As-Built of Road Infrastructure: a workflow using the BIM-based tool OpenRoads Designer

In the context of managing the vast amount of data that pertains to processes in the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation) industry, technologically advanced methods such as Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Big Data run alongside Building Information Modeling (BIM), a methodological approach that is also booming in the transportation infrastructure sector. This expansion is driven by the increasing necessity for BIM in the design and management of smart cities which lies in the digitization of its urban fabric, encompassing both its architectural and infrastructural elements alongside its service provisions. Central to this paradigm is the utilization of BIM as a pivotal tool, facilitating the creation of cities that are not only intelligent and interconnected but also sustainable and fundamentally livable. This study aims to delineate a systematic workflow for the generation of a digital twin of road infrastructure utilizing the BIM-centric software, Open Roads Design, developed by Bentley Systems. The originality of the research work is to propose a methodology to create the as-built of existing infrastructure, in absence of the required design project documentation and then using data from survey drones. Additionally, a bespoke interoperable asset manager is proposed which provides a decision-support tool by giving insight into project alternatives and the spatial context in which they fit, with up-to-date information that serves as a basis for managers to more efficiently and economically manage asset maintenance and operation.