Civil Engineering CAD Summit
Making civil construction plans and designs clear and constructible is crucial for submittal approval and a project’s success.
“It is the seed file that everyone starts from, and our templates are not like anyone else’s,” said Mick Reynolds, Galloway’s civil 3D/BIM integration and training specialist. “They are custom to our projects and clients and designed with constructible, clear, and correct standards.”To ensure Galloway’s civil engineering designs are clear, constructible, and correct, our CAD Committee meets monthly and hosts an annual two-day Civil CAD Summit. The Civil CAD Summit is a collaborative meeting with CAD leadership from all offices, project managers, and people with a solid knowledge base in CAD who come together to establish and revamp CAD standards and consistency across all offices for efficient and effective workflows.
“We are always looking to improve. We are never resting, and the summit is a perfect example of that,” said Galloway Principal Brandon McCrary.
Having not held a summit for the last couple of years due to COVID, there were multiple high-priority objectives for this year’s summit.
- Rebuild the CAD manual and give it a holistic refresh based on our updated templates and styles
- Refine documentation and communication of updates and changes
- Have each representative discuss their highest priorities and needs and identify their key priorities from a CAD Civil 3D support standpoint
Achieving these objectives involves a healthy, passionate debate among people with deep roots in the Galloway legacy and newer team members, like Civil Design Engineer Craig Dold, to determine what works best for all the offices and is going to make the company’s standards stronger.
“In my mind, the CAD summit is a selfless exercise,” said Dold. “We have a team taking time to discuss issues big and small. From text format and text size to different workflows. The goal is to make the lives of the Galloway team easier in terms of our CAD use.”
McCrary, who has also helped evolve Civil CAD standards over the years in a way that is natural to the historical flare and branding of Galloway, discussed the importance of feedback from newer and longstanding team members.
“We have people who have been here almost 30 years with so much historical knowledge of Galloway — where we have been, where we’ve gone, where we are, where we’re looking to go. That value is immeasurable,” he said. “Then you have younger team members who have come from different companies and bring fresh ideas.”
“We do not want to lose the legacy of Galloway plans. They have been well-received and well-regarded for many years,” added Reynolds. “We want to carry that legacy and the team’s legacy into the future. We have longstanding people at Galloway who have a great understanding of what makes Galloway a legacy, and we have newer people with fresh ideas, so everything is always evolving.”
For these evolutions to be made, it is crucial to ensure everyone understands how and why they are essential. This makes it easier for the representatives to mentor and 
train their teams on the new standards.
Civil Design Engineer Caleb Johnson, who represented the Colorado Springs office, explains how beneficial the summit was for him.
“It was great to be in a room filled with so many CAD experts, all offering different vantage points and experiences on a design software that we use every hour of every workday,” he said, “I’m leaving the CAD Summit with a better understanding of the software and a greater respect for my colleagues.”
Overall, Reynolds and McCrary were impressed with the camaraderie within the room.
“We have great people at Galloway who are vested in making our standards the highest quality. I am thankful for the people we have involved and the energy and value they bring,” said Reynolds.
“I think the takeaway is just how well the team came together and was united around this purpose,” added McCrary. “We are walking away with many great ideas that will take us to the next level, even beyond where we are right now.”
“The people that are a part of this committee go above and beyond their normal workday,” added Reynolds. “They are a great bunch of people that care a lot.”
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