Modern Steel Contruction 201010

October 2010
MSC
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION
IN THIS ISSUE
Curved Steel Front
and Center
A Structure That
Teaches
Bridge Trades Up
to Steel
Building the Night Sky
Teklas ambition is to multiply customers potential to think and achieve big. Tekla
Structures, the most advanced building information modeling (BIM) software on the
market, includes an accurate, dynamic and data-rich 3D environment, the benefts of
which are evident for the above projects and in all the building information models
that were submitted for the 2010 Tekla North America BIM Awards. The BIM Awards
competition, open to all Tekla Structures users who have modeled projects with the
software during the preceding year, is held in conjunction with Teklas Annual North
American User Meeting, which this year took place in Atlanta, Georgia, August 12-14.
BIM LIKE YOUVE
NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 201O WINNERS
Technyx/Canam,
Pittsburgh Arena

M3 Engineering,
Mercedes Mine
Category 1
Winner:
Category 2
Winner:
Category 3
Winner:
Category 4
Winner:
4 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER 2010
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 50, Number 10. ISSN (print) 0026-8445: ISSN (online) 1945-0737. Published monthly by the American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC), One E. Wacker Dr., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44; 3 years $120. Outside the
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CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than
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24

A Breathtaking Prelude
BY MITCH GEHRINGER
Kansas Citys new performing arts center
is a showcase of outstanding steel-framed
structures.
30
By Gods Grace
BY ANINDYA DUTTA, S.E., PH.D. AND JOHN D.
MEYER, S.E.
Curved steel provides the non-traditional
framework for a tradition-laden dome.
36
A Texan Extreme Makeover
BY JEFFREY S. KOKE, P.E.
Three stunning structures combine to
anchor the new Fort Worth Museum of
Science and History.
42
What Would Jefferson Do?
BY SETH ROGGE, P.E.
Adding modern-day analysis to a classical
design yields a light and airy atrium.
46
A Structure That Teaches
BY LIZ REHWOLDT AND ZACK STUTTS
Instrumentation in Marquette Universitys
new engineering building will give students
a real-world look at concepts in action.
50
Trading Up
BY STEVE NARKIEWICZ, P.E.
Using steel for replacement bridges to yield
cost savings and environmental benefits.
54
Doing the Twist
BY TOM KLEMENS
Three things you should get straight about
curved steel.
October 2010
ON THE COVER: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Fort Worth, TX (Photo: The Dallas Morning News.)
departments
6 EDITORS NOTE
9 STEEL INTERCHANGE
12 STEEL QUIZ
18 NEWS & EVENTS
resources
63 NEW PRODUCTS
64 MARKETPLACE
65 EMPLOYMENT
columns
features
36 24 30
specwise
56
Working With Single-Angle
Members
BY AMANUEL GEBREMESKEL, P.E.
The inherent eccentricities of this popular
shape require the engineers attention and
understanding.
quality corner
58
AISC CertificationQualified
Random Audits
BY DAN KAUFMAN
Qualified random audits will strengthen
the AISC Certification program, benefiting
certified companies and the entire
construction industry.
business
61
Immigration and Employee
Qualification Requirements
BY RYAN R. LOGHRY
The unauthorized alien debate continues...
but not for contractors.
topping out
66

How Average Are You?
BY TOM KLEMENS
The recent MSC reader survey showed
interesting trends in the information
gathering process that may reflect your
reading habits, too.
Editorial Offices
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Editorial Contacts
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editors note
SCOTT MELNICK
EDITOR
The latest proposal under discussion is a UL
Environment and Greenbiz.com standard on
Sustainability for Manufacturing Organizations
under which manufacturers would become
certified as being green. While many of the
proposals make sense on the surface (such as
encouraging carpooling, bicycling, public tran-
sit, and telecommuting), others are worrisome
for their intrusion on the private market. Taken
individually almost all of the suggestions are
things that many people would agree with; the
question is whether they should be mandated.
I guess in the long run I tend to believe in
Adam Smith. As he stated: It is not from the
benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the
baker that we expect our dinner, but from their
regard to their own interest. To me, requiring
the use of highest mileage vehicles is unneces-
sary. Successful companies have a high regard
for their bottom line and will naturally gravi-
tate to the most economical vehicles. The same
holds true for optimizing transportation routes
and training drivers on fuel efficiencyboth of
which are included in the draft UL standard.
As an environmental standard it makes sense
to mandate transparency on any violations of
environmental regulations as well as any fines
or civil penalties paid regarding water or air
pollution, chemical discharges, or threats to eco-
systems and/or human health. But it smacks of
social engineering when the standard suggests
that executive level compensation is linked to
progress on sustainability targets and requires a
human rights assessment for factories and other
employers. Likewise the promotion of carbon
offsets is of dubious benefit at best.
My biggest problem with standards such as
the UL proposal is that it seemingly penalizes
companies who have been doing the right thing
for a long time. For example, you are rewarded
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions but dont
get any credit for what you did in the past. For
example, the steel industry has already reduced
greenhouse gas emissions by around 40%yet
under this standard they would have been better
off increasing greenhouse gas emissions dur-
ing the past few decades so they could receive a
benefit once the standard is enacted.
Apparently the green movement has forgot-
ten that its current success is a result of demon-
strating the marketplace value of green. I fear
that the specter of enforcing even voluntary
social standards apart from demonstrating their
benefits will return the green movement to the
marginal role it played in the 1990s.
The 45-day public comment period on the
first draft ended in September (for more infor-
mation on the proposed standard, visit http://
www.ulenvironment.com/ulenvironment/
eng/pages/offerings/standards/organiza-
tions/. But Ill be very interested to see what
comes of all this.
As Smith said: Virtue is more to be feared
than vice, because its excesses are not subject to
the regulation of conscience. As we learned in
Chicago politics, you also need to keep an eye
on the do-gooders.
FOR A RELATIVELY NEW MOVEMENT, THE GREEN INDUSTRY HAS RATHER QUICKLY
PROGRESSED FROM ENCOURAGING GREENER TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH PROMISES
OF ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO MANDATING FEEL-GOOD STANDARDS FOR ENVIRON-
MENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE.
Copyright 2010 Design Data, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.sds2.com 800.443.0782 402.441.4000 e-mail: info@sds2.com
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OCTOBER 2010 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 9
steel interchange
Beveled Transitions
A -in. steel plate transitions from 10 in. wide to 18 in. wide
over a length of 6 in. (a transition slope of 1.5 to 1 along each
side of the plate). Is this transition acceptable?
The requirements for transitions depend on the application. Is
the piece subject to static load with R = 3 used in the design, or
is it a high-seismic or cyclic loading case? Also, are the plates
welded or cut?
If it is statically loaded with R = 3 used in the design: the
requirements recently changed and no transition is now necessary
for welded plates. The change was made in the 2008 version of
AWS D1.1 where the provision requiring a 2.5 to 1 transition has
been eliminated. If it were a cut profile, I would say the corner
needed to have some radius but that would not be required
of a welded transition. If there is a chance of uneven stress
distribution, you may wish to require some sloped transition but
it is no longer a code requirement.
If it is a case of high-seismic or cyclic loading: the 2.5 to 1
transition is still an AWS D1.1 requirement (see Clause 2.16.1.2
and Figure 2.12). When the provision was removed from the
static requirements in AWS D1.1, it was added to the AWS
D1.8 Seismic Supplement (see AWS D1.8 Clause 4.2). Also, if the
load is cyclic and you are designing using the fatigue categories
in Appendix 3, there are details that require the use of a sloped
transition or defined radius, e.g., cases 5.2 and 6.1.
Erin Criste and Tom Schlafly
AESS Expectations
We had architecturally exposed structural steel on a previous
project, and a difference in paint appearance resulted at parts
where welding or grinding occurredthe steel looked
different. Are there guidelines or standards as to the finishes
where grinding and/or welding has occurred, so that we can
avoid the problems of differing expectations in the future?
The surface variations from rolled to ground to welded will
always appear different through paint, and especially when the
paint or coating is not a flat sheen. AESS is specified in Section
10 of the AISC Code of Standard Practice, and this contains basic
requirements as defaults. Special finish requirements beyond
those in Section 10 are to be specified in the contract documents.
There are other documents that are available relevant to this
from the Rocky Mountain Steel Construction Association. That
information was published as an AESS supplement to the May
2003 issue of Modern Steel Construction and includes a sample AESS
specification. It also discusses some of the aspects of specifying
AESS that may add significant costs to the steel package. For a free
online version of that supplement, go to www.modernsteel.com/
backissues. Perhaps that will help you resolve the issue.
Reinforcing an Existing Beam
Im designing for additional load in an existing structure and
plan to reinforce the floor framing. Do I have to account for
the existing stresses in the unreinforced shapes as I design
the reinforced cross-section?
If our methods were truly elastic in nature, the loading history
might be important. However, beam design involves inelasticity,
and the only impact that the loading history has is on the
deflection. That is, your deflection of the reinforced member
starts at the position of the unreinforced member and progresses
from there under the new loading. Strength is unaffected.
For the reinforcement of these members, you might
want to look at two papers from AISC Engineering Journal:
Reinforcing Steel Members and the Effects of Welding, by
Raymond H.R. Tide (4th Quarter 1990) and Field Welding
to Existing Steel Structures, by David T. Ricker (1st Quarter
1988). They are available to AISC members as free downloads
at www. aisc. org/epubs. Non-members pay a nominal
purchase price.
Windows Compatibility
I just upgraded to Windows 7 and am trying to use the CD
companion that came with my 13th Edition AISC Manual. It
doesnt seem to work. How can I make it run?
Backward compatibility seems to be more and more of a problem
these days. Microsoft offers various compatibility modes to run
programs and resources that were created before Windows 7.
They have a page outlining the process at:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/
Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows
Alternatively, we have put the content of the CD companion
online at www.aisc.org/epubs. You should be able to use the
various features that way as it does not require the interface
program that ran the CD companion. It is a free download for
AISC members; the price for non-members is $70.
Martin Anderson
Shear Stud Spacing in Composite Design
For the design of composite flexural members, Section
I3.2d(6) in the 2005 AISC Specification limits the maximum
center-to-center spacing of shear connectors to eight times
the total slab thickness or 36 in. Does total slab thickness
refer to the total thickness of slab and deck (for composite
steel deck) or the concrete thickness above the deck?
For a composite metal deck with concrete topping, the total
slab thickness is the thickness of the concrete topping plus the
thickness of the composite metal deck. For example, if you have
3 in. of concrete topping on a 3-in. composite metal deck, the
total slab thickness is 6 in.
Heath Mitchell, P.E.
IF YOUVE EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY? about something related to structural steel design or construction, Modern
Steel Constructions monthly Steel Interchange column is for you! Send your questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.
steel interchange
Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and practical professional ideas and
information on all phases of steel building and bridge construction. Opinions and
suggestions are welcome on any subject covered in this magazine.
The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not necessarily represent an official
position of the American Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed. It is
recognized that the design of structures is within the scope and expertise of a competent
licensed structural engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the application of
principles to a particular structure.
If you have a question or problem that your fellow readers might help you solve, please
forward it to us. At the same time, feel free to respond to any of the questions that you
have read here. Contact Steel Interchange via AISCs Steel Solutions Center:
One East Wacker Dr., Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601
rel: 8.ASK.ASC lox: 312.803.470
solutions@aisc.org
The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and answers is available online.
Find questions and answers related to just about any topic by using our full-text search
capability. Visit Steel Interchange online at www.modernsteel.com.
Proprietary Connection?
I have been told by a provider of one proprietary seismic
moment connection that they have a patent on the WUF-W
connection. Is this connection subject to a patent?
No, the WUF-W connection is and always has been in the public
domain. This abbreviation covers a detail with a welded unreinforced
flange (the WUF part) with a welded web (the W part) as illustrated
below with the special seismic weld access hole also illustrated
below. Like its close cousin with a bolted web (the WUF-B), it was
developed by the FEMA-funded SAC Joint Venture and published
in FEMA 350 and related documents. Both of these details have
been incorporated into AISC documents, including the AISC
Seismic Provisions (AISC 341) and the AISC Seismic Design Manual.
Additionally, the WUF-W detail recently was added to the list of
details that are prequalified for use in Special Moment Frames (SMF)
and Intermediate Moment Frames (IMF) in AISC 358 Prequalified
Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic
Applications according to AISC 341 Appendix P.
igure C-I-11.1 Schematic
l ustrati on of strong-
xis moment connection:
i r ect l y wel ded. See
aufmann, Xue, Lu and
isher (1996).
From 2005 Commentary
n the Seismic Provisions for
tructural Steel Buildings)
In a letter dated March 8, 2010, AISC contacted the proprietary
connection vendor, stating our position, asking for clarification
of their claims, and requesting that they cease and desist
from making threats and claims that we consider false and
unsubstantiated. We have received no response.
Flexural Strength at Bolt Holes
When using Equation F13-1 to determine the flexural
strength, FM
n
, of a W-shape beam with holes in the flange,
is S
x
simply the value in the property tables from Part 1 of
the AISC Manual or do I have to calculate it considering the
holes that are present in the tension flange?
The gross elastic section modulus, S
x
, from Part 1 of the AISC
Manual is used in Equation F13-1 without consideration of bolt
hole reductions. The ratio in the rest of that equation accounts
for the reduction due to holes in the form of a critical stress.
Brad Davis, S.E., Ph.D.
Axial Loads in Shear Connection
I would like to have clarifications from AISC regarding
the use of double-angle connections and single-plate
connections. Is it true that a double-angle connection
provides little resistance to axial loads? If so, should I use a
single-plate connection in this case?
In general, both double angles and shear tabs can transfer
significant axial loads. However, double-angle connections using
the Welds B detail shown on page 10-46 of the 13th Edition
AISC Manual are not well suited to transferring axial loads. There
is no standard procedure for calculating the axial strength of these
welds, since the axial load will subject the vertical weld to shear,
tension and torsion tending to open the root of the weld. Where
the connection is to be welded to the support, the single-plate
connection is a better option than the double-angle connection
when axial loads must be transferred.
Larry S. Muir, P.E.
Charlie Carter is vice president and chief structural engineer, Tom Schlafly is director of
research, Erin Criste is steel solutions center advisor, and Martin Anderson is solutions cen-
ter coordinator at AISC. Heath Mitchell, Larry Muir and Brad Davis are consultants to AISC.
Figure 11-
hole detai
350, Recom
Design Crite
Moment-Fra
(From 200
Provisions fo
Buildings (AI
Tolerances shall not accumulate to the extent that the angle of the access
hole cut to the flange surface exceeds 25.
steel quiz
LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE? Modern Steel Constructions monthly Steel Quiz tests your knowledge of steel design and
construction. The answers for most of the questions this month can be found in the 13th Edition AISC Steel Construction
Manual. Good luck!
1
Why are k
des
and k
det
dimensions
different in Table 1-1 of the 13th
Edition AISC Manual?
2
True/False: Flat rolled carbon
steel 4 in. wide and in. thick is
called a strip.
3
To which ASTM manufacturing
standard are crane rails typically
specified?
4
Which resistance factor and safety
factor are appropriate for the
design of forged steel structural
hardware products that are
statically loaded?
a) F = 0.9, = 1.67
b) F = 0.85, = 1.76
c) F = 0.75, = 2.0
d) F = 0.5, = 3.0
5
True/Fal se: The AI SC Code
of Standard Practice requires
that the Engi neer of Record
i ncl ude a descri pti on of the
lateral load resisting system in
the contract documents.
6
To what ASTM material standard
are shear stud connectors typi-
cally specified?
7
When a W2484 is cold cam-
bered, what minimum radius
range is recommended in the
AISC Manual?
a) Between 240 in. and 336 in.
b) Between 192 in. and 240 in.
c) Between 144 in. and 240 in.
d) Between 144 in. and 192 in.
TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR ANSWERS
8
True/False: Using stainless steel
fasteners with carbon steel base
metal may cause an increase in the
corrosion rate of the carbon steel.
9
What is the minimum amount
of cleaning of the steel that the
fabricator is expected to carry out
if no specific requirements are
made in the contract documents?
a) SSPC-SP1
b) SSPC-SP2
c) SSPC-SP3
d) SSPC-SP4
10
Tr ue/Fal se: Mi l l s use heat
straightening to bring structural
shapes to meet ASTM A6 toler-
ances for straightness.
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steel quiz ANSWERS
1
Steel producers use a range of
fillet radii in the production of
W-shapes. The smallest radius
is of interest for design; k
des

reflects this so design properties
are not overstated. The largest
radius is of interest for detailing;
k
det
reflects this so that the
available flat dimension in the
web is not overstated.
2
False. According to AISI standard
nomenclature this is called a bar.
Please see Table 2-2 of the 13th
Edition AISC Manual.
3
ASTM A759.
4
(d) Please see page 2-21 of the
13th Edition AISC Manual for
a discussion of resistance and
allowable factors for forged steel
structural hardware.
5
True. Section 7.10.1 in the AISC
Code of Standard Practi ce
requires that a description of the
lateral load resisting system be
provided. Examples are provided
in the Commentary.
6
Shear stud connectors are cov-
ered by ASTM A108, as required
in AWS D1.1.
7
(a) The minimum recommended
radius for cold cambering beams
that have a nominal depth of up
to 30 in. is between 10 and 14
times the depth. See page 2-29
of the 13th Edition AISC Manual.
8
True. Please see Table 2-6 of the
13th Edition AISC Manual.
9
(b) According to Section 6.5.2
of the AISC Code of Standard
Practice, the fabricator shall, at a
minimum, clean the steel to meet
the requirements of SSPC-SP2.
10
False. Mills typically straighten
structural shapes after rolling by
utilizing either rotary straighten-
ing or gag straightening. Either
approach is performed after the
shape has cooled.
Anyone is welcome to submit questions and
answers for Steel Quiz. If you are interested
in submitting one question or an entire quiz,
contact AISCs Steel Solutions Center at
866.ASK.AISC or at solutions@aisc.org.

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Newly Certified Facilities: August 131, 2010
news
Newly Certied Fabricator Facilities
Altra Steel, University Park, Ill.
American Steel, Inc., Billings, Mont.
Delta Steel Erectors, Benicia, Calif.
Fab-Weld Steel, Inc., Randolph, Ala.
Ohio Steel Fabrication, LLC, Findlay, Ohio
R & S Steel, LLC, Rome, N.Y.
Specialty Welding, Inc., Moses Lake, Wash.
Talley Metal Products, Inc., Hagerstown, Md.
White Oak Metals, Inc., Dalton, Minn.
Newly Certied Erector Facilities
Harold OShea Builders, Springeld, Ill.
River City Erectors, LLC, Rossville, Tenn.
Sentry Steel Service Co., Inc.,
Hendersonville, Tenn.
Standafer Builders, Inc., West Liberty, Ky.
Steelcon, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich.
Structural Building Systems, Inc., Hudson, Ohio
Newly Certied Bridge Component Facilities
FGS Fabrication, LLC, Huntley, Ill.
Midwest Fence Corp., Chicago, Ill.
Existing Certied Erector Facilities

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

Newly Certied Erector Facilities
Newly Certied Bridge Component Facilities
To nd a certied fabricator or
erector in a particular area, visit
www.aisc.org/certsearch.
People and Firms
t Robert H. Luffy, P.E., who since 1973
has been chief executive officer of
American Bridge Company, will retire
from the company effective December
31, 2010. Luffy began his career with
American Bridge as a field engineer on
the New River Gorge Bridge in West
Virginia in 1972. Since becoming CEO
during a troubled time in the companys
history, Luffy has engineered a resur-
gence of the firm fol-
lowed by sustained
growth and operat-
ing success. Michael
Flowers, P.E., cur-
rently chief operating
officer of the com-
pany, will assume the
role of chief execu-
t i ve off i cer upon
Luffys retirement.
t Franci s Duffy Shea has been
appointed president of Alamo Iron
Works (AIW), San Antonio, Texas. In this
position, he will be responsible for all
aspects of AIWs steel and industrial sup-
ply business. Shea has more than two
decades experience in the industrial mar-
ketplace and supply distribution, most
recently serving as chief operating officer,
vice president and general manager of
Designer Building Solutions of Denver.
AIW is a recent acquisition of Charlotte,
N.C.-based Industrial Distribution Group.
t Chicago Metal Rolled Products, which
has been owned and operated by the
same family for four generations since
it began in 1908, recently launched a
revamped website at www.cmrp.com.
t $MFWFMBOECBTFE BSDIJUFDUVSBM FOHJOFFS-
ing and management services com-
pany Middough, Inc., is celebrating
its 60th anniversary. Founded in 1950
as W. Vance Middough & Associates,
one of the firms first clients was LTV
Steel, which today is ArcelorMittal and
still a Middough customer. Middough
recently opened its 13th office, which is
in Houston.
t 5IF %FQBSUNFOU PG "SDIJ UFDUVSBM
Engineering at Pennsylvania State
University recently named Glenn Bell,
P.E., CEO of Waltham, Mass.-based
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH),
a 2010 Honorary AE Centennial Fellow.
The award recognizes of Bells active par-
ticipation in the department and contri-
bution to its overall success and growth.
Among other activities, Bell has been a
member of the departments Industrial
Advisory Board for the last 10 years.
The Construction Specifications Institute
has joined the ConsensusDOCS Coalition,
whose mission is the creation of fair and
balanced construction contracts. CSI joins
27 other leading construction industry
associations in supporting the coalition.
A national organization of more than
13,000 volunteers, CSI includes speci-
fiers, architects, engineers, contractors,
facility managers, product representatives,
manufacturers, owners and others who are
experts in the building industry.
ConsensusDOCS offers a catalog of
more than 90 contract documents cover-
ing all methods of project delivery. More
information is available on the web at
www.consensusdocs.org.
CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
CSI Joins ConsensusDOCS
Coalition
RESOURCES
Online Crane Reference
Materials
A new online crane reference library con-
tains dimensions, load charts, and other
information for numerous cranes. San
Leandro, Calif.-based Bigge Crane and
Rigging offers the resource at www.bigge.
com/crane-information. The company
also has created a complementary 384-
page PDF guide that includes basic infor-
mation for most of the equipment in its
rental fleet. To get the free download, go
to www.bigge.com/crane-charts/crane-
guide.html. Also on that page, dont miss
the links to How to Read a Crane Chart
and How to Use Crane Hand Signals.
news
OBITUARY
William Milek, Former AISC VP of Engineering and Research
Craftsmanship requires an eye for design, attention to detail and
the skill to create. William Milek brought these qualities to mod-
els and furniture he built at home and the concepts he developed
and implemented in his work at AISC.
Many of the provisions you use from AISC and AWS D1 were
crafted by Milek. He also wrote the last significant reorganization of
the design chapter of the AWS code as well as AISC and AWS infor-
mation on lamellar tearing.
Milek had steel in his blood. During his breaks from college,
he worked as a detailer at Omaha Steel Works, where his father
was the chief engineer. Milek graduated from the University of
Nebraska in 1941 and enlisted in the Army, planning to get a year
of military service under his belt and return to Omaha and work
as an engineer. Stationed in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, he sub-
sequently served in the Pacific Theater throughout the war building
runways, hospitals barracks near, and in some cases in, combat zones.
He went back to Omaha after the war, where he did work as an
engineer and met John Griffiths of Paxton & Vierling Steel. It was
Griffiths who told Milek that AISC was looking for a regional engi-
neer. After a few years in that position, he was asked by Ted Higgins
to come work in AISC headquarters in New York.
In New York, he assisted Higgins and became the director of
research. When Higgins retired in 1968, Milek was promoted to
vice president of engineering and research.
There were many notable accomplishments as Milek led the
engineering effort at AISC. Among these were development of a
specification for bolted joints and provisions for fatigue-loaded con-
nections, working with John Fisher and others. Milek was the staff
engineer as LRFD was being developed by Theodore Galambos, and
was instrumental in the implementation of LRFD, which was issued
as a new method of designing steel structures a year after he retired.
A feature that made him well known in the structural engineering
community was a column he wrote called One Engineers Opinion.
In those columns, which were cited for years, Milek discussed rel-
evant issues of the time and helped establish
a reputation for credibility at the Institute.
After his retirement, Milek continued
volunteer work in committees at AISC,
AWS and RCSC until the 1990s when his
health prevented him from attending meet-
ings. Even then he would review specifica-
tion drafts and Engineering Journal articles,
always happy to share opinions and advice.
That advice and friendship I will miss. I am
sure I am not alone.
Thomas J. Schlafly
William A. Milek, 92, died September 3, 2010. A resident of Glen
Ellyn, Ill., Milek joined AISC in 1955 as a district engineer based in his
home town of Omaha, Neb. He ultimately became vice president of
engineering and retired from that position shortly after AISC moved
to Chicago in 1983. Milek is survived by his children John, Tom, Anne
and James; two brothers, Robert and David; two grandchildren and
one great-grandson.
news
CODES
New Code of Standard Practice Now Available
AISC has released its 2010 Code of Standard Practice for Structural
Steel Buildings and Bridges (AISC 303-10). The new edition of
the Code refects industry advancements and provides engineers,
owners, architects, general contractors, and others associated with
construction in structural steel, with a useful framework for a
common understanding of acceptable standards when contracting
for structural steel.
Since publishing the frst edition of the Code in 1924, AISC has
constantly surveyed the structural steel design community and
construction industry to determine standard trade practices. Since
then, this Code has been updated periodically to refect new and
changing technology and industry practices.
Like the 2005 edition, the 2010 edition is not a complete
revision of the Code but does include important changes and
updates. Among the most signifcant changes in the 2010 Code are
improvements in how connection design delegation is handled.
The signifcant improvement in Section 3.1.2 is the result of
collaboration between the AISC Code Committee and the Council
of American Structural Engineers (CASE) Guidelines Committee,
said Charles J. Carter, AISC vice president and chief structural
engineer. It represents a solution to connection design delegation
that the design community and steel construction industry have
needed for many decades.
Based on the deliberations of a fair and balanced committee
consisting of structural engineers, architects, a code offcial, a
general contractor, fabricators, a steel detailer, erectors, inspectors,
and an attorney, the following modifcations have been made in the
2010 revision of the Code:
The scope in Section 1.1 has been revised to cover buildings
and other structures in a manner that is consistent with how
buildings and other structures are treated in AISC 360 (the
AISC Specifcation for Structural Steel Buildings). A similar and
corresponding revision has been made in Section 1.4.
The list of documents referenced in Section 1.2 has been
editorially updated.
Section 1.9 has been added to emphasize that not all tolerances
are explicitly covered in the Code, and that tolerances not
covered are not to be assumed as zero.
Clarifcation has been added in Section 2 that base plates
and bearing plates are considered structural steel if they are
attached to the structural frame, but not if they are loose items
that do not attach to the structural steel frame.
Editorial improvements have been made in the Commentary
to Section 3.1 to improve upon the list of items that should be
provided in the contract documents, as well as to link column
differential shortening and anticipated defections to information
that has been added in the Commentary to Section 7.13.
Explicit requirements have been added in Section 3.1.2 as option
3 for when connection design work is delegated by the Structural
Engineer of Record (SER) to be performed by another engineer.
Provisions covering connection design by the SER (option 1)
and selection or completion of basic tabular connections by a
steel detailer (option 2) also have been revised for consistency
with and distinction from option 3. Additionally, the defned
term substantiating connection information has been added to
the Glossary, and revisions also have been made in Section 4 to
correspond with the addition of option 3 in Section 3.1.2.
Information has been added to the Commentary in Section
4.1 to summarize the importance and benefts of holding a
pre-detailing conference to open lines of communication and
develop a common understanding about the project.
Section 4.7 has been added to address requirements for
erection drawings.
Section 6.4.3 has been modifed to better address incidental
camber in trusses. Information has been added in the
Commentary to Section 7.10.1 to better describe the
provisions that relate to special erection conditions or other
considerations that are required by the design concept, as
well as to highlight special considerations in the erection of
cantilevered members.
The intent in Section 7.13.1.2(d) has been clarifed in the text
as well as with the relocation of supporting Commentary.
The intent in Section 10.2.5 has been editorially clarifed for
groove welds in butt joints and outside corner joints.
The document has been editorially revised for consistency
with current terms and other related documents.
The 2010 Code of Standard Practice is available as a free download
PDF at www.aisc.org/freepubs.
CONTEST
Student Bridge Contest 2011 Rules Available
The official rules for the 2011 Student Steel Bridge Contest,
sponsored by AISC and ASCE, have been released. They are
available as a PDF download at www.aisc.org/steelbridge.
As usual, the Problem Statement lays out an interesting and
challenging steel bridge project for students to design, fabricate
and build. Notable changes in the 2011 specifications include (but
are definitely not limited to):
a longer length
inclusion of a cantilever section at one end of the bridge
a change from specific footings to foundation easements
modified member size requirements
As is customary, entries will be designed and built as 1:10 scale
models of the proposed structure.
To learn more, visit www.aisc.org/steelbridge. To view pho-
tos from the final round of 2010 competition on the Modern Steel
Construction website, go to www.modernsteel.com/photos.
AISC, in association with members of the structural steel industry,
recently awarded 24 scholarships/fellowships totaling $85,500 for
the 2010-2011 academic year. We would like to thank our industry
partners for their continuing generous support of student programs.
Congratulations to the very deserving students who have been
awarded scholarships and fellowships for the upcoming school year.
AISC Education Foundation $5,000 ea.
Fred R. Havens Fund:
Matthew Bandelt, Villanova University
Deborah Blass, George Washington University
Klingelhofer Fund:
Michael Weinert, University of Washington
Aleksandr Yaroshevich, California State University, Sacramento
U.S. Steel Fund:
Peter Fritz, Santa Clara University
Steven Fulmer, North Carolina State University
W&W AFCO Steel Fund:
Roger Mock, Georgia Institute of Technology
AISC Memorial Fund $2,500 ea.
Daniel Choe, University of California, Berkeley
Amy Kuo, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Steve Lauer, Purdue University
Andrew Mathis, University of Kentucky
AISC/Associated Steel Erectors $3,000 ea.
Ross Brazzale, Illinois Institute of Technology
Erica Fisher, Purdue University
Timothy Gregor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Amy Kuo, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Steve Lauer, Purdue University
Michael Zelisko, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
AISC/Great Lakes Fabricators and Erectors Association $5,000
Karl Krueger, Michigan Technical University
AISC/Southern Association of Steel Fabricators $2,500 ea.
George Kantrales, Auburn University
Andrew Mathis, University of Kentucky
AISC/Structural Steel Educational Council $2,500 ea.
Daniel Choe, University of California, Berkeley
Gillian Montgomery, Stanford University
AISC/W&W Steel Oklahoma State University Awards $2,500 ea.
Meagan Busby, Oklahoma State University
Andrew Royce, Oklahoma State University
EDUCATION
2010-2011 Scholarship and Fellowship Award Winners Announced
news
Choe
Bandelt Blass Weinert Yaroshevich Fritz Fulmer Mock
Kuo Lauer Mathis Krueger Kantrales Montgomery
A gold processing plant in Northern Mexico has been named the
winner in the Industrial/Civil ModelSteel and/or Concrete
category of the 2010 Tekla North America BIM Awards. The
Mercedes Gold Processing Plants complex model included struc-
tural steel, miscellaneous steel, and mechanical steel and compo-
nents (bins, hoppers, material conveying system) ensuring fit-up
and compatibility among the many vendor components within
the structural steel framework.
Winners in the other categories include two components of
Pittsburghs new Consol Energy Centerthe hockey arena and
its impressive parking garageand the state-of-the-art Sutter
Medical Center Castro Valley in California.
This years competition attracted a record number of Tekla
Structures users26 of themto submit their 3D models. View
all the entries (not just the winners) on the Tekla website at
http://bit.ly/agf0O7.
AWARDS
Tekla Announces 2010 BIM Award Winners
letters
Specifying FRP Shims
In a current project being designed in Chicago, we provided
a detail for a condition that has potential for thermal bridg-
ing. Upon reading your article Steel Framing and Building
Envelopes in MSC (January 2010), we specified a Fiberglass
Reinforced Plastic shim plate. The detail is a hanging beam
with tension transferred via bolts and no compression on the
plastic plate. The contractor has asked us what material this
plate should be. Do you have a specific material/product that
you have specified in your projects? Or has FRP managed
to be sufficient in your specifications?
Matt Streid, Chicago
Author Jim DAloisio responds:
Weve developed a specification for Structural Fiberglass
Reinforced Plastic Shapes that weve modified to incorporate
requirements outlined in several ASTM standards. These cover
such things as flame spread, strength, and physical characteristics.
We have used -in.-thick fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP)
plates and angles to minimize energy loss through steel connec-
tions that pass through the insulated building envelope. FRP has
fairly high compressive strength, and its thermal properties (it
conducts heat
1
1200th the rate of carbon steel) make it a very effi-
cient way to minimize or eliminate thermal steel bridging. So far,
weve kept the stresses lowthis is a fairly new way of using this
material. And weve kept the structural requirements to basically
a shimno flexural stresses. We also recommend using stainless
steel bolts for penetrating the material because stainless steel con-
ducts heat only about a third as well as carbon steel.
For larger members and stresses, there are proprietary
structural-thermal assemblies, such as the Schock Isokorb system.
These are systems that get installed between the interior and
exterior steel, across the envelope insulation, to which both the
interior and exterior steel is bolted. They can transfer shear, axial,
and bending stresses, as well as minimizing thermal transfer. The
company has recently published the capacities of its assemblies in
Imperial Units, making them much more user friendly in the U.S.
The AISC Fall Seminar Series is coming to more than
20 cities with four different topics:
Practical Connection Design for Economical
Steel Structures
HSS Connection Design/Dos & Donts of Steel
Construction
Design Steel Your Way II: Effcient Analysis for
Steel Design using the 2005 AISC Specifcation
Listen to the Steel: Duane Miller on Welding
Each full day session includes lunch and 0.8 CEUs
or 8 PDHs. To register, view a map of the different
seminar locations, or learn more about the fall semi-
nar series, visit www.aisc.org/seminars.
EDUCATION
AISC Fall Seminar Series
PUBLICATIONS
Engineering Journal Q2 Now Available Online
The Second Quarter 2010 issue of Engineering Journal is now available to
AISC members online in digital edition format. Members can view the current
issue online by going to http://bit.ly/9OE1NZ.
New to this issue is the share feature, which allows you to share articles via
email and social media web sites such as Facebook. And due to the popularity
of the digital edition, the archive feature also has been enabled for the next few
issues. The archive feature allows you to browse prior digital editions begin-
ning with First Quarter 2010.
Article searches for the complete collection of Engineering Journal articles
continue to be available at www.aisc.org/ej. Downloads of current and past
articles in PDF format remain free to AISC members and ePubs subscribers.
Feel free to e-mail comments and questions to Engineering Journal editor
Keith Grubb at grubb@aisc.org.
Beware Indeed!
I appreciated your article Beware of Strings Attached to Stimulus
Projects in the September 2010 issue of Modern Steel Construction. I
personally have managed two federally funded projects (EDA funds,
not ARRA funds) and have discovered for myselfas a project man-
agerthe hassles and grief that are attached to federal funds. Not only
did my team and I encounter headaches with the Davis-Bacon require-
ments, we discoveredmuch too late and much to our chagrinthat
portions of our project would not be funded even after construction
was nearly complete. Apparently, the paperwork arrived incomplete
and no forgiveness was extended to us. Hence, a scramble ensued to
secure private funds to pay for work that we expected would be paid
for by the federal grant. Therefore, I feel your warning to other con-
sultants and contractors was very timely and necessary.
I do, however, have one point of argument with your article and it
is simply this: No stimulus package extended by our federal govern-
ment can ever produce opportunities for contractors to find work
in an otherwise stagnant private construction market or extend a
lifeline to the construction industry. Perhaps it can in the short term
but never in the long term and never in anyones best interest. Simple
economics will prove this out: The short-term increase in funding will
create greater supply (jobs, inventories, etc.) but leave contractors and
suppliers with greater unused inventories, under-utilized equipment
and overstaffing problems once the funding is spent because the over-
all cause of the reduced demand has not been addressed. Hence, the
gravity of the situation becomes worse than if no stimulus had been
provided and federal debt (i.e., yours and mine) has increased.
As the title of your article states, we must beware of strings
attached, especially with the greater, overall picture of federal
spending. No amount of extra spending will ever get our country
out of debt, as your own personal budgets will attest. Our best
option then is to tighten our belts, reject government handouts
regardless of how much we think we may need them, and let the
economy correct itself. We as a nation have put ourselves in this
situation and now a consequence must be paid. Its not the easiest
answer but it is the correct one.
Henry David Thoreau once said For every thousand hacking
at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root. Gentlemen,
lets be striking at the root and not promoting wasteful action!
Quin E. Whitaker, P.E., MBA
Logan, Utah
A
Kansas Citys new performing arts center is a
showcase of outstanding steel-framed structures.
ATOP A HILL with a commanding view to the south and overlooking
the revived Crossroads Arts District sits the newest addition to the
Kansas City skyline, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
This world-class entertainment venue has proven to be as challeng-
ing to design and build as it is expected to be beautiful and functional.
Scheduled to be completed and ready for the 2011 performance sea-
son, it will be the performance home for the Kansas City Symphony,
the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Ballet.
The Kauffman Center, envisioned by Muriel Kauffman of Kan-
sas City as early as 1995, was fnally brought to fruition by her
daughter Julia Irene Kaufmann. The 285,000-sq.-ft facility consists
of the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall, for symphonic concerts, and the
1,800-seat Muriel Irene McBrien Kauffman Theatre for live stage
performances. A third independent structure acts as a shell envelop-
ing the two internal buildings. This unique architectural showpiece
starts with a series of segmented vertical arcs forming the north wall
and, from the top of the arcs, descends to the south with a gentle
sweep ending with its signature cable-supported glass atrium.
A Structural Framing Challenge
The complex geometry and intricate connections required
to connect the symphony of trusses and rolled beams resulted
in hardly a 90 angle or straight piece of steel anywhere in the
structure. Working as a subcontractor to J.E. Dunn Construction,
Hirschfeld Industries was specifcally selected as the structural
steel contractor on this unique project because of its history of
expertise with complex steel structures and in particular, the detail-
ing, fabrication, and erection of elaborate trusses.
When completed, the structure weighed in at 3,989 tons of
steel with 938 tons, or 24% of the total structure, being rolled
steel. Rolling was equally split in the hard direction and in the easy
direction. The top and bottom chords of the north wall vertical
trusses are typically W14r99s and W14r211s rolled the easy way.
The top and bottom chords of the east/west trusses forming the
roof of the shell and curved in the horizontal plane are typically
W14r90s rolled the hard way.
The concert hall, located on the east side of the site, consists
A Breathtaking
Prelude
BY MITCH GEHRINGER
ch Ge 24 MODERN TE CTION OCTOBER 2010
of six levels of structural steel framing. The roof of this structure
comprises six straight east/west trusses with clear spans ranging
from 43 ft to 104 ft and an average depth of 14 ft, all supported by
the concrete at Level 8. The organ trusses, aptly named for shaping
the back wall of the organ chamber and echoing the shape of the
outer shell, are located at the north end of the structure and consist
of eight curved vertical trusses each approximately 47 ft in height
extending from the concrete frame at Level 8 and connecting at
the top to one of two trusses.
The second internal building, the proscenium theater, is located
on the west side of the site and also consists of six levels of struc-
tural steel framing. This structure takes a slightly simpler approach
with the roof structure consisting of only four straight east/west
trusses with the northernmost truss tied into the concrete stage
tower just to the north. A maze of multi-leveled curved catwalks is
hung from the trusses.
The massive free-standing lattice shell forming the north wall
is composed of 27 vertically curved north/south trusses rising to a
height of 139 ft above the ground. Stretching between the top of
the trusses and the box truss and defning the extreme south end of
the steel structure, is a series of W24s and W21s in the same vertical
plane of each of the corresponding curved trusses.
Lateral resistance in the north/south direction is provided by
six braced frames. Lateral resistance in the east/west direction is
also provided by braced frames between the north wall trusses.
Acoustical Issues
Internal noise abatement is a critical consideration for dual-use
venues such as this. Throughout the design and construction of the
Mitch Gehringer is director of

preconstruction for Hirschfeld
Industries. His career spans
two decades and includes proj-
ects throughout Europe, the
Middle East, Southeast Asia,
and the U.S.
Workers attach the rst component of roong system to the curved
trusses. The complex geometry and intricate connections required
to connect the symphony of trusses and rolled beams resulted in
hardly a 90 angle anywhere in the structure.
Kansas Citys new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts actually
consists of three steel-framed structures. The two internal struc-
turesa concert hall and a theaterare enveloped by a third, shell-
like structure.
Hirschfeld Industries
Bottom: The massive free-standing lattice shell forming the north
wall is composed of 27 vertically curved north/south trusses rising to
a height of 139 ft above the ground. The straight members extend-
ing to the left at the top of the curved truss attach to the horizontal
box truss along the south side of the structure.
Top: The box truss that denes the extreme south end of the steel
structure was assembled on the ground in six segments. The seg-
ments were lifted into place by a single large crane.
Middle: The south side of the Kauffman Centers steel structure is
dened by a box truss that extends the entire length of the structure.
Mitch Gehringer
Mitch Gehringer
Mitch Gehringer

steel framing, careful consideration was given
to avoiding the transfer of airborne noise as
well as reverberations throughout the struc-
ture. The structural steel frames for the con-
cert hall and theater were designed to be com-
pletely independent of the surrounding steel
and concrete structure. A minimum acoustic
joint of 2 in. at ground level, increasing to
more than 6 in. at the top of the structure
where the wind loads are more signifcant,
was required between the inner buildings
Mitch Gehringer
Many of the connections required multiple connection plates at various angles,
posing challenges to both the detailer and the fabricator.

and the shell to control both airborne and
structure-borne noise from entering the
occupied space. Inspections conducted at the
end of the erection of each sequence before
vacating a specifc area ensured that all tem-
porary erection aids had been removed, thus
preserving the acoustic isolation.
Detailing Connection Design
Consteel Technical Services, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Hirschfeld Industries,
used Tekla Structures, version 11.3, to pro-
vide highly accurate and interactive 3D
computer modeling. With the structure
being predominantly curved with braced
frames on radial grid lines, it was by far the
most complex and challenging structure
the team had detailed. Structural Solutions,
Inc., designed the bolted connections using
standard holes, per the erectors require-
ment for immediate stability of the member,
and slip critical bolts using a Class B faying
surface. This resulted in a lower bolt shear
capacity than for a bearing condition, so the
quantity of bolts and size of the connec-
tions increased. However, it was required to
eliminate any slippage in the connection and
maintain the specifed tension in the cable
structure connected to the structural steel.
As many as 20 modelers, editors, and
checkers were working in the Tekla model
at any one time. Diffculties sometimes
were encountered in avoiding clashes within
the model, although these were not insur-
mountable problems. Unexpected problems
were encountered, however, as the size of
the model eventually approached the capac-
ity of the software simply due to the com-
plexity of the geometry. This was resolved
by separating the model into two indepen-
dent modelsone for the concert hall and
proscenium theater internal buildings and
another for the external shell. The separa-
tion was done after the overall geometry had been established and
shop drawings were being developed for the north wall, so there was
little potential for any unknown clashes between the two models.
However interface checks between the models still were done on a
regular basis. (See sidebar No More Maxing Out.)
Throughout the detailing process, close collaboration between
the design team, connection engineer, general contractor, and steel
fabricator was a necessity in fnalizing the structural design. Virtual
meetings using online visual and audio links (via Go to Meeting)
were an essential tool in bringing all parties together to visualize,
design, and detail, the complex nodes with massive shear plates
converging at different relative angles. As the 3D model was being
developed, a detailer was brought in to work face to face with the
design team, thereby incorporating the myriad of painting and fre-
proofng details on the steel as well as the exact location of the shop-
attached pourstop. This preplanning was extremely benefcial to all
and resulted in minimal feld modifcations and interruptions.
The lateral load
resistance system,
braced frames, con-
sisted of wide fange
diagonals connected
to gusset plates with
claw angle connec-
tions. The axial trans-
fer forces across the
joints were accom-
modated with massive
end plate connections,
some as long as 11 ft
and up to 3 in. thick,
with the fanges shop-
welded to the end
plates. This applied
tension to the end
plate bolts, reducing
their effective clamp-
ing force and thus their slip resistance. The connections were care-
fully designed to ensure the required capacities were achieved, all
while allowing for no connection slip at strength-level forces.
The cable supported glass system at the south end of the build-
ing introduced signifcant challenges to the connection design. Due
to the high tensile forces required developed by the cable system,
signifcant lateral and vertical loads were imparted into the exter-
nal shell structure. No connection slip could be permitted in order
to ensure the cables maintained their required tensile forces.
The connection design information was provided by the connec-
tion engineer to the detailer via connection tables for the simpler con-
nections and intricate AutoCAD sketches for the more complicated
joints. As the joint complexity increased, this process became iterative,
with the connection engineer and detailer sharing copies of the 3D
model until the joints were fnally and completely detailed. Before the
shop drawings were sent to the design team for approval, the con-
nection engineer reviewed each one to ensure the connection design
intent was correctly interpreted. The result was a steel structure of
untold complexity erected with very few ft-up issues in the feld.
Fabrication
Dividing the structure into ten fabrication/erection sequences
(one for the concert hall, one for the proscenium theater, and eight
for the outer shell) and further subdividing the structure into 54
M
i
t
c
h

G
e
h
r
i
n
g
e
r
The framing for the sloped roof of the concert hall prior to its
being enveloped by the curved outer shell. The concrete box in
the background is the proscenium theater.
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Truss fabrication was done mostly in Hirschfelds Abilene, Texas,
shops. Trusses were shop assembled to the greatest extent possi-
ble still allowing the shipping of oversized and overweight assem-
blies to Kansas City via permit.
A showcase for BIM, the Kauffman Center information-rich model

presents a complex geometry with a high degree of detail, such
as showing connection components as well as member proles
and thicknesses.
{

}
No More Maxing Out
For modeling software, just
like all computer-related things,
capabilities continue to grow.
Although the initial Kauffman
Center model pushed the limits of
the then-current version of Tekla
Structures, subsequent releases
are 64-bit versions that eliminate
the memory restrictions associated
with 32-bit systems. The result is
that almost any size project can be
handled in one model.
manageable shipping priorities allowed the construction site to
maintain the erection at a productive rate while keeping the stag-
ing areas from being inundated with not-yet-needed assemblies.
To accommodate the compressed fabrication schedule, truss
fabrication was done mostly in Hirschfelds Abilene, Texas, shops
with the structural work being conducted in its San Angelo, Texas,
shops. Trusses were shop assembled to the greatest extent possible
still allowing the shipping of oversized and overweight assemblies
to Kansas City via permit.
During crucial fabrication periods, Hirschfeld engaged a
detailer to be present in the shops armed with the latest technol-
ogyand electronic total station and the industrial measurement
software. That enabled extraction of the 3D coordinates from the
Tekla model and their transformation into any plane required to
achieve the complex build of the roof steel curved members as well
as satisfy the tolerances required during fabrication. This essen-
tially gave the shops the capability of building any achievable shape.
Conversely, the shops could take the as-built subassembly dimen-
sions and transfer the data back into the model to provide actual
to theoretical comparisons. This would then allow a simulated trial
erection of fully formed truss assemblies before lifting and con-
frming that the interface with adjoining members worked.
Erection
Not unlike the talent of the performers and the tireless rehearsals
needed to create the magnifcent sound soon to be found in the Kauff-
man Center, the construction process of the structure required the abso-
lute best contractor partnerships in the industry to orchestrate every
detail. Integral to the preplanning and execution of the erection of the
structural steel was the 3D modeling and staged analysis of an elaborate
52-stage erection/stability plan created by the Midwest Steel erection
team. Twenty-three drawings, by section, were generated for stability
bracing, 14 drawings for rigging of all lifts and seven drawings for crane
logistics. Critical to the development of the detailed erection plan was a
staged load analysis to maintain stability for the partially erected struc-
ture. Secondary construction loads were considered to accommodate
the follow-on trades during erection as needed.
There were 26 critical lifts planned and executed on this project.
The connection points at the tops of each building were erected
several months prior to the erection of the vertically curved trusses.
Control of the position was critical in order to erect the back of the
house and close the structure. Jacking frames were designed to sta-
bilize and maintain geometry of the trusses. The front of the house
had a continuous curved box truss that ran from one end of the
project to the other connecting the exterior structures of the con-
cert hall and the proscenium theater. This was considered the most
critical geometry on the project and served as the geometrically
critical connection basis to the structure for the cable-supported
glass atrium that served as the entire front of the structure.
For each lift a critical lift plan was developed and team meet-
ings were conducted to simulate every detail and to be sure every-
one understood their roles in the process. The Tekla model was a
critical tool for this project. Within the model, Midwest Steel was
able to verify piece weight and geometry, determine the center of
gravity of the pick piece and to review the swing path for the piece.
Crane staging was verifed in relation to the initial staging position,
the fnal set position and to verify a clear swing path. Lay-down
areas were coordinated for pre-assembly, trip and set.
A universal lifting apparatus was designed and modifed as
detailing progressed. Prior to erection, a practice lift was per-
formed to verify crane capacity using the onboard computer and
to make sure the swing path was unobstructed. This was a major
concern due to the geometry of the building. There were many
levels of concrete and steel to navigate the crane boom and picked
piece around in order to set each piece. In addition, step-by-step,
bullet point directions were created and used by the crew during
the lift which kept everyone focused on safety.
Another factor of expertise was appropriate equipment selec-
tion to execute the lifts. Plans were developed that reduced crane
movement and lowered the sled weights. These details saved time,
eliminated the need for a secondary crane, and resulted in safer
execution of the lifts.
The Kauffman Centers structural steel work was completed in
February 2010. The facility is scheduled to be fully operational for
the 2011 performance season. For more information, visit www.
kauffmancenter.org.
As with all large undertakings, the development of the Kauffman
Center project has been a collaborative team effort. Jon Vinson,
who recently completed his 40th year with Hirschfeld, has been a
key player from the inception of this project. He spearheaded the
realization of the design as it advanced toward the fabrication stage
and deserves a lot of credit for its successful completion.
The author also wishes to thank Tom Broad of Midwest Steel
for providing information on the erection methodology.
Owner
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Architect
Moshie Safdie and Associates, Somerville, Mass., and BNIM
Architects, Kansas City, Mo.
Structural Engineer
Ove Arup & Partners, New York, and Structural Engineering
Associates, Kansas City, Mo.
Connection Engineer
Structural Solutions, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas (AISC Member)
General Contractor
J.E. Dunn Construction, Kansas City, Mo.
Steel Fabricator
Hirschfeld Industries, San Angelo, Texas (AISC Member)
Steel Erector
Midwest Steel, Inc., Detroit (AISC Member)
Steel Detailing
ConSteel Technical Services Ltd., San Angelo, Texas (AISC Member)
The curved organ trusses (three are visible here) echo the shape of
the outer shell and form the back wall of the organ chamber. Located
at the north end of the structure, they consist of eight curved vertical
trusses each approximately 47 ft in height and extend from the con-
crete frame at Level 8 and connect to one of two trusses at the top.
Mitch Gehringer
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Curved steel provides the
non-traditional framework for a tradition-laden dome.
CELEBRATED ARCHITECT Christ J. Kamages builds faith.
And when Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH) was offered
the opportunity to structure one of his crown jewels, it was truly
a humbling experience for the entire design team.
St. Nicholas Constantine and Helen is a Greek Orthodox
church complex in Roseland, N.J. The project consists of a main
church building, a school building, a central rotunda and a gym-
nasium/social hall. Spread over 39,000 sq. ft, the complex is a
visual delight with the centerpiece being the main church build-
ing with its characteristic Byzantine design.
Design for the building started in early 2006. From the very
beginning, steel was the primary material of choice for all except
the main church building. Given the many curved and faceted
roofs intersecting with each other, the design team initially con-
sidered concrete for the main church building. After considerable
research and discussions, the decision was made to use curved
structural steel combined with curved metal studs. One reason
for this was to eliminate mixing of trades. Because the remain-
ing portion of the facility was going to be framed in steel, it was
prudent to use one material which would streamline the entire
construction process. Additionally constructing a concrete dome
would have required special expertise and likely would have
driven up the overall construction cost. The fact that a concrete
dome would weigh substantially more also would have increased
foundation costs. One concern about using steel was the consid-
erable amount of feld welding required, but that single factor
By Gods
BY ANINDYA DUTTA, S.E., PH.D.
AND JOHN D. MEYER, S.E.
Grace
was not enough to tilt the balance in favor of concrete. In
retrospect, this decision has proven to be a good one.
The progression from design drawings to shop draw-
ings to fabrication and erection was completed smoothly
with minimal glitches. West Coast mentality for com-
plete connection details on the contract documents was,
at least to some degree, helpful in attaining this achieve-
ment. The decision to use steel also reduced the number
of trades involved in the superstructure and improved the
construction schedule. At the same time, a slump in the
construction industry in mid-2008 enabled the church to
get a much more competitive bid for the complex church
building with its ornate design and curved steel framing.
The church complex can be separated into three
segments. The frst is the education/school building
complex, a single-story 60-ft by 150-ft building with
one level of basement. The main foor at grade consists
of 4 in. normal weight concrete over B decking and
open web steel joist framing. The lateral system for the
above-grade structure consists of cold-formed bearing
wall with plywood sheathing. Although constructed as
a single-story structure, there was a clear directive from
the owner to design it considering a future expansion
of one level. Accordingly, SGH designed a pseudo foor
below the roof with standard foor loading and placed
the steel trusses above this foor. This was done so that
in the future, if required, the owner can simply remove
the roof trusses, build one level of framing and reuse
the roof trusses.
Although the addition of this extra foor increased
the initial construction cost, there were tremendous
gains from this decision. First, this pseudo foor gave
the owner the fexibility of adding an extra level with-
out having to worry about possible additional costs of
retroftting the gravity system had it been designed as
a single-story structure. Second, the classrooms can
continue to function as the new foor is being added,
whereas they would certainly have to be relocated, albeit
temporarily, for the retroft option. Although a detailed
cost beneft analysis was not conducted, common sense
evaluation tells us this was a prudent investment that
Anindya Dutta, S.E., Ph.D., is a senior project manager and John
Meyer, S.E. is a senior principal with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger,
Inc. in the San Francisco offce (www.sgh.com). Dutta has more
than 10 years of experience in structural analysis and design of var-
ious structures in high-seismic zones, and seismic evaluation and
strengthening of low- to high-rise structures. Meyer has more than
30 years of experience in seismic analysis, structural design, and
building investigation of high-rise, institutional, commercial, and
industrial structures.
CJK Design Group
Artists rendering of the church complex.
the owner chose to make up front in order
to reap the benefts later.
The main church is roughly 100 ft
square in plan with a vertical height of 35 ft
to the dome base. The dome, approximately
50 ft in diameter, rises another 15 ft from
the springing level culminating in the
traditional cross at the top. The main
lateral system for the dome is provided by
eight 24-in. diameter pipes with a moment-
connected continuous HSS20r12r
5
8
member at the eave level (29 ft above the
foor). Eight inclined W14 cantilevers attach
to the pipe columns at that level and rise up
to receive the base for the dome. The dome
itself is made up of 20 curved HSS10r4r
3
8
ribs connected by a -in.-thick continuous
compression ring at the top. In addition,
there is sub-framing consisting of curved or
piece wise linear cold-formed stud framing
that makes up the surface of the dome.
The curved ribs supplied by the fabri-
cator were welded to the compression and
tension ring in place and provided perhaps
the single most challenging aspect of the
whole dome construction. It took the con-
tractor roughly three weeks to fnish weld-
ing the ribs. Unfortunately the timing also
coincided with the summer rains, which
resulted in considerable interruptions dur-
ing the construction. Apart from the domed
portion, the church building also has a two-
story choir loft that is a steel braced frame
structure with composite steel framing.
The main church building gradually
meanders into the gymnasium area via
a rotunda with a domed roof framed in a
similar way as the main church dome. The
gymnasium building is a large open area,
100 ft by 100 ft, with the roof framing con-
sisting of non-composite roof decking over
open web steel joists. The lateral strength
is provided by steel braced frames with the
roof decking serving as the diaphragm. In
addition, there are several low-level struc-
tures around the perimeter supported by
cold-formed stud bearing walls with ply-
wood sheathing.
The foundation system for the three
buildings is a combination of isolated foot-
ings and continuous strip footings under-
neath the bearing walls. Braced frames are
supported on combined footings. Perim-
eter footings are founded 4 ft. below the
adjacent grade due to frost concerns.
The International Building Code 2000 New
Jersey Edition was used for the design of the
buildings. A ground snow load of 25 psf was
considered for all roof design. In addition,
several cases of unbalanced and drift snow
loading were considered due to the compli-
cated roof levels and shapes. Generally wind
governed the lateral design for most cases
(Basic Wind Speed = 100 mph, Exposure B)
although SGH performed a response spec-
trum analysis on the main church building in
the spirit of a true West Coast design frm.
Another paradigm shift for SGH-San
Francisco was setting up the design docu-
ments to suit East Coast fabricators. This
applied especially to the connections, both
gravity and lateral. Whereas a single welded
shear plate with bolted web is the most com-
mon west coast gravity connection, a con-
versation with our colleagues in our Boston
offce revealed that welded double angles
with bolted web is what N.J. fabricators are
S
G
H
Ring beam and structural
support for the dome.
Structural framing for the church dome.
S
G
H
{ }
Oh You California GuysTelephone Tidbits
Technology has greatly diminished the difculties of working cross-country.
However, that allows differences in regional practices to stand out a bit more.
Conversations between our West Coast design ofce and the East Coast fabri-
cator and contractors ofces regarding the St. Nicholas and Helen Church proj-
ect frequently included amusing moments illustrating that point. Here are a few
snippets of conversations that contributed to making this a memorable project.
About drawings showing both the West Coast type shear plate connections
and East Coast type web angle connection:
Detailer: Your drawings show a welded shear plate type gravity connection.
You know here we dont usually do beam connections like that.
About base plates that were designed using ACI Appendix D provisions:
Detailer: Wow! Your base plates are big. Hey, we dont have earthquake
loads here.
About miscellaneous cold-formed steel blocking between open web joists:
Contractor: Do you really need those hat-shaped pieces?
Disclaimer: These conversations are presented here to add a humorous
avor to the otherwise crunchy taste of a structural steel article. There was
an element of banter involved when the conversations happened. They are
not meant to re-ignite the age old ght, Who is best, East or West?

Structural steel being erected for the church building.

used to seeing. Additionally, where a West Coast drawing will
typically lay out all the connection details for the lateral system,
signifcant freedom is given to the East Coast detailer for design-
ing such connections with only the required connection force
mentioned in the drawings. In the end, the detailing of the grav-
ity and lateral connections approached West Coast thorough-
ness and connection forces were specifed for the detailers. The
net result was that the detailers clearly understood the design
intent, but still had fexibility to adjust the details in accordance
with East Coast shop practice. Although such differences never
created major impact, there were several spirited Oh you Cali-
fornia guys type of conversations with the detailer during the
shop drawing phase.
As the design phase transitioned into the shop drawing phase,
we quickly realized the enormity of the problem of shipping
three sets of shop drawings back and forth across the country.
Not only was cost a concern, but also the time lag involved in
a reasonable mode of delivery. Technology provided a solution
and greatly simplifed the process. Drawings mostly were trans-
ferred over the Internet in PDF format, checked and marked in
the editor and emailed back to the fabricator. Not only did this
save time, we also managed to save a few trees in the process.
At the time of publication of this article, steel has been
completely erected with the interior improvements progress-
ing in full swing. With the passing of every milestone, the view
looks more similar to the artists rendering bringing smiles to
the members of the design team. This project demonstrates
once again that structural steel can accommodate unusual and
complex shaped structures and result in competitive costs and
meet schedules.
Owner
The Church Board, St. Nicholas Constantine and Helen,
Roseland, N.J.
Architect
CJK Design Group, San Francisco
Structural Engineer
Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., San Francisco (AISC
Member)
Steel Detailer
Division Five Detailing Inc., Vineland, N.J. (AISC Member)
Contractor
South Mountain Construction Co. Inc., West Orange, N.J.
Structural Software
RAM Structural System, CSI SAP 2000
CJK Design Group
Erected structural framing for the gymnasium building.
T
Three stunning structures
combine to anchor the
new Fort Worth Museum
of Science and History.
THE FORT WORTH Museum of Science and History has been
operating for many years, enlightening and inspiring multiple gen-
erations. People speak fondly of memories they have of exploring
the museum when they were children. However, decades of wear
and tear, plus ever-expanding exhibits and growing attendance,
made the 1954 museum building inadequate for the new century.
Although a diffcult decision, it was time for a new museum.
The new Fort Worth Museum of Science and History replaced
the existing museum building on the same site in November 2009.
The museum has 166,000 gross sq. ft composed of one-story and
two-story spaces. The building consists mostly of exhibit spaces,
classrooms, support areas, public spaces and dining areas. Three
unique steel structures are the main massing of the building design:
the new domed Noble Planetarium, the Energy Gallery roof, and
the main entrance, called the Urban Lantern.
Domed Noble Planetarium
The new Noble Planetarium is a state-of-the-art facility that
sports a 50-ft-diameter steel-framed ribbed dome, which was
completely fabricated on the ground and lifted into place. That
operation was featured prominently in the Dallas Morning News
and was the symbol of construction progress for some time.
The dome is constructed of arched ribs, joined together with a
compression ring at the top and tension ring at the bottom. It has
8-in. wide-fange column ribs with 2-in.-diameter transverse pipes
encircling the dome in concentric rings. The rings serve as lateral
bracing for the vertical arched members, add rigidity for the dome,
and provide support for the dome cladding.
The dome members were delivered as individual pieces ready
to be assembled like a kit of parts. A staging area next to the fnal
location was set up for the erection process where the steel erector
welded the elements together on the ground.
All vertical wide-fange ribs were welded to the tension ring
at the bottom and converged to a compression ring at the top of
the dome. Once the ribs were in place and the transverse pipes
were installed, the resulting confguration was a semi-rigid grid
Extreme Makeover
BY JEFFREY S. KOKE, P.E.
A Texan
that resisted racking and was stiff enough
to be lifted into its fnal location.
Additionally, smaller tubes and angles
were connected to the main frame to accept
the dome cladding. This additional framing
enhanced the smoothness of the dome to
prevent ridges or offsets from occurring
between cladding panels.
Months earlier, additional analysis and
careful coordination among the structural
engineer, erector and contractor had been per-
formed to allow the nearly fawless installation
to occur. Hanging locations were determined
and analyzed for performance during the
60,000-lb lift. The erector performed an in-
depth study of shoring and the hoisting proce-
dure that ended in an evolution that appeared
to spectators as a quick and easy solution.
Jeff Koke, P. E., is a structural engineer and studio leader in
the Dallas offce of Datum Engineers and has served as proj-
ect manager on a variety of projects since he joined the frm
in 2003. He has developed a niche for cultural projects such
as museums and sculpture gardens. His work currently in
progress includes the $185 million Perot Museum of Nature
and Science. Jeff holds a bachelors degree in Architectural
Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, and
spent 20 years in the Navy.
The new museum facility is anchored by the Noble Planetarium Dome, the Urban
Lantern, and the Energy Gallery.
Arriving on site as individual pieces, the Noble Planetarium Dome was assembled
on the ground, then lifted into place.
Photos by Datum Engineers except as noted.

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The planetariums second foor fram-
ing was carefully analyzed and designed
to minimize vibration interference from
exterior distractions to ensure success-
ful operation of the projector. Locating a
column directly below the mechanism and
increasing the concrete slab thickness pro-
vides the required platform stability and
helps mitigate vibration interference with
the projector.
The Energy Gallery Roof
The Energy Gallery roof was designed
with 7-ft-deep steel trusses, supporting an
8-ft-tall ribbon of brick. The visual expres-
sion of the structure is a 50-ft cantilever
with a 15-ft backup span and support. To
control gravity load defections and high
stresses, the cantilever is supported by
small intermediate columns consisting of
6-in. pipe located behind window mullions.
This confguration contributed to signif-
cant calculated wind sways at the end of
the cantilever in the transverse direction,
because the only wind bracing in the trans-
verse direction is at far end of the space.
The high roof uses horizontal X-bracing to
maximize the rigidity of the diaphragm to
transfer the lateral loads to the rear bracing
system. The low roof diaphragm minimizes
the sway of the structure and helps distrib-
ute the lateral loads.
Close coordination with the glazing
manufacturers engineer was required to
accommodate the anticipated structural
movements. The connections for the tall
windows were designed to accommodate
larger than usual horizontal and vertical
movements. Attention to these details of
the design by the structural engineer and
the glazing manufacturers engineer was
critical to its success.
The Urban Lantern
The Urban Lantern is the pride of the
museum. Its proportions and interior vol-
ume create a space that is tall, open and
impressive. The Lantern is 76 ft tall and
topped with a glass box made of 97 yellow-
fretted glass panels, each measuring 5 ft 7 in.
square and weighing 500 lb.
To help control gravity load deflections in
the Energy Gallery roofs 55-ft cantilever,
engineers provided 6-in.-diameter pipe
columns tucked behind mullions.
The exterior brick on the Urban Lantern
is supported by a system specifically
designed not to have visible horizontal
kickers, leaving interior space open.
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Photo Courtesy: M. A. Mortenson Company, 2010
Full-height cross-braces at the corners provide stability to the
Urban Lantern tower.
The 76-ft Urban Lantern, topped with a yellow glass box, provides
an impressive main entryway to the new Fort Worth Museum of
Science and History.
The Lantern is a critically important element because it is
the gateway to the museum. Design architect Ricardo Legorreta
expressed this by saying, Light symbolizes knowledge, creativ-
ity, imagination and spirituality. Color, on the other hand, for us
means passion for life, humanism and happiness.
Careful computer modeling and structural analysis were con-
ducted using RISA to ensure the framing system and brick sup-
ports would perform as expected. The basic approach was to create
a braced tower with an open interior. Usually a tower would have
horizontal cross-bracing or foors to prevent racking and distribute
lateral loads, but this was not an option. Instead, engineers used the
buildings adjacent low roof diaphragm and a 5-ft 10-in.-wide rein-
forced concrete slab on composite deck at the towers second level to
provide racking strength. This essentially created a rigid foor slab
with a big hole in the middle of it. Additionally, the roof corners at
higher levels have similar concrete slabs to enhance stiffness.
Full-height cross-braces were provided at the corners of the
tower for stability. Horizontal HSS12r6 girts at 10-ft vertical spac-
ing tie the tower together and provide connection points for the
brick support system.
The exterior brick is supported by a system specifcally designed
not to have visible horizontal kickers so as not to obstruct the inte-
rior open space. Vertical HSS5r5 members spaced at 4-ft centers
provide support for the brick shelf angles at each level. The hori-
zontal HSS girts are designed to resist the moments and reactions
from the vertical tubes induced by wind and the eccentric brick
loads at each level.
The unique idea of Legorretas Urban Lantern incorporates
a glass box to the top that glows at night, guiding its patrons to
the museums front door. The structural engineer conceived the
structural concept and design of the glass box at the top of the
tower. Then Menomenee Falls, Wis.-based manufacturer Novum
Structures LLC implemented the design and built the glass box.
The loads calculated by Novums engineers were provided to the
structural engineer to include in the overall building model.
This state-of-the-art glass system includes unique proprietary
glass connections and expansion joints designed specifcally for the
Fort Worth area. The end result accomplished the architects vision.
The Fort Worth Museums extreme make-over resulted in a
facility that is world class and will be a source of pride for the city,
museum and the designers for years to come.
Structural Engineer
Datum Engineers, Dallas (AISC Member)
Project Manager
The Projects Group, Fort Worth, Texas
Design Architect
Legoretta & Legoretta, Mexico
Architect of Record
Gideon Toal, Fort Worth, Texas
General Contractor
Linbeck, Fort Worth, Texas
Steel Fabricator
CMC Alamo Steel, Waco, Texas (AISC Member)
Steel Erector
Bosworth Steel Erectors, Dallas (AISC, IMPACT and SEAA
Member)
Structural Software
RISA
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was a big deal back in the 1800s. To create a far more impressive
structure, current engineering analysis and 3D modeling were
used to create a dome more than three times the original size.
I
Adding modern-day analysis to a classical design yields a light and airy atrium.
IF THOMAS JEFFERSON were alive today, would he take advan-
tage of modern-day engineering and fnite element analysis to
redesign his classic Virginia plantation? Would he be concerned
about environmental impact by designing to LEED Gold sustain-
ability with more than 70% open views and a reclaimed water sys-
tem? That is exactly what the design team was tasked with when
creating the new headquarters for the National Rural Utilities
Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC) near the regions
where Jefferson spent all but a few years of his entire life.
Located in Northern Virginia near the nations capital, the new
headquarters is situated on a 42-acre campus. The three-story offce
building features a gym, catering kitchen, business center, and larger
conference rooms for a total of 120,000 sq. ft. A typical box-shaped
offce building easily could have served the owners needs. However,
it certainly wouldnt have conveyed the eye catching vision and warm
openness for which the owner was looking.
The building consists of two separate wings that are identical
in geometry and mirror images of each other. Tying the two wings
together is a 100-ft-diameter dome, the unmistakable focal point
of the structure.
The orientation of the atrium and the splaying of the buildings
wings due west was no coincidence. The buildings architecture
mimics Jeffersons home, Monticello, which also is oriented west.
The original Monticello dome was around 30 ft in diameter; which
What Would
Jefferson Do?
BY SETH ROGGE, P.E.
Renderings (including the image at the top of the page) of the
new NRUCFC headquarters which mimics Thomas Jeffersons
Virginia home, Monticello.
KGD Architecture
KGD Architecture
Revising Traditional Workow
Traditionally, a project such as this begins with the engineer
creating his models in the analysis software. Depending on the
complexity of the job, numerous models may need to be invoked.
Once the analysis is completed, redline markups usually follow for
the drafter.
On the NRUCFC project, invoking a fully integrated approach
within REVIT reversed this workfow process. The goal was
to have one model serve two purposes. By implementing a
bi-directional link from the analysis software, ETABS, to REVIT
Structure, required starting the model with preliminary member
sizes and locations within REVIT. The member sizes, materials,
and loads were assigned in REVIT. An internal mapping fle was
used to help associate the REVIT frame attributes to the ETABS
section database.
As changes and modifcations to the structure occurred dur-
ing the design phase, the implementation of the bi-directional link
from REVIT Structure to ETABS allowed for ease of review and
coordination. By updating the changes once in REVIT and using
the bi-directional link, the ETABS model was updated shortly
thereafter. The analysis in ETABS was run, reviewed, and then
linked back into REVIT Structure with any changes.
Dome Design
To reinforce the feeling of spaciousness, the three-story atrium
was created using tapered curving HSS truss sections. These par-
tially exposed HSS truss members were used to fashion an elegant
and sleek look to the dome structure. At the apex of the dome, a
24-ft oculus glass opening was designed to allow natural light to
food the atrium below. Bracing several of the dome columns, a
cantilevered walkway from one wing of the building to the other
was utilized. The added weight and stiffness of the framing for the
walkways helped counterbalance the weight from the dome steel as
well as support the dome columns.
The dome was created using a perimeter of 24 wide-fange col-
umns, spaced every 15 degrees around the dome. The top and bot-
tom chords of the truss were HSS8r8r
3
8 and the web members were
HSS4r4r. The domes profle and curvature play an important
aesthetic role in the building. The dome trusses are visible not only
from inside the building, but from outside as well. The HSS trusses
taper upward to create the dramatic open feeling at the top of the
atrium. Keeping the top chords constant, the bottom chords taper
from an outside truss height dimension of 5 ft 6 in. to the inside truss
height dimension of 3 ft.
One of the tapered trusses being lifted into position.
Seth Rogge, P.E., is a project

manager at SK&A. He also
serves as the frms director of
Building Information Modeling.
Looking up at the compression rings of the dome.
Looking west from the third floor toward the dome. The verti-
cal members at the outside end of the trusses splice directly to
wide-flange columns set every 15 degrees.
The completed dome framework, with roof decking installed

and the temporary support removed.
KGD Architecture Seth Rogge

Seth R
Seth Rogge
The depth to span ratio for the dome
is 1:4. Creating the 24-ft-diameter open-
ing for the oculus glass required top and
bottom compression rings. These rings
are continuous HSS8r8r
3
8 members that
carry the weight of the truss as well as the
weight of the glass. Holding these rings
together are vertical HSS8r8r
3
8 members.
As the rings undergo large compression
forces, the trusses transfer the load back to
the supporting perimeter columns. These
columns then undergo large tension forces
exerted by the trusses pushing outward. To
resist these forces, the columns are joined
together at the top and bottom of the truss
by HSS6r6r tension members. These
members help stabilize the dome by resist-
ing the outward push.
Dome Connection
The connections for NRUCFC were
designed by SteelFab using structural con-
nection design software that was developed
by its in-house staff of licensed profes-
sional engineers. The HSS dome truss was
designed per AISC 360-05, Section K2,
with directly welded connections, mainly
due to the aesthetic considerations for the
architecturally exposed structural steel. All
of the HSS truss members were sized such
that the limit states of chord plastifcation
and shear yielding (punching) do not con-
trol; therefore chord reinforcement was not
required. Considering eccentricity in the
joint confgurations helped to economize
the connections by allowing single bevel
cuts for all branches and no overlapped
joints. The branch connections were pri-
marily made with fllet welds, with partial
joint penetration groove welds used as well
for the diagonal members.
Using CJP welds with HSS members can
be challenging, as the preparation and ft-up
are more demanding. Therefore CJP welds
were used only for the critical joints, such
as feld splicing the compression ring, which
had been fabricated as separate rolled HSS
members, and the chord to compression
ring connections. The CJP weld was accom-
plished by providing a -in. backing plate
cut to ft within the inside profle of the HSS
member. The plate was recessed in. inside
the HSS member, allowing for -in. back-
ing at the joint root opening. A typical HSS
truss chord to compression ring connection
is shown below, followed by a typical com-
pression ring splice connection.
1. HSS workline shall be shifted up as shown to allow for alignment of top
and bottom flanges with HSS rings. This will allow for all-around CJP
weld, as shown on the structural drawings.
The connection detail for the
chord connections.
The connection detail for the
compression ring field splice.
HSS88
3
8 HSS88
3
8
SteelFab Inc.
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Construction
Sequencing and erection also served as
a challenge. With its unique shape and dif-
fcult location in the building, each truss
member was fabricated in the shop. For
ease of erection, the columns were spliced
below the trusses. That allowed the trusses
to be connected to the columns at the shop.
Each truss was then erected and welded to
the supporting column below.
Temporary shoring was erected at the
center of the dome to support and carry
the weight of each truss until fnal connec-
tions could be made. Erecting the entire
truss on the ground and hoisting it up was
not an option due to limited access for
the crane. Once the shoring was in place
and temporary connections were made to
the truss, the bridge connecting each side
of the building was erected. The added
weight of the cantilevered bridge not only
helped brace the columns supporting the
dome, it also counterbalanced the weight
of the truss. With the dead weight of the
bridge offsetting the weight of the truss, it
was important to allow the truss to defect
and the columns to rotate until the bridge
was in place. Once completed, temporary
connections were removed and permanent
welded connections were made. Scaffolding
was then cut down piece by piece, removed,
and the building was ready to be enclosed.
The structure is expected to be com-
pleted in July 2011. Even though the
project did not employ Jeffersonian
design or construction techniques, the
gentleman from Virginia no doubt would
have been pleased to have NRUCFC
join the neighborhood.
The added weight of the cantilevered bridges connecting the two
wings helps brace the columns supporting the dome and counter-
balances the weight of the truss dome.
Owner
National Rural Utilities Cooperative
Finance Corporation, Herndon, Va.
Architect
Kishimoto Gordon Dalaya, Rosslyn, Va.
Structural Engineer
Smislova, Kehnemui & Associates, PA,
Potomac, Md. (AISC Member)
Steel Fabricator and Erector
SteelFab of Virginia, Inc., Emporia, Va.
(AISC Member)
Structural Software
REVIT, ETABS
The third floor framing plan for NRUCFC showing the plan
layout of the bridge.

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Instrumentation in Marquette Universitys new
engineering building will give students a real-world
look at concepts in action.
LOCATED IN MILWAUKEE, Marquette University is home
to a College of Engineering with a philosophy of learning by
experience. The frst phase of the $100 million, two-phase
Discovery Learning Complex has been equipped with strain
gauges, pressure plates and other instrumentation to provide
just that. The 115,000-sq.-ft structural steel facility will pro-
vide all engineering disciplines a place to study engineering
concepts and their real-life applications with data from the
instrumentation.
The fve-story building is set to open in August 2011 and
consists of classrooms, offces and laboratory space. The
5,000-sq.-ft Engineering Materials and Structural Testing Lab
(EMST) in particular will see plenty of use from civil engineer-
ing students. A student commons area also will be included with
a goal of fostering communication and cooperation among dif-
ferent engineering disciplines.
The selection of steel for the framing system not only
enabled the structure to be a laboratory for civil engineer-
ing students but also was the most economical choice. Other
advantages to the selection of steel framing include BIM and
instrumentation considerations. BIM is more conducive to
modeling a steel structure than one constructed with concrete,
which allows the college to have a virtual model of the struc-
ture after construction, making the demonstration of stress
effects much easier. Also, it is less labor intensive, and therefore
generally cheaper, to attach strain gauges to a steel beam than
to reinforcement steel in a concrete beam.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation for structural engineering purposes
includes more than 120 strain gauges located on bracing and
column members in braced frames, on beams in moment
resisting frames, at the mid-span of a crane runway beam, and
in a composite foor beam, among other locations. Also two
Geokon pressure plates have been installed, one in a spread
footing and the other centered below a braced column in a
combined footing. An anemometer will be installed to gather
information about wind speed and direction. Other engineer-
ing departments have plans to model and monitor environ-
mental building aspects, such as energy use and water con-
sumption. More detailed plans for those analytical tools will
be made post-construction.
A Structure
That Teaches
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BY LIZ REHWOLDT AND
ZACK STUTTS
Installation of the strain gauges began
in early August 2010 and was estimated to
take three to four weeks. The strain gauges
were installed by the electrical contractor,
Staff Electric, and were welded in place and
covered with a silicon sealant to protect
the gauges from the freproofng material.
The pressure plates were installed in May
2010 by a team from Marquette headed by
civil engineering professor James Crovetti
and assisted by the general contractor and
his team. The main challenge for the pres-
sure plates was ensuring uniform contact
between the plates and the soil and working
the plate installation into the general con-
tractors busy construction schedule.
However, the biggest challenge that
comes with all of this instrumentation
isnt in the actual installation. It is the
coordination of the hundreds of wires
that need to be fed through the building
to the data collection point. The wires are
run through conduit, which should keep
them protected and ensure accurate data
collection for years to come.
Student Learning and Benets
Although specifc details are still being
determined about how data from the
building instrumentation will be incorpo-
rated into the learning environment, civil
engineering professor Christopher Foley
envisions that this building in which stu-
dents study will itself become an analyti-
cal model and experimental subject. The
wide scale instrumentation provides an
unusual opportunity to enhance the engi-
Liz Rehwoldt is an under-
graduate student at the Uni-
versity of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign and Zack Stutts
is a graduate student at the
University of Texas at Austin.
Both were summer interns at
AISC in 2010.
Marquette Universitys new Discovery
Learning Center now under construction
will allow various engineering disciplines
to use the building itself as a lab.
The Discovery Learning Center on the
campus of Marquette University in Mil-
waukee will provide real-time structural
response data so engineering students
can see evidence of principles in action.
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The strain gauges on beams in the Discovery Learning Center will allow students to see
how the strain differs between composite and noncomposite beams.
Strain gauges are placed along both the
major and minor axes of the beam flange.
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neering curriculum, enabling students to
take the pulse of the Discovery Learning
Complex.
Engineering students already familiar
with National Instruments LabVIEW
software from their freshman year course-
work ideally will be able to enhance their
data acquisition and analysis skills by tap-
ping into data ports located throughout
the building and accessing data for real-
time building responses. There also will be
a general public display of real-time build-
ing responses, but the primary purpose of
the instrumentation is providing data for
student analysis. Data already are being
collected from the successfully installed
pressure plates demonstrating how earth
pressures change during construction.
When winter winds cause increased
defection of the fve-story building, students
will be able to estimate the wind loads from
wind anemometer data and correlate the two.
Strategic experiments using the motion of
the overhead crane in the Engineering Mate-
rials and Structural Testing Laboratory will
demonstrate the abstract concept of infu-
ence lines to students in structural analysis
classes. The runway crane beam, equipped
with strain gauges in both the major and
minor axis directions, also will function as an
example of a noncomposite beam, providing
data for shear and moment analysis as well
The steel frame of Marquette Universitys
new five-story Discovery Learning Center
provides the opportunity to use the whole
building as an example of structural
behavior.
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1-800-800-ROLL
info@parmigianimachines.com
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as mechanical analysis of composite shapes.
Data obtained from the instrumentation of
composite beams will facilitate a simple strain
gradient demonstration, showing students
rather than just telling themhow the strain
over the height of a composite beam differs
from a noncomposite beam.
The architectural requirements of the
building conveniently dictated the use of
X-bracing, chevron bracing, and moment
resisting frames as part of the structural
system. Instrumentation of beams, col-
umns, and brace members at these loca-
tions will allow students to compare the
difference in axial forces in these bracing
options and comprehend the fundamental
differences between them. Although many
of these demonstration ideas are conceptu-
ally simple, the data analysis can be quite
complex. Data interpretation skills devel-
oped by Marquette students at the Dis-
covery Learning Complex will surely be
invaluable. The fact that students will be
able to analyze the building in which they
study will bring these sometimes abstract
classroom concepts to life.
Instrumentation is becoming a relatively
low-cost addition to most buildings. The
important thing for implementing this idea
is having an enthusiastic owner and project
team. It would beneft the civil engineering
profession if more universities and owners
who want to learn more about their struc-
tures incorporated this technology into
future buildings to gain a new perspective
of their surroundings.
Owner
Marquette University, Milwaukee
Structural Engineer and Architect
Opus Architects & Engineers, Inc.,
Minneapolis (AISC Member)
Fabricator and Erector
Construction Supply & Erection, Inc.,
Germantown, Wis. (AISC Member)
{ }
Dealing With Lateral Loads
After selecting structural steel for the
framing material, engineers from Opus
Architects & Engineers set to work
on designing the ve-story Discovery
Learning Complex. For the lateral force
resisting system, engineers sought to
take advantage of stairwell and eleva-
tor locations to place braced frames in
the north-south direction. One braced
frame located in what will be the stu-
dent commons area was purposely left
exposed to allow students to see rst-
hand what they are learning about in
structural design and analysis courses.
Architectural constraints in the
east-west direction prevented the use
of braced frames so that the building
could remain open at key locations.
This necessity meant that engineers
had to employ moment resisting frames
in addition to the cross-bracing and
chevron bracing. The diversity of lateral
force resisting methods provides a tre-
mendous opportunity for knowledge
to be gleaned from instrumentation of
systems that serve the same purpose,
but behave very differently.
Architects selected a brick faade,
hung as precast panels, with glass and
aluminum to showcase Marquettes new-
est engineering building. The prevalent
use of glass on the interior and exterior
highlights the idea of emphasizing trans-
parent interaction among engineering
disciplines. Balconies and an open stair-
well will provide students with the oppor-
tunity to look in on research projects in
laboratories throughout the building.
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Using steel for replacement bridges
to yield cost savings and
environmental benets.
SINCE 2003, the Oregon Department of Transportation has
repaired or replaced hundreds of aging bridges around the state as
part of the $1.3 billion OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program
(see sidebar). Most of these are straightforward highway bridges
and, from a motorists point of view, hard to distinguish from the
roadway itself. But for those charged with bringing the states sur-
face transportation system back up to capacity, some upgrades are
proving to be more challenging than others.
From a fscal, technical, environmental and aesthetic standpoint,
replacing the two 60-year-old, seismically vulnerable, narrow bridges
that carry Interstate 84 across the Sandy River near Troutdale, Ore.,
posed some very distinct challenges for the project team.
Located at the mouth of the world-renowned Columbia River
Gorge National Scenic Area, the new bridges initially were designed
as post-tensioned concrete structures each with four 200-ft spans
and a total length of 800 ft. In February 2009, their estimated total
cost of more than $90 million, well over the budget, triggered a
complete re-evaluation of the project. An analysis of the estimate for
the Sandy River bridges revealed that a large, expensive substructure
would be required to support the heavy concrete superstructure.
Other bids in the OTIA III bridge program had shown that
structural steel prices were declining. An economic analysis indi-
cated that this trend was likely to continue. Faced with the con-
ficting goals of reducing cost and using longer spans that would
protect the ecologically valuable Sandy River, which is home to
threatened species such as chinook salmon, coho salmon and steel-
head trout, the project team redesigned the bridges using steel
box girders, abandoning the concrete design to take advantage of
favorable steel prices and reduce superstructure weight.
To minimize delays to the project letting, the redesign focused
on using simple repetitive details and a balance between steel
weight and fabrication cost.
Trading
BY STEVE NARKIEWICZ, P.E.
UP
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Redesigned from concrete to steel in late 2009 and rebid
in early 2010, the Sandy River bridge construction is
expected to be completed in 2013.
Due to the project complexity and sensitive location,

ODOT used best-value bid selection criteria for this proj-
ect rather than simply awarding the project to the lowest
bidder. Price, qualifcations and technical approach were all
factors included in the scoring to determine the best value
bid and selection of the contractor. Hamilton Construction
Co.s bid of $48.5 million was not the lowest bid; however,
the quality of its technical proposal gave the company the
best value score.
In addition to typical budget constraints, the Sandy
River Bridge project had cultural, aesthetic and technical
challenges. These highly visible structures attracted inter-
est from a number of stakeholders in the design phase.
One of the most important considerations for this project
is its location in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic
Area. The CRGNSA was established by Congress to protect
and provide for the enhancement of the scenic, cultural, rec-
reational and natural resources of the gorge. ODOT worked
with the Columbia River Gorge Commission, U.S. Forest
Service, Federal Highway Administration, Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife, and the three counties within the
CRGNSA to develop an Interstate 84 Corridor Strategy that
Steve Narkiewicz, P.E. is a consultant

project manager for the OTIA III State
Bridge Delivery Program with the
Oregon Department of Transportation.
He joined the department in 1993 as a
senior geotechnical engineer, responsible
for the design of the earth, rock and foun-
dation aspects of transportation projects
statewide, and since 2004 has been with
ODOTs Major Projects Branch.
The new bridges over the
Sandy River will use a steel
box girder design, which
reduces foundation require-
ments and impact on the
river channel.
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I-84: Sandy River - Jordan Road (Bundle 210)
Westbound
Eastbound
I-84, Sandy River
Bridges will be
replaced
I-84, Jordan Rd.
Bridges will be repaired.
Lewis and Clark
State Park
N
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N
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Columbia
River Gorge
Outlet Mall
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Exit 18
SW Halsey St.
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Portland Troutdale
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Columbia River
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Enlarged
Area
Crown Point Hwy.
The new Sandy River bridges
lie near the eastern boundary
of the Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area, as shown
on this construction map.
would allow it to meet public safety and transportation needs while also meet-
ing the National Scenic Area provisions.
The I-84 Corridor Strategy required the bridges to blend in with
the surrounding natural environment. The fnal modifed-contemporary
design for the Sandy River bridges includes steel box girders with a rock
facade on the bridge piers and abutment, and decorative pylons in dark
earth-tone colors. A sleek, trim profle with a rough, rocky texture and
an irregular pattern will minimize distraction and the refectivity of vari-
ous highway features. The steel box girder depths vary from 5 ft, 6 in.
to 11 ft. In total, the two bridges require more than 8 million pounds of
AASHTO M270 Grade 50 steel, which will be painted to comply with
aesthetic guidelines.
Both eastbound and westbound bridges have spans of 200 ft, 220 ft, 220
ft and 200 ft. Proportionally shorter end spans and longer interior spans
would have been preferable from a struc-
tural perspective, but the span arrange-
ments chosen keep the substructures out of
the low-fow channel and avoid the existing
bridge foundations.
The eastbound bridge includes a 16-ft-
wide multi-use path. This feature, unusual for
an interstate highway bridge, was included
to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to safely
gain access to popular recreation areas in the
Columbia River Gorge. Both bridges have
three 12-ft lanes and two 12-ft shoulders.
Environmental and seismic issues were
a challenge regardless of the materials
selected, but changing the design of the
superstructure to steel girders provided a
number of benefts in these areas.
Because the Sandy River is home to
chinook salmon, coho salmon and steel-
head trout, all of which are threatened spe-
cies, ODOT was required to reduce the
environmental impact of the project both
during and after construction. One of the
teams design goals was to open the chan-
nel so that the fuvial geomorphology could
return to a more natural state.
Environmental regulatory agencies
requested longer bridges without additional
substructures, which would further open
the channel to provide better fsh habitat.
Piles placed to support falsework were a
concern because completely removing the
long piles located below the new bridges
would be impractical. Leaving the piles in
place would confict with the goal of restor-
ing the channel to a more natural condition.
By building with steel, the amount of false-
work the bridge crew will develop for the
bridge structure will be notably less than
The new Sandy River bridges will feature

rock facade treatments on the bridge
piers, abutments and decorative pylons
consistent with the Interstate 84 Corridor
Strategy aesthetic design guidelines.
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custom built
to the highest standards.
Yours.
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design standards without holding them back.
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within the channel. These reductions low-
ered costs as well.
In the end, our reworking of the design
plans included only two visible differences
between the steel and concrete versions of
the bridges. The frst is that with concrete
there would have been two box surfaces
underneath the bridge, and with steel there
will be three or four. The new steel bridges
will also be 40 ft longer to the east to widen
the channel, which helps diminish environ-
mental impacts.
With all of these reductions in envi-
ronmental impact, construction cost
and overall bridge load, the decision to
redesign the bridges with steel girders
has proven to be very beneficial to the
agency. With a completion date slated
for 2013, we look forward to seeing
travelers through the Columbia River
Gorge benefit from
the bridges replace-
ment for decades to
come.
Project Owner
Oregon Department
of Transportation
Designer and
Structural Engineer
David Evans and
Associates, Inc.,
Portland, Ore.
Steel Fabricator
Mountain States
Steel, Lindon, Utah
(AISC and NSBA
Member)
Contractor
Hamilton
Construction
Company,
Springeld, Ore.
(AISC and NSBA
Member)
what would have been used for concrete,
because only one tower will be needed on
each side to erect the girders.
During construction, strict limits will
also be imposed on the volume of material,
including fll and concrete, that can be placed
in the channel. Construction activities within
the area of the ordinary high water are lim-
ited to a six-week period each year.
Foundation conditions at the site can
only be described as challenging from a
design perspective. The bridge rests in
a seismically active area with more than
100 ft of loose, saturated sand overly-
ing the bedrock at the
site. Because lateral
forces that develop
during an earthquake
increase with the mass
of the superstructure,
the potential for soil
liquefaction during a
seismic event was ana-
lyzed extensively dur-
ing design. Reducing
the superstructure mass
and weight not only
helped to reduce poten-
tial seismic impacts, but
also shrank the drilled-
shaft size from the 10 ft
diameter required for
the concrete design to
8 ft for the steel bridges.
Building smaller shafts
also helped meet the
environmental require-
ment to reduce the
volume of material
removed and replaced
{ }
Oregons Big Investment
The 10-year, $3 billion Oregon Transportation Invest-
ment Act (OTIA) marked the largest construction investment
in the states highway and bridge system since creation of
the interstate highway system began in the 1950s.
OTIA I and II, passed in 2001 and 2002, respectively,
resulted in $500 million in improvements to state transpor-
tation infrastructure. Most projects in these programs were
opened to trafc by 2009.
The third phase of the program, OTIA III, was enacted
in 2003. The $2.46 billion package allocated $1.3 billion
to repair or replace Oregons aging state highway bridges
and $1.16 billion to fund county and city maintenance
projects, local bridge repair and replacement work, and
modernization projects statewide.
The majority of the OTIA III bridges are now complete
and open to trafc. All but two of the remaining bridges
will be in construction by 2011.
The eastbound bridge over the Sandy
River will include a combined bicycle and
pedestrian crossing that will accommo-
date users traveling in both directions.
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T
Three things you should get straight about curved steel.
THE USE OF CURVED STEEL as an integral part of
structural systems has continued to grow in recent years.
Analysis tools have become more sophisticated and
easier to use, as well as more affordable and accessible,
making it easier for engineers to incorporate curved steel
into their structural designs. And the same time, owners
and other stakeholders, such as tenants and community
residents, have become more aware of the possibilities
curved steel offers. The desire for its aesthetic contribu-
tions also has increased.
Projects that take advantage of curved steel elements
can include anywhere from a few pieces used in strate-
gic locations to a large percentage of the projects fram-
ing. One example of the large-scale use of curved steel
is the recently topped out Kauffman Center in Kansas
City, Mo., where more than 20% of the structural steel is
curved. (See the project article on page 24 of this issue.)
The reasons for incorporating curved steel include
appearance, convenience and simply the designers
preference. For example, the trend in stadium design
toward cantilevered and long-span construction to
provide column-free, unobstructed views has proved
to be a good application for curved steel. It also has led
to requests to bend larger, more massive members to
achieve these open spaces.
As more people on the design side become involved in
designing with and specifying curved steel, the need for
practical information also has become more widespread.
AISC and others offer a good amount of reference mate-
rial on the subject of curving steel (see sidebar), but with
new engineers joining the market for curved steel, there
always are people on the steep part of the learning curve.
We recently asked three long-time professionals from the
Milwaukee-based bender-roller Max Weiss Co. LLC to
help clear up some common misconceptions associated
with this process. Here is a summary of the information
provided by president Daniel Weiss, operations manager
Al Sanders, and senior estimator Dave Nader.
Doing
BY TOM KLEMENS
the
Twist
Common Misconception #1: Its easier to bend steel
members the easy way as opposed to the hard way.
The terminology referring to bending the easy way and
the hard way simply refers to the relative amount of force
required to bend a member about its weak axis versus its
strong axis. However, controlling the corollary effects is often
what increases the diffculty of bending a given member.
For example, depending on how tight the radius is, bend-
ing a wide-fange member the hard way may result in less need
to control fange distortion than would be required if it were
being bent the easy way.
Although bender-rollers have developed general tables
on the curvature limits for various standard sizes and shapes,
the bending itself still requires a signifcant amount of human
oversight and judgment. The operators skill is what makes the
difference between a successfully curved member and having
to try again.
Common Misconception #2: Heavier material is
harder to curve than lighter material.
Although it may take less force to bend a lightweight mem-
ber than one that is heavier, it also requires more control and
the operators increased attention. Distortion is more diffcult
to control in thinner-walled material than when the material
is thicker. One good example is HSS, where it also is almost
always easier to keep the sides from rippling or becoming oth-
erwise distorted when bending the hard way.
One of the reasons this is a concern is that lighter shapes
often are being used for architectural effect. Where the steel
will be exposed to view and appearance is important, minimiz-
ing distortion is also important. Experienced bender-rollers
know how to prepare the steel and work with it to achieve the
desired curvature without the undesirable side effects.
Common Misconception #3: All the bender-roller
needs to know from the architect or engineer are the
dimensions and orientation for each piecea radius and
a length, and whether to bend the hard way or the easy
way.
On the contrary, providing the bender-roller with as
much information as possible up front decreases the number
of requests for information and increases the probability of
problem-free projects. Often the bender-rollers experienced
staff can suggest small changes in material sizing or selection
that can improve the economics and the end result of bend-
ing. Trust the bender-roller to help you plan for successful
results.
Finally, as in all such cooperative ventures, involve the
bender-roller as early in the process as possible. Again, their
experience can help you navigate the predictable twists and
turns in the process of working with curved steel.
{

}
Where to Learn More About Curved Steel
Many articles about curved steel have been pub-
lished over the years in MSC and are available
as free downloads at www.modernsteel.com/
backissues. Two notable ones are What Engi-
neers Should Know About Bending Steel, by
Todd Alwood (May 2006 MSC), which describes
the primary methods and equipment used and
includes a diagram showing the hard way and
easy way curvature for various shapes; and Bend-
ing Considerations in Steel Construction, by Russ
Barnshaw (October 2009 MSC), which discusses
some of the practical limits of bending and the
mechanism by which the steels shape is changed.
The AISC web page dedicated to bender-roller
information, www.aisc.org/benders, includes
links to information on its bender-roller members.
It also links to a page where several informative
publications are available as free downloads.
Curved SteelA Guide for Specifiers
includes clear explanations and illustrations of ter-
minology and geometry used in specifying curved
structural steel members. It also has photos of
several types of special bending, such as off-axis
and multiple-axis bends.
Curved SteelA Reference for Architects &
Engineers provides a curved steel primer, includ-
ing numerous examples of its use and a series of
photos showing how steel is bent.
Thomas L. Klemens, P.E., is
senior editor of MSC and has
been watching media and read-
ing habits evolve since the days of
black and white television.
For axial compression in angles without slender elements,
comprehensive analysis and design of single angles can be car-
ried out using the provisions of Section E3, whereas a simpli-
fed design approach is provided for special cases in Section E5.
Table 4-11 in the 13th Edition AISC Steel Construction Manual
applies to the design of single angles for concentric axial loads.
For fexure without slender elements, the comprehensive
approach is provided in Section F10.2, with subsections (iii)
and (iv), while the simplifed approach is provided in Section
F10.2, with subsections (i) and (ii). Local buckling and slen-
derness are addressed in Sections E7 and F10.3 for compres-
sion and fexure, respectively.
Single angles also may be loaded in combined axial force
and fexural. These are designed according to Section H2, and
the design of single angles with typical end connection con-
fgurations that result in eccentric axial loads is addressed in
Table 4-12 in the 13th Edition AISC Manual. These can be
used as design aids for single angles with combined loading
due to end attachments to one leg alone as described in the
explanation of the table on page 4-7 of the Manual.
Principal Axes
The principal axes of any shape defne two orthogonal axes
that correspond to the maximum and minimum moments of
inertia for that section. The axis around which one fnds the
minimum moment of inertia is called the minor principal axis
while the axis about which one fnds the maximum moment
of inertia is called the major principal axis. From a structural
analysis point of view, bending the section about the minor
principal axis corresponds with the minimum internal energy
of the member. This means the structure is completely stable
when bent about this axis and cannot experience lateral-tor-
sional buckling.
Unlike singly and doubly symmetric wide-fanges and
channels, single angles have principal axes that do not coincide
with their geometric axes (see Figure 1). Therefore, the design
of single angles requires some consideration of both of these
sets of axes. While loading typically occurs about the geomet-
ric axes, the strength usually is controlled by response that is
infuenced by properties that relate to the principal axes.
Part 1 of the AISC Manual contains properties of single
angles about both geometric axes (X and Y) and the minor prin-
cipal axis (Z). Part 17 of the AISC Manual contains equations
that allow for the calculation of section properties about one
axis when the properties are known about the other.
Working With Single-Angle Members
steelwise
The inherent eccentricities of this popular shape require
the engineers attention and understanding.
Your connection to
ideas + answers
ANGLES HAVE BEEN USED in construction almost as
long as structural steel has been around, and were com-
monly used as components of built-up shapes. For example,
Bethlehem Steel made I-shaped members and channels
using angles attached to plates. Other producers used them
to build similar cross sections and other more exotic shapes.
More recently, angles have been used as braces, tension
members, struts and lintels. Angles also have been used in
double-angle and single-angle connections.
In spite of their long history of usage, the design of mem-
bers composed of anglesand single angles in particular
has not become as familiar to the engineering profession as
the design of other, more common shapes. This article high-
lights the information available today to help in this regard.
The AISC Specication
AISC frst published a single-angle specifcation in the
1980s. Since then more research and testing has helped
to develop the knowledge base upon which single-angle
design is covered in the 2005 AISC Specifcation (and the
soon-to-be-released 2010 AISC Specifcation).
The current approach to single-angle design offers two
alternatives:
1. A comprehensive design approach that can be used to
design any single angle for axial and/or fexural loads.
This approach is more general and involves more effort
in calculations that typically are based upon the princi-
pal axes.
2. A simplifed design approach that can be used with
greater expediency for specifc common cases. Although
limited in scope, it allows an easier design process.
BY AMANUEL GEBREMESKEL, P.E.
Amanuel Gebremeskel, P.E., is a
senior engineer in the AISC Steel
Solutions Center and secretary of the
AISC Committee on Specifcations
Task Committee 5, Composite Design.
The importance of evaluating sec-
tion properties about the principal axes
for single angles is illustrated in Figure 2.
Consider a single angle that is bent about
the geometric axis and not braced against
lateral deformation other than at the ends.
As the beam is loaded, it tends to naturally
defect in the direction of the load. How-
ever it also tends to defect in the direction
of least resistance, which corresponds with
the minor principal axis.
This results in a total defection that
occurs in the direction of both geometric
axes. For such cases it is diffcult to evaluate
frst yield or the propensity of the member
to laterally buckle without resolving the
load and response into components that
are parallel to the principal axes. Some-
thing similar can be said of an axially loaded
single angle. Its tendency to fail in Euler
fexural buckling will be about the axis of
least resistance which corresponds with the
minor principal axis.
Fig. 2: Deection of single angle due to load
about geometric axis.
ANGLE
Axis of moments through
center of gravity
b
a
c
Y
X
Z
Z
W
W
X
Y
d
x
y
t
t
90
Q
ANGLE
Axis of moments through
center of gravity
b
a
c
Y
X
Z
Z
W
W
X
Y
d
x
y
t
t
90
R
Fig. 1: Geometric (X and Y) axes and principal
(W and Z) axes of single angle.
Other Important Section Properties
If the evaluation of the moment of iner-
tia of single angles about the principal axes
is important, the evaluation of the section
moduli about the same axes is even more
useful. Additionally, it is important to recog-
nize that the single angle can have as many
as three section moduli about one axis. For
unequal-leg angles two correspond to the
toes of the legs while one relates to the heel.
When evaluating unequal-leg single angles
for combined axial and fexural loading,
this can make the calculation quite lengthy.
Several articles published in AISCs
Engineering Journal provide further insight
into working with single-angle mem-
bers: Evaluating Single-Angle Compres-
sion Struts Using an Effective Slenderness
Approach, by Leroy A. Lutz (4th Quarter
2006), Towards the Simplifed Design of
Single-Angle Beam Columns, by Chris-
topher J. Earls and D. Christian Keelor
(1st Quarter 2007), and Design of Single
Angles Bent About the Major Principal Axis,
by Christopher J. Earls. All are available at
www.aisc.org/epubs as free downloads to
AISC members and may be purchased by
others.
Another Reference
In addition to the information available in
the AISC Specifcation and Manual, Whitney
McNulty, P.E., recently self-published a guide
to single-angle design called the Single-Angle
Design Manual. It is devoted to the specifcs
of the design of angles and has chapters that
get into the details of equal-leg and unequal-
leg single angles in tension, shear, compres-
sion, and fexure (including interaction). The
interested reader can fnd this reference at
www.lulu.com/singleangle.
Conclusion
The design of single angles is more com-
plicated than that of other more common
shapes. Nonetheless, the versatility of single
angles in construction has made them pop-
ular. Provisions and recommendations exist
in the AISC Specifcation, AISC Manual, and
other references to assist the engineer who
wants to design single angles.
Phone 563-391-7700 Fax 563-391-7710
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DURING THE PAST YEAR, several Quality Corner articles
have focused on changes to the AISC Certifcation program.
These changes have ranged from general schedule require-
ments in becoming certifed to procedures for dealing with
fraudulent activity, allegations, and complaints. Regardless
of the details of the change, the overriding goal has re-
mained the same: to strengthen the overall program for both
the participants and those in the construction industry who
specify AISC Certifcation.
In his April 2010 Quality Corner and his opening remarks
at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Orlando, AISC presi-
dent Roger Ferch obviously had this goal in mind when he
announced that AISC Certifcation will begin moving for-
ward with Qualifed Random Audits for our certifed partici-
pants. This article will help explain the facets of a Qualifed
Random Audit, the criteria used to determine the participant
pool, and how you can provide feedback.
AISC Certifcation reached out to the steel construction
industry and asked, What can we do to make our program
better? How can we increase the reliability of the certifca-
tion program? The overriding response was the suggestion
to conduct random audits. AISC and QMC considered this,
and felt it would be a valuable addition to our program. This
could help address concerns about participants that might
not be following their quality management systems consis-
tently throughout the year. The idea of surprise or random
audits has been around since the concept of auditing qual-
ity management systems began. A variety of certifcation
programs use this method to verify whether an individual
or company is meeting its specifc program requirements
throughout the year.
Qualifed and random may seem like contradictory
words but they describe two vital elements of AISC Certi-
fcations new program. There are participants in the certi-
fcation program that leave no doubt as to their consistency.
If your company is strictly following its quality management
system in accordance with AISC Certifcation requirements,
has excellent customer feedback with no repeating corrective
actions or concerns, and is not involved in any allegations
or complaints, then the likelihood of being included in the
pool is reduced. Including the better companies as possible
candidates for a random audit would lessen the chance that a
company in need of an extra audit would actually get one.
In determining the criteria for selecting participants, we
decided that we need to focus our energies on the partici-
pants who appear to be only meeting the base-level require-
ments of our program. The group to be eligible for an extra
audit is to be limited by considerations that we feel will be
fairly applied across the board. From this qualifed group or
pool we will randomly select participants for an extra audit,
in addition to their regularly scheduled audits. The cost of
this random audit will be borne by the AISC Certifcation
program, not the audited company.
If a company is selected for a random audit, it will be
given 48 hours notice that a Quality Management Company
auditor will be arriving at its facility to conduct an audit ac-
cording to its respective certifcation category. Subject to
time constraints, this audit may cover all of the normal re-
quirements of AISC Certifcation and any possible concerns
that we may have from previous audit results or that we have
received from customer comments. The results of the ran-
dom audit will be presented in a format identical to an an-
nual audit, which may include corrective actions, concerns,
or even a requirement for a supplemental audit.
The Selection Process
In determining the criteria for participant selection for the
random audit pool, we focused on two main evaluations: frst,
the performance during the administration of the certifcation
process and second, the performance during the onsite audit.
Quality Corner is a monthly feature that covers topics ranging from how to specify a certied company to how long it takes to
become a certied company. If you are interested in browsing our electronic archive, please visit www.aisc.org/QualityCorner.
AISC CerticationQualied Random Audits
BY DAN KAUFMAN
Qualied random audits will strengthen the AISC Certication program,
beneting certied companies and the entire construction industry.
quality corner
Dan Kaufman is the AISC director of
certifcation programs and handles issues
affecting the existing certifcation pro-
gram, including integrity of the admin-
istrative process, and application of the
approved criteria. He can be reached at
kaufman@aisc.org, and by phone at
312.670.7523.
Each evaluation contains key elements that
both AISC and QMC deem essential. The
frst covers the administrative portion of
the certifcation process and represents the
areas where a participant works with AISC-
QMC staff. This includes:
Administration Performance
Pre-Audit Performance
Post-Audit Performance
Continual Improvement
Customer Feedback
Cooperation
The second element is the onsite audit,
and the areas reviewed by the QMC Audi-
tor, including:
Management Buy-In
Staff Buy-In
Operating Processes
Communication with Customers
Follow-up on Concerns and CARs
Continual Improvement
Obviously, there are different ranges of
answers and scenarios for each point listed
above, and every company will be different.
The goal of AISC and QMC is to systemat-
ically rate the two areas separately to deter-
mine where the specifc company will rank.
We will then take participants with scores
in the lowest 30% and enter them into the
qualifed random audit pool. The chosen
participants will be notifed of how they
ranked in terms of the areas which could
require improvement. From this pool, we
will randomly select a group of participants
to be audited.
As an example of how these evaluations
will be done, post-audit performance con-
siders the effectiveness of the companys
commitment to resolve AISC audit CARs
in a timely manner with satisfactory evi-
dence. Figure 1 illustrates a range of re-
sponse timeliness and completeness.
In the onsite audit observations evalu-
ation of management buy-in can include
such things as participation of top manage-
ment in both the internal and external audit
processes; conducting timely and thorough
management reviews that drive improve-
ment; establishment of meaningful objec-
tives and effective metrics; and evidence of
leadership commitment visible throughout
the organization. The range and involve-
ment of executive management can also
vary from fully engaged and understands
the return-on-investment from the certi-
fcation process to rarely participates in
quality management.
As a fnal example, continual improve-
ment is essential for a successful company in
the eyes of AISC. Does the company identify
productivity improvements, quality improve-
ments, and waste reduction to add value for
its customers? Figure 2 illustrates the range
of approaches to continual improvement.
Your Feedback at Work
AISC Certifcation welcomes your feed-
back. Taking your feedback and turning it
into program improvements demonstrates
our own commitment to quality and con-
tinuous improvement.
Early comments heard on the qualifed
random audit program suggest that certi-
fed companies are excited about the con-
cept. I have yet to hear from a company
who is worried about a random audit; in
fact, several companies have requested that
they be included in the random audit pool
regardless of their standing with respect to
the criteria.
The frst pool is being formed during
the last half of 2010, and the frst quali-
fed random audits will occur in the frst
quarter of 2011. AISC Certifcation will be
selecting (qualifying) roughly 30% of our
certifed participants for this pool. We pre-
sume that the size of the pool may fuctu-
ate over the next year as we streamline the
overall process. An update on the results of
this program will be shared with attendees
at the next NASCC: The Steel Conference
in Pittsburgh, May 1114, 2011.
If you have commentspositive or neg-
ativeabout the random audit program,
please visit www.aisc.org/certfeedback
to let us know what you think. If you have
questions about AISC Certifcation in gen-
eral, were here to answer them. Just email
certinfo@aisc.org.
Excellent
CARs were effectively addressed and closed out within the allotted
time, and no requests for additional information were required.
Average
CARs were addressed in a timely manner but additional satisfactory
evidence was required for closure.
Poor CARs were not adequately resolved within the allowed time.
Excellent
Improvement is monitored and measured. Follow-up is conducted
with internal audits. Individual and group training for quality tools
is encouraged, supported and implemented.
Average
Identies and tracks non conformances and CARs for product, pro-
cess, and system, but a consistent methodology to review results of
improvement projects is not evident.
Poor
No evidence of analysis or improvement activity to get to the root
cause of recurring problems.
Fig. 2: Range of Continual Improvement
Fig. 1: Range of Post-Audit Performance.
Raking in the CEUs.
CONTINUING
AISC
EDUCATION
ENHANCE YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Learning
www.aisc.org/seminars www.aisc.org/eLearning
Live Webinars
Seminars
October 6: Seismic Steel Moment Frame Connections
October 27: An Introduction to the New AISC 2010 Publications
December 2: The Uniform Force Method
The Fall schedule is underway!
www.aisc.org/steelcamp
sponsored by:
SteeLCAMP
www.aisc.org/webinars
THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE is a hot
topic. For example, citing the U.S. federal
governments failure to enforce existing law,
Arizona recently enacted an immigration
law intended to stem human-traffcking
and drug-related border violence. This law
is supported by many Americans but has
been met with highly publicized criticism
by others. Recently, a federal judge struck
down certain provisions of Arizonas new
immigration law. To read a copy of the
courts order, go to http://bit.ly/boRf9D.
Immigration and employment of unau-
thorized aliens are not new issues for the
construction industry. Contractors are al-
ready subject to civil and criminal penalties
under Immigration Reform and Control
Act of 1986 (IRCA). Georgia, Tennessee,
and other states have jumped into the fray
by enacting their own laws that regulate the
hiring of unauthorized aliens on public jobs.
This year in Kentucky, the House of Rep-
resentatives overwhelmingly (99 to 3) passed
HB 321. This legislation included, among
other things, requirements for contractors and
all of their subcontractors on public jobs to
submit sworn affdavits that they have no un-
authorized alien employees and that they are
registered with and participating in a federal
work authorization program under IRCA. HB
321 also addressed issues relating to indemni-
fcation, enforcement, penalties, and a good
faith defense to alleged violations.
HB 321 did not make it through the
Kentucky Senate before the legislation ses-
sion ended, so it is not law. But renewed
efforts to pass this type of legislation in
Kentucky are likely.
BY RYAN R. LOGHRY
business issues
The unauthorized alien debate continues... but not for contractors.
Immigration and Employee Qualication Requirements
Ryan Loghry is an
associate in the Lex-
ington, Ky., offce of
Stites & Harbison
PLLC, where his
practice includes con-
struction litigation,
contract review, and
other business issues.
He can be reached at
rloghry@stites.com.
What steps have you taken to ensure
that your company is in compliance with
IRCA or other laws that may regulate the
hiring of unauthorized aliens? Do your
contracts or subcontracts address issues
relating to the hiring of unauthorized
aliens? If not, they should.
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for making
There's always a solution in steel.
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One East Wacker Drive, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601
312.670.2400 www.aisc.org
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All products submitted are considered for publication, and we encourage submittals related to all segments of the steel industry: engineering, detail-
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Each month MSCs product section features items from all areas of the steel construction
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visit MSCs online product directory at www.modernsteel.com/products. You can browse by product category or search on
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ing the ability to nearly double the number of parts cut per hour. The system also yields better overall cut quality and improved
consistentency.
For more information, visit www.hypertherm.com or call 800.643.0030.
Spray-on Fire Protection
Hiltis new Fire Protection Steel Spray CFP-S WB is a water-
based, low VOC solution designed to help protect load-
bearing steel through an intumescent coating in indoor
applications. Tested to ASTM E119 for up to 4-hr rating,
common uses include wide-flange steel columns, HSS col-
umns, restrained and unrestrained beams and steel floor
and form unit. The product features a reduced dry time,
which helps increase productivity due to a shorter interval
between coats. Available in white, in a 55 lb pail, infinite
color options are possible with approved topcoats.
For more information, visit www.us.hilti.com or call
800.879.8000.
marketplace
To advertise, call 231.228.2274 or e-mail gurthet@modernsteel.com.
Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com.
Call: 312.861.3000
Email: Information@atema.com
www.atema.com
AISC Certification
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International Engineering & Detailing Company with over 600
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Extensive experience in Commercial, Industrial & Institutional
structural steel detailing projects of up to 30,000 tons for leading
U.S. fabricators.
Tekla, SDS/2 & AutoCAD Platforms
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Phone: (832) 455-6071
+91-124-4693200
Email: rsa@holtecnet.com
Web: www.holtecnet.com/ssds
Structural Steel Detailers
all Sizes/Types Projects
NISD/QPP/IDC Certified
BIM Consulting/PE Licensed
IFC & CIS/2 Model Exports
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Producing BIM Models since 2001 www.gihde.com
MEMBERS: NISD & AISC Tel: 972.964.3310
McKinney, Texas 75070 Fax: 972.867.2198
Peddinghaus BDL-1250/9A CNC Beam Drill Line w/Loader,
Maximu Beam Width 50, New 1999/Refurbished 2007 #18288
Peddinghaus ABCM-1250 3-Torch CNC Beam Burning/Coping Machine,
Maximum Beam Size 50, New 1999/Refurbished 2007 #18289
Peddinghaus FDB 1500/3E CNC Plate Drill w /Oxey/Plasma Cutting Torches,
Maximum Plate Width 60, New 2000 #17696
Peddinghaus FPB 1500/3E CNC Plate Punch w/ Plasma Cutting Torch,
Maximum Plate Width 60, New 1998 #17634
Ficep 1001-D CNC Beam Drill (1) Spindle, 40x 40Maximum Beam,
50 Maximum Length, Fanuc CNC, Thru-Spindle Coolant, New 2003 #19265
Peddinghaus 38/18 Twin Column Band Saw, New 1990 #18286
Peddinghaus 44/19 Twin Column Band Saw, New 2000 #18287
170 Ton Peddinghaus F1170B CNC Plate Punch, New 2005, 3 Available #19377
Peddinghaus AFCPS-623L 6x 6x 1/2, CNC Angle Line, 1998 #19900
Visit www.PrestigeEquipment.com
for a complete list of
our inventory and services
Tel: 631.249.5566 Fax: 631.249.9494
sales@prestigeequipment.com
employment
To advertise, call 231.228.2274 or e-mail gurthet@modernsteel.com.
Search employment ads online at www.modernsteel.com.
ProCounsel, a member of AISC, can market your skills
and achievements (without identifying you) to any city
or state in the United States. We communicate with
over 3,000 steel fabricators nationwide. The employer
pays the employment fee and the interviewing and
relocation expenses. If youve been thinking of making
a change, now is the time to do it. Our target, for you, is
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UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS!
SE Solutions has multiple positions for structural engineers!
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wcu|d ]cu |||e Wc|||| || a d|||e|e|| e|.||c|re|| W||| a ra|u|a:|u|e|7
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEER RESTORATION AND BUILDING FAADE 2 OPENINGS
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEER / 3-7 YEARS WASHINGTON, DC
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Brian Quinn, P.E. Lisa Willard, P.E.
Structural & Misc. Steel Fabrication
Our organization has been recruiting for the Structural and Misc. Steel
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Plant Superintendents Estimators Detailers
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United Employment Associates, P.O. Box 8, East Texas, PA 18046
phone: (610) 437-5040 fax: (610) 437-9650
e-mail: rstauffer@unitedemployment.com www.unitedemployment.com
Free Bridge Information
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0c| 0ue||c|7 0c| A|We|7
Pa|||:|pa|e W||| u a| steelTOOLS.org.
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Must have leadership skills
Draw bending experience required
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Shop & blueprint experience required
Will assist in relocation
contact Benderroller@aol.com
Advertise Your Job Openings in MSC!
|SC erp|c]re|| ad a|c appea| c||||e!
www.modernsteel.com/classifieds.php.
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Contact: Lou Gurthet at 231.228.2274
or gurthet@modernsteel.com
Advertise in Steel Marketplace!
Contact: |cu 0u|||e|
0u|||e| |ed|a Sa|e, ||C
telephone: 281.228.22/4 fax: 281.228.//o9
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Excellent Opportunity for Experienced Detailer
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|c:a|ed || C|eapea|e, V|||||a. we a|e |||e|e|ed || ||||| a '|cp-|c|:|' de|a||e| W||| e/-
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|||| a|d ao||||] |c cpe|a|e || a |a| pa:ed e|.||c|re|| a|e |e(u||ed. Te||a e/pe||e|:e Wcu|d
oe e/||ere|] |e|p|u| ou| | |c| ra|da|c|]. |c| :c||epc|de|:e | |a|d|ed |||cu| era||
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1|:|, ||a:| |||c|ra||c| a|d p|cje:| :c| W|||e ra|||a|||| :u|cre| a|||a:||c| a|d p|cje:|
:|edu|e p|eae |er|| ]cu| |eure, |e||e| c| |||e|e| a|d a|a|] |e(u||ere|| || :c||de|:e |c.
hr@prodraftusa.com | Attn: Elaine Clark | No phone calls please
How Average Are You?
The recent MSC reader survey showed interesting trends in the information
gathering process that may reect your reading habits, too.
BY TOM KLEMENS
topping out
Have an opinion youd like to share in Topping Out? Send your feedback to Tom Klemens, senior editor, at klemens@modernsteel.com.
LET ME BEGIN BY thanking all of the MSC readers who
responded to the survey we sent out on August 26. Your responses
provided validation for what we offer in the magazine, and some
interesting insights. We appreciate your comments and sugges-
tions and will incorporate many of your ideas in coming months.
Three significant firsts distinguished this reader survey. It
was the first comprehensive reader survey that MSC has done
since 2007. It also was the first large survey for which MSC has
used email and an online, rather than printed, questionnaire.
Even just a few years ago that may not have been appropri-
ate. But a full decade into the 21st century its clear that email
has become a valid and effective mainstream communication
medium. Finally, its the first time MSC has polled its subscrib-
ers on their awareness and use of MSCs online offerings. And
therein lay perhaps the most interesting results.
First, the details. When asked about magazine reading
preferences, 90.4% of respondents said they prefer to read a
printed version. On the other hand, 6.7% prefer to read articles
online. Where do you fit in?
Maybe you would be among the 2.9% who chose other.
Many said they like to read the articles in print but to store them
in digital format (or retrieve them from a digital archive). Others
said their preference depends on how the information is likely
to be used, and how accessible and convenient one medium is
over another at any given time. (I read MSC on airplanes and at
home, one reader wrote, after admonishing us to never eliminate
the print version.)
We also asked if readers had accessed MSCs digital edition.
Although only about a third of the respondents have, many said
they will try it now that it has been brought to their attention.
While accessing the digital edition of MSC is no replace-
ment for holding a hard copy in your hands, it does have some
clear advantages, as many of you pointed out.
Each new
issue of MSC
becomes avail-
a bl e onl i ne
on t he f i r s t
weekday of the
month. You can
get an early look
at what soon
will be arriving
in your mailbox,
and perhaps find
an answer youve been seeking sooner rather than later.
The digital edition (and PDF archives) provide a very con-
venient way to refer your colleagues to items of interest,
or to share or archive the article file.
Speaking of MSCs archives, more than 42% of survey
respondents said they have downloaded items from the online
archives. But theres a twist you should know about here, too.
Until earlier this summer, those archives only went back to 1996,
even though MSC debuted in 1961. Recently all the earlier issues
were scanned and now can be accessed through the Archives sec-
tion at www.modernsteel.com. Almost as good as their digital
accessibility is the fact that they are now included when search-
ing the site for a word or phrase.
For me, the most surprising results from the reader survey
had to do with MSCs industry news coverage. Although 80% of
respondents said the news section of the magazine is either very
useful or useful, only 15.6% said they were aware that a new Steel
In The News item is posted each weekday on the MSC website.
We began posting daily in February 2010, and more recently
modified the MSC website so visitors no longer have to scroll
down to check the daily news entry. But as the survey results
point out, as well as many of the comments that accompanied
them, Steel In The News has remained a well-kept secret.
Several respondents asked, Isnt the in-print news section
just the same as whats online? The short answer is no. Many
of the news items that appear on the website also are printed
in the magazine, but frequently in much different form. MSCs
daily web news posts are short and almost always include links
to additional information, as well as photos and/or videos. The
print versions, on the other hand, usually feature more detailed
and comprehensive information within the articles themselves.
Two other things make Steel In The News a resource you
should keep in mind. First, the website is a great place for late-
breaking news. Some time-sensitive things arrive too late to be
useful in the next available printed issue, but in plenty of time
to be posted on the web.
Additionally, each Friday we post a new installment in
the MSC series of Steel Shots. These photos show steel in
various aspects of our lives as captured by our contributing web
editors as well as others. A gallery of Steel Shots going back to
February 2010 is available at www.modernsteel.com/photos.
These are just a few of the survey results and online
resources available through MSC and www.modernsteel.com.
We hope youll explore the MSC website and discover the depth
of resources awaiting you there. In the meantime, thank you for
your continued interest in Modern Steel Construction.
Thomas L. Klemens,
P.E., is senior editor
of MSC and has been
watching media and
reading habits evolve
since the days of black
and white television.

Modern Steel Contruction 201010

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October 2010

18 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER 2010

Existing Certied Erector Facilities

Newly Certied Fabricator Facilities

Mitch Gehringer is director of

26 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER 2010

A showcase for BIM, the Kauffman Center information-rich model

2000 Access Blvd

Structural framing for the church dome.

OCTOBER 2010 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION 35

Photos by Datum Engineers except as noted.

Talk to a New Millennium professional near you:

Seth Rogge, P.E., is a project

The completed dome framework, with roof decking installed

KGD Architecture Seth Rogge

48 MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER 2010

Due to the project complexity and sensitive location,

Steve Narkiewicz, P.E. is a consultant

The new Sandy River bridges will feature

" 40 f08f8 lK00ll000 l #08lll, $00fl 80 $0f9l00

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