Herold Engineering Bridging the Gap Civil Engineering Projects Completed 20 Percent Faster "By getting our staff up to speed quickly, we were able to take full advantage of Autodesk Civil 3D sooner. We were making changes in hours that would have taken days with our old software."
—Nathan Trobridge, Civil Engineer, Herold Engineering Project SummaryWith offices in Nanaimo and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Herold Engineering has grown rapidly in recent years. Working with clients in both the public and private sectors, Herold’s civil engineering services range from residential development design to transportation projects and municipal infrastructure. As with most engineering firms today, the pressure to adhere to schedules while gaining competitive advantage is intense. In response, Herold recently adopted Autodesk Civil 3D as its core civil design software. By leveraging Autodesk Civil 3D’s dynamic capabilities, Herold has been able to: - Make changes that once took days in hours
- Complete projects in 15-20 percent less time
- Deliver better designs and more options to clients
- Gain competitive advantage over less technologically advanced firms
The ChallengeChanges Impact Schedules
Whether public or private, Herold’s clients appreciate the firm’s ability to keep projects on schedule—even when faced with significant design changes. But as a small firm, that sometimes means shifting team members to projects at risk of falling behind. Before turning to Autodesk Civil 3D, the engineers at Herold spent much more time making design changes. Simply moving a road alignment forced them to redraw numerous elements within their designs. Developing multiple design alternatives was similarly time-consuming. “Our clients appreciate the quality of the work we do, and they prefer hiring a local firm,” says Nathan Trobridge, a civil engineer with Herold. “Still, we must be able to compete with larger, out-of-town firms. Major changes are very challenging for project schedules. The faster we can make changes, the easier it is for us to keep every project on track.” The SolutionWhen the trial version of Autodesk Civil 3D was released in 2004, Herold evaluated it and found its ability to dynamically link elements within designs very promising. Herold determined that, by using Autodesk Civil 3D, the firm would be able to make design changes more quickly and easily. Herold also realized that the software offered another competitive advantage: the ability to develop multiple design alternatives very quickly. In early 2005, the firm began using Autodesk Civil 3D for virtually all of its projects. To ensure a smooth transition, Herold turned to Pacific Alliance Technologies, a provider of technology and support services to the GIS and engineering community. Pacific Alliance provided formal training to Herold’s engineering staff and assisted the firm in creating the initial styles and standards that the software requires. According to Trobridge, taking a thorough approach to implementation proved highly beneficial. He says, “By getting our staff up to speed quickly, we were able to take full advantage of Autodesk Civil 3D sooner. We were making changes in hours that would have taken days with our old software.” Moving Bridges—In Hours
One of the first projects Herold designed with Autodesk Civil 3D is a new bridge for the City of Nanaimo in British Columbia. The new 30-meter, two-lane bridge replaces an existing bridge nearing the end of its life. With 250 meters of approach work and a water main running across it, the bridge’s design included a number of interdependent elements. As the design neared completion, the client decided that the bridge and its approaches must be moved two meters, a change that would have taken days before Autodesk Civil 3D. But the new software turned days into hours. “Moving the bridge was no problem,” explains Trobridge. “I simply changed the alignment, and all the interdependent elements of the design changed automatically. I took a couple hours to fine-tune the design, but all the tedious work—the annotation and the drafting—were completed immediately. Prior to Civil 3D, a major change like that would have required at least two days of work with the alignments and profiles.” The ResultLeading the Competition
By turning to Autodesk Civil 3D ahead of most firms, Herold is doing much more than simply saving hours—and days—on projects. The firm is also ensuring that it can beat the competition on future bids. “Autodesk Civil 3D is accelerating the overall pace of projects by as much as 20 percent,” says Trobridge. “We’re able to explore more design alternatives more quickly, which contributes to a better design. We’re improving our already strong reputation because Autodesk Civil 3D is improving our turnaround times on projects and giving us more time to do quality work. In our industry, speed and quality are keys to gaining competitive advantage.” For More InformationFind out more about how Autodesk Civil 3D is helping engineering firms and public agencies complete projects faster by visiting us on the web at www.autodesk.com/civil3d. About Pacific Alliance Technologies
An Autodesk Authorized System Center, Pacific Alliance Technologies provides software, customization and implementation, application development, education and support. Pacific Alliance Technologies serves customers throughout North America from its offices in Calgary, Victoria and Vancouver. To learn more, visit www.pat.ca. | 
