Revolutionizing Safety on Interstate Projects: How Apex Engineering Eliminated Dangerous Site Crossings

How Apex Engineering Transformed Highway Safety and Efficiency with Digital Stationing

Precise stationing is critical in heavy highway construction, ensuring proper placement of road features, materials, and utilities. It directly impacts project quality, safety, and effective team communication. For Apex Engineering in North Dakota, the challenge of managing complex interstate projects led them to embrace a digital solution that would transform their approach to construction management.

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The Challenge: Accessibility of Critical Data

Brent Muscha, PE, PTOE, an Associate at Apex Engineering, identified a common frustration in the field: "How many times are you on a project and you need to figure out what station you're at...and it's just not readily available?"

The team faced several key challenges:

• Managing multiple alignments and ramps on expansive projects

• Working around constant traffic flow that impeded traditional surveying

• Dealing with unavailable surveyors at crucial moments

• Relying on physical markers that were often removed or obscured

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The Solution: A Digital Solution for Modern Construction

Apex found their answer in OnStation, a platform that transforms smartphones into powerful locationing tools. "We started using it on our phones," shared Levi Heller, assistant project manager with Apex. "We can also run it on iPads, which is handy."

The platform enabled the team to:

• Instantly determine stations using GPS

• Drop custom-icon pins for project elements

• Capture automatic geotagged photos with station data

• Measure areas and distances directly in the app

• Toggle between alignments for accurate referencing

• Share real-time data project-wide

• Find precise station/offset coordinates with a single tap

• Communicate with crew and supervisors through in-app chat

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Game-Changing Results

The implementation of digital stationing delivered significant improvements across multiple areas:

1. Cost Savings: Reduced surveying costs and improved workflow efficiency

2. Enhanced Collaboration: Connected office and field teams with real-time updates

3. Reliable Accuracy: Provided precise locations for everything from site orientation to detailed measurements

4. Better Documentation: Time-stamped and stationed photos and notes created clear, undisputed project records

5. Safer Operations: Eliminated dangerous site crossings by providing instant location data

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Industry-Wide Impact

The success of digital stationing isn't limited to Apex Engineering. Today, OnStation is used by 12 different DOTs across the United States, with over 2,000 projects integrated into the platform. Its versatility in displaying various coordinate systems (Station/Offset, Mile Marker, and Linear Reference System) makes it adaptable to diverse project types and regional preferences.

From bidding to closeout, OnStation's user-friendly interface and powerful features have proven to be a comprehensive solution for construction teams of all sizes. Apex Engineering's experience demonstrates how digital innovation can address longstanding industry challenges, paving the way for more efficient, safer, and more accurate project execution in heavy highway construction.