On the Job: UDOT Goes Online

Utah’s Department of Transportation cuts out paper with Bentley’s Digital InterPlot.

UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) recently implemented Digital InterPlot from Bentley Systems as part of its EPR (Electronic Plan Room) initiative to lower costs and make collaboration more efficient by eliminating distribution of paper plans. Digital InterPlot 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 others to view and print. Now all project team members can obtain up-to-date plans, no matter what tools they use.

"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."

Bentley helped UDOT integrate 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 access detailed information on upcoming projects by visiting UDOT's Web site. Bidders can prepare and submit bids online. The bids are then stored in an independent, third-party vault until UDOT opens them and decides whether award a contract.

With this implementation of the Digital InterPlot collaboration server for plot management, UDOT expects to cut printing, packaging, and mailing costs by an estimated $192,000 per year and complete construction projects more quickly by cutting significant time out of plan revision cycles.

Bentley Software
800-BENTLEY, 610 458 5000

— Laracella L. Sheridan is Cadalyst’s managing edtior.

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