Are you aware of the new concrete filled composite plate shear wall system included in AISC 341-22?  This new structural system could offer significant financial savings on concrete mid- and high-rise structures in high seismic regions where this system would offer the most benefit.

In the March 2026 SEU session, Matt Mester, PE, SE from MiTek, Inc. presented Changes to Steel: AISC 360 and 341 Code Updates.  Matt reviewed when the building code requires the use of AISC 360/341-16 versus AISC 360/341-22.  He noted significant changes in AISC 360 and 341 and described some of the new structural systems and materials/grades that are allowed in the new AISC 360 and 341.

The SpeedCore system consists of coupled composite plate shear walls which are filled with concrete.  The use of steel plates as the form work for the concrete eliminates the use of traditional steel rebar within the shear wall.  The SpeedCore walls are pre-fabricated off site and then brought to the site, welded together, and then concrete is poured into the cavity.  On traditional concrete high rise structures, the forms are built on site, the rebar is placed and tied within the forms, the concrete is poured, and then must cure for a specified time before the forms can be removed and then moved up the building to start the next level.  The SpeedCore system increases the speed of construction by eliminating the use of traditional forms with rebar, and the time needed to cure before construction can move up the building.

To learn more about using the SpeedCore system, you can download AISC Design Guide 38: SpeedCore Systems for Steel Structures which is free for members or available for purchase for non-members.  Also, Structure Magazine highlighted the use of SpeedCore in Seattle’s Rainier Square and the cost savings compared to using traditional concrete construction methods.  

While SpeedCore may not be necessary or the most cost effective solution on every job, there are instances where the use of this new structural system could be a novel solution to increase speed of construction and reduce labor and material costs.