The US Army Corps of Engineers– Chicago District (USACE-CELRC) uses Microstation for all of its CAD work.  Microstation is a product developed by Bentley Systems. 

This resource has been prepared, in response to comments received from Contractors preparing As-Builts for USACE-CELRC.   Generally speaking, some Contractors do not have a person on their staff who is experienced using a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) package.   The contractors who do have an experienced CAD operator often are more familiar with AutoCAD than Microstation.   The interfaces for both AutoCAD and Microstation are getting increasingly similar.    It has been our experience, that engineers and technicians who have experience with AutoCAD make a smooth transition to Microstation.   We have attempted to address some of the contractors concerns by posting possible recourses to either learn the software or hire a subcontractor to perform the work.

1.      List of Consultants that have experience with using Microstation.  A contractor may choose to sub-contract out the preparation of As-Builts.

2.      List of Trade Schools that have a Microstation subscription.    A contractor may choose to hire a recent graduate who already possesses the desired skills.

3.      Information on how to purchase a copy of Microstation and training opportunities.    A contractor may choose to purchase the software and send an employee to a course.  There are periodic courses offered in Chicago.  There also instructor led on-line courses, that an employee can take remotely.

MICROSTATION CONSULTANTS:

USACE-CELRC contacted Bentley Systems and requested a list of consultants who are proficient with Microstation and located within the region.   The list is provided as a resource to Contractors preparing As-Builts.  We have not certified nor approved any of the companies listed.  If you are a consultant that has experience using Microstation and would like to be added to the list send an email to Web-CELRC-DesignCivil.

LEARNING INSTITUTES:

List of local schools within the region that have a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program.   If you are a school that has a CAD program and would like to be added to the list, send and email to Web-CELRC-DesignCivil.

List of schools that have Bentley Career Subscriptions.  Note that we have not contacted any of the schools:

BENTLEY SYSTEMS:

If you wanted to purchase a license and training from Bentley Systems:

Bentley offers several different courses that can be taken in traditional class room setting, self-paced (on-line web), or instructor-led(on-line web).  Below is a sample of courses offered.  For additional information contact the number provided above.

Transferring to Microstation (16 Hours) - This class is designed for the experienced CAD user who wants to transfer their existing CAD knowledge to MicroStation skills. To ease the transition to MicroStation, basic drafting and production skills are emphasized. Subjects covered range from the initial setup of a new design file, basic drafting and organizing production drawings, including incorporating existing data from non-MicroStation CAD products. Plotting, PDF and other output considerations are covered.

Moving to Microstation (24 Hours) - This course is designed for experienced CAD user who wants to transition existing CAD knowledge to MicroStation skills. To ease the transition to MicroStation, parallel references are continually given, showing how MicroStation handles operations familiar to the CAD user. Subjects covered range from the initial setup of a new design file to incorporating existing data from non-MicroStation CAD products. Plotting and other output considerations are covered, including pen table development and usage.

Microstation Basics (16 Hours) - This beginner-level course introduces architectural, plant and process, geo and civil engineering designers to using MicroStation software for design projects. The course is the starting point for the new designer specializing in design or drafting and teaches the fundamentals of MicroStation, as well as advanced concepts and tools used everyday in architectural or engineering design and drafting.

Essential Microstation (32 Hours) - This course is designed for the new MicroStation user and builds a solid foundation in the concepts, tools and features found in the MicroStation drawing environment. In this hands-on course, you are already using MicroStation by page four of the course guide. Starting with setting up a drawing and concluding with plotting, you walk through a typical workflow using the tools and features of the latest version of MicroStation. Interspersed throughout are real-world design problems solved using the concepts learned to that point in the course. Various engineering disciplines are represented in the form of hands-on exercises. This offering is taught using MicroStation V8.

Disclaimer:

This page contains information provided as a courtesy and for informational purposes only without any express or implied warranty.  This page does not constitute agency policy, regulation or rule-making, nor does it constitute an endorsement, certification or accreditation of any entity.  Reliance hereupon is solely at the risk of the reader.