The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation used a completely digital modelling process for the first time to design a 52-foot bridge to replace a structure carrying Milwaukee Road over Gardener Creek originally built in 1951. Costing $1.3 million, the three-dimensional (3D) digital process replaced traditional two-dimensional (2D) paper plans, improving design quality, reducing construction conflicts, and making it easier to communicate design intent to both the contractor and the public. The digital process helped complete the bridge project a month ahead of schedule, reducing construction impacts on nearby homes, a small farm, a picnic grove, and a local volunteer fire department. It also gave the contractor full access to the design through tablets, instead of relying on limited 2D plans. Views were created to guide users through the model at the push of a button. These views were designed to mirror those found in traditional plans, and other views, suggested by the contractor, illustrated the sequence of construction, which can’t be done with 2D plans.
America's Transportation Awards 