PR 18-04: Electronic Plan Review for Design Professionals

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 1 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

PR 18-04

PROCEDURE: ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN

PROFESSIONALS

Division of the State Architect (DSA) documents referenced within this publication are available

on the DSA Forms or DSA Publications w

ebpages.

PURPOSE

This procedure (PR) is one of multiple documents that in combination describe the process and

requirements for Electronic Plan Review (EPR) of projects under DSA jurisdiction. Since

October 2018 the review and approval of all project applications and post approval documents

have been processed in digital format through this EPR procedure, which reduces resource

consumption and aligns with the sustainability policies and goals of both the Governor’s Office

and the Department of General Services.

SCOPE

This document covers the duties of design professionals participating in EPR for

conventional project applications, including how to prepare documents prior to submission,

the process for document submission, how to respond to plan review comments, as well as

corresponding processes for post approval documents. It does not cover the duties and

responsibilities of DSA staff, which are addressed in separate internal documents. Similarly,

this document does not cover project applications using the over-the-counter (OTC)

application process nor the duties and responsibilities of external consultant plan reviewers.

These EPR subjects are addressed in the following documents:

• PR 18-05: Electronic Plan Review for Consultant Plan Reviewers

• PR 18-09: Electronic Plan Review for Over-the-Counter Projects

BACKGROUND

EPR is performed on the Bluebeam Studio platform, which is a cloud-based centralized location

for document storage and collaboration. Bluebeam Studio is accessed via the internet using the

software application Bluebeam Revu. Bluebeam Studio consists of both Projects (file storage

and management) and Sessions (collaboration), both of which can be accessed with an

unlicensed version of Revu, though some aspects of the procedure require a licensed version.

The Bluebeam Studio platform allows internal DSA staff and external stakeholders to share,

view, and collaborate in real time in a single electronic location. Each submitted project will have

a single Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP) and one or more Bluebeam Studio Sessions (BSS).

DSA will generate a BSS for each plan review increment and each applicable post approval

document type. This gives organization and facilitates a well-managed project from registration

through certification. While various file types can be stored in BSP, the review and approval

documents in BSS are required to be in PDF file format.

The BSS environment allows multiple users to concurrently access and edit a common

document. Background colors are used to distinguish the markups of each plan review

discipline. Throughout this document, detailed instructions may refer to icons or buttons within

the software represented by graphics. Such icons or buttons are referred to by the text that

appears when hovering the cursor over the graphic.

PR 18-04

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 2 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OCUMENT PREPARATION

OJECT SUBMISSION

ESPONSE TO PLAN REVIEW COMMENTS

ACK CHECK

5. POST APPROVAL DOCUMENTS

BBREVIATIONS

OSSARY

PPENDIX A: GETTING STARTED

PPENDIX B: WORKING IN BLUEBEAM STUDIO WITH BLUEBEAM REVU

APPENDIX C: STANDARDS AND NAMING CONVENTIONS

APPENDIX D: PDF CREATION GUIDELINES

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 3 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

PROCEDURE

Refer to PR 17-03: Project Submittal Appointment Process for registration requirements,

including plan review fees. The instructions provided in this document specific to the Bluebeam

Revu software application are based on Version 20.2.60. Users with other versions of Bluebeam

Revu, may find the interface to differ from that described herein. For version specific

instructions, users may refer to prior versions of this document, which were based on earlier

versions of Bluebeam Revu. Users are also advised to consult technical support resources

provided by Bluebeam for the operation of Revu and Studio.

1. DOCUMENT PREPARATION

1.1 Bluebeam Revu and Bluebeam Studio

1.1.1 Prior to preparing drawings, consult Appendix A below and complete the following:

1.1.1.1 Install Bluebeam Revu.

1.1.1.2 Set up a Bluebeam Studio account.

1.1.1.3 Demo Bluebeam Studio.

1.1.2 As described in this document, Bluebeam Revu eXtreme is necessary to prepare the

PDF documents. If the software cannot be procured, please contact DSA for possible solutions

at [email protected].

1.2 General Requirements

1.2.1 Preparation of documents in accordance with this section is required on all submissions.

Non-compliance can be cause for the submission to be rejected.

1.2.2 All documents shall be prepared without digital signatures, digital certification, or PDF

securities that prevent DSA from adding markups or flattening the document.

1.2.3 Files shall be named in accordance with the file naming conventions defined in Tables

C2.1 through C2.4 below. In this document, where instructions apply generally to any or all

versions of a document type, an asterisk (*) is used to in place of the version number. For

example, “DWG_V*.pdf” applies to DWG_V1.pdf, DWG_V2.pdf, DWG_V3.pdf, etc.

1.3 Drawing File (DWG_V*.pdf) Preparation

Construction drawings submitted for plan review and approval shall comply with the

requirements of this section.

1.3.1 Drawings shall be in PDF file format and comply with the following:

1.3.1.1 Filename(s) shall comply with Table C2.1 below.

1.3.1.2 Drawings shall be combined into a single file unless a single file would exceed 1,000

megabyte (MB). When a single file would exceed 1,000 MB, drawings shall be divided into

volumes that yield the fewest number of files such that each is less than 1,000 MB.

1.3.1.3 A sheet index shall be provided on one of the first pages of the drawings. The sheet

index shall indicate the total sheet count, which must match the page count of the PDF file as

reported by Bluebeam Revu.

1.3.1.4 Refer to Appendix D below for additional information.

1.3.1.5 The DWG_V*.pdf file shall contain only drawings prepared by the design

professional(s) (i.e., bearing their professional stamp and signature) and intended to receive the

DSA identification stamp signifying approval. Reference drawings shall not be included in the

DWG_V*.pdf file but shall be submitted instead as a separate supporting document file. See

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 4 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Section 1.6 below for document preparation requirements.

1.3.2 Drawings shall provide a blank area(s) measuring 2.3 inch wide by 1.5 inch tall on each

sheet for the DSA identification stamp.

1.3.2.1 Each sheet of the drawings for all project submissions, including Pre-Check (PC)

applications, shall provide a blank area in the upper right-hand corner as shown in Figure C1.1

below.

1.3.2.2 In addition to the requirement of Section 1.3.2.1 above, each sheet of drawings for PC

applications shall also provide a blank area at the mid-height on the right-hand side as shown in

Figure C1.2 below.

1.3.3 Bookmarks: Drawings shall be prepared with an ordered and nested list of bookmarks

that facilitate navigation to each sheet. Bookmark labels shall contain the number and name of

each sheet and be set to the “One Full Page” view. Compliant bookmarks can be created in

Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.3.3.1 Review the native bookmarks that may be generated by the software program (e.g.,

REVIT, AUTOCAD, etc.) used to create the drawings by performing the following actions:

1.3.3.1.1 Click the caret adjacent to the “Bookmarks” title on the “Bookmarks” tab. From the

resulting drop-down menu select “Audit Bookmarks”. Repair any broken bookmarks found by

the audit. Alternately, delete broken bookmarks and replace as described in Section 1.3.3.2

below.

1.3.3.1.2 Review all bookmarks and verify each contains the correct sheet number and sheet

name. Revise any incorrect numbers or names by right-clicking on the bookmark and selecting

“Rename” from the resulting context menu. Alternately, delete incorrectly named bookmarks

and replace as described in Section 1.3.3.2 below.

1.3.3.1.3 Compare bookmarks to the sheet index and verify all sheets in the set are

bookmarked. Individual bookmarks can be added by clicking the “Add Bookmark” button.

Alternately, bookmarks can be created as a batch as described in Section 1.3.3.2 below.

1.3.3.1.4 Click on a sample of bookmarks and verify each is set to the “One Full Page” view.

The view can be corrected by clicking the “One Full Page” button then right clicking the

bookmark and selecting “Set to Current View” from the resulting context menu. Alternately,

delete bookmarks with incorrect views and replace as described in Section 1.3.3.2 below.

1.3.3.1.5 If bookmarks are prepared correctly, proceed to Section 1.3.3.3 below.

1.3.3.2 When bookmarks are not generated by the software program (e.g., REVIT, AUTOCAD,

etc.) used to create the drawings or those bookmarks are deficient in some way (refer to Section

1.3.3.1 above), bookmarks can be created through the “Bookmarks” tab by performing the

following actions:

1.3.3.2.1 Click the “Create Bookmarks” button. A dialog box titled “Create Bookmarks” will

open.

1.3.3.2.2 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, select “Page Region”.

1.3.3.2.3 Click the “Select” button. The dialog box will close temporarily, and the cursor will

become active on the sheet.

1.3.3.2.4 Use the cursor to draw a box around the sheet number on one of the sheets for

which bookmarks will be generated (e.g., “G0001”). To draw the box, click, drag, and unclick. A

dialog box titled “AutoMark” will open.

1.3.3.2.5 Click the “Add” button in the “AutoMark” dialog box. The dialog box will close

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 5 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

temporarily, and the cursor will become active on the sheet.

1.3.3.2.6 Use the cursor to draw a box around the sheet name on one of the sheets for which

bookmarks will be generated (e.g., “COVER SHEET AND INDEX OF DRAWINGS”). To draw

the box, click, drag, and unclick. The dialog box titled “AutoMark” will open.

1.3.3.2.7 In the “Selection” field type “ – “ (i.e., space, hyphen, space) between “[Region1]” and

“[Region2]”.

1.3.3.2.8 Click the “OK” button to close the “AutoMark” dialog box. The “Create Bookmarks”

dialog box will open.

1.3.3.2.9 In the “Option” region of the dialog box select “Fit Page” from the pull-down menu for

the “Page Scale” field.

1.3.3.2.10 In the “Page Range” region of the dialog box, enter the pages for which bookmarks

will be generated. The pages entered must all have the sheet number and sheet name placed in

the same location on the page. See Section 1.3.3.2.12 below.

1.3.3.2.11 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box and create bookmarks.

1.3.3.2.12 Repeat the steps in Sections 1.3.3.2.1 to 1.3.3.2.11 above as required for each

group of pages on which the sheet number or sheet name occurs in a different location.

1.3.3.2.13 Review the bookmarks generated by Bluebeam Revu by performing the steps given

in Section 1.3.3.1 above.

1.3.3.3 Prior to nesting the bookmarks, create page labels as described in Section 1.3.4 below.

After page labels are created in the “Thumbnails” tab, create nested bookmarks by performing

the following actions:

1.3.3.3.1 Right-click on the first bookmark in each drawing section (e.g., first architectural

drawing, first civil drawing, first structural drawing, etc.). Select “Add” from the resulting context

menu. Select “Add Before…” from the context sub-menu.

1.3.3.3.2 While the name of the new bookmark is active type the name of the section (e.g.,

“Architectural”, “Civil”, “Structural”, etc.) and apply keystroke “Enter”. The bookmark name can

be revised at any time by right-clicking it and selecting “Rename” from the resulting context

menu.

1.3.3.3.3 Select all bookmarks that belong to the created section of sheets. Multiple bookmarks

can be selected by holding down the “Shift” key while selecting.

1.3.3.3.4 Drag the group of selected bookmarks to the right under the newly created title.

1.3.3.3.5 Repeat the steps in Sections 1.3.3.3.1 to 1.3.3.3.4 above for each section of the

drawing set.

1.3.4 Page Labels: Drawings shall be prepared to provide page labels in the “Thumbnail” tab.

Thumbnail page labels shall match the bookmark labels. Compliant page labels in the

“Thumbnails” tab can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.3.4.1 After completing the steps described in Section 1.3.3.2 above and prior to completing

the steps described in Section 1.3.3.3 open the “Thumbnails” tab.

1.3.4.2 Click the “Create Page Labels” button. A dialog box titled “Create Page Label…” will

open.

1.3.4.3 In the “Options” region of the dialog box select “Bookmarks”. In the “Page Range”

region select “All Pages” from the pull-down menu.

1.3.4.4 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box and create page labels.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 6 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

1.3.5 Flatten: Drawings shall be flattened with no markup elements. A compliant flattened file

can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.3.5.1 Select “Flatten” from the “Document” pull-down menu. A dialog box titled “Flatten

Markups” will open.

1.3.5.2 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, select all items under “Type”.

1.3.5.3 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, verify the “Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten)”

option is unchecked.

1.3.5.4 Click the “Flatten” button to close the dialog box and flatten the file.

1.3.6 Layers: Drawings shall be prepared to have no layers. A compliant file without layers can

be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.3.6.1 Activate the “Layers” tab by clicking the “Layers” icon or applying keystroke “Alt+Y”.

1.3.6.2 Click on any layer listed to select it. Apply keystroke “Ctrl+A” to select all layers.

1.3.6.3 Right-click any layer name while all are selected.

1.3.6.4 Select “Delete” from the resulting context menu. A dialog box titled “Delete Layer” will

open.

1.3.6.5 Uncheck all options in the dialog box.

1.3.6.6 Click the “Delete” button to close the dialog box and delete the layers.

1.3.7 Hyperlinks: Drawings shall be prepared to provide hyperlinks at all text-based sheet

references in the set. If the drawings have been prepared using True Type Fonts, compliant

hyperlinks can be created in Bluebeam Revu eXtreme as described in this section.

1.3.7.1 Select “Link” from the “Batch” drop down menu.

1.3.7.2 Select “New” from the resulting context menu. A dialog box titled “Batch Link” will open.

1.3.7.3 Click the “Add Open Files” button.

1.3.7.4 From the resulting list of files in the “Path” window, uncheck all files other than the

drawing file (i.e., DWG_V*.pdf).

1.3.7.5 Click the “Next” button. A new dialog box also titled “Batch Link” will open.

1.3.7.6 In the “Generate Search Terms” region of the dialog box select “Page Label”.

1.3.7.7 In the “Generate Search Terms” region of the dialog box click the “Settings” button. A

dialog box titled “Search Term Settings” will open.

1.3.7.8 In the “Search Term Settings” region of the dialog box, set the “Filter Mode” field to

“First from start” from the pull-down menu.

1.3.7.9 In the “Search Term Settings” region of the dialog box, set the “Filter Character” field to

“Space” from the pull-down menu.

1.3.7.10 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box.

1.3.7.11 In the “Generate Search Terms” region of the “Batch Link” dialog box click the

“Generate” button.

1.3.7.12 Click the “Run” button to create the hyperlinks. A dialog box titled “Batch Link

Summary” will open.

1.3.7.13 Click the “Finish and Close” button to close the dialog box.

1.3.8 For scanned drawings see Section D3 below.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 7 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

1.4 Specification File (SPC_V*.pdf) Preparation

Construction specifications submitted for plan review and approval shall comply with the

requirements of this section.

1.4.1 Specifications shall be combined into a single file in PDF format. The filename shall

comply with Table C2.1 below.

1.4.2 Flatten: Specifications shall be flattened with no markup elements. A compliant flattened

file can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.4.2.1 Select “Flatten” from the “Document” pull-down menu. A dialog box titled “Flatten

Markups” will open.

1.4.2.2 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, select all items under “Type”.

1.4.2.3 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, verify the “Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten)”

option is unchecked.

1.4.2.4 Click the “Flatten” button to close the dialog box and flatten the file.

1.4.3 Bookmarks: Specifications shall be prepared with an ordered and nested list of

bookmarks that allows navigation to each section. Bookmark labels shall contain the number

and name of each section and be set to the “One Full Page” view of the first page of each

respective section. Compliant bookmarks can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this

section.

1.4.3.1 Review the native bookmarks that may be generated by the software program (e.g.,

Microsoft Word, etc.) used to create the specifications by performing the following actions:

1.4.3.1.1 Click the caret adjacent to the “Bookmarks” title on the “Bookmarks” tab. From the

resulting drop-down menu select “Audit Bookmarks”. Repair any broken bookmarks found by

the audit. Alternately, delete broken bookmarks and replace as described in Section 1.4.3.2

below.

1.4.3.1.2 Review all bookmarks and verify each contains the correct section number and

section name. Revise any incorrect numbers or names by right-clicking on the bookmark and

selecting “Rename” from the resulting context menu. Alternately, delete incorrectly named

bookmarks and replace as described in Section 1.4.3.2 below.

1.4.3.1.3 Compare bookmarks to the table of contents and verify all sections in the set are

bookmarked. Add bookmarks for missing sections as described in Section 1.4.3.2 below.

1.4.3.1.4 Click on a sample of bookmarks and verify each is set to the “One Full Page” view of

the first page of the respective section. The view can be corrected by clicking the “One Full

Page” button then right clicking the bookmark and selecting “Set to Current View” from the

resulting context menu. Alternately, delete bookmarks with incorrect views and replace as

described in Section 1.4.3.2 below.

1.4.3.1.5 If bookmarks are prepared correctly, proceed to Section 1.5 below.

1.4.3.2 When bookmarks are not generated by the software program (e.g., Microsoft Word,

etc.) used to create the specifications or those bookmarks are deficient in some way (refer to

Section 1.4.3.1 above), bookmarks can be created through the “Bookmarks” tab by performing

the following actions:

1.4.3.2.1 Navigate to the first page of the first specification section and click the “One Full

Page” button.

1.4.3.2.2 In the “Bookmarks” tab, click the “Add Bookmark” button.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 8 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

1.4.3.2.3 Type the number and name of the specification section. Users may find it beneficial

to open a separate copy of the table of contents to copy (keystroke “Ctrl+C”) and paste

(keystroke “Ctrl+V”) the section numbers and names.

1.4.3.2.4 Repeat the steps in Sections 1.4.3.2.1 through 1.4.3.2.3 above for each specification

section.

1.4.3.3 At the design professional’s option, bookmarks may be nested according to the

specification divisions. Bookmarks may be nested by following the instructions given in Section

1.3.3.3 above.

1.5 Form DSA 103: List of Structural Tests and Special Inspections (103_V*.pdf)

Preparation

The form DSA 103 is created by the design professional using the application accessed through

the DSA website. The design professional shall download the completed form from this

application for plan review and approval and verify compliance with the requirements of this

section.

1.5.1 Form DSA 103 shall be a single file in PDF format. The filename shall comply with Table

C2.1 below.

1.5.2 Flatten: Form DSA 103 shall be flattened with no markup elements. A compliant flattened

file can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in this section.

1.5.2.1 Select “Flatten” from the “Document” pull-down menu. A dialog box titled “Flatten

Markups” will open.

1.5.2.2 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, select all items under “Type”.

1.5.2.3 In the “Options” region of the dialog box, verify the “Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten)”

option is unchecked.

1.5.2.4 Click the “Flatten” button to close the dialog box and flatten the file.

1.6 Supporting Document Preparation

Supporting documents are documents that are required for plan review but are not ultimately

approved as part of the application. These documents will not bear the DSA identification stamp

when the project is approved. Supporting documents include, but may not be limited to, those

listed on the form DSA 3: Project Submittal Checklist (e.g., DSA forms, cut sheets, structural

calculations, hydraulic calculations, geotechnical reports, existing drawings, etc.).

1.6.1 Supporting documents shall be submitted in PDF file format when appropriate but may

also remain in other formats when necessary. For example, the file containing the structural

analysis model shall remain in its native format to facilitate its review. The filename(s) shall

comply with Table C2.2 below.

1.6.2 Flatten: Supporting documents in PDF file format shall be flattened with no markup

elements. A compliant flattened file can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in Section

1.4.2 above.

1.6.3 Bookmarks: Supporting documents in PDF file format shall be prepared with bookmarks

that facilitate navigation appropriate to the document type. Bookmarks shall typically be set to

the “One Full Page” view. Compliant bookmarks can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described

in Sections 1.3.3 or 1.4.3 above.

1.6.3.1 Structural calculations shall contain bookmarks corresponding to their table of contents.

Bookmarks shall be nested by design elements (e.g., foundation design shall be broken into

non-shear wall footing design, shear wall footing design, column footing design, etc.).

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 9 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

1.6.3.2 Geotechnical reports shall contain bookmarks corresponding to their table of contents.

1.6.3.3 Original drawing sets of existing construction provided as reference shall contain

bookmarks in accordance with Section 1.3.3 above.

1.6.3.4 Evaluation reports in accordance with IR A-5: Acceptance of Products, Materials, and

Evaluation Reports submitted for reference as individual files need not contain bookmarks other

than that already provided by the publisher.

1.6.4 For scanned drawings see Section D3 below.

1.7 Report File (SMP1_V*.pdf, SMP2_V*.pdf, EDCR_V*.pdf) Preparation

In addition to and separate from plan review of proposed construction projects, DSA reviews

and approves certain types of reports serving various regulatory purposes. For example, DSA

reviews reports required by the Seismic Mitigation Program (SMP) administered by the Office of

Public School Construction (OPSC) and Evaluation and Design Criteria Reports as required by

California Administrative Code (CAC) Sections 4-306 and 4-307. Refer to PR 08-03: School

Facility Program / Seismic Mitigation Program and IR EB-3: Evaluation and Design Criteria

Report, respectively. Reports submitted for review and approval shall comply with the

requirements of this section.

1.7.1 Reports shall be submitted as a single file in PDF format. The filename shall comply with

Table C2.1 below.

1.7.2 Flatten: Reports shall be flattened with no markup elements. A compliant flattened file

can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described in Section 1.4.2 above.

1.7.3 Bookmarks: Reports shall be prepared with bookmarks that facilitate navigation.

Bookmarks shall correspond (and be nested if applicable) to the table of contents and be set to

the “One Full Page” view. Compliant bookmarks can be created in Bluebeam Revu as described

in Section 1.4.3 above.

2. PROJECT SUBMISSION

After preparing documents in accordance with Section 1 above, project files shall be submitted

to DSA in digital format. Prior to the project proceeding to detailed plan review (Phase 2), DSA

will verify the document preparation and perform a Phase 1 plan review. Phase 1 plan review is

sometimes referred to as “intake review”.

2.1 Document Submission

Initial project documents shall be submitted to DSA for plan review as described in this section.

The document submission process described here is specific to Section 2 and does NOT apply

to the submission of documents for back check or post approval documents (refer to Sections 4

and 5 below).

2.1.1 Refer to PR 17-03 Section 2.

2.1.2 Upload all documents required by form DSA 3 and prepared in accordance with Section

1 above to the “Plan Review Submittal” folder in DSAbox. The “Plan Review Submittal” folder is

located within the parent folder dedicated to the design professional’s use (i.e., folder name

containing the “AE” designator). Refer to the DSAbox External Library

, Module 1, Section 1.3 for

complete information on DSAbox folder structure.

2.1.3 DSA will receive an aut

omatic notification when the project files have been uploaded, so

the design professional need not provide independent notification.

2.1.4 If documents are not uploaded as described in Section 2.1.2 above, DSA will send an

incomplete notification as described in PR 17-03 Section 2.2 with instructions requiring the

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 10 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

project to be re-registered.

2.2 Document Preparation Verification

Upon receipt of the project documents, DSA will verify the documents have been prepared as

required by Section 1 above.

2.2.1 If the document preparation complies with Section 1 above, the project will proceed to

Phase 1 plan review.

2.2.2 If the document preparation does not comply with Section 1 above, DSA will send an

email notification to the design professional identifying the inadequate aspect(s) of the

document preparation requiring correction. Corrected documents shall be uploaded as

described in Section 2.1.2 above, within the time period specified in the email notification. If

corrected documents are not received within the specified time, DSA will send an incomplete

notification per Section 2.1.4 above.

2.3 Phase 1: Intake Review

After compliant document preparation has been verified by DSA, the project will proceed to

Phase 1 plan review.

2.3.1 During Phase 1 plan review DSA will review the project submission to determine if it is

complete in accordance with form DSA 3 and ready for Phase 2 plan review.

2.3.2 If the project submission is determined to be complete it will proceed to Phase 2 plan

review.

2.3.3 If the project submission is determined to be incomplete, DSA will send an email

notification to the design professional. The notification will identify the aspect(s) of

incompleteness and specify the required corrective action. See PR 17-03 Section 2.4. Missing

and/or corrected documents shall be uploaded as described in Section 2.1.2 above.

2.4 Phase 2: Plan Review

During plan review, the design professional can monitor progress and the anticipated finish date

through the project tracker application accessible from the DSA website.

3. RESPONSE TO PLAN REVIEW COMMENTS

When the Phase 2 plan review is complete, the design professional will receive a notification

email from DSA. The design professional shall respond to DSA plan review comments as

required by this section.

3.1 Access Plan Review Documents

3.1.1 The notification email from DSA provides access to the Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

that serves as the file management system for the plan review. The email will contain a

hyperlink to the BSP and/or a nine-digit identification number. The design professional will join

the BSP by clicking the link or with the identification number as described in Section B1.1 below.

3.1.2 The notification email from DSA provides access to the Bluebeam Studio Session (BSS)

that serves as the collaborative workspace for the plan review. The email will contain a

hyperlink to the BSS and/or a nine-digit identification number to join the BSS. Alternately, the

design professional can join the BSS from the BSP as described in Section B1.2 below.

3.1.3 Files in BSP and BSS can be navigated as described in Section B1.3 below.

3.2 Incorporate Comments

The design professional(s) shall address all DSA comments through responsive actions such as

design revisions, document revisions, performing additional analysis, providing additional

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 11 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

information, and/or other measures appropriate to the nature of the comment. As the plan

review comments are addressed, they shall be “incorporated” as described in this section.

Failure to comply with this section will result in the back check submission being found

unresponsive and the back check delayed. If a file(s) in the BSS does not contain the status

menu as described in this section or the markups do not change color when their status is

changed, the design professional shall immediately contact the Lead Plan Reviewer (LPR). See

Section 4 below for identification of the LPR.

3.2.1 When comments are addressed by the design professional(s) their status shall be set to

“INCORPORATED” by performing one of the following actions:

3.2.1.1 Select the markup on the page. Right-click the markup and select “Set Status” from the

resulting context menu. Select “INCORPORATED” from the context sub-menu.

3.2.1.2 Select the markup in the “Markups List” panel. Double-click the markup in the list at the

“Status” column. Select “INCORPORATED” from the resulting context menu.

3.2.1.3 Select the markup in the “Markups List” panel. Right-click the markup in the list and

select “Set Status” from the resulting context menu. Select “INCORPORATED” from the context

sub-menu.

3.2.1.4 Select the markup on the page. Click the “Status” toolbar button. Select

“INCORPORATED” from the resulting context menu.

3.2.2 Prior to back check, all red markups authored by DSA staff shall have their status set to

“INCORPORATED” by the design professional(s). Markups authored by DSA staff in a color

other than red need not have their status changed. This requirement applies to all documents in

the BSS except the “PR Tracking Table” document.

3.2.3 The design professional shall verify all comments have been set to “INCORPORATED”

by performing the following actions.

3.2.3.1 In the “Markups List” panel click the “Filter List” tab.

3.2.3.2 Click the filtering header above the “Color” column. If red does not appear as a filter

option, skip to Section 3.2.3.4 below.

3.2.3.3 If red appears as a filter option, select it to identify those markups that have not yet

been set to “INCORPORATED”. Address the remaining comments and set their status to

“INCORPORATED” as described in Section 3.2.1 above.

3.2.3.4 Repeat the actions in Sections 3.2.3.1 through 3.2.3.3 above for each file in the BSS.

3.2.4 The status of markups shall be changed on the documents in the BSS (and not on copies

of the files downloaded locally). While working in BSS files ensure online connectivity by

confirming the plug icon in the “Studio” tab is green and connected.

3.3 Reply to Comments

The design professional shall provide a written response to explain how each DSA plan review

comment has been addressed. Written responses shall be provided as described in this section.

Failure to comply with this section will result in the back check submission being found

unresponsive and the back check delayed.

3.3.1 The design professional(s) shall provide written responses using the “Reply” function by

performing one of the following series of actions. Adding explanatory markups to the review

document is not an acceptable alternate to providing written response using the “Reply”

function.

3.3.1.1 Select the markup on the page. Right-click the markup and select “Reply” from the

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 12 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

resulting context menu. Type the written response in the entry field that appears in the “Markups

List” panel.

3.3.1.2 Select the markup in the “Markups List” panel. Right-click the markup in the list and

select “Reply” from the resulting context menu. Type the written response in the entry field that

appears in the “Markups List” panel.

3.3.2 Prior to back check, all red markups authored by DSA plan review staff shall have an

associated “Reply” authored by the design professional(s). Markups in a color other than red

need not have a written response. This requirement applies to all documents in the BSS except

the “PR Tracking Table” document.

3.3.3 Written responses shall provide sufficient information and detail to clearly inform the plan

reviewer how the design professional has addressed the comment. The quality of complete and

concise written responses improves the efficiency of the back check process described in

Section 4 below. Responses shall comply with the following:

3.3.3.1 When a written response refers to a supporting document it shall be cited by the full

filename as it exists in the BSP. The page or section number shall be cited when applicable. All

references to structural calculations shall cite the specific page number(s).

3.3.3.2 When a written response refers to the construction drawings it shall cite the sheet

number and note, detail, or section number as applicable.

3.3.4 If a plan reviewer finds during the back check ten or more comments for which the replies

provide inadequate information or detail to clearly understand how the comment has been

addressed, the plan reviewer may determine the submission is unresponsive and terminate the

back check.

3.3.5 Replies to markups shall be made on the documents in the BSS (and not on copies of

the files downloaded locally). While working in the BSS files ensure online connectivity by

confirming the plug icon in the “Studio” tab is green and connected.

3.3.6 Any questions and/or points of disagreement with plan review comments must be

resolved with the plan reviewer prior to back check. The design professional shall contact the

DSA plan reviewer who authored the comment that is subject to question or disagreement prior

to the back check to obtain agreement and resolution. The contact information for each plan

reviewer can be found on the “PR Tracking Table” document in the BSS.

4. BACK CHECK

When the design professional has completed responses to plan review comments in

accordance with Section 3 above and all documents have been updated accordingly, the design

professional shall contact the LPR to arrange the back check for the project. The LPR is

identified in a standard comment on the first sheet of the “DWG” file. Additionally, the contact

information of the LPR can be found on the “PR Tracking Table” file in the BSS. The LPR will

remain the design professional’s point of contact throughout the back check process even after

the LPR approves the project for his/her plan review discipline.

The back check may take various paths, including a desk back check, in-person back check, or

both. The back check may occur in multiple rounds. This document does not address the

sequence, schedule, or meeting requirements of the back check. This document establishes

general EPR processes to be used in the context of the back check procedure defined

elsewhere.

4.1 Revised and Additional Documents

Revised and additional documents shall be prepared and submitted to DSA for back check as

described in this section. The follow requirements apply to both desk back checks and in-person

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 13 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

back checks.

4.1.1 Prepare documents for back check in accordance with Section 1 above.

4.1.1.1 Revised documents for approval (i.e., "DWG”, “SPC”, and “103” files) shall be

resubmitted in full, as complete, stand-alone documents. It is not acceptable to resubmit only

those sheets or pages that have been revised.

4.1.1.2 Supporting documents containing only new or revised information may be submitted to

supplement previously submitted supporting documents.

4.1.2 Submit documents to the “A. Submission\1. Plan Review Documents” folder in the BSP.

For applications with multiple increments, submit the documents to the applicable increment

sub-folder. Refer to Table C1.1 below. Upload documents to the BSP as described in Section

B1.4 below.

4.2 Back Check Readiness

2.1 The LPR will evaluate the responsiveness of the back check submission in accordance

with the requirements of Section 3 above. If any of the following conditions exist, DSA will

consider the submission unresponsive. DSA will send the design professional a notification

email identifying why the submission has been found unresponsive.

4.2.1.1 All or some revised and/or additional documents required for the back check have not

been submitted in accordance with Section 4.1 above.

4.2.1.2 All or some original red plan review markups have not been “incorporated” as required

by Section 3.2 above.

4.2.1.3 All or some original red plan review markups lack replies as required by Section 3.3

above.

4.2.1.4 Replies provided for all or some original red plan review comments lack sufficient

information and detail to perform the back check. Refer to Section 3.3 above.

4.2.2 When the back check submission is found to be responsive, the LPR will evaluate the

preparation of documents submitted according to the requirements of Section 1 above. If the

document preparation is found inadequate, the following will occur:

4.2.2.1 LPR will send the design professional a notification email identifying the file(s) and

characteristic(s) that have not been adequately prepared in accordance with Section 1 above.

4.2.2.2 The design professional shall make the required document preparation corrections

within the time period allotted in the notification email from the LPR. Depending on the nature of

the corrections required and the design professional’s preference, the originally submitted file(s)

can be corrected in the BSP or the original file(s) can be deleted from the BSP and replaced.

4.2.3 When both the back check submission is responsive and the document preparation

adequate, DSA will proceed with the back check. The LPR will add the documents submitted for

approval to the BSS.

4.3 Back Check Actions

During the back the design professional(s) will be required to perform various actions as

described this section. These actions may be performed in a desk back check or an in-person

back check.

4.3.1 While the DSA staff are actively reviewing responses to plan review comments, the

design professional shall refrain from the following actions unless specifically authorized to do

so by the DSA plan reviewer:

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 14 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

4.3.1.1 Change the status of any markup in the BSS.

4.3.1.2 Add or edit replies to any markup in the BSS.

4.3.1.3 Add or edit markups in the BSS.

4.3.2 After DSA completes a round of back check and notifies the design team that the project

is not approved, the design professional shall join the BSS and review the status of plan review

comments. The design professional(s) shall respond to the plan review markups according to

their status as follows:

4.3.2.1 Gray markups with status set to “CLOSE” are resolved and require no further action.

4.3.2.2 Purple markups with status set to “ADDITIONAL REVIEW REQUIRED” will be

discussed further with the plan reviewer. The design professional should not change the status

of these markups but should be prepared to discuss their content.

4.3.2.3 Red markups with status set to “OPEN” require further response from the design

professional. The design professional shall respond to these comments in accordance with the

requirements of Section 3.2 and 3.3 above.

4.3.2.4 The V2 documents may contain red markups pertaining to new or revised content

and/or where the response to an original comment was incorrect or incomplete. The design

professional shall respond to all red comments in the V2 documents in accordance with the

requirements of Section 3.2 and 3.3 above.

4.3.3 After DSA completes a round of back check and notifies the design team that the project

is not approved, further corrections to the approval documents are commonly required. These

document modifications can be accomplished in one of two general methods described below.

4.3.3.1 The design professional(s) may make changes within the BSS environment. When

making changes to documents in BSS, the design professional shall not lock the corrective

markups. Refer to Section B3 below for additional information concerning editing documents in

the BSS.

4.3.3.2 The design professional(s) may make changes outside of the BSS environment (e.g.,

REVIT, AUTOCAD, etc.). In this case, the design professional shall upload a new version of the

document to the BSP in accordance with Section 4.1.2 above. Certain document changes (e.g.,

adding a page, removing a page, etc.) cannot be accomplished within the BSS environment and

consequently require this method.

4.3.4 Any questions and/or points of disagreement with the remaining plan review comments

must be resolved with the plan reviewer prior to the next round of back check. The design

professional shall contact the DSA plan reviewer who authored the comment that is subject to

question or disagreement prior to the next round of back check to obtain agreement and

resolution. The contact information for each plan reviewer can be found on the “PR Tracking

Table” document in the BSS.

4.4 Back Check in DSA Regional Office

When a back check meeting is scheduled to occur in the DSA regional office, the design

professional shall perform the following actions:

4.4.1 Check in at the front desk and obtain the assigned back check station number.

4.4.2 Proceed to the assigned back check station. DSA provides access to a computer,

monitor, and printer. Through this computer the design professional is provided access to

Bluebeam Revu, Bluebeam Studio, DSAbox, and the internet.

4.4.3 Login to the DSA back check station computer as a guest user. The username and

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 15 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

password are posted in the back check room.

4.4.4 Open Bluebeam Revu.

4.4.5 Using the phone in the back check room call and notify the LPR of arrival and completion

of the actions in Section 4.4.1 through 4.4.4 above.

4.5 Completion of Back Check

4.5.1 When the project is approved by all applicable plan review disciplines, DSA will sta

and post the documents to the “C. Approval\1. Plan Review Documents” folder in the BSP. For

applications with multiple increments, the documents will be posted to the applicable increment

sub-folder. Refer to Table C1.1 below. The approved documents will also be posted to DSAbox.

4.5.2 Design professionals who have set up

their DSAbox account accordingly will receive a

notification email when the approved documents have been uploaded. Refer to the DSAbox

External Library, Module 2, Section 2.4 for information on DSAbox notification settings.

4.5.3 The project applicant will receive an approval of plans letter from DSA in the days

following the posting of stamped construction documents.

5. POST APPROVAL DOCUMENTS

Design professionals shall prepare and submit post approval documents to DSA for review and

approval as required by this section. The procedure described herein applies to both initial

submittals (V1) and resubmittals (V2 and greater).

5.1 Document Types

Post approval documents are construction documents prepared after the initial plan review

approval of a project. Post approval documents are subject to DSA review and approval and

generally constitute a change to the DSA-approved construction documents. The exception to

this general rule is the deferred submittal, which represents a planned deferral of the design of a

designated scope of work when specifically allowed by DSA. Post approval documents are

categorized as one of four types based on the nature of the document. Refer to the Glossary

below for definitions.

5.1.1 Post approval document types are as follows:

5.1.1.1 Deferred Submittals

5.1.1.2 Revisions

5.1.1.3 Addenda

5.1.1.4 Construction Change Documents (CCD)

5.1.2 Refer to Table C1.1 below for the naming convention and location of BSP folders

dedicated to each post approval document type.

5.1.3 Refer to Table C1.2 below for the naming convention of BSS dedicated to each post

approval document type.

5.2 Prepare Documents

Post approval document submissions shall be prepared in accordance with this section. All

submittals, regardless of post approval document type, shall include a form DSA 140:

Application for Submittal of Post-Approval Document. Refer also to IR A-6: Construction

Change Document Submittal and Approval Process for the preparation of CCD.

5.2.1 Submittals shall be separated into two separate files consisting of (1) an approval

document file and (2) a supporting document file.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 16 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

5.2.2 The approval document file is a single PDF file containing the following components as

applicable to the type and content of the submittal. Each component shall be prepared in

accordance with its corresponding requirements in Section 1 above. The approval document file

shall be named in accordance with the naming convention given in Tables C2.3 and C2.4

below.

5.2.2.1 Form DSA 140 shall be the first sheet of the approval document file.

5.2.2.2 Narrative: Addenda and Revisions shall contain a written description of all changes to

the DSA-approved documents. Deferred Submittals and CCD do not require a narrative. The

narrative shall be stamped and signed by the design professional in general responsible charge.

5.2.2.3 Specifications: New or revised specification sections shall be prepared in accordance

with Section 1.4 above. When included, specifications shall include a stamped and signed cover

sheet in accordance with Section 5.2.4 below.

5.2.2.4 Drawings: New or revised construction drawings shall be prepared in accordance with

Section 1.3 above, with the exception of the sheet count requirement. A blank space on each

sheet shall be dedicated to receive the DSA approval stamp at the location defined in Figure

C1.3 below. Each drawing sheet shall be stamped and signed in accordance with Section 5.2.4

below. When previously approved drawings are revised, revisions shall be clouded.

5.2.2.5 For resubmittals (V2 and greater), the complete approval document shall be

resubmitted, including all pages and sheets. It is not acceptable to submit only revised and new

sheets.

5.2.3 The supporting document file is a single PDF file containing various components with

information necessary to substantiate approval but is not directly approved by DSA. Such

components commonly consist of structural calculations, product cut sheets, product evaluation

reports, documentation of as-built conditions, etc.

5.2.3.1 The supporting document file shall be named to match the approval document file with

the added suffix “_Supporting Document”, as illustrated in the following examples:

5.2.3.1.1 Deferred Submittal example file name: “DS_Bleacher_V1_Supporting Document”.

5.2.3.1.2 Revision example file name: “REV_01_V1_Supporting Document”.

5.2.3.1.3 Addendum example file name: “ADD_01_V1_Supporting Document”.

5.2.3.1.4 CCD example file name: “CCD_001_V1_Supporting Document”.

5.2.3.2 For resubmittals (V2 and greater), provide only the supporting documents requested by

the DSA.

5.2.3.3 The supporting document file shall be prepared in accordance with Section 1.6 above.

5.2.4 Documents shall be stamped and signed in accordance with requirements set forth in IR

A-19 Design Professional’s Signature and Seal (Stamp) on Construction Documents.

5.2.5 Files from multiple sources can be combined to create a single file in Bluebeam Revu by

performing the following actions:

5.2.5.1 Open all applicable files to be combined.

5.2.5.2 Select “Combine…” from the “File” pull down menu. A dialog box titled “Combine PDF

Files” will open.

5.2.5.3 In the “Insert Files” region of the dialog box click the “Add Open File” button.

5.2.5.4 In the “Options” region of the dialog box check the “Include Bookmarks” option.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 17 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

5.2.5.5 In the “Options” region of the dialog box check the “Use Filename as Page Label”

option.

5.2.5.6 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box and combine the files.

5.3 Upload File(s) to Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

The design professional shall upload the post approval document (including both the approval

document and the supporting document files) in accordance with this section. If the submission

is a resubmittal, it shall not be uploaded until the design professional receives the notification

email from the EPR Administrator indicating that all required plan reviewers have completed

their review.

5.3.1 Join the BSP as described in Section B1.1 below.

5.3.2 Upload the files as described in Section B1.4 below. Files shall be uploaded to the folder

within the “A. Submission” folder dedicated to the applicable post approval document type and

project increment as applicable. Refer to Table C1.1 below.

5.3.3 DSA will receive an automatic notification when the post approval document files have

been uploaded, so the design professional need not provide independent notification.

5.4 Review of Post Approval Documents

5.4.1 Document Preparation: If the document preparation is inadequate, the design

professional will receive a notification email from DSA identifying the aspects of inadequate

preparation and requiring the resubmission of corrected documents in accordance with Section

1 above.

5.4.2 Submittal Rejected: If a prior version of the submittal is currently still being reviewed by

DSA, the design professional will receive a notification email from DSA indicating that the

submittal is rejected and shall not be resubmitted until all plan reviewers have completed their

review.

5.4.3 Submittal Disapproved: If the post approval document is disapproved, the design

professional will receive a notification email from DSA indicating that the submittal is

disapproved, and plan review comments have been added to the document in the BSS. The

design professional shall proceed by performing the following actions:

5.4.3.1 Access the plan review comments by joining the BSS as described in Section B1.2

below.

5.4.3.2 Respond to plan review comments as required by Section 3 above. This includes

setting the status of red markups to “INCORPORATED” and providing written responses using

the “Reply” function. Failure to comply with the response to plan review comment requirements

may result in the resubmission being disapproved as unresponsive.

5.4.3.3 Prepare and resubmit corrected a document(s) in accordance with Sections 5.2 and

5.3 above.

5.4.4 Submittal Approved: If the post approval document is approved, the design professional

will receive a notification from DSAbox that the approved document has been uploaded. Refer

to Section 4.5.2 above.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 18 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ABBREVIATIONS

BSP – Bluebeam Studio Project

BSS – Bluebeam Studio Session

CCD – Construction Change Document

EPR – Electronic Plan Review

LPR – Lead Plan Reviewer

OTC – Over-the-Counter

PoC – DSA Point of Contact

GLOSSARY

Addendum

A post approval document used to change the DSA-approved construction documents during

the bidding phase and prior to a construction contract for the work being let (i.e., awarded). The

addendum document includes a scope narrative and only those drawing sheets and

specification sections from the original approval that are being changed.

Approval Document File

Single file in PDF format submitted as a post approval document containing the content of the

submittal to be approved by DSA. See Section 5.2.2 above.

Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

Digital space to manage project files and project review sessions.

Bluebeam Studio Session (BSS)

Collaborative digital space for reviewing, commenting of documents and the closeout of

comments.

Construction Change Document (CCD)

A post approval document prepared by the design professional to implement minor changes to

the DSA-approved construction documents made after a contract for the work has been let or

during construction. Refer to IR A-6: Construction Change Document Submittal and Approval

Process for additional information.

Consultant Plan Reviewer

A plan reviewer hired and trained by DSA to perform plan review and the back check with the

design professional. The consultant plan reviewer’s responsibilities in the EPR process are

described in PR 18-05.

Deferred Submittal

A portion of the proposed project for which DSA permits the design, plan review, and approval

to be deferred until after approval of the project.

Design Professional

The design professional in responsible charge of the project (or his or her authorized

representative) and other design professionals delegated responsibility for a portion of the work.

Desk Back Check

Back check performed by plan reviewers independently without a face-to-face meeting with the

design professionals (similar to how plan review is conducted).

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 19 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

DSAbox

A cloud-based storage site where DSA project files are located.

DSA Point of Contact (PoC)

DSA staff member assigned to a consultant reviewer to complete internal DSA tasks, uploading

resubmittal documents, updating eTracker completion percentages, etc.

EPR Administrator

A DSA EPR Administrator will set-up Bluebeam Studio Projects and Session, and will assign

collaborators in DSAbox, Bluebeam Studio Projects and Sessions.

In-Person Back Check

Back check performed by plan reviewers in a face-to-face or virtual meeting with design

professionals.

Lead Plan Reviewer (LPR)

The DSA plan reviewer who arranges the back check with the design professional and the other

plan reviewers and notifies the EPR Administrator when the plan review documents are

approvable. DSA assigns the LPR based on what plan review disciplines are required for the

project as follows:

• Structural Safety (SS) plan reviewer for projects with SS review.

• Accessibility (ACS) plan reviewer for projects without SS review.

• Fire and Life Safety (FLS) plan reviewer for projects without SS and ACS review.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Review

DSA offers OTC review for eligible projects to expedite the review and approval process. OTC

review is primarily intended for single-story relocatable buildings, and other simple projects,

utilizing designs that have been pre-approved in accordance with PR 07-01: Pre-Check

Approval.

Plan Review Tracking Table

A document (i.e., “_PR Tracking Table.pdf”) in the plan review BSS used to keep track of the

plan review status of each document. This document is for DSA use only.

Revision

A post approval document used to change the DSA-approved construction documents prior to

the start of construction or during construction when the scope exceeds that appropriate for

CCD. The revision document includes a scope narrative and only those drawing sheets and

specification sections from the original approval that are being changed.

Supporting Document File

Single file in PDF format submitted with a post approval document containing various

components with information necessary to substantiate approval but not directly approved by

DSA. Such components commonly consist of structural calculations, product cut sheets, product

evaluation reports, documentation of as-built conditions, etc. See Section 5.2.3 above.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 20 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

APPENDIX A: GETTING STARTED

A1. BLUEBEAM STUDIO ACCOUNT

Users without a Bluebeam Studio account shall setup a new account. Users with an existing

Bluebeam Studio account shall proceed to Section A1.2 below.

A1.1 Create a New Account

Users perform the following steps to create a Bluebeam Studio account (this procedure is a

one-time process):

A1.1.1 Open Bluebeam Revu software application.

A1.1.2 Click the “Sign In” button on the “Studio” tab. If the “Studio” tab cannot be located,

apply keystroke “Alt+C” to open the tab.

A1.1.3 Click the “Create Account” button in the resulting dialog box.

A1.1.4 Complete the “First Name” and “Last Name” fields.

A1.1.5 In the “Bluebeam Display Name” field, enter name and company as follows: First Last,

Company. Example: John Doe, ABC Architects.

A1.1.6 Enter email address in the “Email” field.

A1.1.7 Create a password conforming to the content requirement listed on the dialog box and

enter in the “Password” and “Confirm Password” fields.

A1.1.8 Click the “Create Account” button.

A1.1.9 If you receive an error message, contact Bluebeam support for additional assistance.

A1.1.10 From the user’s email application open the welcome email from Bluebeam Studio and

click the link to validate the email address.

A1.2 Setup Existing Account

After creating a Bluebeam Studio account, users perform the following streps to set up the

account (this procedure is a one-time process):

A1.2.1 Open the Bluebeam Revu software application and log on to Bluebeam Studio.

A1.2.1.1 Click the “Sign In” button on the “Studio” tab.

A1.2.1.2 Enter the user’s email address in the “Bluebeam ID” field of the resulting dialog box

and click the “Next” button.

A1.2.1.3 Enter the user’s password in the next dialog box and click the “Sign In” button.

A1.2.2 Open the “Preferences” dialog box by clicking on the “Preferences” button, selecting

“Preferences” from the “Revu” pull-down menu, or applying the “Ctrl+K” keystroke.

A1.2.2.1 Click on the “General” screen (left menu) and “Options” tab.

A1.2.2.2 In the “User” field verify or correct the entry to match the standard defined in Section

A1.1.5 above.

A1.2.2.3 Click on the “Studio” screen (left menu) and the “Servers” tab.

A1.2.2.4 In the “Display Name” field verify or correct the entry to match the standard defined in

Section A1.1.5 above.

A1.2.3 Click “OK” to close the “Preferences” dialog box.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 21 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

A2. DEMO BLUEBEAM STUDIO

New users can demo Bluebeam Studio performing the following actions:

A2.1 Join a BSP in accordance with Section B1.1 below. The BSP folder structure will be in

accordance with Table C1.1 below.

A2.1.1 Navigate the BSP folder structure and open files in BSP in accordance with Section

B1.3 below.

A2.1.2 Files will be submitted to the “A. Submission” folder and its sub-folders by the design

professional.

A2.1.3 DSA staff will move files from the “A. Submission” folder to the “B. DSA Review” folder.

A2.2 Join a BSS in accordance with Section B1.2 below. Each BSS corresponds to a folder in

the BSP as defined in Table C1.2 below.

A2.2.1 Open files in the BSS in accordance with Section B1.3 below.

A2.2.2 While in the BSS ensure online connectivity. Under the “Studio” tab confirm that the

plug icon is green and connected.

A2.2.3 In the “Attendees” section of the “Studio” tab verify the user’s name conforms to the

convention described in Section A1.1.5 above.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 22 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

APPENDIX B: WORKING IN BLUEBEAM STUDIO WITH BLUEBEAM REVU

B1. STUDIO OPERATIONS

B1.1 Join a Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

Users will join a BSP by performing the following actions:

B1.1.1 Open Bluebeam Revu software.

B1.1.2 Sign in to Bluebeam Studio as described in Section A1.2.1 above.

B1.1.3 Under the “Studio” tab click on the “+” button and select “Join” from the resulting

context menu. A dialog box titles “Join” will open.

B1.1.4 Paste the nine-digit BSP identification number into the “Studio ID” field of the dialog

box. The BSP identification number will be provided in the notification email from DSA.

B1.1.5 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box and join the BSP.

B1.1.6 After a BSP has been joined from a Bluebeam Studio Account, it will thereafter appear

in the list of “Joined” BSP found on the “Studio” tab. The user can join this BSP in the future

simply by clicking on the BSP name in the “Joined” list.

B1.2 Join a Bluebeam Studio Session (BSS)

Users will join a BSS by performing the following actions:

B1.2.1 Join the BSP as described in Section B1.1 above.

B1.2.2 Right-click on the BSP name and select “Sync” from the resulting context menu.

B1.2.3 Right-click on the BSP name and select “Show Sessions…” from the resulting context

menu. A dialog box titled “Available Sessions” will open.

B1.2.4 From the resulting dialog box select the desired BSS.

B1.2.4.1 The BSS used in the procedures described in Sections 3 and 4 above will contain

“Plan Review” in the name. When a project consists of more than one increment, the BSS used

for plan review will also contain the increment number.

B1.2.4.2 The BSS used in the procedures described in Section 5 above will be named as

described in Table C1.2 below.

B1.2.5 Click the “Join” button to close the dialog box and join the BSS.

B1.2.6 After a BSS has been joined from a Bluebeam Studio Account, it will thereafter appear

in the list of “Joined” BSS found on the “Studio” tab. The user can join this BSS in the future

simply by clicking on the BSS name in the “Joined” list.

B1.3 Navigation in Bluebeam Studio

Navigation of folders and files in Bluebeam Studio will be performed using the various

operations described below.

B1.3.1 To expand and show the contents of a collapsed folder in BSP, double-click on the

folder name.

B1.3.2 To open a file in BSP or BSS, right-click on the file name and select “Open” from the

resulting context menu.

B1.3.3 To “check out” an open BSP file, click on the lock icon in the document name tab and

select “Check Out” from the resulting context menu.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 23 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

B1.3.4 To save a checked out BSP file, select “Save” from the “File” pull-down menu or apply

keystroke “Ctrl+S”.

B1.3.5 To “check in” an open BSP file, click on the page icon in the document name tab and

select “Check In” from the resulting context menu. A dialog box titled “Check In” will open. Add a

comment if desired and click the “Check In” button on the resulting dialog box. The “check in”

process saves changes made to the document while it was checked out.

B1.3.6 To undo the “check out” an open BSP file, click on the page icon in the document name

tab and select “Undo Checkout” from the resulting context menu. The “undo check out” process

discards (i.e., does not save) changes made to the document while it was checked out.

B1.3.7 To delete a file from BSP, right-click on the file name and select “Delete…” from the

resulting context menu.

B1.3.8 To delete a file from a BSS, contact the EPR Administrator. Files can only be deleted

from a BSS by its owner.

B1.4 Add a File to Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

Users with permission to do so based on the security settings of the target folder will add files to

a BSP by performing the following actions:

B1.4.1 Join the BSP as described in Section B1.1 above.

B1.4.2 Navigate to the target folder in the BSP to which the file(s) is to be uploaded as

described in Section B1.3. above.

B1.4.3 Right-click on the target folder.

B1.4.4 Select “Upload Files…” from the resulting context menu. A dialog box titled “Upload

Files” will open.

B1.4.5 In the resulting dialog box, click on the “Add” button.

B1.4.6 Select “Files” from the resulting context menu. A navigation window titled “Add Files”

will open.

B1.4.7 Navigate to the location where the file(s) to be uploaded has been saved locally.

B1.4.8 Select the file(s) to be uploaded. Multiple files can be selected concurrently by holding

down the “Ctrl” key.

B1.4.9 Click the “Open” button.

B1.4.10 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box and upload the files.

B1.5 Download a File from Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP)

Users with permission to do so based on the security settings of the subject folder will download

files from a BSP by performing the following actions:

B1.5.1 Join the BSP as described in Section B1.1 above.

B1.5.2 Navigate to the subject folder in the BSP from which the file(s) is to be downloaded as

described in Section B1.3. above.

B1.5.3 Right-click on the name of the file to be downloaded.

B1.5.4 Select “Download Copy” from the resulting context menu. A navigation window titled

“Save As” will open.

B1.5.5 Navigate to the location where the downloaded file will be saved locally.

B1.5.6 Click the “Save” button to close the window and complete the download.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 24 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

B2. TROUBLESHOOTING IN BLUEBEAM

B2.1 Incorrect Bluebeam Studio Account Username

When the username appearing in the “Attendees” section of the “Studio” tab or the “Author”

column in the “Markups List” tab does not match the convention defined in Section A1.1.5

above, perform the following actions:

B2.1.1 Open the “Preferences” dialog box by clicking on the “Preferences” button, selecting

“Preferences” from the “Revu” pull-down menu, or applying the “Ctrl+K” keystroke.

B2.1.2 Click on the “General” screen (left menu) and “Options” tab.

B2.1.3 Verify or correct the content of the “User” field to conform to the convention described

in Section A1.1.5 above.

B2.1.4 Click on the “Studio” screen (left menu) and “Servers” tab.

B2.1.5 Verify or correct the content of the “Display Name” field to conform to the convention

described in Section A1.1.5 above.

B2.1.6 From an internet browser navigate to www. studio.bluebeam.com.

B2.1.7 Enter the user’s email address in the “Bluebeam ID” field of the resulting screen and

click the “Next” button.

B2.1.8 Enter the user’s password in the next screen and click the “Sign In” button.

B2.1.9 Click on the “My Profile” tab.

B2.1.10 Verify or correct the content of the “Default Name” field to conform to the convention

described in Section A1.1.5 above.

B2.1.11 Click the “Logout” button to exit.

B2.2 Change Bluebeam Open and Save Location Options

B2.2.1 Open the “Preferences” dialog box by clicking on the “Preferences” button, selecting

“Preferences” from the “Revu” pull-down menu, or applying the “Ctrl+K” keystroke.

B2.2.2 Click on the “General” screen (left menu) and “Options” tab.

B2.2.3 Uncheck the “Open and save files to Studio from toolbar only” option.

B2.2.4 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box.

B2.3 Submit Support Ticket to Bluebeam

Users can request assistance from Bluebeam by performing the following actions.

B2.3.1 Select “Report an Issue” from the “Help” pull-down menu.

B2.3.2 The resulting dialog box requests permission to attach log files to support ticket. Click

the “Yes” button to attach log files.

B2.3.3 An email will be generated in the local email application (e.g., Microsoft Outlook)

addressed to Bluebeam support team.

B2.3.4 Write a brief description of the issue and problem encountered.

B2.3.5 Click the “Send” button to transmit the email to the Bluebeam support team.

B2.4 DSA EPR Support

Users can request assistance from DSA for EPR issues by sending an email to the following

address: [email protected]

PR 18-04

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 25 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

B3. Best Practices for Editing Documents in BSS

The following guidelines are published by Bluebeam on their website. Adherence to these

recommendations is intended to yield a more efficient, stable, and accurate use of Bluebeam

Studio.

B3.1 Use the fastest and most stable internet connection possible.

B3.2 Minimize the file size of PDF as much as possible. Before uploading files, remove any

unnecessary content, such as layers, file attachments, and unnecessary markups (e.g., “SHX

Text” markups). Consider using the “Reduce File Size” operation in Bluebeam Revu.

B3.3 Grouped Markups: If combining markups together, minimize the number of individual

items within each group. It is best to avoid using this functionality when unnecessary.

B3.4 Snapshot Tool: Use the leanest “snapshot” possible by excluding background content or

unneeded data from the original document. To achieve this, capture the content from the source

document using the “snapshot” tool, but before pasting it onto the destination document, paste it

onto an intermediate, blank PDF document. Then retake the capture using the “snapshot” tool

from the intermediate document and paste the second capture onto the destination document.

The second version of the “snapshot” will be free from any unnecessary data that could be

corrupt.

B3.5 Images: When adding images to a document in a BSS, remember that document and

markup changes are being transmitted back and forth between the cloud and each attendee.

Large file sizes resulting from high-resolution images may have an adverse effect on overall

performance.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 26 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

APPENDIX C: STANDARDS AND NAMING CONVENTIONS

Figure C1.1: Identification Stamp Location, Typical

Figure C1.2: Identification Stamp Location, Pre-Check

Figure C1.3: Approval Stamp Location, Post Approval Documents

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 27 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C1.1: Bluebeam Studio Project (BSP) Folder Structure

BSP Folders

Description

0 Increments

Root folder indicates the number

of increments

A. Submission

This is the BSP folder where the

Design Professional submits

Version 2 (_V2) and greater

documents.

1. Plan Review Documents*

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

2. Post Approval Documents*

A. Deferred Submittals

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

B. Revisions

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

C. Addenda

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

D. Construction Change Documents

B. DSA Review

This BSP folder is where DSA

places project documents and

sends them to sessions (as

required) for mark-up.

1. Plan Review Documents*

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

2. Post Approval Documents*

A. Deferred Submittals

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

B. Revisions

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

C. Addenda

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

D. Construction Change Documents

C. Approval

This is the BSP folder where DSA

places the approved documents.

1. Plan Review Documents*

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

2. Post Approval Documents*

A. Deferred Submittals

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

B. Revisions

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

C. Addenda

Sub-folders for each Increment as applicable

D. Construction Change Documents

* BSP used for the review of reports (see Section 1.8 above) do not include this folder or its

sub-folders.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 28 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C1.2: Bluebeam Studio Sessions (BSS) Naming and Associated BSP Folder

BSP Folder

BSS Name

Project Without Increments

B. DSA Review

1. Plan Review Documents

RO_APPLNO Plan Review Project

2. Post Approval Documents

A. Deferred Submittals

RO_APPLNO Deferred Submittal Project

B. Revisions

RO_APPLNO Revision Project

C. Addenda

RO_APPLNO Addendum Project

D. Construction Change

Documents

RO_APPLNO CCD Project

Project With Increments (2 Increment example shown)

B. DSA Review

1. Plan Review Documents

Increment #1

Increment #2

RO_APPLNO INC 01 Plan Review Project

RO_APPLNO INC 02 Plan Review Project

2. Post Approval Documents

A. Deferred Submittals

Increment #1

Increment #2

RO_APPLNO Deferred Submittal Project

B. Revisions

Increment #1

Increment #2

RO_APPLNO Revision Project

C. Addenda

Increment #1

Increment #2

RO_APPLNO Addendum Project

D. Construction Change Documents

RO_APPLNO CCD Project

Legend:

RO – Two-digit DSA Regional Office identification number (01: Oakland, 02: Sacramento, 03:

Los Angeles, or 04: San Diego)

APPLNO – Six-digit project application number assigned at registration.

Project – Project name as recorded in eTracker.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 29 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C2.1: Plan Review Document File Naming Convention

Document Type

Example Name(Project

without Increments)

Example Name

(Project with Increments:

Increment 1 shown)

Initial Documents with Version 1 (_V1) Identifier

Drawings, typical

DWG_V1

INC 01_DWG_V1

Drawings, multiple volumes

when size exceeds 1 GB

DWG1_V1

DWG2_V1

INC 01_DWG1_V1

INC 01_DWG2_V1

Specifications

SPC_V1

INC 01_SPC_V1

DSA 103

103_V1

INC 01_103_V1

Seismic Mitigation Program

(SMP) Phase 1 Eligibility

Evaluation Report

SMP1_V1 Not applicable

SMP Phase 2 Replacement

versus Rehabilitation Report

SMP2_V1 Not applicable

Evaluation and Design

Criteria Report

EDCR_V1

Not applicable

Supporting Documents

See Table C2.2 below

Additional blank pages as

required by DSA

DSA Additional

Comments

INC 01_DSA Additional

Comments

Resubmitted Documents at Back

Check

with Version 2* (_V2) Identifier

Drawings, typical

DWG_V2

INC 01_DWG_V2

Drawings, multiple volumes

when size exceeds 1 GB

DWG1_V2

DWG2_V2

INC 01_DWG1_V2

INC 01_DWG2_V2

Specifications

SPC_V2

INC 01_SPC_V2

DSA 103

103_V2

INC 01_103_V2

SMP Phase 1 Eligibility

Evaluation Report

SMP1_V2 Not applicable

SMP Phase 2 Replacement

versus Rehabilitation Report

SMP2_V2 Not applicable

Evaluation and Design

Criteria Report

EDCR_V2 Not applicable

Supporting Documents

See Table C2.2 below

* All documents submitted after the initial submittal must have sequential version numbers

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 30 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C2.2: Plan Review Supporting Document File Naming Convention

Document Type

Example Name

(Project without

Increments)

Example Name

(Project with Increments:

Increment 2 example shown)

Structural Calculations

Structural Calcs_V*

INC 02_Structural Calcs_V*

Hydraulic Calculations

Hydraulic Calcs_V*

INC 02_Hydraulic Calcs_V*

Geotechnical Report

Geotechnical Report_V*

Geohazard Report

Geohazard Report_V*

Flood Zone Map

FloodZone_V*

Form DSA 1

DSA1_V*

Form DSA 1-INC

DSA1-INC_V*

Form DSA 1-RUH

DSA1-RUH_V*

Form DSA 1-MR

DSA1-MR_V*

INC 02_DSA1-MR_V*

Form DSA 3

DSA3_V*

INC 02_DSA3_V*

Original drawings of existing

construction

A#RO-APPLNO Existing

Drawings

A#RO-APPLNO Existing

Drawings

Meeting Minutes (e.g., pre-

application meeting, etc.)

MtgMinutes_V* INC 02_MtgMinutes_V*

CGS Review Letter

CGS_V*

CGS Acceptance Letter

CGS_A

Product Cut Sheets

CutSheet_TYPE_V*

INC 02_CutSheet_TYPE_V*

Structural Analysis Model

StructModel _INFO_V*

INC 02_StructModel

_INFO_V*

Legend:

* Sequential version number starting with 1.

RO: DSA regional office identification number (01: Oakland, 02: Sacramento, 03: Los Angles,

04: San Diego). For projects that predate the regional office identification number, use two

consecutive underscore characters: “__”.

APPLNO: Six-digit project application number. For projects that predate standard six-digit

application numbers, add preceding zeros to achieve six-digits.

TYPE: Description of cut sheet content (e.g., “FireAlarm”, “DoorHardware”, etc.).

INFO: Any constructive designating information (e.g., “BldgA”, “Gym”, “Canopy”, etc.)

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 31 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C2.3: Post Approval Document File Naming Convention

Document Type

(Convention)

Example Name

(Project without

Increments)

Example Name

(Project with Increments:

Increment 2 example shown)

Addenda

(ADD_ID_V*)

ADD_01_V1

ADD_01_V2

INC 02_ADD_01_V1

INC 02_ADD_01_V2

ADD_02_V1

ADD_02_V2

INC 02_ADD_02_V1

INC 02_ADD_02_V2

Revisions

(REV_ID_V*)

REV_A_V1

REV_A_V2

INC 02_REV_A_V1

INC 02_REV_A_V2

REV_B_V1

REV_B_V2

INC 02_REV_B_V1

INC 02_REV_B_V2

Deferred Submittals

(DS_Name_V*)

See Table C2.4 below See Table C2.4 below

Construction Change

Document

(CCD_NUM_V*)

CCD_001_V1

CCD_001_V2

CCD_001_V1

CCD_001_V2

CCD_002_V1

CCD_002_V2

CCD_002_V3

CCD_002_V1

CCD_002_V2

CCD_002_V3

CCD_003_V1

CCD_003_V2

CCD_003_V1

CCD_003_V2

Legend:

* Number sequentially assigned to each new version of submitted post approval document.

ID: Two-digit numeric (e.g., 01, 02, 03, etc.) or one-digit alphabetic (e.g., A, B, C, etc.)

sequential designator uniquely assigned to each separate Addendum or Revision.

NUM: Three-digit sequential number (e.g., 001, 002, 003, etc.) uniquely assigned to each

separate CCD.

Name: Unique name of each deferred submittal based on subject matter per Table C2.4.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 32 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Table C2.4: Deferred Submittal Document File Naming Convention

Deferred

Submittal Type

Example Name

(Project without Increments)

Example Name

(Project with Increments:

Increment 2 example shown)

Access floor

systems

DS_Access Floor Systems_V1

DS_Access Floor System_V2

INC 02_DS_Access Floor Systems_V1

INC 02_DS_Access Floor System_V2

Bleachers

DS_Bleacher_V1

DS_Bleacher_V2

INC 02_DS_Bleacher_V1

INC 02_DS_Bleacher_V2

Elevator Guide

Rails

DS_Elevator Guide Rail_V1

DS_Elevator Guide Rail_V2

INC 02_DS_Elevator Guide Rail_V1

INC 02_DS_Elevator Guide Rail_V2

Exterior Wall

System

DS_Exterior Wall System_V1

DS_Exterior Wall System_V2

INC 02_DS_Exterior Wall System_V1

INC 02_DS_Exterior Wall System_V2

Fire Pump and

Water Tank

DS_Fire Pump and Tank_V1

DS_Fire Pump and Tank_V2

INC 02_DS_Fire Pump and Tank_V1

INC 02_DS_Fire Pump and Tank_V2

Skylights

DS_Skylight_V1

DS_Skylight_V2

INC 02_DS_Skylight_V1

INC 02_DS_Skylight_V2

Stage Rigging

DS_Stage Rigging_V1

DS_Stage Rigging_V2

INC 02_DS_Stage Rigging_V1

INC 02_DS_Stage Rigging_V2

Steel Joist / Joist

Girder

DS_Steel Joist_V1

DS_Steel Joist_V2

INC 02_DS_Steel Joist_V1

INC 02_DS_Steel Joist_V2

Window Wall

System or

Storefront

DS_Window Wall System_V1

DS_Window Wall System_V2

INC 02_DS_Window Wall System _V1

INC 02_DS_Window Wall System _V2

Wood Truss

DS_Wood Truss_V1

DS_Wood Truss_V2

INC 02_DS_ Wood Truss _V1

INC 02_DS_ Wood Truss _V2

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 33 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

APPENDIX D: PDF CREATION GUIDELINES

D1. Formatting

These guidelines are provided to help develop consistent formatting across all disciplines.

D1.1 Alignment: Plan drawings created in CAD program must line up when overlaid

electronically.

D1.2 Consistent plot location in paper space.

D1.3 Consistent gridline visibility across disciplines.

D1.4 Naming convention of structures shall be consistent across disciplines.

D1.5 Sheet size and orientation of sheets shall be consistent.

CORRECT

INCORRECT

D1.6 All submittals should be black and white. The use of colors on PDF shall be kept to a

minimum as not to impact file size and rendering speed.

D1.6.1 If colors are used, they shall not be used in a way that will impact the content of the

document if printed in black and white.

D1.6.2 The use of the color red is not permitted due to the confusion it may create with DSA

plan review markups, which use red as a standard.

D1.7 Minimize the use of hatch fills. If hatch fills are used, then provide efficient fills to prevent

slowdown rendering speed and to reduce the file size

D1.8 Use true type font to allow search ability within the PDF document. Use a font size with a

minimum height of 3/32” for readability.

D2. PDF Creation

Design professionals who submit electronic documents to DSA shall follow these guidelines

during the creation of PDF documents.

D2.1 PDF shall be created directly from authoring application.

D2.2 Use vector-based lines. No raster and no scanned documents except when documents

are not available in their native format such as PC drawings and old referenced drawings, etc.

Scanned documents shall be legible and free from streaks and shall be prepared as specified

per Section D3 below/

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 34 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

D2.3 Remove all unnecessary viewports.

D2.4 Remove all metadata

D2.5 Maintain output scale when printing to PDF. Print to scale; do not print to “Fit Page”.

D2.6 Do not submit password protected documents or restricted documents.

D2.7 Do not use digital signatures via “Sign Document” option.

D3. Scanned Drawings

In some cases, design professionals will need to submit PDF documents with drawings created

by scanning rather than through another software application. Scanned drawings may be part of

the “DWG” document (e.g., original drawings for a modular building being relocated) or as a

separate supporting document file (e.g., original drawings of an existing building in which

alterations are proposed). When scanned drawings are included, the design professional shall

test the regeneration speed of the document by navigating through the scanned sheets. If the

scanned pages do not regenerate in two seconds or less, the design professional shall perform

the following actions to improve the regeneration speed of the scanned drawings:

D3.1 If the scanned drawings are image files (i.e., the file extension is “jpeg”, “jpg”, “tiff”, “tif”,

“png”, “gif”, “bmp”, etc.) skip to Section D3.3.

D3.2 If the scanned drawing file is in PDF format (i.e., file extension “pdf”), export it to a series

of PNG image files (i.e., file extension “png”) by performing the following actions:

D3.2.1 With the file open Bluebeam Revu, select “Export” from the “File” pull-down menu.

D3.2.2 From the resulting context menu select “PNG”. A navigation box titled “Save As” will

open.

D3.2.3 Navigate to the location where the exported files will be saved temporarily.

D3.2.4 Click the “Save” button to export the files and close the navigation box.

D3.3 Convert and combine image files into a single PDF file by performing the following

actions:

D3.3.1 In Bluebeam Revu, select “Create” from the “File” pull-down menu.

D3.3.2 From the resulting context menu, select “From Multiple Files”. A navigation box titled

“Select files to create PDF” will open.

D3.3.3 Navigate to the location where the image files are saved. Refer to Section D3.2.3

above.

D3.3.4 Select the image files for all sheets of the scanned drawings. If the folder contains only

the desired files, keystroke “Ctrl+A” can be used to select all the files. Alternately, holding down

the “Ctrl” key allows the selection of multiple files.

D3.3.5 Click the “Open” button. The navigation box will close, and a dialog box titled “Stapler”

will open.

D3.3.6 Click the “Advanced…” button. A dialog box titled “Default Settings” will open.

D3.3.7 In the “Resolution” region of the dialog box, set the “Image” field to 96 dpi from drop-

down menu.

D3.3.8 Click the “OK” button to close the dialog box.

D3.3.9 In the “Step 2” region of the “Stapler” dialog box, enter the name of the resulting PDF

file in the “One Output File” field. See Table C2.1 below for file naming convention.

PR 18-04

ELECTRONIC PLAN REVIEW FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

PR 18-04 (Revised 02/08/23) Page 35 of 35

DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECTDEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES STATE OF CALIFORNIA

D3.3.10 In the “Step 3” region of the “Stapler” dialog box select “Use source file folder”.

D3.3.11 Click the “OK” button. The “Stapler” dialog box will close, and a dialog box titled

“Stapler – Untitled Job*” will open.

D3.3.12 Click the “Staple” button to close the dialog box and create the PDF file.

D3.4 If the scanned drawings are to be included in the construction documents (i.e., the

DWG_V*.pdf file) insert the scanned drawings by performing the following steps:

D3.4.1 Open all scanned drawing PDF files and the DWG_V*.pdf file in Bluebeam Revu.

D3.4.2 With the DWG_V*.pdf file active, select “Insert” from the “Document” pull-down menu.

D3.4.3 Select “Pages from Document…” from the resulting context menu. A dialog box titled

“Insert Pages” will open.

D3.4.4 Click the “Add Open Files” button.

D3.4.5 Modify files to be inserted as required. Select a file and click the red “X” button to

remove it from the list. Select a file and click the up or down arrow buttons to reorganize the

order of inserted files as needed.

D3.4.6 From the “Into ‘DWG_V*.pdf’” region of the dialog box, specify the appropriate insertion

location within the DWG_V*.pdf file.

D3.4.7 Click the “OK” button to insert the scanned drawing file(s).

D3.4.8 If further reorganization of sheets is needed after the file(s) insertion use the

"Thumbnails” tab to manipulate the sheet order. In the “Thumbnails” tab, click and drag to move

a page. Multiple pages can be selected by holding down the “Shift” key while selecting.

A DSA Procedure documents a process or series of steps that DSA staff and/or external stakeholders must complete

in order to fulfill one or more administrative requirements of DSA's review and approval of plans and specifications

and construction oversight programs.