Phoenix will play host to more than 3,000 steel construction professionals this April during the 2009 North American Steel Construction Conference, presented by the American, Canadian, and Mexican Institutes of Steel Construction. NASCC: The Steel Conference will be held April 1-4, 2009 and feature presentations from top industry leaders, more than 80 technical sessions, short course educational programming, and extensive trade show exhibits featuring products and services ranging from engineering software to the latest fabrication equipment.
The conference is the premier educational event aimed at providing designers, steel fabricators, erectors, and detailers with practical information and the latest design and construction techniques. It's a once-a-year opportunity to learn the latest in design methodology, see the most innovative products, and meet industry leaders. The conference continues to grow each year; last year's attendance exceeded 3,700.
This year's Steel Conference kicks off with a potentially controversial session provocatively titled "Connection Design Responsibility: Is the Debate Over?" In the hour-long program, Charlie Carter, AISC's vice president of engineering and research, presents the findings of a joint task group formed by the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) and AISC. Kirk Harman from The Harman Group in Philadelphia and Glenn Bishop from LBYD in Birmingham join the debate on the merits of delegating or not delegating the work of connection design.
Another session expected to draw a lot interest is being presented by AISC Vice President, John Cross, on "Current Sales Forecasts and Outlook." This session will provide key market information for the remainder of 2009 with an in-depth look at specific market segments, such as health-care construction and educational facilities.
Other sessions that are anticipated to attract large crowds include: "The Wal-Mart Effect and Your Business" (a discussion of how to compete against the low-price leaders and to create more profitable jobs); Shankar Nair's presentation on "Skyscrapers -- Past, Present and Future;" "Connections: The Last Bastion of Rational Design" by Bill Thornton; "CSD University" (a special series of presentations based on the training program that one of the country's most successful and innovative engineering firms uses for their new hires); "Who's Responsible When a Job Goes Bad" (a look at what can happen during a fast track, design-build project); "Specifying Camber--Rules of Thumb for Designers;" and "Introduction to Earthquake Engineering and Seismic Design."
For a complete list of the more than 80 sessions, go here.
The conference also offers attendees with the opportunity to tour Schuff International's fabrication shop. Schuff has one of the largest and most advanced facilities in the country and will give designers a good look at the technology being used to fabricate their projects today.
More information on The Steel Conference, including registration details and a full conference agenda, can be found here.
About the American Institute of Steel Construction
The American Institute of Steel Construction, headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry. AISC's mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural steel-related technical and market-building activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development. AISC has a long tradition of service to the steel construction industry of providing timely and reliable information.
