A national CISC Ad Hoc Committee on AESS was formed in 2005. The idea was to create a dynamic industry dialogue, including architects and engineers, in the hopes of providing a series of documents that would assist in re-visioning the design, specification, and construction process for AESS.

Several roundtables were held in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, which typically involved architects, engineers and fabricators. Those sessions helped shape the orientation and direction of the Committee’s work on the documents

CISC did adapt components of what AISC had developed but it also introduced an underlining Category approach and reduced its scope. The committee committed to the elaboration of a Sample Specification (for engineers), an Appendix to the CISC Code of Standard Practice (for fabricators) and a CISC Guide for specifying AESS (for architects). Common to all these documents is a unique Matrix of Categories and Characteristics to be used in all documents.

The CISC Ad Hoc Committee produced a set of reference documents (English only) that have already been used by designers. They consist of 3 documents:

• The AESS Category Matrix presents Categories AESS1, AESS2, AESS3 and AESS4; the Matrix is proposed as a base document for an Appendix, Specification and Guide
    > See reference documents
• A Sample AESS Specification is proposed for inclusion by Engineers in the Structural Steel Section of their Design Documents
    > See reference documents
• Appendix I covers AESS requirements for Fabricators within the CISC Code of Standard Practice
    >See 2009 edition (right column)

The 4th document is a Guide for Architects:

• The CISC Guide for specifying AESS includes descriptions of categories with their associated characteristics and approximate cost premiums, images of samples and projects, comments on bolted and welded connections, best practices for coatings, fire protection, galvanizing, bending, steel castings, etc.
    > See publication page for free download
    > View the OAA presentation for a visual overview