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august 2019 csengineermag.com 49 facilitated design verification, which allowed the team to check horizontal and vertical clearances and bridge elevations and identify exposed footings and elevation issues prior to construction. Utility companies examined the model to ensure there were no clashes. Utilities are a critical element in any construction project and ALDOT invested millions into locating and relocating them. Having a visual 3D representation of the utility infrastructure enabled ALDOT to perform clash detection. For instance, the model showed one of the utility companies that the new roadway would not adversely impact their equipment, preventing expensive utility relocation. Overall, the ability to perform clash analysis on the 3D model using MicroStation resulted in ALDOT identifying more than 1,100 design and construction clashes. "One great thing is that we were able to provide everything to the contractors to pre-bid. Every contractor that bid got a full 3D model," Taylor explained. As ALDOT's first project submitting 3D models for bidding, model accuracy was significant to support precise cost estimation and meet the organization's goal of lowering construction bids. Using Bentley's integrated modeling technology accelerated design and improved quality to deliver accurate models to construction bidders for more informed cost and time estimates. The contractors maximized usability of the BIM model by clicking on specific items within the model to determine precise quantities for creating cost estimates. Lastly, the 3D BIM model along with Bentley's reality modeling technology maximized visualization potential necessary to dem- onstrate project impact to all stakeholders and the public. With Live Cubes in LumenRT, ALDOT generated animated renderings that facilitated visual understanding of the design and its effect on the surrounding environment and community to optimize ROW negotiations and enable more informed decision making. Integrated Applications Deliver Savings This highly sensitive project had to be designed quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Using Bentley's design and collaboration applications allowed all parties to achieve this goal and save millions. ProjectWise established an open, connected data environ- ment that helped consulting firms save tens of thousands of hours creating the 3D models to meet the rigorous scheduling de- The only east-west interstate through Birmingham central business district, the I-59/I-20 interchange is Alabama's heaviest traveled corridor, accommodating more than 160,000 vehicles per day. Photo: Bentley

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