Steel Market Development Institute Announces Launch of New Website Dedicated to Using Steel for Building Construction

WASHINGTON, DC – The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), has launched a new website that focuses on using steel for building construction. The new site, located at www.buildusingsteel.org, provides information for engineers, architects, owners, building contractors, code officials and other construction professionals; allows easy access to design resources; directs users to additional steel construction associations with information on cold-formed steel framing, structural steel framing, steel deck, steel joists, metal building systems, and metal roof and wall systems; and provides a tool for users to contact cold-formed steel framing professionals with individual project questions.

“The new website evolved in response to requests from users of www.smdisteel.org for general and technical information focused on building construction,” says Robert J. Wills, P.E., vice president, Construction Market Development, SMDI. “We also wanted to provide a platform where building professionals could quickly find technical information on a variety of steel construction products from our partner associations.” Wills said that information for other SMDI construction programs such as steel bridges, utility poles and pipe/tank markets is still located at www.smdisteel.org.

The new website, www.buildusingsteel.org, includes these categories:

About Our Program – Includes information on proposals and positions to advance the steel industry in the construction marketplace under the principles of fairness, transparency and performance; introduces AISI staff and steel construction partners; and provides updated industry news.

Why Choose Steel – Explores key benefits of steel including durability, strength/resilience, fire safety, product transparency, sustainability, energy efficiency, economic value, and adaptability and reuse.

Build Using Steel – Provides quick access to information related to cold-formed steel framing, structural steel framing, metal building systems, steel joists, steel deck, and metal roof and wall systems. It also provides links to the steel associations representing these products and their design guides/manuals/aids, research, webinar /seminar schedules and case studies.

AISI Design Resources – The library of AISI design resources is included here, with information on design guides/manuals/aids and standards, errata, research reports, papers and articles and a publications archive. The Ask an Expert section is included for users to receive personalized responses to their cold-formed steel framing project inquiries.

Contact Us – Provides access to the Ask an Expert section.

Links to the AISI Steel Store, a steel construction industry calendar, and tweets from the SMDI Twitter account @buildusingsteel are also included. For more information, visit www.buildusingsteel.org.

Featured

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.