American Institute of Steel Construction

👻 Spook-tacular savings! 👻 No need to fear--the digital 16th Edition Steel Construction Manual is here! Our digital edition platform features an easy-to-use browser interface with PDF-like markup capabilities that save to your account. With searchable text, built-in contents bookmarks, and more, it’s never been easier to use! And through October 31, the digital Manual is on sale for $50 off--our treat, no trick! Get access today at aisc.org/digital.

Throughout October, shops, training centers, and firms in every corner of the country rolled out their welcome mats in honor of SteelDays! These events--including facility tours, hands-on ironworker training, welding competitions, and more--showcase the vibrant American structural steel industry. Thanks to all who hosted events and celebrated SteelDays with us! Get a closer look at a SteelDays event with our puzzle of the week at aisc.org/puzzles! Members from the Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina visited the site of a new steel-framed 12-story bed tower on the Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center’s campus in Charlotte, N.C. The project, scheduled to open in 2027, is framed with 10,500 tons of structural steel and includes nearly 900 SidePlate joints.

The skilled trades deserve respect and recognition--and Be Pro Be Proud Executive Director Andrew Parker is spearheading the mission! In his session at this year’s NASCC: The Steel Conference, Parker discussed how he and his team leverage industry partnerships, student outreach, hands-on virtual experiences, and student support to boost students' confidence in pursuing sustainable trade careers. Visit aisc.org/parker-nascc24 to catch a recording of this session and find out how advocacy and partnerships can support your own workforce development program.

This Friday, join the AISC Architecture Center at #NOMA24 for a discussion on pioneering innovations that can transform your designs! In their session, “Innovative Materials and Technologies in Architecture,” Director of Architecture Poornima (Nima) Balasubramanian, AIA, NOMA and Senior Director of Building Initiatives Erin Conaway, PE will share real-world examples of structural steel systems that streamline processes, optimize costs, and accelerate project timelines. Visit aisc.org/architecture to access a collection of resources to help architects optimize their work with structural steel.

Following a brief stint in the field of linguistics early in her career, Heather Gilmer, PE found her way back to her original engineering passion: bridges. Combining the two fields has led the leading civil engineer to 20-plus years in fabrication quality management and specification writing--contributions that earned her an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year! Find out about Gilmer’s unique path to the steel bridge industry, some of the most notable projects she has worked on, and the mentors who have guided her career in this month’s episode of the Field Notes podcast! Listen to the full interview at aisc.org/fieldnotes, or read an excerpt at aisc.org/gilmer.

STARTING TONIGHT: Sharpen your understanding of member behavior and improve your designs with our next Night School course, Fundamentals of Stability! Presenters Perry Green, Todd Helwig, Don White, and Ronald Ziemian will dive into the behavior and design of compression, flexural, beam-column, and bracing members as well as an introduction to system stability. They will cover several strength limit states and basic design approaches related to frame stability, including the direct analysis and effective length methods. This course--consisting of eight 1.5-hour sessions--is presented in conjunction with the Structural Stability Research Council. Earn up to 12.0 PDHs for participating! Register today at aisc.org/ns-stability.

🚨 FREE WEBINAR TODAY! 🚨 Join us 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Central for an insider look at two new AISC publications and earn 1.0 PDH! Dive into the latest editions of the AISC Seismic Provisions and Seismic Design Manual with AISC senior engineer Mike Gannon, SE, PE, and a few guests. Special thanks to DuraFuse Frames for sponsoring our SteelDays webinar. Save your spot at https://lnkd.in/dKerCRgF!

Last week, Gerdau and AISC hosted a mill tour and steel school for a group of Atlanta architects and engineers! Participants got an up-close look at steel production, learning about the process from raw materials to the finished product. The tour also highlighted what makes today’s structural steel industry sustainable, showing how recycled materials and energy-efficient practices play a key role in reducing the environmental impact of steel production. We enjoyed giving these architects an inside look at steel’s importance in construction, manufacturing, and sustainability! Interested in touring a mill yourself? Reach out to AISC’s Hope Hrabowy (hrabowy@aisc.org) for more information on future tours and how you can get involved! Gerdau North America AIA Atlanta

University of Arkansas Associate Professor Emily Baker is an inventor, fabricator, architect, and previous Forge Prize winner--and now, she’ll be one of three jurors for the 2025 Forge Prize! You may recognize her 2024 Forge Prize-winning design: a landmark trailhead that showcases her Spin-Valence system, a revolutionary steel space frame that’s both beautiful and functional. Sponsored by AISC’s Architecture Center, the Forge Prize is all about honoring groundbreaking ideas in structural steel design, and Baker is uniquely qualified to help find these ideas. Find out more about what she’ll bring to the judging panel at aisc.org/baker-forgeprize. Entries for the 2025 Forge Prize are due November 22--that’s just over a month from now! Get started today at aisc.org/forgeprize.

AISC stands with the call of Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to expand the scope of the Section 232 steel tariff program. They are urging the Biden administration to close loopholes in the Section 232 steel tariff program that is designed to ensure a level playing field for America’s structural steel production and fabrication industries. These loopholes currently allow foreign producers to import downstream products--including fabricated structural steel--without tariffs. Ensuring a fair and competitive market for U.S. steel translates to increased production capacity--and it protects American jobs and the families and communities that rely on them. Read more at aisc.org/section-232.