Staying competitive For civil infrastructure professionals

STAYING COMPETITIVE

IT’S 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 decades-long 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.

STAYING COMPETITIVE 01

INDUSTRY TRENDS: RAPID ADOPTION OF BIMIn 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.

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

View the complete SmartMarket Report, “The Business Value of BIM for Infrastructure”

GET THE REPORT

LEVEL OF BIM IMPLEMENTATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE OVER TIME (FOR USERS)

STAYING COMPETITIVE 02

BIM MANDATES GROWINGAs 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:

• 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

• 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.

Locations in which BIM mandates are expanding quickly

STAYING COMPETITIVE 03

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 decade’s old 2D processes and technologies survive? But before we tackle that question, let’s take a closer look at BIM.

Factors Most Important to Overall Experience of Value from BIM on Infrastructure Projects

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

STAYING COMPETITIVE 04

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 project—leading 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

INSIGHTPRODUCTIVITY

STAYING COMPETITIVE 05

MOST IMPORTANT BIM BENEFITS THAT CONTRIBUTE VALUE TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

The models created for BIM are not just 3D geometry; they are data-rich objects which are:

IntelligentParametric engines help define relationships between objects and keep changes consistent and coordinated

Knowledge-basedCan be constrained by things like AASHTO codes, design criteria, and company standards

ScalableAble to aggregate huge amounts of data from multiple sources

VisualEnable better analysis, simulation and communication

STAYING COMPETITIVE 06

TOP INTERNAL BUSINESS BENEFITS OF USING BIM FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR A/E FIRMS AND CONTRACTORS

Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2012

BIM’S VALUEWhich 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.

But this is good news…even for firms that have not yet adopted BIM. Because moving to BIM can give firms substantial and long-lasting 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

STAYING COMPETITIVE 07

“Several years ago, when we talked about BIM, everyone would say, ‘How much does it cost?’ And now, it’s: ‘How much does it cost to not use BIM?’”

Robert A. Bank, P.E. F.ASCEChief, Civil Works Branch, Engineering & Construction,U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

SUMMARYAs model-based civil engineering grows—and intersects with new technologies, new delivery methods, and new business models—the 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 technology—starting with Autodesk BIM for Infrastructure solutions.

STAYING COMPETITIVE 08