Detailing for Steel Construction
The Online Course
Ron Cuthbert - Manager, Dowco Computer Systems
 

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is dedicated to enhancing the training and educational opportunities available in the steel detailing community and steel construction industries. Dowco Consultants Ltd is one of the largest fully automated detailing companies in the world and is recognized as one of the leading steel detailers in North America. These two industry leaders have come together to offer an online course targeted at training new Steel Detailers. This online course is based on the book "Detailing for Steel Construction", Second Edition ©2002 and has been endorsed by the AISC.

The Detailing for Steel Construction online course allows employees to train in detailing online via the Internet at their own pace. This web-based course has been designed to take a student to an acceptable level of qualification as a junior steel detailer. The course may be taken by a high school graduate student with no knowledge of the steel industry. The information will also be useful for experienced detailers.

Several years ago, recognizing the critical shortage of Steel Detailers, the AISC Committee on Steel Detailing identified that this shortage was partly due to lack of training for aspiring Steel Detailers and that an online course may help address this issue. With Hugh Dobbie sitting on this committee, the decision was made for Dowco to take the lead in the development of this project on behalf of the AISC.

Over the past several years Dowco has been working towards the completion of the online course. Dowco has taken the Detailing for Steel Construction, Second Edition text and presented it online in a framework that guides the student through the material. Periodic tests are given at key points throughout the course to ensure the content is mastered by the student. The text has also been supplemented with a related mathematics content that runs parallel to the course matter. Without trying to make the Steel Detailer a Designer, the related mathematics stream introduces the Steel Detailer to many of the structural considerations and mathematics that go into design of a structure. Scattered throughout the course there is a series of videos showing the detailing, manufacture and erection of steel structures.

There is a databank of over 1,800 questions from which questions are drawn. Many of the Dowco Consultants employees have been working their way through and completing the online course. The feedback we received from our employees was invaluable during development, testing and implementation of the course.

One of the ongoing issues of printing a manual is that as soon as it is printed, it is out of date. As all Steel Detailers know, the Detailing for Steel Construction text on which the course is based has references to the AISC Manual of Steel Construction Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) 3rd Edition. With the 3rd edition of the LRFD manual being replaced with the 13th edition all references within the text are out of date. The online course has had these references corrected so as to direct the student to the correct table in the 13th edition.

The course covers up to 400 hours of CBT (Computer Based Training) depending upon the students knowledge and experience. The student should anticipate spending 8 hours per week to complete the course in approximately 1 year. Online testing is performed throughout the course. Where appropriate, the course text has been supplemented with related mathematics learning modules.

The course was officially launched just after NASCC this year. To find out more, visit us on the web at www.structuraldetailertraining.com .