Award competitions
2008 Design-Build Project Awards competition
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Pennsylvania Tri-State Region invites you to submit your successful design-build projects for its 2008 Design-Build Project Awards competition. Entry deadline is Aug 15.
To be considered for an award in this competition, projects must demonstrate:
- Successful application of design-build principles,
- Collaboration in the early stages of the project and the acceptance of single-entity risk,
- Completion on time, on budget, and without litigation,
- Advanced and innovative application of total integrated project delivery,
- Unique solutions for project challenges.
The judging will take place in October by a jury of industry experts, including DBIA Pennsylvania Tri-State Region members, owners, and design-builders. Award presentations will take place in January 2009.
>> more
2009 AIA Honor Awards call for entries
The 2009 Institute Honor Awards program has three divisions: Architecture (including the Twenty-Five Year Award), Interior Architecture, and Regional and Urban Design. The program is now accepting online entries of projects that have been:
- Completed since Jan. 1, 2002, except for Regional and Urban Design projects, which may be incomplete, and the Twenty-Five Year Award, which will honor projects completed between1974 and 1984,
- Designed by an architect licensed in the United States or in one of its territories at the time of the project’s completion,
- Submitted by an architect who was a member of the design team, whether or not serving as the head of the team.
The submission deadline is Aug. 29, 2008.
>> more
The Emirates Glass LEAF Awards 2008
Oct. 23, London
The Emirates Glass LEAF Awards are open to all companies, technologies, and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the world of architecture, and who continue to set the benchmark for the buildings of tomorrow. The closing date for entries is Sept. 1.
Categories include best structural design, best sustainable development, commercial building of the year, interior design award, mixed-use building of the year, innovation of the year, residential building of the year, and others.
>> more (designbuild-network.com)
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Events
Alabama Section ASCE Summer Meeting
July 30 - Aug. 1, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Ala.
The Mobile Branch of the Alabama Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers will host the Alabama Section ASCE Summer Meeting. There will be a widely varied technical program providing many professional development hours.
>> more (Section & Summer Meetings)
SASHTO Annual Meeting
Aug. 8-13, Orlando, Fla.
The Florida Department of Transportation hosts the 67th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO).
>> more
>> more (agenda and schedule of events)
11th Annual Outdoor Advertising Control Educational Conference
Aug. 10-13, Kalispell, Mont.
Each year, the National Alliance of Highway Beautification Agencies (NAHBA) Annual Conference on the control of outdoor advertising provides outdoor advertising sign professionals with learning and networking opportunities. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about best practices, share program challenges, and hear solutions from members of federal, state, and local governments and industry-leading professionals.
>> more
Initi@tive 2008: Make the Most of Your Energy
Aug. 13-15, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
Schneider Electric’s Initi@tive 2008 includes interactive exhibitions, dynamic seminars, demonstrations, and customer success stories that present new ways and proven solutions to manage, monitor, power, distribute, automate, and control electricity. Be a part of Initi@tive 2008 to gain insights on the issues you face, find solutions to help you make the most of your energy, and make your business more sustainable.
>> more
>> more (current listing of seminars)
Water Distribution Systems Analysis (WDSA) 2008 Conference
Aug. 17-20, Kruger National Park, South Africa
WDSA2008 is a forum for water distribution professionals to interact and share knowledge, stimulate scientific collaboration, foster debate on new ways to supply and manage drinking water systems, and bring together researchers and practitioners from developing and developed countries. Themes for WDSA2008 include all aspects of water distribution system modeling and its application, including system reliability and security, water demand, water quality, leakage management, and water supply in developing countries.
>> more
Public Works Congress and Exposition
Aug. 17-20, New Orleans, La.
The “Best Show in Public Works” unites industry professionals for four days of extensive educational programming, workshops, an enormous exposition floor, and ample networking events. It not only features the latest public works innovations, emerging trends, fresh ideas, and best practices, but it also connects attendees with some of the best and brightest professionals in the business. This year APWA members and public works professionals from around the world will congregate in New Orleans.
>> more
40th Annual Engineering and Construction Contracting Association (ECC) Conference
Sept. 3-6, Scottsdale, Ariz.
This premier engineering and construction event for the industrial process facilities market brings together more than 500 senior executives and decision makers from across the world. This year the conference features keynote speakers Gene Krantz, mission controller of the Apollo Space Program, and Luc Messier, SVP of ConocoPhillips. A C-level plenary session covering oil, mining, and power industries brings together leaders from Valero, Peabody, and Southern Company with an EVP from WorleyParsons to review the trends in these industries and where their spending on capital projects will take them over the next five years.
>> more
2008 International Highway Engineering Exchange Program (IHEEP)
Sept. 14-18, Albuquerque, N.M.
IHEEP promotes the exchange of information relating to the uses of information systems technology in highway and bridge engineering, as well as other transportation-related fields. This international annual meeting is an excellent opportunity to present developments, experiences, and best practices to colleagues from all over the world and to discuss current and emerging challenges in the transportation-engineering technology fields.
>> more
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Annual Meeting and 17th Congress: “Creating and Renewing Urban Structures: Tall Buildings, Bridges, and Infrastructure”
Sept. 14-19, Chicago, Il
Practitioners and researchers from around the world are invited to come and discuss the latest achievements and developments in research, design, construction, monitoring, maintenance, and rehabilitation of civil engineering structures in urban environments. Young engineers are especially encouraged to attend this Congress and to benefit from the annual Young Engineers Program. It will be a valuable opportunity to meet experienced and renowned engineers.
>> more
American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) 20th Annual Public-Private Ventures in Transportation Conference
Sept. 15-16, Washington, D.C.
Over the last two decades, this event has distinguished itself as the nation’s premier “P3” event by consistently producing an outstanding program featuring accomplished professionals from government and private industries speaking on the most pertinent topics relating to transportation infrastructure and finance.
>> more
Structural Engineers Buildings Conference & Expo
Oct. 2-3, Atlanta, Ga.
The Structural Engineers Building Conference & Expo is the only annual conference to focus on both the technical issues and management issues in the successful completion of buildings. The conference program incorporates topics that are timely and important to today’s structural engineers, including virtual building tools, technical design and analysis, the latest codes and guidelines, risk and liability issues, market opportunity, and project management and business strategies.
>> more
National Council of Structural Engineers Associations
Sixteenth Annual Conference
Oct. 23-25, Cleveland, Ohio
NCSEA serves to advance the practice of structural engineering and, as the national voice for practicing structural engineers, protect the public’s right to safe, sustainable, and cost-effective buildings, bridges, and other structures. Information about this year’s conference will be posted as it is released.
>> more
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AEC and GIS news
Autodesk and Bentley to Advance AEC Software Interoperability
At a joint press conference on June 8, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) and Bentley Systems, Incorporated, two of the leading providers of design and infrastructure software, announced an agreement to expand interoperability between their portfolios of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) software. Autodesk and Bentley will exchange software libraries, including Autodesk RealDWG*, to improve the ability to read and write the companies’ respective DWG and DGN formats in mixed environments with greater fidelity. In addition, the two companies will facilitate work process interoperability between their AEC applications through supporting the reciprocal use of available Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). With this agreement, the companies aim to improve AEC workflows by enabling broader reuse of information generated during the design, construction, and operation of buildings and infrastructure, and by enhancing the ability of project teams to choose among multiple software sources.
>> more
Transportation Appropriators Approve Highway Trust Fund Fix
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development approved on July 9 its FY 2009 spending bill and, within it, $8.017 billion for the Highway Trust Fund. The provision, which is not included in the House version, transfers funds from the general treasury into the Highway Account. The Senate bill appropriates $41.2 billion for the federal-aid highway program, which exceeds the amount prescribed in the Safe and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU).
>> more
Adoption of Green Technologies in the Buildings/Facilities Sector: A Market Perspective
It is important for green technology companies to understand the BIM adoption trend and incorporate it into their market strategies. Its application – both the technology and changes in increased collaboration – allows significant exchange of data and information by all stakeholders involved over the lifecycle of the facility – between owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and operators. The drivers associated with green technology adoption include efficiencies in energy use, increased emphasis on environmental health, and the motivation to generate less waste. The acceptance and active use of a “model” provides all stakeholders with a common framework to work collaboratively on performance issues throughout the design lifecycle.
>> more
FRA Issues Final Rule for Rail Relocation and Improvement Grant Program
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Final Rule detailing the eligibility requirements and selection criteria for capital grants under the Rail Line Relocation and Improvement program created in the SAFETEA-LU legislation. Congress appropriated $20,040,200 for this program for FY2008, with $5,240,000 directed to nine noncompetitive projects.
>> more
Stirling Prize Shortlist Unveiled
The shortlist for the 2008 Stirling Prize has been announced. See the buildings and read BD's Buildings Editor Ellis Woodman's assessment of the key buildings on the shortlist.
>> more (bdonline.co.uk)
Proposed modification to AISCs Code of Standard Practice Section 3.1.2
A joint task group has developed a proposed modification to Section 3.1.2 of the American Institute of Steel Construction's (AISC) Code of Standard Practice. The joint task group is a partnership of the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) Guidelines Committee and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Committee on the Code of Standard Practice. These two groups have collaborated for several years to improve and advance the AISC Code. This proposal seeks to address, in a direct and workable manner, the practice of delegating connection design work to a licensed engineer working for the steel fabricator. It is currently one of the items being balloted by the AISC Committee on the Code of Standard Practice. Because the modifications to Section 3.1.2 and the associated changes in Section 4.4 are significant, please review the proposed modifications.
Any and all comments are welcome. All proposals are available for review and comment at www.aisc.org.
>> more
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User stories
FBEAM — RAM Link
Fabsec Ltd
Fabsec, the leading expert in the field of plated beams, developed a link between its FBEAM Cellular Beam design software and Bentley’s RAM Structural System. By joining the productivity of the RAM Structural System design model and the expertise of Fabsec, structural engineers can now fully design an entire building with Fabsec beams. Engineers initially model Fabsec beams within the 3D RAM design model. Using the model browser integrated into FBEAM, members to be designed as Fabsec beams are selected graphically and, through the data exchange, FBEAM seamlessly links all pertinent information from the model. Once in Fabsec software, the process of designing Fabsec beams is virtually at a click of a button, and a process that previously took hours now takes seconds.
>> more projects from The Year in Infrastructure 2007
Click to enlarge image.
SH20 Waterview Connection
Connell Wagner Pty Ltd
The Waterview Connection Project is a major motorway that will form part of the Western Ring Route, an alternative route to State Highway 1 linking North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, and Manukau cities in New Zealand. A significant constraint was the requirement that it pass through an established residential area where no corridor currently exists. The driven tunnel concept was developed in order to minimize property cost and adverse surface disruptions in both social and environmental terms. MXROAD provided geometric design, option investigation, base drawing development, and 3D visualization. Its interoperability with other software and ability to make major changes without major rework gave it significant productivity advantages, which was particularly important given the extremely tight timeframes demanded by the project.
>> more projects from The Year in Infrastructure 2007
Click to enlarge image.
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Bentley news
Bentley and Autodesk Agree To Exchange Keys To Sharing of Data
In Engineering News-Record, Tom Sawyer writes, “In a surprise joint announcement, the two leading – and rival – vendors of design and analysis software say they have agreed to exchange their software libraries and support each other's application programming interface tools to improve interoperability between their products. The day of the announcement, July 8, may go down as a historic great leap forward, creating a link between the two most widely used suites of architectural, engineering and construction tools.”
>> more (Engineering News-Record)
Autodesk and Bentley’s Unprecedented Interoperability Agreement
On Tuesday, July 8, 2008, the unthinkable happened. Autodesk and Bentley hosted a joint press conference at which they announced an agreement to expand interoperability between their respective portfolios of AEC software. . . . To say that this news came as an unexpected surprise is to put it mildly. When I first heard of the announcement, I found it not just unbelievable but actually downright bizarre. Even since I can remember, starting from the days I first started writing about AEC software in 2001, Autodesk and Bentley have had the most adversarial relationship in the AEC technology industry – which seemed natural considering that they are the two main leading vendors in the field.
>> more (AECbytes)
What do we tell the kids?
Shortly after the acquistion of Hevacomp by Bentley, David Chadwick looked at Hevacomp's building analysis and simulation products for improved building performance and explains how Bentley will use the software to expand its Sustaining Infrastructure initiative.
>> more (CAD User)
Building Information Models Are Now Crossing Over
At the International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh, held June 2-4, Bentley Systems Inc., Exton, Pa., touted its gallery of software as “bridge information modeling,” or BrIM. The firm is working on interoperability among various software programs – much of which was acquired through mergers – for specific bridge types or needs. It formed a 100-person BrIM team this spring. “The right data in the right hands may have prevented some of these [bridge-collapse] tragedies,” said Gabe Norona, Bentley senior vice president and head of the BrIM group. He noted that “40 percent of engineering time is wasted searching for information.”
>> more (enr.construction.com / transportation / bridges)
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Sponsors
HP delivers workstation technologies that help you work efficiently and reduce costs.
The HP workstation line includes mobile, desktop, and blade workstations. HP offers a choice of processors including Intel dual-core processors or quad-core processors or AMD processors. In addition, HP offers highly secure Blade Workstations, which provide the capability of remote engineering from centralized server-based workstations with powerful 3D performance.
>> Learn more about HP and great deals on HP workstations
>> Learn more about HP and Bentley
The 2008 Fall Members Meeting will be hosted by Keith Roe, chairman, president and CEO of Burns and Roe Enterprises. The theme of this meeting is “Creating Sustainable Business Value: Deploying Innovative Technologies.”
>> more
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Anytime, anyplace learning
The Bentley Institute develops and delivers accredited professional training to help busy infrastructure professionals enhance their skills, increase productivity, and stay competitive. Find the training that best fits your needs.
>> more
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Recent Bentley press releases and news stories
Autodesk and Bentley to Advance AEC Software Interoperability
Bentley Unveils Bentley Gas V8 XM Edition
Bentley Expands Building Energy Analysis Software Portfolio Through New Exclusive Worldwide Agreement
Infrastructure Firm CIOs and CEOs Say Information Technology Could Have Greater Impact on Knowledge and Work Sharing, Productivity, Competitive Advantage
News Alert: Bentley’s Randy Tardy Receives 2008 Meritorious Service Award From Design-Build Institute of America
Bentley Announces Release of May 2008 Annual Report
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© 2008 Bentley Systems, Incorporated 685 Stockton Drive Exton, PA USA 19341. Bentley, the "B" Bentley logo, BE, Bentley Institute, Hevacomp, MXROAD, and RAM are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated, or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
*This product includes Autodesk ® DWG™ technology