Final Scope

With rapid technological advancements in construction, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are prioritizing digital delivery to bridge data capture gaps throughout the project life cycle. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognizes the potential for enhanced data collection in asset management through digital technologies. FHWA's Every Day Counts (EDC) program, initiated in collaboration with AASHTO, promotes innovation. EDC Rounds 2 and 3 (2013-2016) emphasized 3D models in construction, while Round 4 (2017-2018) focused on e-construction and partnering. In Round 6 (2021-2022), the emphasis shifted to e-ticketing and digital as-builts DAB. State DOTs are at different stages of transitioning to digital project delivery.  However, there is no commonly accepted standard for what digital delivery looks like or how it should be implemented.

The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices related to adopting and implementing digital delivery. 

Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to):

• Status and level of maturity of transition to digital delivery within different asset life cycle phases (e.g., planning, design, construction, and maintenance); 
• Policy changes made to support transition to digital delivery;
• Existence of written documents (e.g., strategic plan, policies, guidelines);
• Organizational structure supporting and coordinating digital delivery (e.g., staff involvement and roles, executive champion, digital transition coordinator, engineer of record, and contracted support);
• How implementation effort was initiated and scoped;
• Non-state DOT sources of funding for digital transition (e.g., grant funding);
• IT infrastructure upgrades needed to support digital delivery transition (e.g., hardware, applications, systems).
• Training supporting transition;
• Strategies developed and used to support, track, and communicate the transition;
• Data governance practices (e.g., collection, storage, security); and
• Efforts to assess the outcomes of digital delivery (e.g., efficiency, safety, quality).

Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

Information Sources (Partial)

• USDOT, FHWA.  (2022). Innovator Newsletter, September/October 2022, Volume 16 (92). Washington, DC https://doi.org/10.21949/1521850
• Dadi, G.B. et al. (2022) NCHRP Synthesis Report 594: Technological Capabilities of Departments of Transportation for Digital Project Management and Delivery. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26738. 
• Ongoing NCHRP 10-113: Quality Management for 3D Model-Based Project Development and Delivery
• Nassereddine, H., et al. (2022).  NCHRP Synthesis Report 593: 3D Digital Models as Highway Construction Contract Documents. National Cooperative Highway Research Program; Transportation Research Board; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
• Dadi, G.B. et al. (2021). NCHRP Synthesis Report 560: Practices for Construction-Ready Digital Terrain Models. National Cooperative Highway Research Program; Transportation Research Board; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26085.

TRB Staff
Zhiye Li
Phone: 202-334-2347
Email: zli@nas.edu

Meeting Dates
First Panel Meeting: 12/09/2024 (Virtual, via Zoom)
Teleconference with the Consultant: 01/16/2025 (Virtual, via Zoom)
Second Panel Meeting: 09/25/2025 (In-person, in Washington, DC)

Panel Members

Katie Brown, Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Ghada Moustafa Gad,California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Thomas Hamski, Iowa Department of Transportation
Wei H. Johnson, South Carolina Department of Transportation
Elaine Richard, Connecticut Department of Transportation
Mike Rossi, New York State Department of Transportation
Matt Versdahl, Washington State Department of Transportation
Katherine A. Petros, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)