Precast Concrete Industry Consortium Unveils New 3-D Modeling Tool; StructureWorks Built on Proven SolidWorks Platform

Business Wire, April 7, 2005

DENVER -- A consortium of three precast concrete industry leaders today is unveiling a new 3D modeling application that promises to re-shape the way the industry designs precast concrete construction projects. StructureWorks, built on the proven SolidWorks(R) software 3D design platform, is the culmination of more than three years of intensive research and development efforts led by Finfrock Industries of Orlando, FL, Rocky Mountain Prestress of Denver, CO and PTAC Consulting Engineers of Pensacola, FL.

StructureWorks enables users to develop projects dramatically faster by automating the production of drawings and generating downstream data by way of a real time bill of materials. Employing the very latest parametric modeling technologies, StructureWorks adapts all changes throughout the entire set of design documents including detailed erection and individual drawings. The industry's current standard 2D CAD process requires that all design changes be made manually across hundreds of documents, resulting in significantly more design time and an increased chance for error.

"Our industry is ready for a more cost-effective and accurate solution for designing and building projects," said Robert D. Finfrock, CEO, Finfrock, a leading Southeast precast concrete design, manufacture and construction company. "StructureWorks' industry-specific solutions, combined with the established SolidWorks platform, will change our industry the way CAD did when it was first introduced."

"This is an exciting venture for SolidWorks, as we are applying our successful software platform to a whole new industry," said John McEleney, chief executive officer, SolidWorks. "StructureWorks is the next paradigm in design software for the construction industry, and we anticipate that the precast concrete industry will benefit from the SolidWorks platform much the way many other industries have already benefited from it."

StructureWorks is intended for use by all manufacturers of engineered structural, architectural, utility, and site cast precast and prestressed products. Companies using the new application will realize lower design costs, fewer errors and more accurate bills of materials. Other benefits include faster-to-market delivery, improvements in estimating (due to better accuracy of design documents), optimization of production scheduling and reductions in man-hour requirements.

StructureWorks uses an industry standard database (Microsoft SQL Server) and platform (Microsoft Windows) that allow for easy translations for nearly any precast concrete project.

For more information about StructureWorks, please visit http://www.structureworks.net.