2.11.2 Improving Productivity, Carbon and Resilience Through Interoperable Built Environment Data

Infrastructure

•

2.11.2

•

In Progress

•

Core

•

2026 - 2027

In the era of climate change awareness and sustainable development, accurate carbon accounting has become imperative for businesses and governments alike.

Overview

The Australian built environment industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by increasing demands for efficiency, sustainability and data‑informed decision‑making across the full lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure. Despite this, digital adoption remains uneven, constrained by fragmented data environments, limited interoperability between platforms, and gaps in digital capability across the workforce. Traditional delivery models continue to rely on manual data handling and disconnected workflows, resulting in inefficiencies, duplicated effort and limited visibility of asset performance, carbon outcomes and resilience over time.

Emerging digital technologies – including Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing and advanced data analytics offer significant potential to address these challenges. However, their impact is limited without the skills, frameworks and interoperable data structures needed to support their effective implementation. This project addresses this gap by investigating the digital capabilities required within the built environment sector, with a focus on the Infrastructure Common Data Model (ICDM), digital twin applications, and emerging approaches to digital data collection and analysis using LiDAR, computer vision and AI. The research will demonstrate how improved interoperability, automation and data‑driven insights can enhance lifecycle asset management, carbon accounting and resilience analysis, supporting more informed decision‑making and more sustainable outcomes across the built environment.

Objectives

There are four specific objectives based on the specific industry needs:

To understand existing developments about Infrastructure Common Data Model (ICDM) and establish a unified data framework to ensure interoperability, traceability, and efficient data exchange across the asset lifecycle.
To integrate 12d modelling of civil assets into MetaBIM: Develop a seamless workflow for importing and managing 12d civil design models within the MetaBIM platform to support digital twin creation, visualisation, and lifecycle coordination of infrastructure assets.
Integrate digital technologies for asset lifecycle management: Create toolkits and workflows that leverage BIM, IoT, and AI for data-driven decision-making throughout design, construction, and operation phases.
Build workforce digital capability: Design and deliver targeted upskilling programs to enhance digital literacy and technical proficiency across industry professionals, focusing on AI data analytics, and lifecycle information management.

Industry Outcomes

Digital transformation to improve productivity is a core industry priority. This project will enable more efficient and transparent use of lifecycle asset information through interoperable digital systems.

Specifically, this project will produce:

A validated Infrastructure Common Data Model (ICDM) framework with protocols to enable interoperable, traceable, and consistent data exchange across the asset lifecycle.
A functional workflow and integration module enabling the import and management of 12d civil design models within the MetaBIM platform for digital twin visualisation and coordination.
A set of practical toolkits and workflows integrating BIM, IoT, and AI to support data-driven decision-making across design, construction, and operational phases.