Many miles of short-span timber railway bridges nearing the end of their service life will need replacement--and an AISC/NSBA-sponsored steel railway bridge prototype is a cost-effective solution for the job!
AISC and NSBA commissioned Fry Technical Services, Inc. to create and test a highly efficient steel short-span railway bridge module. This study resulted in plans--available later this year--that railway owners can confidently and easily adopt to replace aging short-span bridges.
Learn more about the unique benefits of this new short-span steel railway bridge system at go.aisc.org/rrbridgeprototype. Then get a glimpse of the system at work with our puzzle of the week at aisc.org/puzzles!
"It's awesome, it's motivating, and it just made me want to be part of the steel community even more,” Bryan Lagunas of Virginia Tech, a student who presented his research at NASCC: The Steel Conference said.
Thanks to your generous support, the AISC Education Foundation welcomed its largest group of beneficiaries--a whopping 32!--to The Steel Conference with fully funded travel!
This year's conference was an inspiring reminder of the uniquely immersive experiences we as an industry can provide for our future changemakers, and you're helping make those experiences possible. From pre-registration donations to onsite tour fees and merchandise sales, your collective efforts, combined with the generosity of our matching donors, raised more than $40,000 for students, educators, and education programs.
See the strength of your impact at go.aisc.org/impact-0526.
TUESDAY--Fabricators: How is your shop recruiting and retaining military veterans pursuing careers in steel fabrication?
Join us for a free webinar focused on resources and practical advice for helping veterans transition into civilian roles in fabrication shops!
At 10:30 a.m. Central on May 19, Hiring Our Heroes (@hiringourheroes ) Executive Director Elizabeth O’Brien will join Atlas Iron Works CEO and CFO Stephanie Green for a conversation about how skilled trade organizations can build stronger, more resilient workforces that support veterans.
Learn more and register for free at aisc.org/workforcehub.
Racecars: Believe it or not, that’s what kicked off Karl Frank’s amazing 50-year career in steel bridges.
In 2025, Frank, a professor emeritus at @utaustintx and one of the country’s top experts in steel bridge behavior, received the AISC Geerhard Haaijer Award for Excellence in Education for his outstanding and unmatched impact on steel bridge research, technical service, and education.
So how did he go from RPM to PE, PhD? Speed over to the latest Modern Steel Construction Field Notes podcast to find out how Frank made his way into academia (and steel bridges!), learn about his research into maglev train guideways, and hear his advice for budding structural engineers.
Listen to the whole podcast at aisc.org/fieldnotes, or read an excerpt at go.aisc.org/fieldnotes-frank.
(Pictured left to right: AISC president Charles J. Carter, Karl Frank, and former AISC Board of Directors chair Hugh McCaffrey)
Steel fabricators: Show your future workforce what your company--and our industry--is all about by hosting a SteelDays event this October!
People can't be what they can't see. Give high school students a look at the stable, lucrative career options that make our industry special by hosting them in your facility! It's a perfect opportunity to recruit, collaborate, and show off your company to folks who are trying to figure out their own futures.
Visit aisc.org/steeldays/hosts to start planning your event.
Next time you have a quick structural steel question, you could always consult your AI model of choice…
Or you could ask Clark: the only chatbot trained on thousands of pages of authoritative AISC documents to keep you out of sticky situations.
And did you hear? Clark is now faster than ever! Get your free account to unlock five answers a day at aisc.org/clark.
Starting Wednesday, join us for a deep dive into the 2022 Seismic Provisions and the Seismic Design Manual, 4th ed.!
Get to know the most useful parts of the updated documents with a guided tour of the most important changes and clarifications in these new editions, presented by Thomas Sabol and Rafael Sabelli. You can earn up to 4.5 PDHs!
Register for the three-part series, starting May 13, at go.aisc.org/seismic26.
AISC is in Kansas City this week for the Steel Erectors Association of America (@seaa1972 ) Convention & Trade Show!
This morning, AISC Director of Technology Integration Luke Faulkner joined a panel for the session, "Erectors using AI from Bid Day to Topping Out," a highlight of the week so far.
If you're attending, say hi to AISC's Vice President of Membership & Certification Todd Alwood and Director of Membership Charmaine Osborne at Booth #40!
#SEAA2026
In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we're discussing one of the most powerful and untapped talent pipelines available to steel fabricators: military veterans.
Join us virtually at 10:30 a.m. Central on May 19 for the next installment in our Insider Shop Talk series! Atlas Iron Works CEO and CFO Stephanie Green will interview Hiring Our Heroes @hiringourheroes ) Executive Director Elizabeth O’Brien about resources and advice for recruiting military veterans and helping them transition to a civilian career.
Find out more and register for free at aisc.org/workforcehub.
Young welders showed off their skills at last weekend’s 3rd Annual District 6 Thruway Cup Welding Competition!
The participating high school students put in a full 7 hours of welding, and their talent, focus, and work ethic took center stage all throughout the day.
Kudos to the sponsors, section members, and local businesses who made the event possible--and congrats to every student who showed what the next generation of the trade can do!
Results:
1st place – Northern NY
2nd place – Rochester
3rd place – Syracuse
4th place – Buffalo
Know someone remarkable whose work is driving the structural steel industry forward? Nominate that person for an AISC award!
Each year, AISC recognizes exceptional industry professionals, designers, and educators with a variety of prestigious awards, including Lifetime and Special Achievement Awards, as well as early-career and tenure-track faculty awards.
Nominations are due July 1, 2026. The 2027 winners will receive special recognition at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Denver, April 12-14, 2027.
Visit aisc.org/awards to start your nominations today!
Pictured: 2026 Special Achievement Award recipient Anthony Ream, PE, with AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD (left) and AISC Board of Directors Chair Glenn Tabolt (right), at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Atlanta.
Innovation blooms in the May issue of Modern Steel Construction!
Read about six innovative projects whose creative problem-solving with structural steel won 2026 IDEAS Awards. Plus, get an up-close look at an AISC/NSBA-sponsored steel railway bridge prototype, refresh your knowledge on specifying long-span roof and composite floor steel deck ahead of your next project, take in lessons learned from a five-decade career in steel bridge research, and more.
Read the whole issue for free at go.aisc.org/msc-may26!
