The number of cars traveling on American roads is at an all-time high. With so much volume and reliance on our roads, those responsible for designing, building, and maintaining transportation infrastructure are under more pressure than ever to ensure that our nation’s highways, freeways and side streets can meet the demand that our car-loving culture places on them
As with any skilled job or trade, having the right tools is essential for success. For those responsible for making sure our transportation infrastructure is up to snuff, the necessary tool is today’s advanced digital design solutions.
In departments of transportation and construction firms around the nation, BIM 360 is increasingly being used to make the process of design, construction, and maintenance smoother for the transportation infrastructure that we use every day. The BIM 360 toolset is essential because it, “…provides multiple data types, unlimited storage on the cloud, provides online viewing, and the biggest things is a minimal learning curve due to easy use,” said David Fagerman, BIM 360 expert in a recent Autodesk webinar.
That was just one of the many benefits of BIM 360 that Mr. Fagerman discussed in a recent Webinar entitled, BIM for Transportation. During this transportation-focused Webinar, Mr. Fagerman touched on many benefits that BIM 360 has to offer, but three stood out thanks to their ability to simplify and streamline the workflow for transportation projects.
Collaboration
No matter the phase of the project, participants from DoT workers to government officials need to stay in sync. BIM is a collaborative tool that combines physical and functional characteristics to create a model that can be edited by several different people in remote locations. Markups and issues drawn in or commented on the document or model are communicated to everyone, ensuring collaboration throughout the project lifecycle. “You can save important information in your design,” said Mr. Fagerman. “You can collaborate with everyone.”
Connectivity
With BIM 360 versions, new and updated model drafts are kept so that everyone in the process has the most up to date information. The ability to share models with workers both in and out of your organization greatly reduces review and analysis time. With unlimited storage and digital files, you are not only connected to the team members you need but able to take the design with you using your mobile phone or tablet. “This lets you jump in and use it anytime,” said Mr. Fagerman. Voice to text can also be used with your smart device.
Technology
The options with BIM 360 are continuously growing to make projects easier, including testing. Once data is input, “you can put all of this in motion and see if your construction will work,” explained Mr. Fagerman. With the help of computer simulation, models can be tested to see how they will hold up in their natural environment. BIM also pairs with other technology to enhance your design, like GIS. Using the ESRI Connector, data is implanted into the design environment and models can be linked for comparison.
Currently, BIM 360 supports 2d and 3d models, embeds data into those models, provides version control for users, keeps track of versions, automatically shows any changes made, allows for mobile access, and so much more. And that toolset is slated to expand in the not-too-distant future, when Autodesk releases some additional tools that will integrate into the BIM 360 platform in December.
To learn more about BIM 360 and how it can be used for transportation, watch this webinar.
