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MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION

August 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

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NASCC Hot Products
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HSS
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 August 2013

features columns
steelwise
26 On the Fast Track 54
BY JOSEPH DOWD, DIRK KESTNER, 17 Says Who?
DAVID PLATTEN AND MARK BY LARRY S. MUIR, P.E.
WAGGONER A closer look at design guidance from AISC.
Steel races to the finish line in a racetrack
product expert series
project deep in the heart of Texas.
21 Calm, Cool and Connected
32 Take Two
BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
BY BRAD FLETCHER, S.E.
Cracking the challenges of designing HSS
The University of California, Berkeley wins connections.
its second National Student Steel Bridge
Competition in a row. business issues
24 Respecting Boundaries
BY ANNE SCARLETT
In the sea of networking, sailing
haphazardly into uncharted waters is ill-
advised.
What’s Cool 39 people to know
What’s Cool

in 66 Head in the Clouds

A Milwaukee engineer learns the ins and
outs of flying planes, as well as building one.

in every issue
departments
6 EDITOR’S NOTE
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE
12 STEEL QUIZ
58 NEWS & EVENTS
resources
64 MARKETPLACE
65 EMPLOYMENT

ON THE COVER: Circuit of the Americas Racetrack, Austin, Texas, p. 26. (Photo: Steve Colburn)

MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 53, Number 8.) 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. Outside the U.S. (Canada
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MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION, One East Wacker Dr., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601.
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.

4 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

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 editor’s note

Editorial Offices
1 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400 tel
312.896.9022 fax
Editorial Contacts
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Scott L. Melnick
312.670.8314
WHEN I LOOK OVER MY DAUGHTER’S SHOULDER AT HER SCHOOL WORK, I melnick@modernsteel.com
MARVEL AT ITS DIFFICULTY AND COMPLEXITY. Her high school chemistry class is SENIOR EDITOR
much more advanced than what I learned and her western civilization course is more sim- Geoff Weisenberger
312.670.8316
ilar to what I took in college than in high school (her language arts class is another story; weisenberger@modernsteel.com
Shakespeare is still Shakespeare). ASSISTANT EDITOR
Tasha Weiss
There is so much information available to at the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, or go 312.670.5439
weiss@modernsteel.com
us—continuously—that the difficulty is not south to Charleston to visit the beautiful
DIRECTOR OF PUBLISHING
in finding something out but rather in inter- Ravenal Bridge. As Roger Ferch, president of Areti Carter
preting it and in taking the time to go deeper AISC and executive director of the National 312.670.5427
areti@modernsteel.com
than a cursory glance. I can look at the head- Steel Bridge Alliance, unequivocally stated:
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
lines and see how many people were killed “The domestic steel bridge industry has the Kristin Egan
in riots in Cairo, but I don’t always take the capability to fabricate bridges to meet our 312.670.8313
egan@modernsteel.com
time to find out why the riots are occurring nation’s immediate needs as well as ample
and what the historical antecedents are. capacity to fabricate America’s signature AISC Officers
CHAIRMAN
Few of us, however, have jobs that depend bridges.” William B. Bourne, III
on our digging deeper into current events. The issue of domestic vs. foreign fab- VICE CHAIRMAN
Which makes it even more surprising when rication should not be framed as simply a Jeffrey E. Dave, P.E.
SECRETARY & GENERAL
you read articles in publications such as the dollars-and-cents argument. Especially for COUNSEL
Wall Street Journal that miss the big picture. taxpayer-funded public projects, it’s impor- David B. Ratterman
A recent example was the redecking of tant to look at the benefits of using domestic PRESIDENT
the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This huge workers as well as health and safety issues Roger E. Ferch, P.E.
VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
project had very unusual constraints that and environmental concerns. STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
required an incredibly lightweight design, While the income tax issue and the Charles J. Carter, S.E., P.E., Ph.D.
which also meant it was a very expensive multiplier effect of U.S. workers purchas- VICE PRESIDENT
design. Rather than balancing the cost/ ing from local stores, which then creates Jacques Cattan
VICE PRESIDENT
expense ratio between material and labor, even more jobs, seems obvious, what is less John P. Cross, P.E.
this specific design minimized material and often considered is employment conditions. VICE PRESIDENT
maximized the amount of required labor, Labor costs in the U.S. are not just about Scott L. Melnick
which led to the project being fabricated in hourly wages. Domestic manufacturers are Advertising Contact
China. In the past two decades, less than a required to adhere to very stringent OSHA, Account Manager
Louis Gurthet
dozen of these types of bridges were built EPA and other regulations. It always amazes 231.228.2274 tel
in the U.S. Because of the unusual and very me (and seems a bit hypocritical) that we 231.228.7759 fax
gurthet@modernsteel.com
expensive design, few U.S. contractors bid on don’t demand suppliers located offshore meet
For advertising information,
this unusual project and the Wall Street Journal these same standards. Likewise, environmen- contact Louis Gurthet or visit
wrongly extrapolated that domestic fabricators tal issues should be a greater consideration. www.modernsteel.com
lacked sufficient capacity for major projects While domestic manufacturers have substan- Address Changes and
and couldn’t compete it economically. tially reduced energy usage and greenhouse Subscription Concerns
312.670.5444 tel
Anyone who attended this year’s NASCC: gas emissions, the same is often not true of 312.893.2253 fax
The Steel Conference in St. Louis saw the foreign competitors. Again, we should com- admin@modernsteel.com
obvious error in that assumption. All you pare apples with apples and hold our foreign Reprints
Betsy White
would have had to do was walk a few blocks suppliers to the same standards we demand The Reprint Outsource, Inc.
down to the Mississippi River and check from our domestic companies. 717.394.7350
bwhite@reprintoutsource.com
out the massive—and extremely economi-
cal—Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge,
scheduled to open early next year. Or head to
Kentucky and check out the Eggner’s Ferry
SCOTT MELNICK
Bridge, or to Washington, D.C., and look EDITOR

6 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

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If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something related to
structural steel design or construction, Modern Steel Construction’s
monthly Steel Interchange column is for you! Send your
questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.
Erection Tolerances
AISC Code of Standard Practice Figure C-7.5 shows both
a 1/1000 and a 1/500 tolerance on columns. Are both of
these erection tolerances? Are these tolerances measured
at the top of steel or floor level?
The 1/500 tolerance is an erection tolerance. The 1/1000
tolerance is a fabrication tolerance. From Section 6.4.2:
“…For straight compression members, whether of a standard
structural shape or built-up, the variation in straightness shall
be equal to or less than 1/1000 of the axial length between
points that are to be laterally supported.”
Figure C-7.5 in the Commentary to Section 7.13 illustrates
mill, fabrication and erection tolerances that need to be
considered for cladding systems. The following excerpts from
the Commentary to Section 7.13 help to demonstrate the
intent of this figure (and other related figures):
“The alignment of lintels, spandrels, wall supports and
similar members that are used to connect other building
construction units to the structural steel frame should have
an adjustment of sufficient magnitude to allow for the
accumulation of mill tolerances and fabrication tolerances,
as well as the erection tolerances. See Figure C–7.3.”
“The limitations that are described in this Section and
illustrated in Figures C–7.4 and C–7.5 make it possible to
maintain built-in-place or prefabricated facades in a true
vertical plane up to the 20th story, if connections that provide
for 3 in. [75 mm] of adjustment are used.”
The 1/500 is an erection tolerance found in AISC Code
Section 7.13.1.1 as follows:
“For an individual column shipping piece, the angular
variation of the working line from a plumb line shall be equal
to or less than 1/500 of the distance between working points”
AISC Code Section 7.13 defines the working points and
working line of a column as:
➤ “Erection tolerances shall be defined relative to member
working points and working lines, which shall be
defined as follows:
➤ (a) For members other than horizontal members, the
member work point shall be the actual center of the
member at each end of the shipping piece.
… are used for connection elements, though there are some cases
➤ (c) The member working line shall be the straight line
that connects the member working points.”
The AISC Code erection tolerances apply to the working
points only. This is the top and bottom of a column shipping
piece. If the column shipping piece spans multiple levels, the
location of the column at levels between its ends is not subject
to AISC Code tolerances. Similarly, the location of a column at
steel
interchange
beam top of steel or at the top of slab is not necessarily subject
to an AISC Code erection tolerance. AISC Code erection
tolerances apply to the top and bottom of a building column
and at any column splices in between.
Finally, it is worth noting that the 1/500 and 1/1000
tolerances only add directly in a specific worst case scenario.
Consider three tiers of framing in which the bottom tier leans
to the left at 1/500, the middle tier is plumb and the top tier
leans 1/500 to the right. Figure C-7.5 illustrates this worst
case where the envelope at mid-height of the second tier is the
sum of the 1/500 lean and the 1/1000 curvature.
Heath Mitchell, S.E., P.E.
Shear Lag
Does the concept of shear lag apply to connection ele-
ments? Since it is located in AISC 360 Chapter D Tension
Members, one might assume it only applies to members.
Yes. As evidence, see Section J4.1 of the 2010 AISC
Specification, which specifically refers to Section D3 when it
defines the effective net area as “effective net area as defined
in Section D3, in.2 (mm2); for bolted splice plates, Ae = An
≤ 0.85Ag.” So, Section J4.1 does require that shear lag be
considered in connection elements.
More generally speaking, shear lag is defined in the AISC
Specification as “Nonuniform tensile stress distribution in
a member or connecting element in the vicinity of a
connection.” From this it is clear that shear lag can apply to
either members or connecting elements, but even on a more
basic level nonuniform tensile stress distributions can clearly
exist in either members or connecting elements.
The concept of shear lag is predicated upon conditions
that usually exist in a tension member; there is a uniform
stress distribution along the length of the member between
connections, and the load is removed at the connection over
a length that affects the efficiency over which the load can be
removed. That efficiency is what the shear lag effect describes.
Some engineers argue that typical connecting elements are
too short to use the same rules we use for members and that the
effective area of connecting elements should be limited to the
area of only the portion connected (the area of the connected
leg only of a claw angle, for example). However, this is not
usually the approach taken by the Manual Committee in the
AISC Design Examples. Usually, the same shear lag criteria
where the area of the connected part is used for simplicity or
because the shear lag calculation need not be taken less than
the connected area. Other special approaches also are used,
such as the Whitmore section in gusset plates. This is, after all,
just another way to account for nonuniform stress distributions
(shear lag) in a connecting element.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 9
 steel interchange
Shear Stud Tolerances
Are there any tolerances on the placement of shear studs
in a composite beam? Can studs that meet the minimum
flange thickness criteria be placed off-center of the web?
The minimum thickness requirement to which you refer is
stated in AISC Specification Section I8.1; it limits the diameter
of the stud to 2.5 times the thickness of the flange unless it is
welded directly over the web. In practice, this limit is applied
the other way; if the number of studs to be placed in a group
requires placement off the web, the designer should select only
beams with flange thickness equal to or greater than the stud
diameter divided by 2.5. This requirement is easy to comply
with for W-shapes since the minimum flange thickness is
0.3 in. for a ¾-in.-diameter shear stud.
Clause 7.4.5 of AWS D1.1 indicates a 1-in. tolerance on
the longitudinal and lateral spacing of studs and prohibits
the stud from being placed less than the diameter of the stud
plus 1∕8 in. from the edge of the flange (recommending not
less than 1½ in.).
As long as these requirements and tolerances are met, the
stud can be placed off-center.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Single-Plate Design
Does the 5∕8tp weld size requirement apply to a single-
plate shear connection that is part of a fully restrained
(FR) moment connection?
No. The 5∕8tp requirement is part of a recommended design
procedure for shear tabs that are designed as simple shear
connections and is not necessary for a shear tab used as part of
an FR moment connection.
In a simple shear connection, you need to meet the
requirements of AISC Specification Section B3.6a, which
states that a connection shall have sufficient rotation capacity
to accommodate the required rotation determined by the
analysis of the structure. Since a shear tab is a stiff connection,
this requirement is met by controlling the ratio of the bolt
diameter to plate thickness and the 5∕8tp weld requirement;
these combine to make the plate the controlling element in
the connection. This allows for a ductile redistribution of
moments and a weld that can develop the plate. By ensuring
that the plate yields before the weld ruptures, the simple beam
end rotation is accommodated through a combination of plate
yielding and bolt plowing.
In an FR moment connection in R=3 applications, there
is little or no beam end rotation and the shear tab will not
see any moment. It is reasonable to size the shear tab weld
for shear only. A discussion that outlines this for FR moment
connections can be found on pages 12-2 and 12-3 of the
14th Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual. In high-seismic
applications with SMFs or IMFs, the foregoing discussion is
irrelevant because the web connection matches a prequalified
detail or a detail that is qualified by testing.
Carlo Lini, P.E.
10 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
Contact Bearing
AISC Specification Section M2.8, Finish of Column
Bases, states that milling is not necessary “provided a
satisfactory contact bearing is obtained.” What
constitutes a satisfactory contact bearing?
AISC Specification Section M4.4 provides the tolerance. It
states: “Lack of contact bearing not exceeding a gap of 1∕16
in. (2 mm), regardless of the type of splice used (partial-
joint-penetration groove welded or bolted), is permitted.
If the gap exceeds 1∕ 16 in. (2 mm) but is equal to or less
than ¼ in. (6 mm), and if an engineering investigation
shows that sufficient contact area does not exist, the gap
shall be packed out with non-tapered steel shims. Shims
need not be other than mild steel, regardless of the grade
of the main material.”
Therefore, in your condition if “sufficient contact
area does not exist,” then the gap can be packed out
with non-tapered steel shims under the offending flange.
Note that there is no requirement to provide a shim, so
if you can transfer the forces considering the gap, then
it is okay to leave as is. Satisfactory contact bearing is
determined based on the area in contact and its bearing
capacity compared with the load required to be transferred
between the column and the base plate.
A square saw cut is generally sufficient to provide bearing
at column ends, so milling of the column is typically not done.
Section M2.8 provides requirements related to the treatment
of the base plates based on thickness.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
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.
Heath Mitchell is director of technical assistance and Carlo Lini is Solutions Center advisor at
AISC. Larry Muir is consultant to AISC.
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional ideas and
information on all phases of steel building and bridge construction. Opinions and
suggestions are welcome on any subject covered in this magazine.
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily represent an official position of
the American Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed. It is recognized that the
design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent licensed structural engineer,
architect or other licensed professional for the application of principles to a particular structure.
If you have a question or problem that your fellow readers might help you solve, please
forward it to us. At the same time, feel free to respond to any of the questions that you
have read here. Contact Steel Interchange via AISC’s Steel Solutions Center:
1 E Wacker Dr., Ste. 700, Chicago, IL 60601
tel: 866.ASK.AISC • fax: 312.803.4709
solutions@aisc.org
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 steel The theme for this month’s Steel Quiz is HSS and fatigue, and the answers can
be found in the AISC Specification, AISC Steel Construction Manual and AISC
quiz Design Guides, as well as at www.aisc.org and www.modernsteel.com.

1 True or False: Nominal weight and area tabulated for 5 ASTM Standard __________ is a new standard for HSS.
HSS in Part 1 of the AISC Manual are directly related by
the density of steel (490 lb/ft3). 6 True or False: Seismic and wind loads are considered a
fatigue load and require consideration of information in
2 True or False: The workable flat dimension for HSS is Appendix 3 in the AISC Specification.
based on a corner radius equal to 2.25tnom.
7 Of the following, which material standards apply to
3 The chord-stress interaction parameter, Qf, in the tables HSS?
in Chapter K of the 2010 AISC Specification reflects a a) A500
reduction for _________ in the chord. b) A1085
c) A847
4 Match the figure below with the appropriate fatigue d) All of the above
stress category as described in Appendix 3 of the AISC
Specification. (Hint: Definition choices can be selected 8 True or False: In typical applications, CVN testing is not
multiple times and some choices not at all.) required beyond what may be specified in the ASTM for
the product.
a) As seen with lap plate
removed 9 True or False: The yield and tensile strengths of steel
are not considered in the fatigue limits for different weld
details in AISC Appendix 3.
a) b) c)
(Note: Figures are for slip-critical bolted connections.) 10 According to AISC 360 Appendix 3, fatigue must be
considered when the number of cycles is _________ than
20,000 and the live load stress range is _______ than the
b) 2-6 threshold allowable stress range.
2-6
a) Less, less
b) Greater, less
c) Less, greater
b) d) Greater, greater
a)

c)

a) b)

d)
No Weld

Typ.
a)
b)

e) or PJP

a) b)

R TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR ANSWERS

R
Where R>2

Choose from Fatigue Stress Categories:

A, B, B’, C, D, E and E’

12 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

 steel quiz ANSWERS
1 False. The nominal weight is
calculated based on the nominal
wall thickness of the HSS, while
the area is calculated based on the
design wall thickness of the HSS
(tdes = 0.93tnom). A new product may
eliminate the need to do this (we’ll
get back to that in Question 5).
14 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
2 True. This is a reflection of current
industry practice, although ASTM
A500 allows a greater maximum
corner radius of 3tnom.
3 Axial compression. The connection
strength is reduced when
compression is present in the chord.
4 a) B b) E c) E d) E’ e) D
5 Answer: ASTM 1085-13 Standard
Specification for Cold-Formed
Welded Carbon Steel Hollow
Structural Sections (HSS) contains
requirements for: tighter material
tolerances and a single minimum
yield stress of 50 ksi, maximum
specified yield stress of 70 ksi and
standard requirement for notch
toughness. Learn more at www.
aisc.org/hss.
6 False. The glossary of the AISC
Specification defines “statically
loaded” as “Not subject to significant
fatigue stresses. Gravity, wind and
seismic loadings are considered to be
static loadings.”
7 d) There are several applicable
material standards for HSS. Some
of these are listed in Table 2-4 of
the 14th Edition Manual. A500 is the
preferred material specification but
A1085 is a new standard. A847 is
for improved corrosion resistance (or
weathering steel).
8 True. Typical members used in
structural steel buildings do not
require additional CVN testing.
H o w e v e r, t h e r e a r e s p e c i f i c
instances where the AISC 360 and
AISC 341 require additional CVN
testing. For more information on
when these requirements apply,
see AISC 360 Sections A3.1c,
A3.1d and J1.5, and AISC 341
Sections A3.3 and A3.4.
9 True. This is based on fracture
mechanics principals and research
that have been conducted to
investigate fatigue issues.
10 d) In AISC 360 Appendix 3, there are
two triggers that must be satisfied
in order to require fatigue to be
specifically addressed in the design
of a member or component. First,
there must be more than 20,000
cycles and second, these cycles
must exceed the threshold stress
range for the fatigue detail.
Anyone is welcome to submit questions and
answers for Steel Quiz. If you are interested
in submitting one question or an entire quiz,
contact AISC’s Steel Solutions Center at 866.
ASK.AISC or at solutions@aisc.org.
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 steelwise
A closer look at design guidance from AISC. SAYS WHO?
BY LARRY S. MUIR, P.E.

A KID RUNS DOWN THE HALLWAY at school. Suddenly, the AISC Committee on Specifications and also in addressing situ-
another kid appears and declares, “Hey! You can’t run here.” And ations beyond the Specification’s scope. The Commentary is explana-
the retort: “Says who? The law? The school? You? Are you going tory, guiding and helpful, but does not create a legal requirement.
to take me to jail or something? You can’t tell me what to do!” ➤ The Manual. Paraphrasing from the Foreword to the AISC
Says who? Two simple words with deeper implications. So it Manual, it is the best known and most widely used document pub-
is too in the design world. Engineers must look at all available lished by AISC and holds a highly respected position in engineering
information and weigh it, and ultimately use their own judg- literature. That said, the AISC Manual is a very different document
ment to make decisions based on from the AISC Specification. Like the
this information. The provider of Specification, it too is approved by a
the information and the process committee: the AISC Committee on
it undergoes are both important. Engineers must weigh all Manuals and Textbooks. Changes to
Unfortunately, the process is often it are made by vote of the Commit-
misunderstood. Luckily, there are available information and tee, but the process is simple major-
multiple AISC resources that can ity rule and the resulting work is not
help provide guidance. ultimately use their own submitted to ANSI for accreditation.
The Manual also differs from the
A Wealth of Info judgment to make decisions Specification in that it is not adopted
When you pick up your AISC into law. The Manual provides rec-
Steel Construction Manual, you hold based on this information. ommendations, guidance and tools
in your hand a wealth of information by which the requirements in the
concerning structural steel design Specification can be satisfied and com-
and construction, as within it are ref- mon problems in design and con-
erences to many thousands of other pages of information. But do struction can be addressed. Where the Specification provisions are law,
you recognize that some of the Manual contains requirements and the Manual provisions are recommendations. The procedures in the
some of it contains recommendations? The Manual is a compila- Manual can be used, but other suitable alternatives also can be used.
tion of four segments: the Manual itself (Parts 1-15 and Part 17), ➤ The Bolt Spec. The RCSC Specification (also known as
the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, the RCSC Speci- the Bolt Specification) is created and approved by the Research
fication for Structural Joints Using High-Strength Bolts and the AISC Council on Structural Connections (RCSC) following proce-
Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges. These four dures similar to those used by the AISC Committee on Speci-
segments, though contained in a single volume, each carry different fications, but without submission for ANSI accreditation. The
weight and meaning and are produced through different processes. RCSC Specification is adopted by the AISC Specification in Sec-
➤ The Spec. The AISC Specification is the highest-level AISC
design document. It is created and approved by the AISC Commit-
tee on Specifications through an ANSI-accredited process in which: Larry Muir is a structural steel
the committee membership is balanced among relevant interests, consultant in Atlanta and serves as
formal letter ballots must be cast, a public review is completed and Chair of the AISC Committee on
all negative votes must be formally resolved by the Committee. The Specifications’ Technical Committee
Specification is held to this high standard because it is ultimately 6 on Connections and is Chair of
adopted into law by reference, such as in the International Building the AISC Committee on Manuals
Code (IBC). and Textbooks’ subcommittee
The Specification is accompanied by a Commentary. Though it M3 on the Design of Bolts, Welds
is clearly stated that “the Commentary is not a part of ANSI/AISC and Affected Elements. He is also
360-10, Specification for Structural Steel Buildings but is included for a consultant to the AISC Steel
informational purposes only,” the information contained in the Solutions Center. You can reach him
Commentary is often very useful in understanding the intention of at larrymuir@larrymuir.com.

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 17

 steelwise
tion J3.1, which states, “Use of high-strength bolts shall con-
form to the provisions of the Specification for Structural Joints
Using High-Strength Bolts…except as otherwise provided in this
Specification.” It should be noted that the Bolt Spec is adopted
except as otherwise noted in the Specification. Though there is
an attempt to keep the Specification and the Bolt Spec in synch,
discrepancies sometimes creep in. In such cases the AISC Speci-
fication provisions govern when the IBC applies.
It is worth noting that the Specification also adopts AWS D1.1 in
a similar fashion through the J2 statement “All provisions of AWS
D1.1/D1.1M apply under this Specification, with the exception that
the provisions of the listed AISC Specification Sections apply under
this Specification in lieu of the cited AWS provisions.”
➤ The Code. The AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Build-
ings and Bridges is prepared by the AISC Committee on the Code
of Standard Practice. The membership of the AISC Code Commit-
tee is balanced by interest but to date, the process has not involved
ANSI accreditation. This is expected to change in the 2016 version,
which is planned to be ANSI accredited.
The AISC Code does not address design but rather the most
efficient approach to buying and selling fabricated structural
steel. As stated in its scope, “In the absence of specific instruc-
tions to the contrary in the contract documents, the trade prac-
tices that are defined in this Code shall govern the fabrication and
erection of structural steel.” As the AISC Code generally will set
the contractual requirements, engineers and contractors should
make themselves familiar with its provisions. It is amazing how
often disputes arise over issues that are clearly anticipated and
addressed by the AISC Code. A lot of problems can be avoided
simply by adhering to its provisions and writing specific require-
ments in the contract documents when an alternative approach
is needed for a specific project.
➤ What about Seismic? Both the Manual and the Specifica-
tion make reference to the ANSI/AISC 341-10, the AISC Seis-
mic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings and provide guidance
as to its application. Like the Specification, the Seismic Provisions
is approved by the AISC Committee on Specifications through
an ANSI-accredited process. Its sister “Manual” document is
the AISC Seismic Design Manual. Like the Specification the Seis-
mic Provisions is adopted into law, and like the Manual the Seis-
mic Design Manual provides guidance.
There is a third steel document that applies to seismic design:
ANSI/AISC 358-10, the AISC Prequalified Connections for Special and
Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications. This docu-
ment is approved by the AISC Connection Prequalification Review
Panel through an ANSI-accredited process and is adopted through
several references by the Seismic Provisions.
➤ Design Examples. The AISC Design Examples are
reviewed and approved by the AISC Committee on Manuals in a
process similar to that by which the Manual itself is approved. Like
the Manual the Design Examples should be viewed as guidance, not
as requirements. This is well-stated in the Preface to the Design
Examples: “These design examples are intended to demonstrate
an approach to the design and are not intended to suggest that the
18 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
approach presented is the only approach. The committee respon-
sible for the development of these design examples recognizes that
designers have alternate approaches that work best for them and
their projects. Design approaches that differ from those presented
in these examples are considered viable as long as the Specification,
sound engineering and project specific requirements are satisfied.”
➤ Design Guides. To date AISC has published 26 Steel Design
Guides. These documents contain a wealth of information in a for-
mat that allows far greater depth and breadth than the Manual. The
Steel Design Guides generally are produced under the auspices
of the Manual Committee, except when the topic requires that a
separate committee or task group take responsibility. Though these
documents are typically written by individuals, they are reviewed by
a large number of expert engineers, fabricators and others as appro-
priate. The Steel Design Guides represent the work of the listed
author(s) and are not produced as consensus documents.
➤ Engineering Journal. The articles that appear in AISC’s
Engineering Journal are written by the listed authors and are peer-
reviewed by invited reviewers. There is no formal committee
involvement in the process, though the reviewers usually are mem-
bers of AISC committees with expertise in the areas of the submitted
papers. Often a paper in Engineering Journal begins or documents
the process of change in the AISC Specification, AISC Manual, etc.
➤ NASCC proceedings. Conference proceeding are not sub-
ject to a rigorous review, other than the selection of the authors and
the topics by the conference organizing committee. Nonetheless,
the information in these papers can be quite helpful and relevant.
➤ This magazine. Modern Steel Construction articles like this
one are not peer-reviewed but rather are reviewed by AISC staff and
sometimes undergo additional review by experts when requested
by AISC staff.
➤ ePubs. The foregoing documents and many thousands
of pages of others are available at www.aisc.org/epubs. Some
documents are free downloads to all. The rest are free to AISC
members.
➤ Steel Solutions Center. A selection of the questions and
answers received and answered by the AISC Steel Solutions
Center staff are published in MSC’s Steel Interchange (see page
9 for this month’s installment). We answer, on average, 200
questions a month, with three out of four coming from struc-
tural engineers. Whenever possible, our answers cite informa-
tion in AISC, RCSC, AWS, ASTM and other relevant docu-
ments. However, it is recognized that these documents cannot
possibly address every situation and a service is only useful if it
can provide help in real-world situations. We strive to do the
latter with full recognition that answers are needed now, not
later. Our committee members generously volunteer their help
when asked and our staff always collaborates to create, review
and share the best available information.
AISC provides valuable design information, whether it be writ-
ten by an individual or approved by a committee, to engineers in
various formats. Regardless of the source—no matter the “who”
that’s doing the “saying”—the engineer must ultimately understand
and agree with the procedures that are used in their designs.

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Cracking the challenges of
designing HSS connections.
WHEN ASKING DESIGNERS and fabricators to share
their biggest challenge in using hollow structural sections
(HSS), the answer is almost always the design of connections.
Connections involving HSS are often said to be too hard and
too expensive to design and fabricate. Some designers complain
that there are not enough resources or information on the subject.
Courtesy of Atlas Tube
➤
The Tempe Town Lake pedestrian bridge in Tempe, Ariz., has
four 225-ft tied arch spans made from 16-in.-diameter HSS.
While it’s true they can be a challenging subject, informa-
tion does exist to guide the design of all typical HSS connec-
tions. Furthermore, the truth is that many connections for HSS
are not so different from connections that join wide-flange and
similar structural steel members. In fact, when HSS are used
as braces or columns, the connections are often identical or at
least very similar.
HSS truss connections are covered in the literature dis-
cussed below, but it is important to understand the differ-
ence in applicable limit states and behavior of HSS—and
also that the size of HSS members has a greater influence
on the connection and joint capacity. The local strength
and limit states of HSS have a direct impact on the con-
nection design.
This article will help point you to the available references;
it can also serve as the starting point for a discussion with a
fabricator to make your HSS connections as cost-effective as
possible.
product
expert series
CALM, COOL AND
CONNECTED
BY BRAD FLETCHER, S.E.
Think Thickness
One of the first things to consider is wall thickness. Choos-
ing an HSS with a wall that’s too thin may make it difficult
to attain the required connection capacity. For example, when
selecting the lightest HSS for a column application, you may
find that a shear plate connection does not have the required
capacity to carry the applied beam reaction due to the limit
state of plastification of the face of the HSS. Save yourself some
grief later on and make sure the wall is not slender. Otherwise,
you may be stuck paying a lot more for through-plates. There
are other similar examples, including the wall thickness at truss
joints.
Tension and compression connections. Tension and com-
pression connections include connections for bracing members
and splices between two members. Braces usually have slotted
gusset plate connections, but other details exist.
HSS-to-HSS truss connections. Trusses are generally
analyzed as pin-connected, so these connections are usually de-
signed for the primary tension and compression loads. Howev-
er, it is important to pay attention to the eccentricities that can
arise from the truss geometry and joint configuration. These
eccentricities can lead to secondary moments in the members
and joints that should be accounted for. And as mentioned be-
fore, the wall thickness can control the strength of the truss
at the connection, so it pays to make sure the joints will work
before selecting the final member size.
Shear. Shear connections to HSS columns do not differ
greatly from connections with other steel shapes. In fact, a lot
of the typical shear connections such as single-plate, single-
and double-angle, single-WT and seated connections are
applicable whether the supporting column or beam is a wide-
Brad Fletcher is a senior sales
engineer with Atlas Tube. You can
reach him at bradlee.fletcher@
atlastube.com.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 21
 product
expert series
➤
Bolted tee end connections
are simple and effective for
tension and compression
loads.
flange section or an HSS. The dimension of the workable flat
dimension of the HSS column face and the connection material
must be compatible—easy for a single-plate but perhaps a
challenge for double-angles with smaller column sizes.
Moment connections. Moment connections are likely to
be some of the more challenging connections for HSS, and
both wide-flange and HSS beams rigidly connected to HSS
columns can present a few challenges to both the designer and
the fabricator.
When it comes to moment connections in high-seismic ap-
plications, these need to be prequalified—otherwise connection
testing is required. There is currently only one prequalified
moment connection that uses an HSS column: the proprietary
ConXTech XL connection.
For R=3 applications, there are more options available. The
simplest form of moment connection involves running the
beam continuous over the top of the HSS column. This is a
good way to develop continuity, and it works well for single-
story construction and roof framing in multi-story construction.
Generally, HSS moment connections require diaphragm
plates. These plates can either be attached to the outside of the
column, acting as a collar, or pass directly through the HSS
column. The former detail is as strong as the latter but costs
less, and the column is not cut and reconnected during fabrica-
tion. These moment connections can provide the full moment
capacity of the beams when used with an HSS column that has
adequate capacity.
What about directly welded details? While this kind of detail
can be built, it cannot develop much of the full moment capac-
ity of the beam, due to the flexibility of the HSS column face. To
maximize the strength of this connection, it is important to use
22 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
Courtesy of Atlas Tube
the widest beam possible to spread the load out across the column.
Yes, HSS-to-HSS moment connections are used, but gener-
ally only in applications that do not require the development of
significant moments, such as highway signage structures and
Vierendeel trusses.
Resources
Guidance is available on all of these and other HSS con-
nections. In fact, there are several good resources on HSS con-
nections. The AISC Specification (ANSI/AISC 360-10) includes
Chapter K, which covers the design of HSS connections (this
document is a free download at www.aisc.org/epubs). The
AISC Steel Construction Manual also includes design informa-
tion as does AISC Steel Design Guide 24 (a free download for
AISC members at www.aisc.org/epubs).
The design provisions included in AISC Specification Chapter
K are based on the same criteria used to develop the CIDECT
design guides. CIDECT (the International Committee
for Research and Technical Support for Hollow Section
Structures) is an international association of leading pipe and
tube manufacturers whose mission is to expand the knowledge
of HSS and its applications through research and study. There
are nine CIDECT design guides (these also are available, along
with a lot of other HSS-related information, for free download
at www.aisc.org/hss). They cover several subjects on HSS and
connections, including both static and seismic loading, joints
subjected to fatigue, composite HSS, HSS exposed to fire and
column connections. While these design guides reference
related Eurocode clauses, they are still an excellent resource for
subjects that are not typically covered by the AISC Specification
and Design Guides.
 BIM steel
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 business issues
RESPECTING In the sea of networking, sailing haphazardly
BOUNDARIES into uncharted waters is ill-advised.
BY ANNE SCARLETT

THE CONCEPT OF NETWORKING in business has nev- it’s convenient for you,” it’s obvious that they expect the high
er been more prevalent—or easier, thanks to technology—than quality typical of your firm. And yet, they clearly don’t intend to
it is today. compensate you for your time nor your expertise.
But sometimes networking can be taken too far too fast. These examples are networking boundary-crossers. Let’s re-
Where do you draw this line? Consider the three below sce- view them, point-by-point.
narios. Do any of them sound familiar? Recommendations. When we make a recommenda-
1) You’re approached by a business contact (or even a per- tion, we are putting our own reputation on the line. Con-
sonal friend) of whom you have not yet had firsthand experi- tacts are valuable, and many are also fragile. Our credibility
ence with their competencies, performance or work ethic. Even can rapidly evaporate if we recommend someone we don’t
so, this contact requests that you really know. Prior to making an
make a recommendation on their endorsement, it’s prudent to be
behalf, vouching for their abilities somewhat familiar with the sub-
and character, to one of your val- Effective networking involves ject’s work habits, character and
ued, precious contacts. results. Recommending some-
2) You receive a LinkedIn in- giving abundantly while one without a good sense of their
vitation (without a thoughtfully abilities might someday come
composed note of introduction or expecting nothing in return. back to haunt you.
explanation) from someone you’ve LinkedIn with strangers.
never met personally. You make an Some people say it doesn’t make
educated guess that their intentions sense to be on LinkedIn if you’re
are to either a) gain permission to peruse your complete list of not willing to accept invitations from strangers. They exclaim,
contacts or b) increase their overall contact count. “Why be on this site if you won’t expand your network as far-
3) Disguised as a “favor,” a contact asks for your help—free flung as possible?” To that, I respond, “How can we make rel-
of charge. Unfortunately, the scope creeps above and beyond evant introductions between people that we don’t know per-
some solid business advice and/or mentorship. Instead, this sonally? And how can we trust that these ‘stranger-contacts’
so-called favor quickly evolves into real services that your firm won’t troll amongst my actual contacts, which can be a real
offers as part of your core business. (I’ve personally received intrusion?”
several “favor” requests ranging from preparing teams for new Further, the notion that LinkedIn loses its value when a
business pitches to coaching individuals for interviews to edit- user limits their “connections” to people that they know is
ing content and providing feedback on marketing strategies.) just nonsense. I’d much rather have some working knowledge
While your contact will frame the request with comments like of my contacts (even if it’s minimal or distant) rather then
“Don’t spend much time on this” or “Please only do this when scratching my head with thousands upon thousands of con-
tacts, wondering, “How the heck do I know this person? Can I
even remotely trust them to do business with and/or connect
them with others?”
Anne Scarlett is president of There’s one exception to this will-accept-no-strangers-
Scarlett Consulting, a Chicago- on-Linkedin-rule. If a stranger writes a personal note with a
based company specializing in AEC- well-crafted explanation as to why we should connect and get
specific strategic marketing plans, to know one another, then I’m personally more apt to accept
marketing audits and coaching. the invite.
She is also on the adjunct faculty Requests for free services. For years, I’ve said “no” to re-
of Columbia College of Chicago quests for free services when it reaches the point that I’m being
and can be contacted through her taken advantage of. However, I’d prefer to not be put in that
website, www.annescarlett.com. position in the first place. It’s uncomfortable and it’s unfair.

24 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

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AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 25

 On the
Fast Track BY JOSEPH DOWD, DIRK KESTNER, DAVID PLATTEN AND MARK WAGGONER

Steel races to the finish line

in a racetrack project deep
in the heart of Texas.

Paul Finkel | Piston Design

26 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

IN MAY OF 2010, Formula 1 (F1) announced that the
United States Grand Prix would be held in Austin, Texas from
2012 to 2021.
The news was exciting, but the sprint was now on to com-
plete the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) racetrack, the first
purpose-built F1 track in the U.S., in time for its first race on
November 18, 2012.
A team of investors embarked on the journey by first hiring
world-renowned German track designer Tilke Engineers and Ar-
chitects. Tilke would provide the 330-acre facility master plan and
track design on an 1,100-acre site located southeast of downtown
Austin, just minutes from the Austin-Bergstrom International Air-
port. Numerous U.S. architectural, engineering and specialty con-
sulting firms also provided design services for the project. Most
notably, Austin-based Miró Rivera Architects designed the Grand
Plaza, the concession and ticketing buildings and the facility’s sig-
nature buildings: the Main Grandstand and the Observation Tower.
Walter P Moore served as overall project structural engineer-of-re-
cord, providing the design of numerous structures that were framed
in wood, reinforced concrete or structural steel. The identity of the
COTA racetrack is certainly established by its steel structures, in-
Paul Finkel | Piston Design
The Main Grandstand uses 1,200 tons of structural steel...
➤
➤ ...while the Observation Tower uses about 385 tons.
David Platten (dplatten@walterpmoore.com) is a senior principal and Mark Waggoner (mwaggoner@walterpmoore.com),
Joseph Dowd (jdowd@walterpmoore.com) and Dirk Kestner (dkestner@walterpmoore.com) are all principals with Walter P Moore.
cluding the Main Grandstand located at the start and finish lines,
the 250-ft-tall Observation Tower and the Grand Plaza, which in-
cludes the Amphitheater and Concession roof structures.
Main Grandstand
The nearly 1,200 tons of structural steel used in the Main
Grandstand is evident throughout the building and allowed the
repetitive linear form of the Grandstand to be developed and
constructed quickly in a tight 13-month timeframe, as well as
facilitated the design to stay nimble as the final length of the
elevated structure along the track evolved.
Located in front of the start and finish lines with views of
Turn 1, the Main Grandstand provides seating for more than
9,000 spectators on three levels. An outline of red-painted HSS
frames the building and provides a feeling of speed parallel to
the racetrack. The ground level houses concessions, restrooms,
offices and staff support spaces and features a canopy com-
prised of white-painted HSS extending out over a row of con-
cession stands to provide shade and define pedestrian walkways.
Open-air stairs access amenities on the second floor including
a 6,500-sq.-ft lounge and event space, and the third floor hosts
Paul Finkel | Piston Design
The Circuit of the Americas is the first purpose-built F1 track
in the U.S.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 27
 Miró Rivera Architects
➤
The Main Grandstand, under construction.
➤ The observation deck of the 250-ft-tall tower.
Cantilevered steel over one of the concession areas.
➤
Miró Rivera Architects
a second lounge as well as private suites. A white fabric tensile
canopy supported by 3D interlocking cantilevered structural
steel trusses, using both rectangular and round HSS, provides
shade for spectators.
WPM designed each truss to reach out 50 ft over the spec-
tators to support the tensile membrane. Steel edge cables grip
the extreme tips of the truss cantilevers, and steel cable trusses
link the steel trusses at their midpoint running parallel to the
track. A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-coated fiberglass ten-
sile membrane clamped to the network of steel cables grace-
fully sweeps between the spine of each of the cantilevered steel
trusses to provide much-needed protection from the Texas heat.
The 11 exposed trusses are spaced at approximately 40 ft apart,
and this interval matches the raker frame locations of the build-
ing it shades. The raker frames are comprised of W36 members
with plate infill at the knuckle intersections, with supporting col-
umns to provide the stiffness that allows the steel to cantilever
over ample column-free space below. Traditional composite steel
framing infills the elevated floors between raker frames.
Steel braces tie each of these floors together, including many
completely visible to the public as they approach the venue on
race day. Before they enter the facility, fans pass between HSS
blade braces and under an HSS trellis canopy. Outboard of the
structure, the HSS blade braces rise more than 60 ft out of the
ground. Positioned along the same modular line as the roof truss-
es and raker frames, these aesthetic elements tie back into the
28 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
Michael Hsu | Miró Rivera Architects
floor diaphragms to become a fully functional part of the vertical
lateral load resisting system. Steel tension rods form multi-story
X-braces within the window-wall system set back from the blade
braces, and the trellis canopy is comprised of small-diameter
HSS spaced 1 ft apart that cantilever 30 ft past the blade braces.
Encompassing the entire structure is a soaring series of parallel
red steel pipes that launch up the side of the building, race over
the top of the roof parallel to the track 60 ft above the ground
and plummet back down to earth on the other side of the struc-
ture. This element ties the structure together into one form and
serves as one of several iconic features of the COTA. Design Data’s
SDS/2 was used for the detail drawings for the Grandstand.
Observation Tower
Due to the elevations changes and sheer size of the 3.4-mile
track, it is not possible to see the entire circuit from a single loca-
tion at ground level. The Observation Tower was conceived by
Miró Rivera Architects as both an elevated race viewing platform
and an iconic visual element of the Grand Plaza area of the track.
Inspired by the image of red streaks of glowing light that tail
lights leave behind in the dark, a fan of red steel tubes over the
amphitheater stage converges to form a “veil” that sweeps up and
over a central elevator core wrapped by a double-helix stair. Sus-
pended from this pipe steel canopy is a viewing deck that offers
a sweeping panorama of the entire track, downtown Austin and
the nearby Texas Hill Country from an elevation of 230 ft.
➤ The two stairs of the tower are arranged in
double helix fashion, with the continuous
steel plate treads and risers coupled with
the channel stringers forming the inner
layer of the layered diagrid tube.

The structural arrangement of the

Observation Tower is a result of a meticu-
lous blending of functional, structural and
constructability considerations. The tower
could best be described as a layered diagrid
HSS structure. Interior to the tower’s 21-ft
by 22-ft trapezoidal footprint, the primary
functional elements are a single elevator
shaft and a pair of stairs accessing the obser-
vation level; the elevator shaft was framed
with non-structural light-gage framing and
does not contribute to the structural form.
The two stairs are arranged in double he-
lix fashion, with the continuous steel plate
treads and risers coupled with the channel
stringers forming the inner layer of the lay-
ered diagrid tube. Since each helical stair
flight is continuous, the width of the stair
in the open structure allows the inner layer
to function as a continuous diaphragm to
distribute loading efficiently to the entire
tube system. The second layer of structure
is a series of slender HSS3×3 diagonals con-
nected to the outer face of the stair channel
stringers. Coupled with the bracing effect of
the inclined stringers in the opposite direc-
tion, the inner and second layers provide the
majority of the tube shear resistance. The
outer layer is a series of 17 vertical HSS4×4
columns connected to the outer face of the
second layer and providing for gravity and
overturning resistance.
The decision to use a network of dis-
tributed, filigree structural elements in lieu
of fewer, larger members drove the design
aesthetic from the outset. Arranging the
stairs in a helical fashion provided the short-
est consistent vertical dimension between
“touches” of the helical diaphragm, which
enabled more slender compression mem-
bers. Additionally, the layered approach was
driven by finding a way for the large number
of member intersections to occur without
the need for passing large forces through
Paul Finkel | Piston Design
one another. Instead, the distributed resis-
tance concept means that the forces trans- ing more daring visitors to look 230 ft ing, railings and connections, the Ob-
ferring from layer to layer at crossing points straight down to the track below. From servation Tower contains approximately
are rather small and can be handled with above this level, the “veil” of closely 385 tons of steel.
unconventional eccentric connections that spaced HSS8.625 rounds cascades down Due to the tight 10-month time-
would not be feasible with larger members. the front of the tower. While ostensibly frame from owner approval to race day,
At the top, the side faces of the layered an architectural feature, the veil also the tower’s design and construction
diagrid tower extend outward to form serves as an outrigger column for lateral team quickly realized that normal proj-
a deep cantilever truss that supports a load resistance via a series of struts and ect delivery methods would not be suc-
900-sq.-ft viewing deck. A portion of the rods that connect it to the main tower. cessful. To rapidly convey the complete
floor is structural laminated glass, allow- Including all structural steel, floor plat- design of the complex tower structure

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 29

 in a way that could be immediately used
by fabricator Patriot Erectors, WPM pre-
pared a fully connected Tekla model. Se-
quences of this model were electronically
transferred to Wheaton Detailing Service,
who then produced shop drawings directly
from the model. The construction man-
ager, Austin Commercial, estimated that
the integrated delivery process saved three
months over a more conventional process.
The Observation Tower was erected
by assembling complete 24-ft-tall sec-
tions in multiple casting beds on the
ground, then stacking these sections ver-
tically by crane lift. The veil was then at-
tached to the side of the structure work-
ing up, and the top was crowned by the
cantilevered truss section.

Grand Plaza
Turns 15 through 19 of the circuit form
a horseshoe and surround the 27-acre
Grand Plaza, which serves as the main
entry for most visitors and contains a box
office, reflecting pool, Great Lawn, conces-
sions and outdoor dining spaces; the Austin
360 Amphitheater and Observation Tower
define the southern edge of the plaza.
The concession buildings were de-
signed to provide not only the enclosed
space required for services, but also large
advertising surfaces. The concessions fol-
low the module defined by the Grandstand
Miró Rivera Architects to provide architectural continuity across
North elevation of the Observation Tower. the facility. Each 80-ft-long concession
➤ ➤

building contains three 12-ft by 65-ft-tall

COTA’s Austin 360 Amphitheater can accommodate more than 14,000 guests.
braced frame “blades” that are wrapped
with banners appropriate to each event.
Between each blade and set back 12 ft from
the blades, the orthogonal braced frame
provides two 40-ft by 36-ft surfaces that
can also be sold as advertising space.
Each concession also has a canopy of
small-diameter HSS that cantilever 30 ft
from the concession roof. The canopies
consist of a 12-ft-long, 1.5-in.-diameter
standard HSS sleeved into 2.875-in.-diam-
eter HSS. The sections are spaced at 1 ft
on center and the first 8 ft of the canopy
supports L2×3 angles that sit on top of the
sections to enhance the shading closer to
the serving counters.
The architects wanted a design that
expressed the gentle curve of a member
deflecting under self-weight and that was
simple to construct. The concession roofs
are concrete slabs on cellular metal deck,
the weight of which is used to help coun-
teract overturning forces due to the long
cantilever. The larger pipe is cast into the
Michael Hsu | Miró Rivera Architects

30 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

➤ The tower was erected by assembling
complete 24-ft-tall sections in multiple
casting beds on the ground, then stack-
ing these sections vertically by crane lift.

first 8 ft of the cantilever slab to transfer

bending forces from the HSS into the
slab. The transition from the larger to the
smaller pipe was accomplished by inserting
the smaller HSS into the larger HSS and
filling the annular space with construction
adhesive, allowing adjustability to ensure
the HSS tips aligned and minimized the
need for field welding. The cantilever HSS
deflect well in excess of the traditional 1∕240
deflection ratios and provide a dramatic
overhang while waiting for refreshments.
Austin’s official motto has long been
“Live Music Capital of the World,” and the
Austin 360 Amphitheater at the south end
of the Grand Plaza brings that aspect of
the city to its new racetrack; it is also now
Austin’s largest permanent outdoor music
venue. While the city has many outdoor
festivals on temporary stages, it previously
did not have a permanent outdoor venue
capable of hosting major touring acts. The
amphitheater has 6,500 fixed seats and can
hold more than 14,000 guests.
Miró Rivera Architects
The stage roof consists of nine pri-
mary trusses supported by transfer trusses
spanning to four trussed towers. The top cations, but connection designs were Architect
chords of the trusses are red 8-in. stan- such that groove welds and overhead Miró Rivera Architects, Austin
dard HSS that are extensions to the veil welding were minimized. Structural Engineer
of the observation tower. The stage is cov- Walter P Moore, Austin and Dallas
ered by a transparent single-layer ETFE Finish Line
Construction Manager
membrane with integral stainless steel On November 18, 2012 the Formula
Austin Commercial, Inc., Austin
cables just above the plane of the truss 1 United States Grand Prix was held at
top chords. Between each truss chord are the new 20-turn, 3.4-mile COTA. Over Steel Team for Main Grandstand
two additional infill pipes to match each 117,000 race fans were in attendance and Other Structures
member of the tower veil and provide the on a beautiful, cloudless Austin day Fabricator
to witness the race (won by Lewis Alpha/SteelFab, McKinney, Texas
effect of the veil extending out over the
(AISC Member/AISC Certified
stage. The infill members are connected Hamilton of the Vodafone McLaren
Fabricator)
to the truss top chords by a checkerboard Mercedes team). Total attendance for
Detailer
of HSS6×4 that both support the infill the three-day event was over 265,000,
Alpha Fabrication Services,
members and develop a horizontal vier- which included fans from around the
McKinney, Texas (AISC Member)
endeel diaphragm. The primary structure world. Additional race events in 2013 and
supports a 70-ton concert rigging grid in- beyond include Grand-Am, MotoGP, Erector
tegrated at the bottom chord level of the American Le Mans Series, Australian Derr Steel Erection Company,
V-8 Supercars and the World Endurance Euless, Texas (AISC Member/AISC
trusses and accessed via a front of stage
Advanced Certified Steel Erector)
catwalk system. Championship. The presence of the
To enable shipping to the project site Amphitheater also transforms COTA Steel Team for Observation Tower
the planer trusses were shop fabricated into an entertainment venue hosting and Other Structures
independent of the infill panels. How- weekly events, ranging from Mumford Fabricator and Erector
ever, because all of the steel is exposed and Sons to Iron Maiden. The steel- Patriot Erectors, Inc., Dripping
to view, the conventional shop weld-field supported venue is currently competing Springs, Texas (AISC Member/AISC
bolt connection philosophy was slightly to host the X Games and will continue Certified Fabricator and Advanced
modified. Bolted connections were used to attract a variety of world-class events Certified Steel Erector)
on secondary members and where mem- to central Texas. Detailer
bers were not in full view. Field welded Owner Wheaton Detailing Service, Spring,
connections were used in the other lo- Texas (AISC Member)
Circuit of the Americas LLC, Austin

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 31

 Take Two
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER

The University of California, Berkeley wins its second

National Student Steel Bridge Competition in a row.

THE LAST TIME I attended the National Student Steel
Bridge Competition, back in 2009, it was in sunny Las Vegas.
This year’s competition, organized by AISC and the Ameri-
can Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) took place at the Uni-
versity of Washington in sunny Seattle. Yes, you heard me cor-
rectly. Despite the Emerald City’s gray reputation (it averages
more than 220 cloudy days per year though less annual rainfall
Geoff Weisenberger is the
senior editor of MSC. You can
reach him at weisenberger@
modernsteel.com.
than AISC’s hometown of Chicago), the weather couldn’t have
been more perfect for the 22nd annual competition, which
challenges college engineering students with building the best
bridge they can in the shortest amount of time.
And for the second year in a row—and the third time since
2008—the University of California, Berkeley team came out on
top as the overall winner, buoyed by their first-place finishes in
two out of the six categories (lightness and efficiency).
“There are two main reasons that led to this team’s success,” said
Marios Panagiotou, assistant professor of structural engineering
in UC Berkeley’s Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
department and faculty advisor for the team. “First, the continu-
ous transfer of knowledge and experience from team members
of previous years to new team members, and second, these new
members were motivated by the fact that staying in first place is
possibly even tougher than coming in first.”
The other four categories—stiffness, economy, construction
speed and display—were won by New Jersey Institute of Tech-
nology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University
of California–Davis (UCD) and Milwaukee School of Engineer-
ing, respectively. MIT and UCD rounded out the top three over-

32 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

➤ The University of Washington team in
action (UW was the host school for this
year’s competition).
➤
The national competition featured 49
bridge teams.

all winners in a national competition of 49

teams, which were picked from 18 regional
competitions across the country; schools
from Canada and Puerto Rico also made it
to the national competition.
“We were happy to host the NSSBC and
were very pleased with the way it all turned
out,” said Jeffrey W. Berman, associate pro-
fessor with UW’s Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and the UW
team’s faculty advisor. “The weather even
gave us opportunity to show off our beauti-
ful campus. The bridges were all very well
done and fierce competition made for an
excellent overall event.”

Campus Visit
The NSSBC turns out to be a great
way to tour a college. On the Friday of the
competition, AISC digital content editor
Victoria Cservenyak and I made our way
all the way across the UW campus to a vast
parking lot near the athletic facilities, where
students were going through practice runs.
This is their final dress rehearsal before the
construction competition the next day—a
chance to go through the motions in real
time, make tweaks and potentially shave
seconds off their build time (the fastest
team this year, UCD, put their bridge to-
The winning team, the University of California, Berkeley.
➤ ➤

gether in just over four minutes, and build

times went as high as 25-plus minutes). The AISC director of education, Nancy Gavlin, surveying bridges at UW’s Red Square during
various teams marked the asphalt to repre- the display portion.
sent the boundaries of the actual competi-
tion, which involves building a bridge over
a virtual river; the builders must stay on dry
land, including a cofferdam in the middle of
the river. The University of Maryland team,
perhaps as extra motivation, labeled their
practice river as “lava.”
From the practice area we made our way
to the Husky Union Building, where John
Parucki, head judge for the competition for
nearly two decades, went over the rules with
various judges, including a hands-on demon-
stration with an actual competition bridge. He
also provided plenty of advice, especially use-
ful to first-time judges, and stressed the impor-
tance of safety and the need to avoid “coach-
ing” the students in any way.
“Don’t talk to them, don’t even give them a
sad look,” he urged. “You do that and they’re
going to wonder what’s wrong with their
bridge. As much as your heart bleeds for

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 33

 Judges used the board test on each bridge to make sure there were no ele-
➤

ments protruding from the top of the deck.

➤ UC Berkeley, huddling up before the competition.

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 ➤

these students, you cannot help them. Only The University of Texas-El
talk to the captains, but do not give advice.” Paso team practices in a cam-
pus parking lot.
A strict adherence to the rules, Parucki ➤
added, is not only fair but also helps pre- MIT, which came in second
place overall, in action.
pare students for the trials and tribulations
➤

of real-life work—and it doesn’t take away The lateral stiffness test.

from the fun.
Following the meeting the judges made
their way to UW’s Red Square, a plaza where
all of the teams set up their bridges for the
display portion of the competition, and rated
the bridges on their visual appeal. Some
were painted while some were not, some
featured intricate etchings or decoration
while others went for a minimalist aesthetic.
But of course, all bridges have to stay within
certain parameters, which are modified
slightly every year. This year’s entries all had
to feature a cantilever on one end and no
above-deck elements.
Next came a portion of the compe-
tition that, while not factored into the
overall score, was fun to watch: the first
annual team tug-of-war. Taking place in a
wooded area in the middle of campus, but
seemingly far from civilization, the tug-
of-war, like the NSSBC as a whole, put
to rest any silly stereotypes of engineer-
ing students being mild-mannered, intro-
verted or not particularly athletic. Give
them a rope and an opponent, and they
put (or rather pull) just as much effort
into it as they do their bridge-building.
Luckily no injuries were sustained in the
raucous competition aside, perhaps, from
bruised egos.

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 35

➤
Blowing off steam during the team tug-of-war competition.
(Not Much) Time to Build
The next morning, Saturday, the campus
was relatively calm and quiet as I traversed it.
Not so in UW’s basketball arena, Hec Ed-
mundson Pavilion, which lies in the shadow of
the recently renovated steel-supported Husky
Stadium (home of UW’s football team). It was
abuzz with activity as the timed construction
competition was in full swing. Simply put, the
fastest assembly time scores the highest, with
penalty time assessed for violations such as
dropping bolts or stepping in the water.
While it’s typical for a team to bring 10
or more students to the competition, most
teams only used five or six at most for the
timed construction. In fact, as economy is a
factor, several teams (including UC Berke-
ley) used only three students to build their
bridges: one to transport the steel mem-
bers, tools, temporary pier and bolts from
the materials staging area, and two to as-
semble the bridge. Every year, students find
creative new ways to transport and hold the
bolts, and this year was no different, with
one team using Chick-Fil-A French fry
cartons and another relying on metal trays
held to the bridge structure via magnets;
one team’s runner even used a dust pan to
put his bolts into plastic cups—multiple
36 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
solutions to the same problem, just like in
real-life construction projects.
Also just like the real world, delays can
occur. For example, three of the five verti-
cal load test stations—where students apply
2,500 lb of weight to their bridges and judges
measure deflection—went down at the same
time, which created a bit of a bottleneck; they
were eventually up and running again, which
allayed some judges’ worries that the compe-
tition would go all night and turn the awards
dinner into an awards breakfast.
Besides being judged on time, econom-
ics and vertical stiffness, bridges were also
assessed in terms of weight and lateral stiff-
ness (weight and the stiffness tests factor
into the efficiency category). While the
vertical loading test includes a certain el-
ement of anxiety—namely that the bridge
will collapse—that weight is added gradu-
ally. With the lateral test, the weight (50
lb) is added all at once. Attached to the
bridge via a cable and lowered via a pul-
ley (this is done twice, once for the back
span and once for the cantilever), there’s a
tense moment as the team member releases
the weight, hoping the bridge doesn’t sway
more than ½ in. (which would result in it
not passing the test). The weight test is less
stressful: Put the supports on four scales,
have the judge take the reading, then take
the bridge out of the competition area—
and stop thinking about buidling bridges
for a while (the weight test is the last one).
Later that night, back at the Husky Union
Building, the awards banquet saw the students
in more formal attire than their competi-
tion hard hats, t-shirts and jeans/pants. AISC
president Roger Ferch, a UW alum himself,
spoke of the best qualities of the competition:
instilling the concept of teamwork in the com-
petitors as well as having engineering students
actually building something with their bare
hands. Keynote speaker Jon Magnusson, se-
nior principal of Seattle structural engineering
firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates, spoke
about innovation in structural engineering,
discussing several steel-framed Seattle-area
MKA projects as examples. And then the win-
ners were announced for each category—again,
with UC Berkeley taking top honors. And no
doubt contemplating a three-peat.
Next year’s competition will take place at the
University of Akron. You can view/link to the
full results of this year’s national and regional
conference competitions, as well as the competi-
tion rules, at www.aisc.org/steelbridge.
ELIGIBILITY
All award-winning bridges are built of fabricated
structural steel and are located in the United
States (defined as the 50 states, the District
of Columbia, and all U.S. territories.) Eligible
bridges must have been completed and opened
to traffic between May 1, 2011 and September
30, 2013.
JUDGING CRITERIA
An independent panel will judge entries on
the following criteria: innovation, aesthetics,
design and engineering solutions. Quality of
submitted presentations, though not a criterion,
is important.
AWARDS
We will notify the winners shortly after the judging
and will make a public announcement of the
winners in Modern Steel Construction magazine.
Designers of the winning Prize Bridge entries will
be presented with plaques and honored during the
World Steel Bridge Symposium in Toronto, ON,
March 26–29, 2014.
Owners of the winning Prize Bridge entries will be
presented with plaques and honored at a dinner
banquet during the 2014 AASHTO Subcommittee
on Bridges and Structures meeting in Columbus, OH.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Requirements and entry form available at:
www.steelbridges.org/PrizeBridge

We invite you to submit entries to the 2014

PRIZE BRIDGE
COMPETITION
AWARD CATEGORIES
In the past, awards have been presented in a variety of categories including those listed below:
1. Major Span–One or more spans greater than or equal to 400 ft.
2. Long Span–Longest span equal to or greater than 250 ft but less than 400 ft.
3. Medium Span–Longest span equal to or greater than 140 ft but less than 250 ft.
4. Short Span–No single span greater than 140 ft.
5. Movable Span
6. Reconstructed–Having undergone major reconstruction, rehabilitation or widening
7. Special Purpose²%ULGJHQRWLGHQWLÀDEOHLQRQHRIWKHDERYHFDWHJRULHVLQFOXGLQJSHGHVWULDQSLSHOLQH
and airplane

In 2014, the legacy award categories listed above remain in the program. In addition, NSBA will
DOVRRIIHUVSHFLDOUHFRJQLWLRQWRRQHSURMHFWWKDWEHVWH[HPSOLÀHV$FFHOHUDWHG%ULGJH&RQVWUXFWLRQ
DQGRQHSURMHFWWKDWEHVWH[HPSOLÀHVDIXOOUDQJHRI6XVWDLQDEOHDWWULEXWHV
• Accelerated bridge construction
• Sustainability

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES

DECEMBER 31, 2013
www.steelbridges.org/PrizeBridge
BE INFORMED. BE EFFICIENT.

BE BETTER.
INTRODUCING THE NEW
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Keret House, p. 46 AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 39
 What’s Cool
What’s Cool
in
Cool Garden
Growing Glass
BY CHET FRIZZELL, NORTHWEST STEEL FAB, INC.
A GARDEN OF GLASS is blooming at the foot of Seattle’s
Space Needle.
Chihuly Garden and Glass, an exhibition exploring the
career of Northwest artist Dale Chihuly, transformed 1.5 acres
of asphalt into an outdoor garden. To mark the occasion, Chi-
huly himself dedicated the exhibition's centerpiece Glasshouse
by signing and dating one of the building's structural beams.
Designed by Owen Richards Architects and Novum Struc-
tures, the Glasshouse, which is 40 ft tall and occupies 4,500 sq. ft,
is framed with 90 tons of structural steel and houses a suspended
1,340-piece, 100-ft-long glass sculpture as well as the Garden,
which serves as a backdrop for a number of monumental sculptures
and other installations. The project consists of twelve W18×106
40 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
Photos: Novum Structures
wide-flange columns or "ribs,” while all of the support framing at
the roof and end walls was fabricated from square and rectangular
HSS. The glass connections, point-supported spider connections
attached with rivet nuts, were prepared in Northwest Steel Fab,
Inc.’s (AISC member/AISC certified fabricator) shop; everything
had to be "handmade" with incredible accuracy due to the large
number of glass connectors. In addition, the primary steel mem-
bers could not be processed through any of the shop’s automated
equipment as they needed to be rolled. The steel components were
all laid out by hand, and holes were manually drilled at the connec-
tion plates of the ribs.
Construction took only nine months and the project
opened in May.
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 What’s Cool Cool Shade
Winning Wall
in

What’s Cool
BY CAROLINE O'DONNELL, CODA

PARTIES CAN’T LAST FOREVER—

though their spirit can.
The same goes for Party Wall, a tem-
porary pavilion in the courtyard of the
Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) PS1
facility in the Long Island City neighbor-
hood of Queens, N.Y. The installation was
the winning project in the latest Young
Architects Program, an annual design com-
petition hosted by MoMA that seeks to fos-
ter innovative design research and promote
emerging talent. It was unveiled in June and
will be on display until the end of August.
Designed by CODA, an experimental
and research architectural studio in Ithaca,
N.Y., and engineer Robert Silman Associates,
the 37-ft-tall project is a vertical shade with
a porous façade that is clad with a screen of
interlocking wooden elements donated by
Comet Skateboards, an Ithaca-based manu-
Image courtesy of CODA facturer of eco-friendly skateboards. Several
of the panels are detachable and can be used
as benches and communal tables. At the wall's
feet, a series of pools are fed via a gravity-
operated fountain that engages with the court-
yard. It is held up by a structural steel frame
fabricated by Banker Steel (AISC member and
AISC certified fabricator); the frame, roughly
22 tons, is ballasted by large water-filled poly-
ester-based containers that can be lit at night.
CODA’s philosophy is that architecture
should be reactive to context, just as an organ-
ism evolves in relation to its site. PS1’s context
has defined this project through analysis of the

© Zachary Tyler Newton

42 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

visible context: the walls and billboards that
make up Long Island City’s skyline; the cli-
matic context: the rotation of the sun around
the courtyard in the summer months; the new
site boundary: the medium-sized courtyard
being divided this year for an installation of
another facility; the previous winners: which
favor a horizontal canopy scheme in order to
provide the “shade” required in the brief; and
finally, the longstanding brief, which requests
an “environmentally friendly urban landscape”
that provides “shade, water and seating” as
well as the request for a “flexible experimental
space” for a diverse range of programs. Image courtesy of CODA
A shallow, grade-level stage weaves
around the structure's feet, creating a series
of micro-stages that reach out to the various
sections of the courtyard and the dance floor.
These stages can be occupied for various
events using the benches that are detachable
from the structure. Benches can be arranged
in various scenarios depending on the
event—not only can it accommodate various
social events and visitors, but also lectures,
classes, discussions, dining, performances,
film screenings and even, perhaps, a wedding.
On the inside, the frame uses 513 steel
members (mostly L4×4×¼ and some L6×6×a
for the legs) and 1,071 ¾-in. A325 tension
control bolts, and was modeled and detailed
in Tekla Structures (AISC member Datadraft
Systems, Inc., was the detailer). All pieces had
to be square cut, with no welded shop or field
welding allowed, and only one bolt size was
used throughout the framing system—and
only one bolt was allowed per joint.
For more on Party Wall, see www.
codapartywall.com.
© Zachary Tyler Newton

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 43

 What’s Cool

What’s Cool
in

Cool Cottage
River View
BY CHRISTOPHER D. ROCKEY, S.E., AIA, ROCKEY STRUCTURES, LLC

18 GRAND BOULEVARD is indeed grand.

Built along the historic Black River in South Haven, Mich., this
summer cottage inhabits the former site of a 100-year-old cottage
that was lost in a fire. In the traditional context of a turn-of-the-
century vacation town along Lake Michigan, the original cottage
was constructed with wood framing, brought over from the lake’s
west coast as a kit home. In the rebuild, the lot presented construc-
tion challenges due to its relatively small size of 33 ft by 66 ft (the
house itself is 30 ft by 55 ft) and limited “formal” access; it is com-
pletely landlocked on three sides and butts up against the Black
River on the south, including a perpetual easement that limited the
foundations to less than two-thirds of the site.
The new, steel-framed house (using 14.5 tons of structural
steel) pays tribute to the river, which originally stimulated the
growth of the town’s first sawmill. Structural steel presented itself
as the base building material early in the design phase of the proj-
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44 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

ect due to three primary reasons. First, the greater fire resistance
of steel, in combination with concrete, provided an enhanced
level of comfort to the occupants due to the fire that had taken
the original structure. Second, it allowed for an open floor plan
common to modern dwellings as well as provided for gener-
ous cantilevers at two ends of the residence. Finally, steel made
sense from a logistical standpoint, thanks to the limited number
of components, quicker construction time, tight site constraints
and lack of easy access of material delivery.
The gravity system uses a composite floor system, with a
1½-in. deck and 2 in. of toping, which is stiffer than a tradi-
tional wood-framed floor, while the lateral forces are resisted
by a combination of moment frames, braced frames and shear
walls. The structural steel spans the length of the cottage and
allows for the open floor plan, and by incorporating web pen-
etrations the floor and ceiling sandwich was able to be kept to
a minimum, allowing for taller ceilings while staying within
zoning height limitations. The roof is framed with the same
system as the floors, and the members are cantilevered 10 ft to
the south, allowing construction over an Army Corps of Engi-
neers easement and also providing shading for the deck below.
The roof steel also cantilevers at the north end of the cottage,
providing shelter for the entry and an outdoor dining area.
The new design incorporates new ideologies of openness, pas-
sive design, simple maintenance and access to the outdoors, while
respecting the footprint of the original cottage and the geometri-
cal zoning constraints. The owner, who acted as the architect and
the structural engineer, facilitated the desire for openness by pro-
viding direct access to the outdoors from each of the four bed-
rooms at the second floor. Architecturally, the Ipe wood cladding,
which was designed as a rain screen, sweeps continuously around
the walls to provide a contrast with the base building materials.
The harmony of all of these materials resulted in a contemporary
statement along the more traditional setting of the riverfront.

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AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 45

 What’s Cool

What’s Cool
in

Cool Art Installation

Filling the Gap
BY JAKUB SZCZĉSNY, CENTRALA DESIGNERS TASK FORCE

Images: Bartek Warzecha, Jakub SzczĊsny, Simone de Iacobis and Piotr Zbierajewski

THINK YOU’VE HAD TO BUILD a project on a tight con-

struction site? Think again.
The Keret House was built between two existing structures
on Želazna Street in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland—in a
space that’s 5 ft at its widest point and 3 ft at its narrowest. The
structure itself is approximately 46 ft tall and 4 ft at the widest
point and 2.4 ft at the narrowest.
The idea for the house, designed by Jakub SzczĊsny, was first
pressented as an artistic concept during Warsaw’s WolaArt festival
in 2009, then became a reality last year. It serves as the workplace
for Isreali writer Etgar Keret and also as a studio for invited artists.
The program’s goal is to produce creative work conditions, with the
house serving as a significant platform for intellectual and creative
exchange; the project will stand for at least two years, possibly longer.
(SzczĊsny is currently working on a parallel project in New York.)
The house is officially an art installation as its narrowness makes
its acceptance as a building impossible. Steel-framed, it stands on two
tunnel-like foundations, enabling city heating pipes to pass beneath
it. The frame (which uses 3.15-in. by 3.15-in. and 3.15-in. by 1.57-
in. HSS) is clad laterally with 2-in.-thick Kingspan sandwich panels
filled with nano-foam for better fire and thermal protection, while
the façades are made out of translucent 0.8-in.-thick polycarbonate,
with two opposed windows for cross-ventilation. The house is sup-
ported on two approximately 1-ft-diameter steel "legs."
Access to the "living room” is granted through an exterior
staircase and a trapdoor in the floor. An airplane-sized bathroom,
a kitchenette and a dining space for two are also situated on this
level. The sleeping compartment, with a 3-ft-wide matress and
a work desk, is situated on a platform connected with the living
area by a ladder. To avoid the claustrophobic effect of the nar-
row space, the exposed structure and side panels are white, with
a large polycarbonate roof serving as a source of indirect light.
46 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 47

Cool Carousel
Round and Round
BY CARL ZANIER, P.E., AND RAMON GILSANZ, S.E., P.E., GILSANZ MURRAY STEFICEK LLP
JANE’S CAROUSEL has come a long way in its 90-plus years
of existence.
The carousel dates back to 1922, when it was initially
installed in Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio. In the early 1980s,
it was purchased for installation in Empire-Fulton Ferry State
Park (now Brooklyn Bridge Park) in the Dumbo neighborhood
of Brooklyn. Painstakingly restored by Jane Walentas over the
course of more than two decades in her Dumbo studio, it now
resides in a pavilion in the park and is the first carousel to be
placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
48 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
What’s Cool
What’s Cool
in
Photos: Courtesy of Jane's Carousel:
The 5,000-sq.-ft, steel-framed acrylic pavilion, with a tensile
roof structure, was designed by prominent French architect Atelier
Jean Nouvel. Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP (GMS) assisted the
executive architect, TA Dumbleton Architect PC, in developing
the foundation design, steel superstructure and structural support
details for the clear wall panels, operable panels and tensile roof
that form the pavilion.
The floor slab is concrete on metal deck; an access hatch
between the spinning platform of the carousel and the station-
ary motor housing provides access to the mechanical space
 Gilsanz Murray Steficek

below. Plates with shear studs were cast

SWITCH
into the interior foundation walls and studs
were welded onto the metal deck to enable
it to act compositely.
The structure is supported on a raft
foundation that floats on the site. The
weight of the completed structure, with the
25-ton carousel installed, is less than the
weight of the soil displaced by the struc-
ture below grade. With the organic fill soil
profile of this site, the raft foundation was
more economical than a pile foundation.
The four corners of the mechanical
space are chamfered in plan, forming an
TO THE ULTIMATE FASTENING SYSTEM
octagonal space on the interior. These cor-
ners have 5-ft-wide diagonal walls forming
the chamfer and provide piers in the foun-
dations to support the four HSS24×0.500,
ASTM A500-Grade B columns. These four
columns are 27 ft high and spaced about 60
ft apart to support the the roof.
At the roof, the columns are moment It’s all
in the
connected to 37-in.-deep × 26-in.-wide switch.
box girders, creating the four sides of the
pavilion. These box girders were designed
to resist not only the vertical gravity loads,
but also the tensile forces from the roof and
the wind loads from the walls. The tensile
roof is comprised of 1¼-in.-thick glass with
a steel rod and strut support system. Coped
W12×79 beams cantilever out from the box
girder to support a continuous L12×12×½,
which forms the frame for the operable
doors. W10×100s cantilever in toward the
center of the roof to provide a connection
point for the tensile structure. Posting up
at the end of each W10 are two MC6×18s,
which support the curved HSS8×8×3/8 It’s here. TnA 144 Torque and Angle Fastening System.
tension ring. Snug and final tension with the flip of a switch using a
Two of the clear walls of the pavilion one-man crew. Discover the new standard for yourself
are 4½-in. acrylic, non-operable panels at TightenRight.com or (800) 872-2658.
with a vertical span 27 ft; the panels are
10 ft wide. The connection at the base
of the panels was developed to provide
fixity, thereby limiting their deflections.
The other two walls are made of opera-
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AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 49

 What’s Cool

What’s Cool
in

Cool Light
Tall Ball
BY JACK LESTER, YESCO LLC
Photos: Michael Schoenfeld

BRIGHT LIGHTS are one of Atlantic City’s defin-
ing characteristics.
But the Revel Atlantic City hotel and
casino envisioned a lighting structure that
would stand apart from—and above—all oth-
ers. Sitting atop the 47-story hotel, the “ball”
does just that. The 40-ft-diameter sphere,
conceived and designed by Mitch Gorshin,
Revel’s executive director of fun and creative,
in concert with Young Electric Sign Com-
pany (YESCO), shines like a beacon thanks to
250,000 programmable LEDs that are visible
from 10 miles away.
The ball weighs 45 tons and is framed with
hot-dip galvanized HSS including 48-in.- to
0.75-in.-diameter members. The ball, including
electrical components and catwalks, was com-
pletely built at YESCO’s Las Vegas location, then
disassembled and sent to the site in 16 shipments.
The LEDs are on 980 triangular skin assemblies,
which were installed in the field from inside the
ball using the catwalks.

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50 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013

 One of the more difficult aspects of this proj-
ect was developing the field connections and pro-
viding each stainless steel mounting stub at the
correct location. At all points where the triangles
connected, there was a six-point spindle similar
to the hub of a car. These spindles then spun in
six different directions at all different angles to
the correlating hub. The cross connections for
the hubs had 69 different lengths and needed
to be placed in the correct position to allow the
illuminated panels to “float” in their locations to
compensate for expansion and contraction of the
sphere. Each of the panels needed to be individu-
ally noted as to its orientation and LED count.
A tower with a capacity of 7 tons was used to
lift the various pieces of the ball into place, with
the heaviest piece being a 48-in. HSS. As the
same crane was also being used to help erect the
hotel tower, there was only a short time period
in which the various components could be lifted
to the roof, and YESCO worked closely with the
general contractor to ensure that the ball made
its erection window.
The entire facility was completed on sched-
ule, in the spring of 2012, and the Revel’s crown-
ing achievement has served as an Atlantic City
icon ever since the hotel opened—and survived
Hurricane Sandy with no damage.

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AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 51
 Cool Spaceship IN 2011, a chapter of the United States’ Space Shut-
Out of this World tle Program came to an end when NASA announced
BY ANDREW MILLER, NICK GIGANTE AND KEN PAQUETTE, BRPH the retirement of its shuttle fleet.
Luckily, another began, one that would provide
an opportunity for everyday citizens to get closer to
these iconic space vehicles than ever before. One,
What’s Cool Space Shuttle Atlantis, would be permanently located
at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Flor-

What’s Cool
in ida’s Space Coast and be displayed as the centerpiece
of an interactive attraction devoted to the 30-year
Space Shuttle Program. The experience provides
guests with a nearly 360° view of Atlantis as only
astronauts have seen it before, tilted on its side (and
supported by a steel frame, fabricated by Industrial
Steel, Inc., an AISC member and AISC certified fab-
ricator), seeming to float in space with its payload bay
doors open and its robotic arm extended, as if it has
just undocked from the International Space Station.
BRPH was tasked with providing civil, structural,
MEP, electrical plumbing and fire protection for this
$100 million, 90,000-sq.-ft project, with the work
broken into stages. The 82.5-ton shuttle would be
displayed tilted at 43.21°, but the structural team was
tasked with a lot more than simply creating a framing
system for the retired spaceship. It also had to plan
how to transport it to the Visitor Complex, get it off
the transporter, lift it 30 ft in the air and rotate it.
An initial report called the “Atlantis Support Con-
cept” was produced to define the basic methods for
transportation and installation. First, we had to define
how we were going to transport the orbiter 10 miles
from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy
Space Center (KSC) to the Visitor Complex. We
looked at providing support through special stands
on a modified or different transporter to see if they
would simplify the installation in the new building.
Images: BRPH After much testing and configuration, it was decided
to support the structure as normally done on the
76-wheeled Orbiter Transporter System (OTS) that
had been used throughout the shuttle program.
After this critical step, we needed to define the
hardware that would be used to support the orbiter
on support frames. Since these were unchartered
waters, we didn’t know at first what the differences
in the hardware were for vehicle support on the ET
(External Fuel Tank) or support on the OTS or on
the Boeing 747 that was used to fly space shuttles
back to KSC during alternate landings. A custom
forward connection had to be fabricated since this
project was so specialized.
Next, BRPH produced another study called
“Atlantis Loads Assessment” to see if the orbiter
loads were below published capacities that the 747
hardware was designed for when oriented at 43.21°.
We settled on support frames that satisfied NASA’s
requirements and simplified the foundations and the
support frame because there was no need to develop
bending moments.
As we were discussing ways to get the orbiter into
the new facility, we had to contend with restrictions
imposed from the already in-place building structure.
At the time, we knew that the orbiter had to be moved
farther north than was possible by simply moving the
orbiter straight into the building. It looked like the
52 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
orbiter support structure would need to “crab”
over. To make this happen, one of the build
team leaders drove the OTS and moved the
vehicle farther west than the final display loca-
tion and then backed it into its final position.
Next came removing the support structure
from below the orbiter. The vehicle’s forward
and aft landing gear had to be extended down.
To get the support structure out, special jacks
used for processing the vehicle supported
the forward end. The OTS is able to change
heights, so with the landing gear lowered, the
OTS bed was lowered and then rolled out of
the building. Once in place, connections had
to be made. We had to design a spacer that
would allow for the installation of the bases
and connect to the main orbiter aft support
beam. To allow for movement and support in
the directions required, as derived from our
study, slide bearings were used to allow move-
ment and to allow the orbiter connections to
bear at required points.
One of the “wow factor” elements of the
visitor experience is seeing the shuttle rotated
Tubular sections
as if it is flying in space. This became one of the
most interesting components of the engineer-
ing process. We knew that the forward landing
custom built
to the highest standards.
gear was very close to the forward connection
point, and that the forward support beam was Yours.
not going to fit with the landing gear down.
What we didn’t know is that all of the landing
gear needed to be raised at one time until late
in the design. This meant that the steel sup-
port frame needed to be installed in pieces.
We also made models of the support frame
rotated at different angles, with different sup-
port conditions to create an envelope of pos-
sibilities. We didn't know if the main hinge
column would consistently be supporting SuperStruct tubular sections hold up to the strictest
load, but we did know that it would be best if it
could support the load.
design standards without holding them back.
BRPH designed a test fixture that simu-
UÊ >˜Õv>VÌÕÀi`ʈ˜Ê>ÊÛ>ÀˆiÌÞʜvÊÅ>«iÃÊ>˜`ÊÈâiÃÊ̜Ê
lated the orbiter weight and center of gravity
that was supported on the same lift and rota-
Ê ÞœÕÀÊëiVˆvˆV>̈œ˜Ã
tion frame and orbiter connection hardware UÊ >À}iÊÈâiÃÊvÀœ“Ê£Ó»ÊÕ«Ê̜Ê{n»ÊõÕ>ÀiÃÊ>˜`ÊÀiVÌ>˜}iÃ
interfaces. The test revealed some additional UÊ i˜}̅ÃÊÕ«Ê̜Êxx½
issues that needed to be considered. Surveyors UÊ 7>Ê̅ˆVŽ˜iÃÃÊxɣȻÊ̜ʣ»
were on-site to monitor that the forward and UÊ
ÝVii˜ÌÊVœÕ“˜ÊÃÌÀi˜}̅Ê>˜`Ê̜ÀȜ˜>Ê«Àœ«iÀ̈iÃ
aft were being moved up level. The orbiter/ UÊ
iÃ̅ïV>ÞÊ>««i>ˆ˜}
support frame structure was moved vertically
in 2-in. increments. One of the last pieces was
the removal of temporary HSS and W-shapes
from the support frame after the additional
permanent framing was installed.
The permanent beams at the forward
nää‡nÓx‡ÈÈÈnÊUÊÜÜÜ°Û>“œ˜Ì°Vœ“ÊUÊ6>iÞ]Ê iLÀ>Î>
and aft Orbiter connection points are double
side-by-side W30x173 members with their
top and bottom flanges welded together
œ˜Ì>VÌÊޏiÊi ÕÃiÊ>ÌÊ6>“œ˜ÌÊ/ÕLˆ˜}Ê̜‡vÀiiÊ>ÌÊ1-800-825-6668 ext. 3558 or
kld2@valmont.comÊ̜ʏi>À˜Ê“œÀiʜ˜Ê̅iÊ`iÈ}˜Ê«œÃÈLˆˆÌˆiÃʜvÊ--Ê-Õ«iÀ-ÌÀÕVÌ°
and covered with 1-in.- thick welded cover
plates at the tops and bottoms. The perma-
nent columns at both ends are W14x176.
The test fixture uses approximately 16 tons
of steel while the support structure uses
approximately 123 tons.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 53
 2013
PRODUCTS
THIS YEAR'S HOT PRODUCTS, selected
from the 2013 NASCC: The Steel Conference’s
exhibit hall in St. Louis, represent the wide
range of machinery, technology, tools and
other product offerings that service the
structural steel industry. For the first time ever,
the winners were chosen by NASCC attendees!
Ten products, including a collaborative effort
between two software companies and a new
tension-control bolting system that attempts
to define “snug-tight,” were picked as
standouts, and all of the entries hold great
promise for the future.
Selection was based on manufacturers’
descriptions and claims; no product testing or
evaluation was performed. This list does not
constitute a product endorsement by Modern
Steel Construction or AISC.
54 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
AceCad Software StruM.I.S
Planning and Scheduling Feature
AceCad has added the ability to plan specific resources for
manufacturing to its StruM.I.S fabrication software, to ensure
delivery of steelwork to the project site in sequence and on
time. The new planning and scheduling functionality addresses
the complex trade-offs that arise when managing multiple
projects, often with competing priorities, through diverse
fabrication processes. Human and mechanical resources can
be synchronized across multiple facilities and disciplines to
balance and maximize workshop capacities. Project milestones,
material availability and processing strategies are linked, taking
into account remaining capacity, both at the advanced planning
and detail levels.
For more information, visit www.acecadsoftware.com or
call 610.280.9840.
HOT!
Bentley Systems LEAP Bridge Steel
LEAP Bridge Steel from Bentley Systems provides parametric
3D modeling, streamlined analysis, design and rating of
straight and curved I-girder and box-girder bridges. It is the
latest addition to the LEAP Bridge offerings for concrete
bridge design and rating, used by 42 state departments of
transportation. Users can select member cross sections from
supplied libraries of standard sections or defined as built-up
plate girders, and bridges are modeled completely in 3D with
full 3D visualization. The software is powered by the STAAD.
Pro engine for structural analysis and offers users two analysis
options: (1) line girder or (2) 3D grillage. It conforms to the
provisions of the 6th Edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge
Design Specification and the 2nd Edition of the AASHTO
Manual for Bridge Evaluation.
As a complement to the LEAP Bridge Enterprise, LEAP
Bridge Steel shares the RC-PIER system for pier and abutment
design. Capitalizing on the full Bentley Bridge Information
Modeling portfolio of solutions, the software works with
Bentley MicroStation, Power GEOPAK and Power InRoads.
For more information, visit www.bentley.com or
call 800.BENTLEY.
 Descon Plus New Vision for
DesconWin and DesconBrace
HOT! Descon Plus is taking a new approach to the development
of DesconWin and DesconBrace by implementing client
ideas directly into the two structural steel connection
design software packages. The company is currently
upgrading to the latest .NET conventions of coding
for Windows, which will allow for flexibility within
the interface and additional functionality, while still
providing existing features and capabilities. It has also
revamped the license management system so that
network users can have better access and monitor
licenses more easily, and stand-alone users can upgrade
to the latest releases without license confusion.
For more information, visit www.desconplus.com or
call 888.8.DESCON.

Design Data SDS/2 Approval

Design Data's SDS/2 Approval software supports AISC's HOT!
methodology for model review by allowing communications
like sketches, addendums, RFIs and status updates to be
stored and exchanged via the 3D model. Users can run
reports designed to aid in the review process and assign
statuses to members to denote the level of review, such as
“revise and resubmit” or “rejected.” These statuses—along
with a number of other items, much like a review checklist—
can be used to color code the model to give visual feedback
from start to finish of the review process. At any point,
engineers can send a submittal's review status back to the
detailer to update the detailer’s model as to which members
meet conformance or need to be revised.
Checkers using the software can take advantage of
similar features, which are customized for the specific
purpose of checking models or drawings. This information
can be communicated back to the detailer through the
same process of assigning status and generating a file
that can update the in-progress model. This simple way
of communicating through status updates will color code
the model to alert the detailer to areas where changes are
necessary.
For more information, visit www.sds2.com or call
800.443.0782.

HOT!

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 55

 FabSuite Project Scheduling Feature
FabSuite's Project Scheduling allows users to manage multiple HOT!
baselines of the same schedule and run “what if” scenarios
(e.g., showing the effects of a proposed change order),
providing the opportunity to set up a schedule breakdown
to match real-life job processes. Users can add links and
dependencies between tasks, view and manipulate multiple
project schedules in a single Gantt chart, overlay the baseline
values on the Gantt chart, update statuses with single click
and view a schedule’s history to identify changes
For more information, visit www.fabsuite.com or call
757.645.0842.

Hutchinson Industries Tire Saver Shield

HOT! New to the industrial market, the Hutchinson Tire Saver Shield
provides “military tough” protection to the highly stressed
sidewalls of industrial vehicle tires and ensures the continued
operation of vehicles in the most difficult applications. The shield
consists of heavy-duty reinforced material that is extremely
resistant to tearing and perforation and creates a barrier between
the tire sidewall and damaging terrain such as curbs, rocks, metal
objects, rebar and other harmful debris.
As sidewall damage is not typically covered under tire warranty,
the product helps truck owners avoid costly and time-consuming
tire replacements. In addition, a reduction in sidewall damage
will result in increased tire life and improved equipment up-time.
Safety is increased as well, as the shield greatly reduces the
frequency of the dangerous blow-outs.
For more information, visit www.hutchinsoninc.com or call
609.394.1010.

LeJeune Bolt Company TnA 144

TnA is LeJeune’s new structural fastening system, incorporating HOT!
tightly controlled torque for snug-tight, followed by precisely
controlled rotation (angle) for final installation.
The TnA 144 bolt is a unique 144-ksi minimum-strength,
fixed-spline bolt that produces A490 tension using A325
raw material, allowing a significant reduction in the number
of bolts per connection. The TnA tool first installs each
fastener in the connection to a defined and consistent level
of snug-tight. For bolts installed in snug-tight joints, you’re
done. For pretensioned and slip critical joints, the tool is
then switched to angle tightening. From the snug-tight
condition it turns the nut a specific number of degrees to
achieve a consistent, high level of preload.
The installation tool is free from transferred torque and
pinch points, providing the safest work environment for the
operator. And it’s all done from a single side, by a single
operator, considerably reducing labor costs.
For more information, visit www.tightenright.com or
call 800.872.2658.

56 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2012

 Peddinghaus Anglemaster-HD Angle Line
HOT! The Peddinghaus Anglemaster-HD employs three-speed 153-metric
ton punch cylinders with triple tool punches and a 467-metric ton
shear cylinder with single-cut tooling. The machine’s Smart Cylinder
Technology increases output by optimizing hydraulic fluid levels for
accelerated production.
The HD also comes equipped with an automated material
dimensioning system, allowing it to identify the size of a profile to
determine the shortest stroke needed for maximum production
speed, resulting in an intelligent angle line that saves processing
time and increases throughput.
For more information, visit www.peddinghaus.com or call
815.937.3800.

RISA Technologies–Tekla
RISAConnection–Tekla Structures Link
The RISA-Tekla Link extends Tekla Structures'
3D structural model capabilities to include steel
connection design, a critical piece of the overall
design process, directly within the Tekla Structures
environment. This eliminates the need to manually
enter connection components into separate design
software, resulting in increased accuracy and a
reduction in the time and cost associated with steel
connection design. With RISA-Tekla Link, users of
HOT!
Tekla Structures and RISAConnection can run analysis
and design on moment and shear connections; group
and solve connections collectively or analyze them
individually; view pass/fail analysis results in the Tekla
Structures 3D BIM model or in a report format; access
individual detailed design calculations from within
RISAConnection; and print connection calculations.
For more information, visit www.risa.com or
www.tekla.com, or call 949.951.5815 (Risa) or
770.426.5105 (Tekla).

SE Solutions SE University
SE University is a web-based continuing education resource for
structural engineers, providing regularly scheduled live web
seminars on a wide variety of topics. Attendees come away with
new information and innovative ideas that they can use right away
to be more successful in their everyday work environment. The
sessions are accepted in all states and for SECB Recertification.
A schedule of upcoming sessions is available at the our website.

For more information, visit www.learnwithseu.com or call

805.482.8436.

HOT!

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 57

 news
AIA REPORT
Billings and Optimism are up, but so is Uncertainty
Following the first reversal into negative
territory in 10 months, in April, the Ar-
chitecture Billings Index (ABI) bounced
back in May, as reported by the American
Institute of Architects (AIA) during its
National Convention and Design Expo-
sition in June in Denver. As a leading eco-
nomic indicator of construction activity,
the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to
12-month lag time between architecture
billings and construction spending.
May ABI’s score was 52.9, up dramati-
cally from a mark of 48.6 in April. This
score reflects an increase in demand for de-
sign services (any score above 50 indicates
an increase in billings). The new projects
inquiry index was 59.1, up slightly from the
reading of 58.5 the previous month.
“This rebound is a good sign for the
design and construction industry and
hopefully means that April’s negative dip
was a blip rather than a sign of challeng-
ing times to come,” said AIA chief econo-
mist, Kermit Baker, Ph.D., Hon. AIA. “But
there is a resounding sense of uncertainty
in the marketplace—from clients to inves-
tors and an overall lack of confidence in
the general economy—that is continuing
to act as a governor on the business devel-
opment engine for architecture firms.”
AISC exhibited at the AIA show,
which attracted a lively turnout of ap-
proximately 16,000 attendees, according
to show organizers.
“Optimism from attendees about the
economy and the market seemed pretty
high to me in conversations had at our
booth and elsewhere,” said Larry Flynn,
AISC’s industry marketing manager.
“Housing—both MSR and single-
family—were often identified as the
hottest markets, as well as healthcare, and
58 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
higher education was said to be making a
strong comeback from architects I visited
with.”
Traffic was brisk at the AISC booth
this year, where curved steel was the
main focus. A wide-flange curved steel
sculpture provided by Chicago Metal
Rolled Products was a big draw, spur-
ring a lot of questions from architects,
whose eyes would light up when they
saw the sculpture. Questions usu-
ally began with: “Can you really bend
steel like that?” Architecturally exposed
structural steel (AESS) was another key
area of interest. Both AESS and curved
steel had architects commenting about
the modern aesthetic that steel can
bring to design, said Flynn.
During the show, AIA also issued a
new report highlighting key trends in the
architecture marketplace and their impact
on business and growth. Key findings in-
dicated stiffer competition in the design
services marketplace is here to stay due
to recession pressure; new markets and
a growing base of talent for the A/E/C
industry is due to the rise of emerging
economies, including Brazil, Russia, In-
dia, China and South Africa; collabo-
ration among design, engineering and
construction disciplines is growing; an
increasing push for measuring the effects
and benefits of design strategies and pro-
viding building performance data; a rise
in alternative and complementary ser-
vices being offered by architecture firms;
and a strong market for green products
and design.
Next year’s AIA show takes place June
26–28 in Chicago. For more information,
visit http://convention.aia.org/event/
convention-home.aspx.
People and Firms
• John Zanieski has become
E V R A Z N o r t h A m e r i c a ’s
executive vice president
o f t h e f l a t p ro d u c t s a n d
recycling groups. Zanieski,
who joined EVRAZ in 2011
as president of recycling,
will oversee commercial and
manufacturing operations for
the groups across the U.S.
and Canada.
• V i c t o r Te c h n o l o g i e s h a s
la unched tw o co ntes ts as
part of its celebration of
the 100th anniversary of its
Victor brand of cutting and
gas control equipment.
The “A Cut Above” contest
is open to students in
cutting, welding and related
programs at secondary and
post-secondary schools,
w h i l e t h e “ S h o w U s Yo u r
Innovations” 2014 calendar
contest will present awards
for the best photos and
associated captions using
any Victor or Victor Thermal
Dynamics cutting equipment.
Both contests run through
S e p t e m b e r, w i t h w i n n e r s
announced at the Victor
Te c h n o l o g i e s b o o t h a t
t h e FA B T E C H 2 0 1 3 E x p o
i n C h i c a g o . V i s i t w w w.
victortechnologies.com.
• Douglas Steel (AISC member,
certified fabricator and
advanced certified steel
erector) has been awarded
the top safety award from
the Associated General
Contractors (AGC) of
Michigan, The Association of
Union Contractors (TAUC),
t h e C e n t r a l F a b r i c a t o r ’s
Association (CFA) and AISC
for the second consecutive year
in recognition of its fabrication
plant and erection division
receiving a 2012 DART (Days
Away, Restricted or Transferred)
rate of 0.00.
 news
BRIDGES
Replacement Spans up for Skagit River Bridge
Acrow Bridge (an AISC member), a in situations where safe passage and access lanes of interstate highway traffic. Acrow
bridge engineering and supply company, need to be restored quickly.” used some of its $30 million in inventory
has provided the Washington State De- The Federal Highway Administration from its yards in Camas, Wash., and La-
partment of Transportation (WSDOT) (FHWA) advocates the use of prefabri- fayette, N.J., to supply these two bridges.
with two prefabricated modular steel cated modular systems because they offer Acrow’s offices in Camas and Vancouver,
bridges, which are being used side-by- significant time and cost savings, safety B.C., oversaw the temporary bridge span
side to replace the damaged section of benefits, environmental advantages and installation.
the Interstate 5 bridge that collapsed convenience
into the Skagit River in May when it was for travelers.
struck by a truck with an oversized load. The two
The temporary spans will allow traffic Acrow bridges
to safely resume on the bridge while a per- that are being
manent span is built. WSDOT reopened used on the
the Skagit River Bridge last month, less Skagit River
than four weeks after the collapse. Bridge are each
“Prefabricated modular steel bridges are 160 ft long,
used all over the country to transport heavy with roadway
traffic as permanent structures or tempo- widths of 24 ft.
rary detour bridges,” said Bill Killeen, pres- The bridges are
ident and CEO of Acrow Bridge. “Their positioned next
design allows for fast customization, as- to each other Courtesy of Acrow Bridge
sembly and installation, which is critical to support four The Skagit River Bridge reopened less than a month after its collapse.
➤

COMPETITIONS
Steel Sculpture Competition Entries Due Sept. 13 Ira Hooper Dies at 93
Make your structural steel visions come
to life! How? By entering AISC’s third
annual Steel Sculpture Competition!
If you’re an AISC full or associate
member, enter this year’s competition
and create your own innovative steel
sculpture for a chance to have your com-
pany featured in MSC and more.
Here are the rules:
➤ The sculpture must be steel (and
only steel), but shapes, sizes and
steel type can be your personal
preference.
➤ The sculpture must be made en-
tirely by your staff.
➤ The finished sculpture must fit in
a 2-ft by 2-ft by 2-ft box (for ship-
ping purposes).
➤ All entries must include a title and
the name of the company submit-
ting the project.
➤ There’s no theme! But keep in
mind the characteristics of steel:
adaptable, economical, quick and
sustainable.
Submit photos of your sculpture by
September 13, 2013 to AISC’s Jenny Mc-
Donald at mcdonald@aisc.org.
From September 16–27, all entries
will be posted to AISC’s Facebook
page (www.facebook.com/AISC-
dotORG) where they’ll be voted on
by fans. The top five finalists will be
put on display at the 2014 NASCC:
The Steel Conference, March 26–29
in Toronto, where the ultimate win-
ner will be chosen by attendees. The
winner will also be featured in MSC
and receive a catered lunch for their
company.
The competition is part of Steel-
Day, the structural steel industry’s
largest educational and networking
event, held nationwide. It’s scheduled
for October 4 this year; mark your
calendars! If you’re interested in host-
ing or attending an event, visit www.
steelday.org. Learn more about the
competition at www.steelday.org/
sculpturecomp and read about this
year’s winner in the June issue of MSC
(“No Blues in St. Louis”).
IN MEMORIAM
Ira Hooper, P.E.,
a former vice
president and
chief structural
engineer with
STV, passed away
last month at the
age of 93.
Hooper joined
STV’s oldest pre-
decessor firm, Seelye Stevenson Value
& Knecht, in 1946. During the course of
his 56-year career there, he became one
of the country’s most widely respected
structural engineers.
In 1985, Hooper received the Special
Citation Award from AISC (a precur-
sor to the Special Achievement Award).
Three years later the Metropolitan Sec-
tion of the American Society of Civil En-
gineers named him Engineer of the Year.
Hooper retired from STV in 2005 but
continued to be a presence in the office to
mentor staff and consult on special projects.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years,
Sally Lebofsky Hooper.

AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 59

 news
GALVANIZING
AGA Announces Galvanizing Award Winners
The American Galvanizers Association
(AGA) recently announced the winners
of the 2013 Excellence in Hot-Dip
Galvanizing Awards. More than 120
projects were submitted, representing
a variety of applications of hot-dip
galvanizing. All of the projects were
judged online by a panel of architects and
engineers.
This year’s highest honor, Most
Distinguished, was given to the U.S.
Department of Energy’s National
PUBLICATIONS
Companion Materials for Manual Updated
The Design Examples and Shapes Data-
base material, both resources for use with
the 14th Edition AISC Steel Construction
Manual, have been updated.
Version 14.1 of the Design
Examples can be found at www.aisc.
org/designexamples. The PDF
includes more than 160 examples
illustrating the application of both the
2010 AISC Specification for Structural
Steel Buildings and the tables in the
14th Edition AISC Steel Construction
PROJECTS
Early Completion for Cleveland Convention Center
Turner Construction Company re-
cently announced the early comple-
tion of the $465 million Global Center
for Health Innovation and Cleveland
Convention Center building program;
completed three months ahead of the
original schedule and millions under
budget.
About 12,200 tons of structural
steel went into the project. Schuff
Steel (an AISC member and AISC
certified fabricator) coordinated the
fabrication of the $40 million contract
across 15 plants in the U.S., including
two of its own.
To coordinate a project of this size
and scope at a busy downtown site,
Turner worked closely with the prop-
erty owner, Merchandise Mart Prop-
erties Inc., as well as 168 local SBE
contractors.
“Turner was able to complete this
project ahead of schedule because of
60 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
parking garage in Golden, Colo.
The solar-powered garage required a
maintenance-free coating that would last
50 years or more, making galvanizing the
optimum choice for corrosion protection.
Nearby, Denver Zoo’s state-of-the-art
Toyota Elephant Passage took home the
Recreation and Entertainment award.
The Artistic category winner was The
Devil’s Lake Creature at Regatta Grounds
Park in Lincoln City, Ore. A duplex system
Manual. This update includes six new
examples demonstrating use of some
of the provisions in AISC Specification
Appendix 6, Stability Bracing for
Columns and Beams and a new example
applying the Chapter E provisions for
eccentrically loaded single angles in
compression.
The updated AISC Shapes Database
V14.1 can be found at www.aisc.org/
shapesdatabase. It includes most of
the dimensions and properties of the
our collaboration with MMPI and
other partners,” said John Dewine,
construction project executive at
Turner. “By working together with lo-
cal contractors and using technology
like BIM, we were able to identify cre-
ative ways to save time and money.”
The project broke ground in Janu-
ary of 2011 and was completed in June.
Covering 14.6 acres in downtown
Cleveland, the facility spans more than
one million sq. ft. The Global Center
for Health Innovation fills 235,000 sq.
ft with showroom, ballroom and re-
tail space. The Cleveland Convention
Center, at 767,000 sq. ft underground,
features exhibit halls, flexible meet-
ing rooms and column-free ballroom
space.
During the first 12 months of the
project, almost 99% of the demoli-
tion material was recycled as was more
than 2,600 cubic yards of construction
was specified for this year’s Lifetime
Achievement award, which went to the
Franklin Park Conservatory Ameriflora
in Columbus, Ohio. The 80,000 sq.-ft
expansion and renovation project was
originally completed in 1992 and served as
an example of the longevity and superior
corrosion protection provided by paint
over hot-dip galvanized steel.
All submitted projects and winners are
featured in the AGA Project Gallery at
www.galvanizeit.org/project-gallery.
shapes listed in Part 1 of the Manual.
One improvement worth noting is the
addition of single-angle dimensions wa,
wb, wc, za, zb and z; these dimensions are
used to determine the section modulus
about various points on a single angle.
Also, the width-to-thickness ratio and
section dimensions for square and rect-
angular HSS were redefined in a con-
sistent manner. See the readme file for
Shapes Database V14.1 for specific de-
tails of all changes.
waste. While the initial goal was to be
20% more energy efficient than base-
line, the project is currently at nearly
30% above baseline and is pursuing
LEED Silver certification.
The Cleveland Convention Center
recently opened for its first event, and
the Global Center for Health Innova-
tion will host its first event in October.
To learn more about the project, visit
www.clevelandmedicalmart.com.
 It’s coming... October 4, 2013
SteelDay
The industry’s largest educational and networking event
returns for a fifth successive year.
Come and visit your structural steel industry across the country.

Come see what we do.

SteelDay® is an annual event hosted by the American @SteelDay

Institute of Steel Construction, its members and
/SteelDay
partners. Plan your SteelDay® visits and see firsthand
why it makes sense to build with steel. /SteelDayTV

There’s always a solution in steel.

Now you know where to find it.
American Institute of Steel Construction
One East Wacker Drive, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601

312.670.2400 www.aisc.org
“If you can draw it,
we will build it. In steel.”

Dakota Brewer. Dale Brue. Steel

Fabricators. “You got to appreciate
what you do, and like doing it,” Brue
says. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose?
We’re tryin’ to teach the new guys
what we do, and we do it in steel.”
They lay out beams, holes, cuts,
angles and where the plates go on.
Fabricate big box beams with three-,
four-inch flanges. A 29-ton piece not
uncommon. Couldn’t even tell you
how many tons fabricated since 1976
when Dale started at Zalk Josephs
Fabricators. He gets up early. 3 AM.
Never been late. Never.

They say compound miters are

tough, but they handle them. Steel’s
forgiving. Weld it up, fill in little gaps.
Proud of every one of their jobs. Like
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s
Hospital of Chicago. When the boss
sold the project, Zalk came up with
an innovative scheme: using cables to
support the 14th, 15th and 16th floor.
Shaved a couple of months off the
duration of the project because of it.

Dakota Brewer. Dale Brue.

Made in America.
Like the steel they fabricate.

There’s always a solution in steel.

312.670.2400
www.aisc.org/madeinamerica

ENGINEERING JOURNAL
Engineering Journal Q3 Now Online
The Third Quarter 2013 issue of Engineer-
ing Journal is now available online. Papers
in EJ Q3 include:
➤ A Simplified Approach for Joist
Girder Moment Frame Design
Using Equivalent Beam Theory
Phillip A. Knodel, Andrea E. Surovek
and Joseph J. Pote
The design of building structures has
become a highly automated, computer-
based process in which designers depend
on the capabilities of commercial software
for member strength checks and determi-
nation of deflections, drifts and member
weights. Most commercial structural de-
sign software packages allow the user to
build custom beam tables. The use of cus-
tom beam tables for joist girders requires
the application of equivalent beam theory
(EBT). Using EBT, section properties are
determined in such a way that joist girder
limit states are appropriately captured by
strength checks employed by the software.
By building custom beam tables, represent-
ing approximations of joist girders based
on typical available chord sizes and typical
ratios of weights, appropriate joist girder
section properties can be estimated from
almost any commercial structural software
program. This paper presents the method-
ology for developing approximate section
properties for steel joist girders that al-
low commercial software results to closely
compare to joist manufacturer’s designs.
Keywords: joist girder, beam theory,
steel joist design
➤ Stability Design of Cross-Brac-
ing Systems for Frames
Eric M. Lui and Xiaoran Zhang
In this study, the inelastic load-carrying
capacity of the compression diagonal of a
typical cross-bracing system used in con-
centrically braced frames under gravity
and wind loads is investigated, taking into
consideration its interaction effect with the
tension diagonal. Depending on the lateral
stiffness of the tension diagonal, the com-
pression diagonal can be fully or partially
braced by the tension diagonal at their in-
tersection point. An expression for the tran-
sition lateral stiffness, kst, that demarcates
the fully and partially braced conditions is
derived. When the compression diagonal
is fully braced, its maximum load-carrying
capacity is a function of its member slen-
derness, L/r, only. However, when the com-
pression diagonal is partially braced, its load
capacity is dependent upon both its member
slenderness, L/r, and the lateral stiffness, ks,
of the tension diagonal. Once the equations
for the maximum load-carrying capacity of
the compression diagonal are established,
design guidelines are proposed and design
examples are given to demonstrate how the
proposed guidelines can be used for the de-
sign of cross-bracing systems in steel frames.
The consideration of the lateral bracing
effect will result in a more economical and
logical design for such bracing systems.
Keywords: cross-bracing systems, steel
frames, inelastic analysis, stability design
➤ Notes on the Nodal and Relative
Lateral Stability Bracing Re-
quirements of AISC 360
Louis F. Geschwindner and Andres Lepage
The requirements for stability bracing
of columns and beams have been included
in AISC specifications since 1999. These
requirements are intended to permit
properly braced columns and beams to at-
tain the buckling strength of the member
as if braced by immovable supports and
thus be designed as braced members ac-
cording to the requirements of the Speci-
fication. The Specification addresses lateral
stability bracing of columns and beams
and torsional stability bracing of beams.
This paper will address only the require-
ments for lateral stability bracing.
Although these requirements appear
to be fairly straightforward, one ques-
tion is regularly asked by those trying to
put them into practice: What is the dif-
ference between “nodal” and “relative”
bracing? This paper looks at the back-
ground of the provisions, describes how
they have been obtained from the theo-
retical equations and then suggests how
best to distinguish between these “nodal”
and “relative” braces. It also shows that
the approach taken by the Specification is
safe and permits simple rules to be ap-
plied to a wide range of bracing prob-
lems. In addition, recommendations are
made for revision of the requirements.
Keywords: beam bracing, column
bracing, brace force, brace stiffness, lat-
eral bracing
news
➤ A Flexibility-Based Formulation for
the Design of Continuity Plates in
Steel Special Moment Frames
Andy T. Tran, Patrick M. Hassett and
Chia-Ming Uang
This paper introduces a rational
approach for the design of continuity
plates and associated welds in steel spe-
cial moment frame (SMF) connections.
The current AISC Seismic Provisions re-
quire welds attaching continuity plates
to develop the full strength of the plate,
resulting in the need to use complete-
joint-penetration (CJP) groove welds.
The combination of continuity plate
thickness requirements, welding process
and weld inspection often leads to costly
detailing that may be overly conserva-
tive. The proposed design procedure,
which is based on the relative flexibility
between the column flange and continu-
ity plate, aims to quantify the seismic
force demand on continuity plates, thus
allowing designers to efficiently size
both the continuity plate thickness and
the associated welded joints. In addition,
the design procedure may allow the use
of fillet welds or partial-joint-penetra-
tion groove welds as opposed to CJP
welds, leading to a more economical
design and fabrication. Formulation of
the design procedure through analytical
studies, including finite element analy-
sis, is outlined.
Keywords: special moment frame,
continuity plate, relative flexibility, RBS,
WUF-W
PROJECTS
One World Trade Center
Tallest in the U.S.
With the erection of One World Trade
Center’s spire, the building is now the
tallest building in the Western Hemi-
sphere and the third-tallest in the world,
standing at a symbolic 1,776 ft high.
Eighteen barrel-shaped sections of
steel make up the tower’s spire, which
weighs nearly 760 tons and will function
as a world-class broadcast antenna.
One WTC is set to open in 2014. More
information on its construction progress,
as well as photos and video, can be found
at www.panynj.gov/wtcprogress.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 63
marketplace Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com.

AISC Quality Certification

WHY STRUGGLE?
This year Get Certified!
• On site assistance
• Reduce drawing and shop errors
• Reduce field back charges
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• Maximize profit

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JAMES M. MOONEY & ASSOCIATES
941.223.4332
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Are you looking for software, products, or services for your next project?
You can find it in Modern Steel Construction’s online product directory. “Like” AISC on Facebook
http://modernsteel.com/product_categories.php facebook.com/AISCdotORG
If you’re a provider of software, products, or services and would
like more information about being listed or enhancing your current listing, Follow AISC on Twitter
contact Louis Gurthet at:
gurthet@modernsteel.com or 231.228.2274 @AISC

Advertiser Listing
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LNA Solutions .............................................. www.LNAsolutions.com/ICC-ES...............................41 Siemens 840Di CNC, 40” Max. Beam, 2008 #22593
New Millennium Building Systems................. www.newmill.com....................................................8 Peddinghaus BDL1250 CNC Beam Drill, 50” Max. Beam, (3) 10 HP
Peddinghaus Corporation ............................. www.peddinghaus.com ............................................2 Spindles, PC Ctrl (Upgrade 2005), 2000 #21739
RISA Technologies........................................ www.risa.com........................................................67
SDS/2 Design Data ...................................... www.sds2.com ........................................................7
Peddinghaus FPB 1500/3E CNC Plate Fabricator, 177 Ton, Fagor CNC,
SidePlate Systems, Inc. ................................ www.SidePlate.com/FRAME....................................13 60” Max. Width, 1.25” Max. Thickness, HT2000 Plasma, 2000 #22993
St. Louis Screw & Bolt.................................. www.stlouisscrewbolt.com......................................45 Peddinghaus F1170B CNC Plate Punching Machine, 170 Ton, Fagor
Tekla ........................................................... www.tekla.com ........................................................3 CNC, 30” x 60” Trvl., Triple Gag Head, Ext. Tables, 2005 #19659
True North Steel........................................... www.TrueNorthSteel.com .......................................47 Controlled Automation BT1-1433 CNC Oxy/Plasma Cutting System,
V&S Galvanizing........................................... www.HotDipGalvanizing.com...................................15
Valmont Industries ....................................... www.valmont.com..................................................53
14’ x 33’, (1) Oxy, (2) Hy-Def 200 Amp Plasma, 2002 #20654
Whitefab, Inc................................................ www.whitefab.com.................................................44
Voortman VB1050S Horizontal Straight Cut Band Saw, 20” x 44”, 135-
400 SFPM, 2.64” Blade Height, 15 HP, 2007 #22645
HEM DC-2038RB Double Column Horizontal Band Saw, 20” x 38”, 45-60
Deg. Miter, 2” Blade, 15 HP, 75-400 SFPM, 2006 #22215
Visit www.PrestigeEquipment.com for all our inventory & services
Tel: 631.249.5566 | Email: sales@prestigeequipment.com | www.PrestigeEquipment.com

To advertise, call 231.228.2274 or e-mail gurthet@modernsteel.com.

64 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
 Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com. employment
Structural & Misc. Steel Fabrication RECRUITER IN STRUCTURAL MISCELLANEOUS
Our organization has been recruiting for the Structural and Misc. Steel STEEL FABRICATION
Fabricating industry for over 20 years. Current positions include:
• Project Manager • General Manager • Quality Control ProCounsel, a member of AISC, can market your skills
• Plant Superintendents • Estimators • Detailers
• Chief Draftsman • Checkers and achievements (without identifying you) to any city
Please send resume to: or state in the United States. We communicate with
Richard Stauffer
United Employment Associates, 232 Main Street, Emmaus, PA 18049 over 3,000 steel fabricators nationwide. The employer
phone: (610) 437-5040 fax: (610) 437-9650
e-mail: rstauffer@unitedemployment.com www.unitedemployment.com pays the employment fee and the interviewing and
relocation expenses. If you’ve been thinking of making
a change, now is the time to do it. Our target, for you,
Structural Engineers is the right job, in the right location, at the right money.
Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity in 2013?
We are a niche recruiter that specializes in matching great structural
Buzz Taylor
engineers with unique opportunities that will help you utilize your talents and PROCOUNSEL
achieve your goals. Toll free: 866-289-7833 or 214-741-3014
• We have over 30 years of experience working with structural engineers. Fax: 214-741-3019
• We have relationships with people responsible for hiring decisions with mailbox@procounsel.net
companies throughout North America.
• We will save you enormous time in your job search and provide additional
information and help during the process of finding a new job that you
couldn’t find anywhere else.
Connection Design Engineer
International Design Services is seeking a steel connection
Call or e-mail us TODAY to learn more about how we can help you! design engineer for our St. Louis office. Minimum 4 years of experience and
For current openings, please visit our website and view Hot Jobs. the ability to obtain a PE license. Working knowledge of Mathcad is preferred.
SE Solutions, LLC Candidate will have experience managing others and will be responsible for the
Main Office West Coast Office production of an engineering team. Candidate must also skillfully interact with
Brian Quinn, P.E. Lisa Willard, P.E. the detailing team, fabricator, general contractor and EOR. IDS offers a benefits
(616) 546-9420 (805) 482-8436 package, competitive salary, and relocation allowance.
www.FindYourEngineer.com Please call 314-872-1791 or email your resume to msmith@ids-inc.net.

STS STEEL, INC.

STS Steel, an AISC Certified fabricator focusing on complex
buildings is recruiting for two positions:
Project Manager- Prospective candidates must have an
engineering degree (PE preferred) and at least 10 years AISC Continuing Education Seminars
experience in all phases of project management at an AISC www.aisc.org/seminars.
certified fabricator.
Estimator- Prospective candidates must have at least 10 years
experience creating complete estimates and proposals for Visit steelTOOLS.org
complex buildings. Join the conversation at AISC’s new
STS is 100% ESOP owned with a competitive compensation file-sharing, information-sharing website.
package and 401K. Send letter of interest, resume and salary Here are just a few of the FREE resources now available:
history to glennt@stssteel.com. • More than 160 steelTOOLS utilities available for downloading
• Discussion blogs where your can connect and share ideas with
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer
your peers
• Files posted by your peers in special interest libraries, including:
• A Pocket Reference to W Shapes by Depth,
Advertise Your Job Openings in MSC! then Flange Width
• Welding Capacity Calculator
MSC employment ads also appear online! • Moments, Shears and Reactions for Continuous Bridges
www.modernsteel.com/classifieds.php. • Video: Bridge Erection at the SeaTac Airport
(Please note that these ads no longer appear at www.aisc.org.)
Got Questions? Got Answers?
Contact: Lou Gurthet at 231.228.2274 Participate with us at steelTOOLS.org.
or gurthet@modernsteel.com
To advertise, call 231.228.2274 or e-mail gurthet@modernsteel.com.
AUGUST 2013 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 65
 people to know A Milwaukee engineer learns the ins and outs of
HEAD IN flying planes, as well as building one.
THE CLOUDS
IT DIDN’T take Dick Kaehler long to develop a flying habit.
One day, roughly a decade ago, his wife, Suzanne, surprised
him with a helicopter flying lesson “after seeing me wistfully
looking at the sky.”
After that, he was hooked. Two weeks after his lesson, he
signed up to take another, this time in a fixed-wing aircraft
(the plane lessons were less expensive and much closer to
home than helicopter lessons).
“The die was cast,” recalls Kaehler, a vice president and
principal with Computerized Structural Design, S.C. (CSD) in
Milwaukee. “There was no turning back.”
First Flight
Kaehler’s first lesson was in a Cessna 152, a two-seat, single-
propeller plane that can fly as fast as 126 mph (or 110 knots)
and has a wingspan of 33 ft, 4 in., a length of 24 ft, 1 in. and a
weight of just over a half-ton. He explains that you get a lot of
hands-on experience right off the bat.
“Even in the first lesson, you get to actually fly the plane,” he
says. “They take off and land but you get to take the controls for
a bit and get a sense of turning and a feel for the plane.”
Of course, landing is the biggest challenge, “especially in a high
crosswind,” but Kaehler notes that he’s never had what he calls a
harrowing flight—mostly because he simply won’t fly in danger-
ous conditions. To date, he’s logged 250 hours of flight time and
holds a private pilot license for a one-engine, fixed-wing plane as
well as instrument privileges (meaning he’s able to fly in inclem-
ent weather with instructions from air traffic control). His longest
flight as a pilot has been between Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Speaking of long flights, Kaehler has been with CSD for 31
years. It was his first job out of college (“I started there as an
intern before there was such a thing”). An architecture major
➤
Kaehler and a Flight Design CTLS.
66 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION AUGUST 2013
as an undergraduate, he found himself being more attracted
to the technical side of things and went on to earn a Master’s
Degree in civil engineering (his undergrad and grad studies
were both at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee). He
is currently chairman of AISC’s Task Committee 2 – Editorial
and a member of Task Committees 4 – Member Design and
10 – Stability and the Ad Hoc AISC and AISI Committee
on Terminology; he’s a member of both the AISC and AISI
Committees on Specifications as well.
Piece by Piece
The combination of Kaehler’s engineering experience and
love of aviation led to a new project for him and Suzanne: build-
ing their own airplane. The plane is a “kit” similar to a Cessna
172, though more spacious and faster.
“Some say that being an engineer is the worst profession for
someone who wants to build their own plane because you con-
stantly want to make the design better,” he laughs.
But it’s actually a benefit as well, he admits, noting that
an understanding of structural systems and how things come
together certainly come in handy. While some of the instruc-
tions are clearly very specific, others aren’t so much.
“The instructions for the engine are a half-page,” he says.
“Basically, they say, ‘Install engine and propeller.’”
And having some technical experience helps too when it
comes to knowing when it’s acceptable to substitute parts or
where to place rivets (plus he was able to design his own instru-
ment panel). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires
that the builder do 51% of the work in order to certify the plane
as “experimental amateur-built,” and Kaehler assembled his plane,
a blend of some elements he fabricated himself and some pre-
made components, in an outbuilding on his property.
Unfortunately, Kaehler’s FAA health status changed a
couple of years ago and after four years of working on the
plane, he had to bring the project to a halt at about three
quarters of the way to completion; he has no plans to start it
up again. Still, he feels it was worthwhile and while he won’t
be flying a plane of his own making, he is far from grounded.
He still flies a smaller light-sport aircraft weekly when he can
and looks forward to the AirVenture air show in Oshkosh,
Wisc., every year. (The country’s largest air show, it takes
place at Wittman Regional Airport, whose air control tower
becomes the busiest in the world for one week every sum-
mer.) And in the end, being in the cockpit as opposed to the
hangar is what it’s all about.
“Flying gives you a different perspective on the world,” he
says. “When you’re flying the plane yourself, you see things
you’ve never seen before. It’s much different than being a pas-
senger in an airliner.”
“The best part about it is that you can go where you want to
go, not where the road takes you.”
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