With roadway design and construction outsourcing costs rising and growing pressures to maximize tax dollar value, state and local governments are increasingly looking for better ways to improve transportation design projects – on a lower budget. Outsourcing has its advantages, providing convenient access to skilled expertise while helping agencies ease their workload. The process, therefore, of moving this function back in-house is often easier said than done.

It’s that time of year again! The annual Autodesk University is approaching and Autodesk Partners are gearing up for travel. Our long-time sponsor, DLT Solutions will be one of the 165 vendors at the Autodesk University Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. Stop by booth # 538 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino to learn about Autodesk Master Government Reseller and the products and services they offer, all available on a variety of federal, state and local government contracts.

With Sandy’s passing, LiDAR has again become the talk of the geospatial community. New York City officials plan on using LiDAR technology to accurately measure the city’s elevation. They’ll do so by flying aircrafts over the city and bounce lasers off the surface to determine changes and areas that need immediate attention. The data will then be used to prepare for future hurricanes.

With roadway design and construction outsourcing costs rising and growing pressures to maximize tax dollar value, state and local governments are increasingly looking for better ways to improve transportation design projects – on a lower budget. Outsourcing has its advantages, providing convenient access to skilled expertise while helping agencies ease their workload. The process, therefore, of moving this function back in-house is often easier said than done.

Planning on entering our 2012 Public Sector CAD Awards but not sure what to include in your nomination? Worried your writing isn’t up to scratch? Let’s face it; the exercise can seem a little daunting! But an award is actually a great opportunity for you to showcase your innovation and demonstrate how you and your team has made a difference in the public sector. But we want to hear from you and make it as easy as possible for you to be a winner this year! So without further ado, here are seven tips for writing a killer award submission!

As expectation grows for the AEC industry to be more eco-friendly while satisfying government regulations, developers are now considering infiltration as part of their stormwater system. Stormwater Infiltration is currently part of a sub divisional ordinance in Pennsylvania which requires developers to explain why they are using traditional retention bases opposed to stormwater infiltration.

By Nancy Mann Jackson When a state or region experiences a major weather event such as a hurricane, blizzard or tornado, numerous agencies and organizations must work together to manage the crisis. For instance, when Hurricane Irene battered the U.S. East Coast in August 2011, thousands of workers were called into action, including fire and rescue personnel, utility workers, public health officials and workers at all levels of state and local government. Typically, each of these groups maintains its own geographical data, tracking a storm, flood or other disaster, and working in a silo to ensure its own portion of the rescue and recovery is completed.

With over 800 classes and 775 speakers, Autodesk University 2012 promises to be the ultimate learning event for anyone who uses or is interested in using Autodesk software. Held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Autodesk University (AU) this year takes place from November 27-29 and ROI is expected to be high – “there is no other place where you will find the best of the best across all Autodesk products and industries in such a large concentration,” explains Shaan Hurley, Technologist for the Office of the CTO, Autodesk and a speaker at AU.

Did you enter our 2012 [acronym] CAD Awards yet? If not, there’s still time to learn more about the contest (the only one of its kind to recognize achievements in digital design in the public sector) and submit your nomination. Once the contest closes, our expert panel of judges will get to work selecting a winner and runner up prizes! Speaking of judges, we’re really excited about this year’s line-up which includes industry experts from Autodesk, IMAGINiT, CADD Microsystems, government commentators, and one of last year’s winners!

Writing in the National Defense Industrial Association’s President’s Perspective, Lawrence P. Farrell Jr wrote that, “Defense manufacturing is like the weather. Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything.” This was two years ago, yet many of Farrell’s concerns about defense manufacturing issues coupled with manufacturing concerns at large – still stand true today. The issues that affect overall manufacturing in the U.S. also impact the defense industrial base – to the point that manufacturing concerns have become national security issues.