IT Strategies in the Building Industry Information Technology in Structural Steel Industry

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Building structural steel a 12.5 billion dollar industry. - $5.5B in fabrication business (buildings only, not bridges or process plants) - $7.2 in erection and assembly business The average value added, from material input to billings, is an increase of about 51%, (47% for fabrication, 55% for erection). The structural industry has a national association, called the American Institute of Steel Construction. It has led several IT iniatives for the industry.

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Will improvements be to just compete against others in the same market or grow the whole market? The in-place concrete market is about the same size or larger; significant gains on concrete could grow the whole market (difficulty of determining exact amount of concrete sales that is structural in-place concrete)

IT Strategies in the Building Industry High Level Structural Steel Production Process

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Process in a Steel Fabrication Plant

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Curved PartsCastellated parts

IT Strategies in the Building Industry In the 1990s, most steel fabrication shops adopted the standard DP tools, for accounting, scheduling, purchase ordering. They became familiar with the technology, its operation, its requirements for training and upgrade. Some added IT staff.

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Steel industry has a variety of 3D design layout applications: 3D+

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Steel industry has a variety of 3D design layout applications: Structural Triforma,

IT Strategies in the Building Industry automated welding, drilling, cutting machinery Has automation of production technologies ready to apply, to reduce labor costs, improve quality

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Has 3D knowledge-rich shop drawing applications: SDS/2, Xsteel, Strucad

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Joint Detailing is Being Largely Automated

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Adopted by AISC in 1998: Provides a product data model for integrating all steel shop drawing & fabrication applications: Tested and incorporated revisions in Europe (CIS) GA Tech Architecture is Technical Advisor (contract w/ AISC) First demonstration applications have taken place CIMsteel 2:

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Structural applications GT-STRUDL SAP ETABS RAM Design applications Triforma-Structural 3D+ Frameworks+ Structural Workbench 9 firms have developed interfaces w/ CIS/2 Shop Drawing Applications SDS/2 Xsteel BOM & costing Applications Fabtrol CIS/2 is the First Production Building Model in the U.S.

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Half a dozen building have been built using CIS/2

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Half a dozen building have been built using CIS/2

IT Strategies in the Building Industry Steel case study:

IT Strategies in the Building Industry No more design or shop drawings!