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llinois Department of Transportation Improves Bridge Analysis and Increases Auto-issuance of OS/OW Vehicle Permits

llinois Department of Transportation Improves Bridge Analysis and Increases Auto-issuance of OS/OW Vehicle Permits
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llinois Department of Transportation Improves Bridge Analysis and Increases Auto-issuance of OS/OW Vehicle Permits - 1

Advancing Infrastructure Project Summary Organization Illinois Department of Transportation Solution Road and Rail Asset Performance Location Springfield, Illinois, United States Project Objectives • To distribute transportation permits for oversize/overweight trucks through an automated, digital system to hasten the permit issuing process. • To improve roadway safety and extend the life of infrastructure by ensuring oversize/overweight trucks drive on the optimal route. Products Used SUPERLOAD Bridge Analysis Fast Facts • Bentley's SUPERLOAD decreased the amount of manually analyzed permits, enabling staff to focus on the analysis of complex permit applications. • SUPERLOAD Bridge Analysis increased the weight limit for permit auto-issuance up to 299,999 pounds. ROI IDOT lessened the average monthly time required for manual permit analysis by 91.5%, saving USD 11,400 per month. The permit office now issues more than 230,000 permits annually, 99.2% of which are digitally automated; this generates USD 21 million for the Illinois General Road Fund. Illinois Department of Transportation Improves Bridge Analysis and Increases Auto-issuance of OS/Ow Vehicle Permits Bentley's SUPERLOAD Application Automates 99% of Permit Issuance Upgrading an Outdated System Illinois is a hub for grain, corn, and soybeans, all of which are transported internationally. To transport these agricultural goods from their starting point to destination, they need to be placed on a truck. Many times, these items form an oversize and overweight load and require a specific permit to travel on state highways. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) must find a safe route for these trucks to travel in the state of Illinois and issue an oversize/overweight permit for the trucks to begin their journey. With slow, manual permitting processes, IDOT sought to update and automate its permitting system to rely on digital components and processes. Issuing permits for oversize/ overweight loads could take up to two weeks with their manual process, which was a turnaround time that the IDOT deemed unacceptable. Establishing an Automated Permit System In 2012, the IDOT began a plan to switch from their manual process of issuing permits and maps to a fully automated system. IDOT implemented the Illinois Transportation Automated Permits (ITAP) system. The ITAP application autoissues permits for trucks traveling on roads and highways maintained by the state of Illinois. Individuals submitting the application must enter their truck and load information, point of origin, point of destination, axle spacing, dimensions, and weights. Then, the application searches for a feasible route that would support the weight and size of the truck. Finally, the ITAP suggests a viable route based on origin and destination that considered restrictions, vertical clearances, posted legal weight, and ton-restricted structures. In this initial phase of the automation rollout, ITAP determined that permit applications that did not exceed practical maximum weights of 120,000 pounds with dimensions that were less than or equal to 16 feet wide, 17 feet high, and 200 feet long, were auto-issued. When an application came through that exceeded the practical maximum weight of 120,000 pounds and the dimensions, the application was sent to the permit office to have the route evaluated by a permit technician, who would manually determine the viability of the submitted route. The creation of ITAP during Phase I of this project automated about 60% of the permits submitted to the permit office. Going Digital by Integrating SUPERLOAD with the ITAP System When Illinois was planning for the next phase of ITAP, which included Bentley SUPERLOAD Bridge Analysis, they wanted a solution that would provide consistency, automation, and digitalization. Applying a digital context to the road network enables IDOT to see evolving conditions or unexpected changes occur in real-time that may affect a truck route. Providing an easy-to-use, automated system that relies on digitally connected processes leads to improved safety, better compliance, and reduced costs. In 2015, Phase II began and the weight limit for auto-issued permits was increased to any load less than 250,000 pounds. Bentley's SUPERLOAD Bridge Analysis software was used to provide structural analysis. When a successful route is found within the ITAP system, all roadway structures on the route are analyzed by SUPERLOAD for the specific truck and load configurations provided. This analysis is important in determining the optimal route for oversize/overweight loads. The ITAP application submitted a list of these structures to the Bentley SUPERLOAD Bridge Analysis web service, which applies structure ratings to each structure based on the load and the structure's characteristics. If these structures will not support the weight of the load or are too small for the load's measurements, another route is determined. If no failed structures are found, a permit is automatically issued. "When you first try to get a route, you will see some of the obstructions that you have too much weight on," Geno Koehler, permit office unit chief at IDOT, explained. "The software tells you that the truck cannot pass over a bridge and specifies what that reason is, such as a bridge weight conflict and reduced speed sections of the bridge." In Phase II, the system searched up to four times for an appropriate route before sending the application to a

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llinois Department of Transportation Improves Bridge Analysis and Increases Auto-issuance of OS/OW Vehicle Permits - 2

"There have been many benefits that have come from adding SUPERLOAD software to ITAP and going digital. We have improved the consistency of routing and permitting across structures and increased our efficiency tremendously. By going digital and by being automated it's safer, it's more efficient, and it's extremely fast." - Geno Koehler Permit Office Unit Chief, Illinois Department of Transportation Find out about Bentley at: www.bentley.com Contact Bentley 1-800-BENTLEY (1-800-236-8539) Outside the US +1 610-458-5000 Global Office Listings www.bentley.com/contact technician within the...

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