STAYING COMPETITIVE

Staying competitive
For civil infrastructure professionals

ITS A 3D WORLD AFTER ALL

At the turn of the 21st century, civil engineering processes began
to change and this evolution continues as civil infrastructure
professionals are understanding the value of moving to a new
approach using data rich models: Building Information Modeling
(BIM). BIM involves creating and using intelligent 3D models to
develop and communicate project decisions. Akin to the decadeslong use of digital prototypes by the manufacturing industry for
the engineering, analysis, and production of product assemblies,
the civil infrastructure industry began adopting a similar approach
for their projects.

As economies are rebounding and civil infrastructure spending is

increasing, BIM continues to gain traction within the civil infrastructure
industries. Because the fallout from the last economic recession lingers,
competition is greater than ever. Engineering firms are under pressure to
deliver their projects faster with smaller budgets.

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INDUSTRY TRENDS: RAPID ADOPTION OF BIM

In this landscape, more and more civil engineering firms are turning to BIM for a competitive
advantage and improved productivity. Numerous studies and surveys document the rapid
adoption of BIM for Infrastructure worldwide.
LEVEL OF BIM IMPLEMENTATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OVER TIME (FOR USERS)

View the complete

SmartMarket Report,
The Business Value of
BIM for Infrastructure
GET THE REPORT

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

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BIM MANDATES GROWING

As adoption of BIM increases, the use of digital models for virtual
design, engineering, and collaboration is becoming standard, and
governments, organizations, and owners around the world are
mandating BIM on all publically funded infrastructure projects. For
example:

By 2016, the UK government requires all government projects to

utilize collaborative 3D BIM. Since the government accounts for
approximately 40 percent of UK engineering capital expenditures, this
is an aggressive BIM mandate.
Since 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires the use of BIM
for all military engineering projects to improve time and costs.

In early 2014, the European Parliament approved a Directive for

Public Sector Procurement that encourages public authorities to
consider using BIM in public works and draws attention to the
opportunity and benefits that BIM presents to public infrastructure
projects.

BIM Mandates Growing

Locations in which BIM mandates

are expanding quickly

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Factors Most Important to Overall Experience

of Value from BIM on Infrastructure Projects

INDUSTRY TRENDS: BIM AND NEW STRATEGIES FOR

INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN
BIM supports important new strategies for infrastructure design
that are changing the context, businesses, and practices in the
industry:
There is a growing expectation of closer collaboration
among planners and designers. Model-based workflows
and BIM software are key enablers of integrated teams.
Also, advancements in technology for collaboration and
communication, and the prevalence of social, mobile, and cloud
technologies is transforming how teams work together.
Implementing BIM on capital projects can provide benefits
across planning, design, delivery, and operational areas. Access
to coordinated and consistent model views by all stakeholders
supports increased project control and more efficient asset
management.
Without the data continuity and discipline coordination that the
BIM process enables, information is lost and must be recreated
at every hand-over. By contrast, BIM conserves and uses
information across the lifecycle of an infrastructure asset.
These BIM adoption rates, owner mandates, and industry trends
clearly highlight that the civil infrastructure industries is moving
away from traditional ways of doing business and embracing new
methods and technologies for project delivery. Which begs the
question: can a firm still relying on decades old 2D processes and
technologies survive? But before we tackle that question, lets take
a closer look at BIM.

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

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What is BIM?
Simply put, BIM is a process to plan, design, construct, and
manage infrastructure that involves creating and using intelligent
3D models. Compared to traditional 2D drawings, these models
give stakeholders a better understanding of the projectleading
to higher quality project outcomes.

How is BIM different from CAD? BIM is more than simply 3D CAD; more
than just a 3D model of a project. BIM solutions use relational database
technology to embed information and relationships into models, creating
intelligent models.

COLLABORATION

PRODUCTIVITY

INSIGHT

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MOST IMPORTANT BIM BENEFITS

THAT CONTRIBUTE VALUE TO
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The models created for BIM are not just 3D geometry; they are data-rich objects which are:
Intelligent
Parametric engines help define relationships between objects and keep changes consistent
and coordinated
Knowledge-based
Can be constrained by things like AASHTO codes, design criteria, and company standards
Scalable
Able to aggregate huge amounts of data from multiple sources
Visual
Enable better analysis, simulation and communication

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

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BIMS VALUE
Which brings us back to the original question. Can a firm survive
without BIM? The statistics, trends, and owner mandates, cited
earlier all point to the same answer: no.

TOP INTERNAL BUSINESS BENEFITS OF USING BIM

FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR A/E FIRMS AND
CONTRACTORS

But this is good newseven for firms that have not yet adopted
BIM. Because moving to BIM can give firms substantial and longlasting benefits, enabling more innovative design and engineering
strategies and providing a significant competitive advantage.
Surveys of infrastructure professionals who have already moved
to BIM consistently list several top business values of BIM, such
as:
Reduced document errors and omissions
Reduced rework
Reduced project duration
Increased profits
Ability to win new and repeat business

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

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SUMMARY
As model-based civil engineering growsand intersects with new
technologies, new delivery methods, and new business modelsthe
nature of the industry is changing. The degree of collaboration, the kind
of information flows, the risk-management scenarios, and the alternate
project delivery approaches are all manifestations of this change. To
survive, firms must strategically position their use of technologystarting
with Autodesk BIM for Infrastructure solutions.

Several years ago, when we talked about BIM,

everyone would say, How much does it cost?
And now, its: How much does it cost to not
use BIM?
Robert A. Bank, P.E. F.ASCE
Chief, Civil Works Branch, Engineering & Construction,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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