Bentley's applications have enabled innovative design solutions that are expected to save $32 million over 25 years.
Large-scale modernization program
Located in the busy neighborhood of Cedar Falls, Iowa, University Avenue is a major six-lane highway about two miles long and with more than 20,000 vehicles passing through each day. The road is more than 60 years old, the road condition has deteriorated, and the traffic accident rate is 20% higher than the state average. The roads are devoid of sidewalks and bike lanes, and they have exceeded their expected service life. With growing public pressure to improve road conditions, provide non-motorized lanes, and spur economic development, the City of Cedar Falls launched a $38.9 million modernization program to transform and revitalize the road. Project criteria include improving traffic flow, improving safety, ensuring the passage and mobility of bicycles and pedestrians, providing "living streets" that are compatible with existing networks, facilitating commercial access, and minimizing capital investment and operating costs.
Foth Infrastructure and Environment was hired to develop a comprehensive transportation plan for the road, covering all phases from preliminary engineering design to final design and construction. To better meet the city's priorities, FOTH introduced innovative design elements that were rarely used in the state, including roundabouts, reduced lanes, and a complete street approach to accommodating multimodal mobility, all under intense public scrutiny. Aaron Moniza, Senior Account Manager at Foth, explains, "Our concept development and design processes had to be accurate, reliable, and stand up to public scrutiny. Faced with extensive public engagement and a tight schedule, coupled with technical and engineering challenges that required coordination of multiple phases and teams, the organization needed integrated digital applications to meet the needs of the city and stakeholders.
Collaborative digital workflows
With FOTH's 100 members spread across seven offices over the past 5 years, it was important to have the right communication and design applications. Foth works closely with the City of Cedar Falls, utilizing multiple data acquisition capabilities, including drones and mobile mapping, to collect data quickly and accurately. The project team put engineering data to work by building 3D models and an open, connected data environment based on ProjectWise. Foth leverages OpenRoads, OpenFlows, and Staad to create multi-discipline 3D models of roads, grades, and utilities, and to support right-of-way acquisition and construction estimates. Bentley's civil, utility, and structural applications are used for traffic modeling, corridor simulation, utility coordination, and comparing signalized intersections to roundabouts, facilitating collaborative engineering processes. These processes allow for a quick analysis of numerous design options to determine the best road solution.
Collaborative and effectively shared models and engineering data are critical to meeting tight deadlines and developing cost-effective design solutions. Bentley's open applications streamline workflows and facilitate collaborative design to meet deadlines. An integrated digital platform helps teams manage data remotely, achieving consistency in document management and engineering flows, while also providing traceability for design change management to identify and fix issues in hours instead of weeks. Field workers have mobile access to project data and models in the field, enabling them to quickly answer questions and develop solutions remotely. Leverage a connected data environment that provides real-time access to all project data and streamlines digital workflows to accelerate design, optimize customer review and decision-making, and facilitate efficient public relations.
Maximize the potential of your model
A single 3D model improves the accuracy and efficiency of the design process, seamlessly integrating with a wide range of designers and consultants around the world. Intelligent reference models facilitate virtual measurements and collision detection, resolving more than 200 utility conflicts. Based on the model, the project team collaborated with 11 public and private utilities to relocate underground and overhead infrastructure prior to construction, including the adjustment of more than 2 miles of major communications facilities. 3D models facilitate collaboration between all parties, identify and visualize conflicts, and reduce the risk of delays in the construction process.
FOTH also expanded the digital engineering model to optimize customer review and approval processes, public engagement, and construction tenders. The team used LumenRT and MicroStation to create animated virtual demonstrations of the corridor model that helped the City of Cedar Falls visualize corridor improvements and traffic patterns, while demonstrating design intent to ensure the project was supported and approved. "Informative 3D models and visualizations become irreplaceable presentation features in project meetings, one-on-one interviews, executive summaries, projects**, and public education," Moniza explains. "The 3D digitization solution was successful in increasing the visibility of the project, creating a positive image, ultimately receiving positive public feedback and saving 1,000 hours in strengthening public relations.
The 3D model provided was also part of the project bidding package, ensuring that all three phases of construction bidding were accurate. By giving contractors access to 3D models as well as high-quality construction documents, the winning bid** was lower than the initial estimate. The total final construction cost was 3% lower than the total contract bid, saving the City of Cedar Falls more than $500,000.
FOTH improves the construction phase by building a 3D model as a digital twin that allows data to flow between models as field personnel identify and resolve potential issues on site. In addition to construction, the engineering information contained in the digital twin will provide significant value for future operations and asset management, and these digital assets can intelligently deliver critical information and improve performance.
Integrated applications deliver benefits
FOTH uses interoperable technology that is critical to speeding up design and streamlining the approval process. For example, the design data for the OpenRoads Drainage module can be exported directly to StormCAD for advanced network modeling. This practice simplifies hydraulic calculations, increases design speed, and makes decision-making and approvals more rational by consolidating everything into a single model. The design is able to remain up and running over a multi-year design plan. Bentley's integrated applications help simulate the reality environment to determine the best design solution. These applications helped Foth achieve full stakeholder buy-in on the design phase deadline and shorten the design cycle from three years to one and a half years, saving 1,600 hours of design time and improving efficiency.
The time savings during the design phase significantly accelerated the overall project schedule, enabling Foth to meet construction and urban development schedules while delivering high-quality projects. Despite the tight deadline, construction was brought forward by a full year and the total return on investment was expected to be $650,000. Using Bentley's open applications in a connected data environment improves deliverables at all stages of the project, maximizes collaboration and productivity across mobile and distributed teams, and optimizes communication with cities, utilities, and community stakeholders. FOTH now has a connected digital solution with immediate access to all engineering and project data, helping to streamline communication, increase FOTH's interaction efficiency by 50%, and gain public trust.
Digital solutions drive transformation
Foth developed an innovative design to build six multi-lane roundabouts in the city's commercial corridor, a first in Iowa. The City of Cedar Falls and the community have reservations about the viability of the roundabout as a transportation solution. To gain support, Foth provided digital models and informative 3D visuals to come up with a successful solution that presented the design concept from a community perspective, expedited approval for a new roundabout, and realized benefits and cost savings for the City of Cedar Falls and the public. The new design improved safety and reduced injuries by 89 percent, saving $1.9 million and reducing travel time equates to more than $1 million in annual savings.
Molly Long, Chief Civil Engineer at Foth, said: "We talk about technology, but at the end of the day, it's about people. "In addition to the roundabout, the transformative design includes sidewalks and bike lanes, as well as benches and landscaping, to achieve a higher level of safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The new multimodal transport network will improve connectivity to jobs and services, support workforce development, and promote community revitalization. Foth's safe, affordable, and modern design has provided a return on investment for the City of Cedar Falls, saving the community an estimated $32 million over the next 25 years. The improvements to University Avenue have fueled economic development and transformed the face of the community, with 19 properties having been redeveloped and 30% of the corridor ready to be redeveloped in the future.