Ernst Vanbaar, senior application engineer ? civil infrastructure at Bentley Systems, has explained how GCC?s regional governments are pushing for better technologies to make road building safer and more efficient
?The fact is, with technology and innovation moving at speeds we have never witnessed, simply continuing to work in the same way is no longer enough for the organisations involved. So, one positive contribution I see here in the GCC is that through innovation, organisations are changing the way they use technology to win more business, mitigate risk, and maintain their competitive edge,? Vanbaar said.
?For owners and the supply chains working on roads and bridges, I believe the ability to create, collect, and manage data and information more efficiently and effectively, will be key. Technology available now enables trusted, accurate digital information held by an organisation to be accessed by whomever, whenever, and wherever they need it.?
?On new projects or major upgrades this can enable faster project start-up, iteration of more options when searching for the right solution, or the ability to leverage information throughout the design phase to enable right-first-time construction, and a move toward intelligent infrastructure,? he further stressed.
The challenges faced by the GCC are very similar to those faced elsewhere in the world. The organisations and individuals involved need to collaborate and coordinate their work in each phase of the project to achieve the required outcomes. No one is willing to expose themselves and employees to unnecessary risk; they cannot jeopardise productivity and won?t tolerate reduced quality.
According to him, ?If embraced by all, BIM methodologies can, though, transform traditional project management ? where data is unstructured and team members work independently ? into a truly collaborative environment. This relies heavily on the CDE I referred to previously, which in Bentley?s case, is a virtual environment that leverages digital context and components through digital workflows, to enable real-time sharing of reliable information, ensure timely progress, improve quality, and reduce risk. Given these benefits, it is little wonder that governments around the world are mandating the use of BIM on infrastructure projects.?
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