We are studying the possibility of evolving the current email-based transmission process into a centralized web-based process.

The purpose of this conversion would be to:

• Guide fabricator submittal through auto-filling electronic forms
• Provide for statewide shop drawing status/submittal access via account specific internet and intranet rights
• Allow for District control of notification and access preferences, reviewer assignments, among other features.

Description:

1. Account Creation -

All users outside of TxDOT and all TxDOT users with rights beyond "view  and print" must create an account with password:

• Accounts are sub-groups of District/Division office master groups within TxDOT
• This hierarchy applies similarly to companies needing access from outside of TxDOT
• Each master group will have an administrator

1a. District Validation

• The District assigns contacts and a reviewer to each CSJ/Structure/Item;
• A link to DCIS will help fill in certain project information when a CSJ is entered and found;
• Review item drop down lists will facilitate item-reviewer association, or where appropriate, a district Admin might select "All" from the list and simply assign all items to one reviewer, "District" or "BRG" for example;
• A fabricator with a valid account can upload a submittal before the District has provided this information, but the submittal would remain grayed out (inaccessible) until it is "validated" by the District

1b. Fabricator Initialization

• The Fabricator submits a drawing set either prior to District validation, or after.
• Submitting before District validation generates an email to the District contact cueing them to fill in other necessary contact info to secondarily validate the submittal.
• Submitting after the District has input contact information also generates a secondarily validated status.

2. Reviewer Notification

A secondarily validated submittal generates an email to the reviewer soliciting concurrence with their assignment as reviewer:

• Clicking a link in the email takes them to the website where they will accept or reject their reviewer status;
• Acceptance associates their account with that submittal, enabling download and upload privileges;
• Rejection triggers an email to the District contact to assign a new reviewer and the acceptance cycle is then repeated.

3. Begin Review

The assigned reviewer downloads the drawing file, annotates and stamps it and uploads it back to the database.

4. Review Complete

• Uploading an "Approved" ("AP" or "AX") drawing file to the database via the web page triggers an email notification to the Contractor, Fabricator and Detailing Office (where applicable), and all pre-input District personnel (as associated by the District Admin)
• The email to the Fabricator also instructs them to print a paper set for the Construction Division Inspector to be made available at the fabrication plant
• Uploading a "Returned for Correction" file generates an email to the Fabricator, and, or Detailing Office only, and the submittal/review cycle would repeat
• The current status and history of the submittal would be available on the web page for TxDOT and account specific non-TxDOT entities to see.

5. Archiving

When a project is complete, the District Admin uploads all additional "as-built" files to the database, checking off any database shop drawings that are superseded thereby, and changes the status of the CSJ and all associated documents to "Finaled", triggering an email notification to GSD informing them of the availability of the files (or accomplished by an automated transfer at project end);

Upon downloading by GSD- a database calendar clock is started, at the end of which time (pre-determined amount - Ex: 1 year) the drawing files are purged to a "trash" bin (temp storage) and only the status history remains via the web site; trash bin items are emptied after another amount of preset time.

More Information

• Shop Plan Drawings