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The [acronym] online blog is the public sector’s complete source of up-to-the-minute news and information about computer-aided design and related digital design technologies for the fields of AEC, manufacturing, and GIS.
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Author Archives: Tiffany Diehl
Some States Still Spending Big on Roads and Highways
Despite ongoing news reports of a down economy, at least two states pledged last month to spend big in FY’ 2012 to upgrade their infrastructure including roads, highways and mass-transit systems.
California Transportation Commission (CTC) recently announced it has allocated $825 million in new funding for upcoming infrastructure projects. The expense is being touted as a way to create jobs and improve transportation for Californians. Part of the funding is allocated specifically for projects using a design-build project management system that offers a change from the traditional construction projects to create a single point of responsibility and reduce risk and cost. This process is currently being utilized in 32 other states, and many other countries. Continue reading
Two Upcoming Webcasts on BIM and Sustainable Design
Next Tuesday is a busy day for anyone in the AEC industry involved in sustainable design projects. Here are two upcoming webcasts that provide insight on how to accelerate sustainable design projects and comply with federal energy performance standards:
BIM Webcast: Accelerating Sustainable Design with BIM
Improving Federal Energy Performance, Part 2 Continue reading
Buzzsaw goes mobile with iPad and iPhone
The mobile market is expanding at the speed of light and Autodesk isn’t going to be left in the dark. They’ve recently expanded their mobile portfolio to include their software-as-a-service platform, Buzzsaw, making it available for your iPad or iPhone.
By combining the power of AutoCAD WS (Autodesk’s mobile version of AutoCAD) with Buzzsaw mobile, AEC designers are now able to view their files from the field AND submit changes and alterations to the master file via a secure online collaborative website. Continue reading
Building Energy Modeling –3 Essential Resources for the Public Sector
Energy modeling is a hot topic in new construction projects as well as building retrofit, renovation and facility management. Federal, state and local governments are not only holding private firm construction to higher green standards, but the public sector overall is getting increased pressure to obtain higher LEED ratings and to produce high-rating energy proficiency analysis. (Read more in our earlier article: GSA Moves to LEED Gold for All New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations)
If you’re a stranger to energy modeling, green building, or sustainable design, here are three resources that can help bring you quickly up to speed on mandates, implementation tips, and future of sustainable buildings. Continue reading
Are Bridges in the U.S. Making the Grade? State Rankings Reveal a Grim Reality
On August 1, 2007, the I-35 W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed injuring 144 people and killing 13. The official accident report cites the cause for collapse as poor quality control, insufficient design review procedures, and a lack of due diligence in weight monitoring of construction equipment parked on the bridge.
Investigative reporter, Bill Dedman, reported the immediately available details of the accident noting the bridge had recently been rated Among the Nation’s Worst. In 2007, the I-35 bridge ranked barely better than 4% of the nation’s bridges. Continue reading
What’s New in AutoCAD 2012? Join Lynn Allen for the Autodesk Virtual Event, April 20th
Hi, everyone. Join me at the Autodesk Virtual Event on April 20th where I will be showing everyone the new features inside of AutoCAD 2012. My session, Explore the World of AutoCAD 2012, is at 9:00 AM PDT and I will be showing some of my favorite features like Model Documentation, 2D and 3D Associative Arrays and Overkill – yes, now it’s a real live command! Those are just a few of my favorites. Continue reading
AutoCAD on Steroids! AutoCAD Design Suites bring 3D Visualization and Animation to Budget-Conscious Government Departments
Whether you are an architect or a designer, it is likely that AutoCAD is a vital everyday design tool. But did you know that you can now add 3D visualization and animation to your repertoire – all within the familiar AutoCAD interface.
Autodesk’s new AutoCAD Design Suites is a easy and cost-efficient way to extend your familiar AutoCAD work-flow. By integrating four of Autodesk’s premium design and visualization software, Autodesk Design Suite Premium (the Rolls Royce of suite offerings) –– is a great way to expand your design software portfolio and add high quality 3D visualization and illustration without hurting your department’s shrinking IT budget. Continue reading
Improving Federal Energy Performance: Two Webcasts to Look out for this Month:
If you’ve got time to take a break from those never ending holiday pot luck lunches this month, why not join two live webcasts on the topic of Improving Federal Energy Performance.
Hosted by DLT Solutions and Autodesk, Industry experts John Sullivan and Angela Chan will discuss how Autodesk BIM Solutions inform energy-efficiency improvement decisions by enabling you to rapidly create and analyze models of new and existing buildings and systems. Continue reading
What is an MS4? ‘MS4 for Dummies’ and Dana Probert of Autodesk Help Shine Some Light
It’s really easy to drown in the alphabet soup of stormwater management regulations. I spend a lot of my day knee deep in water projects, and I still get confused. If you are a town manager, elected official or concerned citizen, I can only imagine how difficult it is to understand the regulations from the EPA on NPDES and MS4.
If you aren’t sure what I mean, never fear. Autodesk and DLT Solutions are releasing a new guidebook called “MS4 for Dummies”. This easy to read text will help you understand how to manage your municipal separate storm sewer system (or MS4) to meet the ever increasing regulations handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Clean Water Act. Continue reading
