Building Information Modeling (BIM) has already transformed the building sector's architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Now, it's increasingly making its way into linear infrastructure. From roads and railways to tunnels and pipelines, BIM is beginning to revolutionise how these complex and large-scale projects are designed, built, and maintained.
BIM provides a digital representation of a project's physical and functional characteristics. But what does that mean in practice? And more importantly, what does it imply for engineers working on linear infrastructure projects?
Building Information Modelling: Definition
BIM is not just a digital work method, it's a comprehensive system that centralises all project information within a coordinated 3D model.
This model goes beyond visual representation: it's a rich repository of geometric, technical, and functional data about the building or infrastructure, ensuring a thorough project planning process. .png?width=900&height=721&name=Detailed%20Design%20(2).png)
What does BIM bring to linear infrastructure?
BIM helps you better understand every aspect of your project. It’s used throughout the project's life cycle, from initial concept and design through construction and operation to maintenance and decommissioning.
For complex systems like roads, railways, tunnels, and pipelines, BIM enables better coordination between teams, reduces risks, and ensures that every decision is based on accurate, up-to-date data.
Holistic data integration
The primary goal of BIM in linear infrastructure is to consolidate all the necessary information in one system. This transformation from fragmented, document-centric workflows to a unified, data-driven process is not just a change in method, but a significant improvement in how we design, construct, and manage infrastructure projects.
Take a road project, for instance: elements such as alignment, drainage systems, and material quantities are fully integrated within the BIM model. This enables real-time updates and coordinated changes, ensuring design and construction decisions remain accurate, cost-effective, and fully aligned with project goals.
Enhanced collaboration
BIM acts as a Common Data Environment (CDE), breaking down silos between architects, engineers, contractors, and operators to centralise information. It ensures everyone is working from the same source of truth. Open standards like IFC 4.3 (tailored explicitly for linear infrastructure) ensure seamless data exchange between disparate software platforms, enhancing interoperability and reducing miscommunication.
BIM is not just a tool for designers. It's a platform that promotes teamwork and a shared understanding of the project so all stakeholders can work together towards a common goal. Decisions are made faster, coordination is smoother, and project outcomes are significantly improved.
Conflict resolution and risk mitigation
BIM’s clash detection tools identify conflicts (e.g., utility lines intersecting with bridge foundations) during the design phase. By catching these issues early, BIM reduces the need for costly on-site rework and redesigns.
Additionally, BIM supports automated simulations that test various project scenarios, from traffic flow to environmental impacts. This ensures that designs comply with regulations and are optimised for real-world conditions. This proactive approach allows teams to address risks before they become costly problems.
Lifecycle management and sustainability
BIM extends its value beyond the construction phase by supporting the creation of digital twins—virtual replicas that evolve alongside physical infrastructure. These models enable predictive maintenance, performance monitoring, and resource optimisation.
For example, tracking wear and tear on a railway through a BIM-integrated system can help extend the lifespan of assets, reduce downtime, and lower operational costs.
BIM also plays a key role in sustainable design. It enables the evaluation of environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions, energy use, and material waste, early in the design process. This allows project teams to make informed, low-carbon design choices that align with global sustainability goals and regulatory requirements.
Compliance and future-proofing
As more governments mandate BIM for public infrastructure projects, its adoption is becoming necessary, not just a competitive advantage. Implementing BIM ensures compliance with international standards such as ISO 19650, which promotes structured information management throughout the project lifecycle.
Beyond meeting today’s requirements, BIM also lays the groundwork for the future of infrastructure management. It enables integration with emerging technologies like AI-driven analytics, IoT-connected assets, and advanced digital twin ecosystems, ensuring that infrastructure projects are not only compliant but also resilient, adaptable, and ready for what's next.
Conceive with more efficiency using BIM
At the outset, we noted that BIM is revolutionising how linear infrastructure projects are designed, built, and maintained.
These projects often span vast distances, navigate complex terrains, and demand exceptional accuracy and efficiency. This is precisely where BIM proves to be a game-changer, transforming complexity into opportunity.
BIM enables designers to:
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- Design with precision
- Optimise alignments
- Adapt to environmental and regulatory constraints
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BIM’s potential is expansive. It unites efficiency, accuracy, and quality—qualities that traditional methods often struggle to deliver at scale. In contrast to time-consuming, siloed workflows, BIM empowers teams to work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence in the outcomes.
What are the dimensions of BIM?
Navigating BIM, you’ll be more accustomed to the notion of dimensions. This term refers to the specific layer of information integrated into a BIM model to enhance its functionality and usability across a project's lifecycle.
Each dimension represents a distinct aspect of the project, such as geometry, time, cost, or sustainability, and adds value by enabling stakeholders to analyse and optimise different facets of design, construction, and operations.
These dimensions expand BIM’s capabilities far beyond traditional 2D drawings, including critical factors like time, cost, sustainability, and more.
Through digitisation in general and BIM in particular, designers can now deliver more efficient, holistic projects that consider every aspect of infrastructure development.
This potential is even more significant for those using the ORIS platform, as they benefit from more valuable context about the project’s environment. That’s how they can make informed decisions from the earliest design stages.
BIM and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are inherently connected. Geolocation is indeed an essential dimension for contextualising BIM models. The ORIS platform natively implements this concept because we know that examining the project context in its entirety, especially for construction materials, remains a key factor in decision-making or optimisation, starting from the design stages.
In short, BIM is a powerhouse that enables stakeholders to facilitate decision-making based on accurate data. As linear infrastructure projects grow in complexity, BIM will remain pivotal in delivering resilient, efficient, sustainable networks for the future.
