Structures Congress 2017 Presentation on Nation's First Metal Building Systems College Capstone

CLEVELAND - Jan. 24, 2017 - PRLog -- www.mbma.com: This year's Structures Congress, sponsored by the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Engineers (http://www.asce.org/), will include an educational session highlighting a groundbreaking new college capstone program focused on introducing architecture and engineering students to metal building systems design and construction.

Structures Congress 2017 (http://www.structurescongress.org/) will be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo., April 6-8. This educational and networking event provides the opportunity for approximately 1,200 industry professionals from across the U.S. and abroad to participate in technical sessions on a wide array of civil engineering topics.

The metal building systems capstone course model was developed jointly by the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (http://www.mbma.com/) (MBMA) and the American Iron and Steel Institute. In 2015, six university faculty members were selected to develop undergraduate-level capstone courses unique to their institutions, with the focus on a metal building project. Five of these faculty members will share their unique experiences at Structures Congress 2017 during a 1.5-hour session titled "Industry/Academic Capstone Model Program," slated to start at 10 a.m. on April 8. Participants who attend this presentation are eligible to earn professional development hours. MBMA Director of Research and Engineering W. Lee Shoemaker, Ph.D, PE, will serve as moderator.

The session will be geared toward architecture and engineering college faculty members who are interested in learning more about this pioneering design curriculum. Speakers will give professional insights on the benefits of exposing students to fundamental metal building systems topics, and highlight ongoing efforts to share this capstone model with other universities. The presentation will also include guidance on how to comply with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requirements.

"MBMA is dedicated to making the design experience as realistic as possible for students. Our goal is to build on the initial success of this program by inviting other universities to adopt similar capstone courses that focus on metal buildings," says MBMA Associate General Manager Dan Walker.

This curriculum model gives students real-world specifying experience for metal building projects. They also study steel design, foundation design and in some cases site work.

"Even though metal buildings account for approximately half of all low-rise, nonresidential construction in the U.S., most architecture and engineering students are not introduced to this form of construction as part of their formal education. This one-of-a-kind capstone model provides real-world exposure to metal building design and construction practices," says Shoemaker. He adds further: "Our desire is that this capstone is patterned more like a student's first job, rather than a textbook college course."

For more information about this capstone course program or other MBMA education initiatives, please contact W. Lee Shoemaker at mbma@mbma.com or 216.241.7333.

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Founded in 1956, MBMA serves manufacturers and suppliers as it works to promote the metal building systems industry. For over 60 years, its membership has supplied high-quality buildings for use in commercial, retail, office, industrial, institutional and other end-uses.  The association provides a wealth of useful information on its website, www.mbma.com, for anyone who works with or is interested in metal building systems. It includes technical materials and design guides.