Building Information Modeling for rural road design: a case study

Abstract

Much of the scientific research that has been conducted has focused on the contribution of advanced technologies to improving the performance of the construction industry. However, little of this work has focused on road projects. The emergence of modelling and simulation tools has led to an explosion in the cost effectiveness, durability, serviceability and safety of roads. Building information modelling (BIM) is one of the revolutionary digital processes emerging from information and communication technologies for civil engineering design. Scientifically, this paper aims to explore and measure the contribution of BIM in infrastructure projects and on the selected project to improve the level of service and safety of the rural road in Morocco. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the benefits and facilities offered. The geometric design is carried out using AUTODESK® CIVIL3D software. 70% of the total project cost is spent on earthworks and construction materials. These results show the criticality of the geometric design both at the technical and budgetary level; the simple error threatens the safety of the users and will lead to huge additional costs. With this BIM tool, the project is designed overcoming multiple constraints, well estimated, visualised on the real environmental context in 3D, and validated in a collaborative way on the basis of the generated dynamic 3D models.