Building a Better World for All of Us®

Since 1997, SEH has built a reputation across North Dakota as knowledgeable providers of reliable engineering solutions and innovative approaches to planning for North Dakota’s future.

Our North Dakota team is located in Bismarck and our employee-owners understand how the decisions we make in the field will impact your community. We will continue to provide feasible, right-sized, technical solutions for all of your planning and engineering needs including:

Transportation/Traffic/Rail

Civil/Municipal

Water/Wastewater

Flood Control/Stormwater

Industrial Development

Residential/Commercial Development

Solid Waste/Transfer Stations

Environmental

Architecture/Buildings

Community Planning

Economic Development FundStart™

Surveying

Aviation

Construction Services

Energy reality was used to review the design of a patient room with nurses in real time. We projected a 3-D visualization of the planned headwall behind an actual patient bed and invited practicing nurses to confirm equipment placement and other room features while we made adjustments. Nurses tried out their suggested modifications until they all agreed on the optimal arrangement, allowing for an accelerated review process and better understanding of critical device placements.

This interactive visualization has not only increased customer satisfaction, but also decreased project cost by minimizing the need for change. Designs are reviewed and approved at a more rapid pace and clients are more informed and confident in their decisions.

VDC can be a great benefit to the planning of any project, but there are some good base rules to consider before engaging with this exciting new technology.

• Begin with the end in mind: What are you hoping to accomplish with VDC?

• Evaluate your options: Is VDC the best way to reach your goals? Are there lower-tech options that will work just as well?

• What is the right VDC equipment and experience for each engagement? There are a number of companies and applications now vying for your VDC business.

• Which low-tech solutions shouldn’t be replaced? In construction, VDC works best when it complements traditional planning tools, like physical mock-ups.

• What is the return on investment? VDC is rapidly dropping in price, but this is an evergreen question for all businesspeople to consider before investing in a new technology.

Overall, VDC has been found to reduce costs on projects by an average of 2.95 percent and increased productivity by as much as 25 percent. Like good communication, it has allowed us to avoid mistakes and coordinate team members while meeting client expectations and improving safety.

Using 3-D technology efficiently is a skill, but it is a skill that can be learned and, when applied smartly to business, can be revolutionary. PB

Taylor Cupp Senior Integrated Construction Coordinator Mortenson Construction taylor.cupp@mortenson.com