Seismic design standard improves structural steel competitiveness

Sources: American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Scheduled for development by year’s end, AISI S400, North American Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Systems, will provide what promoters contend is a growth opportunity for their building methods.

“Focusing our high seismic design applications into one standard will consolidate subcommittees, focus expertise, and provide a platform to create new cold-formed steel seismic force-resisting systems,” says AISI Construction Technical Program Managing Director Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE. “Externally, [AISI S400] will streamline the approval process, allowing review by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program membership and coordination with ASCE 7 without holding up development of non-seismic-related provisions for cold-formed steel.”

AISI S400 users, he adds, will benefit from having the information of AISI S213 and S110—North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing–Lateral Design and Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Systems–Special Bolted Moment Frames, respectively—consolidated in a single document.