The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) has released Towards a Centralized Building Information Modeling (BIM) Transportation Library (CBTL): Summary of Available Resources and Technical Requirements to guide the development of an interoperable, standards-based digital platform for U.S. transportation infrastructure.
This report prepared under contract to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responds to the growing need for national BIM standards for transportation, ensuring that highways, bridges, transit, and regional systems are designed, built, and maintained using consistent, reliable, and high-performing digital methods. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of technical resources, industry readiness, and stakeholder priorities necessary to establish a central, authoritative BIM library.
Key findings include:
- Interoperability is essential: fragmented data formats and workflows undermine efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
- National standards accelerate value: a coordinated BIM transportation library will reduce lifecycle costs, enhance asset management, and improve project delivery.
- Collaboration is the foundation: federal, state, local agencies, private industry, and research institutions must align behind shared data standards and implementation frameworks.
- Innovation drives resilience: digital design and construction practices improve infrastructure performance, disaster recovery, and long-term resilience.
The report highlights that adopting a CBTL will yield measurable national benefits: stronger economic competitiveness, lower maintenance costs, smarter public investment, and safer, more resilient communities. By convening government, industry, and research, NIBS demonstrates its unique ability to transform technical knowledge into standards that serve the nation.
