The Steel Structures Technology Center specializes in steel construction, quality, and inspection, offering professional technical consulting services when special expertise is needed.
Specialty Areas
- Resolution of disputes regarding steel construction quality or practices
- Resolution of bolt installation and inspection issues
- Resolution of weld quality and inspection issues
- Review of project details or specifications related to steel construction
- Technical document preparation and/or review
SSTC frequently provides consulting services to owners, engineers, fabricators, erectors, and testing agencies to assist with understanding and/or resolving steel construction issues. Examples of recent work include the implementation of the AISC and AWS requirements for seismic construction, bolting installation and quality issues, welding design and quality issues, and the development and review of WPSs (welding procedure specifications).
SSTC provides these consulting services through Robert E. Shaw, Jr., PE (Michigan). Mr. Shaw, with 52 years of experience in the steel construction industry, is active in standards development, serving on several standards-writing committees, including the American Institute of Steel Construction, American Welding Society, Research Council on Structural Connections, ASTM International, and ISO/TC 167 Steel and Aluminum Structures.
He is also involved in international welding and standards activities, having chaired two Technical Commissions of the International Institute of Welding: Commission XV Design, Analysis and Fabrication of Welded Structures, and Commission XVIII Quality Management in Welding and Allied Processes.
When schedule demands require it, or when additional outside expertise is needed, SSTC will also select and use other independent consultants to assist us, with the client’s permission. We select subconsultants from the relationships we’ve developed in standards development in the US and internationally.