Learning solutions provider Delmar, part of Cengage Learning, US, and the International Code Council (ICC), the publisher of the family of International Codes, have announced the Code Basics series, a new series of publications that break down the language within the 2012 International Codes (I-Codes) and makes the content more user-friendly for building professionals.

The series consists of four titles focusing on the new commercial, green, residential and energy codes recently released by the ICC. With two currently available, and two to be released by the end of 2012, these new books will feature illustrations highlighting key updates and changes in the 2012 codes, practical on-the-job scenarios for real-world applications and straight-forward explanations. These features help to facilitate the learning of technical terms and clarify the meaning behind important vocabulary.

The books in the series include Building Code Basics Residential: Based on the 2012 International Residential Code; Building Code Basics Commercial: Based on the 2012 International Building Code; Building Code Basics Green: Based on the 2012 International Green Construction Code; and Building Code Basics Energy: Based on the 2012 International Energy Code.

This series is expected to benefit both new and experienced users of the 2012 I-Codes. The publications focus on critical sections of the code by emphasising need-to-know information and pairing it with non-technical explanations, therefore providing added value and understanding for the reader.

General contractor EllisDon, Canada, and Reed Construction Data, the publisher of Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce, have joined forces to educate readers about the ins and outs of social media, specifically in the construction industry. Entitled 'Social Media Masterclass', EllisDon's Web and Social Media Manager Christine Zakrajsek authors the column that appears weekly in both of Reed's publications (available in digital, print and online formats).

The "Social Media Masterclass" series are available weekly in Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce starting May 16, 2012.

Reed Construction Data Canada, a division of Reed Business Information and a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc, is a provider of construction information solutions and industry news through a diverse portfolio of products and services. It offers its customers construction project leads, building product information, construction cost tools, market analytics and construction news through a suite of online, digital and print references.

US-based construction information provider Reed Construction Data and construction focused technology firm InfoTech International have unveiled cūbus, a new, fully-integrated market intelligence solution. The application is being officially launched at the AIA 2012 Expo, May 17-19, 2012, Booth #1731, in Washington, DC. Complimentary custom market intelligence reports will be offered to manufacturers who schedule a preview of the product.

cūbus provides visibility into the construction market through live project information from Reed Construction Data’s database. Packaged in a visually intuitive and interactive format, the market intelligence application is said to immediately deliver intelligence reports relating to competition, market penetration and product demand.

According to Reed, a significant benefit of cūbus is its ability to get instant answers in reports, without time-consuming setup of preset terms. Building product manufacturers can now dynamically see reports for any market segment of their choice and drill into the information at any time to view the actual projects driving the data points. cūbus enables data-driven decisions for action and the ability to measure the results in real time.

Reed is the inaugural strategic partner of the American Institute of Architects. Its portfolio of products and services includes national, regional and local construction data, building product information, construction cost data, market intelligence solutions and advertising channels to construction industry professionals in the US and Canada.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, and InfoTech International, a construction-focused technology company, have announced a strategic alliance to deliver the construction industry's first, interactive business intelligence and analytics application backed by a database of construction project information.

The new, fully-integrated solution leverages large sets of information from Reed Construction Data's project database and packages it in a visual and intuitive format, which gives customers instant visibility into the market using live project information, as opposed to static data sets or statistical samples.

This new offering gives building product manufacturers the ability to spontaneously build various types of reports relating to market size, market penetration, product demand, and competitive intelligence – reports that typically require extensive research and time to create.

In addition to dynamic reporting capabilities, the new solution will provide customers with access to the live data sets, allowing customers to drill into the information at any time and view the actual projects that are driving the various reports.

The new application will be available in the second quarter of 2012.

Search for more Analytical Tools

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, and GradeBeam.com have announced a strategic alliance to introduce a new product offering, Reed Insider. Reed Insider, an online communication network for construction professionals, is a complement to RCD’s construction lead services with unlimited access to information related to construction projects in a select geography or nationwide.

RCD’s construction lead customers range from contractors and subcontractors, who are looking for new projects to bid, to building product manufacturers looking for new sales and marketing opportunities. Users of Reed Insider (powered by GradeBeam.com) will be able to access a database of over 400,000 North American construction companies and easily exchange construction information, including contractor qualifications, invitations-to-bid, drawings, specifications and addenda.

Reed Insider allows customers to replace outdated communication and paper-based processes with innovative technology-driven alternatives. By utilising Reed Insider, contractors can electronically connect with new industry partners, exchange qualifications, request or submit bids, manage construction documents and instantly distribute critical information. Future product enhancements will also include similar document and communications management tools for architects and owners.

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, has announced the release of SmartSpecs Mobile, giving SmartSpecs customers the ability to access targeted construction project leads from any smartphone. SmartSpecs Mobile is RCD's first mobile offering, providing manufacturers with the information they need, in the format they want.

SmartSpecs delivers customised leads based upon brand name, company name, or competitor name - streamlining the specification process and aggregating detailed project information from RCD's database of construction projects. SmartSpecs Mobile is compatible with all smartphones, including iPhone, Blackberry, and Android platforms.

The new mobile site is optimised for browsing and includes the ability to perform a Quick Search, which leverages keywords to quickly locate specific projects.

Mobile site access comes standard with all SmartSpecs subscriptions for both new and existing users. Customers can go directly to the site or click a link from a SmartSpecs e-mail to view new or updated project information. The new mobile site integrates seamlessly with the existing e-mail notifications which ensure customers are always aware of project updates, bid dates and new opportunities.

Search for more Reference tools

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Techstreet, a Thomson Reuters business, has announced that it has signed agreements with a wide range of construction and safety standards publishers to distribute standards, manuals and codes online. The online availability of these standards will promote industry compliance, safety and public health by providing a central location for engineers, technicians and contractors to easily access critical information.

New Techstreet construction and safety standards include Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA); American Ladder Institute (ALI), also known as the ANSI A14 Ladder Standards; American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE); International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO); International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA); International Electrical Testing Association (NETA); National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA); and Scaffold Industry Association (SIA).

These standards are part of a larger collection of leading construction and safety standards available at Techstreet, including ASTM, ISO, ASME, ASHRAE, AWS, ASSE (Safety), NFPA, IEEE and many more. Standards can be ordered quickly and easily online at www.techstreet.com. Users can choose to download standards immediately in PDF format, receive printed copies by overnight delivery or gain Web-based access for multiple users at various business locations through Techstreet Subscriptions.

Search for more Industry codes and standards

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

McGraw-Hill Construction, a US-based provider of project and product information on the construction industry, has launched its Dodge SpecShare Suite, an online business intelligence platform. The platform enables Building Product Manufacturers (BPMs) to access data from more than 50,000 digitised project specifications and plans to identify sales and marketing opportunities. SpecShare is an easy-to-use portal for identifying the building products specified in construction projects across the U., providing actionable intelligence that BPMs can use to grow their market share.

Pulling from McGraw-Hill Construction's robust, qualified and continuously updated construction project data and analyses, SpecShare searches for any brand name or building product that appears in the written text of a project's specifications and notifies BPM customers so they can learn who specified their products - and who is specifying the competition. This intelligence can then be used to help BPMs focus on the activities that will increase their immediate sales and improve their specification rates by targeting the most active design firms to close more future sales.

The Dodge SpecShare Suite's online, intuitive dashboards give customers 24-hour access to detailed project and firm-specific reports. Targeting design firms and projects can be easily and quickly done based on a combination of products and brands specified; quality of specification; location of the project; overall project value; project type, e.g. office, education, retail, hotel, etc.; bid/negotiate date; and frequency that a design firm specifies a particular BPM's products vs. its competitors.

Search for more Search tools and services

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, has announced that McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge (MHC), a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. has admitted to some of the most serious allegations made in RCD's 2009 federal lawsuit. In the lawsuit, RCD alleged that Dodge unlawfully misappropriated RCD's confidential and trade secret information and used that information in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 8, 2009, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, charged that Dodge since 2002 used a series of fake companies to pose as RCD customers and gain unlawful access to RCD's confidential construction project information database.

In documents filed in federal court on Oct. 22, 2010, McGraw-Hill admitted that it paid third parties to access RCD confidential and trade secret information, data reserved for RCD's paying clients. McGraw-Hill also admitted that it used this access to share RCD's confidential information with its sales force. RCD's lawsuit alleges that MHC's ultimate goal in conducting these activities was to gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace.

The RCD suit seeks an unspecified amount in lost profits and punitive damages, trial by jury, and injunctive relief as a result of McGraw-Hill's misuse of RCD's proprietary construction project information.

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, and Source2, a private investment group focused on technology enabled service companies, have announced the formation of a new company, SMARTBIM LLC. SMARTBIM LLC has acquired the BIM Solutions division of RCD with a plan to maximise its potential. The new company is led by Arol Wolford and backed by Source2.

SMARTBIM currently provides BIM object creation and distribution services and related BIM management software (SMARTBIM Library and SMARTBIM QTO) to users of the Autodesk Revit platform. The company plans to link these activities even more closely as an integrated service, and to introduce increasingly sophisticated analytics that help its AEC customers make their BIM models more useful, and maximise BIM's potential to improve design and reduce cost.

RCD will be a significant shareholder in SMARTBIM LLC. It will work in partnership with the new company to maximise the potential of information solutions to drive adoption and functionality of Building Information Modeling in the construction industry.

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction cost information provider RSMeans, US, part of Reed Construction Data, has announced the release of two of the twenty annual RSMeans cost book series - Building Construction Cost Data 2011 and Assemblies Cost Data 2011.

RSMeans' cost data provides construction professionals with information and tools to quickly and accurately estimate the cost, size and duration of commercial and residential construction projects. Each RSMeans cost data title is updated to reflect the latest trends in construction materials, systems, labour, and equipment. According to the company, this data serves as a base for creating reliable cost estimates and provides a better understanding of the components required for the job.

Now in its 69th annual edition, RSMeans Building Construction Cost Data 2011 features more than 23,000 unit costs for building components, including new data addressing sustainable construction costs. It is newly organised by the latest CSI MasterFormat 2010 system with completely updated and expanded cost data for estimating, planning and budgeting in 2011.

RSMeans Assemblies Cost Data 2011 is organised by the UNIFORMAT II classification system for consistent estimating and reporting. The 26th annual edition has all of the building components required to develop accurate assembly level cost estimates, verify unit price estimates, and update reference information and cost-planning guidelines.

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction cost information provider RSMeans, US, part of Reed Construction Data, has announced that its industry-leading cost data books are now available in a flexible, online format – a complement to RSMeans traditional print and CD formats. RSMeans cost data provides construction professionals with information and tools to quickly and accurately estimate the cost, size and duration of commercial and residential construction projects.

RSMeans online cost data allows customers to view the titles they’ve purchased in traditional 16-Division or new 50-Division CSI format. The new online titles allow customers to access their data from anywhere on the Web, customise their online cost books and save changes, and share estimates to collaborate with team members.

To further benefit from this information, customers can configure their subscription to include the Construction Cost Estimator. The Construction Cost Estimator adds access to RSMeans’ estimating tools to customise, save, share or export estimates with ease and avoid the need to create or update cost estimates manually.

RSMeans cost data titles now available online include Building Construction Cost Data, Mechanical Cost Data, Electrical Cost Data, Square Foot Cost Data, Facilities Construction Cost Data and the new Green Building Cost Data. RSMeans online cost database is continuously updated to provide customers with the most accurate and up-to-date data available.

Search for more construction / transport related information

To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information, and Info Tech, Inc., (Info Tech) have announced an alliance to offer RCD subscribers project information, plans and specifications from the Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia Departments of Transportation (DOT).

Info Tech provides hosted Internet bidding services through its Bid Express service, and serves 35 major state agencies and a growing number of local agencies. Launched in 1997, the Bid Express Internet bidding service has handled billions of dollars annually in bid submissions from thousands of bidders, greatly reducing both the effort and risks associated with the old-fashioned paper methods.

Info Tech will electronically provide real-time data to RCD for inclusion in RCD's Reed Connect, Reed Bulletin and SmartProject News platforms. All RCD subscribers currently receiving DOT project information from these states will receive data from the Info Tech service at no additional charge.

Info Tech and RCD expect this alliance to expand significantly over the coming months, adding additional state agencies and additional content to the automated feed.

Search for more construction/transport related information

Get customisable STM news alerts in your Mobile. Visit http://www.scopeknowledge.com/scoope.jar via your mobile browser to download the SCOOPE application

Publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc., US, and RSMeans, North America's leading supplier of construction cost information, have announced a partnership to deliver a new generation of reference materials to the commercial and residential construction markets.

Under the deal, Wiley will be the exclusive global publisher and distributor of RSMeans professional reference titles. Wiley will manage RSMeans' current suite of reference books, including titles such as the RSMeans Illustrated Construction Dictionary, RSMeans Estimating Handbook and Green Building: Project Planning & Cost Estimating. RSMeans will continue to publish, produce, and distribute its annual construction cost data publications - references that provide reliable cost information for construction estimating.

In addition to the current reference collection, Wiley and RSMeans plan to launch a co-branded series of new reference titles over the next several years, primarily targeting the commercial and residential construction markets, in print and electronic formats.

Wiley's Professional/Trade business' publishing strategy allows for extensive market penetration for worldwide distribution through multiple channels, including bookstores, online sales, and direct marketing. The company's architecture, design, engineering, and construction publishing group has affiliations with more than 20 professional organisations, including The American Institute of Architects (AIA), International Code Council (ICC), and Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), among others.

Search for more construction related references

Get customisable STM news alerts in your Mobile. Visit http://www.scopeknowledge.com/scoope.jar via your mobile browser to download the SCOOPE application

B2B information providers Reed Construction Data (RCD) and Hanley Wood, LLC have announced the formation of a strategic alliance. Under the deal, the companies will open up proprietary information channels in an effort to deliver richer, more valuable content to the construction industry.

The alliance will seek to leverage the existing products, audiences, customer relationships, capabilities and expertise of each organisation to deliver data and content rich directories in the commercial construction marketplace and other construction related audiences.

The companies will initially focus on integrating content from RCD's construction product directory, SmartBuilding Index, with information available through several of Hanley Wood’s web and tradeshow channels. In addition to providing enriched content, this joint effort will create new and unique marketing opportunities for building product manufacturers and construction companies.

Hanley Wood is a B2B media firm focused on the residential and commercial construction and design industries. Its portfolio includes magazines, websites, e-newsletters, exhibitions and conferences, custom marketing and data services. Hanley Wood is comprised of four operating platforms: Business Media, which publishes more than 30 magazines; Exhibitions; Market Intelligence; and Marketing, which plans, creates, and executes strategic and integrated marketing solutions for its clients.

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a division of Reed Business Information and the Inaugural Strategic Partner of the AIA, has announced new releases for two of its BIM products - SmartBIM Library 4.0 and SmartBIM QTO 2.0. These products now include support for Revit 2011 from Autodesk.

The enhancements to SmartBIM Library make object content management easier by improving performance for publishing and filtering large catalogues of BIM family content. According to the company, these enhancements along with the other features of SmartBIM Library can drastically reduce time spent managing and organising Revit families. SmartBIM Library 4.0 comes pre-loaded with over 23,000 Revit product types, including MEP families, and continually publishes new content from a growing list of building product manufacturers.

SmartBIM QTO, powered by RSMeans, enables early cost estimating for Revit projects. This product is designed to help architects and designers quickly estimate or refine costs for a project. As a project changes, architects have the freedom to run cost estimates for multiple design options to facilitate 'what-if' scenarios.

SmartBIM Library and SmartBIM QTO now also support network licensing, which simplifies software asset management and allows for concurrent usage of a given number of licenses. SmartBIM Library 4.0 still includes many features from prior versions including drag-and-drop functionality that allows users to drag objects from SmartBIM Library directly into Revit projects.

Search for more reference tools

McGraw-Hill Construction, a US-based provider of project and product information on the construction industry, is to host the 2010 Green BIM (Building Information Modeling) Conference on May 19 in Boston at the Westin Copley Place. At the Green BIM event, professionals can expect to get a glimpse of how BIM is helping to deliver more sustainable projects worldwide.

As project teams are increasingly told to plan and build sustainable communities and high performance green buildings, BIM is seen to provide the necessary tracking and reporting tools. Keynote speaker John Dalzell, Senior Architect for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, will discuss new government regulations for sustainability and green building. He will also examine the US Green Building Council's new LEED rating system for Neighborhood Development, which applies to green communities and cities.

The 2010 Green BIM Conference is produced by McGraw-Hill Construction. The gold sponsor is Suffolk Construction Company. Silver sponsors include GRAPHISOFT, The International Academy of Design & Technology, and Service Point USA. The bronze sponsor is Microdesk.

McGraw-Hill Construction claims to be North America's leading provider of project and product information, plans and specifications, and industry news, trends and forecasts for over a century. Its key publications include Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, GreenSource and 10 regional publications.

Search for more Conference

Information services provider McGraw-Hill Companies, US, has announced the appointment of Keith Fox as president of McGraw-Hill Construction, a provider of design and construction information and intelligence in North America. Keith most recently was president of BusinessWeek.

In his new position, Keith will work with the management team to enhance McGraw-Hill Construction's leadership in providing information, marketing services and analytics to the construction industry and to accelerate growth in the emerging areas of sustainability, renovation and technology-enabled design and construction. Prior to this, he served as president of BusinessWeek from 2007 until its sale in December 2009. Under his leadership, BusinessWeek expanded the global audience and accelerated its digital transformation.

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry, serving owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, building product manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, distributors, and adjacent markets. It serves more than one million customers in the $5.6 trillion global construction industry through Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, GreenSource, and 10 regional publications.

Search for more construction related information

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, has announced its participation in the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC) 91st Annual Convention and Pavilion, March 17-19, 2010, in Orlando, FL. At the convention, RCD will demonstrate how its construction lead services and cost estimating tools can help contractors save time, enhance productivity and drive new business.

SmartProject News is an online service designed to help customers find work quickly, track preferred projects, and access project details, plans and specifications, bidders lists, firms and contacts. The SPN database contains thousands of private and public project leads, including the Federal Stimulus Projects released in 2009. Flexible and low-priced subscription options give customers unlimited access to search counties, territories or states to find relevant projects.

RSMeans cost-estimating tools and resources include cost-data books, CD’s and Web-based products that help construction professionals accurately project and control the cost of both new building construction and renovation projects. Along with the core cost data, these resources include guides such as city cost indexes, productivity rates, crew composition, and contractor’s overhead and profit rates.

Convention attendees can stop by RCD’s booth (#B21) for a chance to win The Modern Toolkit: free construction project leads, plans and specs, and cost estimating tools for one year.

Search for more construction related information

Knovel, an online resource that helps engineers find reliable technical information, has announced the immediate availability of Engineering Design and Construction Essentials. Leveraging 10 years of experience working with Engineering Design and Construction firms, including six of the top 10, and based upon historical data of frequent searches and most accessed content, the package was established to enable organisations to jumpstart their use of Knovel.

Engineers will now be able to easily access content that many top firms in the industry already have and frequently use to solve challenging technical problems. Also, they can research a variety of topics including material selection, process improvement, safety and compliance.

Strategically selected from the 23 subject areas Knovel offers, Engineering Design and Construction Essentials provide engineers with access to content and tools in subject areas such as Chemistry & Chemical Engineering; Civil Engineering & Construction Materials; Electrical & Power Engineering; General Engineering & Engineering Management; Mechanics & Mechanical Engineering; and Oil & Gas Engineering.

Search for more construction / transport related information

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, has announced several enhancements to Reed Connect. Reed Connect is an online solution that offers detailed information on thousands of commercial and civil construction projects nationwide.

In response to customer feedback, Reed Connect now hosts plans and specs online for 180 days post bid. This feature allows customers to search specifications longer, and provides access to a larger number of projects with plans and specs online.

Connect users will now be able to produce customised Microsoft Excel exports from the Project, Company and Contact search results pages. Users can choose their export fields from the modify layout options, and directly export their search results to Excel. Another way Connect users can augment their online experience is by adding themselves as a public bidder to projects within Connect. The process is quick and easy, and allows customers to publicise their intent to bid on specific projects.

Other enhancements include modifications to the Project and Company detail pages, expanded Reed DataLink search capabilities and a consolidated materials section.

Search for more reference tools

Academic and professional literature publisher Emerald Group Publishing Limited, UK, has announced an agreement with Knovel, an online resource that helps engineers find reliable technical information. Under the deal, 11 titles from Emerald’s Transport portfolio will be accessible through Knovel’s online database. Over 600 organisations worldwide will now gain access to Emerald’s Transport collection of eBooks as part of their subscription to Knovel.

In July 2009, Knovel launched a Transportation Engineering collection to help engineering firms define, scope and implement ‘shovel ready’ projects. Knovel’s transportation subject area includes technical information engineers need for the design, construction and upgrade of transportation systems and infrastructure for air, rail, coastal areas, offshore, and on the road.

Among the 11 titles provided by Emerald are two of the highly acclaimed Handbooks edited by David Hesher, from the University of Sydney, and Kenneth Button, from George Mason University: Handbook of Transport Geography and Spatial Systems and Handbook of Transport Systems and Traffic Control. Emerald joins a number of other international publishers who have partnered with Knovel for the provision of engineering and scientific content.

Search for more Transport related reference tools in K-Store

Disucss this NEWS

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, has amended a suit in federal court against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The amended complaint raises new charges that Dodge unlawfully misappropriated RCD’s confidential and trade secret information regarding specific construction projects and used that information to populate its own project database.

The original lawsuit, filed October 8, 2009, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, charged that Dodge since 2002 used a series of fake companies to pose as RCD customers and gain access to RCD’s construction project information database.

RCD’s amended complaint now alleges that Dodge also used its access to RCD’s database to misappropriate RCD’s construction information by downloading hundreds of project-related documents and viewing the specific details for thousands of construction projects. Dodge subsequently used this information to populate its own database.

Because of this conduct, Dodge was able to make misleading claims that its products were superior to RCD’s, thus preventing companies from making fair and objective comparisons of RCD’s and Dodge’s products. As a result, hundreds of companies made misinformed buying decisions and in many instances paid a higher price for construction data services.

The amended complaint cites multiple counts of misconduct by Dodge, including fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, misappropriation of confidential information, unfair competition, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, violation of New York’s general business law, violation of the RICO Act, RICO conspiracy, monopolisation, attempted monopolisation and unjust enrichment.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount in lost profits and punitive damages, trial by jury, and injunctive relief as a result of Dodge’s misuse of RCD’s proprietary construction project information.

Discuss this NEWS

Construction cost information provider RSMeans, US, part of Reed Construction Data, has announced the release of its 2010 CD-based cost data, CostWorks, as well as several new cost data book titles. The 2010 cost data will also be available through the MeansCostWorks.com system, starting in mid-December.

CostWorks allows users to access RSMeans’ construction costs for the current year, create custom cost lists and export data to spreadsheets, estimating forms or other Windows applications. It gives customers electronic access to unlock the full line of RSMeans 2010 cost-data books and automatically combines price lines to create comprehensive listings for every CSI Masterformat division.

In addition to CostWorks 2010, new annual cost-data books from the 2010 series are now available. This includes Facilities Construction Cost Data 2010, Facilities Maintenance & Repair Cost Data 2010, Light Commercial Cost Data 2010 and Interior Cost Data 2010.

RSMeans specialises in cost data resources that seek to help owners, developers, architects, engineers, contractors and other construction professionals accurately project and control the cost of both new building construction and renovation projects. The company offers print, CD and online cost data; reference books and seminars; and consulting services—tools to help owners, developers, architects, engineers, and contractors estimate and control construction costs.

Search for more construction related information services in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, has announced updates for two of its leading BIM solutions, SmartBIM Library (SBL) and SmartBIM QTO, to help Autodesk Revit users increase efficiency and organization in the design phase.

SmartBIM Library is a Revit family cataloging tool for architects, designers and engineers that provides search and management capabilities. The release of version 3.8 offers users improved thumbnail creation for all Revit families and adds support for publishing curtain wall panels in user-created catalogues. SmartBIM Library version 3.8 comes pre-loaded with over 22,000 high-quality Revit family types and includes a content update service that publishes families on a continual basis from a growing list of building product manufacturers.

SmartBIM QTO allows architects and engineers to rapidly perform quantity takeoffs from a Revit project and generate design-level cost estimates using RSMeans cost data. As a project changes, architects also have the freedom to run estimates for different design options to facilitate ‘what-if’ scenarios. After an estimate is created, any line item can be edited manually allowing users to input their own costs or further refine the estimate using the RSMeans CostWorks database. SmartBIM QTO 1.3 has improved functionality for exporting a quantity takeoff to Microsoft Excel.

Search for more such reference tools in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS

Construction information provider Reed Construction Data (RCD), US, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reed Elsevier, has filed a suit in federal court against McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge, a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The suit charges Dodge with unlawfully accessing confidential and trade secret information from RCD since 2002 by using a series of fake companies to pose as RCD customers.

The corporate espionage lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks an unspecified amount in lost profits and punitive damages and trial by jury. It also seeks injunctive relief as a result of Dodge’s misuse of RCD’s proprietary construction project information.

The complaint charges that Dodge hired consultants to subscribe to RCD’s confidential data under the cover of fake names and companies. Dodge then allegedly manipulated the information to create misleading comparisons between Dodge’s and RCD’s products and services in an effort to mislead the marketplace.

The complaint cites 11 counts of misconduct by Dodge, including fraud; misappropriation of trade secrets; misappropriation of confidential information; unfair competition; tortious interference with prospective economic advantage; violation of New York’s general business law; violation of the RICO Act; RICO conspiracy; monopolisation; attempted monopolisation; and unjust enrichment.

The New York office of international law firm Troutman Sanders filed the action, led by partner William N. Withrow, Jr.

Discuss this NEWS

Construction cost information and reference data publisher RSMeans, a division of Reed Construction Data, has released the third edition of the RSMeans Estimating Handbook, a reference guide for construction estimating and cost analysis.

The expanded third edition of the handbook is seen to cover the full spectrum of technical data required to estimate costs for major construction projects. It also covers construction specialties including green building, metal decking, plastic pipe and demolition items, and provides resources including updated city cost indexes, historic cost indexes and a reorganisation to the newest CSI MasterFormat classification system.

The resource is expected to cater to everyone in the industry, from experienced construction professionals down to students learning the basics of cost estimating. It includes information on sizing, productivity, equipment requirements, code-mandated specifications, design standards and engineering factors – all organised according to the latest CSI MasterFormat classification system.

The RSMeans Estimating Handbook seeks to help construction professionals evaluate architectural plans and specifications; prepare accurate quantity takeoffs; compare design alternatives and costs; perform value engineering; double-check estimates and quotes; and estimate change orders.

Search for more such construction products in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS

Building information modeling (BIM) solutions provider Reed Construction Data, US, has unveiled the next phase of SmartProject News, a construction lead service helping contractors and small construction companies grow their businesses through easy-to-use online tools and a powerful back-end database of projects, firms, bidders and contacts. With the launch of this service, RCD is running a special promotion (www.reedconstructiondata.com/spn) until August 31, 2009 offering free plans and specs for new subscribers.

SmartProject News (SPN) is designed for contractors that are looking for hard bid and negotiated, non-residential work. The SPN database includes tens of thousands of private and public project leads available to customers. Flexible and low-priced purchase options include full access to localised territories or states, as well as project bundles of 10 or 25.

The upgraded service provides over 30 new metro-area subscription options and several advanced search features to help customers quickly identify local projects, as well as opportunities in surrounding areas. High-potential projects are easily identified with SPN’s revamped user interface and search tools. Users can track projects using automated e-mail alerts and access project plans and specs with the click of a button.

Search for more such STM reference tools in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS

Building information modeling (BIM) solutions provider Reed Construction Data, US, has announced new releases for two of its BIM products, SmartBIM Library (SBL) v3.5 and SmartBIM QTO 1.0, which now include compatibility with Autodesk’s Revit 2010. SmartBIM Library is a BIM content management tool for architects and engineers. SmartBIM QTO 1.0 is projected as a new time- and cost-saving BIM tool that instantly provides a quantity takeoff and early cost estimate on a project using RSMeans cost data.

SmartBIM Library 3.5 comes pre-loaded with over 21,000 Revit product types, including new MEP families. The tool can also publish content on a continual basis from a growing list of building product manufacturers. Additional key developments to SBL v3.5 include improved installation support and enhancements to Reed’s content publishing feature for large catalogues. SmartBIM Library v3.5 still includes many features from prior versions including automatic content updates that deliver new Revit families directly to users’ desktops; automatic software updates to ensure the most up-to-date software features; and drag-and-drop functionality that allows users to drag objects from SmartBIM Library directly into Revit projects.

The speed and automation of SmartBIM QTO (www.reedconstructiondata.com/bim/qto) purportedly allow architects and designers to check or refine costs for a project as they go, eliminating expensive and time-consuming efforts to redesign projects to meet budget demands. As a project changes, architects also have the freedom to run estimates for multiple design options to facilitate ‘what-if’ scenarios. After an estimate is created, any line item can by edited manually allowing users to input their own costs or further refine the estimate using the RSMeans CostWorks database.

Search for more such STM reference tools in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS

Web-based information services provider Knovel, US, has announced the immediate availability of its Transportation Engineering collection. This new subject area includes technical information engineers need for the design, construction and upgrade of transportation systems and infrastructure for air, rail, coastal areas, offshore and on the road.

Knovel's Transportation Engineering collection incorporates data and handbooks from publishers including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' (AIChE) Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), Elsevier, McGraw-Hill, Springer, Wiley and Woodhead. Featured titles include Handbook of Transportation Engineering; AASHTO Transportation Glossary, 4th Edition; and Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing.

Knovel is an online resource that helps engineers find reliable technical information. Knovel's reliable content, optimised search and interactive tools, help engineers solve problems faster by providing answers at the point of need, in turn helping organisations increase the productivity of their engineering staff. Knovel's thousands of customers worldwide include 70 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than 300 leading universities.

Search for more such STM reference tools in K-Store

Discuss this NEWS