INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGN-BUILDERS?
Reprinted with permission of Reprinted with permission of The Design-Build Institute The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) of America (DBIA)
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FEATURE STORY
E LECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): THE H UB OF DESIGN-B UILD PRACTICES
By Randy Tardy, P.E., and Tom Harter, DBIA Over the years, many articles have been written about the applications of information technology (IT) in large corporations and government agencies. In addition, numerous software companies are in the business of providing IT software and implementation services for large systems that manage and control information. These systems are often referred to as electronic document management systems (EDMS). As most engineering professionals know, the implementation of an EDMS is not as simple as loading an engineering application on the office computer, taking a couple days of training, and starting a small project. With an EDMS, it takes an IT manager in the central office and some lead users in regional offices to make sure the end users are connected to the system and running smoothly. Sometimes a company’s computer infrastructure is not up to the task of serving hundreds or thousands of users and must be upgraded. In some cases the EDMS cannot handle all the project documentation, engineering data, and computer-aided design (CAD) files. Design-build projects require an EDMS that manages engineering data and CAD files in addition to the electronic documents, spreadsheets, etc., produced by general office products. On a fast track design-build project, you do not have the luxury of time. IT must be up and ready to go at all times. In design-build, the system must be in place even before the award of a project is announced. An EDMS is valuable during the proposal stage, so that information developed to win the project can be reused easily when the designbuilder is awarded the project and
receives the notice to proceed. IT must deliver every day of the project, from the groundbreaking ceremony to the ribbon cutting. The success of a design-build project is measured by finishing ahead of schedule and at or below budget. A strategically implemented IT system is a key to making this success possible. However, it does not stop there; the fully implemented IT system enables you to be more competitive on your next job, and that’s bottom line return-on-investment (ROI).
Team members should focus their attention on applying their technical skills on the project. The IT manager must focus on making the system responsive and as transparent as possible to the team members and the client’s project overseers. As an analogy, think of the wheel of a mountain bike. A strong hub and more spokes mean the wheel is well-built and better able to cope with bumps along the path. The same is true for an EDMS implementation. The EDMS hub controls all project information and the spokes are the network connections that enable better communication and fewer “bumps” in the delivery of the project. It is all about getting the right information to the right person at the right time. Design-Build DATELINE — June 2005
IT
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D ESIGN -B UILD P ROJECTS
As an engineer or architect, you need not be too concerned about how the IT system works. You should focus instead on the benefits the design-build team will receive from the fully implemented EDMS.
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FEATURE STORY
ELECTRONIC D OCUMENT M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): T HE H UB OF D ESIGN -B UILD P RACTICES
To achieve this objective, IT must provide a robust project information control system to: • • • • • • • • • Organize project information. Standardize best business practices. Reduce manual administrative tasks. Automate distribution of project correspondence. Simplify searching for project records. Reuse and share project knowledge. Secure project information. Improve quality of project deliverables. Archive the history of each project. • • • • Safety Procurement Public information • Independent — senior designer reviews discipline specific plans and specifications design. Discipline Coordination — discipline leads review plans and specifications design for potential conflicts. Constructability — construction supervisor and design coordinator review for construction or product-related conflicts. Quality — quality group reviews plans and specifications and electronic design backup information for quality plan compliance. Oversight — owner reviews plans and specifications design for contractual compliance.
External reviewers and interest groups (extranet) • Owner or developer • County and municipal governments • Quality management • Public and private utilities • Corporate oversight • Community and special interest
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Efficient review and approval processes are critical to avoiding time delays. Some of the typical reviews include: • Internal Design — design and survey groups review plans, specifications, and electronic design.
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The review and approval process should: • Recognize and provide for “early construction.”
Why are control systems essential on design-build projects? Speed, accuracy, and accountability!
O RGANIZING P ROJECT I NFORMATION
Since design-build means concurrent design and construction, processes must be well-documented to make certain everything runs smoothly. The IT control system is the “backbone” for efficiently achieving these steps. Enormous amounts of time are saved when project communications are documented and deliverables are made electronically. An IT system for design-build projects requires both local (intranet) and remote (extranet) access: • Project team members (intranet) • Design-build management • Contract management • Scheduling • Design firm(s) • Surveyors • Construction contractor(s)
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FEATURE STORY
ELECTRONIC D OCUMENT M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): T HE H UB OF D ESIGN -B UILD P RACTICES
• Prefer on-going oversight reviews instead of detailed incremental reviews. Have a clear understanding of design criteria and the flexibility to change. Have a clear understanding of project specifications (performance vs. prescriptive). people still feel they need paper deliverables. For design-build projects, paper deliverables impede the review process and slow down communication at large. An IT control system can virtually eliminate the dissemination of project deliverables via paper. E-mail can electronically transmit smaller files such as office documents and spreadsheets, but CAD attachments are often blocked by firewalls because they are too large. Furthermore, e-mail is an informal,
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uncontrolled mechanism used to transmit sometimes formal project information. The use of EDMS insures secure distribution of information by allowing only project participants to access and download project files, regardless of size. The need to generate CD’s or download project files from uncontrolled file transfer protocol sites becomes unnecessary.
E LECTRONIC R EVIEW AND A PPROVAL U SING EDMS
Consider the simple process of getting design documentation ready for construction. This activity occurs every day on a design-build project.
To accommodate a broad range of reviewers, the control system must be able to manage project-specific architectural/engineering data file formats in addition to office product formats: • • CAD files (MicroStation DGN, AutoCAD DWG). Civil engineering data such as digital terrain models (DTMs) and geometry (Alignments) files (GEOPAK, InRoads, CAiCE). Building data such as architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical. Popular office product files such as Word documents and spreadsheets. Popular digital image and video files formats such as TIF and JPG. Popular video files formats such as MPEG and WMA. Popular web-based formats such as HTML and XML. Intelligent PDF files.
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Most EDMS applications support popular file formats, but fall short in supporting CAD, civil engineering, and building data formats. Recognizing that few reviewers have discipline-specific applications, intelligent PDF files are available to everyone with a PDF reader on their desktop.
S TANDARDIZING B EST B USINESS P RACTICES
The paperless office has been discussed for many years. However, progress has been slow because
Based on a flow chart originally developed by David S. Crawford, President and COO, Sundt Construction, Inc.
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Design-Build DATELINE — June 2005
FEATURE STORY
ELECTRONIC D OCUMENT M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): T HE H UB OF D ESIGN -B UILD P RACTICES
On some large projects, hundreds of designers across multiple disciplines work on-site or in remote offices. Not all external reviewers are colocated with the design-build team. Construction sequences depend on an orderly communication and coordination process. Conceptually, the following steps are necessary to get construction documentation ready for construction: 1. Initial plans are developed by the D-B designers using engineering application software such as InRoads and CAD such as MicroStation. Ideally, the scope created by the owner’s team (and optionally by their independent consultant) prior to the designbuild contract is electronically compliant to the owner’s CAD standards and compatible with application software being used by the design-build team. The IT control system is set up with all the contract proposal agreements in a “book of promises.” 2. These initial scope plans are routed to the appropriate technical disciplines and construction staff. The design-build designers produce 30 percent deliverables and post them for reviewers and a 30 percent comment meeting with the owner’s team. At this stage, PDF deliverables are preferred because both internal and external reviewers have the same deliverables and are not hampered by paper-based reproduction and distribution systems. Because CAD standards were enforced, even PDF users know how technical information is organized. A simple notification of availability is all that is required. 3. A 30 percent scope resolution meeting is held with the designbuild team leaders and the owner’s team. The “book of Design-Build DATELINE — June 2005 promises” is updated. Since the maximum time savings occur when project construction can begin when design is less than 50 percent complete, the designbuild team is highly motivated to reach scope agreement on items that are constructed first and/or have long lead times for product delivery, such as structural steel. 4. Plan revisions from 30 to 90 percent will be very dynamic. This will require elegant document control across design disciplines and construction reviewers with absolute minimal use of paper. Check-out and check-in procedures will be used across all applications to allow concurrent engineering. Again, project deliverable PDF files are made available to internal and external reviewers. Differences between 30 percent deliverables and 90 percent deliverables can be graphically highlighted. 5. A 90 percent resolution meeting is held with the owner’s team to clarify changes before preparing final issued for construction (IFC) drawings. 6. Design and quality control managers review and approve IFCs. 7. Owner approves for construction and design manager signs and seals for construction. 8. Construction begins.
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Control of calculations, drawings, and specifications in one project system. Interface between discipline, constructability, and over-theshoulder reviews. Control of release of information to the project team.
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Best practices for an electronic quality management system should include: • • • • • Common database structure. Web-based technology. Electronic workflows that feed field crews. An audit system of time-stamped activities. Corrective action/preventive action triggers.
Q UALITY B ENEFITS
OF THE
EDMS
The EDMS that saves time in delivery, review and approval cycles for IFC drawings also enables an electronic quality management system by providing: • Assurance that quality records will be controlled, retained, and auditable. Coordination of concurrent engineering tasks among multiple design firms.
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By using a common EDMS, one can be assured that all designers are using the same approved CAD files, design standards, specifications, and workflows. Changes to standards must be strictly controlled so that deliverables are consistent for downstream users. Directory structures should be set up so that deliverables for each phase are automatically posted with just-intime notification of reviewers and users. Paper usage is reduced and can be eliminated by using just-intime IFC drawings (PDF files) downloaded to field crews. Administration is reduced because automated distribution of project correspondence notifies contractors and subcontractor crews when the drawings are available, providing a link to simplify searching for the PDF files. The control system database provides easy sharing and reuse of project data. Internal project users and external reviewers see the same information, not a previous generation. An audit trail is maintained to make sure activities are monitored to ensure timely response to action items that keep schedules on track.
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FEATURE STORY
ELECTRONIC D OCUMENT M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): T HE H UB OF D ESIGN -B UILD P RACTICES
D ESIGN -B UILD C ASE S TUDIES
The Kiewit Corporation has a long history of performing design-build projects in North America. Some of its more notable projects include: • • • San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor — Orange County, CA I-15 Corridor Reconstruction — Salt Lake City, UT T-REX — Denver, CO Denver’s busiest highways — Interstates 25 and 225 — and extend the double-tracked light rail system. The T-REX project includes: • • • • 670 concurrent team members (approximately 300 designers) 1 million project records 14,000 IFC drawings 2,700 design package submittals
synchronize completed design information and add them directly into the FileNET EDMS. In November 2004, Twin MountainPTG, a joint venture of Twin Mountain Construction II Company (a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation) and Parsons Transportation Group, broke ground on the $84 million design-build I-40/Coors Interchange Reconstruction project for the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). Twin Mountain-PTG is responsible for designing and rebuilding the bridges and ramp configurations to handle estimated traffic of 140,000 vehicles per day. The technologies chosen to control information on this project were: • Centric Software ActiveProject EDMS (primary project control system) Bentley ProjectWise EDMS (design production control system)
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Rendering of the I-40/Coors Interchange Reconstruction Project in New Mexico
Each of these projects has provided progressive experience in using technology and in reducing the dependence on paper-based systems. In 2001, Southeast Corridor Constructors, a joint venture of Kiewit Construction Company and Parsons Transportation Group, started the $1.2-billion design-build project known as T-REX (Transportation Expansion Project). The Colorado Department of Transportation and Denver’s Regional Transportation District jointly sponsored this project to rebuild two of 18
The technologies chosen to control information on this project were: • • FileNET Panagon EDMS (primary project control system) Bentley ProjectWise EDMS (design production control system)
By using this combination of systems, this project has evolved into a virtually paperless project. IFC documents are securely signed and approved electronically by NMDOT. The design-builder uses MicroStation’s Composer to produce PDF drawings that are electronically transferred from ProjectWise into ActiveProject. The ActiveProject system then electronically numbers, logs, and tracks formal distributions of project information. Hyperlinks of IFC drawings are sent to the field engineers who print the drawings and add them to their construction specific work packages. 3-D renderings of the proposed project are available on the NMDOT’s web site. http://www.nmgrip.com/upload/ images/Projects/01/Flyovers/I40_Coors_Interchange_View_One.pdf http://www.nmgrip.com/upload/ images/Projects/01/Flyovers/I40_Coors_Interchange_View_two.pdf
Both FileNET and ProjectWise provided the Intranet project control hub for concurrent engineering and administrative records as well as an extranet connection for project collaboration and secure access by off-site engineers. ProjectWise distribution services were used to
Design-Build DATELINE — June 2005
FEATURE STORY
ELECTRONIC D OCUMENT M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS (EDMS): T HE H UB OF D ESIGN -B UILD P RACTICES
http://www.nmgrip.com/upload/ images/Projects/01/Flyovers/I40_Coors_V.pdf The T-REX and I-40/Coors Interchange projects provide recent proof that EDMSs are truly enabling the continued progression away from paper-only systems for design-build projects.
Randy Tardy is the Director of Industry Marketing, North America for the Civil Industry of Bentley Systems Inc. Other industries include Building, Plant and Geospatial. Bentley’s MicroStation is the CAD standard for 47 state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Bentley’s civil engineering applications are the standard for 44 state DOTs. In 2004, 80 percent of the top design firms were Bentley subscribers, and these subscriber firms performed more than 90 percent of the design billings of all the top firms. Mr. Tardy is responsible for business development and marketing to clients from DOTs, design firms and contractors in North America. He has been active in design-build for two decades in both civil and plant. Some of the most notable projects are the Hong Kong Airport, I-15 in Utah, and “T-REX” in Colorado. Working with customers on many high profile projects plus professional contributions to DBIA (CoChair of the 2005 Transportation Conference) and the TRB Design-Build Task force are very rewarding. Mr. Tardy has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a M.S. in Transportation Engineering from Michigan State University. He is a registered professional engineer in Alabama and Michigan. He may be reached at Randy.Tardy@ bentley.com.
I N S UMMARY
Design-build contracting will continue to be the catalyst for innovation. The use of an EDMS as the hub of a design-build project’s infrastructure overcomes many of the constraints caused by paperbased systems. EDMSs provide managed environments that speed up project delivery without compromising quality or causing information loss. These improvements in design-build practices benefit owners and design-builders alike. The owners benefit by getting their facilities in place sooner and realizing a faster ROI. The designbuilders benefit by being more efficient in delivering their work product. Strong IT companies continue to provide products and services that help everyone on design-build projects improve their ROI. u
Tom Harter is a Senior Project Engineer for the Kiewit Corporation, one of the largest construction and mining companies in North America, with more than 30 district and area offices in the United States and Canada. Mr. Harter is responsible for planning, testing, implementing, and training for an assortment of computer technologies used by Kiewit’s design-build project teams. He has spent more than a decade managing many of the nation’s largest design-build projects, including the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor (Orange County, CA), I15 Corridor Reconstruction (Salt
Lake City, UT), the I-25 Southeast Corridor Transportation Expansion Project “T-REX” (Denver, CO), and the Sea to Sky Highway Project “S2S” (Vancouver, BC). Mr. Harter holds a B.S. from Bellevue University, is a Designated Design-Build Professional™, and is vice chairman of DBIA’s National Transportation Committee. He may be reached at Tom.Harter@kiewit.com.
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