OpenRoads Designer (ORD) Training
By Eddie Giese, PE and Sean Siwiecki, PE
PGA’s use of OpenRoads Designer (ORD) and MicroStation Connect Edition is well underway!
As more projects get started in ORD using the FDOTConnect workspace in Florida, we are advancing our knowledge of the program and working on training PGAers to be just as proficient in the software as they are in GEOPAK. If you’ve cracked open ORD, you’ll quickly realize the interface has changed dramatically and a number of workflows (such as Plans Production) have undergone a total paradigm shift. But as always, we’re here to help!
Eddie’s Take: On behalf of FDOT Central Office and through ACEC, I am lucky enough to be one of a handful of trainers selected from around the state to train other consultants on all things ORD/FDOTConnect including 3D Modeling, Plans Development, Traffic Plans, and Automated Quantities (among others) in a series of two-day trainings that occur once a month. In addition to becoming intimately familiar with the training material, I am also fortunate to be getting lots of face-to-face time with FDOT folks who are developing and maintaining the workspace that we use, giving us the opportunity to offer feedback for improvements and modifications. It’s also given me a wonderful chance to take stock in what kind of training we should focus on internally at PGA!
Sean’s Take: It’s been very beneficial operating as a drainage design consultant for District One as the FDOT has initiated its transition to using ORD for site analysis, design, and plan development. The D1 Drainage Department recognized the direction the industry was headed and decided to make the switch to ORD on all in-house design projects at the beginning of 2020 to get ahead of the curve. It has been invaluable being able to dive headfirst into ORD and work directly with the Department to determine how we will analyze our designs and produce our plans moving forward. It has also allowed me to bring that knowledge to PGA–I lead a series of weekly lunch & learns with the drainage group where we walk through new workflows for stormsewer design, plans production, and estimates reporting. While ORD is an adjustment to how drainage is evaluated and displayed on our projects, as with anything else, it gets better with experience and familiarity.
