This Steel Capstone Teaching Aid is a comprehensive, modular resource designed to support capstone (senior design) and steel design courses. Built around a realistic seven-story mixed-use steel building, the teaching aid features a building project developed in partnership with a structural design firm, providing students with an authentic engineering challenge based on current design standards.

The project is divided into independent modules that can be taught in any combination and sequence. Instructors have full control over the content, choosing which modules to assign and use.

Project Modules:

1. Design Criteria and Design Loads: Establishing criteria and calculating design loads based on architectural layouts.
2. Gravity Framing System: Conceptual floor framing layout, including column locations, bay sizes, beam spacings, etc.
3. Floor and Roof System Design: Sizing of representative floor and roof beams (composite or non-composite)
4. Gravity Column Design: Sizing of representative gravity columns
5. Lateral Framing Design: Design of lateral force resisting system (i.e. braced frames); Note: This module is not part of the original release of this teaching aid. It will be released at a later date.
6. Connection Design: Design of representative connections (i.e. simple connections, moment connections, and base plate)
7. Construction Documentation: Compiling a set of construction documents, including structural drawings and calculation documentation
8. Construction Management: Project schedule and quantity take-offs for steel scope; Note: This module is not part of the original release of this teaching aid. It will be released at a later date.

Key Instructor Benefits:

• Modular Flexibility: Select and sequence any of the self-contained modules to fit your course objectives and time constraints.
• Immediate Use: Each module references a set of design criteria that be provided as input data for any module, allowing you to skip prerequisite modules.
• Instructor Support: Each module contains an instructor guide, conceptual Powerpoint slides, and solution keys for select locations.
• Longevity: Built-in options allow you to modify scope, location, and constraints to keep the project fresh for subsequent classes.

Learn more about the project’s intent and its modular format with the following guide: 

Instructor Instructions

To access the full set of materials, please join the Steel Capstone Project group on the AISC Educator Forum using the link below.

Steel Capstone Project