Balfour Beatty VINCI hail 4G modelling for smart motorway project

Balfour Beatty VINCI, the joint venture working on the conversion of the M5 Junctions 4a to 6 smart motorway project, says it has achieved "significant results" through the use of 4D modelling as a management tool.


The joint venture, working for Highways England, utilised 4D modelling for all critical activity which had the potential to impact project timescales to enhance understanding of the works sequence prior to starting on site, reduce waste and inefficiencies, avoid operational and logistics clashes and mitigate health and safety risk.

Using this software, Balfour Beatty VINCI and Highways England say they re-opened a stretch of the M5 three and a half hours earlier than planned during a scheduled 12-hour closure, removing planned disruption for over 26,000 of road users on their morning commute.

4D modelling is becoming commonplace on infrastructure projects to help plan out complex sequences of works ahead of programme, however, Balfour Beatty VINCI say the use of the software broadened its scope to include day to day project management taking the software beyond its standard operational practice.

Josh Hanson, Digital Project Coordinator for Balfour Beatty said, “this is the first time Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture has used this software as a management tool, taking the technology beyond site safety and operational planning uses in to all aspects of our work including site inductions. This collaborative approach has also extended to planning meetings with Highways England, resulting in a more seamless working relationship on a complex and busy project.

"This approach will now be rolled out to our other highways projects as well as other areas of the business”.