NSBA reorganizes, strengthens mission to grow steel bridge market

Chicago—The National Steel Bridge Alliance, a division of the American Institute of Steel Construction, announced a reorganization that balances its mission between marketing activities to promote the use of steel bridges, legislative activities, and technical support for bridge designers, owners, and fabricators.

"During the past six years, the NSBA has spent an increasing amount of its resources on legislative action," explained Jack Klimp, chairman of the NSBA executive committee and general manager of Cianbro Fabrication and Coating Corporation in Pittsfield, Maine. "While we still need to continue our legislative activities, we also need to achieve a greater balance between our legislative, technical, and marketing work. In addition, we can achieve more cost-effective results by working more closely with other trade groups with legislative initiatives compatible with ours as well as strategic use of Washington-based consultants."

Under the reorganization, the NSBA will continue its regional activities and will also integrate its technical activities into the popular Steel Solutions Center. The Steel Solutions Center is a one-stop source for technical information and conceptual solutions for the steel construction industry. The team of structural engineers and consultants answer more than 200 technical inquiries each week at no charge to designers, owners, and fabricators. In addition, they provide conceptual studies comparing steel solutions to designs in alternate materials. The conceptual solutions include framing system comparisons, as well as cost and scheduling information. A direct link to the Solutions Center for bridge-related questions and studies will soon be available at www.steelbridges.org/solutions. For more information about the Solutions Center, visit www.aisc.org/solutions or call 866-ask-aisc.