Liaozi Grand Bridge is the final link along the Chongqing Chengkou-Kaizhou Expressway that will connect the Qinba region to the rest of the county, reducing travel times by one-third and promoting industrial and economic development that will revitalize the rural mountainous area. The large-span arch bridge has a main deck length of 252 meters, with its highest point 186 meters above the river surface. The multiple bridge components and steep terrain presented design and construction challenges requiring comprehensive application of BIM-based digital workflows.

The project team selected Bentley’s integrated reality modeling and BIM applications to generate a reality mesh of the existing site from drone-captured images, as well as a 3D bridge model. Using Bentley applications, they developed a digital modeling and construction management platform, reducing design time by 300 hours and shortening the construction period by 55 days to save CNY 2.2 million in management costs. Through 3D digitization and visualization, the team reduced the environmental footprint of the project and have laid the foundation for developing a digital twin for digital bridge maintenance and operations.