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Message From the Director: Member Web Benefits

One of the most startling revelations arising from our strategic planning meeting, and the research performed leading up to it, was the fact that many members still do not realize all of the resources they can access as members of the TCA. No where is that more apparent than on the TCA website. Members may not be utilizing the website but the “surfing” public most certainly is. The TCA website receives over 500,000 hits per month. An average of nearly 15,000 unique individuals visit our website and download or view more than 100,000 pages of TCA information each month. These figures are not temporary spikes but part of a trend that has continued since we went on-line over 10 years ago.

TCA will commence an effort beginning early next year to inform members of some of the member benefits available through the web. We will also give members instructions on how to access some of these features. There will be a presentation and demonstration at the annual meeting to kick-off this effort, but I will describe four of the features below. Two features are currently available, the other two will be introduced in Las Vegas.

The first is the archives of on-line articles about Tilt-Up. Hidden away on our website are pdf versions of almost every article on Tilt-Up that has been published within the past 10 years, or even earlier, and you can access this cornucopia of information with two simple clicks of your mouse. If you click on the text “TCA News” in the upper left hand corner of our homepage you will be taken to the TCA News and Archives section of the site. When that page appears, click on the “Archived Media Coverage” text in the center and you will pull up an index to articles by year. I found over 100 articles, arranged by month, with a brief synopsis of the article, its source, a link to the full article with the option to download just for the year 2004. The earliest article dates back to 1958.

The second feature you should be aware of is the site search function. If you are looking for very specific information about Tilt-Up, this is the quickest way to drill down to the information you need. You access the search engine for the site by clicking on the text in the blue box “Search this Site” in the upper left hand corner. You are immediately taken to the search criteria entry page where you can enter a specific keyword or phrase. I entered the words “bond breaker” and in less than a second, 107 matches were found. When searching, the article or source title is displayed with the specific text in the document in which the phrase appears. Clicking on the specific summary will take you directly to the full article or story.

The last two features, which will be demonstrated at the annual meeting, are the online magazine and buildings database. The online magazine will be an electronic version of Tilt-Up TODAY with
full search capabilities, print page features, the ability to “tear” a page out of the publication so it can be archived or sent to another person, and a host of other nifty features. All the issues from 2007 will be available upon introduction of the service. If interest is strong, we will add more back issues to the service.

The buildings database will include a searchable database with photographs and critical information for hundreds, and eventually thousands of Tilt-Up buildings. You will be able to select one, or a series of options to locate a Tilt-Up structure meeting the stipulated criteria. Searchable fields will include location, building use, exterior finish, structural system, number of stories, and size. The general public will be able to perform a basic search, but members will have access to more detailed information and higher resolution photos for the projects on which TCA has more information. Of course, all of the Tilt-Up Award winners from the outset of the program are available online.

The next time you log-on, make it a point to become familiar with another one of the great features of the TCA website. Who knows, you might actually learn something. Lastly, as with everything we do, if you think of a feature or benefit you would like to see, give Jim or myself a call.

 

Ed Sauter, Executive Director

TCA Board of Directors

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TILT-UP TODAY, a publication of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, is THE source for Tilt-Up industry news, market intelligence, business strategies, technical solutions, product information, and other resources for professionals in the Tilt-Up industry. A subscription to TILT-UP TODAY is included in a TCA membership. Subscriptions for potential TCA members are also available. If you would like to receive a complimentary subscription to the publication, please contact the TCA.