Finalists
Meet the 2023 Going Digital Awards In Infrastructure Finalists
The projects nominated for the Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure are judged by an independent panel of jurors, using criteria specific to each category. The finalists demonstrate excellence and digital advancements in their respective award category.
Awards Categories
Bridges & Tunnels
Finalists
China Railway Changjiang Transport Design Group Co., Ltd.
Road & Bridge International Co., Ltd.
Chongqing Expressway Group Co., Ltd.
Comprehensive Application of BIM-based Digital and Intelligent Design and Construction for the Liaozi Grand Bridge
Location: Chongqing City, Chongqing, China
Project Playbook: iTwin Capture, LumenRT, OpenBridge, OpenRoads, ProStructures
Image Credit: China Railway Changjiang Transport Design Group Co., Ltd.
Road & Bridge International Co., Ltd.
Chongqing Expressway Group Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
Liaozi Grand Bridge is the final link along the Chongqing Chengkou-Kaizhou Expressway that will connect the Qinba region to the rest of the county, reducing travel times by one-third and promoting industrial and economic development that will revitalize the rural mountainous area. The large-span arch bridge has a main deck length of 252 meters, with its highest point 186 meters above the river surface. The multiple bridge components and steep terrain presented design and construction challenges requiring comprehensive application of BIM-based digital workflows.
The project team selected Bentley’s integrated reality modeling and BIM applications to generate a reality mesh of the existing site from drone-captured images, as well as a 3D bridge model. Using Bentley applications, they developed a digital modeling and construction management platform, reducing design time by 300 hours and shortening the construction period by 55 days to save CNY 2.2 million in management costs. Through 3D digitization and visualization, the team reduced the environmental footprint of the project and have laid the foundation for developing a digital twin for digital bridge maintenance and operations.
Collins Engineers, Inc.
Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence for Historic Robert Street Bridge Rehabilitation
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Project Playbook: AssetWise, iTwin, iTwin Capture, iTwin Experience, MicroStation, ProjectWise
Image Credit: Collins Engineers, Inc.
Project Summary
Nationally registered as a historic structure, Robert Street Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. To address significant structural deterioration, MNDOT initiated a bridge rehabilitation project and retained Collins Engineers to perform a detailed bridge inspection. The project required accurate collection of detailed inspection information that traditional methods and previous software could not accommodate. Collins wanted to supplement conventional workflows with artificial intelligence and digital twins.
They selected iTwinCapture and iTwin Experience to generate a 3D digital twin of the bridge, which helped them to automatically find, quantify, and communicate concrete cracks and deterioration. The ability to pre-inspect the bridge with the digital twin allowed engineers to validate defects prior to starting fieldwork. The solution saved 30% in inspection hours and offers an environmentally friendly, advanced method for future bridge monitoring and management. By making the digital twin available to potential contractors for more detailed insight into the structural condition of the bridge, Collins expects to save approximately 20% in rehabilitative construction costs.
WSP Australia Pty Ltd.
Southern Program Alliance
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Project Playbook: iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBridge, OpenBuildings, OpenRail, OpenRoads, ProjectWise, ProStructures, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: WSP Australia Pty Ltd.
Project Summary
The Parkdale level crossing removal project is part of the Victorian government’s initiative to remove 110 level crossings across Melbourne by 2030 to improve community safety, reduce traffic congestion, and support sustainable transport. Involving rail and road removals, and constructing a viaduct and new station along the Frankston line, the project presented a narrow rail corridor near heritage sites. Faced with managing project data among a multidiscipline team, lead design consultant WSP needed an integrated digital solution.
Leveraging Bentley’s open modeling applications and ProjectWise, WSP established a digital twin, streamlining workflows to meet project objectives. Working in an interoperable, web-based platform minimized rework and improved decision-making, which helped to reduce modeling time by 60% and save 15% in resource hours during the design delivery process. The solution optimized material usage, reducing bridge materials by 7% and the carbon footprint by 30%, and enabled WSP to reuse digital bridge components for future projects.
Construction
Finalists
Dura Vermeer Infra Landelijke Projecten, Mobilis, Gemeente Amsterdam
Bruggen en Straten Oranje Loper
Location: Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Project Playbook: PLAXIS, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Dura Vermeer Infra Landelijke Projecten, Mobilis, Gemeente Amsterdam
Project Summary
The municipality of Amsterdam is making changes to improve public spaces and traffic flows. As part of this program, Dura Vermeer and Mobilis contractors were chosen to help renovate 2.5 kilometers of road and tram track, including nine monumental bridges. Upon completion, the project will ensure a safe, accessible, and sustainable living environment. Located in a congested area where people live and work, the construction site space was limited and posed many challenges. Site constraints were compounded by the various expertise necessary to reconstruct and refurbish the bridges. Given the project complexity, the team knew a 4D solution would be imperative to visualize and rehearse construction plans to prioritize safety and involve stakeholders in project plans.
They selected SYNCHRO to visualize project progress, digitize processes, and better engage all project expertise around one solution. Working in a connected digital environment streamlined communication and change management, saving 800 resource hours for a single bridge. The digital construction solution provided real-time resource data and identified 25 risks directly from the 4D schedule, accelerating execution and improving safety.
Laing O'Rourke
New Everton Stadium Project
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Project Playbook: LumenRT, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Laing O’Rourke
Project Summary
As part of Liverpool’s City Dock Development plan, a new stadium is being built on an existing dock, providing the English Premier Football League team a new home to host club games for their fan base across the globe. The scope of the project includes building a 52,888-seat stadium within tight logistical confinements while paying respect to the local heritage. It necessitated off-site prefabrication works that required precise planning and coordination to avoid costly project delays. Laing O’Rourke, the principal contractor, sought to implement a 4D digital construction approach to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Having already used SYNCHRO to win the project bid, Laing trusted SYNCHRO to help meet project goals, increase communication across the entire project team, and effectively plan and execute construction works. The 4D model was fundamental to the team’s collaboration, enabling multiple disciplines to work together to submit the project ahead of schedule and within budget. Successfully working in a collaborative 4D digital environment optimized project delivery and has transformed how Laing will deliver complex construction projects in the future.
Laing O'Rourke
SEPA Surrey Hills Level Crossing Removal Project
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Project Playbook: Descartes, iTwin Capture, OpenBuildings, ProjectWise, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Laing O’Rourke
Project Summary
The Surrey Hills Level Crossing Removal Project, one of Victoria’s most complex level crossing removal projects, is expected to improve safety, limit congestion, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Situated along a live railway, a 93-day shutdown occupation was enforced where 200,000 cubic meters of earthworks needed to be excavated to build a 1.7-kilometer new rail trench and new premium station. Given the complexity and scale of the works amid a stringent timeline, the team implemented a carefully crafted design for manufacturing approach. To timely and safely deliver prefabricated components on site and complete construction works with minimal disruption to commuters and the environment, the team needed to precisely plan and sequence works in a virtual environment.
They selected SYNCHRO to create a detailed 4D model, visualizing the entire construction program in a cloud-based platform that facilitated accessibility and scalability across the project. Using Bentley’s construction management solution to simulate on-site works provided greater visibility into planning and interfacing and allowed the team to identify potential issues prior to construction. Through digital 4D planning, the team reduced the risk of clashes by 75% and scheduling errors by 40%, compared to using traditional construction workflows.
Enterprise Engineering
Finalists
Arcadis
RSAS - Carstairs
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Project Playbook: AssetWise, iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBuildings, OpenRail, OpenRoads, Pointools, ProjectWise, STAAD, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Arcadis
Project Summary
As part of the Rail Systems Alliance in Scotland, Carstairs junction is being remodeled to eliminate speed restrictions, accelerating and improving passenger journeys and rail performance. Arcadis is designing the electrification system to increase junction speeds from 40 to 110 miles per hour, providing capacity for high-speed services to Edinburgh and Glasgow, while reducing carbon emissions by 20% to 30%. Arcadis realized that workflows for multidiscipline design review and clash detection would be insufficient to meet the project challenges.
They selected Bentley applications to establish a collaborative data environment and develop a 3D federated model, facilitating coordinated modeling and web-based virtual design reviews. Working in Bentley’s integrated digital ecosystem improved data exchange by 80%. The team identified and resolved 15,000 clashes during the design phase while reducing design time by 35% to save GBP 50 million in costs and deliver the project 14 days ahead of schedule.
Mott MacDonald
Standardizing Delivery of Phosphorus Removal Schemes for the UK Water Industry
Location: United Kingdom
Project Playbook: ProjectWise
Image Credit: Mott MacDonald
Project Summary
With many U.K. water companies needing to upgrade their existing assets to meet new, stringent requirements to reduce phosphorus being released into waterways, Mott MacDonald identified an opportunity to standardize phosphorus removal schemes for 100 projects across their seven water clients. The large project scale presented data sharing, coordination, and standardization challenges. They realized that they needed an integrated digital platform to develop a component library that could be used to standardize design and delivery for all removal schemes across multiple client frameworks.
Mott MacDonald identified their industry-leading BIM library, Moata Intelligent Content, powered by Bentley’s ProjectWise Component Center, as the digital solution to collect standard components from their supply chain and produce a standardized parametric model that was made available across their client framework. The platform’s parametric functionality improved efficiencies and facilitated repeatable design and construction, saving 13,600 hours and over GBP 3.7 million in total costs. Successful completion of the removal schemes will have significant positive impacts on the local communities, environment, and sustainability, improving water quality and protecting habitats and ecosystems.
Phocaz, Inc.
CAD Assets to GIS - A CLIP Update
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Project Playbook: iTwin, MicroStation, OpenRoads, ProjectWise
Image Credit: Phocaz, Inc.
Project Summary
To help Georgia DOT access asset data for more than 80,000 miles of road centerline, Phocaz is updating its CLIP CAD-GIS application that automates extraction of road characteristics from design files. The project required not only unlocking asset data from legacy files and integrating new multisourced data, but also creating user-based automated workflows. Phocaz needed an integrated digital solution to capture asset drawing data based on the client’s design standards and then transform it into GIS information.
Phocaz leveraged ProjectWise to store and manage the roadway design files and iTwin to generate a cloud-based digital twin where artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied for the feature detection process. The Bentley-based solution simplified the CAD-GIS workflow, minimizing the complexities of creating a machine learning model. Compared to manual workflows, automating and digitizing the process of finding highway assets and their locations saves significant time and cost while providing more accurate results. Connecting the CAD-GIS workflow through iTwin facilitates accessibility, promoting a multitude of uses and benefits across multiple disciplines and industries.
Facilities, Campuses, & Cities
Finalists
Clarion Housing Group
Twins: Creating a Golden Thread across Digital Estates
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Project Playbook: AssetWise
Image Credit: Clarion Housing Group
Project Summary
To meet new legislative requirements imposed by England’s Building Safety Act, Clarion Housing initiated a project to digitize information for all components of higher-risk buildings that impact fire and structural safety. Their initiative will increase the safety of these buildings through enhanced asset management, improving and demonstrating the safety of Clarion’s stock. The project presented significant information challenges when gathering and coordinating siloed, unstructured, missing, and inaccurate data. Clarion wanted to develop a fully operational digital estate of their portfolio of properties and needed flexible technology to create a smart, dynamic asset platform.
Leveraging AssetWise ALIM, Clarion established an intelligent system of components and building parts across all higher-risk sites with all relevant assets linked to a physical model. The Bentley-based solution identifies an asset within a building with all related asset data stored, including outcomes of inspections and completed works, providing cost-effective asset management, better prioritization of risk, and safer buildings. Through their smart, digitalized system, Clarion can provide 100% of floorplans and data required to meet the new building safety regulations.
Port Authority of New South Wales
Port Authority of New South Wales: A Case Study in Digital Transformation
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Project Playbook: iTwin, iTwin Capture, OpenCities
Image Credit: Port Authority of New South Wales
Project Summary
The Port Authority of New South Wales sought to create a dynamic digital representation of their physical assets across six geographically dispersed ports, accessible to multiple departments and stakeholders to improve collaboration, decision-making, and operations. Their previous, static, file-based system lacked spatial context and trusted data, taking days to compile requested information. To accommodate the voluminous, multisourced data and ensure they retained accurate, high-fidelity engineering information, they needed to establish a connected utility network and single source of truth.
They selected ContextCapture to create accurate 3D reality models of the port sites, and OpenCities applications to establish a GIS and digital twin platform accessible to users for remote asset inspection. Using Bentley technology streamlined workflows and reduced travel between ports, optimizing collaboration and accurate data sharing among departments and stakeholders, which is expected to save 50% in time compiling data requests. The digital twin solution provides a holistic asset view spanning multiple lifecycles, increasing data transparency, eliminating redundancy, and promoting community engagement and collaboration with environmental and marine agencies.
vrame Consult GmbH
Siemensstadt Square - Digital Campus Twin in Berlin
Location: Berlin, Germany
Project Playbook: iTwin, OpenCities, ProjectWise
Image Credit: vrame Consult GmbH
Project Summary
Siemensstadt Square is a 25-year sustainable smart urban development project in Berlin that requires transforming more than 70 hectares of brownfield area into a modern, carbon-neutral campus, including approximately 100 new, low-emission buildings and cutting-edge mobility concepts. The large-scale, long-term project involves numerous stakeholders that will evolve throughout the project progression, presenting communication, collaboration, and data management challenges. To address these issues, vrame Consult needed to establish a dynamic digital twin foundation capable of managing multi-sourced data in an integrated environment.
vrame Consult selected Bentley’s iTwin technology to establish a digital blueprint of the campus, supported by a common data environment using ProjectWise and OpenCities Planner as a fully accessible portal for all relevant 3D BIM and GIS information. The integrated digital twin solution provides all project participants, stakeholders, and the public rapid access to trusted information that can be contextualized and repurposed. With open, interoperable technology and asset ontology, vrame Consult has established a scalable digital foundation to attain the 25-year vision of Siemensstadt Square.
Process & Power Generation
Finalists
MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited
Green and Digital Plant Construction Project of Linyi 2.7 Million Tons of High-Quality Special Steel Base
Location: Linyi, Shandong, China
Project Playbook: AssetWise, iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, OpenBuildings, OpenPlant, OpenRoads, ProjectWise, ProStructures, Raceway and Cable Management, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation Limited
Project Summary
This project serves as an industry demonstration to build an intelligent green steel production factory through synchronous design, construction, delivery, and operation of digital and physical factories. MCC is responsible for the integration and application of key digital technologies for energy savings and emissions reduction. Covering 214.9 hectares and involving dozens of disciplines, the project scale is huge, the process system complex, and the layout difficult, presenting several challenges within a tight construction schedule.
They selected ProjectWise to establish a collaborative digital design platform, AssetWise to create an engineering data center, and Bentley’s open applications to realize digital delivery of information throughout the project lifecycle. MCC built a full-process digital twin platform, saving 35 days of design time and shortening construction by 20%. The digital plant facilitates intelligent equipment maintenance and operations, reducing downtime by 20% to 25% and carbon emissions by 20%.
Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Digital Asset Management of Hydropower Projects Based on Digital Twins
Location: Liangshan, Yibin, and Zhaotong, Sichuan and Yunnan, China
Project Playbook: iTwin, iTwin Capture, MicroStation, OpenBuildings, OpenPlant, OpenUtilities, ProjectWise, Raceway and Cable Management
Image Credit: Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
Two giant hydropower plants in China were selected for a pilot project establishing a digital engineering asset management system for the entire lifecycle of hydropower plant assets. The project presented challenges when managing the voluminous data among multiple disciplines and organizations. To develop a reliable digital engineering foundation and meet the multisourced, large-scale data application requirements to ensure data support and service capabilities, the team needed an integrated technology solution.
They selected ProjectWise and Bentley’s open applications to establish a connected digital environment and perform collaborative 3D modeling. Using iTwin, the team integrated and linked all models and data into digital twins, providing visual insight into enterprise operations to achieve digital management and maintenance of the hydropower stations. The application of Bentley software improved data collation efficiency by 10% and saved 200 days in modeling time, while reducing the construction period by 5% and carbon emissions by 3%. Through industrial automation and digital engineering, the team established a comprehensive digital asset management and control system
Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Digital Twin Application Project of Electrolytic Aluminum Engineering of Chinalco China Resources
Location: Lvliang, Shanxi, China
Project Playbook: AutoPIPE, iTwin, LumenRT, OpenBuildings, OpenPlant, OpenRoads, OpenUtilities, ProjectWise, ProStructures, Raceway and Cable Management, STAAD, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
As part of their commitment to green development and reducing energy consumption in China’s aluminum industry, Chalco initiated a digital demonstration project for their Zhongrun Aluminum Factory. They retained Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute (SAMI) to apply digital twin technology throughout design, construction, operations, and maintenance of the plant. The voluminous data and multiple disciplines spread across 52 subprojects presented data integration and coordination issues. To accurately link 300 gigabytes of design and construction data with a 3D model to manage the facility, SAMI needed open modeling technology and a connected data environment.
Already an existing user, SAMI selected Bentley applications to develop an enterprise digital factory management platform and build the aluminum industry’s first plant-wide digital twin. Bentley’s integrated applications reduced modeling time by 15%, saving more than 200 work days. Digitization factory operations reduces annual management costs by CNY 6 million, unpredictable equipment failures by 40%, and environmental emissions by 5%. The successful project digitization promotes sustainable, eco-friendly practices.
Rail & Transit
Finalists
AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd
Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
Location: Malaysia and Singapore
Project Playbook: ComplyPro, iTwin Capture, Leapfrog MicroStation, OpenBridge, OpenRail, PLAXIS, STAAD, ProjectWise, ProStructures
Image Credit: AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd
Project Summary
The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) is a cross-border project that will connect Johor Bahru in Malaysia with Woodlands, Singapore. Featuring stations in both countries, each featuring customs, immigration, and quarantine facilities, the RTS will ease traffic congestion by reducing the number of cars using the Johor-Singapore Causeway, providing greener transportation for around 10,000 passengers per hour. AECOM is delivering the project and faced several challenges on the rail project spanning two countries. To facilitate collaborative workflows and establish optimal project delivery, AECOM wanted to adopt a digital twins approach.
Leveraging Bentley’s integrated digital modeling and analysis applications, AECOM established a connected data environment through ProjectWise to optimize planning, design, and construction. They developed a reality mesh from drone-captured images, accelerating survey and processing fivefold. Applying Bentley software automated workflows, ensured structural integrity, and saved 50% in drafting time. The digital twin solution provided an accurate, holistic view of the cross-border rail project, meeting technical requirements for both countries while reducing rework.
IDOM
Value Engineering Stage for Detailed Design & Supervision of the Rail Baltica Project
Location: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Project Playbook: Descartes, LumenRT, OpenBuildings, OpenRail, ProjectWise
Image Credit: IDOM
Project Summary
The largest single infrastructure project in the Baltics, Rail Baltica is an 870-kilometer international passenger and freight railway corridor linking Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia as part of the European Union’s North Sea-Baltic Trans European Transport network. It will save billions in annual freight transport costs and EUR 7.1 billion in climate change costs, reducing carbon emissions to the lowest possible levels. Spanish company IDOM is designing 389 kilometers of the railway and faced challenges managing hundreds of companies and 150 multidiscipline, globally dispersed engineering professionals. To deliver this international megaproject, IDOM needed to implement 3D collaborative digital workflows.
They selected ProjectWise as the connected data platform and Bentley’s open BIM applications to perform collaborative 3D modeling and clash detection. Working in a visual, integrated digital environment streamlined multidiscipline workflows, enabling design changes to be carried out in real time. Adopting a comprehensive BIM methodology, IDOM achieved a 90% accuracy rate transitioning from design to construction, minimizing changes during construction and reaching a new level of quality and sustainability in infrastructure management.
Italferr S.p.A.
New High Speed Line Salerno – Reggio Calabria
Location: Battipaglia, Campania, Italy
Project Playbook: Descartes, iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBridge, OpenBuildings, OpenCities, OpenRail, OpenRoads, PLAXIS, ProjectWise, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Italferr S.p.A.
Project Summary
The Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed line project requires construction of 35-kilometers of new rail line, including tunnels, viaducts, roadways, and electrical substations. Upon completion, it will be harmoniously integrated into the surrounding environment, maximizing environmental protection and promoting sustainable transportation development. Italferr is delivering the project and wanted to coordinate multidiscipline project participants and stakeholders spanning several municipalities. To facilitate data exchange, reviews, and evaluations, Italferr needed to establish a connected data environment and digital twin.
Italferr selected ProjectWise and Bentley’s open applications to generate 504 BIM models. Using iTwin automated synchronization of the models into a cloud-based digital twin, enabling visual, virtual design reviews among the multiple disciplines and stakeholders, reducing travel and on-site visits by 50%. Working in a connected, user-friendly digital environment improved efficiencies by 10% and boosted productivity, saving significant resource hours and resulting in higher quality digital deliverables for the client.
Roads & Highways
Finalists
AtkinsRéalis
I-70 Floyd Hill to Veterans Memorial Tunnels Project
Location: Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States
Project Playbook: iTwin, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBridge, OpenFlows, OpenRoads, ProjectWise, ProStructures
Image Credit: AtkinsRéalis
Project Summary
Colorado DOT will provide roadway improvements, enhancing safety and reducing crashes along an eight-mile section of the I-70 corridor near Floyd Hill that is prone to severe congestion and bottlenecks. AtkinsRéalis is the lead designer and faced site constraints and challenging topography while needing to minimize the impact to environmentally sensitive areas and existing roadways. They also faced a complex design compounded by coordinating multiple disciplines and stakeholders. To address these challenges, Atkins needed integrated digital technology.
AtkinsRéalis utilized iTwin to create digital twins to gain visibility, Bentley’s open modeling applications to facilitate collaborative modeling and data management, and LumenRT for visualization. Working in a connected digital environment with ProjectWise saved USD 1.2 million managing more than 1,000 file sheets, 5,500 hours in coordination time, and 97% of effort developing and publishing digital twins for review. Atkins could clearly convey design intent, foster community integration, and quickly update models to mitigate environmental and social impact.
Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey & Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Hunan Hengyong Expressway Construction and Development Co., Ltd.
Hengyang - Yongzhou Expressway in Hunan Province
Location: Hengyang and Yongzhou, Hunan, China
Project Playbook: LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenRoads
Image Credit: Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey & Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Hunan Hengyong Expressway Construction and Development Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
The Hengyang-Yongzhou Expressway is a 105.2-kilometer corridor that will improve traffic conditions and shorten travel times between the two cities, achieving industrial collaboration and better accessibility along the tourist route. Located amid prime farmland, the large-scale project presented environmental, technical, and coordination challenges among the multiple disciplines, districts, and counties. However, they realized that previous software applications lacked the compatibility and features to manage the complex, voluminous data and numerous project participants.
They selected Bentley’s open, integrated 3D BIM and reality modeling applications, providing unified data compatibility to model and design the roadway alignment, minimizing impact to farmland by 10 hectares. By comparing on-site point cloud data in OpenRoads Designer, they eliminated the need for three bridges, saving CNY 40 million in costs. Through collaborative digital design and data integration, the team improved communication efficiencies by 50% and avoided 20 on-site construction errors, saving CNY 5 million. Leveraging Bentley’s BIM solutions, the project is expected to be open to traffic one year ahead of schedule.
SMEC South Africa
N4 Montrose Interchange
Location: Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Project Playbook: iTwin Capture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenFlows, OpenRoads, Pointools
Image Credit: SMEC South Africa
Project Summary
The Montrose Interchange project was initiated to replace an existing at-grade T-junction on the N4 highway, improving traffic mobility, safety, and the Mbombela province’s economy and tourism. Positioned between two rivers amid steep valleys between mountains, the project presented difficult terrain for implementing the new high-standard, free-flow interchange on a short timeline with no available survey data. Bidding for the contract, SMEC realized that their traditional, manual 2D strategies would not suffice to meet the project challenges and requirements to use much of the existing infrastructure.
SMEC selected ContextCapture to develop a reality mesh of the existing terrain and infrastructure and LumenRT to present their conceptual design, winning the design contract and delivering a workable design in record time. OpenRoads Designer facilitated integration with the bridge team’s modeling software while corridor modeling tools enabled accurate earthworks and material quantities calculations, reducing the carbon footprint of the project. Working in a collaborative digital environment saved approximately 2,500 hours in design time and an estimated ZAR 2.5 million in design costs.
Structural Engineering
Finalists
Hyundai Engineering
Automated Design of Civil and Architectural Structures with STAAD API
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Project Playbook: STAAD
Image Credit: Hyundai Engineering
Project Summary
To effectively respond to frequent design changes for steel frame construction planning of chemical and electrical power plants, Hyundai Engineering sought to streamline information exchange and automate design. They focused their efforts on shelter and pipe rack designs for these plants, where existing design processes required manual, time-consuming application and calculation of structural loads that were error-prone and resulted in countless design changes. Hyundai Engineering sought to use 3D modeling and intelligent digital workflows to develop an effective system for providing accurate design information, improving the performance of structures.
Partnering with Bentley, they used STAAD to automate design and expanded its application using artificial intelligence (AI) to create designs through machine learning predictions. The integrated digital solution accelerated front-end engineering design by 30%. Applying AI to shelter design processes, Hyundai Engineering accumulated a database of 1,680 scenarios, generating 27 million prediction models. The automatic civil engineering structure design system converts design information into a 3D model for real-time synchronization to predict maintenance and improvement work of buildings, which can be used for similar tasks in the future.
L&T Construction
Construction of 318 MLD (70 MGD) Wastewater Treatment Plant at Coronation Pillar, Delhi
Location: New Delhi, India
Project Playbook: STAAD
Image Credit: L&T Construction
Project Summary
Coronation Pillar is a new wastewater treatment plant in New Delhi, treating 318 million liters a day of sewage while reducing annual carbon emissions by approximately 14,450 tons. L&T Construction delivered the large-scale project that required multiple structures to be designed and constructed within a confined site amid liquefaction and seismic risks. Realizing that manual design and analysis methods would be ineffective to ensure optimal structural results, L&T needed dynamic 3D modeling and structural analysis technology.
They selected STAAD to model multiple designs with various loading configurations and applications, achieving a land savings of 17.8% and reinforced cement concrete material savings of 5%, reducing both the project’s physical and carbon footprints. Using Bentley’s application, L&T Construction quickly analyzed different structural designs, reducing the time to arrive at an optimal solution by 75%, compared to manual design approaches. The digital structural approach applied during this project serves as a benchmark, resulting in significant added value across other L&T Construction projects.
RISE Structural Design, Inc.
Dhaka Metro Rail Line 1
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Project Playbook: STAAD
Image Credit: RISE Structural Design, Inc.
Project Summary
As part of Bangladesh’s strategic plan to provide sustainable transport, accommodating the growing urban population in the capital city of Dhaka, three mass transit systems have been proposed, the first of which is MRT-1. Upon completion, MRT-1 will be the country’s first underground metro line. RISE is designing the stations along MRT-1 and faced challenges given the unique steel roof geometry and interaction with and transmission of stresses in the reinforced concrete structures. To deliver the multidiscipline design and ensure compatibility of the different station elements, RISE needed to perform accurate digital structural simulation and analysis.
They selected STAAD and STAAD Advanced Concrete Design to model and analyze the steel roof structure and reinforced concrete stresses, establishing a collaborative digital environment while optimizing structural design in accordance with relevant design codes. Bentley’s integrated structural modeling and analysis software improved data synchronization by 50% and reduced modeling time by 30%. RISE saved 10% to 15% in concrete volume, reducing the carbon footprint of the project, and completed the designs on schedule allowing for construction to begin in February 2023.
Subsurface Modeling & Analysis
Finalists
Arcadis
South Dock Bridge
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Project Playbook: GeoStudio, iTwin, Leapfrog, OpenBridge, OpenGround, PLAXIS, ProjectWise
Image Credit: Arcadis
Project Summary
A new South Dock pedestrian bridge has been proposed in London’s iconic Canary Wharf that will improve urban connectivity and encourage active sustainable transport, reducing carbon emissions. Designed as a bascule bridge with an overall span of 75 meters and a lifting span of 35 meters, the project presents technical and architectural challenges while being in a high-profile area. Arcadis needed an integrated digital solution to meet the unique engineering demands, compounded by coordinating voluminous data amid multiple disciplines and stakeholders.
Leveraging ProjectWise, Leapfrog, OpenGround, and iTwin, Arcadis established a federated model and single source of truth, centralizing and visualizing ground investigation data, resulting in an accurate representation of subsurface geology. The integrated digital approach optimized analysis of ground variability, reducing ground investigation scope by 30%, saving GBP 70,000. The interoperability and connectivity of Bentley’s applications saved 1,000 resource hours, equivalent to 12% of design costs. Through digital planning and design, the team reduced embodied carbon and provided a basis for construction monitoring and proactive maintenance, minimizing environmental impact.
OceanaGold
Validation of Digital Management Tools for OceanaGold’s Waihi Tailings Storage Facility
Location: Waihi, Waikato, New Zealand
Project Playbook: GeoStudio, iTwin IoT, Leapfrog
Image Credit: OceanaGold
Project Summary
OceanaGold initiated this pilot project to validate the use of digital applications for safer, more effective management of their Waihi Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) in New Zealand. Typically, TSFs are designed, built, and operated using manual observational methods, data comparison, and reporting processes. Faced with vast amounts of siloed data, OceanaGold sought to integrate their data sets and develop a cloud-based digital twin for collaborative, proactive deformation monitoring by both internal and external engineers.
They selected Seequent Central, Leapfrog Geo, GeoStudio, and iTwin IoT to develop 3D geological and geotechnical models and a digital twin in a dynamic, cloud-based environment, facilitating digital monitoring and automated, consistent reporting. Combining observed and real-time data within the digital twin provides a proactive virtual paradigm for better understanding of the safety of the physical asset, optimizing prediction and preventive capabilities. The solution allows for ore responsive management and governance ensuring resilience, ultimately minimizing risk of environmental or social impacts of the TSF in New Zealand’s Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
Prof. Quick und Kollegen GmbH
Deutsche Bahn Neubaustrecke Gelnhausen – Fulda
Location: Gelnhausen, Hessen, Germany
Project Playbook: Leapfrog, PLAXIS
Image Credit: Prof. Quick und Kollegen GmbH
Project Summary
To accommodate an increase in passengers along the Gelnhausen-Fulda railroad line in the Rhine-Main area of Hessen, a new high-speed traffic line will eliminate bottlenecks and shorten journey times. Prof. Quick und Kollegen were commissioned to perform the geotechnical investigation to determine an optimal route option and explore the geotechnical feasibility of tunnels while protecting the local environment and the community. Faced with complex subsoil and voluminous data capture and coordination issues when developing the required 3D models, they realized that they needed to establish BIM workflows in a common data environment.
Leveraging PLAXIS and Leapfrog Works, they established a connected data environment and single source of truth for all geotechnical information, building a 3D ground model that covers 200 meters used to perform accurate geotechnical calculations. The solution helped explore 100 boreholes, define excavated material quantities, and pursue digital risk management. As a pioneer project in Germany for geotechnical BIM application, the team is promoting Leapfrog Works and the benefits that digitization can bring to other geotechnical engineering firms and the environment.
Surveying & Monitoring
Finalists
Avineon India P Ltd.
Provision of Services on the Generation of CityGML Models of Kowloon East for the Lands Department
Location: Hong Kong SAR, China
Project Playbook: iTwin Capture, MicroStation
Image Credit: Avineon India P Ltd.
Project Summary
As part of the Hong Kong government’s efforts to create a smart city for improved urban planning and development and disaster management, they initiated a 3D digital mapping project. They selected Kowloon East as the first area to produce CityGML models of the buildings and infrastructure. Avineon India was responsible for processing and generating the 3D city models but faced challenges when integrating voluminous multisourced data into accurate representations of city infrastructure in a single digital environment. They needed a connected data capture, processing, and 3D modeling solution.
Avineon selected iTwin Capture Modeler and MicroStation to process and generate the CityGML models. Working in Bentley’s unified platform enabled seamless integration of different attribute data in various formats, improving data consistency and model accuracy. The applications saved 20% in processing time and 15% in costs while reducing the carbon footprint by 5%. The attribute-based spatial objects in the 3D digital map provide the core components in the next generation of geospatial application for the greater benefit of the community.
Italferr S.p.A.
The Digital Twin for Structural Monitoring of St. Peter’s Basilica
Location: Vatican City
Project Playbook: iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBuildings, OpenCities, ProjectWise
Image Credit: Italferr S.p.A.
Project Summary
To help preserve some of the world’s most important architectural and religious heritage, Italferr was hired to develop a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica. The project required an extensive survey campaign, resulting in a large amount of data needing to be managed and processed into a reality mesh, and shared among multiple disciplines and stakeholders for continued monitoring. To address these challenges on a six-month timeline, Italferr needed integrated and open 3D modeling and digital twin technology.
Italferr relied on ProjectWise, iTwin Capture, and MicroStation to manage three terabytes of multisourced data and generate a digital twin model shared among 30 people. Working in a collaborative digital environment saved 50 hours in modeling time, delivering the model 20 days ahead of schedule. Using iTwin, a structural monitoring system will be developed, facilitating data collection, and connected to the digital twin to monitor the basilica’s health.
UAB IT logika (DRONETEAM)
DBOX M2
Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
Project Playbook: iTwin Capture, LumenRT, OpenCities
Image Credit: UAB IT logika (DRONETEAM)
Project Summary
Vilnius retained DRONETEAM to deliver a 3D city-scale photogrammetry and reality modeling project for the Lithuanian capital. Previous drone-based surveys and city modeling proved labor-intensive, requiring changing short-lived batteries and maintaining drone operations. DRONETEAM wanted to develop an automated data collection and reality modeling solution to increase 3D modeling efficiencies not only for cities, but also for infrastructure, agriculture, security, and other applications that require continuous 3D scanning. They developed their fully autonomous drone station known as DBOX but sought reality modeling technology to streamline data collection and process into an accurate 3D-city reality mesh.
Powered by iTwin Capture Modeler, DRONETEAM’s DBOX solution seamlessly captures high-resolution imagery, while advanced algorithms in Bentley’s application transform the raw data into precise 3D models. Integrating LumenRT, OpenCities, and ProjectWise, DRONETEAM saved 30% in annual work hours, equivalent to the cost of three full-time personnel. The digital innovation sets new standards, promoting efficiency, collaboration, and sustainability, reducing carbon emissions and minimizing disruption to communities.
Transmission & Distribution
Finalists
Elia
Digital Transformation and Connected iTwins in Smart Substation Design
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Project Playbook: Descartes, iTwin, iTwin Capture, MicroStation, OpenUtilities, Pointools, Power Line Systems, ProjectWise, ProStructures
Image Credit: Elia
Project Summary
Aligned with their mission to optimize grid reliability and quality and ensure sustainable power, Belgian national electricity transmission operator Elia is continually exploring digital technology and workflows for infrastructure development and asset management. This project focuses on transitioning their obsolete drawing file management system and engineering processes to a centralized digital platform and smart digital workflows. Elia needed an integrated technology management and digital twin solution that included reference file support (BS 1192) and intelligent connections, as well as improved hand-off with third parties.
Elia selected ProjectWise as their file management system, optimizing accessibility and traceability for more efficient planning management, estimated to save up to EUR 150,000 per year. Using OpenUtilities Substation and iTwin enables efficient substation design, lightening protection and controls, clash detection, visualization, and digital analysis via hybrid modeling and digital twin simulation, which is expected to save 30,000 resource hours annually. Bentley’s collaborative technology facilitates intelligent engineering and effective management workflows.
PowerChina Hubei Electric Engineering Co., Ltd.
Full Lifecycle Digital Application on Xianning Chibi 500kV Substation Project
Location: Xianning, Hubei, China
Project Playbook: iTwin, iTwin Capture, LumenRT, OpenBuildings, Raceway and Cable Management, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: PowerChina Hubei Electric Engineering Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
Xianning Chibi 500-kilovolt Substation is a key project in Hubei that will meet Xianning’s power load growth demand, optimizing the power grid to improve power supply reliability. The project presented complex topography, requiring a compact layout, compounded by a short construction period. Faced with coordinating multiple engineering disciplines, POWERCHINA realized that traditional workflows were insufficient to timely deliver the project within budget. Aiming to achieve full lifecycle digitization, they needed integrated 3D/4D modeling and digital twin technology.
POWERCHINA selected Bentley’s 3D/4D modeling and iTwin applications to establish a collaborative digital design environment, 4D visual construction methodology, and a full 3D substation digital twin. The integrated technology solution reduced the project footprint by 0.97 hectares, minimizing farmland impact and saving CNY 2.84 million in costs. Working in a coordinated design and construction management platform, the team avoided more than 50 reworks, reducing the construction period by 30 days. The digital twin facilitates real-time asset insight and smart substation management, setting a benchmark for digitization of the State Grid.
Qinghai Kexin Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd.
110kV Transmission and Transformation Project in Deerwen, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China
Location: Gande County, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, China
Project Playbook: iTwin Capture, LumenRT, OpenBuildings, OpenRoads, OpenUtilities, ProStructures, Raceway and Cable Management
Image Credit: Qinghai Kexin Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Project Summary
Covering 3.8 hectares in Qinghai, Deerwen’s 110-kilovolt substation will relieve the long-term power shortage in six towns, improving living conditions and promoting economic development. Located in a high-altitude, mountainous area with complex terrain, the multidiscipline project presented site, technical, and coordination challenges. The project team realized that they needed an integrated design and BIM solution to optimize project delivery.
The team selected Bentley’s open applications, facilitating collaborative design workflows and real-time rendering to achieve refined, coordinated design of the substation and facilities amid the natural surroundings. They identified and resolved 657 collisions and shortened the design period by 40 days, improving design quality and construction efficiency by 35%. Developing a precise design saved 30% in material quantities and avoided resource waste to reduce the project’s carbon footprint. The 3D models and digitized data provide the basis for intelligent digital plant operations and maintenance, while the successful project delivery drives digitalization, setting a benchmark for power industry projects in China.
Water & Wastewater
Finalists
Geoinfo Services
Achieving 24x7 Access to Clean Drinking Water for Emerging Economies
Location: Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India
Project Playbook: OpenFlows
Image Credit: Geoinfo Services
Project Summary
As part of the India government’s programs to provide safe, reliable drinking water and eliminate gravity-fed distribution networks, Ayodhya Authority contracted Geoinfo Services to plan and design a pressurized city water supply scheme. The new pressurized network will provide 24-hour access to clean water and reduce NRW by 35%. Geoinfo faced challenges modeling the hundreds of network pipes and nodes that previous software could not accommodate. To convert Ayodhya’s existing system to a reliable, energy-efficient network, Geoinfo needed advanced hydraulic modeling and digital twin technology.
Geoinfo selected OpenFlows to generate a hydraulic model and digital twin of the city’s 24-hour supply scheme, using variable frequency drive pumps to produce the required nodal pressure. Bentley’s technology reduced design time by 75% and optimized pipe diameters, saving USD 2.5 million. The optimized network is saving USD 1.5 million in annual operating expenses and USD 46,025 in annual energy costs, while eliminating 347 tons of carbon emissions per year. The digital twin facilitates virtual monitoring with 95% confidence to improve decision-making and mitigate emergency situations.
L&T Construction
Rajghat Multi Village Rural Water Supply Scheme
Location: Ashok Nagar and Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India
Project Playbook: OpenFlows, OpenRoads, PLAXIS, STAAD
Image Credit: L&T Construction
Project Summary
Rajghat’s multivillage rural water supply scheme will provide irrigation and power generation to rural residents via a 7,890-kilometer pipe system, including 698 overhead tanks and ancillary pumps and equipment. Upon completion, the water network will provide access to clean drinking water for 2.5 million people. Varying soil properties and terrain presented hydraulic and structural design and analysis challenges amid a short project timeline. Initial software applications proved time-consuming and ineffective to meet the project schedule.
Leveraging OpenFlows, PLAXIS, and STAAD, the project team completed engineering within four months, compared to 12 to 13 months using traditional methods. Working in an open digital environment saved 50% in modeling time, increasing productivity by 32 times. Bentley’s applications automated and optimized hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical design and analysis, reducing the foundation size and precisely fitting the treatment plant to minimize the carbon footprint to save 10% in construction time. The 3D models and data will be linked with monitoring devices for digital operations and maintenance.
Project Controls Cubed LLC
EchoWater Project
Location: Sacramento, California, United States
Project Playbook: iTwin, LumenRT, OpenRoads, SYNCHRO
Image Credit: Project Controls Cubed LLC
Project Summary
Among Sacramento’s largest public works projects, EchoWater will upgrade infrastructure to facilitate treatment of approximately 135 million gallons of wastewater per day, providing a safe and reliable supply of treated water that will be used for recycled water purposes. Consisting of 22 individual projects centered around constructing a sprawling complex for removing 99% of ammonia and 89% of nitrogen, planning and managing the design of these simultaneous components on an active wastewater treatment facility presented significant challenges.
The team selected SYNCHRO and iTwin to develop construction solutions and a digital twin, anticipating and mitigating potential obstacles and shutdowns, and providing optimal and timely situational awareness of cost and schedule performance. Working in a connected digital visual environment, EchoWater was completed USD 400 million under budget, saving ratepayers more than a half-billion dollars. The project cost savings are being used to fund California’s Harvest Water program, providing recycled clean water to the Central Valley’s agricultural industry.