SUMMARY
Lifecycle BIM for Infrastructure: A Business Case for Project Delivery and Asset Management
The adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to improve delivery of transportation infrastructure projects has been shown to yield significant benefits, and the value of using asset information during operations remains a pivotal opportunity for highway agencies. BIM allows project teams to improve the overall quality of the planning and design of projects, as well as more efficiently construct the project through improved planning, cost control, and automation, such as machine-guided equipment. While these benefits during delivery have been demonstrated on individual megaprojects, the much larger opportunity lies in using the information throughout the entire lifecycle of transportation assets, including use cases for maintenance, asset inventory management, inspections, and planning and designing future projects. This longer-term vision for lifecycle information management requires the development of detailed asset management strategies informed by a structured business case for a transportation agency.
Outcomes of Project TFRS-02, “Lifecycle BIM for Infrastructure: A Business Case for Project Delivery and Asset Management,” include resources developed to support adoption of BIM by highway agencies, such as supporting resources for an agency to initially create a business case for BIM founded on projected benefits and costs for adoption. In addition, an approach to developing an asset information management strategy is presented that focuses on leveraging asset information throughout the entire lifecycle. To support adoption, a media kit is available to clearly communicate the value of transitioning to lifecycle asset information management practices and an approach for making the transition. Finally, case studies are presented that demonstrate the value and challenges associated with transitioning to common delivery and operations practices that leverage BIM. A summary of each of these outcomes follows.
It can be challenging for a transportation agency to develop a comprehensive business case to evaluate the costs, benefits, and projected economic return on investment for transitioning to BIM practices. The benefit-cost analysis framework helps agencies overcome this challenge. The framework was developed by leveraging a significant volume of literature focused on efforts to identify both quantitative and qualitative benefits and costs for adopting BIM. Since there is limited quantitative information for highway projects, the literature analysis evaluated vertical and horizontal construction projects along with U.S. and international studies. From this evaluation, a common framework for the cost and benefit categories was developed as an interactive spreadsheet. This framework allows agencies to review each cost and benefit category and enter their own unique assumptions to evaluate the impact of expanding the use of BIM in both project delivery and operations.
To support adoption, an asset data management planning approach centered on BIM was developed to help agencies create high-level implementation strategies. This planning
approach leverages procedures from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 19650 information management standards, combined with practical guidelines for adoption. One challenge identified by transportation agencies is establishing consistent requirements to leverage activities within the delivery phase and obtain valuable information that can be used during the operational phase of the assets (roads, bridges, signs, etc.). The planning approach can guide agencies through a process to identify future steps needed to support the business case.
As part of the research project, five detailed case studies were compiled to gain insights into the business case for BIM adoption. Three case studies focus on U.S. highway agencies, one focuses on an international highway authority (Highways London), and one focuses on an airport authority (Denver International Airport Authority). These case studies demonstrate the business value of BIM adoption in both delivery and operations. They also highlight key lessons learned and strategies used by the various transportation agencies.
Finally, the BIM multi-media toolkit provides resources that can be used to inform a variety of stakeholders about business cases for adopting lifecycle BIM. This includes a high-level BIM roadmap to communicate the core concepts of lifecycle BIM adoption. Videos and responses to common questions are also included. This toolkit can be downloaded and broadly shared within transportation agencies as well as with supplier partners. To access the toolkit, visit the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) and search for CRP Special Release 4: Lifecycle BIM for Infrastructure: A Business Case for Project Delivery and Asset Management.
This report draws to a close with summary-level conclusions and recommendations for future research studies. Since the lifecycle adoption of BIM remains relatively new in the transportation sector, there are clear opportunities for future research and development activities to increase the business value and ease of adoption. These include efforts to support openBIM standards for interoperability, expanded definitions of clear BIM use cases, and the development of process standards and practices to ease adoption. It is encouraging to see the rapid expansion of research and development in these areas through various industry organizations, which will continue to improve the business case for BIM.
