The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) has named Reinhold Schuster, Ph.D., P.Eng, as the recipient of the 2024 CFSEI John P. Matsen Award for Distinguished Service. The award recognizes the significant contributions of an individual who has volunteered time, talent and resources to the cold-formed steel (CFS) industry.
Dr. Schuster received the award during the 2024 CFSEI Expo held in Tucson, Arizona on May 20-22, 2024.
The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) has named Dr. Reinhold Schuster as the recipient of the 2024 CFSEI John P. Matsen Award for Distinguished Service.
CFS Educator, Researcher, Standards Developer
Throughout his career, Dr. Schuster has made a significant impact as an educator, researcher and contributor to CFS specifications.
Education and Research
Dr. Schuster created and taught a graduate CFS course at the University of Waterloo.
In coordination with Dr. Roger LaBoube, Missouri Institute of Science and Technology, he co-developed the American Iron and Steel Institute’s one-day CFS course for practitioners, presented continuously in the United States under the auspices of the American Iron and Steel Institute, LGSEA (which later became the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute) and American Society of Civil Engineers. The course is now available on-demand on the CFSEI website.
Dr. Schuster supervised a research team that engaged in both experimental and analytical studies. These research efforts developed solutions that have been adopted by the AISI and the Canadian Standards Association, used by structural engineers engaged in the design of CFS structures.
Design Specifications
Since 1978, Dr. Schuster has served as the chair of the CSA S136 committee, responsible for developing the Canadian CFS design standard. He has also been extensively involved in the AISI Committee on Specifications.
Due to Dr. Schuster’s involvement in both committees, the design specifications in the United States and Canada remained in sync and led to the creation of the North American Specification. He served as the chair of the AISI North American Specification Subcommittee, which was charged with harmonizing the design standards across the continent.
Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute
The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) comprises hundreds of structural engineers and other design professionals who are finding a better way to produce safe and efficient designs for commercial and residential structures with cold-formed steel.
CFSEI members work together to develop and evolve industry standards and design methods, produce and issue technical bulletins, and provide seminars and online training to improve the knowledge and skills base of engineers and design professionals.
CFSEI is part of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), where its leadership as the industry’s key touchpoint for CFS design receives full support.
For more information, visit www.cfsei.org.
Additional Resources
- CFSEI Awards Program
- CFSEI Publishes Tech Note on the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Bearing Stiffeners
- Ask an Expert: CFSEI Responds to a Question about the Anchored Leg of a Clip Angle