For the first time, TIC (Testing, Inspection and Certification) and engineering services capitalize on BIM (Building Information Modeling) innovations in terms of continuous surveying and context modeling. The software leverages the Internet of Things, connected mobile devices, and cloud services to produce a hybrid digital model that can be used as a frame of reference for an intelligent analysis of inspection data as well as for compliance evaluation.

These new services, resulting from a partnership initiated in 2016, consist in Bentley Systems’ data modeling technology provisioning Bureau Veritas’ new digital services for transport or industrial infrastructure owners in need of expert know-how.

Bringing TIC and BIM together, enables inspection services to be timelier when it comes to the safety and performance of infrastructure assets – this is what can be called “reality modeling”. The technology uses imagery to capture the context of as-operated asset conditions, thanks to virtually continuous surveying.

In the future, Bureau Veritas’ “digital inspectors” will be equipped with sensors, smart cameras, and drones. Through reality modeling, reality meshes representing continuously surveyed conditions can be accumulatively compared, and cloud services can make the field observations immediately and immersive accessible to the service experts, at any time and place. The model is ready to be used by engineers for evaluation, diagnosis, and remediation of risks.

New Services for Asset Management

At the “Year in Infrastructure” conference in Singapore in Oct. 2017, both companies presented the latest developments of their cloud services for asset modeling and management, consisting in data modeling technologies provisioning new digital services for transport or industrial infrastructure owners in need of expert know-how.

In an interview with CHEManager International, Jaques Lubetzki, executive vice president Europe of Bureau Veritas, said: “In the context of ageing infrastructure assets in the developed world, inspections play a critical role in ensuring safety, extending the life of the asset, and increasing its performance. We have always sought to leverage the best technology to improve the quality and scope of its offerings. By working with Bentley Systems, we can offer our clients around the world cutting-edge technology for smarter inspections based on asset modeling.”

And Jean-Baptiste Monnier, senior vice president Strategic Partners of Bentley Systems UK, added: “Advancing both cloud services and related inspections opens up great perspectives for our users and clients. By leveraging digital engineering models in their continuously surveyed context, we can achieve asset performance modeling and provide decision support to improve the safety, and increase the productivity, reliability, and longevity of those assets. We and Bureau Veritas believe that our work together will be a significant contribution to engineers and asset owners, in going digital.”

Improving Operational Efficiency

Protecting the health and safety of workers and citizens, as well as the environment, is a critical concern to any project team in process operations. Often, achieving these priorities begins with reducing technical failure risk. As a consequence, inspection services are transformed by combining cutting-edge technologies: IoT, robotics (including drones), predictive analytics, and digital modeling. These technologies enable inspections based on anticipated risk, rather than time intervals that provide benefits for all the stakeholders working on the asset. In fact, the technologies help avoid unplanned asset downtime, improve safety and compliance, while delivering new and valuable insights to increase operational efficiency. Bureau Veritas, with the support of Bentley applications, provides this new type of "inspectioneering" that crosses inspection data with regulatory and external data sources to identify defects and recommend optimal inspection and maintenance schedules.