Going Green With Software

Words: Dan KamysMarch 2009 Software & Technology

Gray Construction, an ENR Top 100 Green Contractor, has reduced construction submittal response time by 60 percent and cut printing and shipping costs by 50 percent by going paperless with Bluebeam PDF Revu. The product is a PDF creation, markup and editing software for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The firm has achieved significant results by sharing construction submittals electronically in PDF, rather than printing and shipping paper.

This greener, more sustainable workflow is being deployed on various projects, including the construction of a new 165,584-square-foot distribution center for Kentucky Eagle Beer in Lexington, Ky. Project team members located throughout the United States communicate faster with Bluebeam PDF Revu than paper submittals allow. The team creates PDFs, compares revisions of PDF drawings with the Document Compare feature, and redlines PDFs with customizable markup tools, such as text boxes, shapes, symbols and images. Project documents are then emailed, eliminating the need to print and ship.

Gray Construction has deployed Bluebeam PDF Revu Standard Edition and CAD Edition to more than 200 users.



About: Side Story
Designing for Performance: Key Considerations for Efficient, Durable Masonry Projects
August 2026

A successful masonry project starts well before the first stone is set. The craftsmanship on site matters, of course, but many of the decisions that shape the final result are made much earlier—during design, detailing, and material selection. Those choic

Change Orders: Standard Operating Procedure
August 2026

In masonry construction, change orders are not occasional events; they are guaranteed. Drawings do not always match field conditions, specifications can conflict, and real-world construction has a way of exposing gaps in design. At DRP Masonry, we operat

RFIs: Clarity, Communication and... Hierarchy?
August 2026

In construction, any project starts with drawings. Plans. Schedules. Specifications. Whether we're talking about new construction, additions, or restoration, there is a plan, there is design intent, and a way every piece of a project needs to fit together

Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh