A recent American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) study revealed that the current trend towards digital project delivery will have significant effects on transportation agencies and engineering firms. Ever since their introduction to the construction industry, building information modeling (BIM) and 3D-engineered models have offered additional information and visualization support for road and bridge projects. As of now, an increasing number of transportation agencies are beginning to demand model-based deliverables or have intentions to do so within the next five years.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is at the forefront of the transition towards digitalization, as evidenced by their Digital Delivery Directive 2025 plan. This effort encompasses the development of new standards and workflows across the state, extensive training for personnel, as well as multiple pilot projects designed to perfect PennDOT’s processes.
With the increasing usage of digital models in construction, there is a great potential for improved asset management. These models can create digital as-builts that provide future engineers with the assurance that what they see in the plans is actually what was constructed. The ongoing shift towards digital delivery in transportation infrastructure is set to transform every aspect of the project delivery process, moving it closer to a model-based delivery future.
Read the American Society of Civil Engineers full article here.
