Bentley Systems unveils AI-driven software, promising tenfold productivity boost.
- OpenSite+ integrates generative AI for enhanced civil site design.
- New Google partnership enriches digital twin tools with geospatial data.
- Carbon analysis capabilities aim to streamline sustainability reporting.
- These advancements address efficiency and environmental challenges in engineering.
Bentley Systems has introduced a groundbreaking artificial intelligence-assisted software known as OpenSite+, which is set to transform the field of civil engineering. At the recent Year in Infrastructure 2024 conference, the company announced that this new technology could make project delivery up to ten times faster than current methods, without compromising on quality. The software leverages generative AI to streamline the design process, reduce errors, and maintain consistency across project documentation. Tools such as a truss calculator can also be integrated into these workflows, allowing engineers to efficiently analyze and design structural components with greater accuracy. By automating repetitive tasks, engineers can focus more on the creative aspects of their work, thus driving productivity to unprecedented levels.
A strategic alliance with Google allows Bentley’s software to integrate Google Maps’ extensive geospatial content directly into its digital twin tools. This integration enables civil engineers to utilise rich 2D and 3D data, thus informing better decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. This partnership is an example of how Bentley Systems is adopting open standards, like 3D Tiles, to enhance interoperability and resilience in infrastructure projects.
One of the most notable innovations is the improved carbon analysis capability integrated into the iTwin platform. This feature allows for more efficient assessment of a project’s carbon footprint, from raw material extraction to the factory gate. By automating the carbon reporting process, Bentley’s software offers greater transparency and quicker feedback loops, essential for the rapid adjustment of design strategies to meet sustainability goals.
The acquisition of Cesium further strengthens Bentley’s software offerings by providing advanced 3D geospatial capabilities. With Cesium, engineers can align 3D geospatial data seamlessly with subsurface and other engineering data, facilitating the creation of highly accurate digital twins. This capability is crucial for projects demanding precision, offering insights from large infrastructure networks down to the millimetre-level details of individual assets.
These technological advancements, as Bentley Systems vice president Francois Valois articulated, not only respond to the growing issue of skills shortages but also set a new benchmark for ease of use within civil engineering tools. Valois emphasises the future-ready nature of these tools, stating that they represent the next generation of user-friendly, highly productive engineering solutions.
These innovations promise to transform civil engineering productivity and sustainability for the foreseeable future.
