Aging assets, climate change, population growth, and sustainability requirements are among the many challenges facing infrastructure sectors today. Compounding these challenges is an unprecedented demand for infrastructure and a shortage of engineers, tradespeople, and technologists available to meet it.
The lack of engineers and other infrastructure professionals makes it difficult to tackle these issues effectively. And as these global resource shortages will not be fixed anytime soon, it has become increasingly more important to optimize the use of engineers’ time and talents while using new technological capabilities and data to provide a path forward. A promising approach is generative AI, which has the potential to help engineers save time with automation, explore alternative designs, improve the quality of deliverables, address sustainable requirements, and more.
Combining the power of data and AI for efficient site design delivery
AI is the defining technology of our time: The sheer scale and volume of data created from design to maintenance makes infrastructure a prime area where AI can have a great impact. Bentley has been investing in AI for several years and most recently introduced OpenSite+, the first engineering application leveraging generative AI for civil site design to deliver optimized, accurate site designs up to 10 times faster than traditional methods. OpenSite+ leverages an AI assistant, or “copilot,” and provides site layout optimizations and automated drawing production to drive new levels of productivity and accuracy.
This new offering is the first of a new generation of Bentley Open Applications which run on desktops for optimal responsiveness, while offering the benefits of cloud-based applications, such as automatic updates and cross-operating system availability. The iTwin-native architecture enables seamless collaboration and data-centric workflows. Data is saved directly in a digital twin, which in turn can include data from other sources to provide full context for all design work.
Benefits on an AI assistant
Having an AI assistant at the ready is a welcomed experience. An AI assistant on a civil site design project can offer significant benefits by enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. It automates repetitive tasks such as grading, earthworks calculations, and drainage planning, freeing up engineers to focus on higher-level problem-solving and innovation.
AI can analyze vast amounts of geospatial and environmental data in real-time, providing optimized design recommendations and identifying potential issues early in the process. This leads to reduced rework, cost savings, and more sustainable outcomes. Additionally, AI-powered tools enable rapid exploration of multiple design scenarios, helping teams make informed decisions faster and deliver projects that meet both functional and environmental requirements.
Specifically, OpenSite+ gives designers and engineers the power to integrate real-time data—such as geospatial context and various design files—allowing engineers to design in context while jump-starting a project faster. Once a preliminary site design is created, the OpenSite+ AI copilot can help designers and engineers quickly interrogate and modify the design based on local ordinances, zoning regulations, site elevation, storm water drainage, and other requirements unique to a project.
Faster “optioneering” and automated drawing production
For infrastructure projects, financial feasibility and viability hinge on many considerations. The ability to quickly and efficiently create new designs and produce alternative options is crucial for civil engineers who are stretched thin on time and personnel and where the process of redesigning and “optioneering”—the method where designers and engineers simulate how major changes impact a project—can take weeks to months.
OpenSite+ is particularly effective in enabling “optioneering.” Engineers can quickly demonstrate to clients how proposed changes impact project feasibility, show the visual differences in design options, and provide the estimated cost changes, creating an immediate feedback loop where clients can view and select their preferences in real time.
Another critical, yet time-consuming, process for infrastructure process is drawing annotation and production. Some engineers spend close to 50% of their time on a project converting 3D design models into 2D plans for construction. OpenSite+ automatically places all the required labels and annotations onto 2D sheets. The specialized “neural network” generates text that is compliant with common standards and optimized for legibility and aesthetics. Using AI-powered automation can help engineers reduce time spent on mundane drawing tasks, accelerate drawing production by up to 10 times, and improve drawing accuracy as it can automatically place labels and dimensions according to organizational standards that are optimized for legibility and aesthetics.
A path to more sustainable development
Balancing economic, social, and environmental factors is a key priority for many sustainability development requirements. OpenSite+ offers a range of benefits to support how engineers quickly and easily create and iterate to balance these considerations. For example, if a company aims to reduce construction costs, it may select an option that requires less dirt movement. This choice alone has the potential to minimize the environmental and social impact of the surrounding area while reducing the project’s carbon footprint—moving 100,000 cubic yards less of dirt can have a considerable impact. Reducing the use of equipment, hauling, and material waste not only saves money and time but also decreases emissions.
In addition, the ability to “optioneer” design and engineering alternatives—without breaking ground—also supports a more sustainable approach to development. It ensures that construction only starts once the design is perfected, eliminating the need for corrections and rework. It also allows clients to propose green design features, such as solar or geothermal energy capture, carbon sequestering, among other options during the site design phase of a project. OpenSite+ assists civil engineers and their clients in identifying and implementing more sustainable approaches for civil infrastructure sites.
Looking ahead
Site design products that leverage AI with data integration to automate workflows, optimize resources, and ensure compliance with evolving standards will enable infrastructure projects to best meet the growing demand for efficiency, sustainability, and precision in an increasingly complex and regulated industry. External factors such as rapid urbanization, stricter environmental regulations, climate change, and the need to reduce project timelines and costs have created immense pressure on civil engineers—now is the time we must empower the engineering community with next generation technologies that will deliver smarter, more sustainable designs while maximizing functionality and delivery confidence.
