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Utah Department of Transportation Establishes Managed Environment

Server supports engineering operations and electronic bid solicitation.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) needed a managed environment that enables better coordination in planning, reduced construction costs and greater operational efficiency.

The department has implemented a collaboration server for plot management to streamline engineering operations, project plan management and electronic bid solicitation. UDOT will cut printing, packaging and mailing costs by an estimated $192,000 per year with Digital InterPlot and will complete construction projects more quickly by cutting significant time out of plan revision cycles.

The server from Bentley Systems is streamlining the way UDOT engineers, outside contractors and suppliers create, store and share construction plans. Users can create digital plot sets from engineering data stored in DGN, DWG and raster formats, and make them available via a Web browser for viewing and printing. Now all project team members can obtain updated plans no matter what tools they use. The implementation is part of UDOT's Electronic Plan Room (EPR) initiative to lower costs and make collaboration more efficient by eliminating paper-based plan distribution.

"The UDOT Electronic Plan Room allows contractors to save time by getting instant access to plans when they are first made available and when changes occur," said Greg Herrington, UDOT EPR Project Manager. "Furthermore, we expect the EPR to encourage a wider range of contractors nationwide to bid on UDOT projects."

UDOT also integrated the EPR with its Electronic Bid System, designed to increase the efficiency of the bidding process while reducing costs for both taxpayers and construction companies. Using the Electronic Bid System, contractors can access detailed information on upcoming projects by visiting UDOT's Web site. Bidders can prepare and submit their bids online. The bids are then stored in an independent, third-party vault until they are opened and a contract awarded.

The server provides hard copy plotting, and digital plot creation, storage and distribution. Project participants can query, view, and print high-fidelity plot renditions over the Web. Digital InterPlot offers graphical comparisons and offline distribution of plan sets to improve operational efficiency.

Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.