The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) are joining the National Science Foundation (NSF); the American Society of Civil Engineers, Committee of Cold-Formed Members; and the University of North Texas as co-sponsors of the fifth International Student Competition on Cold-Formed Steel Design. Cold-formed steel refers to products made by rolling or pressing thin gauges of sheet steel into products. The competition will conclude on September 30, 2015.

The competition is unique in that students do not need to be proficient in cold-formed steel design to participate. They only need an interest in cold-formed steel design, a creative approach to problem solving, and an eagerness to learn new technologies. Step-by-step instructions and free software are provided. Students are required to work on the problem individually, and can use any finite element analysis tools to determine the critical elastic buckling load. Each entry is judged by a panel of nationally recognized experts in cold-formed steel design. The competition problem, rules and information on monetary and CFSEI membership awards can be accessed at http://www.cfsei.org/student-competition.

AISI’s codes and standards work is conducted under the Construction Market Council of the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of AISI, which oversees the industry’s investment in advancing the competitive use of steel by meeting the demands of the marketplace. For more information on SMDI’s Construction Market program, visit www.smdisteel.org.

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, visit www.steel.org.

The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute comprises hundreds of structural engineers and other design professionals who are finding a better way to produce safe and efficient designs for commercial and residential structures with cold-formed steel. CFSEI members work together to develop and evolve industry standards and design methods, produce and issue technical bulletins, and provide seminars and online training to improve the knowledge and skills base of engineers and design professionals. For more information, visit www.cfsei.org.