Steel Educators' Tip Sheet

November-December 2012

AISC will again host special sessions for faculty and students at the 2013 NASCC: The Steel Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, April 17-19.

On Wednesday, April 17 from 8am - noon, AISC will host a session for educators focused on bridge design for the classroom. Three lecturers will give presentations on Bridge Plate Girder Design by the Numbers, Bridge Design for Economy of Construction and Bridge Design for Aesthetics. You can register for this complimentary session online beginning in December. Visit www.aisc.org/nascc for more information on NASCC.

On Thursday, April 18 from 10am-2:15pm, AISC will present the third annual Students Connecting with Industry Sessions (SCIS) program. John Hooper of Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Karl Frank of Hirschfeld Industries will present this special session including career advice for students who are about to embark on their careers. The day will also include lunch, an exhibit hall tour, and a unique afternoon session called "Direct Connect," where students can interact one-on-one with about 40 key representatives from the steel industry. For AISC Student Members, registration to NASCC and SCIS is complimentary. Students who attend the entire SCIS program will receive a complimentary ticket to Thursday night's industry dinner, as well as up to $175 in travel reimbursement. Visit www.aisc.org/nascc for more information on NASCC.

Congratulations to the 2013 Educator Award Winners!

The Lifetime Achievement Award winners are Stephen A. Mahin, Ph.D., Professor at University of California, Berkeley; and Wallace W. Sanders, Jr., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University. The Special Achievement Award Winners are Judy Liu, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Purdue University; and William J. Wright, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor at Virginia Tech. To learn more information about the winners, visit http://www.aisc.org/content.aspx?id=21356.

Architecture Students Find a Solution in Steel.

The program for the 2012-13 ACSA/AISC Steel Design Student Competition has been posted. Go to http://www.aisc.org/content.aspx?id=796 to view the competition information.

How much do you know about the original steel sculpture and its creator?

Duane Ellifritt, Ph.D., P.E., had struggled with how to help his students at the University of Florida to see a 3-D steel connection when looking at a 2-D diagram. Field trips to construction sites are not always possible; full-scale models are too heavy to carry to class. Then one day, he had an ephiphany: he could create a sculpture that would serve as both art and a teaching tool. After some hard work, which included getting the approval of the University Facilities Planning Committee and others, the first steel sculpture was realized. A few years later, AISC requested and received permission to use and promote a scaled-down version of the sculpture as a teaching aid. Now, there are more than 135 installations at college campuses around the world.

You can find out more about Dr. Ellifritt, a 2010 AISC Lifetime Achievement Award winner, an artist, and now Professor Emeritus, in the October 2011 Modern Steel Construction article, "Creating Art in Unlikely Places," and at http://www.modernsteel.com/SteelInTheNews/?page_id=1392

Enroll for the entire course, or sign up for individual webinars.

A new year brings a brand new program to AISC's Continuing Education offering. Faculty, students and other professionals will have the opportunity to attend "Night School." Night School is a webinar-based series that will be offered starting in January. The first series consists of eight 90-minute webinars focused on the Fundamentals of Connection Design.
More information can be found at www.aisc.org/nightschool. Consider enrolling yourself, or using Night School to supplement your steel design class and offering your students another credit hour.

Check this off your list for Spring 2013.

You can submit your reservation early for AISC Manuals for your students in the upcoming 2013 Spring semester. Maria Mnookin will keep your request on file and will send the student instructions to you within 2-3 weeks prior to the start of your classes. To learn more information about the Student Manual Discount Program or to submit your request, visit www.aisc.org/studentdiscountprogram. If you have any questions, contact Maria at mnookin@aisc.org.

Information about AISC sponsorship of student bridge teams.

AISC has increased the sponsorship amount from $175 to $250 for each North American team competing in the Student Steel Bridge conference competitions. If you have not received AISC's bridge team funding in the past, please have the steel bridge team's faculty advisor contact Maria Mnookin (mnookin@aisc.org) and be sure your school's team is on the mailing list. Checks will be mailed within the next 10-12 weeks for the 2013 competitions.

The SteelWise feature in Modern Steel Construction provides practical knowledge on a number of topics, ranging from stability analysis, to how choice of corrosion protection affects connection design, to practical considerations for expansion joints in buildings.

November's article (beginning on page 17) provides 16 suggestions for improvements in floor framing and detailing, but begins with an invitation to review a given floor plan and come up with your own ideas. You may find this article of interest, and it might be the basis of a good homework assignment for your class. Click here to be taken to directly to the article in the digital edition.