Congratulations to the 48 qualifying teams headed to the 2015 ASCE/AISC National Student Steel Bridge Competition (NSSBC) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City May 22-23!

The American Welding Society (AWS) and WEMCO, an association of welding manufacturers and a standing committee of AWS, are accepting nominations for the 2015 Excellence in Welding Awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have shown exemplary dedication to promoting welding in their communities.

Take a fresh look at connection design by attending AISC’s Alternate Methods of Connection Design webinar next Thursday, May 14.

Feast your eyes on all of this year’s IDEAS2 winners in the May issue of Modern Steel. 

Steel pipe and tube manufacturer JMC Steel Group (an AISC Member) has announced that it is making a significant investment in VectorBloc, a structural connection system for modular construction developed by Vector Praxis.

Keith Landwehr, a highly respected structural steel construction and quality control consultant who was involved in numerous AISC activities, passed away last week after a battle with cancer. He was 63.

Mark your calendars! The 2016 World Steel Bridge Symposium (WSBS) will be held in conjunction with NASCC: The Steel Conference, April 13-15 in Orlando, Fla. WSBS presentation abstracts are due by June 5.

Over the weekend, more than 2,000 young innovators participated in this year’s Tech Challenge at The Tech Museum of Innovation in downtown San Jose, Calif. Now in its 28th year, this annual event challenges students in grades 4-12 to apply science and engineering design processes in a hands-on project to solve a real-world issue. This year’s challenge was “Building Excitement,” which focused on keeping California’s booming population safe by designing buildings that can withstand large earthquakes.

Congratulations to our sole winner: Nep Viajar, a civil/structural engineer with Fluor Corp. in Houston!

Mary Doyle Keefe, the model for Norman Rockwell’s "Rosie the Riveter" painting that came to symbolize the American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, died yesterday at her home in Simsbury, Conn. She was 92.

When the One World Trade Center Observatory opens next month, visitors will not only experience 360° views of New York City, they will also see 500 years of the city's construction history in a virtual time-lapse shown during the elevator ride to the 102nd floor -- all in under 60 seconds. The New York Times has posted a video of what you’ll see.

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) will host a free 60-minute webinar on “Innovative, Cost-Effective Options for Short Span Steel Bridge Design” on Tuesday, May 12, from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (EDT) as part of Infrastructure Week 2015.

Attention students! AISC Scholarship applications will be accepted until Friday, May 1. A total of $65,000, provided by the AISC Education Foundation and various steel industry organizations, will be awarded.

Construction of the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Minneapolis has reached halftime.

Classes begin Monday, April 27, for AISC’s new Night School course “Design of Composite Floor Systems in Steel Framed Buildings.”

AISC Member fabricator Michelmann Steel Construction Company, located in Quincy, Ill., is celebrating a century and a half of business this year.

The current draft of the 2016 AISC Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings is available for public review until May 29, 2015 at www.aisc.org/publicreview. This is an update to the 2010 version of the Seismic Provisions.

The second quarter 2015 issue of AISC’s Engineering Journal is now available at www.aisc.org/ej. You can view, download and print the current digital edition.

A retractable steel roof is being constructed over the U.S. Tennis Association Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, N.Y.

Today is national Stand Up 4 Transportation Day. Transportation advocates around the country are rallying online and in their communities to focus Congress’ attention on the need to make a long-term investment in American transportation infrastructure.

As of January 1, 2015, AISC began including the certified participant’s address and unique certificate number on all certificates issued by AISC Certification.

“I wish I learned how to type. When I was in high school, everybody took woodshop,” quips Lawrence Griffis, P.E., one of the world’s leading experts on long-span structures. Griffis, senior principal and senior consultant at Walter P Moore & Associates, is featured in the latest episode of AISC’s Steel Profiles podcast series.

AISC is offering a two-part webinar series this Thursday, April 9 and next Thursday, April 16 on “Analysis and Design of Chevron Brace Connections with Flat Bar Gussets.”

The first tower to open at the original World Trade Center site, 4WTC maximizes its space and views with creative column construction.

Congratulations to Coastal Steel, Cocoa, Fla. (an AISC Member and AISC Certified fabricator/Advanced Certified steel erector) on their winning steel sculpture,“Tearing Down the House.”

The 2015 NASCC: The Steel Conference in Nashville attracted a record 4,582 attendees (plus another 940 watching the streaming sessions online)! And plans are already underway for next year’s Steel Conference--which will be held in conjunction with NSBA’s World Steel Bridge Symposium, April 13-15 in Orlando, Fla. The 2016 WSBS is now accepting presentation papers dealing with all aspects of steel bridge design and construction.

AISC and the entire structural steel industry is saddened to learn about the passing of an industry leader, Richard C. Kaehler, P.E. He lost his battle with cancer last Wednesday, March 25, the day he was to receive an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Nashville. He was 60 years old. 

Have you visited Google’s homepage today? A doodle marks the 126th anniversary of the public opening of the Eiffel Tower.

Before NASCC last week, AISC’s Market Development staff toured the construction site of Nashville’s new West Riverfront Park Amphitheater, the focal point of an 11-acre development.

The current draft of the 2016 AISC Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications is now available for public review until May 11, 2015 at www.aisc.org/publicreview.

Yesterday, eleven steel industry superstars received awards from AISC at the 2015 NASCC: The Steel Conference at Music City Center in Nashville. These deserving professionals are honored for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of the structural steel design and construction industry.

Twelve structural steel building projects have earned national recognition in the 2015 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS² Awards). The winning projects and their respective team members were recognized today during the 2015 NASCC: The Steel Conference in Nashville.

It’s the opening day of NASCC: The Steel Conference and we’re ready for a great time in Nashville! If you’re not able to join us in person, there’s still time to sign-up to watch NASCC sessions live from your own office or conference room by visiting www.aisc.org/nascclive.

Show how much you love steel - on Instagram!

Attending NASCC: The Steel Conference in Nashville next week? Between sessions and browsing the exhibit hall, check out this year’s Steel Sculpture Competition finalists and vote for your favorite! The ultimate winner will be chosen by conference attendees.

AISC will host a free, half-day workshop on “Maximizing the Value of Your Model” in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, April 23. 

Construction firms added jobs in 43 states and the District of Columbia during the past year while construction employment also increased in 31 states between December and January, according to recent data from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Fifty-two structural steel facilities have earned an AISC Safety Award for their safety record during 2014, in the categories of “Shop and Office” and “Field Erection.” Awards include the Safety Award of Honor, AISC’s top award for safety, presented for a perfect safety record of no injuries requiring days away, restrictions or transfers, Safety Certificate of Merit and Safety Certificate of Commendation.

Matthew Eatherton, an assistant professor with Virginia Tech’s Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will be using a five-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award to research how steel plates with carefully designed geometric patterns - or voids - cut into them can better withstand everyday loads and extreme events (high winds, blast or shock from an earthquake) than the standard solid steel plates currently used. The research work builds on an earlier AISC award, the Milek Faculty Fellowship grant. Eatherton received the fellowship for the years 2012 – 2015, supporting his research on buckling-resistant steel plate shear walls.

Chicago’s long-awaited Wrigley Field expansion and restoration, known as The 1060 Project, is underway. The project is in its first phase of construction, which focuses on the structural work to prepare the ballpark for enhancements and improvements over the course of the construction plan.

The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) has released an updated version of Technical Digest No. 5 Vibration of Steel Joist – Concrete Slab Floors.

The current draft of the 2016 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings is available for public review until April 27, 2015.

Attendees registered for NASCC: The Steel Conference (March 25-27 in Nashville) are eligible to attend a free 7.5-hour Short Course titled “OSHA Targeted Training: Worker Hazards in Fabrication Facilities and Service Centers.” The course will take place during the conference on Thursday, March 26, from 8 a.m. - noon and 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

An intricate steel and glass waterfall highlights the new North American headquarters of a global education company.

AISC is offering a free webinar next Friday, March 13, titled “The Case of the Disappearing Right Angle: Innovation in Architectural Steel.”

On March 25, eleven industry superstars will receive awards from AISC at the 2015 NASCC: The Steel Conference at Music City Center in Nashville. These deserving professionals are being honored for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of the structural steel design and construction industry.

AISC Certification will be updating the Audit Report and the Participant Corrective Action Request (CAR) Procedure. This update will apply to all audits beginning March 30, 2015.

Several associations that develop codes and standards to create green buildings are collaborating to align the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1 and the USGBC LEED green building program.

Congratulations to our winners: Metwally Abu-Hamd with Cairo University, Egypt; Nep Viajar with Fluor Corp. in Houston; and Mark Sencich with Schuff Steel Company, San Diego!

The University of California, Davis, offers an extension program of online engineering courses for working professionals. Available opportunities this spring include a course on CAD for 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping.