Since the late 1980s, when Helmut Jahn boldly and controversially exposed the steel frame of his amazing United Airlines Terminal at O’Hare Airport, the use of architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) has exploded.
Getting the most out of AESS means specifying it correctly, however.
More than a decade ago, the Rocky Mountain Steel Construction Association developed initial guidelines for specifying AESS, which the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction subsequently improved. Now, AISC has adopted a new nomenclature for describing AESS featuring new categories and clearer definitions. In addition, the steel industry has produced an AESS sample specification and an updated AESS cost matrix.
To learn how to use these AESS resources successfully, see the article, “AESS Comes of Age,” in our current March issue (available now!).