Construction projects have many moving parts, and managing all those different elements is crucial for project success. One wrong piece of information can create a snowball effect and potentially lead to project teams building off the wrong set of plans resulting in schedule delays, cost overruns, and a loss in morale.
One way to ensure that teams are coordinated and working off the latest data set is connected construction. By connecting and integrating workflows and data, information flows seamlessly from one system to the next, ensuring collaboration across stakeholders. At its core, connected construction connects teams, processes, and information from start to finish across the project’s lifecycle.
Infrastructure plays an important role in our society and it’s important that these projects run smoothly. If they don't, the negative impacts don’t just affect project teams, but society as a whole. We rely on connected roads, highways, and tunnels to keep people and goods moving safely around the world.
In support of Infrastructure Week, we asked, “what does connected construction mean to you?” to some of our leading DOTs. The following response is from Priscilla Benavides, Central Region Design Manager with the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT).
Priscilla shares that without an accurate as-built model, the NMDOT would not be able to properly maintain and update public infrastructure accurately.
[Transcript]
My name is Priscilla Benavides, I'm with the New Mexico Department of Transportation and I am the central region design manager.
Connected construction means a collaborative team working together in unison to accomplish a common goal, which in my case would be project development through project construction, project completion to an as-built in which the DOT can use for asset management.
The impacts of not working off the latest version of our 3D model would be significant error.
If they're working off an old surface, our grades, our elevation could be different, the road could not properly tie into a road on the opposite end or a bridge on the opposite end.
Developing projects in a common data environment provides an efficient quality-based project leading to a visible capital program for the NMDOT.
