NCHRP Releases Synthesis 664: Survey of State DOTs’ Transition to Integrated Digital Delivery

The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) recently released a synthesis of practice that documents how most US DOTs are transitioning to Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) as a replacement for printed and/or 2-dimensional PDF plans.  Spoiler alert – in most states (including Virginia), the answer is very carefully and deliberately.

VTCA’s Summer edition of Virginia Infrastructure Today includes an article highlighting the promise of IDD for owners, designers, quality managers, and contractors – CEI Teams Go Digital. Streamlined data transfer can benefit construction quantity estimates, minimize schedule elongation, reduce costs, improve safety, and even facilitate asset management (through digital as-builts).  Making it happen, however, requires close and continuous collaboration with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, ideally including contractors, utilities, railroads, consultants, and local & state governments. There are also no shortage of organizational barriers (internal structures, cultures, and policies) and legal complexities (licensing, liability, and compliance with evolving digital mandates).

Virginia was among the 42 state DOTs that responded to a survey that supported the synthesis.  Like most states, Virginia still predominantly relies on 2D PDF plan sets, but exchange of digital design data and 3D models are slowly gaining traction around the county (12%, 5 state DOTs). Adoption of 3D model-based technology for as-built documentation is likewise proceeding, but at a very measured pace.

Virginia also has plenty of company with a transition that is uneven by discipline. While VDOT reported progressing to Level 2 (Initializing) for Design, we have yet to progress beyond Level 1 (Informal) implementation for Planning/programming, Construction, or Operation & Maintenance.