causing the illu-
minated interior to shine through the perforations and silhouetting
the exterior steel structure behind the copper panels. The perforations
also create a view from the interior to the surrounding skyline.
Engineering Considerations and Project Goals
Two key goals had to be met to make this project a success:
Meet the owners budget challenges while providing the archi-
tects unique design, without sacrifcing building performance
or functionality.
Provide the building to the owner in time for the required
opening date.
Early in the design phase of the project, the building construc-
tion cost estimates exceeded the owners construction budget of
$85 million by 25%. The design team needed to eliminate cost
from the building without impacting the function of the various
building spaces and uses. During this phase, engineers worked to
economize several key areas of the structure.
Additionally, the owner wanted to begin preselling the space up to
two years prior to the building opening date. This required a commit-
ment from the entire design and construction team to meet the aggres-
sive opening date long before construction documents were issued.
The structural engineer worked with the owner and design
team to create a strategy for achieving both of these goals, while
also improving the buildings performance.
Solution 1: Long-Span Elevated Floor Structure
The stacked-and-rotated design meant that multiple foors, plus
the roof, would have to be supported above the column-free exhibit
space on the frst foor. In order to achieve this, Datum-Gojer pro-
posed a system of long-span trusses on a 30-ft module. The trusses
span the 190-ft direction of the exhibit foor.
Greg Diana, P.E., is a structural engi-
neer in the Dallas offce of Datum
Engineers. He joined the frm in 1999
and currently serves as project manager.
His project experience includes conven-
tion centers, healthcare, churches, and
higher education facilities. Greg holds
a bachelors degree in civil engineering
from the University of Texas at Austin.
This deep catenary-like truss is one of three spanning the 190-ft
direction of the new Irving Convention Centers exhibit oor.
The initial pricing was based on conventional truss shapes of
various depths, up to 20 ft. It quickly became apparent that this
concept would require more steel and possibly not achieve adequate
defection and vibration performance. It would also require A993
Grade 65 high-strength steel, which would need to be imported.
Given the lead time for the high-strength steel and the cost associ-
ated with the extra tonnage, these conventional structural systems
negatively impacted both the budget and the construction sched-
ule. In order to make the supporting structure deeper, the building
would have to grow taller vertically, which would create additional
cost in copper skin and mechanical systems for heating and cooling
the larger volumes.
The engineer began exploring structural steel options that
would both eliminate the need for imported steel and reduce the
tonnage. The frst proposal was to use a set of segmented catenary
trusses. Rather than being limited to the space below the meeting
level and above the 35-ft exhibit headroom, this proposal would
extend the structural system to the ballroom level, creating a struc-
tural system that would be 35 ft deep rather than 20 ft deep. The
added depth also would improve vibration and defection perfor-
mance. The primary disadvantage of this system was the disruption
that the catenary chord would cause to the meeting room foor
spaces, which the architect would need to work around.
The second proposal was to use arch trusses that would extend
to the underside of the ballroom level, similar to the catenaries.
This system had similar advantages to the catenarysimilar steel
tonnage required, improved defection performance over conven-
tional truss systems, and all domestically-produced steel. The main
disadvantage was also the samethe overhead arch chord would
disrupt foor space on the meeting level.
The solution was to use a combination of these two truss
options. The majority of the foor is supported by three catenary
trusses, spaced at 30 ft to 60 ft on center, along with one arch truss
at one end. The catenary truss chords are located between meet-
ing rooms and in back-of-house spaces and away from useful foor
space. This approach coordinated the structural and architectural
requirements to reduce the disadvantage of the deeper catenary
trusses. On the west end of the foor, the catenary would have
extended outside the building; therefore, the arch was used on this
end. This combined solution eliminated approximately $3 million
from the construction budget and allowed the use of all domesti-
cally available structural steel, while also improving defection and
vibration performance. In order to reduce sway due to unbalanced
live loading conditions, additional diagonal bracing was provided
within the truss, below the meeting room level and in the exposed
exhibit ceiling space.
The 20 rotation of the upper portion of the Irving Convention Cen-
ter with respect to its base creates a stunning, signature presence,
leveraging its high-visibility location.

Solution 2: Long-Span Roof Structure
The second challenge was to reduce the required tonnage on
the four perimeter trusses clad in copper and supporting the high
roof. The rotated grid at the upper structure caused the four cor-
ners of the building to cantilever beyond their supports. The layout
of the occupied spaces also greatly reduced the number of support
locations that extend to the ground without interrupting the various
occupancies within the building. Finally, three of the four corners
are upturned and all four corners cantilever, and the architectural
look prevented the use of supports at the corners.
After studying column opportunities on each foor, four column
locations were identifed that would make the box stable. However,
the southeast face of the elevated structure remained unsupported,
spanning almost 300 ft. To reduce this span and improve defection
performance, a ffth support was needed. Datum-Gojer decided
to make use of the architecturally exposed concrete elevator core.
Using a truss to cantilever from an interior column, over the con-
crete elevator core, and out to the southeast face of the elevated
structure reduced the span of the southeast truss to 190 ft.
Three catenary trusses support the majority of the oors above the
exhibit hall, with an arch truss at the end of the building where the
catenary would have extended outside the building.
The concrete elevator core provides a fth support point on the
south side of the structure, reducing the required truss span from
300 ft to just 190 ft.
Given the exposed nature of the exterior trusses from the inte-
rior and through the perforated copper cladding from the exterior,
the architect was greatly interested in the exterior appearance of
the trusses. The truss web members needed to be coordinated with
the regularly-spaced copper panel joints as well as the randomly
located column supports. Over several weeks involving both archi-
tectural and structural input, a truss layout was devised that met
both the structural and the architectural requirements.
Because each of the four corners cantilever, the bottom chord is
in compression and requires midspan support. However, the four
perimeter trusses extend below the ballroom level but not to the
meeting room level, with the steel below that cantilevering beyond
the structural bottom chord. The bottom chord of the truss is pulled
away from the fourth foor structure, so struts were used to brace the
compression segments of the bottom chord back to the structure.
These trusses vary in overall depth from 20 ft to 62 ft, with
a maximum structural depth of 42 ft. The upper box is 282 ft by
296 ft, and the longest cantilever is 117 ft. By working directly
with the architect, Datum-Gojer was able to reduce the structural
cost by more than $600,000 while keeping the buildings exterior
appearance intact.
Solution 3: Terrace and Main Entries
Early architectural renderings of the two main entries showed
the entry glass spanning from the ground foor to the sofft of
the terrace level without additional structural backup. While the
most economical way to frame this would have been to introduce
structural columns behind the glass to create a conventional beam-
and-column foor system, the added elements would have greatly
disrupted the architectural appearance. To avoid the additional
columns, the engineer proposed to cantilever the foor structure
at these two corners.
Cantilevering the oor structure over the two main entries allowed
the area to remain column-free.

Because the longest cantilever is approximately 153 ft, the bot-
tom chord of the truss would see a signifcant compression force.
The bottom chord of the trusses also creates the sofft of the entry
and braces the copper cladding and entry glass under wind load-
ing. Therefore, a horizontal bracing truss was provided in the sofft
behind the main bottom chord to reduce the unbraced length of
the main truss cantilever bottom chord and to take the imposed
wind forces. A 3-in. defection joint was provided at the head of
the curtain wall to isolate the glazing system from the long canti-
lever support structure above. This system allowed the architect to
economically maintain the desired appearance at the primary front
door to the building.
Solution 4: Long Spans and Vibration Control
The long-span foor support conditions created a need for seri-
ous study of vibration. The engineer, along with the contractor
and steel fabricator, reviewed and considered several structural
foor-framing systems: normal weight versus lightweight concrete
foors, purlins spaced at 7ft 6 in., 10 ft, and 15 ft, and conventional
wide-fange versus castellated beams. The vibration performance
for the meeting room and ballroom occupancy and building uses
also needed to be weighed against the costs associated with provid-
ing a stiffer structural system.
The engineer proposed using castellated beams at 15 ft spacing
with a lightweight concrete slab. This system provides improved
vibration performance for the same structural cost as a similar
wide-fange system. The lightweight concrete slab could be thinner
than a normal weight slab and still achieve the required two-hour
fre separation. This change alone resulted in signifcant savings to
the overall project because the heavier, normal weight foors would
have required more steel tonnage and larger, deeper piers. Addi-
tionally, the increased purlin spacing reduced the number of steel
pieces, decreasing fabrication and erection time while improving
vibration performance.
Solution 5: The Fast Track Process
At the end of the design development process, the design team
met with the owner, contractor, and steel fabricator to discuss the
budget and the remaining schedule. The contractor stated that to
meet the owners required opening date, the building would need
to be issued for construction in just seven weeks. Given the level of
completion of the design at that time, along with the complexity of
the building, everyone agreed that was an impossible task.
While brainstorming ways to meet the owners schedule, the
engineer noted that certain elements of the project were time-
critical. In particular, the concrete and foundation elements required
only a minimal amount of time from design to construction, while
structural steel procurement, fabrication, and delivery would
require far more lead time. Additionally, not all of the steel would
be required on the frst day of construction as steel erection was
scheduled to take several months. The length of time between the
frst steel order and the last steel delivery allowed the steel to be
issued in multiple packages.
The design and construction team agreed to issue a minimum
of 60% of the steel tonnage for mill order within the contractors
seven-week window. Engineers worked with the steel fabricator
to determine the longest lead items for fabrication, while also
working to complete and provide steel based on the sequence of
erection and the erection timeline provided by the steel erector.
Through this process, the engineer was able to issue 90% of the
steel tonnage in the frst mill order package.
The mill schedules indicated that certain shapes would be clos-
ing well ahead of the seven-week window. In particular, column
sections in the W1490 through W14132 group would close at
the end of four weeks. The following week, W36231 through
W36441 would close. These two early mill closings meant that
design of columns and foor trusses would need to be completed
after only four and fve weeks, respectively.
Subsequent to the mill order package, the design team issued sev-
eral other advanced bid, permit, and construction packages, includ-
ing foundations, concrete, and miscellaneous metals. The engineer
also issued weekly detailing packages, one sequence per week, for the
mill-ordered steel until the fnal Issued For Construction package
was sent. This process allowed the steel fabricator to begin issuing
shop drawings well ahead of the for-construction drawings. Approx-
imately 15% of the steel on the project was reviewed, approved, and
in fabrication prior to the fnal construction package.
Conclusion
The project is currently under construction and on schedule to
be completed in January 2011. The solutions provided by Datum-
Gojer were instrumental in maintaining the construction schedule.
In addition, the construction cost was signifcantly reduced from
the original construction cost estimates. The building is now well
within budget, and the structural solutions played a key role in
achieving the necessary savings in addition to contributing to the
owners desire for an identifable landmark facility.
Owners Representative
Beck Group, Dallas
Architect
RMJM (formerly Hillier), Princeton, N.J.
Structural Engineer
Datum Gojer Engineers, LLC, Dallas (Datum Engineers and
Charles Gojer & Associates)
Steel Fabricators
North Texas Steel, Fort Worth, Texas (AISC Member)
W&W Steel, Oklahoma City, Okla. (AISC Member)
Steel Erector
Bosworth Steel Erectors, Inc., Dallas (AISC, IMPACT and SEAA
Member)
Many of the convention centers steel connections, particularly in
the perimeter trusses, are very complicated.

T
Achieving a top LEED rating was only one of the goals in this
project to reclaim a desolate industrial site.
THE SKYLINE ON THE EAST SIDE of the Tacoma (Wash.)
Foss Waterway has had an extreme makeover. Instead of petro-
leum tanks and bare ground, now there is a beautiful steel struc-
ture visible from downtown Tacomathe Center for Urban
Waters. The building started taking shape when steel erec-
tion began in August 2009. More than 510 pieces of steel were
erected in just seven days. The placement of the last piece of
steel was celebrated with a small topping out ceremony and the
traditional tree was placed on the top of the building. Given the
green nature of the building, a live tree was used and then
planted off-site.
The Center for Urban Waters is an approximately 51,205
sq.-ft three-story offce and laboratory building including a
public esplanade, a pier, and a foating dock. Urban Waters has
been among the highest priorities for Tacoma City Council over
the past few years. The structure houses the citys Environmen-
Making Platinum
Out of Steel
BY NINA KRISTEVA, P.E.
Nina Kristeva, P.E., is AISCs West

Coast regional engineer. Her previ-
ous experience includes positions at
RAM International and Bentley
Systems as well as the structural
engineering frm Enwright Asso-
ciates Inc. She can be contacted at
kristeva@aisc.org.
Value engineering efforts resulted in the use of steel framing
system, lightening the structure and speeding construction.
The new structure brings functionality and beauty to an area
close to town that had been simply an industrial landscape.
C
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Perkins+Will
Nov10_CUW.indd 40 10/11/2010 11:02:00 AM
tal Services Department, researchers from
the University of Washington-Tacoma, and
staff from the Puget Sound Partnership, a
new state agency charged with restoring
the health of Puget Sound.
The project posed challenges, as city
offcials wanted it to be a cutting-edge
green building achieving LEED Plati-
num certifcation, which is the USGBCs
highest rating for sustainable and environ-
mentally friendly structures, while staying
within its price tag. The maximum budget
of $40 million approved by the council in
December 2007 had swelled to $50 million
by late March 2008. City staff and project
partners went to work scaling back the
design through an extensive value engi-
neering process. More than 80 design fea-
tures were considered for changes.
One of the major value engineering
goals was to lighten the building in order
to reduce the cost of the pile foundations,
said Devin Kleiner, project designer and
construction administration architect with
Perkins+Will. That was when steel fram-
ing was selected to replace the original
concrete design.
The fnal structural design incorporated
the use of steel framed construction with
composite steel wide-fange beams with
concrete topped metal deck foor slabs.
Special concentrically braced steel frames
are used to resist lateral forces from wind
and seismic loads.
This resulted in signifcant cost savings
not only through reduced structure costs
but also through a shortened construction
schedule, said Ken Leland, AHBL proj-
ect structural engineer. AHBL worked in
Revit as its building information model-
ing (BIM) platform to facilitate structural
framing analysis iterations. It also was used
to coordinate the structural framing system
requirements with the architect for confict
resolution and the electronic data transfer
with the steel fabricator for detailing and
fabrication of the structural steel elements,
which contributed signifcantly to the
reduced schedule.
Steel went up in seven days, said
Kleiner, with no hitches.
The natural ventilation and architec-
tural design features in many areas are
facilitated by architecturally exposed steel
structure. A major goal was to expose sys-
tems and provide a humble transparent
environment, Kleiner said. Exposing the
structural frame was part of this process.
Replacing the concrete framing system
with steel as a result of the value engineer-
ing process allowed the critical program-
ming needs to be met while maintaining
the goal of attaining LEED Platinum cer-
tifcation and bringing the project back
within the construction budget.
Owner/Developer
LORIG Real Estate Development &
Management Services, Seattle
Architect
Perkins+Will, Seattle
Structural Engineer
AHBL, Inc. Tacoma, Wash. (AISC
Member)
Steel Fabricator
Precision Iron Works, Pacic, Wash.
(AISC Member)
Steel Erector
Evergreen Erectors, Lynnwood, Wash.
(IMPACT Member)
General Contractor
Turner Construction Company, Seattle
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H
Constantly updating vendor-supplied
loading information allows engineers to stay
just ahead of fabrication and construction.
HOW FAST CAN YOU DELIVER a project from schematic to
owner occupancy? If given the chance to design a building in
a complete vacuum, could you deliver faster than 99.9% of all
projects? Could you achieve this speed while also maintaining a
least cost scope mentality and streamlining an effcient design?
Oh, I may have forgotten to mention this facility isnt a typical
$150-sq.-ft offce; this is a $900-sq.-ft complex fll-fnish facil-
ity. Project success will hinge on orchestrating an entire team
to work in unison, from design through construction. Are you
ready for the challenge?
This was the setting and challenge the design-build team for
a biotherapeutic companys new fll-fnish facility was presented
with in December 2006. The goal was to attain full occupancy of
the 290,000-sq.-ft facility within 24 months. To accomplish that
required a full commitment to teamwork by every individual on
the project site. Team members would only be able to move fast
if they moved together, emphasizing that every individual on the
project was accountable not just for his or her own specialty, but
for the overall success of the projects delivery.
Located in the Pacifc Northwest, the facility resides on 12.5
acres of a 75-acre site and is a super-block of fve separate build-
ingsmanufacturing, warehouse, distribution center, adminis-
tration building, and a central utility plant. All are designed to
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, includ-
ing its Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP), for
the fnal manufacture, packaging, and shipping of pharmaceuti-
cal products. Work began frst on the distribution center and
continued through each of the other four major components,
A
Timed-
Release
DesignBY CRAIG EI ENSEL, P.E., LEED AP

Bottom: Concrete pump nozzles were detailed at the bottom of
each brace, and the braces were filled from the bottom up. The
nozzles were removed and the braces were patched per the protec-
tion zone requirements.
Top: A gravity-fed system works great from a process planning stand-
point. However this system arrangement locates the heaviest equip-
ment on the top floor, which makes seismic design quite interesting.
Middle: The site during July 2007 had steel being erected and foun-
dations being poured. While structural drawings were completed
months before, the balance of the design team was just completing
CDs.
Craig Weisensel, P.E., LEED AP, is a

structural engineer at Flad Architects.
He has more than 12 years experience
in delivering a wide range of projects,
including design-build, ranging from
biotech research and manufacturing
facilities to heavy industrial manufac-
turing facilities. He can be reached at
cweisensel@fad.com.
The flexibility of structural steel allowed easy integration of unique
design features, such as projecting conference rooms along the
main street corridor.

The SCBF connection and gusset plate was dramatically smaller than
typical because of the benefits of concrete-filled tubular braces.
erecting the entire steel structure, totaling 5.4 million lb, in only
six months time. In the end, the team delivered the fnished facil-
ity to the owner two months ahead of schedule, a combined effort
totaling one million construction hours.
Structural Steel Team
Critical path elements included the concrete, steel structure, and
skin of the building. Due to a combination of the aggressive proj-
ect schedule and the time of year in which construction began, the
critical path focused directly on structural steel. The fall rainy season
would be approaching and the building needed to be enclosed as
quickly as possible, causing the fabrication and erection of steel to
become a main driver. For every day lost on the critical path, days
also would be lost on the entire projects master schedule.
While the overall design effort was only beginning in late 2006,
the general contractor realized that because of the shorter than usual
schedule the steel fabricator, erector, and detailer would have to be
brought onboard almost immediately to begin work with the design
team. Although a nontraditional approach, this decision ultimately
would aid in both team communication and speed of delivery.
With the opportunity of early engagement in the project, the
fabricator, erector, and detailer were able to work directly with the
design team to fnd effciencies in design and fabrication. These
included opting for custom seismic bracing and designing to use
readily available materials, resulting in quicker erection of the steel
structure. Many coordination meetings took place with the design-
build team and steel contractors to understand the scope, schedule
and plan.
As design was still progressing, the fabricator worked with steel
service centers to fnd the materials availability and used mill rolling
schedules to establish overall lead times. It was determined that between
the steel fabrication schedule and overall project timeline the procure-
ment process needed to begin only weeks into the design effort.
At only six weeks into the design process the structural team had
The SCBF frame connections at the foundation were designed in
accordance with AISC 341-05. Do you still call it a shear lug if you
use a W14x193?

calculated the tonnage of steel for the fve
buildings and produced material take-off
lists for the fabricator. The take-off allowed
the fabricator to order the billets to ensure
the entire tonnage of steel would be available
and delivered on time so fabrication could
start on schedule. The team was locked into
a project tonnage, including billets, at sche-
matic level of drawings. Even though pur-
chasing steel at schematic design level seems
entirely too early, this decision was critical to
maintaining the overall delivery schedule.
Custom Seismic Design for
Performance
Another unique aspect of this proj-
ect was the use of custom seismic design
requirements, above code minimum, to
meet the risk mitigation needs of the owner.
Even though the seismic requirements in
the Pacifc Northwest are moderately high,
the owner desired to increase the standards
for this building above the code minimum
requirements. The end result was a seis-
mic design level comparable to a building
located in the highest seismic zone.
A proprietary system such as buckling-
restrained braced frames (BRBF) would
have been ideal for this application. How-
ever, through previous experience with
BRBF, the design team realized that the
constraints of the schedule would not allow
enough time to design and coordinate this
type of system.
The team needed a lateral system that
would not only perform as needed for the
custom seismic design requirements, but
also be readily available to fabricate and
erect. The ultimate solution to this chal-
lenge was to use hollow structural sec-
tion HSS1212
3
8 concrete-flled tubular
braces. This system met the special seismic
requirements while also providing a solu-
tion to keep the critical path fabrication
and erection on schedule.
The tubular braces that would even-
tually contain the concrete were shipped
hollow to the job site. Each brace was frst
lifted into place, then flled with concrete.
A nozzle attached in the shop to each brace
simplifed the work of flling the braces in
the feld. Flowable concrete was pumped
into the brace from the bottom end ensur-
ing consolidation and preventing voids
within the concrete. The nozzle was then
Close coordination was required with
the structural steel fabricator/detailer
for the layout of each brace connection.
Shop drawings were shared electroni-
cally to expedite the review and allow
instant approval.

removed and the area repaired per the pro-
tected zone requirements.
The concrete-flled tubes offer supe-
rior characteristics beyond typical braces
including:
Increased number of cycles before
brace failure.
Changes in local buckling mode,
reducing the severity and delaying the
occurrence of cracking.
Reduced local buckling.
Composite design allows for smaller
HSS brace sizes.
The effciency of this brace also reduced
the overall area of steel required in each
brace, which in turn greatly reduced the
brace connections required to meet AISC
341-05, 13.3. The concrete-flled tubular
brace system was a perfect compliment to
the overall special concentrically braced
frame (SCBF).
The sequencing of brace construction
was planned specifcally around the critical
path. The concrete flling was a feld activ-
ity, instead of a fabrication process, there-
fore removing a step from the critical path
for brace fabrication. As a result, the con-
tractor gained foat time to manage these
secondary activities being done simultane-
ously with the critical path.
Overall Team Coordination
As the overall building design effort was
fnishing the design development stage, the
steel design was already nearing comple-
tion, the fabrication process was under
way, and foundations were being poured.
Steel began arriving on site even before the
fnishing touches were put on the design.
The schedule of this project simply did not
allow the team the luxury of taking one step
at a time. Instead, the different pieces of the
building complex were constructed and fn-
ished as they were ready. Design informa-
tion was constantly being updated for the
complex formulation and production pro-
cess and the structural team was taking any
new or expanded information and validat-
ing the overall structural design.
A specifc example of the coordination
necessary between the design and steel team
members was planning for and installing the
lyopholizera two-story piece of equip-
ment weighing more than 90,000 lb. Sup-
ported on the facilitys second level, it has a
pendulum piece that hangs below through
the foor. Other pieces of equipment with
special structural needs included isolators
with 400 psf footprints and formulation
equipment with independent platforms.
Accommodations had to be made for the
proper support and installation of these spe-
cialty pieces. In this effort, the structural engi-
neer and architect helped defne datum point
{

}
Project Snapshot
$400 million total project cost
2,700 tons of steel
3 months from start to rst IFC steel
package issued
5 months from start of design to
ground breaking
7 months from start of design to
erecting steel
24 months from concept design to
mechanically complete
17 weekly standing meetings
1 million construction hours worked
520 trade workers on site at height
of construction
Very safe site94% better than
industry standards

locations for locating the equipment in the building and developed
support infrastructure (platforms) for all process equipment, working
closely with the process engineer on the maintenance requirements.
All equipment was validated and real-time updates were passed
on to the steel team through constant communication. The struc-
tural engineer was also on site daily for the majority of steel erection
to expedite problem solving and coordination.
Unique Site Safety Considerations
The steel team began work on the facility with the structure of
the Distribution Center and continued across the complex to build
each of the other facets. As soon as each major section of the struc-
ture was erected, work began to outft the interior. At the height
of the project, workers were setting steel and tying rebar on one
side of the site while on the other side, foors were being laid and
plumbing and electrical components were being installed.
Due to the large number of different trades working on the
site at any given time, along with the fact that many of them rarely
interact on a typical job site, the general contractor took heightened
measures to communicate the existing and potential hazards to all
personnel. A full-time quality manager documented daily pre-task
plans, weekly safety meetings, and strict on-site safety rules were
some of the tactics used to ensure everyone was aware of their sur-
roundings and committed to keeping the giant site a safe place to
work. As a result, accidents were kept to a minimum, resulting in a
site that was 94% better than the industry standard.
BIM Coordination: Design = Model = As-Built
Another notable aspect of this job was the use of BIM to coor-
dinate design and construction. The speed at which the project
progressed demanded that all trades were fully coordinated, and
that there were no conficts in the feld. Weekly BIM clash coor-
dination meetings were held to ensure the design remained con-
fict free and could be constructed without issue. The construction
schedule was dependent on the design team resolving issues before
they became feld construction problems.
The BIM coordination effort moved on a path that matched
the overall construction sequence of the building. Conficts were
resolved using an effcient methodology and hierarchy from critical
and essential elements down to backup and secondary elements. The
BIM team was able to coordinate all MEPP (Mechanical/Electrical/
Plumbing/Process) trades to ensure that all conficts were avoided
and that each discipline effciently used available space to create a
full building design that was effcient and confict free.
The behind-the-scenes activity of BIM coordination was instru-
mental to the overall success of the project.
Making It Happen
Overall, the aggressive schedule required a total team approach
and close collaboration. Various experts from disciplines including
planning, architecture, process design, and engineering, collaborated
with the owner to optimize innovation, minimize cost, and provide
a holistic design approach. Approximately $12.5 mil-
lion in savings was recognized through this approach.
Additional savings were recognized by having the
contractor assume responsibility for the on-site feld
coordination of the process design and installation.
Construction of the foundation and fabrication of
the steel began only months into the overall design
effort, experiencing no major issues through the end
of construction. By coordinating at every stage of the
process to confrm the validity of assumptions, the
design team was able to maintain the necessary pace
of design and construction. A key element was the
ability of the team, as a whole, to come together in
the design of this facility. As expressed by the general
contractor, we would either succeed as a group or
fail as a groupthere could be no individuals on this
project. We had to work to understand each other
and get there together.
In the end, the engineering of the buildings was
completed in 7.9 months. According to industry stan-
dard information from Independent Project Analy-
sis Inc., this is faster than 99.99% of projects deliv-
ered. Considering the complexities of a $400 million,
290,000-sq.-ft, high-tech pharmaceutical manufactur-
ing facility, the speed and success of the design-build
team was a remarkable feat.
Architect and Structural Engineer
Flad Architects, San Francisco and Madison, Wis. (AISC
Member)
Structural Steel Fabricator
Columbia Wire & Iron Works, Inc., Portland, Ore. (AISC
Member)
Steel Erector
Carr Construction, Portland, Ore. (IMPACT Member)
General Contractor
Hoffman Construction Co., Portland, Ore.
Structural Software
Ram Structural Systems/Ram Connection, AutoCAD/Revit,
Navisworks
New codes always bring a new surprise to the construction industry. Protected
zones, as required by AISC 341-05 required coordination with all trades to
ensure compliance.

M
AISC staff members share tales and photos
from a variety of events across the nation.
Field Reports on
SteelDay 2010
MORE THAN 8,000 PEOPLE attended about 200 free events
across the U.S. on September 24 for the second annual national
SteelDay. Hosted by the American Institute of Steel Construction
(AISC), its members, and other affliated organizations, SteelDay
is the structural steel industrys largest networking and educational
event for the design and construction community. Building on the
success of last years inaugural event, this years SteelDay nearly
doubled its number of in-person attendees (not including live
webinar attendance) and added dozens of event locations.
Additionally, for this years SteelDay AISC partnered with
national and international affliated organizations: American Gal-
vanizers Association, National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association,
Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, and Promozione Acciaio
in Italy. Together the organizations brought dozens of other rela-
tionship building events and seminars to the design and construc-
tion communities across the world.
Architects, engineers, contractors, university faculty and stu-
dents, government offcials, and the general public visited steel
mills, fabricators, service centers, galvanizers, and other steel facili-
ties to network and witness advanced technologies in action. It
was a great opportunity for designers and others to see frst-hand
how the structural steel industry is building high-performance and
sustainable projects, said AISC president Roger E. Ferch, P.E.
Steel facilities throughout the country opened their doors for
tours, open houses, demonstrations, presentations and other cel-
ebratory activities. A number of event hosts partnered together to
offer tours of multiple facilities that showcased various aspects of
the steel supply chain and types of careers available in engineering
and construction.
This event gives those specifying a better feel for the product
and more respect for the process, said Jane Powell with Walter P
Moore. She attended SteelDays North Texas Integrated Tour that
took attendees through a steel mill (Gerdau Ameristeel), a service
center (Metals USA), a structural steel fabricator (Qualico Steel
Company, Inc.), and a galvanizer (Sabre Galvanizing).
PKM Steel Service, a fabrication facility in Salina, Kan., offered
facility tours, booth displays, and engineering seminars and
attracted the largest SteelDay crowd with more than 1,000 attend-
ees. First-time SteelDay attendee Ernest Wilcher was quoted in
the Salina Journal: A friend invited me to come out and I was curi-
ous. He told me about what they work with so I wanted to see the
process. I never knew where PKM was located. You hear about
other manufacturers but when I saw this, I was like, Wow. I want
to see this factory in operation.
Smaller SteelDay events provided valuable time for relation-
ship building. Structural steel fabricator AFCO Steel in Little
SteelDay 2010 at AFCO Steel, Little Rock, Ark.

Rock, Ark., brought in 12 attendees to its event for a shop tour

and educational session. All of our guests were our VIPs,
commented Kevin Reynolds, sales and estimating manager at
AFCO Steel. We gave them a better understanding of what
goes into fabricating structural steel.
One of SteelDays highly interactive events was an Equip-
ment Rodeo hosted by Topping Out Inc., Omaha, Neb.
Visitors of all ages and professional backgrounds experienced
what it takes to be an ironworker by operating cranes through
pylon obstacle tests, torch cutting steel plates, participating in
welding training, and bolting structural steel.
Our specifc industry often goes unseen in the commu-
nity and SteelDay is a great way for people to take part in the
world we live in everyday, said Michael A. Naccarato, P.E.,
Topping Outs chief corporate engineer and director of train-
ing/standards. How many students and others can say theyve
operated a crane? Were giving them a chance to try it.
In addition to connecting with local structural steel rep-
resentatives across the U.S., this years SteelDay featured live
webinars and new special events in New York City, Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
In New York City the Steel Institute of New York and
Owen Steel Company co-sponsored an evening presentation
on Building an Award-Winning Structure, followed by a
networking reception in the Samuel B. and David Rose Build-
ing at Lincoln Center Plaza.
SteelDay photos, videos, certifcates of attendance, and
more information can be found at www.steelday.org. Next
years SteelDay is scheduled for September 23, 2011.
Cruising the Chicago River
Many of those who over the years have
designed structures on both sides of, and over,
the Chicago River participated in a SteelDay net-
working cruise hosted by AISC. That afternoon I
met the engineer who designed the Columbus
Bridge over the Chicago Riverin 1972! Char-
lie Carter reunited with a former IIT professor,
Domingo Carreira, as did several other of his stu-
dents, including a former AISC engineer, Jacques
Cattan, who now works for Teng. It was great just
talking for a bit with Jacques, who was reecting
on how so much of his job has become project
management, and Domingo, who said that he is
and always will be an engineer.
At one point, the bartender told me one of the
guests said that this was the best seminar hes
ever been tothe view, the networking, etc.
Afterward about 30 people took us up on the
offer to tour of the AISC ofces, which overlook
the river. Chicago Rolled Metal Products George
Wendt also led a tour of nearby Millennium Park,
where his rm and others had worked on the vari-
ous structures. All in alla great success!
Monica Shripka,
AISC Upper Midwest Regional Engineer
Open House Features History and New Technology
Buckner Companies celebrated SteelDay with an open house
showcasing its new ofce building, the House of Steel. The
building reuses many steel pieces and artifacts from prior projects,
including a 15-ft-deep plate girder, one of the crane hooks used
to erect the original World Trade Center, and a weathering steel
bridge that Buckner had originally erected in 1972.
The function was well attended by various representatives of the
construction team including architects, engineers, fabricators, and
vendors. The program included a series of demonstrations including
a crane, metal deck attachment, bolts, crane safety, and how Buckner
uses GPS tracking of its equipment throughout the United States and
PDAs to perform timekeeping and provide other records from the
jobsite. The food was excellent and the networking opportunities
diverse, making for a very successful SteelDay event.
Roger E. Ferch, AISC President


Opening Doors Brings New Respect in the Northwest
Metals Fabrication Company, Airway Heights, Wash., hosted a
SteelDay event attended by more than 100 guests over the course
of the day. Attendees included students, architects, engineers,
contractors, city ofcials (including the mayor) and a news camera-
man from KHQ, the local television station.
Dressed in green SteelDay tee shirts, staff members were sta-
tioned at key points in each shop while others milled around with
the crowd to answer any questions.
One of the popular displays, labeled the Petting Zoo, was a
large plate display with sample materials and weld types that guests
could touch and examine. Also, prominently displayed signage told
the story of steels (and Metals Fabs) dedication to sustainability.
One logistically clever thing Metals Fab did was to have large
colored dot stickers next to the name badge stickers. By placing
the appropriate color on the name badge, you could quickly iden-
tify who was an architect, vendor, student, etc.
Airway Heights mayor Patrick D. Rushing said, We drive past
these big buildings every day, not really knowing what is done
here. This is a really nice event.
Ross Allbritton, AISC Northwest Marketing Representative
Town Rallies Round Steel Fabrication Shop

PKM Steel, Salina, Kan., is a large steel fabrication shop
in a small town. The rm made an early commitment to
SteelDay with a vision to make it the largest event in the
country, and they succeeded. There were more than 800
pre-registered attendees, the largest yet for a SteelDay
event. Neighbors, friends, local politicians, community
leaders, and building designers took the time to learn more
about this company and the steel industry in general.
Many companies that have business relationships with
PKM but had never visited the shop took this chance to
tour the facility and put faces with names. Attendees came
from as far away as California, Utah, and the Dakotas. Quite
a few made the drive from Kansas City and Denver. Many
students from area technical schools also attended.
Attendees toured the shop, and some attended one
of two classes on Innovations in Steela snapshot of the
structural steel construction industry in the U.S. Many visi-
tors were surprised to learn about the large projects that
PKM has worked onthe Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas, the
Denver International Airport, and Bartle Hall Convention
Center in Kansas City, to name but a few.
Erika Winters-Downey, AISC Regional Engineer
A Big Event in Texas

Fabricator Central Texas Iron Works (CTIW) opened its
doors to students from the local high school, local community
college and technical school, and the University of Texas (Aus-
tin) on SteelDay. The students that attended were enrolled
in either engineering, drafting, or business related courses.
The tour included a short overview presentation of the work
that CTIW performs, which are mainly industrial projects. The
tour continued to the fabrication shop, which is organized into
column, beam, brace, and miscellaneous fabrication bays and
also a bay that had robotic fabrication equipment where two
robotic arms were welding simple beams. Visitors also went
through the engineering department where they saw 3D
modeling/drafting and had the opportunity to ta k connec-
tions and details with CTIWs engineering department.
Chris McCauley, a drafting instructor at nearby Texas
State Technical College, said this tour taught his students
more in one day than he can cover in a semester, thanks to
just seeing real-world applications.
It was a great experience and even the Texas weather
cooperated with temperatures remaining below 100 F.
Erin Criste, Steel Solutions Center Advisor

{ }
Reecting on the Second SteelDay
When we rst started thinking about SteelDay, we werent sure what it would look like, what kind of participation
to expect or how it would all come together. We certainly didnt expect such a terric success our rst time out, in
2009, with more than 175 events across the country showcasing our industry.
Second time out, we had another issue to ponder: How do we improve the day and increase turnout? We neednt
have worried as the structural steel industry once again stepped up to the challenge and made SteelDay 2010 an
incredible success securing its place as the industrys largest educational and networking event, bar none.
In 2009 approximately 5,000 people attended 175 events in person, with another 2,000 or so attending online
events. This year, early estimates suggest we have virtually doubled our in-person attendance. Our event count this
year is at the 200 mark. In addition, our success has inspired other trade organizations and even other countries to
partner with us and widen the net for SteelDay. It seems, even in these dour economic times, we are giving people
what they want in terms of networking, educational and business opportunities. People want to see our industrys
facilities and our industry wants to show them off. Our message is that we are green, fast and economical and, as
of SteelDay, there are several thousand more people who know that, There is always a solution in steel.
My personal heartfelt thanks goes out to all the SteelDay hosts, both in the U.S. and around the world, to each of
our SteelDay partners, to our ever-enthusiastic AISC staff, and of course to the thousands of people who attended
events on September 24. Lets see what we can achieve on September 23 next year!
Chris Moor, AISC Industry Mobilization Director
A SteelDay Rodeo in Omaha
The SteelDay event at Davis Erection, a division of Topping Out,
Inc., gave a whole new meaning to the Interact element of the
SteelDay theme. The facilitys entire yard and shop area were set up
with various equipment and machinery stations for guests to learn
what it takes to be an ironworker and erect the structural steel for
buildings and other projects of all sizes.
The different stations gave attendees a rare chance to operate
cranes through pylon obstacle courses (the console said it had a
6,000-lb capacity at that reach), ride a SkyJack electric scissor lift to a
height of 50 ft, participate in torch-cutting contests (to see who could
cut a steel plate in the quickest amount of time), watch welding dem-
onstrations, walk steel beams with a harness and safety device, and
bolt structural steel. Guests could also take a tour of the facility.
Our SteelDay event offered a great opportunity for people to
experience the world we live in everyday, said Michael A. Naccarato,
P.E., chief corporate engineer and director of training/standards for
Topping Out, Inc. Everything that happens in steel erection in the
eld was there for people to participate in.
Everyone in the community was invited to participate in the days
activities (safety gear and provisions were provided). Throughout the
course of the day, close to 200 people attended, including families,
kids, industry professionals, and students.
Tasha OBerski, AISC Public Relations Specialist
Plenty of Steel Activities in St. Louis

On SteelDay, I spoke to more than 170 engineers and steel
industry professionals from Bi-State Fabricators Association in
St. Louis. We discussed the current economic climate and how
best to manage your business and various markets as we climb
out of these troubling times. Following that, Atlas Iron Works
hosted a fabulous event with more than 70 attendees touring
its facility, from the detailing ofce to the shop oor, to gain an
understanding of the efciencies and technology that a struc-
tural steel fabricator brings to the table.
Relationships were built and innovations were discussed, and
as people move forward on projects in the St. Louis area, I am
condent that more designers will bring their subcontractors,
such as Atlas Iron, to the table to benet from early involvement
with their fabricator.
In addition to the tour, Atlas offered welding booths where
attendees could attempt their best weld bead. Vendors such as
Hilti and St. Louis Screw and Bolt also were on hand to discuss
their products and how they t into the steel supply chain.
Tabitha S. Stine, AISC Director of Technical Marketing

ALL BUSINESSES ARE MADE UP of interconnected
processes intended to 1) identify a customers needs, and
2) produce products or services to fll those needs. To support
these core processes, many ancillary processes are required,
such as obtaining and managing capital, human and fnan-
cial resources, as well as setting strategy and monitoring how
well the business functions. Participation in a quality pro-
gram, such as AISC Certifcation, may offer the company a
way to systematically check its core and ancillary processes
to ensure they are meeting their customers needs and need
for quality. Program requirements will help the company
identify what should be defned by the design, purchasing
and production processes, as well as support processes such
as training, inspection, and calibration.
If you are a regular
reader of this column,
then you will be famil-
iar with Figure 1. The
Plan, Do, Check, Act
Cycle (PDCA) is a key
approach to systemic
quality. You begin with
planning your above
noted processes and
producing the prod-
uct according to these
processes. The third
component is to check how well the planning and doing
are working out. This is accomplished two ways: inspec-
tion checks on how well the product meets the customers
requirements and expectations, while auditing checks on
how consistently the processes of the quality management
system have been implemented.
By now, the reader probably realizes that we are three-
quarters of the way through the PDCA cycle, so what does
one do when inspection, audits, customer feedback, perfor-
mance indicators, etc., indicate there are problems with your
processes? This is the purpose of corrective action, and it
is something that many organizations struggle with. As an
example, suppose a problem is found and someone is given
a corrective action. Theres a high likelihood that the cause
will be identifed as human error and the solution will be
retraining, but theres also a high likelihood that the organi-
zation will waste its time doing that retraining. Why? Could
there be a better end result? What does human error mean
in this situation? Some examples might be:
The individual was working at an awkward angle dur-
ing the assembly process and didnt notice that it was
done incorrectly.
Lighting in the work area was too dim for the individual
to accurately read the drawings or instructions.
An important detail on the drawing or instruction
was ambiguous.
The individual did not know how to do the job well
because of poor training.
Now consider whether retraining will logically resolve
each of these. In the frst case, the work layout needs to be
changed; in the second, the level of lighting needs to be
adjusted; and in the third case, the process of detailing a draw-
ing needs to be revisedso only in the last case would training
be aligned to the cause. But even then we should question why
the training process didnt work well the frst time. Which of
the following may have contributed to the problem?
The training was not properly designed to teach the
required skills.
The trainer was not effective at conducting the training.
The trainee was suffering from a headache and couldnt
focus during the course.
The trainee does not have the cognitive or physical
skills to perform the job.
The point is that if the problem really is a training issue,
simply repeating the same training is unlikely to be of value
unless the reason for it not working well the frst time is
Quality Corner is a monthly feature that covers topics ranging from how to specify a certied company to how long it takes to
become a certied company. If you are interested in browsing our electronic archive, please visit www.aisc.org/QualityCorner.
Thinking Through Corrective Actions
BY DUKE OKES
Determining why corrective action is needed can keep your quality
management system on track.
quality corner
Duke Okes helps organizations imple-
ment systems to manage, measure and
improve organizational performance. He
is the author of Root Cause Analysis:
The Core of Problem Solving and
Corrective Action and can be reached at
www.aplomet.com
Fig. 1: PDCA cycle
ACT
PLAN
DO
CHECK

identifed and corrected. Likewise, human
error is a category of causes, not a specifc
cause that can be addressed without further
investigation.
The process of identifying the causes
for a specifc problem is called root cause
analysis (RCA). In order to help people
become more effective at RCA, an organi-
zation should consider one or more of the
following actions:
Document a specifc approach for
conducting an investigation, which
can be used as a guide. See Table 1 as
an example.
Train people to understand there are
different types of problem causes.
Table 2 lists different types of prob-
lem causes which might be found dur-
ing an audit.
Require problem investigators to doc-
ument their logic and fndings.
Encourage investigators to think about
problem causes at a deeper level. This
can be guided by questions such as:
What data or information indicated
the specifc cause? How was the right
solution selected? Were there other
contributing causes?
A fnal process intended to ensure that
the quality management system works
effectively is management review. This
is when performance of the system (e.g.,
based on customer feedback, audit fnd-
ings, corrective actions, process metrics,
etc.) is reviewed by top management. It
is important that the corrective action
process be evaluated carefully, looking at
issues beyond just how many corrective
actions were closed and how long it took.
The review also should look for how many
problems recur and how often the same
cause is found for different problems.
The corrective action process should be
more involved than just trying to close it
out. It should help the company determine
the actual cause of the problem, before it
hampers its production schedule, or worse,
reaches the customer. Research indicates
companies who take their quality manage-
ment system seriously and focus on the full
quality cycle get better results.
Step Questions to Answer
1. Dene the Problem What is the problem (what is happening/not happening)?
Where was it found?
When did it begin?
How many times did it happen?
2. Understand the Process What are the initial boundaries for the investigation?
What are the major process steps between the boundaries?
3. Identify Possible Causes Which steps of the process may have created the problem?
What changes may have been made in the process which may
have caused the problem?
What barriers might have failed to detect the problem earlier?
4. Collect Data What data could indicate that something did or did not cause
the problem?
Note: Consider interviews, observation, reviews of docu-
mentation.
Can the problem be re-created?
5. Analyze Data What possible causes does the data indicate did or did not
cause the problem?
Does the investigation need to go deeper (if so, return to Step 1)?
Type of Cause Example
Direct cause Individual misread drawing due to dim lighting in work area
System cause Lighting standards for work area not well dened
Contributing cause Individuals safety glasses were scratched
Detection failure Lack of monitoring for lighting levels
Table 1 Example of documenting an approach to investigation.
Table 2 Possible problem causes, referring to human error example.
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F R E E.

The Performance Basis for ASCE 7-10
New provisions set the guidelines for using a
performance-based design procedure.
FOR MANY YEARS, U.S. building codes have included an
alternative means and methods clause that permits the use
of design procedures and construction methods that are dif-
ferent from those specifed under the prescriptive provisions
of the code. This clause has permitted the pioneering use of
many important innovations that were later adopted under
the prescriptive provisions including: high-strength low alloy
steels, welded construction, high-strength bolted construc-
tion, seismic isolation, buckling-restrained braced frames, and
many others. In recent years, this same clause has served as the
basis for performance-based seismic design, a technique that
has become increasingly popular for the design of tall buildings
and other major structures.
Under the alternative means clause, the authority having
jurisdiction is permitted to approve any design or construc-
tion technique that can be demonstrated capable of providing
equivalent protection of the public as construction that fully
conforms to the prescriptive provisions. Unfortunately, the
building codes have never defned what constitutes equivalent
performance. Therefore design professionals invoking this
clause often have had to make arbitrary decisions in this regard,
sometimes resulting in a protracted approval process and often
leaving the design professional at considerable risk of liability.
The 2010 edition of ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads for Build-
ing and Other Structures, has taken a major step toward remedy
of this problem by adopting quantitative performance-based
design criteria into Chapter 1 of the standard.
Traditionally, ASCE 7, like the AISC Specifcation and other
industry specifcations, has recognized two basic methods for
design: Allowable Stress Design and Strength Design. ASCE
7-10 introduces a third, performance-based procedure that may
be used for the design of any structure and for any load condi-
tion, subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdic-
tion. Under the new procedure, the engineer must demonstrate,
through analysis, testing, or a combination of these, that the
structure is capable of providing reliability not less than that
obtainable using Strength Design procedures. Analysis must be
based on rational principals of engineering mechanics. Testing
must be suffcient to demonstrate the variability in structural
behavior and performance.
Importantly, two tables in the Commentary defne the mini-
mum acceptable reliability levels. Table C1.3.2a (reproduced
as Table 1 here) defnes the limiting acceptable failure rate
for a member or connection under combinations of dead, live,
wind, snow, and other loads, excluding seismic. Although never
before formally published, these failure probabilities for many
years have served as the notional basis for the strength load
combinations contained in ASCE 7 and the companion resis-
tance factors contained in the materials standards. In addition
to the failure probabilities, the table also indicates the reliability
factors () used in the formulation of resistance factors. Com-
panion commentary to Chapter 2 of the standard describes how
load and resistance factors can be formulated for new load cases
and structural elements consistent with the standard. Table
C.1.3.2b (reproduced as Table 2 here) defnes the reliability for
load combinations including seismic considerations.
Another signifcant change evident in the tables is that
ASCE 7 has changed the term Occupancy Category, used by
the building code for many years as a means of determining
required design conservatism, to Risk Category. This change
acknowledges that the purpose of these categories is to regu-
late the acceptable risk of failure for buildings, and that this
depends on other factors than just the structures occupancy,
including the number of persons endangered by a structural
failure. Under this concept, a utility structure, such as a water
treatment plant, that serves thousands of individuals, and which
has no redundant backup, would be assigned to
a higher risk category than one that serves a
limited number of people or is part of a system
containing many treatment plants that offer
system redundancy. Corresponding with this
change, the laundry list of building types that
were assigned to the different Occupancy Cat-
egories have been removed from the standard.
Commentary to the standard provides addi-
tional discussion on assignment of risk category.
However, engineers should be aware that the
building code still assigns Occupancy Category
and the codes requirements take precedence to
the standard in this regard. The standard notes
BY RONALD O. HAMBURGER, S.E.
standards
Ronald Hamburger is a senior principal with Simpson
Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) and heads SGHs western
regional structural engineering operations. He is a registered
structural engineer in California, Illinois, Utah and
Washington and holds Civil Engineering licensure in several
other states. He chaired ASCE/SEIs General Requirements
task committee during the 2010 cycle and was a member
of the Seismic Task Committee, Load Combinations Task
Committee and the Main Committee. He is a member of
AISCs Task Committee 9 Seismic Design and chairs the
Connection Prequalifcation Review Panel.

that where a building code is in effect, the
Risk Category assigned to a structure can-
not be less than the Occupancy Category
prescribed by the building code.
The inclusion of performance-based
design as a legitimate alternative to the tra-
ditional ASD and Strength Design proce-
dures is an important step forward. It is pos-
sible that in the next edition of ASCE 7 the
performance-based approach will appear as
the primary design method, with the ASD
and Strength procedures noted as acceptable
alternative deemed to comply methods.
In the future, the performance criteria pre-
sented in the standard likely will be expanded
to cover additional performance issues,
including failure of cladding and loss of func-
tion of electrical and mechanical equipment.
Consideration of these performance issues
already is covered in the standards wind and
seismic requirements; however, defnition of
the anticipated performance is lacking. The
Building Seismic Safety Councils Provisions
Update Committee already has initiated
work to begin quantifying these additional
performance goals.
Basis
Risk Category
I II III IV
Failure that is not sudden and
does not lead to wide-spread
progression of damage
P
f
= 1.2510
-4
= 2.5
P
f
= 310
-5
= 3.0
P
f
= 1.2510
-5
= 3.25
P
f
= 510
-5
= 3.5
Failure that is sudden or leads
to wide-spread progression of
damage
P
f
= 310
-5
= 3.0
P
f
= 510
-5
= 3.5
P
f
= 210
-6
= 3.75
P
f
= 710
-7
= 4.0
Failure that is sudden
and leads to wide-spread
progression of damage
P
f
= 510
-6
= 3.5
P
f
= 710
-7
= 4.0
P
f
= 2.510
-7
= 4.25
P
f
= 110
-7
= 4.5
Risk Category I and II
Total or partial collapse 10% given Maximum Considered effects
Failure that results in individual life endangerment 25% given Maximum Considered effects
Risk Category III
Risk Category IV
W
i
t
h

p
e
r
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

f
r
o
m

A
S
C
E
Table 1: Acceptable Reliability (maximum annual probability of failure) and associated
reliability indices () for load conditions that do not include seismic.
Table 2: Acceptable Reliability (maximum probability of failure) for load conditions that include
seismic.
W
i
t
h

p
e
r
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

f
r
o
m

A
S
C
E
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Ready for Prime Time?
A rst-hand look at the code-making process and how green
codes like the IGCC could affect how we make, fabricate and
design with structural steel.
PASSIONATE TESTIMONIAL. Improvisational skills. A
race against the clock. Those are probably not phrases that
you would typically associate with a building code but had
you been at the public comment hearings for the upcoming
International Green Construction Code (IGCC) this summer,
you would have witnessed all of them.
In case you havent heard of the IGCC, its a product of
the International Code Council (ICC) and an overlay code
to the International Building Code (IBC). As the name sug-
gests, its purpose is to develop building code language that
incorporates green or sustainability goals. The code will be
published in 2012.
The public comment hearings were the most recent step
in bringing the new code to fruition. For more than a week,
anyone who wanted to make their voice heard on the current
draft of the IGCC got their chance. People from every corner
of the construction industryarchitects, engineers, contrac-
tors, developers, local code offcials, trade organization rep-
resentatives, etc.convened at the Westin OHare hotel in
Rosemont, Ill., from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily for nine days to
express their opinions, live and in person, on the more than
1,500 comments that were submitted on the draft.
All comments were required to include reasons for their
proposed changes. Those who submitted comments were
not required to be present at the hearings, but more than
300 people attended throughout the week. For those who
could not, the hearings were broadcast live on the web.
Yay, Nay, Repeat
The hearings started on a Saturday morning. For this set
of hearings the process was expedited. Heres how the pro-
cess worked. A moderator oversaw the hearing process. For
each proposal the moderator stated the comment number,
and then asked if any of the attendees would like to speak
in favor of the comment. Anyone in favor then stepped up
to the microphone and was permitted up to two minutes to
state their reasons for agreeing with the comment. After all
testimony in favor was heardor the code committee had
heard enoughthe moderator then called for opponents to
be heard. Again, opponents had up to two minutes each to
state their reasons for disagreeing with the comment, and
again, the committee could hear all testimony or indicate
when theyd heard enough. All attendees were encouraged to
make their testimonials original and not repeat something a
previous speaker had stated.
The proponents/opponents stand directly in front of the
committee, made up of 14 architects, engineers, academics,
code offcials and construction professionals from across
the country. The entire hearing process was broadcast on
large screens on either side of the roomvaguely reminis-
cent of a Congressional hearing on C-SPAN. The styles of
testimony ranged from dramatic to passionate to robotic to
humorous. Some had prepared comments and were com-
pletely scripted, while others spoke from memory or off the
cuff. Some attendees who testifed became very familiar to
the room, particularly those representing organizations that
have a stake in each section of the code, and seem to have a
statement in favor of or against every single comment.
After the committee heard all comments, the committee
chair asked, as Roberts Rules of Order require, for motions
by the code development committee to approve or approve
as modifed or disapprove the comment. Motions were made
and seconded, committee members debated their reasons
for being in favor or against the comment and then the com-
ment was put to a vote. As there are 14 members on the com-
mittee, the chair cast the tiebreaking vote when necessary.
The process was repeated for each subsequent comment.
Comment types varied as widely as the testimonial styles.
Some suggested a complete overhaul or deletion of entire sec-
tions, while others called for the removal of one word or phrase.
Some recommended clarifcation on specifc language, while
others called for increased or reduced stringency in certain
areas. One could feel a certain rhythm to the whole process,
due to the protocol and the repetition of comments like, I am
in opposition to the motion because
BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER, LEED GA
sustainability
Geoff Weisenberger is AISCs direc-
tor of industry sustainability. You
can reach him at weisenberger@
aisc.org. You can also fnd out more
about steel and sustainability at
www.aisc.org/sustainability.

Comments approved at these hearings were forwarded to the
ICC staff for inclusion in the next version of the IGCC. As of
this writing, that version was scheduled for publication by Octo-
ber, with code change proposals due by January 3, 2011. Formal
code hearings are scheduled for May 16-22, 2011, in Dallas and
November 2-6, 2011, in Phoenix.
Steel Matters
Of course, representatives from AISCmyself and John
Crossand the American Iron and Steel Institute and its related
organizations were on hand to provide perspective from the steel
industry. These organizations supplied multiple comments and/or
spoke in favor or against comments that affected steel. There were
several noteworthy decisions.
The initial structure of the IGCC allowed each jurisdiction to
adopt the use of just the IGCC, or to allow either the IGCC or
ASHRAE Standard 189.1 as compliance options. A large number
of comments were received on this issue,
recommending that this be changed to
permit the building owner, or the building
owners design professional, the option to
choose which document to use to demon-
strate compliance.
The issue of units of measurement was
also debated. Where the current draft of the
code stated that building materials could be
measured by cost or mass, some comment-
ers wished to include any consistent unit of
measurement, such as volume. We were suc-
cessful in not having these changes included
on the basis that it is unclear how you would
measure the volume of, say, a hollow structural
sectioni.e., would the volume be the space
inside the section, the steel itself, or both?
Another area of signifcant discussion
related to the inclusion in the code of a
requirement for a whole-building life-cycle
assessment. Our concern was that while
LCAs are useful when performed properly,
they are certainly not at a point where they
are accurate enough to be incorporated
into code language. The end result was the
whole-building life-cycle assessments are
not mandatory.
One signifcant success for all building
materials involved giving each material an opportunity for full
credit as opposed to partial credit. The draft code language of
the materials chapter stated that at least 55% of the total building
materials used in the project, based on mass or cost, need to com-
ply with strict requirements relating to used materials, recycled
content, recyclability, bio-based materials or indigenous materials.
The kicker was that each material could only be applied to one of
those areas, which would mitigate against materials with multiple
sustainable attributes, such as steel. The code development com-
mittee approved the idea of allowing a material to be applied to
more than one category.
The Portland Cement Association proposed several changes,
which were extracted from PCAs own sustainability document.
The proposals mostly consisted of sprinkler requirements, struc-
tural loads and building heights and areas. All of the proposals
were disapproved on the basis that they promoted overbuilding or
that these same proposals already had been evaluated and rejected
when proposed as changes to the IBC.
AISC submitted a comment that a collaborative design pro-
cess involving early involvement of subcontractors (such as steel
fabricators) should be a requirement on all projects. While the
committee rejected this comment, they did note that it was a valid
comment and a good idea, but that it just wasnt ready for prime
time. (Many comments received this sort of treatment, with the
committee suggesting to the submitter that a comment be feshed
out a bit more, clarifed or tightened up, then submitted again for
the next round of comment hearings.)
At one point, a representative from the plastics industry sug-
gested that recycled content and recyclability requirements be
removed from the materials section of the code, stating that they
are moot since buildings are being built to last longer. Representa-
tives from several other building material industries were quick to
speak out against this comment and, luckily for steel, the commit-
tee rejected it across the board.
The Takeaway
Besides getting a look at the sometimes dramatic process of mak-
ing a code a reality, there are a few important lessons to be learned
from these hearings. The frst is this: green codes and standards are
real and theyre not going away. In case youre skeptical of this code
being passed in any jurisdiction, given its ostensibly more stringent
environmental requirements, realize that it already has been adopted
by one jurisdictiontwo years before its release. Richland, Wash.
People from every corner of the construction industry convened in October for nine long
days to express their opinions, live and in person, on the more than 1,500 comments
submitted on the draft IGCC.

became the frst city in the world to adopt
the IGCC as a non-mandatory document
for commercial buildings. Rhode Island is
also reviewing green codes, standards and
programs pursuant to a recent legislative
bill requiring state-funded projects to be
green by sometime in 2011 or when adop-
tion is completed. Your jurisdiction might
not be one of the frst to adopt this or any
future green codes, but there is a long-term
trend of green buildings progressing from
an environmentalists dream to rating sys-
tems like the LEED system to standards
like ASHRAE 189.1, Standard for the Design
of High-Performance Green Buildings, to
enforceable codes like the IGCC.
Second, you can be a part of the pro-
cess. Public comment hearings are just
that: public. Theyre not just for industry
organizations like AISC and AISI. While
we will certainly make an effort to fairly
share the perspective of the structural
steel industry, it is important for those
doing the actual design and construction
work to make their voices heard as well.
As fabricators, engineers and anyone else
interested in seeing a balanced and proper
approach to green buildings, you can and
should become involved in the process of
updating and creating green codes and
standards. (Visit www.iccsafe.org/igcc
for more on the IGCC.)
Third, whether or not you are a part of
the process, green codes and standards can
and will have an impact on how we design
and construct buildings and how we manu-
facture building materials. As green codes
proliferate and become stricter, they likely
will place more emphasis on the environ-
mental impact of different building materi-
als, and it will fall on the various stages in
the supply chain of every building material,
including structural steel, to lessen their
environmental impacts. Green codes also
will result in designers adding environmen-
tal goals to their list of criteria for making
material choices, and may well push them
to alter their design processes, thus altering
how they design with different materials.
Thats why it is important for those of us in
the steel industry to understand green codes
and make our voices heard and ensure that
the code-making powers that be are aware
that structural steel is an environmentally
friendly material that should be treated fairly
in any environmentally friendly building
code or standard.
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WHY ARE MEETINGS OFTEN the butt of work-
related jokes? Why do we sigh with distain when we see our
calendar loaded with meetings? Quite simply, many meetings
are poorly run, resulting in little or no specifc outcomes and
action items. Conversely, a well-run meetingwith clients,
prospects, subcontractors, industry peers in professional
associationsis actually considered a marketing and business
development plus. When clients participate in a productive
meeting led by their consulting engineer or architect, then it
bodes well for the overall client-professional experience.
Not all meetings are created equal. They vary in terms of
structural requirements, contexts (in person, by phone, in of-
fce/out of offce), and intentions. Meeting types in the AEC
industry include: 1. Short-term planning, for project teams;
2. Long-term planning, such as a senior leadership retreat;
3. Creative brainstorming, including design sessions with the
client; 4. Information transfer (data dump), such as a training
seminar, or an all-offce meeting where senior leadership
shares frm direction with the staff.
How can you, as a meeting leader or attendee, walk away
from the meeting feeling like it was time well spent? Time
is our most valuable asset, and meetings do not always re-
spectnor capitalize onour time and contributions. Take
it upon yourself to make a change.
As a Meeting Leader
Facilitation is the optimum word here. You are responsi-
ble for creating an environment in which the others can par-
ticipate, observe, and take-away. You facilitate others ability
to maximize their contributions. Even if the particular meet-
ing is intended to be a one-way download of information
from senior management to the staff, you still need to create
a situation to ensure the attendees are active listeners and
that they have their needs and expectations met.
>Invite the right people. Consider your meeting ob-
jectives and expected outcomes. Carefully choose those that
would be the best composition and contributors to the mix,
like a recipe. Often, there will be individuals thatbecause
of their status or positioneither should attend or want
to attend. Yet, in your judgment you may determine that
those people will neither add to the meeting, nor will they
beneft from attending the meeting in a more observational
role. In those cases, its important to identify your hesitation
in including them, and then have a quick talk with the indi-
viduals about those hesitations. Perhaps there is a misunder-
standing. Perhaps it requires gently letting the person know
that it is not personal, but that at this time it makes the most
sense. Whatever you do, be specifc, discreet, and respectful.
>Send out agendaand expectationsin advance.
Keep your agenda tight, and put initials in areas where oth-
ers are to take charge of a particular element. In addition
to the agenda itself, make sure to include a brief bulleted
summary of expected outcomes for the meeting. It may be as
simple as: We will conclude with clarity on our individual
responsibilities for this weeks project. Or, We will come
up with a minimum of three schemes for the schematic de-
sign. Or, We will bring the client to a point of decision on
a particular sticking point.
>Where it makes sense, consider using a consent
agenda. The use of a consent agenda helps to solve meet-
ings in which people are spending more of their time report-
ing, rather than discussing, resolving, or strategizing. The
consent agenda is a single agenda item that covers a number
of routine issues needing team approval, but not necessarily
in-person discussion. If a team member feels that discussion
is warranted, any item may be removed from the consent
agenda by simply requesting that it be removed. The re-
moved item is then placed elsewhere on the meeting agenda.
The entire consent agenda is then acknowledged and vali-
dated by the team prior to moving on to strategic matters.
(See Scarlett Letter blog post #114 for details).
>Use a parking lot. To remain acutely focused on the
meetings intent, have a fip chart or white board handy. This
will serve as the parking lot, and any time there is a worthy
issue brought up that is outside of the context or intent of
the meeting, it gets listed on the parking lot. At the end of
the meeting, the parking lot should be categorized by ur-
gent and non-urgent items. Next steps should be assigned
Best Practices for Effective Meetings
Tips on how to make the most of meetings
as a facilitator and as an attendee.
BY ANNE SCARLETT
business issues
Anne Scarlett is president of Scarlett Consult-
ing (www.annescarlett.com) in Chicago. She
can be reached at anne@annescarlett.com or
773.251.8132. Sign up for Scarlett Letter blog via
RSS feed: www.annescarlett.com/feed. Follow
Anne on Twitter: twitter.com/annescarlett. Link
in at www.linkedin.com/in/annescarlett.


to the attendees for those that are deemed
more urgent/importantexploring a new
idea; researching answers to a particular
problem; initiating an activity. Often, the
parking lot items are bigger than they frst
appear, so they may in themselves need to
spin off into meetings in their own right.
>Start on time. Start meetings on time
even if there is only one other person in the
room. As others drift in, simply continue
moving along. If youd like to be polite,
you can stop for a brief moment, welcome
them, and let them know what point you
are in the agenda. Do not backtrack or
repeat what you have already said. Some-
times, an integral meeting contributor
(and decision-maker) will be late. Consider
making a game-time decision by reorganiz-
ing elements to see what you can accom-
plish without him or her. When that person
fnally arrives, present a brief summary of
what has been discussed thus far, and weave
that back into the original agenda. End the
meeting by reiterating the importance of
timeliness for the sake of the team. Attend-
ees will see that you are serious about on-
time starts, and will surely start coming on
time as expected.
>End on time. Have an established
meeting timeframe. The majority of well-
planned meetings should not run long.
The only potential exception is a creative
or brainstorming meeting, where juices are
fowing and ideas are abundant. In those
cases, you may want to respectfully ask for
additional time from your attendees.
>Get feedback. Allow a few minutes
at the end the meeting to ask for feedback.
You may even want to have people rate the
meeting privately or right there on the spot
(scale of 1-5, 5 being most effective). Of-
fine, feel free to ask the attendees for addi-
tional input or requests. You wont be able
to satisfy everyone, but at least you will
have heard them. If the group shares com-
mon goals and has the frms best interests
in mind, then all should wholeheartedly
strive to make the meetings productive.
>Dont be satisfed with the usual.
Sometimes we get caught in a rut of go-
ing to the same meetings week after week,
month after month. Maybe those meet-
ings have lost their useful life. Meetings
do have expiration dates. For example, one
frm I worked in held integration meetings
(from a merger) for about one year longer
than necessary. Another frm I consulted
used an old and tired agenda for project
manager meetings that had long since out-
lived its usefulness. At least once a year
probably during your strategic planning
sessionsanalyze the effectiveness of your
frms meetings. At a minimum, review all
the standing meetings that are held both
internally, as well as externally with clients
and consultants, as part of your overall
work process. Which ones should stay?
Which ones should go, or be revitalized?
As an Attendee
Even if you are attending rather than
leading, you do share responsibility for the
meetings success. Do not be complacent
and complain. Instead, recognize that you,
as an attendee, can set a positive behavior,
while motivating others to do the same.
>Come prepared. Read the agenda in
advance. Have some thoughts/ideas/ques-
tions in writing. Collect any information
that you need to prior to the meeting, and
have it organized and on hand (no running
back to your desk).
>Make quality statements. You will
be measured by the quality, not the quan-
tity, of your contribution. Digressions
span the gamut from the senior partner
that wants to tell yet another story to the
mid-level manager that repeats what oth-
ers have already said just so he can hear
himself speak and feel involved. Dont add
to this problem. There is no need to re-
state what others have already said unless
you add something that will make a dif-
ference. People who repeat and restate are
simply adding to the length of the meeting.
If you truly agree with something, simply
say I agree. And mean it.
>Arrive early (especially for ex-
ternal meetings). Never be the person
who walks in late. Use your pre-meeting
time to gather your own thoughts, review
notes, etc. Further, take the opportu-
nity to connect with other attendees on
a more casual basis before the meeting
commences. This is where relationships
can grow and strengthen.
>Give your feedback. If you have at-
tended a really well-run meeting and
have ideas on how to improve a particular
meeting type, dont be shy. In your most
diplomatic way, present your ideas to the
meeting leader, off-line. Be supportive of
their current efforts. Make sure you sup-
port your claims, for example by sharing
another context/story in which a particular
meeting technique worked well. Preface
your suggestions by stating they are just for
consideration, and offer to help in any way
you can if needed.
Meetings are a broadand often con-
troversialtopic in terms of their real value.
While some rebel companies have ousted
meetings all together, the majority of frms
in AEC continue to rely upon meetings to
serve clients and move the company for-
ward. They play a signifcant role in our
professional life; lets make them the best
they can be!

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new products
Each month MSCs product section features items from all areas of the steel construction
industry. In general, these products have been introduced within the past six months. If youre looking for a specific product,
visit MSCs online product directory at www.modernsteel.com/products. You can browse by product category or search on
any term to help find the products you need, fast.
Highly Effective Grinding
Enduro-Flex Turbo combines abrasive grains with cooling
agents to produce the industrys fastest removal rate plus
a uniform finish. The companys exclusive Cyclone technol-
ogy works with the flap geometry to guarantee a 36 grit
cut rate with a 60 grit final finish. The patented Turbofan
cooling keeps the piece being worked upon at least 10%
cooler, resulting in less surface damage and longer disc life.
Spin-on application simplifies adding or removing discs,
saving time and enhancing operator safety.
For more information, visit www.walter.com or call
860.298.1100.
Versatile Coping Machine
The Revolution Coper from Controlled Automation was designed and engineered
from the ground up to provide what fabricators have been asking for in a coping
system. Its automatic tool changer automatically switches from using the plasma
torch to the smaller diameter oxyfuel torch if the member has tight corners that do
not allow for a plasma torch. It also includes an inkjet marker and comes fully loaded
with the companys SICAM software for processing files directly from AceCad,
SDS/2, and Tekla in 3D. Automatic layouts of any connection members are possible
with the plasma or inkjet. The plasma system includes True Hole technology which
allows for the best hole quality possible. In addition to providing a one-pass system
for the steel fabrication industry, it also is very affordable.
For more information, visit www.controlledautomation.com or call 501.557.5109.
Eyewear Cleaning Products
Allegro Industries offers two metal wall-
mounted refillable cleaning stations. Both
the economy and deluxe versions of the
Low Profile Station feature a white, high-
gloss powder-coated finish that resists
wear. The deluxe model also has a mirror
and lock. The company also manufactures
a wall-mounted plastic station and large
and small disposable stations constructed
from heavy-duty, recyclable cardboard that
can be placed on a tabletop or mounted
on a wall. All come with an anti-fog,
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For more information, visit www.alleg-
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Modern Steel Construc ion
Monthly
One E. Wacker Drive, Sui e 700, Chcago, L 60601
One E. Wacker Drive, Sui e 700, Chcago, L 60601
Amer can Insttute of Steel Construc ion, One E. Wacker Drive, Sute 700, Chcago, L 60601
Scott L. Melnick, One E. Wacker Drive, Sui e 700, Chicago, IL 60601
Thomas L. K emens, One E. Wacker Drive, Sui e 700, Chcago, L 60601
0 0 2 6 8 5
12 $ .00
10 7/10
Are i Carter
312.670.5 27
Ame can Insttute o S eel Const uc ion One E Wacke D ve Sui e 700 Chcago I 6060
55, 21 56,701
9,355
None
None
None
None
None
,300
,300
53,655
3,0 6
56,701
91%
None
9,355
Modern Steel Construc ion
9 396
None
None
None
9 396
None
None
None
2,508
2,508
51 90
3,517
55, 21
95%
November 2010
September 2010
10/7/2010
All products submitted are considered for publication, and we
encourage submittals related to all segments of the steel industry:
engineering, detailing, fabrication, and erection. Submit product
information via e-mail to Tom Klemens (klemens@modernsteel.
com). To be included in MSCs online products directory, contact
Louis Gurthet (gurthet@modernsteel.com).

marketplace
To advertise, call 231.228.2274 or e-mail gurthet@modernsteel.com.
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SE Solutions has multiple positions for structural engineers!
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Are you tired of the daily grind of consulting structural engineering?
Do you like working with clients and have excellent communication skills?
Do you have a CA PE (or SE) or ability to acquire quickly?
Would you like working in a different environment with a manufacturer?
Do you have 5-15 years of experience as a structural engineer?
structural engineer restoration and building Faade 2 openings
Do you have 7-15 years of experience in faade inspections, building envelope, or
renovation/preservation projects?
2 positions open in the Northeast PA and either CT or MA
structural engineer / 3-7 years Washington, dc
Do you have excellent written and verbal communication skills?
Do you like technical challenges and working on unique projects?
Do you like extreme loadings and unique challenges?
Whats next?
Please e-mail Brian Quinn, P.E. (Brian.Quinn@FindYourEngineer.com)
with why you are interested in a new opportunity. All inquiries are kept confidential.
www.Findyourengineer.com
brian quinn, p.e. lisa Willard, p.e.
structural & misc. steel Fabrication
our organization has been recruiting for the structural and misc. steel
Fabricating industry for over 20 years. current positions include:
project manager general manager quality control
plant superintendents estimators detailers
chief draftsman checkers
please send resume to:
richard stauffer
united employment associates, p.o. box 8, east texas, pa 18046
phone: (610) 437-5040 fax: (610) 437-9650
e-mail: rstauffer@unitedemployment.com www.unitedemployment.com
Visit steelTOOLS.org
Join the conversation at AISCs new
fle-sharing, information-sharing website.
Here are just a few of the FREE resources now available:
More than 160 steelTOOLS utilities available for downloading
Discussion blogs where your can connect and share ideas with
your peers
Files posted by your peers in special interest libraries, including:
A Pocket Reference to W Shapes by Depth,
then Flange Width
Welding Capacity Calculator
Moments, Shears and Reactions for Continuous Bridges
Video: Bridge Erection at the SeaTac Airport
Got Questions? Got Answers?
Participate with us at steelTOOLS.org.
advertise your Job openings in msc!
MSC employment ads also appear online!
www.modernsteel.com/classifieds.php.
(Please note that these ads no longer appear at www.aisc.org.)
contact: lou gurthet at 231.228.2274
or gurthet@modernsteel.com
AISC Quality Control Manager
Glenridge Fabricators, Inc. is a dynamic, successful structural steel and mis-
cellaneous iron fabricator and erector for more than 30 years, in the New York
City area. Our expanding volume of work necessitates a highly qualifed candi-
date with 5 years minimum experience with knowledge of AWS D1.1, welding
and bolting inspection, WPS, PQR and NDT. We offer a competitive salary with
year end bonus, and an excellent benefts package.
If you are interested in looking for a growing, aggressive company, forward
your resume with salary requirements to:
GFISteel@aol.com | Fax (718) 386-1286 | Attn: Human Resources
AISC Steel Solutions Center Advisor
One of the most interesting parts of any structural engineers job is the
conceptual design phase, agreed?
Now imagine a job where you can spend most of your time working
with decision makers in developing conceptual solutions for their steel
construction projects while also spending time assisting in answering a wide
variety of technical questions on structural steel.
Imagine working at AISC.
As an Advisor in our Steel Solutions Center, youll be able to share your
structural design experience and creativity to help other professionals
like yourself in the design and construction industry develop innovative
conceptual solutions for their steel construction projects. You will also use
your current talents and experience to answer technical questions that come
into us from the construction and design decision makers. All the while, you
will be trained on a wide variety of topics in the industry to help you become
a future leader in the structural steel community.
Work among our staff of experienced engineers and marketing professionals,
and connect with a fascinating group of industry leaders to develop the knowledge,
resources, and expertise youll need to provide the best answers and technical
assistance to the design and structural steel community we serve. We offer
an excellent salary and benefits package, along with an awesome working
environment, flexible working hours, and professional development opportunities.
To be considered for this position, you must have a BS degree in Engineering,
along with a minimum of 3 years experience as a consulting structural engineer
or construction project engineer and proficiency with structural design software.
AISC is committed to employing only U.S. citizens or those authorized to work in
the U.S. To apply for this position, please send your resume and cover letter with
your desired salary requirements to: STINE@AISC.org
Join AISC and become part of the solution.

Temporary Support
By designing your own temporary steelwork
you get what you need and can reuse it many times.
BY ALAN T. (TED) SHEPPARD, P.E.
topping out
Have an opinion youd like to share in Topping Out? Send your feedback to Tom Klemens, senior editor, at klemens@modernsteel.com.
WORKING IN STEEL CONSTRUCTION, I always thought
it was fun to design our own lifting devices and falsework, but
then I am peculiar. One good thing about doing it on your own
is it can save you money, especially on the second and third usage.
Sometimes the material from one job only needs a slight altera-
tion in order to work a second or a third time.
I applaud the efforts of steel erectors who design their own
falsework and lifting devices. Unless you have a properly licensed
and qualified engineer on staff, you will need engineering assis-
tance in the design part, but that shouldnt stop anyone.
However, you also may have noticed that there really are no
design standards for temporary structures or lifting equipment.
Books, although not many, have been written about this type of
design, but individual companies usually come up with their own
criteria. If you hire an engineer to assist in the design or to do it
for you, be prepared to tell him or her what criteria to use, or, at
the very least, what you would like to have and how often you
expect to use the equipment. An outside engineering staff may
have their own guidelines, and this is fine, but you must tell the
engineer that you expect to use this equipment five times, for
example. Also, with that in mind, try to keep all of your devices
to a size that will fit on a truck so that permits are not needed to
travel on the highway.
I used to design lifting beams in my sleep, but it has been so
long since I did that, I now have to go to my reference material.
There are a lot of wrinkles in lifting beam and hitch design, too
many for a short article, but a good treatise on this type of design
is Design and Construction of Lifting Devices, by David T.
Ricker, which was published in the fourth quarter 1991 Engineering
Journal. He makes it very simple and easy to understand.
When I worked for Bethlehem Steel, we had design stan-
dards that were developed in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
They were modified a little over the years, but the key word to
think of here is conservative. Originally we used a compres-
sion formula from that era, but gradually we evolved to using
the formula from the AISC Specification.
For booms and masts we reduced the allowable stress by 10%, no
matter whose formula was used. But the most important parameter
was the L/r ratio where L is the length in inches and r is the radius of
gyration, also in inches. The radius of gyration is given in the AISC
Manual for most shapes and sections. We really dont care about all
that by itself, but the L/r ratio is important to keep members them-
selves from contributing to instability (by buckling, for example).
Also, you will want to reuse these pieces in order to reduce the
cost of fabricating them. They will get banged around in service;
so you want to be conservative. Keep those pieces big and sturdy.
Here are some rules of thumb for L/r values that I have used
over the years and that you might find helpful:
Booms: Prefer 80, but do not exceed 120
Masts: Maximum of 120
Bracing and other secondary members: Prefer 150, but do
not exceed 180
Falsework columns: 80 to 120
These values apply to pipe booms or built-up tapered booms.
The falsework columns can be posts under cantilevered beams or
large built-up bridge supports.
It is not always specified, but we tested our lifting beams in
accordance with ANSI/ASME B30.20, Below-the-Hook Lifting
Devices. This can be a problem if the lift is very heavy, but you
can use crane counterweights, water balloons, or some home-
made testing device. We would make the test lift, hold it for two
minutes, lower the beam and disconnect it, then give the beam a
visual inspection. We would then add all of the data, including the
date of the test lift, to the design drawing.
When your firm takes on the challenge of coming up with its
own lifting devices and falsework, you may see another positive
side effect: Your employees will find that they can contribute to the
design process. I have worked with an ironworker in New England,
for example, who sends me things to check or make calculations for
submittal. He has a great sense of proportion for design, so I rarely
have to make any corrections. Given the opportunity, your people
are likely to develop such a feel for this type of work, too.
Articles from Engineering Journal are available online as free downloads
for AISC members and for a nominal fee to non-members. To search the
EJ archives, go to www.aisc.org/ej.

Alan T. (Ted) Sheppard, P.E., earned
a bachelors degree in civil engineering
from Yale University and is a professional
member of AISC. His work experience
includes stints in Bethlehem Steels fab-
ricated steel construction department and
at BSCorp. He served as president of Tri
State Steel Construction, Strongsville,
Ohio, before becoming consultant for
the fabricated steel construction industry
with The DuRoss Group, Inc.
Nov2010.indb 66 10/8/2010 1:48:02 PM
Nov2010.indb 3 10/8/2010 1:48:06 PM

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November 2010

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