WEST CHESTER, Ohio – ClarkDietrich Building Systems has updated their code report for structural C-sections and tracks, ESR-1166P, to meet the IBC 2012 and IRC 2012 Building codes. In addition, the report contains supplements for the 2010 California Building Code and Florida Building Code. The report confirms that C-sections and tracks from ClarkDietrich Building Systems are code compliant and meet the strict criteria for cold-formed steel used in commercial and residential construction.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Civil engineers have spent too long in the shadows. Joe Buley encourages engineering aficionados to celebrate their passion in his book, "In the Shadows: The Memoir of a Professional Civil Engineer." The memoir recounts Buley’s successful, 50-year career as a licensed civil engineer.

BOSTON – At the 2013 AIA National Conference, GRAPHISOFT is showcasing ArchiCAD 17, the new release of its premium BIM software to the architectural community. GRAPHISOFT will demonstrate the key customer focused initiatives found in ArchiCAD 17 at its booth #3710 in the Colorado Convention Center, June 20-22.

NEW YORK CITY – WSP USA’s structural engineering practice has won the 2013 Presidential Award of Excellence in Engineering from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), announces WSP executive vice president Jeffrey Smilow, P.E., F.ASCE, who leads the practice.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Intelligent building industry participants indicate the use and adoption of life cycle costing (LCC) as a valid prerequisite in the process of adopting intelligent building design, technology and processes. However, presently, use of LCC to determine long-term return on investment is infrequent at best. As intelligent building technologies are a long-term commitment in most cases, making well-informed purchase decisions is paramount for all involved stakeholders to optimize investments, the end-user experience, energy efficiency, monitoring as well as asset value maximization. With "big data" becoming mainstream, organizations must harness this intelligence in decision making, particularly when cost allocation is such a high determinant of end-user choice. For the intelligent buildings market, this insight has not yet been fully utilized to direct decision-making.

EXTON, Pa. – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, announced that it is accepting submissions for the 2013 Be Inspired Awards competition. The deadline for entries is July 19, 2013. The awards, which are selected by an independent jury of industry experts, recognize the extraordinary and innovative work of organizations that help sustain the world’s infrastructure by designing, engineering, constructing, delivering, and/or operating better-performing, safer, and more resilient roads, buildings, plants, utility networks, and more. Over 20 award categories cover every aspect of the built environment in this uniquely comprehensive, global competition.

CHICAGO – Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, a major architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban-planning firms, is proposing a new structural model for tall buildings: wood.

SKOKIE, Ill. – Following the strongest cement consumption gains in seven years in 2012, cement consumption growth will continue in 2013 with a 6.2 percent increase. According to the latest forecast from the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the majority of market recovery will occur in the second half of 2013.

TOLEDO, Ohio – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firm along with their client Volkswagen Group of America announced that it has received one of eight Grand Awards for Engineering Excellence at the 47th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards – a national juried competition sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). The award, presented in honor of the new Volkswagen Assembly Plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., was presented to SSOE and Volkswagen representatives at an award gala in Washington D.C. on April 23, 2013.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Constructing energy-efficient homes and buildings favorably impacts the economic development of communities, meets consumer demand and saves valuable resources. Week four of the International Code Council’s Building Safety Month 2013, sponsored by the American Gas Association, focuses on energy and green building. Efficient buildings can improve energy security, reduce stress on the power grid and on natural gas supplies, improve local air quality and save homeowners money, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), a nationally recognized standards development and credentialing organization, was recently accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a national certifying body for its certification program for plants producing unbonded single strand tendons.

CHATFIELD, Minn. – Strongwell Corporation recently partnered with the Chatfield Economic Development Authority to develop, build and install an ADA-compliant handicap access ramp for the Chatfield Center for the Arts. Located at the historic 1916 and Potter Auditorium Buildings, this ramp is one of many changes taking place as the area is being transformed into a modern, sustainable, regional destination for the arts.

NEW YORK – Infrastructure bonds, used to finance essential services such as roads, schools and bridges, appear attractive because of their potential to offer higher after-tax income than comparably rated general obligation bonds and historic resilience during weaker economic conditions, according to Standish, the Boston-based fixed income specialist for BNY Mellon.

SAN RAMON, Calif. – Autodesk, Inc. is expanding AutoCAD 360 (formerly AutoCAD WS), a line of easy-to-use web and mobile drafting and documentation applications that let users view, create, edit and share drawings – anytime, anywhere.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To recognize the important work code officials are charged with, week two of the International Code Council’s Building Safety Month 2013 campaign, May 13-19, focuses on disaster safety and mitigation. Sponsored by BASF–The Chemical Company, disaster safety and mitigation in the built environment is the result of the work of Code Council Members and others who create the building codes and standards used to design and build safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – The American Concrete Institute (ACI) introduced its 2013-2014 president, vice president, and four board members during the ACI Spring 2013 Convention in Minneapolis last month.

Anne M. Ellis was elected to serve as president of the Institute for 2013-2014.

Sharon L. Wood has been elected ACI vice president for a two-year term, and William E. Rushing, Jr. is now the Institute’s senior vice president, which is also a two-year term. Additionally, four members have been elected to serve on the ACI doard of direction, each for three-year terms.

NEW YORK – Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced that its structural engineering design for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has won the coveted Grand Conceptor award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in its national Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition. Arup also won seven additional EEA awards from the Massachusetts and New York Chapters for the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts; the Kauffman Center in St. Louis Missouri; +Pool on the East River in New York City; Pier 15 on New York’s East River Waterfront; and Haeundai I’PARK City, in Busan, South Korea.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has opened a new office and storage facility in Vancouver, Wash. to better serve the growing market for rental bridges in Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Montana, Idaho and Utah. Rental bridges are typically used as temporary detours during bridge repair or replacement to maintain traffic flow and stay on construction schedule, while providing safe and predictable passage around work sites.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Trimble announced today that the Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) will implement Proliance capital program and management software from Meridian Systems, part of the Trimble Buildings Group. Musanada is responsible for delivering shared services for Abu Dhabi government entities (ADGEs). Musanada manages the design, procurement and construction of hundreds of projects for the Abu Dhabi government.

WASHINGTON – The American Wood Council (AWC) and Canadian Wood Council (CWC) have announced the release of four new environmental product declarations (EPDs) for North American wood products, including softwood lumber, plywood, oriented strand board, and glue-laminated lumber.