Report: Building Information Modeling Improves Transportation Workflow Productivity

Building Information Modeling (BIM) processes and technology that have been used in building construction for many years have become increasingly adopted in the transportation sector over the past decade.

A new report published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) examines how traditional workflows for managing data on transportation infrastructure projects can transition to BIM-based workflows for improved productivity.

The FHWA report, “Building Information Modeling (BIM) Workflows and Centralized BIM Transportation Library for Bridges and Roadways,” supports the transition to BIM-based workflows, a collaborative work method for structuring, managing and using digital data throughout the life cycle of transportation assets. It was co-authored by Jagannath Mallela, PhD, WSP senior vice president and senior advisor for Advisory and Planning; Abhishek Bhargava, PhD, WSP vice president of data science; Sedrick Bouknight, WSP vice president of IT project management; and Lance Parve, who recently retired as director of BIM services for the firm.

The expert research in this report analyzes 10 key process workflows ranging from planning and surveying to design, construction and asset management phases. Several of the report’s significant findings include:

Data Modeling Opportunities

The report shows how business processes can be matured and improved by building data models, organizing these data models within authoring tools and deploying data-use processes and standards that will supply the data to multiple stakeholders across the enterprise.

Library of BIM Artifacts

Agencies at the state and national level have begun investigating the development and administration of BIM processes and tools. The national efforts are expected to create several BIM artifacts to include reference business process models, standardized data terminology, classification systems, object-type libraries, information needs, information delivery manuals, information exchange specifications, information delivery contracts, and sample model digital models and data.

The software industry is expected to participate and implement national level data models to support BIM workflows. State transportation agencies are expected to reference these national artifacts to digitally deliver their projects and services and inform enhancements to them over time.

Therefore, the referenced BIM standards and artifacts need to be coordinated, governed and delivered to the industry to ensure that the industry moves together. To this end, a centralized BIM transportation library (CBTL) — which would serve as a repository and tool for accessing, governing and provisioning BIM artifacts in a controlled environment — is proposed.

Planning for CBTL Deployment

BIM-based workflows and CBTL require extensive planning, but the result is an essential wayfinding tool for stitching together BIM related development occurring in the U.S.

For more information, read “BIM Workflows and Centralized BIM Transportation Library for Bridges and Roadways.”

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