OpenRoads

OpenRoads
Name	OpenRoads
Developer	Bentley Systems
Initial release	2003
Latest release	2020s
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
License	Proprietary
Website	Bentley Systems

OpenRoads OpenRoads is a civil engineering and transportation design software platform used for roadway and highway design, surveying, drainage, and geotechnical integration. It is developed by Bentley Systems and is associated with disciplines such as civil engineering, transportation planning, surveying, and infrastructure asset management across public agencies and private firms. The platform integrates modeling, drafting, analysis, and construction documentation workflows for complex projects.

Overview

OpenRoads provides an integrated environment for corridor modeling, terrain modeling, cross-section generation, and plan production used by firms and agencies involved with highway projects. Key stakeholders include engineering firms like AECOM, Arup Group, Jacobs Engineering Group, Bechtel Corporation, and Fluor Corporation as well as transportation authorities such as California Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Transportation, United States Department of Transportation, Highways England, Transport for London, and Transport Canada. The platform interoperates with project delivery frameworks including Building Information Modeling (BIM), Infrastructure Object Model approaches, and standards-driven collaborations with organizations like ISO, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Federal Highway Administration, and Open Geospatial Consortium.

History and Development

Development of OpenRoads followed earlier Bentley products used for civil design, evolving through releases and rebranding driven by shifts in BIM and digital delivery expectations. Bentley Systems, founded by Keith Bentley and Barry Bentley, advanced corridor and alignment modeling after acquisitions and internal development, paralleling trends led by firms such as Autodesk and products like AutoCAD Civil 3D. Milestones in the platform's evolution correspond with the global adoption of digital engineering initiatives promoted by entities such as World Bank, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, and policy frameworks like the National Environmental Policy Act in the United States and the Climate Change Act 2008 in the United Kingdom. Collaborations and integrations have involved technology partners including Trimble Navigation, Hexagon AB, Siemens, and cloud providers comparable to Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.

Features and Functionality

OpenRoads offers corridor modeling, alignment design, superelevation calculation, drainage analysis, earthworks computation, and construction documentation. Typical workflows are employed by project teams from multinational firms such as Royal HaskoningDHV, Stantec, WSP Global, KPMG Infrastructure, Tetra Tech, and CH2M Hill for projects funded by agencies like World Trade Organization-linked contractors and sovereign programs in countries such as United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, China, Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa. The software supports integration with surveying equipment vendors like Leica Geosystems and geospatial datasets from providers such as Esri and standards endorsed by Open Geospatial Consortium and ISO/TC 211. Design output targets align with procurement frameworks like those used by Network Rail, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Transport for New South Wales, and municipal bodies including City of London Corporation and New York City Department of Transportation.

Architecture and Technical Components

The architecture combines a graphical modeling engine, data management layer, and analysis modules that interact with Bentley's MicroStation platform and file formats akin to DGN and interoperable exchange with Industry Foundation Classes and LandXML. Key technical components include corridor models, feature modeling, terrain triangulation, and parametric object libraries. Integration with geotechnical software from vendors such as Rocscience and hydrologic modules referenced by agencies like United States Geological Survey enables multidisciplinary workflows. The platform fits within digital twins and smart city initiatives promoted by municipalities like Singapore Government and Barcelona City Council, and aligns with asset management systems used by National Grid plc and Network Rail.

Applications and Use Cases

OpenRoads is applied to highway alignments, interchange design, urban street networks, railway interfaces, airport access roads, and port access infrastructure. Notable project participants include consultants and contractors that have delivered major works for clients like Department of Transportation (New South Wales), Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Transportation, Victorian Government (Australia), Singapore Land Transport Authority, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, and development banks such as European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Use cases include detailed earthworks planning, quantity takeoff for contractors like Skanska, Vinci SA, Balfour Beatty, and Kiewit Corporation; coordination with utilities managed by companies like United Utilities and Enel; and integration with traffic modeling outputs from tools used by SIAS-class consultancies and research bodies including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Delft University of Technology, and ETH Zurich.

Adoption and Industry Impact

Adoption of OpenRoads has influenced digital delivery practices in transportation infrastructure, enabling interdisciplinary coordination among engineers, surveyors, planners, contractors, and asset managers from organizations such as American Public Works Association, Institution of Civil Engineers, Royal Institute of British Architects, Professional Engineers Ontario, and Engineers Australia. The platform's role in BIM for infrastructure has been discussed in policy circles involving European Commission initiatives, national standards bodies like British Standards Institution, and procurement reforms by agencies such as Infrastructure Australia and National Highways (UK). Its ecosystem competes and coexists with products from Autodesk, Trimble, Hexagon AB, Bentley Systems' MicroStation, and research collaborations with universities and think tanks such as RAND Corporation and McKinsey & Company that shape infrastructure strategy.

Category:Civil engineering software