Contributed by the American Institute of Steel Construction

More than 200 exhibitors will participate in the co-located 2010 NASCC: The Steel Conference/Structures Congress. AISC

Engineers concerned about travel expenses have one less thing to worry about this year. Due to some creative planning by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, this year’s Structures Congress is co-locating with NASCC: The Steel Conference. The event will also include the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) Spring Risk Management Convocation and the Structural Stability Research Council’s (SSRC) Annual Stability Conference. Plus, the conference has a low registration fee — members pay just $390 for admission to all of the technical sessions at all of the co-located conferences (excluding pre- and post-conference short courses). If you are a member of AISC, ASCE, SEI, CASE, or SSRC, additional discounts are available. Discounted admission is also available to members of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), Florida Structural Engineers Association (FSEA), International Code Council (ICC), and National Institute of Steel Detailing (NISD).

Scheduled for May 12-15 in Orlando, Fla., this fabulous conference and trade show will feature more than 215 technical sessions and nearly 220 exhibitors, including most of the major software vendors. For a complete list of sessions or to register, visit www.aisc.org/nascc

Keynotes, sessions, and tracks
In recognition of the growing prevalence of LEED-certified designs, the opening keynote address will feature Rick Fedrizzi, founding chairman of the U.S Green Building Council. Other keynote addresses include the T.R. Higgins Award Lecture (this year featuring Degenkolb’s James O. Malley discussing the AISC Seismic Design Provisions) and the SEI Award Luncheon lecture by SEI’s President-Elect Kathy J. Caldwell (on “The Vision of Civil Engineering: Making Connections to the Future”). Another highlight of the conference is a series of lectures on constructability by Dave Ruby, one of the leading authorities on constructability and integrated project delivery.

For many office-bound structural engineers, the exhibit hall offers design professionals the opportunity to witness structural steel fabrication equipment and other products and services critical to efficiently designing and building with steel. AISC

Sessions at the Steel Conference include an examination of the use of steel and wood on sustainable projects, a look at what engineers need to know on projects involving the welding of heavy structural steel, information about what you need to know when implementing BIM in your firm, and more. In addition, the conference continues its popular series of lectures by “top profs” such as Robert Tremblay from Ecole Polytechnic and Tom Murray from Virginia Tech. The “Essays from Experts” lectures will include: Ronald O. Hamburger on “When Codes and Regulators Stop Engineers from Thinking;” John W. Fisher on fatigue; John Magnusson offering “A Candid Conversation about the Business Ramifications of BIM and IPD;” and Rafael Sabelli on “Braced Frame Connection Design.”

The Structures Congress includes a wide variety of tracks including Bridges, Analysis & Computation, Building Design, Concrete & Masonry Structures, Non-Building Structures, Seismic, Extreme Loads & Educational Reform, Business & Professional Practice, Research, Tall Buildings, and Education & Loading.

Expo
In addition to the educational and networking components, the conference is an ideal place to see the latest products, including design software, bolting and welding equipment, deck and joist, and much more. While engineers aren’t customers for fabrication equipment, it’s a great chance to see the machines that fabricate structural steel. All of the major suppliers of fabrication equipment will be on hand and most will be running full beam lines (yes, they’ll be cutting, punching, and welding steel on the exhibit floor).

Many manufactures and software developers that provide products and services to structural engineers will be exhibiting in Orlando this year. See the section entitled “Steel solutions on display” (page 27) for more information about these companies.

For more information, please visit www.aisc.org/nascc

Steel solutions on display
The following companies will be exhibitors at the co-located 2010 NASCC: The Steel Conference/The Structures Congress, and all offer products and services of interest to structural engineers. Please stop by their booths to learn more about their recent developments.

American Galvanizers Association
Since 1935, the American Galvanizers Association (www.galvanizeit.org) has represented the North American after-fabrication hot-dip galvanizing industry. The AGA publishes a vast inventory of technical literature, presents seminars to educate in the specification and use of hot-dip galvanizing, and provides free phone and online technical support for fabricators, specifiers, and users of galvanized steel.

Bentley
Bentley (www.bentley.com) offers the most comprehensive structural software offerings portfolio incorporating the proven industry-leading applications within RAM, STAAD, and ProSteel. Bentley offers powerful applications specific to structural types. These flexible and scalable applications allow seamless integrated structural workflows empowering intelligent structural design practices. The workflows cover analysis, design, detailing, documentation, and BIM for building, plant, and civil applications. Completely integrated offerings are available for reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, steel, wood, cold-formed steel, aluminum, and masonry. The integrated offerings provide dynamic collaboration and data reuse that result in the efficient delivery of high-quality designs.

Computers & Structures
Each of Computers & Structures, Inc.’s (www.csiberkeley.com) programs is tailored to specific classes of structures, allowing the engineering community to work at more productive and efficient levels than are possible with general purpose-type programs. SAP2000 is intended for use on civil structures such as bridges, dams, stadiums, industrial structures, and buildings. ETABS has been developed specifically for multi-story building structures such as office buildings, apartments, and hospitals. The SAFE System provides an efficient and powerful program for the analysis and design of concrete slabs and foundations.

Design Data
Design Data ’s (www.sds2.com) SDS/2 is the only product with the built-in intelligence to design connections automatically using a 3D model with a multitude of options for beams, columns, bracing, and joists. A full station of SDS/2 gives you the power to get the job done. Designate material, edge distance, cope criteria, and other specifications and SDS/2 will automatically generate connections that meet your requirements. SDS/2 also automatically creates all of the major member details, submaterial details, and erection views, another time-saving feature. And because these 2D drawings are taken from the model, the erection crew always gets an accurate fit in the field.

New Millennium
New Millennium (www.newmill.com) is the flexible supplier of steel joists and metal decking to the domestic construction industry. Its flexibility in the areas of special profile joist design, value-added engineering, JIT manufacturing, and site-sensitive delivery bring unprecedented cost advantages to any project.

Nucor Vulcraft Group
Nucor Vulcraft Group (www.vulcraft.com) is the nation’s largest producer and leading innovator of open-web steel joists, joist girders, and steel deck which are used primarily for non-residential building construction. Nucor Vulcraft Group also offers a complete range of steel roof and floor deck that’s accurately roll-formed in varying configurations on the most modern high-speed roll-forming equipment available. Nucor Vulcraft Group can help your project easily obtain LEED credits, because more than 99 percent of its joist products and 70 percent of its deck products come from recycled steel at its numerous manufacturing facilities throughout the United States.

Tekla, Inc.
Tekla Structures by Tekla, Inc. (www.tekla.com) is a fully integrated 4D solution that enables the creation, management, and construction scheduling of three-dimensional building models of any size, regardless of material or structural complexity. The Tekla Structures solution covers the entire structural design process, from conceptual design to detailing, fabrication, and erection. Steel, concrete, and structural design professionals can work with the same shared, always up-to-date model throughout every stage of a building project.