The American Iron and Steel Institute, in cooperation with the Wei-Wen Yu Center for Cold-Formed Steel Structures at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, is a co-sponsor of the 21st International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures 2012. This year’s conference will be held October 24-25 at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis in St. Louis. A total of 1.6 continuing education or 16 PDH units will be available for participants.

The biannual event brings together leading scientists, researchers, educators and engineers in the field of research and design of cold-formed steel structures to discuss recent research findings and design considerations. Twelve technical sessions covering a wide variety of topics and interests will be presented during the two-day event. The technical sessions include presentations on the following topics:

•           Member behavior

•           Compression members

•           Technology transfer

•           Flexural members

•           Composite construction

•           Roof and wall systems

•           Rack structures

•           Behavior of systems and frames

•           Connections

•           Shear Walls

•           Light-steel framing

•           Test methods

A volume of conference proceedings will be available to participants at the end of the conference.

The winners of the Wei-Wen Yu Student Scholars Program and the Wei-Wen Yu Outstanding Student Paper Award will be recognized on October 24, 2012. These students are selected based on papers that they submit for the conference and present during the conference proceedings. Additionally, recognition will be provided for the top recipients of the 2012 International Student Competition on Cold-Formed Steel Design by Cheng Yu, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of North Texas and the organizer of the event. The competition is held annually to promote higher education in cold-formed steel structural design and to encourage students to use creative thinking skills to solve engineering problems.

Additional co-sponsors of the 21st International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures 2012 include the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute; Metal Building Manufacturers Association; Rack Manufacturers Institute; Ridg-U-Rak, Inc.; Steel Deck Institute; Steel Framing Industry Association; Steel Stud Manufacturers Association; Wei-Wen Yu Center for Cold-Formed Steel Structures;  and the Missouri University of Science and Technology. 

“AISI has been a proud co-sponsor of the International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures since it began in 1971,” Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE, managing director of AISI’s Construction Technical Program, said. “It is the premier event for industry, researchers and academia to share ideas and discussion on the latest innovations in cold-formed steel design. The Specialty Conference is a must-attend event for those who will impact an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

For more information on the 21st International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures 2012, to review abstracts of conference papers, or to register online, please visit www.ccfssonline.org.