Steel and Cold-Formed Steel Construction

Firms Roll Out New Products and Services

Companies involved in steel and cold-formed steel construction are bringing new products and services to the market to meet the changing demands of their customers.

At SidePlate Systems, Inc., Jason Hoover, Industry Outreach Executive, says that the new SidePlate field-bolted connection has been gaining traction across the United States. “We use this on wind-governed or low-seismic jobs in regions where field bolting is preferred over welding. SidePlate moment frames are more efficient than conventional construction, so our designs have always saved tonnage, but recently there’s been a greater push from our clients on speed of construction. Our field-bolted connection saves a huge amount of time in the field, so that’s a big part of its appeal.”

Hoover notes that the Strongsville, Ohio, company’s first project done with the SidePlate field-bolted connection was a smaller medical office building in North Carolina. “The erector estimated a 21 day schedule, and he finished in only 7.5 days. Everyone involved was thrilled with that.

“Similarly, we have an office building project in St. Louis where an erector told me that he didn’t like the SidePlate field-bolted connections because the job was going too fast. He said to me: ‘Normally I would have spent all day welding that joint, but with this I’m done in about an hour. We’re going to be off this job weeks early, and now I’ve got to find more work for my guys.’ He did add that he understands why it’s good for the General Contractor and the Owner, though. This is the type of ‘negative’ feedback we like to hear.”

Hoover adds: “We continue to fight misconceptions that SidePlate is simply another 1:1 connection option or that we manufacture something. The reality is that our designs improve the entire lateral system, and the connections themselves are built by any steel fabricator. Our staff includes twenty-one structural engineers, but we partner with the entire project team, from the structural engineer of record to fabricators and erectors, to ensure everything goes smoothly.”

Amber Freund, Vice President, Operations at RISA Technologies in Foothill Ranch, California, would like SEs to know that interoperability continues to be a big priority for design projects. “RISA’s integration with both Revit and Tekla are being used by engineers on both large and small projects,” she says. As for new offerings she notes: “RISA-3D is a comprehensive cold-formed steel analysis and design software which allows you to model using any of the SSMA shapes, as well as custom shapes. In the recent release of RISA-3D version 13, the Cold-Formed Steel code for the AISI 2012, CSA 2012 and CANCERO 2012 was added. This update also included the design and code checks for back-to-back Cees and Tracks. These compressive checks were also improved to consider the user controlled unbraced lengths for torque.”

In conclusion, Freund says that RISA’s business is growing. “We are continuing to add new products and features to RISA software. We are encouraged to hear more engineers starting new projects, which is a good sign of economic recovery (or at least the start of it).”

Brian Smith, President & CEO of Albina Pipe Bending Co., Inc. says that his company’s culture fosters a continuous improvement concept when approaching its services. “We are constantly looking to improve the services we provide,” he says of the 3rd generation company based in Tualatin, Oregon. This year, 2015, will mark their 76th year in business. “We have found it best to always define expectations with customers. Doing this is not always easy, but certainly something we pride ourselves on. We run an internally designed and programmed computer program. This program is all inclusive to every aspect of our business and customer service. The most recent advancements implemented to our software are related to scheduling. Our software will factor in variables to help project a completion date as well as a ready to ship date for every job in our shop.”

Smith adds: “To also help with customer service we are frequently updating our website. Some recent improvements allow customers to order certain parts online, as well as see customer-specific pricing online. Furthermore, we have also posted a virtual tour and videos highlighting many areas and processes in our facility.”

Albina provides bent and fabricated items to a number of different end users, Smith says. “We are able to bend a wide range of materials – pipe, tube, plate, square/rectangular and all forms of structural steel – as well as a wide range of sizes from the very small to the very large. In conjunction with our diversification, we adhere to very strict quality and scheduling standards providing customers with what they expect, when they expect it. With our diversified range of materials, and determined efforts to provide the highest quality products, we have been able to weather the economic downturn seen over the last six years. We have been able to come out stronger than when we were going into the recession.”

Also attributable to Albina’s growth and continued success is their focus on capital expenditures. “We are methodically investing in new equipment, tooling and technology to either replace aged equipment or add to our already vast equipment inventory. Capital expenditures have greatly helped Albina stay in front of the curve and remain a leader in the bending industry,” Smith concludes.

At Lindapter USA, headquartered in Bradford, England, Marketing Manager Wayne Golden is highlighting one of his company’s latest developments. “Lindapter, the inventor of the original Girder Clamp and Hollo-Bolt, has developed the Type AAF, a new High Slip Resistance (HSR) clamp for connecting steel sections. This product offers adjustability, anti-corrosion protection and high load capacities, even in low temperature environments,” he says.

“Lindapter’s flagship product is the latest addition to its HSR family of clamps designed for high-load requirements including frictional, tensile and combined load applications. The clamp features an innovative two-part design that self-adjusts to suit a range of flange thicknesses, allowing contractors to use a single product type for multiple connection requirements. Typical applications include connecting steel-framed roofs, pipe supports and mechanical handling equipment, while specialist applications include the renovation of bridges and offshore platforms.”

Golden says the new product is manufactured from SG iron with specific low temperature properties so the Type AAF provides resistance in cold environments where impact strength is important. “Durability also extends to corrosion protection as the product is supplied with a hot dip galvanized coating as standard. Engineers can be confident that they are specifying a safe and reliable connection, as load capacities have been verified by independent testing.”

In conclusion, Golden says: “Compared to conventional methods such as drilling or welding, the Type AAF can be installed in minutes without the need for hot work permits, reducing construction time and labor costs. For additional convenience during installation, Direct Tension Indicators (DTIs) can be used to ensure that the correct tension is applied to the fasteners.”

Carlos de Oliveira, CEO at Cast Connex Corporation, is particularly proud that at the 2014 SEAOC Convention in Indian Wells, California, a project utilizing the Cast Connex High Strength Connectors (HSCs) was nominated for an Excellence in Structural Engineering Award. “This particular application was a 43-foot tall support platform at an oil refinery in Richmond, California. The lateral force resisting system of the platform was designed as a Special Concentrically Braced Frame; the brace members were circular hollow structural sections and the bracing connections utilized Cast Connex High Strength Connectors.”

The project had unique challenges, “A particular challenge on this project was the time and sequence required to erect the new platform, as the platform was located in the middle of an active refinery. For this client, every day of disruption is very expensive. The High Strength Connectors, which have also been employed in other structures in this facility because they are a very economical seismic brace connection solution, were selected because they enable rapid installation. In the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award application poster, the structural engineer of record from Jacobs stated that the HSCs were selected ‘for ease in erection and smooth flow of forces.’

“High Strength Connectors are designed to be connected to the brace member via a shop-performed complete joint penetration weld around the entire circumference of the section. The completed braces are then shipped to the construction site, where they are installed via double shear bolted connections to traditional gusset plates. This double shear bolted configuration eliminates field welding of the brace connections and the associated special inspection of those welds, while using a minimal number of pre-tensioned high strength bolts. From an erection standpoint, the HSC is one of the most efficient bracing connections available, due to erection speed and savings in inspections. Further, given that field welding can be delayed due to weather conditions which would not prohibit bolting, use of the connectors also reduces risk to the construction schedule.”

Cold-formed steel stud walls are emerging as a new and attractive option for blast resistant design due to the combination of high strength and ductility that enable them to absorb and dissipate blast energy through large deformation and yielding, according to Nabil Rahman, Director of Engineering and R&D, The Steel Network, Inc., headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. “However, in order to achieve the required energy absorption of steel stud walls requires special attention to the stud-to-track and bridging connection details, which has remained an active area of research and development for The Steel Network, Inc. (TSN) and Applied Science International, LLC (ASI).”

Rahman notes: “While much of the existing literature on the topic has described specialized ideal boundaries to ensure that the full tensile membrane response of the studs would be achieved prior to connection failure, the study of commercially-available connections and bridging was lacking. This prompted TSN and ASI to sponsor a series of three open-area blast tests with the University of North Carolina – Charlotte (UNCC) to examine the blast performance of 6-inch cold-formed steel stud wall panels comprised of its BuckleBridge single piece bridging system and VertiClip SL600 head-of-wall connector.

“The blast loads applied to the specimens had maximum reflected impulses and peak reflected pressures that were consistently greater than UFC 3-340-02’s design values. Measured ductility limits in the experiment met the limits established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Protective Design Center, which suggests ductility limits between 2 and 5 for cold-formed steel studs. These limits correspond to component damage levels of hazardous failure and blowout respectively, and could be viewed as being somewhat conservative based on the results of these exploratory and limited tests. TSN‘s VertiClip SL600 head-of-wall connection and the BuckleBridge single piece bridging system not only kept the wall intact, but also allowed the studs to develop their end rotation and flexural ductility.”

Design Data of Lincoln, Nebraska, is eager for SEs to learn about its new products. “SDS/2 v. 2015 is Design Data’s newest product that brings major advancements to connection design for steel,” says Strategic Sales Manager Michelle McCarty. “Now engineers can lock in specific variables for connection design and receive immediate feedback through limit states tables and calculations that update on-the-fly. This gives engineers full control over every aspect of the connection and immediate feedback for their design.

“SDS/2 v. 2015 also has the recently-added functionality to create CNC files for cold formed steel shapes, allowing users to send DSTV files to the shop to help automate fabrication operations, like copes and holes placed on cold-formed shapes,” says McCarthy.”

She says that the company has noticed more engineering companies considering adding steel detailing to their offerings. “Engineering groups are seeing real benefits to including steel detailing as a part of their deliverable, as it reduces RFIs and can decrease timelines, not to mention adding to their bottom lines. Challenges that come along with launching a detailing department include finding the right staff and adjusting your company’s established work process to view detailing as an extension of the engineering process. However, the ability to offer a complete package with fabrication drawings as a part of the deliverable presents more opportunity for profit,” McCarthy says.

The 2014 Acquisition of GT STRUDL, by Intergraph Process, Power & Marine, Huntsville, Alabama, part of Hexagon, has paid immediate dividends with program enhancement releases in 2014 and two more planned for 2015, according to Leroy Emkin, Executive Technical Director. “The highlights are the unique bi-directional capability of frame members and finite elements with GT STRUDL CAD Modeler, incorporation of network licensing through the SmartPlant License Manager (SPLM), Tekla Structures interface updated, offshore improvements, and the upcoming GT Menu Graphical Interface update.”

He adds that 2014 had provided a rebirth for GT STRUDL through Intergraph’s successful CADWorx & Analysis University Express Global tour (375 attendees), webinars productions (1183 registered attendees), product newsletters, and the creation of the Link-In GT STRUDL Technical User Forum. Says Emkin: “Through this outreach, upcoming development items were identified to complement our Rigorous Response Spectrum Seismic Analysis and the consequences of Nonlinear Geometric Analysis, the need for new/additional design codes, automatic wind/seismic load generators, and an evolving ‘State of the Art’ integration & interoperability with other Intergraph solutions.

“Combing Intergraph’s resources with GT STRUDL’s global network of dealers, trainers, and support staff enables us to deliver an optimized and efficient work process for the following: faster designs with more accurate results produced in hours, not days or weeks; less assumptions leading to safer structure and equipment designs; cost savings realized by evaluating complete systems instead of individual components, and the ability for teams to collaborate and share the same 3D Model to avoid redesign and construction delay cost,” concludes Emkin.

Raoul Karp, Vice President of Structural and BrIM Products at Bentley Systems, Incorporated based in Exton, Pennsylvania, says that conditions worldwide have improved with a dramatic increase in construction over the preceding few years. “While some engineering firms have indicated a difficulty in finding qualified hires, others have expressed a hesitation to increase the size of staff because, while there is plenty of work right now, the future is unclear. As a result, engineers at many firms are working longer hours to make up for the manpower shortage. A solution to that problem is to empower engineers to work more productively. To that end, Bentley Systems, Inc. is now offering the new Structural Enterprise License. At little more than the cost of an individual major product license, this license includes STAAD.Pro, STAAD Foundation and all RAM Products including RAM Structural System and RAM Concept. This provides the engineer with the tools that are right for the task at hand. Furthermore, the interoperability capabilities between these programs, as well as with other products outside Bentley from Autodesk, Trimble and others, enable engineers to perform their tasks more quickly and efficiently.”

Karp adds: “Several new versions of these products have recently been or will soon be released with powerful new features to meet the demands of domestic and foreign markets, including: STAAD.Pro with AISC 341 Seismic Provisions, global code updates including Canadian and Indian codes, and soon to be introduced major enhancement to the Powerful Input Editor. On RAM Structural System updates include the design of CoreBrace Buckling Restrained Braces and the Canadian concrete and steel code, and RAM Connection with Eurocode 3, provide a big step up in user productivity and enabling fast consideration of design alternatives.”

Simpson Strong-Tie of Pleasanton, California, has three new innovative, cost-reducing utility clips for cold-formed steel construction: the SFC steel framing connector, the SJC steel joist connector and the SSC steel stud connector, according to Randy Daudet, Cold-Formed Steel Industry manager. “New features include pre-punched holes for anchoring to steel or concrete, and intuitive fastener hole patterns to satisfy the structural needs of engineers and simplify installation for contractors. We also recently introduced MSSC kneewall connectors that are designed to work in tandem with Simpson Strong-Tie BP1/2-3 bearing plates to provide solutions for moment-resisting kneewall applications.”

Daudet says that key features of these new utility clips include:

  • Clips fit the open side of the stud without having to add track. This adds versatility to the line, and reduces material and labor for contractors.
  • Clips are easy to specify via our standard round (min) and triangle (max) tabulated loads. Also, versatility is ensured for non-standard designs via square holes that allow engineers to calculate their own screw pattern.

“In addition,” says Daudet, “we just launched the LSUBH bridging connector that offers a lower-cost option to our popular SUBH-MSUBH u-channel bridging connectors. The LSUBH connector provides all the installation benefits of the SUBH/MSUBH connectors, and is suitable for many wind-bearing and load-bearing situations where the load demand is light to moderate.

“At Simpson Strong-Tie, we listen to our customers and develop new products that are designed and tested to meet their needs,” adds Daudet. “Engineers and contractors are moving away from field cut clip angles in favor of pre-punched pre-engineered solutions. Contractors save time and money by not having to cut and pre-drill clips. Designers prefer pre-punched pre-engineered solutions because it’s easier for contractors to install clips according to plan and control installation quality.”

Simpson Strong-Tie also released a new software program for cold-formed steel Designers that automates product selection and complicated design provisions of AISI, and offers more robust design tools for users, Daudet notes. “CFS Designer software is the new version of LGBEAMER, a software program that for years has been one of the industry’s most widely used CFS member design tools. With CFS Designer, engineers enjoy the key benefits of LGBEAMER, and also have access to connection design and a more powerful software platform. The new version maintains the useful design tools that automate common CFS systems such as wall openings, shearwalls, floor joists, and rafters, but with an upgraded user interface that makes input faster and more intuitive. The software allows the design of multiple engineering models within the same job file, and supports connection design for specific Simpson Strong-Tie curtain wall and bridging connectors like the SUBH u-channel bridging connector, and the SCB by-pass slide clip.”▪

About the author  ⁄ Larry Kahaner

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