Bentley > Case Studies > Accelerating Infrastructure Project Delivery with IoT: A Case Study on Mott MacDonald's East Tideway Tunnel Project

Accelerating Infrastructure Project Delivery with IoT: A Case Study on Mott MacDonald's East Tideway Tunnel Project

Technology Category

Sensors - GPS
Sensors - Temperature Sensors

Applicable Industries

Cement
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Last Mile Delivery
Time Sensitive Networking

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy firm. As the lead designer for the Thames Tideway East project, they were contracted to design and build a new, modernized sewerage system for the east portion of the project. This involved approximately 10 kilometers of tunnel works located 70 meters beneath central London and six shaft sites. The project was a joint venture among Costain, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, and Bachy Soletanche, and it was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the United Kingdom’s water industry. Mott MacDonald's role was crucial in ensuring the successful completion of the project within the tight deadline.

The Challenge

London's outdated Victorian sewers were causing increased pollution and water contamination due to frequent overflows into the River Thames. The city needed a newly designed and constructed sewage tunnel system to reduce overflows and improve the river's water quality. The joint venture project among Costain, Vinci Construction Grands Projets, and Bachy Soletanche was expected to be completed in seven years. Mott MacDonald, the lead designer for the project, was contracted to design and build a new, modernized sewerage system for the east portion of the project. This involved approximately 10 kilometers of tunnel works located 70 meters beneath central London and six shaft sites. Mott MacDonald faced challenges in bridging communication gaps among team members across various locations and with diverse design principals. They also needed to control the information accessed by team members and stakeholders while developing a streamlined, but accurate, workflow to meet the tight project deadline.

The Solution

Mott MacDonald implemented a connected data environment with ProjectWise CONNECT Edition to streamline design delivery, manage large collections of information, and limit rework. ProjectWise was used to store all project information, including drawings, models, reports, specifications, calculations, and meeting minutes. This structured environment enabled quick and easy access to information and allowed users to create, modify, and store thousands of deliverables in one location, accessible by dispersed users from organizations across Europe. The project team also used the connected data environment to set up weekly BIM Wednesdays meetings, where members of the project teams participated and reviewed work throughout the design phase. Mott MacDonald also used ProjectWise to control and expedite the completion of design deliverables, saving time and mitigating risk by automating, integrating, and codifying the processes surrounding the assembly, review, and approval of transmittals, submittals, and RFIs across the project.

Operational Impact

The implementation of ProjectWise CONNECT Edition significantly improved collaboration and communication between the project team and the client. About 960 documents were shared informally with the client, allowing the team to resolve any issues earlier and faster, saving time and money. There was a high level of engagement between the client and design team, with an average of 5.2 clients attending the weekly meetings. This engagement directly correlates with the time for client approval, which was less than five days, and shows how collaboration can streamline digital workflows. By storing all the design content in ProjectWise’s connected data environment, this information was easily accessible to all parties, regardless of location, to create a single source of truth on the project. The company has now adopted a fully digital platform and uses a connected data environment on all major projects to attain similar benefits.

Quantitative Benefit

ProjectWise CONNECT Edition saved 80 percent on information delivery time, reducing it from five days to one.
The client accepted 76 percent of packages the first time due to improved collaboration and program assurance.
BIM advancements reduced overall design delivery time by six months.