Contact: Patti Wysocki                                        
E-mail: patti.wysocki@wpl.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 9, 2009 - If expert predictions are any indication, 2009 will mark the tipping point for the widespread use of building information modeling (BIM). To help ease industry professionals into this exciting and developing technology, WPL Publishing Co. is proud to present BIM Roadmap 2009, a five-part webinar series dedicated to discussing and implementing BIM technology in the construction industry. Picking up where last year's BIM Implementation Roadmap 2008 webinar presentations left off, this new series will highlight emerging trends from experienced BIM users and experts in the field.

The sessions will be hosted and moderated by BIM expert Michael Tardif, co-author of Building Information Modeling: A Strategic Implementation Guide for Architects, Engineers, Constructors and Real Estate Asset Managers, to be published by John Wiley & Sons this spring. Tardif is also director of Integrated Project Delivery Systems for Rockville, Md.-based Grunley Construction.

Tardif will provide introductory comments, challenge the speakers with provocative questions, moderate a 15-minute question-and-answer session with attendees and draw connections between the content of all five webinar sessions in his closing remarks. Tardif and our panel of experts have been practicing BIM for years, bringing vital first-hand experience that participants can leverage for their own firms.

Best practices for BIM starts with an understanding of what BIM is, where the industry is at this stage of the game and how BIM can best be used within an organization. The first session dives right into the current state of the industry by looking at how major A/E/C firms have made BIM standard practice in their organizations. It will be followed by four more sessions that will analyze current software trends, discuss the use of multiple models, look at on-the-job examples and present the risks and rewards of integrated project delivery. Here's a more in-depth look at each session:

From Cutting Edge to Standard Practice
Feb. 18, 2009 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST
Leading users who have made BIM a standard practice on all their projects explain the paths they've taken to reach consistent success. Learn organizational techniques you can use immediately to set up and operate a successful BIM shop in your firm. Plus, find out about the types of people and processes necessary to make it work. Session presenters are:
• Kurt Maldovan, Jacobs Global Buildings
• John Tobin, Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering PC

Current Trends in BIM Software
March 4, 2009 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST
With dozens of companies offering BIM software systems and add-on applications, it's hard to know where to start. What do these various applications do? Which one or more applications will benefit you the most? How do you go about researching, selecting and implementing the right tools for your role in the BIM process? What do you need in the way of on-site staff and outside resources? To help you answer these questions, Jerry Laiserin, publisher of the LaiserinLetter and executive director of BIM4Builders Conference, will relate his analysis and evaluation of many of today's relevant BIM applications.

Multiple Models, Multiple Players: The Model Exchange Challenge
March 18, 2009 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT
Hand off, 30-yard pass or fumble? How do you share the data in the model with other members of the project team? Is the data transferred, loaned, exported or shared? What about keeping changes in sync? Who is responsible for maintaining the data and model? What happens when you use multiple models? These are the questions and challenges that BIM users encounter every day. This session will help you understand the mechanics of multiple parties and how they share and work with the various models. Session presenters are:
• Chris Allen, The Weitz Company
• Jim Bedrick, Webcor Builders
• Sam Sprouse, Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.

Contractors on the Front Lines: Three Case Studies
March 25, 2009 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT
There's no substitute for experience! This session features three major construction firms that already have dozens of BIM projects under their belts. They understand the direct benefits of BIM, but more importantly, can relate the value BIM brings to project delivery, teamwork and collaboration. You'll learn why BIM has become a way of life for these companies, how they manage and use the technology, their cost experiences and the effect on the final product. Session presenters are:
• Laura Handler, Virtual Construction Manager, Tocci Building Companies
• Karie Johnson, Adolfson & Peterson Construction
• Fred Perpall, The Beck Group

Integrated Project Delivery: Contracts, Scope, Risk and Reward
April 8, 2009 1:00-2:30 p.m. EDT
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) encompasses many different concepts; almost all of which significantly benefit the parties involved. Which one makes the most sense for your situation? What is the relationship between BIM and IPD? This unique session looks at the different forms of IPD, the contract documents that may play a role, risk issues and practical advice to help you become involved in IPD in an informed and productive manner. Session presenters are:
• Howard Ashcraft, Hanson Bridgett
• Pat O'Connor, Faegre & Benson
 
The Best-Value registration package, for $749, includes tuition for all five sessions (a 40% savings over the individual session rate). In addition, you will receive a CD recording of each discussion for your future reference. You can include as many people as you would like at each session site.

Individual sessions can be purchased for $246 per session with an accompanying CD, $179 for the session only, or $215 for just the CD. For more information and to register, visit www.projectcontrols.com.

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Construction Project Controls & BIM Report (www.projectcontrols.com) is a publication of WPL Publishing Co. Inc. and focuses on technologies, issues and news in the construction project management and BIM forums. In addition, WPL Publishing produces two other construction-related newsletters, Construction Claims Advisor (www.constructionclaims.com) and Green Building Insider (www.greenbuildinginsider.com). Owner and publisher Paul Levin has published, written and contributed to numerous magazines and newsletters including ENR, ABC Today and Constructor. For more information about WPL Publishing and its newsletters, please visit www.projectcontrols.com. Queries may also be sent to editor@wpl.net or 301-983-4367 (fax).