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

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • California High School Opens New Classroom Building for 7th-, 8th-Graders

    Santa Rosa City Schools in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced the completion of a new classroom building for Piner High School. As the campus transitions to a Junior/Senior High School, the facility will play home to the school’s new population of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.