PennDOT preps students on digital delivery

A Penn College alumnus, representing the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, met with civil engineering technology and construction management students last week to provide an overview of PennDOT’s digital delivery program, an initiative that is modernizing its delivery processes and contract documentation to incorporate digital data.

Scott McMasters, who earned an associate degree in architectural technology in 1998 and is the digital delivery/highway design manager at PennDOT, provided students with an overview of the program that allows construction projects to be bid using 3D technology.

“Digital delivery is the transition from traditional 2D plans to 3D models that can be interacted with in three dimensions. The 2D plans require additional effort to prepare for bid, and the 3D models will provide all the information that already exists in an engineering design to the contractor,” explained David J. Fedor, department head and assistant professor of civil engineering technology.

McMasters showed the students pilot projects to illustrate how digital delivery can aid engineers in identifying constructability and safety issues caused by engineering designs and contractors’ field adjustments.

“Ultimately, when fully implemented, digital delivery will save time and money for PennDOT, which will result in benefits to highway and bridge users and Pennsylvania’s taxpayers,” Fedor said.

Aaron Caulfield, strategy consultant/project manager for Dering Consulting Group, accompanied McMasters for the presentations. Caulfield is connecting PennDOT with stakeholders in higher education.

The Penn College civil engineering program has strong ties to PennDOT. Fedor was a civil engineer at PennDOT specializing in highways, and instructor Ryan J. McDonald, a 2012 civil engineering technology graduate, worked on PennDOT design contracts as a bridge engineer at Larson Design Group.

“Many of our graduates find internships and careers with PennDOT and with PennDOT engineering consultants or construction contractors,” Fedor said. “The Penn College civil engineering technology program’s curriculum is designed to provide students with knowledge that is directly transferable to engineering careers at PennDOT.”