Goal #9 SDG: Can BIM Support Innovation and Infrastructure Development?

Welcome to the ninth part of the series “BIM for Sustainability”. We look at how BIM can effectively support ESG and SDG goals (#UN17). In this post, we will focus on SDG 9 and the question of whether and how infrastructure and BIM innovation can be combined. Discover how BIM can support innovation and sustainable infrastructure development, aligned with SDG Goal 9. Learn more!

Click below to check out other posts:

• SDGs vs ESG and How BIM Can Help Achieve Sustainable Goals
• SDG Goal #3: How Does BIM Support Good Health and Quality of Life?
• SDG Goal #7: Can BIM Help Ensure Sustainable Energy?
• Goal #8 SDG: Can BIM Drive Sustainable Economic Growth?
• Goal #9 SDG: Can BIM Support Innovation and Infrastructure Development?
• SDG Goal #11: Can BIM Help Build Sustainable Cities and Environments?
• SDG Goal 12: How BIM Can Contribute to Sustainable Consumption and Production
• Goal #13: Does BIM Combat Climate Change and Its Impacts? – Series Summary

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: Building resilient infrastructure and supporting innovation.

SDG 9 is aimed at promoting progress based on sustainable values. As well as supporting innovation in various industrial sectors, including construction. In the context of the global agenda, i.e. development, poverty eradication and accelerating sustainable progress, a developed infrastructure plays a key role.
The United Nations  reports that many developing countries still lack basic infrastructure such as roads, sewage and water, electricity and information and communication technology. The  New Climate Economy report  reports that investments of $90 trillion are needed in the infrastructure sector in the next decade to achieve a net zero emissions future.

Identifying infrastructure improvements at the design stage is key to ongoing, sustainable development.

How can BIM technology accelerate the achievement of Goal 9? BIM Infrastructure and Innovation.

BIM, or Building Information Modeling, brings numerous benefits to various players in the infrastructure industry. Such as roads, railways, and bridges. Investors benefit from accurate cost and time forecasts, which allows for budget optimization. Designers, on the other hand, benefit from data integration, enabling collaboration between different engineering disciplines, and the ability to create precise 3D visualizations. Contractors and construction companies can optimize construction processes, shortening project implementation time and better managing resources. For society, the benefit is the possibility of social participation in the project. Thanks to access to visualizations and safe infrastructure, adapted to the diverse needs of users.
In the context of Goal 9, BIM can accelerate the achievement of this goal by:

• Realistic forecasts: Generating realistic time and cost forecasts with BIM enables better project management and minimizes the risk of delays.
• Easier decisions: Investors can make more informed decisions based on the visualizations and analyses provided by BIM.
• Analysis and simulation: BIM enables a variety of analyses, such as traffic flow analysis and bridge structural loading, leading to more accurate designs.
• Optimized construction processes: BIM helps optimize construction processes, which translates into shorter project implementation times.
• Accurate planning: Accurate BIM models allow for precise planning of construction activities, minimizing the risk of errors and delays.
• Efficient resource management: BIM enables better management of resources, such as materials and machines, which affects the efficiency of the construction process.

Implementing BIM in projects improves communication between stakeholders through a Common Data Environment (CDE), eliminating information silo and promoting multidisciplinary collaboration.

https://www.un.org.pl/cel9

Examples

Examples of BIM applications include bridge and highway designs, comprehensive water and sewage infrastructure management, and urban planning that integrates infrastructure, environmental and social aspects.

• Bridges, roads and highways : The use of BIM in the design of bridges and highways allows for precise load analyses, optimized route planning and reduced implementation times.
• Water infrastructure projects j: BIM enables comprehensive management of water infrastructure data, supporting variant development, testing and analysis in a secure environment.
• Urban investments : BIM-based urban planning allows for effective management of urban space, integrating infrastructural, environmental and social aspects.

In summary, the use of BIM has the potential to significantly impact the efficiency of infrastructure projects. This innovative approach is a key step towards sustainable development.