Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Design Collaboration

/

Integrating Design and Construction for Digital Transformation

Client: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Location: Pennsylvania

Challenge

Gone are the days of blueprints, compasses, and manual calculations. Today, cutting-edge technology is reshaping the nation's critical infrastructure and advancing digital transformation. As roads and highways are maintained and new ones are constructed, they become digitally integrated systems. The future of our interconnected transportation networks relies on technology and the effective implementation of geographic information systems (GIS).

Imagine overseeing a transportation network of more than 40,000 miles of highways and 31,800 bridges, each requiring planning, programming, design, construction, and maintenance. This is the reality for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), which invests $2.4 billion annually to manage approximately 900 projects statewide.

As the network grew, so did the complexity of managing it. Traditional methods, combined with the increasing number of applications and demand for resources, document organization, and project data access, had become a hindrance, ultimately impeding the ability to make real-time project and data-driven decisions.

PennDOT faced a critical decision to improve project delivery by streamlining its operations, standardizing infrastructure design and construction projects, and establishing a common data environment (CDE) for project teams.

Solution

Enter GeoDecisions, an existing PennDOT strategic partner, and our forward-thinking approach to digital project delivery. The mission was clear: create a unified, efficient system to simplify and enhance design, construction, and maintenance project management. Leveraging our working knowledge of PennDOT’s transportation systems and national DOT business process experience, along with our Esri® and Autodesk partner status, we developed the Project Delivery Collaboration Center (PDCC), a platform to serve as the foundation for digital project delivery and project collaboration.

The PDCC is not just a technological upgrade; it's a paradigm shift. Built on the robust capabilities of Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), the PDCC seamlessly integrates with Esri ArcGIS, PennDOT’s GIS database. Leveraging the natural integration paths GIS has to offer makes it a logical choice since the PennDOT GIS database already contains most of the data that needs to be shared. A geographical context allows all project stakeholders to understand existing conditions and project impacts better.

The project’s success lies in its robust system architecture, which consists of three components:

  • Existing Systems: houses data environments and systems responsible for storing and managing project delivery data and processes.

  • Fusion: consolidates, validates, and integrates data with enterprise services.

  • ACC: oversees workflows, manages approvals workflows, stores files, tracks issues, and sends notifications.

GeoDecisions tackled the complex challenges of implementing digital technologies, transforming data management processes, and driving efficiencies throughout PennDOT.

 

PDCC’s architecture works together to achieve a common data environment utilizing ACC.

Collaboration results in expanding tools beyond traditional applications.

 

Key Technologies

  • Esri ArcGIS

  • Esri REST web services

  • Autodesk Construction Cloud

Key Take-aways

  • Collaboration: a standardized solution that supports PennDOT’s digital transformation.

  • Improved efficiency: saving money and time throughout project development.

  • Standardized design process: a CDE facilitates a holistic resolution that streamlines processes.

  • Flexibility: the ability to incorporate continuous improvements such as future procedures and technology implementations.