Industries address rising demand for structurals

Structural steel trade association American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) recently reported that, recognizing the 13 percent growth in demand for structural steel products in the US, members of the steel industry are now working closely with the construction industry to meet demand for structural steel products and to ensure that projects run smoothly. A major way in which steel fabricators are working more closely with the construction industry, namely, contractors and architects, is by becoming involved in the construction planning process early on in the project. Scott Melnick, VP of AISC public relations told SteelOrbis today, "What we're seeing is on some very successful jobs, we're seeing fabricators brought in early in the design and construction process, which allows the fabricators to do several things; it simplifies the value engineering -- Designers have a tendency, and so do contractors, to equate least weights with least costs, and this may have been the case thirty or forty years ago, but in reality what happens is, in today's markets, because labor is such a high component of any construction project, you can reduce stiffeners in a project by reducing member size, reducing the cost of project as a whole." “In addition, by bringing fabricators on board early it allows fabricators to pre-order the majority of steel need for project, which does two things - locks in current pricing, and ensures further workflow," Mr. Melnick continued. AISC says that steel service centers are also working closely with the construction industry by currently stocking approximately one million tons of structural steel products and by assisting in the selection of products during a project's design process. President of the AISC, Roger E. Ferch, P.E., stated, "More and more, designers and builders are recognizing the value that structural steel brings to their projects, which has served to drive demand higher. We're pleased to note that industry members have been producing, distributing, fabricating and erecting steel at high levels over the past 12 months. At the same time, all phases of the structural steel industry stand ready to assist customers with new projects and to keep them moving in the timely manner they expect." Chicago-based not-for-profit technical institute and trade association AISC serves both the structural steel design industry and the construction industry through activities such as: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development.