First Light Technologies Ltd. Published on December 14, 2017 - A multi-use, 250 acre, park in Harris County used to be a ghost town after dark. After installing IPL Solar-Powered light fixtures, the park has experienced a significant increase in use during the evening/morning hours. The wire-free IPL Solar Light Fixtures illuminate the pathways, fitness areas, picnic shelters, skate park, and dog park. The fixtures were installed within two weeks and were chosen for their rugged construction, reliable performance, and low cost to install.

Click on "Read More" below to view the video about the solar light project completed in Gene Green Park, Houston, Texas. The project encomapsses 156 solar light fixtures and the choice of using First Light Solar Lights saved Harris County over $250,000 versus trenching and wiring.

Name Change Signals Expanded Scope for Trex® Brand and Business

WINCHESTER, Va., Dec. 11, 2017 – SC Railing, the country’s leading manufacturer and supplier of custom architectural railings, has taken on a new – but renowned – name. Effective today, the company, recently acquired by Trex Company, has been renamed Trex Commercial Products. In addition to more closely aligning the subsidiary with its new corporate parent, the name change establishes Trex® as a major brand name in the commercial building arena.

“SC Railing has earned a reputation as the ‘go-to‘ railing supplier for commercial architects and specifiers,“ said James E. Cline, president and CEO of Trex Company. “From stadiums and large public works to universities and hospitals, SC Railing has been involved with many of the largest and most recognized commercial building projects in the country. We look forward to carrying on that legacy and to serving an even wider audience with Trex Commercial Products.“

For previous, current and potential customers of SC Railing, Cline emphasizes that the company name is the only thing that is changing. Trex Commercial Products will operate out of the existing SC Company facilities in Brooklyn Park, MN and Fort Mill, SC, and will continue to be managed by the same leadership team and sales network.

“All of the things that have made SC Railing a supplier of choice – our people, our products and our commitment to customer service – will remain unchanged,“ noted John Lewis, CEO of SC Company and now President and CEO of Trex Commercial Products. “If anything, these assets will become even stronger thanks to the tremendous resources now at our disposal as part of the Trex family.“

Herk-de-Stad, Belgium – Tuesday, December 12, 2017 – Today, SCIA announced the release of SCIA Engineer 17.1. The new version of the structural analysis and design software extends the functionalities introduced in SCIA Engineer 17 (released in June 2017), which was designed to help structural engineers boost their productivity in their day-to-day work. Version 17.1 delivers a number of enhancements in the areas of concrete design, BIM, loading and overall usability. The version also features more streamlined workflows and provides a higher level of transparency to help structural engineers work even faster and with more precision.

“SCIA Engineer 17.1 reflects the valuable feedback we received from our users during our conferences and online events after the launch of SCIA Engineer 17. Building on the strengths of the software, the new version will deliver even more value to our users in Europe and the United States. This will be particularly evident in the new Eurocode 2 2D concrete outputs and punching shear check, as well as the robust and accurate live load reduction compliant to ASCE. In addition, we are introducing several usability improvements that will make the work of our users easier,” said Cyril Heck, chief product and marketing officer at SCIA.

The new functionalities and enhancements in SCIA Engineer 17.1 include:

Concrete design:
• One-click punching shear check now automatically handles openings
• Graphical presentation of the effective section depth
• Conversion of calculated reinforcement (mm2) to practical reinforcement meshes (diameters and spacing)
• Color-coded display of unity checks for the checks of 2D concrete (CDD and cracks)
• Calculation of the stress limitation according to NEN-EN 1992-1-1
• New Romanian and Spanish National Annexes
• Updated Czech and Austrian National Annexes

BIM:
• Updated Revit link for composite beam data, metal decking and steel joists

Loads and overall usability:
• Tributary area distribution on panels with openings
• ASCE compliant live load reduction
• Various usability improvements including default imperial unit sets and handling of legend for graphical results