Optimizing Handover of As-Built Data Using BIM for Highways

An efficient maintenance of the UK’s transportation network is of critical importance to the
country’s economy and among the top priorities of the government and public agencies (e.g.
Network Rail, Highways England). The public transportation agencies have huge data sets
related to asset management and maintenance. However, those data sets are usually held in
disparate platforms and have been historically developed using multiple standards and
formats. As a result, full value of such data is often not fully realized. Effective management
of asset data and availability of reliable information as and when needed, could bring in key
benefits for effective management of the transportation network. This paper aims to present
the initial findings of a research effort understanding the potential of Building Information
Modelling (BIM) in handover processes for a more efficient maintenance of highways
assets, and discuss the way forward. The research methodology applied is systematic
literature review and two recent best practice cases in the Highways Sector. The research
findings suggest that efficient data management through BIM could provide a structured
framework to improve asset handover and maintenance. However, it is important to capture
the current handover practices between the construction and maintenance phase, and
maintenance processes in the UK’s highways sector, both of which seem to be absent in the
literature at the moment.