LOCATION:
California
Benefits
Seamless collaboration between state officials and construction crews
24/7 Live streaming monitors compliance
Communicate updates with the public
Reduce site visits for overall time and cost savings
Easier project management
The Challenge
Checking in on changing conditions
Centrally located near top destinations in California, the City of Modesto is busy with tourists and commuters on any given day. With so much traffic, the City needed to build a new interstate exchange with a connecting bridge over the commuter highway. The scope of the project meant collaborating with contractors at Bay Cities Paving and regulators at the state Department of Transportation.The job required that the freeway remain open and cause minimal disruption for the public but as site work began, regulators also found contaminated soil in the area. The DOT required the City to provide a 24/7 live camera feed to monitor the soil and dust so that it didn’t endanger the greater public.
The Solution
Project management through a single source of truth
Using OxBlue was a simple solution for the City. They needed an easy way to keep the public updated on traffic conditions, monitor site progress, and ensure contaminants were contained per the DOT’s guidelines. When it came time to review their options for remote monitoring, the City Construction Manager and Civil Engineer, Gary Mohler, felt that OxBlue was the superior product. Using OxBlue’s web app, project stakeholders were able to watch progress in real-time, connecting regulators, on-the-ground teams and city leaders to the jobsite from anywhere. Since work on the project happened primarily at night when traffic was quiet, the access helped Mohler and other teams reduce site visits — an overall time and cost savings.
The Implementation
Panoramic, remote-controlled cameras
The City used two pan-tilt-zoom OxBlue cameras, positioned to capture a 360° view of construction work. Each camera includes 5 different views to create a panoramic visual and can be controlled remotely. The on-demand and robotic access allowed state regulators to capture HD images and video of the site and watch for contaminated soil movement. As work continued, the City found that OxBlue acted as a better way to manage the project and discuss changes with all stakeholders. For Mohler, using the instant-time lapse feature made it easier to highlight and document each stage of the interstate’s transformation.
The Results
Sharing the story with a superior product
With the cameras, the City of Modesto had a single source of truth they could defer back to at any point – eliminating back-and-forth between on-the-ground teams and city officials. Additionally, the cameras acted as a layer of security. Since the project was for public infrastructure and over an open road, the site couldn’t be completely closed-off as typical. The livestream was another way to monitor liabilities.While the construction took three years to complete, the story can be told in under 3 minutes. After every project, OxBlue includes a professional time-lapse that the City used to share with the public and other agencies. For the City, OxBlue not only acted as an easier way to manage the project, but a means to highlight the investments in public development.
