Bentley Systems has helped firms accelerate project delivery and improve asset performance by supporting projects with innovative software and services for over 30 years . As engineering firms seek a digital strategy , the term “ going digital ” is being realized as infrastructure professionals take advantage of digital engineering models that contain inherent data about how an asset was designed , which can then be shared , consumed , and analysed by other software and processes . Leveraging a cloud computing platform enables a connected data environment that digitally connects and converges people , processes , data , and technology to yield significant results .

Another exciting aspect of going digital is the technology and the proliferation of reality modeling , which fills the gap of not having a digital engineering model in the first place . Capturing existing site conditions with the use of digital photographs or point-cloud data – across infrastructure project delivery and asset performance is now widely adopted by infrastructure professionals . Reality modeling describes the potentially continuous capture of infrastructure assets ’ as-operated conditions for processing into engineering-ready reality meshes , and their “ enlivening ” for immersive interaction . These models can now be referenced throughout the full lifecycle of an infrastructure asset , improving performance , safety , and sustainability .

For many years , through reality modeling digital photos have been processed into 3D models , but its capabilities have evolved to offer available point clouds from laser scanning that can be combined with available photos , as “ hybrid inputs ,” for reconstruction into a reality mesh .

This enables the capture of assets in a digital format , further converging the virtual with the physical and offering new potential . A reality mesh can also be seamlessly used within engineering CAD environments , enhancing BIM methodology as digital engineering models can improve the context of reality capture with greater understanding of 3D collaborative software as the necessity for engineering design gains value .

Going Digital for CAPEX For capital projects , a digital workfl ow can take advantage of better decision making with immersive design and collaboration in construction . For engineers , going digital can mean some new activities , such as conceptioneering – the process of creating various iterations of a design discipline with engineering content , at the beginning of a project , to constructioneering - the process of bringing engineering data directly to the field to drive construction workfl ows and construction equipment , during construction while leveraged in operations . It can also mean inspectioneering – the process of bringing as-operated and continuously surveyed , engineering reality meshes into digital engineering environments , enabling engineers to inspect and evaluate infrastructure assets from any location . And , lastly , to optioneering , which is the process of creating multiple iterations of a detailed infrastructure model and / or its subsystems in such a way to enable “ what-if ” scenarios and evaluate design trade-offs with the aim of producing an optimal engineering strategy . In these cases , we use the digital model to make better operations and maintenance decisions . These are all examples of going digital , and Bentley is providing the solutions for our users to get there .