The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District has formally committed to adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) across all of its design and construction projects, building on years of pilot programs and lessons learned in the field.

The decision reflects a larger federal push for digital transformation and modernization in infrastructure delivery, particularly in how agencies manage environmental reviews, permitting, and construction planning.

USACE’s journey with BIM began more than a decade ago. A pilot program at the Asymmetric Warfare Group complex at Fort Meade, Maryland, conducted with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and the USACE New York District in 2013, showcased the system’s capabilities. On that project, BIM was used successfully to track and manage real-time data throughout the design, construction, and operations phases. The experience revealed how quickly design solutions could be generated and validated using digital tools.

Since then, BIM has become integral to how Buffalo District designs, builds, and maintains infrastructure. Current applications include modeling miter gates at the Black Rock Lock in Buffalo and remediation work at the Niagara Falls Storage Site, as well as erosion control efforts at Old Fort Niagara in Porter, New York, where shoreline protection is vital to preserve the historic structure.

According to USACE, BIM offers several major advantages:

• Reduced design and construction costs by identifying and preventing errors before they occur.
• Faster planning and scheduling through linked digital models.
• Improved facility operations and maintenance, with integration into systems such as the General Fund Enterprise Business System.
• Enhanced lifecycle management, where everything from equipment warranties to room layouts, utilities, and emergency systems can be tracked digitally.

Despite challenges such as maintaining file compatibility and enforcing uniform data standards, the district is confident in BIM’s long-term value.

“The entire scope of data that is collected helps to plan projects, design repairs or upgrades, track construction progress, monitor changes over time, and maintain and manage infrastructure,” said Kevin Lesika, a geodesist with the Buffalo District’s survey team.

BIM adoption also aligns with federal directives for modernization. Dustin Tellinghuisen, a civil engineer with the Buffalo District, emphasized that the move was driven in part by Washington’s broader agenda:

“The USACE’s adoption of BIM was a direct result of the government’s push for modernization, digital transformation and improved data management in infrastructure delivery.”

While BIM is already widely used in the private sector, the federal government has begun actively supporting its deployment in public infrastructure. In 2024, the Federal Highway Administration awarded $16.6 million in grants to eight states under the Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems program, further encouraging state transportation agencies to adopt similar tools.

For the Buffalo District, BIM is more than a technological upgrade—it is a strategic shift that allows the Corps to deliver projects more efficiently, maintain aging infrastructure more effectively, and support long-term resilience for communities across the Great Lakes region.

Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.