Semi-Truck entering state of Pennsylvania
Today, in honor of National Pennsylvania Day, we are taking the opportunity to shed light on some of the new and innovative technologies that Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is implementing across their state. Two exciting innovations PennDOT became early adopters of are: the e-Ticketing Pilot program and their Digital Delivery Directive 2025.
E-Ticketing
In 2020, PennDOT was one of the first states to enact e-Ticketing, a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Every Day Counts Round 6 (EDC-6) Innovation. E-Ticketing is the application of replacing paper tickets used on construction projects with a digital format. Along with 9 other states, PennDOT piloted the technology by applying it to asphalt, concrete, and aggregate delivery construction contracts.
E-Ticketing not only saves time and resources, but remains a safer and easier way for construction workers to share information. “The e-Ticketing takes our people out of the traffic footprint, and they can stand on the side of the road in a safe position and monitor the trucks as they come in,” John Myler, a PennDOT assistant construction manager said. This technological advancement replaces the need for construction workers to deliver paper tickets and prevents them from having to walk unsafely around job sites near moving cars. E-Ticketing is an excellent example of a modern innovation that provides solutions to a variety of issues.
Read more from PennDOT on their e-Ticketing program here. Utilizing digital technology allows job site workers to access construction project tickets through a phone, tablet, or computer.
Digital Delivery Directive 2025
The Digital Delivery Directive from PennDOT is a plan created to replace the construction project bidding and management process from a 2-D to 3-D digital format by 2025. The end goal is for all projects and associated documents to be designed in 3-D. Implementing this directive allows users throughout the project’s lifecycle to be able to include a variety of file types and information. The purposes of PennDOT’s plan are to improve the design quality of projects, reduce risk and project costs or delays, increase construction efficiency, and improve As-Built records.
Melissa Batula, PennDOT’s Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration explained “The Digital Delivery Directive 2025 will transform all of our operations and remain at the forefront of technology and innovation.” The directive is a great example of how building information modeling (BIM) is utilized in construction project models and information management. BIM is a process that allows project information to be stored and tracked, and provides the ability to manage assets throughout a project’s lifecycle. BIM functions as a thorough database for information management relating to a construction project.
Learn more about the Digital Delivery Directive 2025 here, and read the directives final strategic plan here.
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Sources: FHWA, PennDOT
