Bentley's 2022 Going Digital Awards finalists announced

Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has announced several projects from Australia and New Zealand as finalists in Bentley’s 2022 Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure.

The annual awards program honours the extraordinary work of Bentley software users advancing infrastructure design, construction, and operations throughout the world. Eleven independent jury panels selected 36 finalists from over 300 nominations submitted by more than 180 organisations from 47 countries encompassing 12 categories.

The Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure finalist project presentations will be available for viewing using this link on November 7. Visit the site to hear from the people behind these extraordinary infrastructure projects as they tell their stories of leveraging digital advancements to achieve unprecedented outcomes.

The Australia and New Zealand projects named as finalists for the 2022 Going Digital Awards are:

Construction: Safely Removing Dangerous Level Crossings through Digital Construction

Acciona, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Acconia was tasked with removing 20 level crossings and constructing 13 new stations on a rail line. By leveraging Bentley’s collaborative modeling and construction simulation software, they established a connected data environment and created a digital twin to streamline workflows and provide unparalleled insight into constructability and construction monitoring. Implementing this approach by using SYNCHRO reduced staging time by 67% and drafting requests by approximately 88%. SYNCHRO helped deliver the project on time with minimal disruption to passengers and the public. It provided a digital asset that can now unlock new opportunities for the realisation of an intelligent digital Victoria.

Facilities, Campuses, and Cities: Maps@SYD

Sydney Airport, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

To develop a cloud-based, self-service portal for all spatial and survey data of airport facilities, the Sydney Airport team selected OpenCities, integrating different types of financial and asset data and metadata, models, and documents from multiple systems. This integration provides real-time collaboration and 3D viewing capabilities for planning, auditing, and facilities management. Having access to an open digital environment increased efficiencies, improved productivity and the quality of deliverables, and reduced costs and resource hours across all departments. The solution furthers digitisation and sets the foundation for an airport digital twin.

Going Digital Awards 2022 — Image courtesy of Sydney Airport.

Geoprofessional: Integrating Geological Data Using Digital Solutions at Cressbrook Dam

GHD, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

GHD selected ContextCapture to create a 3D reality mesh of existing conditions at Cressbrook Dam, saving AUD 80,000 in on-site survey costs. Using Leapfrog allowed them to overlay historical maps and import design layers to recreate a geological model as it would have been in 1983, augmented in 3D. The digital model is critical to understanding the dam foundations, geological components, and risks necessary to perform future upgrades and design works. As a digital asset retained by TRC, the model ensures dam safety and reliability for decades.

Grid: Essential Energy Intelligent Substation Design

Essential Energy, Port Macquarie, Australia

When developing an intelligent digital design system specifically for small utility projects, Essential Energy used ContextCapture to create a reality model of each project site, OpenUtilities for comprehensive substation design and analysis, and ProjectWise to manage and share models and data. By automating previously manual processes, the team significantly reduced design hours across the entire capital works portfolio. Their Bentley-based IDDS reduced environmental impact and project design costs by 50%, as well as decreased risks associated with manual on-site work. The digital solution establishes the basis for transitioning to a more comprehensive digital twin for intelligent asset management and operations.

Roads and Highways: Takitimu North Link

Waka Kotahi and FH/HEB JV, Western Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Leveraging Bentley’s open modeling applications, the team established a connected data environment and digital twin that will simplify construction of a road in a constrained location. Through collaborative digital modeling and 3D visualisation, they reduced modeling time by 15% and improved design efficiencies by 20%, while achieving higher-quality deliverables compared to previous design methods. The digital twin enables data integration for construction activities and future management and maintenance of roadway operations.