BRIDGE PROGRAM

MIGRATION
AND ALABAMA HWY 53: LEVERAGE GEO-TAGS TO CAPTURE DESIGN CONTEXT
{ IF TIME PERMITS }
INTRODUCTIONS

• GLENN ROBERTSON, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

• MARK STEFANCHUK, THE PHOCAZ GROUP

TO-DO:

• INTRODUCTIONS & OVERVIEW – A PRESENTATION 2-FER

• DEMONSTRATION #1 – WHERE WE STARTED

• APPROACH – A HIGH LEVEL FRAMEWORK FOR UPGRADES

• DEMONSTRATION #2 – WHERE WE ARE AT TODAY

• THE FUTURE – NEXT STEPS AND BEYOND

• QUESTIONS
• { PRESENTATION #2 – ALABAMA HWY 53
• { DEMONSTRATION #3 – SMARTPHONE PHOTOS, GEO-TAGS AND CAD }
OVERVIEW

• AN ATTEMPT TO COMBINE TWO PRESENTATIONS INTO ONE – I.E. A 2-FER

• BRIDGE DESIGN PROGRAMS – HOW TO CONVINCE A BRIDGE ENGINEER TO CHANGE…
• AL HWY 53: GEO-TAGGING – CAPTURE AND RETAIN DESIGN CONTEXT { IF TIME PERMITS }
OVERVIEW

• MIGRATE OLD BRIDGE DESIGN PROGRAMS

• TAKE DESIGN INPUT AND OUTPUT A DRAWING

• CONCRETE BENT
• PILE BENT
• DECK SECTIONS
• NEW PLATFORM
CHALLENGE #1 - VERY OLD TECH

• MICROSTATION/J, RELEASED1998
• HTTP://COMMUNITIES.BENTLEY.COM/PRODUCTS/MICROSTATION/W/MICROSTATION__WIKI/3164.HISTORY-OF-
MICROSTATION

• FORTRAN, ORIGINAL 1954 AND COMPAQ VISUAL FORTRAN, 1997

• VB 6, 1998 AND SUNSET IN 2005 EXECUTABLES CONTINUE TO RUN, BUT IDE LIMITED TO WIN 7 ENT
• WINDOWS XP, 2001 AND SUNSET 2014
• ISIF FILE FORMAT, 1992 AND MDL TRANSLATOR 2008 (LAST UPDATE)
CHALLENGE #2 - RESISTANCE

• BRIDGE ENGINEERS RESIST CHANGE

• KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOLS THEY HAVE
• DON’T THINK OUTSIDERS KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT BRIDGE DESIGN TO WORK ON THEIR TOOLS
• V8I IS TOO COMPLICATED
• TOO BUSY
CHALLENGE #3 – HIDDEN FEATURES

• UNMANAGED FOR SO LONG EVEN THE BRIDGE GROUP DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY HAD
• MANY FEATURES WERE NEVER IMPLEMENTED
• FEATURES WERE BROKEN
• WISH LIST
CATALYST

• WINDOWS XP 32BIT REPLACED WITH WINDOWS 7 ENT 64BIT

• NOTHING ELSE WAS STRONG ENOUGH REASON TO UPGRADE

• NEW TOOLS V8I

• SLOW ANTIQUATED TOOLS
• EVERYONE ELSE ON V8I (ESPECIALLY NOT THAT)
DEMONSTRATION #1

• VB6 CONCRETE BENT

• XP 32BIT OS
• MICROSTATION/J
• COMPAQ VISUAL FORTRAN
• MDL ISIF TRANSLATOR
{ VIDEO – BECAUSE IT WONT RUN ON 64BIT WINDOWS }
APPROACH – THE PLAN

• IT / PROJECT MANAGEMENT – SIDE NOTE

• PRIORITIZE – TIME TOOK CARE OF THIS
• USE FROM EXISTING LIBRARY OF SOFTWARE, BUY OFF SHELF SOLUTION, RE-DEVELOP IN C#
• ADD-IN OR DESKTOP
• PROJECTWISE INTEGRATION
• GET AGREEMENT FROM BRIDGE TEAM…
APPROACH - DISTILLED

Change
Trust Communicate
Management
APPROACH - TRUST

• TONS OF RESEARCH
• DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCY
• SHOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE ENGINEERING PROCESS
• BUILD A PROTOTYPE - GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT THEN MOVE THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
• SHOW EMPATHY
• RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN ENGINEERED ASSET THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST
OBSTACLE TO PRACTICE CHANGE.
• DO NOT ABANDON THE SOFTWARE.
• SHARE THE PLAN – EMBRACE TRANSPARENCY
APPROACH - COMMUNICATION

• FEET ON THE FLOOR

• FREQUENT MEETINGS
• RESPONSIVE
APPROACH – MANAGE CHANGE

• TRAINING
• “I’VE BEEN HERE 26 YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST CAD TRAINING I’VE HAD.”
• “HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT?” – IN RESPONSE TO AN INTERMEDIATE BUILD OF
BRIDGE PLAN AND ELEVATION PROGRAM.
• SUPPORT
• REPEAT
DEMONSTRATION #2 – CURRENT STATE

• SWITCH GEARS – FROM MANAGEMENT TO TECH

• FORTRAN INPUT FORMAT TO XML

• PROGRAM CONSOLIDATION
• SELF-CONTAINED RESOURCES
• PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
• PROJECTWISE
DEMONSTRATION #2 – FORTRAN 2 XML
DEMONSTRATION #2 – SINGLE EXECUTABLE
DEMONSTRATION #2 – SELF-CONTAINED

IN ONE PLACE – EASIER TO DEPLOY AND SHARE

• CELL LIBRARY
• SEED FILE
• DEFAULT HELP
• FONTS
• SETTINGS (ALSO XML)
DRAWBACK – MUST KEEP UP TO DATE
DEMONSTRATION #2 – PERFORMANCE

• FEWER EXECUTABLES => FASTER: MINUTES TO < 20S

DEMONSTRATION #2 – PROJECTWISE

• CHECK IN / CHECK OUT XML INPUT FILES FROM PW SERVER

• AUTO-CREATE DRAWING DGN
FUTURE – NEXT STEPS

• WISH LIST AND NEW REQUESTS

• USAGE TRACKING
• SS4, OPEN ROADS, CONNECT AND BEYOND…
FUTURE – DESIGN S/W MANAGEMENT

Engage

Review Prioritize

Map &
Budget
Execute
REVIEW– WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE
DIFFERENTLY? WHAT WENT WELL?

• ENGAGEMENT EARLIER AND MORE OFTEN

• MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS
• BETTER PROJECT CONTROLS

• BUY-IN FROM THE BRIDGE GROUP

• BETTER, RELIABLE, STABLE, MANAGEABLE SOFTWARE – LOWERED RISK
QUESTIONS?

• I’LL START YOU OFF. “WHEN DID YOU START? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET TO THIS STAGE?”
PRESENTATION #2 – ALABAMA HWY 53: LEVERAGE
GEO-TAGS TO CAPTURE DESIGN CONTEXT

• 2 PRE-ENGINEERING PROJECTS
• SIDEWALK REPAIR – ACCESSIBILITY MANAGEMENT
• ISLAND CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR
• APPROACHES FOR CAPTURING EXISTING CONDITIONS
• DRIVE HWY 53 AND DICTATE NOTES TO PASSENGER
• WALK PROJECT AND TAKE NOTES
• “I RARELY TAKE PHOTOS BECAUSE IT TAKES TOO LONG TO REMEMBER WHERE I TOOK THEM.”
PRESENTATION #2 – ALABAMA HWY 53: LEVERAGE
GEO-TAGS TO CAPTURE DESIGN CONTEXT

• WHEN YOU TAKE A PHOTO WITH YOUR SMART PHONE IT WILL CAPTURE THE GPS LOCATION OF
YOUR POSITION. THIS IS CALLED GEO-TAGGING.
• IT WILL ALSO CAPTURE ORIENTATION AND ELEVATION.
• YOU CAN EDIT DATA TOO, LIKE TITLE, DESCRIPTION, PROJECT NAME, AND AUTHOR.
PRESENTATION #2 – ALABAMA HWY 53: LEVERAGE
GEO-TAGS TO CAPTURE DESIGN CONTEXT
PRESENTATION #2 – ALABAMA HWY 53: LEVERAGE
GEO-TAGS TO CAPTURE DESIGN CONTEXT

• HAVING THIS DATA MEANS YOU CAN LOCATE IT IN XYZ

• ON A MAP
• IN CAD DRAWING WITH A GEO-COORDINATE SYSTEM
DEMONSTRATION #3 – GEO-TAGS IN CAD

• LET’S SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE…

QUESTIONS?

• COME VISIT US AT OUR BOOTH – THE PHOCAZ GROUP

• MEET HELENA – SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING
• MEET MARK AND MARY – THE ORIGINAL CADGURUS