July 15 – Storm Shelter Design: Schools Made Safe
Original price was: $95.00.$0.00Current price is: $0.00.
Description
New schools and other public buildings in areas of possible severe weather including tornadoes and hurricanes are being designed and constructed with storm shelters. These safe areas are usually in a common portion of the structure that can house all those who would commonly be in the building, such as the total student and faculty of a high school. This session will review some of the common practices being utilized to effectively and economically provide such safe places.
This webinar is provided by the Steel Joist Institute. Participants can earn 1.5 PDHs.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key considerations and initial steps when a storm shelter is requested as part of a school or public building project.
- Explain the performance expectations and design requirements that influence storm shelter member, connection, and detailing decisions.
- Review how engineering intent, system behavior, and verification work together to support successful storm shelter design.
- Understand the importance of early coordination and alignment in achieving reliable storm shelter performance during extreme weather events.
Speakers
Riley Mahaffey, P.E.
Principal at Lochsa Engineering
Riley has 30+ years of experience in the structural engineering field. He has provided engineering design and contractual support for a wide range of projects from high end residential to complex commercial projects in the fields of education, hospitality, sports arenas, correctional, entertainment, and government facilities. He served as a Principal and engineer of record for all types of projects, including innovative techniques and advances in technology. He has become a leading advocate and technical expert in the fields of offsite and volumetric modular construction.
Scott Russell, SE, PE
Manager – Innovation Services at Nucor Vulcraft/Verco Group
Scott is a licensed professional civil and structural engineer. He has worked for Nucor Corporation for 31 years, 20 of which in metal building systems, and 11 now with Vulcraft and Verco, the country’s leading supplier of open-web steel joists, steel deck, and bar grating. He currently leads a nationwide innovation and market expansion team focused on solutions that address trends in the construction world and how we can build more economically, more efficiently, and more sustainably. Throughout his career, he has been active in several organizations, notably the MBMA, AISI, and the ASCE 7 Standards committees.
Date/Time
Date: July 15, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET
Pittman Elementary School storm shelter photo courtesy of: https://sbj.net/stories/from-
Who Should Attend This Webinar?
Structural engineers, fabricators, detailers and connection design firms that are responsible for steel joist and joist girder building designs and their connections. Those with very little design experience as well as those with many years of experience will find the course beneficial.
Professional Development Hours
Each participant can earn 1.5 PDHs and receive a certificate of completion from SJI.
Registration Fees
SJI is offering a sale for this registration. It’s free! (A savings of $95 per person for individual and $495 for site registration.)
- Individual registration provides unique links for login for each individual you register.
- If you add multiple individual registrations in your order, you will need to email webinars@steeljoist.org the names and email addresses of the additional individuals you ordered an individual registration for so they can receive their unique link.
- If you are going to have multiple attendees in one room to watch the webinar, you will need to send an email with the names and email address to webinars@steeljoist.org after the webinar to let them know who all attended.
- If you typically order site registrations and receive individual links for remote access, please have each person register to receive an individual link. (The site option is not available for this webinar.)