In building construction, many BIM platforms perform well. A building has clearly defined disciplines, a defined perimeter, and a lifecycle that, in most cases, ends with the handover of the project. But infrastructure—roads, bridges, water and sanitation networks, treatment plants, transmission lines—has a different level of complexity: multiple disciplines that must be coordinated across kilometers and decades of operation. There, every unresolved contradiction in the model becomes a costly problem on-site.
The comparison between Bentley and Autodesk isn’t about which one offers more features. It’s about which one better integrates the entire lifecycle of the infrastructure asset, from conceptual design to operation and maintenance. For a BIM coordinator working on road, hydraulic, or network projects, this distinction has concrete consequences for the daily workflow.
The dilemma in civil engineering: interferences that cost a lot when they are discovered late
In infrastructure projects, clashes between disciplines have a cost that escalates the later they are detected. A clash between a bridge structure and the installation of utilities, detected in the BIM model during the design phase, is a modification. The same clash, detected on-site, requires redesign, causes delays, and incurs additional costs that can multiply the original impact by five or ten times.
The challenge for a BIM coordinator in infrastructure is that the disciplines involved are not the same as in building construction, nor is the way they are coordinated. A road project involves geotechnical engineering, roadway engineering, structural engineering, hydraulics, signage, and affected utilities. A network project involves route planning, clashes with existing infrastructure, hydraulics, support structures, and connections. Each of these disciplines has its own model, its own standards, and its own review cycles.
The key question is not whether the BIM platform can handle each discipline separately. The question is whether they can be coordinated in a federated model that allows interferences to be detected before they reach the construction site, and whether that model can still be useful when the project moves from the construction phase to the operation phase.
Why Bentley in infrastructure: specialization, not adaptation
The fundamental difference between Bentley and Autodesk in the context of infrastructure is not one of capability but of origin. Autodesk was born in the world of architectural design and extended its platforms into civil engineering and infrastructure. Bentley was born in infrastructure and built its ecosystem from that foundation. This difference in origin translates into concrete differences in how each platform handles the specific workflows of civil works.
The Bentley ecosystem includes specialized tools for each discipline, designed to work together seamlessly from the outset. OpenRoads Designer for road and highway design. OpenBridge Modeler for bridges and structures. OpenFlows for hydraulic networks. STAAD.Pro for structural analysis. MicroStation as the base modeling platform. Each of these tools produces models that can be federated in a common environment without the need for conversions or intermediaries that degrade the data.
For a BIM coordinator of a road project who needs to federate the geometric design model of the road with the structural model of the bridges and the hydraulic model of the drainage works, this native integration between tools of the same ecosystem significantly reduces coordination time and the risk of loss of information in the transfer between models.
Autodesk in infrastructure: powerful, but with friction in coordination
Autodesk has robust tools for infrastructure: Civil 3D for road design, Revit with extensions for structures, and InfraWorks for conceptual modeling. The problem isn’t the individual capabilities of each tool, but rather the friction that arises when trying to coordinate models between them in complex infrastructure projects.
Federating models within the Autodesk infrastructure ecosystem often requires export and import steps that introduce the risk of data loss or degradation. A Civil 3D model and a Revit model don’t speak the same native language: conversions are necessary, and each conversion presents an opportunity for data loss or desynchronization.
For building projects, where disciplines are more homogeneous and workflows are more standardized around the Revit ecosystem, this friction is manageable. For infrastructure projects, where disciplines are more heterogeneous and models have different natures, this friction accumulates and generates rework in each coordination cycle.
From design to operation: the digital twin as a strategic differentiator
The most strategic difference between Bentley and Autodesk for infrastructure projects lies not in the design itself, but in what happens after construction. Infrastructure has lifecycles spanning decades: a road is built in two years and operated for forty. A bridge can remain in service for a century. A water network comprises assets that must be maintained for generations.
Bentley has developed iTwin, its digital twin platform for infrastructure, as a core capability of its ecosystem. The project’s BIM model doesn’t end with the opening of the building: it becomes the digital twin of the asset, updated with sensor data, inspections, and maintenance, and available to operations teams as a permanent reference. When an asset requires intervention, the maintenance team can access the model reflecting the asset’s current state, not the original construction drawings that may no longer reflect thirty years of modifications.
Autodesk is moving in the direction of the digital twin with its asset management platforms, but Bentley has a significant advantage in maturity and depth of integration between the BIM design model and the operational digital twin. For a BIM coordinator working on projects where the client is a concessionaire or a public body that will operate the asset for decades, this digital twin capability is a value proposition that extends far beyond the design and construction process.
Interoperability: Bentley in mixed environments
A common question when evaluating Bentley is how it integrates with other BIM environments in projects where different stakeholders use different platforms. The answer lies in open formats: IFC for exchanging BIM models, LandXML for road design data, OpenDrive for transportation infrastructure, and other standards that allow Bentley models to be exchanged with Autodesk platforms or other vendors without data degradation.
In projects where the main contractor uses Bentley and subcontractors or consultants use Autodesk or other vendors’ tools, this interoperability through open formats is what enables the coordination workflow to function smoothly. The BIM coordinator defines the exchange formats at the start of the project and establishes the federation procedures, and the Bentley ecosystem supports this workflow without requiring all stakeholders to adopt the same platform.
Where Aufiero Informática comes in
Bentley is distributed by Aufiero Informática, an official distributor with extensive experience in civil engineering, infrastructure, and BIM software for projects of all sizes and complexities.
If your team is evaluating which BIM platform is best suited for the type of infrastructure projects you manage, or if you are in the process of adopting BIM and need advice on how to set up your interdisciplinary coordination workflow, Aufiero can support you from assessment to implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bentley Infrastructure
Does Bentley interoperate with Autodesk and other BIM environments?
Yes. Bentley supports open formats such as IFC, LandXML, and OpenDrive, which allow for the exchange of models with Autodesk platforms and other vendors without data degradation. In projects with multiple stakeholders using different platforms, the coordination workflow is established using open formats.
Is Bentley’s BIM model suitable for operating the asset after construction?
Yes. Through Bentley’s iTwin platform, the project’s BIM model becomes the asset’s digital twin, updatable with sensor data, inspections and maintenance, and available to operations teams throughout the asset’s lifespan.
Does Bentley cover all disciplines of an infrastructure project?
Yes. The Bentley ecosystem includes specialized tools for road design (OpenRoads), bridges (OpenBridge), hydraulic networks (OpenFlows), structural analysis (STAAD.Pro), and general modeling (MicroStation), designed to work together in a federated environment.
Is Bentley specifically for infrastructure or does it also work for buildings?
Bentley specializes in infrastructure and civil works. It has some building capabilities, but its design, workflows, and tool ecosystem are geared toward civil engineering, linear projects, and long-life asset management.
Where can I buy a Bentley?
A través de Aufiero Informática, distribuidor oficial de Bentley en LATAM.
