Modern Steel Construction • June 2021 • Virtual NASCC, Take Two

And for the second year in a row, thousands of attendees made the most of the annual learning experience.

IN A TYPICAL YEAR, we’re used to seeing AISC president Charlie Carter standing behind a podium in a vast hall, introducing the NASCC: The Steel Conference’s opening keynote speaker.

2021 was our second atypical year in a row, and so instead we were treated to a live feed of Charlie sitting behind his laptop in his attic office, introducing the NASCC: The Virtual Steel Conference’s opening keynote speaker. While he appeared to be in a suit, I do wonder if he was wearing shorts and flip-flops. (No judgment! I’m guessing a lot of us were.)

Going online was a bit of a shock last year. Not so this year, as we’ve all become seasoned pros at this online meeting thing—though whether we’re fans of it is a matter of debate. Nevertheless, we’ve proven that we can do it. Humans are adaptable and resilient, often much more so than they think, and nearly 4,500 people signed into the virtual version of NASCC—which is on par with our typical in-person shows in recent years. And when we’re able to hold the conference in person next year in Denver (this will happen; it has to), we’ll be able to adapt back to that landscape as well—and hopefully see an even larger attendance!

Back to the opening keynote (K1: Jim Fisher’s Keys for Successful Designs: Quips and Myths), presenter Jim Fisher of CSD Structural Engineers, whose career spans more than half a century, offered plenty of wisdom, including the following:

• Teamwork is important in steel (or any) projects, and communication is important to teamwork. “Talk to people,” he urged. “Don’t just text and email.”

• Design isn’t a success until the project is complete and functions as it is intended to.

• Are you asking the right questions during design? • When giving a presentation, memorize the first three minutes. Most people are naturally nervous, and if you memorize the beginning, it gives you a little time to settle down and settle into the presentation.

• “Don’t make an early, stupid decision in a design, because you will then make more stupid decisions,” (quoting his colleague, Mike West).

• “If you can’t rough it out on an envelope, you shouldn’t design it,” (quoting William LeMessurier).

• “The product of an arithmetical computation is the answer to an equation; it is not the solution to a problem,” (quoting Ashley-Perry Statistical Axiom No. 5).

Jim’s keynote, as well as the rest of the 2021 NASCC sessions, can be viewed at aisc.org/2021nascconline. There were plenty of highlights and takeaways from the sessions and, like last year, AISC staff moderators shared some of their own. Below are a few. (Special thanks to Devin Altman, Rex Buchanan, Art Bustos, Jeff Carlson, Stacy Chu, Joe Dardis, Nate Gonner, Dennis Haught, Rachel Jordan, Jason Lloyd, Margaret Matthews, Maria Mnookin, Maureen Steffey, Jonathan Tavarez, and Jennie Traut-Todaro for providing their feedback!)

Following this session, a department of transportation representative emailed NSBA and indicated that they are going to explore using uncoated weathering steel more in their state.

B5: Steel Bridges Can be Easy with NSBA’s Guide to Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design

Speaker Domenic Coletti showed just how easy navigating the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications can be with NSBA’s new Guide to Navigating Routine Steel Bridge Design. Co-presenter Brandon Chavel also presented on NSBA Design Resources.

Five speakers from around the country shared academic studies on many past projects and individual case studies demonstrating the competitiveness of steel for the short-span market. The audience’s response was fantastic, with many attendees wanting to know more about press-brake tub girders (PBTGs), rolled-beam bridge case studies, and current pricing.

CS2: A Baselift for a Second City Icon: The Willis Tower Repositioning Project

This was a recreation of a presentation given on SteelDay last year, which had about 150 attendees. The attendance for this version was nearly double that number! (To read about this amazing structural renovation project, see the August 2020 article “A Steel ‘Base-Lift’” in the Archives at www.modernsteel.com.)

E2: A Frame-Spine System with Force-Limiting Connections for Seismic Resilience

The five speakers presented very interesting details on the development and testing of a new seismic force-resisting system. This project, which is the result of collaboration with Japanese researchers, is sure to “yield” great results for healthcare facilities and other structures in high-seismic areas.

I5 and I6: SpeedCore—Lessons from Research and Implementation, Part One: Research and Part Two: Implementation

Deepening interest in SpeedCore was very apparent in these sessions, and fantastic questions were submitted from the audience. Presenters Amit Varma and Michel Bruneau had the benefit of each other’s company at the mic and were clearly having a blast engaging with the audience and each other.

Both Alberto Marquez (Hatfield Group) and Erica Fischer (Oregon State University) delved into their respective career progressions, providing students with some excellent insights into career possibilities and where open doors may lead.

K2: T.R. Higgins Lecture: SpeedCore and Steel-Concrete Composite Construction—The Best of Both Worlds

While highly technical in nature, Purdue University professor and this year’s T.R. Higgins Award winner, Amit Varma, couldn’t resist a joke or two in his presentation on SpeedCore. “I wanted to add some humor to this technical presentation,” he said, “but due to the pandemic and lockdown, all I could come up with were inside jokes.”

Anna Petroski’s presentation included a (prerecorded) dramatic reenactment of a review in progress, demonstrating some of the mistakes that are often made—and it was done in a fun, entertaining way.

McLaren Engineering’s presentation included a spectacular segment on how they set up a wrecking ball to destroy some vehicles for a scene in one of the Fast & Furious movies. No CGI!

The first session of the Structural Stability Research Council (SSRC) Annual Stability Conference track drew more than 450 attendees, which is incredibly impressive for an SSRC session. (And to read about an SSRC member, Kara Peterman—including her love of the clarinet and dim sum—check out this month’s Field Notes article on page 22.)

Presenter Luke Faulkner did an excellent job of quelling fears of a Skynet-like takeover and explained the importance of technology in advancing the construction industry. (See “Augmenting Productivity” on page 44 for his thoughts on a forward-thinking technology.)

Presenter Jim Reeves provided keen insight that everyone could benefit from when it comes to effective listening, particularly the following two pieces of advice: 1) we need to shut up to listen well and 2) we need to remain curious about what the person is talking to us about.

In addition, there was one 60-minute session for which the speaker was very efficient—to the tune of finishing his presentation 25 minutes in. Did this result in crickets or all attendees abruptly signing out? No. It resulted in the speaker answering more than 40 audience questions, one by one, in an engaging, impromptu Q&A session—another example of adaptability and resilience.

Next year’s NASCC will take place in Denver, March 23–25. We hope to see you there!