The Banks Group Distinguished With BE Award

Exton, Pa. � May 12, 2006 � The Banks Group, a multinational property development, mineral extraction, and land reclamation firm, is uniquely addressing both the energy demands and community interests of Northumberland, England. The mining project won The Banks Group a BE Award in the category �Civil: Planned Development.�

The BE Awards of Excellence, which are presented at the annual BE Conference (www.be.org), honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world�s infrastructure. These projects set benchmarks for their industries, and showcase the imagination and technical mastery of the organizations that created them. This year�s BE Awards of Excellence ceremony takes place May 22 in Charlotte, N.C.

The Shotton Surface Mining Project will provide high-quality, low-sulfur coal to power Alcan, a major local industry. The coal is the only local reserve capable of meeting Alcan�s requirements over the next ten years. In addition, the mine will provide fireclay and shale for local brick makers.

Key project innovations include immediate commencement of site restoration and screening the mining operations from public view. This will include public access to a unique landscape encompassing natural and historic aspects of the west and north regions. To the south, a landform park will be developed from the soil cuttings of the mine, featuring a female figure lying alongside a series of lakes reflecting the local landscape. This centerpiece land art form, designed by architect and artist Charles Jencks, will span over 1600 feet long and up to 98 feet high.

Bentley�s land development site design software and 3D and PDF tools have been employed in all aspects of the design of the Shotton Surface Mining Project, including the open pit mines, restoration designs, access roads, and other site features. By standardizing on Bentley�s single, common data format, The Banks Group was able to meet its workflow requirements for various engineering disciplines and eliminate time-consuming file translations.

As Alan Sherwen, group ICT manager of The Banks Group, said, �Bentley software has transformed the speed, accuracy, and detail with which we are able to model our sites.�

For more information on The Banks Group�s winning project and all of the other 2005 BE Award projects, visit www.be.org/2005beawardwinners. For more information on the Bentley products used in this project, visit www.bentley.com/Civil

About The Banks Group

The Banks Group was founded in 1976 by current chairman Harry Banks and employs more than 400 people. The company�s main activities include property development and land reclamation, mineral extraction, renewable energy, and waste management. The Banks Group operates throughout the U.K. with regional offices in the Midlands, North East and North West of England, and Scotland. 

www.hjbanks.com

About the BE Conference

The BE Conference, which consistently scores a 99 percent attendee satisfaction rating, is a once-a-year learning opportunity for Bentley users and their managers offering professional training, technology updates, keynotes, and best practice sharing. At these sessions, attendees better themselves, better their organizations, and better the ways they can improve the world�s infrastructure.

For more information on BE Conference 2006, taking place May 21-25 in Charlotte, N.C., go to www.be.org

About Bentley

Bentley Systems, Incorporated provides software for the lifecycle of the world�s infrastructure. The company�s comprehensive portfolio for the building, plant, civil, and geospatial verticals spans architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. With 2005 revenues of $336 million and more than 2,000 colleagues around the world, Bentley is the leading provider of AEC software to the Engineering News-Record Design 500 and major owner-operators.

www.bentley.com

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