Magnificent Metal Monday – Fire Resistance Ratings

This Wednesday, June 7th, Steve Gaynor of RAiNA and PIVOTH, will share important information about the exterior wall assembly fire performance code during our next METALCON Live! webinar. In addition to understanding the exterior wall assembly, knowledge about construction types is vital for firefighters and anyone in the construction industry. Thanks to BigRentz, here’s a look at the five building construction types and their respective fire resistance ratings.

At the IBHS facility in South Carolina, Daniel Gorham and his colleagues test building materials in a wildfire simulation. Engineers designed and built a full-size duplex home. On one side, the house has cedar siding, vinyl gutters, single-pane windows and bark mulch around the foundation. On the other side, the house is designed to be fire-resistant, with cement siding, metal gutters, double-pane windows and gravel around the foundation.
Credit: Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Metal Construction News’ 2023 Top Metal Builders Report

MCN’s 2023 Top Metal Builders report is a tale of “yin and yang” showing a clear “return to growth” yet still showing labor shortage to be the biggest challenge among top metal builders. According to the results this year, the list of top metal builders shows a growing industry with the largest contractors and erectors reporting significant growth in the average tonnage and square footage of the metal buildings they constructed between 2021 and 2022.

Note that MCN breaks out the list of 20 top erectors from the list of 100 top contractors, so that they don’t end up counting work on the same building twice, once for the contractor furnishing the metal building system and again for the erector putting up the steel. Knowing that some companies furnish and erect, but also are contracted to only erect a building, making them both contractors and erectors. Rather than separate those numbers out in the same entity, MCN identifies those companies as contractors.

METALCON Live! TODAY at 1:00 pm EST – Important Air Leakage Testing Information and a Net Zero Passive House

REGISTER TODAY — EARN 1 AIA LU

In a few hours, join METALCON and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) as they discuss the importance of air barriers on a building, now being recognized as more than simply saving energy. Industry expert, Adam Ugliuzza, ABAA Director of Sustainable Building Partners and Region Manager for Intertek Building Science Group in York, PA, will review why an air tight building is a key to moisture management in the building envelope, proper operation of mechanical equipment, reduction in dust, odors such as second hand cigarette smoke and cooking smells. He will also cover how it plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving the industry to a Net Zero Passive House building.

The question is — How do I know my building is airtight? The answer is — Whole building airtightness testing. Register NOW to learn about this testing.

METALCON Live! THIS Wednesday, 5/17 – Important Air Leakage Testing Information and a Net Zero Passive House

REGISTER TODAY — EARN 1 AIA LU

Join METALCON and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) as they discuss the importance of air barriers on a building, now being recognized as more than simply saving energy. Industry expert, Adam Ugliuzza, ABAA Director of Sustainable Building Partners and Region Manager for Intertek Building Science Group in York, PA, will review why an air tight building is a key to moisture management in the building envelope, proper operation of mechanical equipment, reduction in dust, odors such as second hand cigarette smoke and cooking smells. He will also cover how it plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving the industry to a Net Zero Passive House building.

The question is — How do I know my building is airtight? The answer is — Whole building airtightness testing. Register NOW to learn about this testing.

Magnificent Metal Monday – Repurposed Steel Frame Used for Award Winning Office Project

Photo: Patrick Tang, Take Flyt Imaging, Building Design + Construction

Located in the redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood in Culver City, California, this three-floor office building offers about 25,000 sf of office and amenity spaces, as well as a variety of sustainable and energy-efficient components. Situated in a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub, Del Amo Construction has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St and has been given the top Gold award in the commercial office category by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MRA’s Best Residential Metal Roofing Contest Q1 Winner

As announced by DesignandBuildwithMetal, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) has named a beautiful copper metal re-roofing project, installed by Istueta Roofing and manufactured by Metal Master Shop, as the winner of its Best Metal Roofing Project competition for the first quarter of 2023.

TODAY at 1:00 PM EST — METALCON Live! and the MCA Present: The Art of Metal Wall Panels

REGISTER NOW

TODAY at 1:00 pm EST, METALCON Live! and the Metal Construction Association are proud to have metal manufacturing professionals from Petersen present “The Art of Metal Wall Panels.” Tony Sauve and his colleagues will examine the key starting points for designers in selecting, designing, and detailing metal wall panels – both corrugated and concealed attachment systems. The course will also examine the field examples of these wall panel systems, “dos and don’ts” of these specific applications, and how they affect environmental efficiency, project sustainability, and product performance.

Celebrating MCA’s 40 Years – “Life with MCA Over the Years” by Six Industry Veterans

The Metal Construction Association (MCA) kicked off their 40th anniversary at its Winter Meeting held in January in Clearwater, Florida, and will continue to celebrate throughout the year. MCA’s 40th Anniversary is covered in depth in this month’s issue of Metal Construction News including a look back at the association’s history, a look forward at their newest program “Future Leaders,” a list of service award winners, current MCA Members, and featured here, interviews with six industry veterans to see how “Life with MCA Over the Years” has been.

METALCON Live! and The MCA Presents: The Art of Metal Wall Panels | Wednesday, 4/19 at 1:00 PM EST

REGISTER NOW

Join METALCON Live! and metal manufacturing professionals from Petersen as they examine the key starting points for designers in selecting, designing, and detailing metal wall panels – both corrugated and concealed attachment systems. This course will also examine the field examples of these wall panel systems, “dos and don’ts” of these specific applications, and how they affect environmental efficiency, project sustainability, and product performance.

“How Hot is Metal Roofing Growth” – MetalCast with Renee Ramey of the Metal Roofing Alliance

LISTEN TO THE METALCAST HERE

Last month Heidi J. Ellsworth, owner of RoofersCoffeeShop™ and MetalCoffeeShop™, sat down with the “leading lady of metal,” Renee Ramey, executive director of the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), to talk about the growth of residential metal roofing and the driving factors of this growth.

April is National Welding Month – Tune in Tonight to AWS’ Weld Wednesday

The metal construction industry is the sum of many parts, an integral one being welding. Since 1996, the American Welding Society has designated the month of April as National Welding Month to bring awareness to the welding industry and its available career paths. This year’s theme, “Be Part of The Future of Welding,” celebrates the industry’s vast and diverse welding community. With welding and other skilled trades continuing to see labor shortages, it is more important than ever to bring awareness to the importance of this industry.

MBMA Announces 2022 Student Design Competition Award Winners

Winning Design by Bobby Buttrick, Graduate Student at Univ. of Mass; Photo Credit: MBMA

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has announced the winners of its second annual Student Design Competition, granting $28,500 in awards to six winners and to their faculty sponsors in an online ceremony. Two of the top winners hail from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst! The competition took place during the 2022 fall semester, with entries due January 6, 2023. This year’s contest for undergraduate and graduate architecture students challenged each participant to create an innovative metal building design for a fire station and department headquarters. 

Congratulations to Bobby Buttrick, who was awarded the top prize of $5,000 and to Pranav Amin for earning first place and $4,000 in the “Graduate Division.” Both are graduate students at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and advised by Professor Stephen Schreiber, Chair of the Department of Architecture in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. 

Magnificent Metal Monday – Broad Street Self-Storage Case Study

Photo Credit: Inside Self-Storage

According to Storeganize, “The self storage industry, currently valued at $54 billion, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.53% between 2022 and 2027 to hit a whopping $83.6 billion at the end of the forecast period, with the North American market is projected to contribute the largest chunk of this figure.” Given this projected demand, how will communities maintain their aesthetics as green space or older buildings give way to these typically nondescript, linear, modular looking buildings? Take a look at this MCA Case Study where metal roofing and wall panels achieve a desired aesthetic for a visible self-storage facility in a southern Californian town.

MCN 42nd Annual Contractor Survey Results Show Optimism is Prevailing Factor

Credit: Metal Construction News

Published earlier this month, the results from MCN’s 42 Annual Contractor Survey show “2022 was a year of steady work but not much growth.” Editorial Director, Paul Deffenbaugh comments, “If you wanted to sum up the overall attitude among respondents, you would use this phrase: ‘hold the course, and hope for better.'” Across all the project types surveyed — metal building systems, metal roofing, metal wall panels, and light-gauge steel framing — the survey takers who report they do those kinds of projects remained relatively flat in 2022 compared to 2021.

Regardless, Paul says, “One of the hallmarks of the construction industry and contractors in particular is their abiding optimism.” While numbers were relatively flat between 2021 and 2022, the same survey respondents report optimism toward 2023. With the exception of metal building systems, respondents anticipate being more involved in specific projects, especially with metal roofing and metal wall panels, than they had been in 2022.

2023 Top Metal Builders – Deadline to Submit Tomorrow

Each year, Metal Construction News publishes its list of Top Metal Builders by identifying the largest metal building contractors and erectors as measured by square footage and tonnage. This year’s list will be published in the May issue of MCN and it is a great way to raise the profile of your company and help differentiate you from your competitors. The deadline to enter is TOMORROW, Friday, March 17 so take a few minutes to complete a simple survey and enter your company for consideration. 

Go online and complete the form or download the form to submit by email.

VIEW the 2022 Top Metal Builders.

Metal Construction News is a publication partner of METALCON and sponsors the official show guide.

Magnificent Metal Monday – Women for Women

Women’s Opportunity Center, Rwanda. photography by © Elizabeth Felicella

In celebration of this week’s International Women’s Day and Women in Construction Week, Magnificent Metal Monday travels to Kayonza, Rwanda, to highlight an architectural project designed by acclaimed female-owned Sharon Davis Design and constructed to help empower women. Now reaching a decade, the Sharon Davis Design firm collaborated with the humanitarian organization Women for Women International in 2013 to create the Women’s Opportunity Center (WOC) in order to energize the small community’s subsistence-agriculture economy through female empowerment.

Metal Construction Hall of Fame Call for Nominations

Metal Construction News‘ call for nominees for this year’s Metal Construction Hall of Fame is underway. Founded in 2012, this annual award honors those individuals who have made significant contributions to the success, innovation and growth of the metal construction industry.

The deadline to nominate is March 10, 2023.

Click here to nominate a person to the Metal Construction Hall of Fame

METALCON Future Leaders Program Seeks Nominations for Advisory Council

The Future Leaders of METALCON is a new program for rising stars, up-and-comers, management trainees, apprentices and others, roughly age 40 and under, ready to take their career to the next level. This new program is a critical step to focus and steer the metal construction industry toward the future. Last year, METALCON and the Metal Construction Association (MCA) saw the successful launch of the Future Leaders Program, virtually and then in person at METALCON in Indianapolis. Last month, the second Future Leader’s Program was held at MCA’s Winter Meeting, and featured a panel of industry experts moderated by Heidi Ellsworth, CEO of RoofersCoffeeShop, followed by a reception (link to watch program below).

Don’t Miss Tomorrow’s METALCONLive! – The Importance of Wall to Roof Connections for the Air Barrier

Join us TOMORROW when METALCONLive! and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) present a LIVE webinar on the “The Big Disconnect.” International author and speaker, Roy Schauffele, FCSI, CCPR, FABAA, CABS, Certified Air Barrier Specialist with ABAA and President and Founder of Division 7 Solutions, Inc., will focus on things to consider from a design standpoint, along with practical approaches to ensuring a robust connection is constructed and executed. REGISTER NOW to reserve your virtual seat!

Magnificent Metal Monday – IDEAS² Award Winners

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has announced its annual Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Award winners for 2023. These awards are the industry’s most prestigious design honor, recognizing projects that illustrate the exciting possibilities of building with structural steel and highlighting the many ways steel can help express architectural intent while harnessing its unique advantages for both simple and complex structural systems. This year’s winners are a mix of adaptive reuse and brand-new structures.

AISC President Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD., says, “I love how this year’s winners not only use steel to create modern masterpieces but also take full advantage of steel’s unique ability to give a second life to structures that would otherwise be demolished.” Winners are listed below, separated into the categories of “Less than $15 million,” “$15 – $75 million,” “$75 to $200 million,” and “Greater than $200 million.”

What is “The Big Disconnect?”

Join us next Wednesday when METALCONLive! and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) present a LIVE webinar exploring the importance of wall to roof connections for the air barrier. Certified air barrier specialist, Roy Schauffele, FCSI, CCPR, FABAA, CABS, will focus on things to consider from a design standpoint, along with practical approaches to ensuring a robust connection is constructed and executed. REGISTER NOW to reserve your virtual seat!

Final Days for Annual Architect and Contractor Surveys – Your Voice Matters

For 37 years and 42 years respectively, Metal Architecture magazine and Metal Construction News have been publishing annual surveys of the industry, looking at the results of prior years and speculating about the upcoming year. The last few years have been unparalleled in terms of the challenges the industry has faced and they want to know if the industry has settled back on its original path or will it continue to face challenges. Please take a few minutes to submit your surveys.

2023 State of the Metal Construction Industry LIVE Tomorrow at 1:00 PM – RESERVE YOUR SEAT

In less than 24 hours, join us for the first METALCONLive! of the year!

Get answers to these burning questions about the year ahead —

• Will the packed production schedules continue?
• Are supply chain challenges finally fading?
• What design trends will your clients be demanding and which ones are destined to be yesterday’s news?

Reserve your “seat” now for tomorrow’s METALCONLive! at 1pm EST. Our panel of experts representing every corner of the metal construction industry will share their observations, thoughts, and opinions on where we are now and where we’ll be this time next year.

Magnificent Metal Monday – World-Class Projects on Saadiyat Island Aim for Culture and Calm

On this day of observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of living in a world of peace among all beings, we travel to Saadiyat Island, a 10 square mile island which aims to bring “culture and calm” together, perhaps just a place Dr. King envisioned in his speech “I Have a Dream.” Lying approximately 10 miles from the center of Abu Dhabi, in addition to its white sandy beaches, it is fast becoming a world-renown international cultural destination. With two projects already open, and four under construction, here is a look at the cultural assets all brimming with the use of metal that truly showcases the union of art and form.

2022 MBMA Annual Report and Results of 1st Annual Student Design Competition

Our friends with the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) have released their 2022 annual report, “From Form to Function.” It focuses on the growing popularity of metal building systems and how the organization and its members are serving the needs of this vital industry. DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE.

MBMA Chair Tom Boal says, “2022 has seen tremendous growth in the industry despite ongoing supply chain, labor and pricing challenges. With the need for metal building systems growing, MBMA continues to lead the industry through advocacy, working with building officials and steel suppliers, and providing educational resources.”

Industry Experts Will Peer into the 2023 Crystal Ball

In just one week, join us for the first METALCONLive! of the year, next Wednesday, 1/18, LIVE at 1pm EST for “The 2023 State of the Metal Construction Industry” presented by METALCONLive! and Metal Construction News. REGISTER NOW!

Do you want answers to these burning questions about the year ahead?

• Will the packed production schedules continue?
• Are supply chain challenges finally fading?
• What design trends will your clients be demanding and which ones are destined to be yesterday’s news?

If you answered yes to any of them, then reserve your “seat” today for next week’s METALCONLive! on January 18 at 1pm EST. Our panel of experts representing every corner of the metal construction industry will share their observations, thoughts, and opinions on where we are now and where we’ll be this time next year.

Happy New Year!

As we close out 2022 and welcome in this New Year, we want to take a moment to thank the nearly 5,000 visitors to our METALCON Blog this past year from all corners of the world including the U.S., Canada, Ireland, India, UK, Philippines, Australia, Germany, France, and Mexico! The METALCON team is already working hard to continue to provide worthwhile and relevant content to help the metal construction industry navigate and be prosperous in 2023! Exciting METALCON announcements are coming soon including:

Outlook for Construction in 2023

According to Construction Dive, “The industry will continue to face labor shortages, high materials costs and other headwinds, but infrastructure will be a bright spot.” Top construction economists say much like in 2022, signals are mixed. In a recent article, they took a look at five key indicators and what they suggest for contractors in the year ahead.

ATAS Announces 2023 Metal Wall Panel Installation Seminar Dates

Photo credit: ATAS International

To meet the demand of the growing metal wall cladding sector in the design and construction of both residential and commercial buildings, beginning in the new year, ATAS International will offer installation training in three of their manufacturing locations. The training is designed to assist contractors who may not be familiar with installing single skin metal wall panels and be taught by industry experts with many years of experience working with metal wall cladding.

Magnificent Metal Monday – MCN 2022 Project Excellence Awards

As announced earlier this month by Metal Construction News, the Grand Award winner in their 2022 Project Excellence Awards is none other than a parking structure! Chosen for its innovative use of metal, the top honor goes to the City of Hope Northeast Parking Structure, Duarte, Calif. Calling it “the most innovative use of metal we’ve seen of all the entries,” the MCN Award Judges selected it saying this project “took something that was so mundane and turned it into a civic presence.” A clear testament to the versatility of metal in the design and building process.