TCA Adds Another Member Benefit

In a continuing effort to enhance and increase benefits available to its membership, the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) has embarked on a relationship with Building Systems Design, Inc. (BSD), a firm that provides software and data products to architects, engineers, and contractors worldwide. Through this relationship, the TCA worked closely with BSD to revise the BSD SpecLink® language for Section 03470 _ Tilt-Up Precast Concrete, (03 4713 - Tilt-Up Concrete), beginning with the fall 2004 update. TCA now endorses BSD SpecLink's Section 03470 as a favorable Tilt-Up specification guide and will provide further assistance in the maintenance and updating of future releases. BSD's product will carry the TCA logo accompanying a statement endorsing the content.

Part of the relationship forged with BSD includes the opportunity for the TCA to receive quarterly reports enumerating the projects that use the Tilt-Up Precast Concrete section, as well as hyperlinks from appropriate locations within the section to specific pages on TCA's website (www.tilt-up.org). The Tilt-Up section of the program has been reviewed by TCA and includes content from the TCA Guideline Specifications. One of the continuing benefits of this collaboration is TCA's opportunity to submit new information and recommendations for improvements to the section on a quarterly basis. TCA members will be able to purchase a subscription to BSD SpecLink at a 15 percent initial discount and a five percent renewal discount.

Founded in 1983 with the mission to provide industry standard software for the architectural/engineering/construction (A/E/C) industry, BSD today offers a number of groundbreaking products. BSD SpecLink is a construction specification writing, management, and production system with built-in intelligence designed to help users dramatically speed up editing tasks and reduce specification production time while minimizing errors and omissions. SpecLink contains the industry's most comprehensive and up-to-date database of master specifications, and includes lists of relevant building product manufacturers, appropriate reference standards, LEED/environmental issues, product selection guidance and more. It includes more than 700 sections covering all Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Divisions, and the latest release includes a global switch that allows subscribers to switch any project between the current 16-division format and CSI's brand new MasterFormat 2004.

"We are excited about this new relationship established with BSD," said Jim Baty, TCA's Technical Director. "The Tilt-Up section of the program has been thoroughly reviewed by our staff to add valuable language directly from the TCA Guideline Specifications. The ability to provide more guidance, education and quality for Tilt-Up projects through our involvement is a primary goal of the TCA and one we are glad to have the opportunity to cultivate through our relationship with BSD."

According to Robert Paul Dean, AIA, CSI, president of BSD, "TCA's participation in this new program is an affirmation of BSD's commitment to providing our construction industry subscribers with the most current, technically correct guide specifications in the most sophisticated software available. We are very pleased to have TCA as a partner in that ongoing effort."

For more information about BSD SpecLink, visit www.bsdsoftlink.com or call (888) BSD-SOFT (888-273-7638).