A Lifecycle BIM-Based Framework for Safe and Efficient Underground Utility Management

Underground utilities form an essential part of urban infrastructure, yet their importance often becomes apparent only when service disruptions occur. Excavation activities for maintenance, relocation, or new construction carry considerable risks, including utility strikes, project delays, worker injuries, and even fatalities. These risks are largely driven by incomplete or inaccurate information about the location, depth, or material properties of buried utilities. To address this challenge, this study proposes a comprehensive Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based framework for managing underground utilities throughout their lifecycles. The framework is structured into five key stages: data acquisition, data processing, modeling, system application, and data updating. A highway project was used as a case study to validate the proposed approach. The study involved the integrated modeling and visualization of the highway corridor, underground gas pipelines, and overground high-voltage transmission pylons using Autodesk Civil 3D, InfraWorks, and Navisworks. The developed model and workflow were subsequently reviewed with the client department. Application of the framework to a 5 km highway corridor identified five utility-road conflict points (three subsurface gas pipeline intersections and two overground pylon encroachments) that were not detectable from existing 2D records. Expert review by the client department confirmed that the BIM-based visualization and 4D simulation improved construction planning clarity and supported proactive utility relocation decisions. By simplifying information workflows and enabling collaboration among stakeholders, the proposed framework demonstrates strong potential to improve excavation safety, enhance decision-making, and support the wider adoption of BIM for underground utility management.