The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has published a new standard, AISI S400-15, North American Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Systems, 2015 Edition to address the design and construction of cold-formed steel structural members and connections used in the seismic force-resisting systems in buildings and other structures.

The standard is to be used in conjunction with AISI S100-12, North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, 2012 Edition and AISI S240-15, North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing, 2015 Edition. It is intended for adoption and use in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is available for free download at www.aisistandards.org.

AISI S400-15 results from the merging of AISI S110-07 w/S1-09, Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Systems―Special Bolted Moment Frames, 2007 Edition With Supplement 1-09, and the seismic portions of AISI S213-07 w/S1-09, North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing―Lateral Design, 2007 Edition With Supplement 1-09. Additionally, many of the seismic design requirements stipulated in AISI S400-15 are drawn from AISC 341-10, Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings, which was developed by the American Institute of Steel Construction.

The new standard was developed over the course of two years by the AISI S400 Working Group under the Lateral Design Subcommittee of the AISI Committee on Framing Standards. Special recognition is extended in the standard to Hank Martin, Sr., who served as AISI’s West Coast Regional Director of Construction Codes and Standards from 1982 to 2006.

Martin was pivotal in the final adoption of cold-formed steel lateral design into the model building codes. His vision for the industry led to the establishment of the AISI Committee on Framing Standards in 1998, the development of AISI S213 in 2004, and eventually to the publication of AISI S110 in 2009.