For the second consecutive year, NASCC: The Steel Conference provides a glimpse into the future of technology in steel construction with the Technology in Steel Construction Conference (TSCC). This special track features nine informative sessions that focus on advanced technology use throughout the steel construction industry, from various topics on building information modeling (BIM) to interoperability.
TSCC sessions are part of the more than 100 top-notch educational sessions being offered at The Steel Conference in St. Louis, April 17-19 at America's Center Convention Complex. Admittance to all TSCC sessions is included with conference registration. To register or view an advance program, visit www.aisc.org/nascc.
Here's a look at this year's TSCC sessions for steel design and construction professionals:
T1: Leveraging Technology to Improve Project Communication (Wednesday, 3:15 p.m. — 4:15 p.m.) — How do you convey information clearly and succinctly and ensure it is understood by others? How do you know you are interpreting the information you receive correctly? This session, aimed at all roles within the structural steel industry, will discuss how to use the technology you already have, or have easily accessible, to improve communication within the project team and your own organization. Various technologies will be examined, from tools for building and reviewing BIM models and drawings, to web-based software designed to accommodate virtual meetings, to free tools to help you share files and stay mobile.
T2: IFC - Interoperability for Construction? A Practical Take for the Steel Industry (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. — 6 p.m.) — IFC does not stand for Interoperability for Construction; but it could! It's actually an acronym for buildingSMART's Industry Foundation Classes, an industry-wide open standard that is gaining traction in the construction industry, as it offers a promise unmatched by previous standards: that a single standard can be used across various trades and professions in the industry. This session will explain why AISC adopted IFC at the core of its interoperability strategy and examine the nuances of IFC files, dispelling some myths and perceptions along the way. In addition, the session will take a look at the progress being made toward actual IFC exchanges in the structural steel industry.
T3: Risk and Model Hand-Offs (Thursday, 8 a.m. — 9:30 a.m.) — In this session, you'll learn how to address risk and model hand-offs and the challenges of working with design and construction models. The discussion will also consider the new AIA BIM Protocol Exhibit 202 that defines the Level of Detail (LOD) in models on a scale of 100 to 500. These LOD concepts will then be demonstrated with case studies on projects in three different phases: design, construction and facilities management (FM).
T4: Next Generation Approval: Using BIM for the Shop Drawing Review and Approval Process (Thursday, 10 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.) — BIM models hold tremendous potential, yet they are often underused beyond the visualization and coordination stages. This session will introduce you to three pioneering companies that are taking models to the next level by using them in the review process in concert with, or even in lieu of, traditional shop drawings. Speakers will discuss various methodologies and benefits they've experienced using model review.
T5: Bridging the Gap from Design to Fabrication (Thursday, 1:15 p.m. — 2:15 p.m.) — Do you still use traditional PDF drawings? You may be running the risk of inefficiencies and opportunities for mistakes. In the new and evolving world of BIM, more designers are creating 3D models that contain an immense amount of information that can be easily accessed by steel detailers, who have the opportunity to incorporate lean processes in their workflow -- benefiting the bottom line for the entire project team. In this session, you'll hear about the steel detailing challenges, successes and lessons learned from a major healthcare project related to the structural design model and project team coordination, and how to apply these to your own projects.
T6: The True Benefit of BIM for the Structural Engineer and the Pivotal Role They Play in the BIM Process (Thursday, 3 p.m. — 4 p.m.) — Do you typically use software packages for your own domain and find that it can sometimes be a bottleneck in the BIM process? Structural engineers and designers will often use their own BIM models for design, but, for most projects, the construction documents will be produced as drawings for the steel detailer/fabricator, who then interprets the drawings for building their own BIM models for fabrication purposes. This session will examine and discuss various topics related to improving workflow both within the structural engineering office and as it pertains to sharing models with steel detailers.
T7: What Does it Mean to Be a BIM Coordinator? (Thursday, 4:15 p.m. — 5:15 p.m.) — This session will delve into the role and requirements of a 3D/4D BIM coordinator and provide objectives from the perspectives of a steel detailer and general contractor. The purposes and goals of a BIM Contract will be reviewed, as well as the expectations of each project stakeholder. The session will also examine the different BIM platforms each party uses and the benefits of identifying discrepancies earlier in the design and detailing process.
T8: Steel Procurement in the 21st Century: Current Best Practices and Future Possibilities (Friday, 8 a.m. — 9:30 a.m.) — In today's brave new technological world, paper, faxes and basic spreadsheets still dominate the world of steel procurement. This session will offer practical ways to take advantage of the technology you already own, or have easily accessible, to improve the procurement process, which will be investigated in four primary areas: Inventory availability; Request for Quotation (RFQ); order placement; and order status/delivery. It will also discuss promising future initiatives and opportunities in this area.
T9: Laser Scanning and Steel Construction (Friday, 10 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.) — In this session you'll gain a solid foundation in using laser scanning for your projects, including how to budget and specify laser scanning work. The presentation will also provide practical examples of how laser scanning is adding value, accelerating schedules, and improving quality and safety for steel projects.
More information on this year's TSCC sessions at The Steel Conference can be found in the Advance Program (pages 29-31). For more information about the conference, visit www.aisc.org/nascc.
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.
Related Stories
| Nov 3, 2010
Public works complex gets eco-friendly addition
The renovation and expansion of the public works operations facility in Wilmette, Ill., including a 5,000-sf addition that houses administrative and engineering offices, locker rooms, and a lunch room/meeting room, is seeking LEED Gold certification.
| Nov 3, 2010
Sailing center sets course for energy efficiency, sustainability
The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new facility on Lake Michigan counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. The facility was designed for the nonprofit instructional sailing organization with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind.
| Nov 3, 2010
Seattle University’s expanded library trying for LEED Gold
Pfeiffer Partners Architects, in collaboration with Mithun Architects, programmed, planned, and designed the $55 million renovation and expansion of Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons at Seattle University. The LEED-Gold-designed facility’s green features include daylighting, sustainable and recycled materials, and a rain garden.
| Nov 3, 2010
Recreation center targets student health, earns LEED Platinum
Not only is the student recreation center at the University of Arizona, Tucson, the hub of student life but its new 54,000-sf addition is also super-green, having recently attained LEED Platinum certification.
| Nov 3, 2010
New church in Connecticut will serve a growing congregation
Tocci Building Companies will start digging next June for the Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield, Conn. Designed by Wiles Architects, the 103,000-sf multiuse facility will feature a 900-person worship center with tiered stadium seating, a children’s worship center, a chapel, an auditorium, a gymnasium, educational space, administrative offices, commercial kitchen, and a welcome center with library and lounge.
| Nov 3, 2010
Senior housing will be affordable, sustainable
Horizons at Morgan Hill, a 49-unit affordable senior housing community in Morgan Hill, Calif., was designed by KTGY Group and developed by Urban Housing Communities. The $21.2 million, three-story building will offer 36 one-bed/bath units (773 sf) and 13 two-bed/bath units (1,025 sf) on a 2.6-acre site.
| Nov 3, 2010
Designs complete for new elementary school
SchenkelShultz has completed design of the new 101,270-sf elementary Highlands Elementary School, as well as designs for three existing buildings that will be renovated, in Kissimmee, Fla. The school will provide 48 classrooms for 920 students, a cafeteria, a media center, and a music/art suite with outdoor patio. Three facilities scheduled for renovations total 19,459 sf and include an eight-classroom building that will be used as an exceptional student education center, a older media center that will be used as a multipurpose building, and another building that will be reworked as a parent center, with two meeting rooms for community use. W.G. Mills/Ranger is serving as CM for the $15.1 million project.
| Nov 3, 2010
Chengdu retail center offers a blend of old and new China
The first phase of Pearl River New Town, an 80-acre project in Chengdu, in China’s Wenjiang District, is under way along the banks of the Jiang’an River. Chengdu was at one time a leading center for broadcloth production, and RTKL, which is overseeing the project’s master planning, architecture, branding, and landscape architecture, designed the project’s streets, pedestrian pathways, and bridges to resemble a woven fabric.
| Nov 3, 2010
Rotating atriums give Riyadh’s first Hilton an unusual twist
Goettsch Partners, in collaboration with Omrania & Associates (architect of record) and David Wrenn Interiors (interior designer), is serving as design architect for the five-star, 900-key Hilton Riyadh.
| Nov 3, 2010
Virginia biofuel research center moving along
The Sustainable Energy Technology Center has broken ground in October on the Danville, Va., campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. The 25,000-sf facility will be used to develop enhanced bio-based fuels, and will house research laboratories, support labs, graduate student research space, and faculty offices. Rainwater harvesting, a vegetated roof, low-VOC and recycled materials, photovoltaic panels, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and water-saving systems, and LED light fixtures will be deployed. Dewberry served as lead architect, with Lord Aeck & Sargent serving as laboratory designer and sustainability consultant. Perigon Engineering consulted on high-bay process labs. New Atlantic Contracting is building the facility.
