Introduce students to the transformative role of integrated project delivery and building information models (BIM) in highway design and construction

The objective of this class is to introduce students to the transformative role of integrated project delivery and building information models (BIM) in highway design and construction. Public infrastructure projects are designed to meet needs of communities in providing access and mobility, while ensuring safety, and being compliant with environmental regulations and design codes. The introduction of 3D modeling technology, has facilitated a more integrated design and construction process that allows more interactive information sharing among project participants including designers, contractors and community stakeholders. This facilitates seamless project delivery and ensures that the facility constructed meets the requirements of the communities served.

This class uses principles of problem solving to introduce students to integrated project delivery within the authentic context of a design project for the City of Houghton. Classwork will involve developing design requirements and specifications based on direct stakeholder needs, and delivering 3D/4D models that can support contract documents, using industry standard software applications such as Civil3D. In the process, students will be introduced to concepts involving information management, highway design, data visualization and risk analysis in the context of digital project delivery.

Key outcomes of this course are to help students develop the technological and interpersonal skills they will need to operate effectively on diverse teams. The course also introduces a unified framework for solving engineering problems using common engineering problem-solving practices including model-based reasoning, systems-thinking, geometric design for highways and constraints management. Students will learn to break a system down into its components, identify the relationships and constraints, apply them to the objectives of the design, and develop a model that best fits all the criteria.

The 3Cs for the course design are:
Curiosity:
Engage stakeholders to seek out what works best for the community that the roadway is being designed for. Consider the following issues:

1. Safety: Highway and traffic safety.
2. Mobility and access: Improving the socioeconomic outcomes and connecting communities to businesses.
3. Resilience: Designing for improved long-term performance and reduced vulnerability to flood damage through water resource management.

Connections:
Translate design requirements into 3D design models by connecting between different bodies of civil engineering knowledge including but not limited to:

1. Geometric design of highways to establish curve radii and allowable speed limits, accounting for safety and speed of travel.
2. Develop designs that will minimize overall earthwork during construction.
3. Traffic flow within the context of the existing network to ensure that the new link reduces congestion and increases critical access.
4. Hydrology of the land and slopes analysis to design day-lighting and locate culverts where necessary to control flood flows.

Creating Value:
Empathize with stakeholders to assess their needs and translate them into design elements that deliver project outcomes, as follows:

1. City Manager: Needs of the City of Houghton and the immediate community in creating access, given pressures of economic growth now and in future. Consideration of utilities such as winter snow removal.
2. Sheriff: The needs of the County in providing access for communities around the City, and access for first responders and emergency personnel.
3. Emergency Manager: The role of infrastructure in serving to reduce the burdens communities face with natural disasters and human made emergencies.
4. Hydrologist/Environmental Engineer: Local hydrology and wetland resources and accounting for flood flows to design resilient infrastructure.