Construction Inspection for Digital Project Delivery

Today's 21st century world is all about speed of getting tasks completed through accelerated delivery. This pace is now being translated to highway Construction Inspection. Civil Integrated Management (CIM) framework set the ground work for how a State Highway Agency understands the tools and technologies available. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through Every Day Counts (EDC-2 & 3) promoted many of the interrelated technologies such as e-Construction paperless construction administration delivery process to 3D Engineering Models for Construction. The Final reports can be accessed at the following links:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/reports/edc-2-finalreport/

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/reports/edc-3-progressreport

FHWA and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) are currently conducting research and syntheses respectively on costs, benefits, and challenges on the types of technology which either support or are directly related to Construction Inspection.  Construction Inspection in a digital project delivery environment takes a comprehensive approach from data management to inspector processes. The best use of the technology to support accelerated delivery and best utilize the construction inspector's time for effective data gathering in accordance to the project contract requirements is unknown, but some states such as Iowa, Florida, Texas, and Michigan have all began to develop standard procedures on how best to utilize the technologies in the field.  Ongoing and recently completed research related to this project includes:

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• FHWA RESEARCH AUTOMATION IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION:  Overview and Design Guidance and Guide Specification Manual (2 Reports), 2015. (See Attachment J.3)
  
• FHWA Contract DTFH61-14-C-00045Addressing Challenges and Return on Investment (ROI) for Paperless Project Delivery (e-Construction). (See Attachment J.4)
  
• NCHRP 20-05/Topic 46-06 Usage of Mobile IT Devices in the Field for Design, Construction and Asset Management. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_491.pdf