Road modelling for infrastructure management – the efficient use of geographic information systems

The construction sector is undergoing a digital transition. Local authorities have adopted geographic information systems (GISs) to plan their territories and structure their services, such as transport. Simultaneously, building information modelling (BIM) has demonstrated its advantages during the design and construction phases of structures. An infrastructure project can rely on these two technologies to plan its implementation (GIS), to complete its design and construction (BIM), or to manage associated services, such as mobility (GIS). However, road maintenance, an important part of the infrastructure’s life cycle, is not yet covered by these technologies. Road maintenance necessitates a comprehensive view of the infrastructure and its interactions with other real-world objects (e.g. vegetation, technical networks, or vehicles). Moreover, road managers are the local authorities that already use GISs. For these reasons, a GIS is suitable for fulfilling road maintenance requirements. This study presents a spatial framework (GIS) developed for road management. Applying it to a specific case study provides insights on the organisation of the spatial road framework which can be adapted to the infrastructure’s environment management. The spatial dimension must allow for the representation of the road and its components, including pavements and their dependencies. The structural dimension must be detailed to describe the layers, their formulations, and their thicknesses. The condition of the road must be described concisely so that the managers can plan maintenance.