If you’ve never toured a steel mill, I strongly encourage you to do so. Not only will you be impressed at the efficiency and size of the operation, but it will give you a deeper understanding of where the materials come from that you design and specify on your projects. Earlier this month I toured the Nucor Steel Seattle plant, and to say that it was impressive is an understatement. Understanding how an electric arc furnace works is one thing, but to witness the intensity of heat and light as the charge is added to a 130-ton furnace is remarkable. As the only domestic steel mill located in an urban environment, the plant maintains more stringent requirements for air pollution, noise, energy, and operations than any other facility in the country, far exceeding legal limits. During the tour, the plant’s Environmental Manager Bart Kale educated the group on the history of the facility, the plant’s capacity, and some of the challenges of operating a steel mill in a city. I learned a lot. Getting out to tour the mills, the plants, and the fabrication shops is as important of a learning experience as visiting the job site. Designers likely don’t get enough of either opportunity, but this month you have your chance.
Organized by the American Institute of Steel Construction in partnership with the American Galvanizers Association, SteelDay is the largest educational and networking event in the industry. Scheduled for September 24, 2010, events are planned all over the country including steel fabricator, mill, and service center tours, as well as presentations and seminars. Read more and view the list of national events on page 20.
Being aware of how building materials are produced is beneficial for many reasons, but particularly in the context of sustainable design. As the trend for LEED or other third-party-certified projects becomes more prevalent, structural engineers can be more effective than simply touting the percentages of recycled content for building materials. Authors Greg Briggs, P.E., S.E., LEED AP, and Dirk Kestner, P.E., LEED AP, advocate for structural engineers to press suppliers for more information on their products. Where do raw materials come from? How do they arrive at the plant? What is the embodied carbon of the product? Read “Are your concrete, steel, and timber organically produced? Understanding the building material supply chain” on page 26 to learn more about how you can pose the best questions to materials suppliers and increase demand for new types of product information.
Additionally, posing the right questions to clients and owners will serve sustainable projects well. Designers at EYP Architecture & Engineering of Albany, N.Y., worked closely with client GE Energy who ultimately chose to adaptively reuse a 100-year-old building rather than tear it down and rebuild it. Beginning on page 10, read how the design team enabled the rebirth of Building 53 as the Renewable Energy Global Headquarters, symbolizing the rapid growth and success of GE Energy’s renewable energy business.
Another design trend spurred recently by the increased interest in sustainable design is architecturally exposed concrete. “Out in the open: Practical applications for specifying exposed concrete,” by Dennis Wittry, P.E., S.E., and Bart Miller, P.E., provides practical advice for architects and engineers designing with many forms of exposed concrete; see page 29.
The breadth and depth of sustainable design issues to be aware of is vast. Rounding out the coverage for this green-focused issue, the columnists each discuss various aspects of sustainable design from technology and legal issues to green roofs. Despite your particular level of interest in or awareness of sustainable design, learning more about the building supply chain will only improve your value as a designer. I encourage you to participate in SteelDay and to start asking informed questions of both material suppliers and clients — add to the sustainable knowledge base.
P.S. I wanted to let you know that we are looking for individuals to recognize on our inaugural “Power List!” To be published in December 2010, this list will include structural engineers and architects on the forefront of solving the toughest challenges in the AEC industry. Nominates are being accepted at www.gostructural.com/powerlist Let me know who you think is shaping our industry!
Jennifer Goupil, P.E.,
jgoupil@stagnitomedia.com