Despite the popularity of other, better-known tools from the tech giant Autodesk, such as AutoCAD y Revit, the software company has begun to revolutionize the world of infrastructure with Infraworks 360. Thanks to its power, versatility, and, above all, its simplicity, it is not only carving out a place for itself in the market but also transforming the future of engineering.
Just as the emergence of the Computer-Aided Design (CAD), currently the BIM methodology It has already completely transformed project development and the landscape of design, construction, and management of infrastructure projects, both large and small. It has achieved this by fostering real-time collaboration among participants from the various disciplines involved in a project.
The Current Situation
For this reason, the interoperability of the new digital tools It is essential today, not only among users, but also among the various software programs specialized in each area of a project. Infraworks finds its place in the modeling, analysis, and visualization of results from engineering projects, making it the middle ground between tools such as ReCap, for surveying the surroundings using point clouds, and more specialized design and management software, such as Civil 3D y Revit.
The future demands the versatility offered by this type of software; the 21st century has brought major technological advances at a rapid pace. The world of this century is preparing for self-driving cars and drones that provide a volume of data unimaginable in the past, and where projects such as Virgin Hyperloop One They promise to take us underground at speeds of over 1,000 km/h. This is definitely a world that cannot be governed by traditional design methods.
The Future of Infrastructure
This new world of infrastructure requires a new way of designing, as well as new tools. That is why, today, software such as Infraworks are being used in the project Virgin Hyperloop One, where they play a fundamental role in the design and cost control of this type of linear construction project, which requires state-of-the-art technologies and a level of precision never seen before. The company’s infrastructure manager, Eric DesRoche, is convinced that these tools… “will help us optimize routes with minimal environmental impact.”
Another aspect that is revolutionizing the construction industry is the portability of these digital tools, which, thanks to technological advances in mobile devices, make it possible to view models in real time through portable devices such as cell phones and tablets, during fieldwork.
It is here that tools like Infraworks stand out for their simplicity and intuitiveness, leading the world’s leading engineering firms to begin adopting these types of mobile-compatible tools. Chitwan Saluja, chief technology officer at Jacobs Engineering, states that, «Mobile apps have become an extension of the office on construction sites«.
Ultimately, to keep pace with this rate of technological development, build efficient infrastructure, and optimize costs, it is essential—as a professional—to stay up to date on the latest new technological tools available, as Infraworks, and learn how to integrate them into our projects. There’s no turning back: new technologies like BIM are here to stay and are streamlining the construction of the infrastructure of the future.
