This high-capacity canal project involves constructing a 107-kilometer-long and 54-meter-wide waterway designed to accommodate exceptional convoys and allow passage through 64 municipalities in the Hauts-de-France region. Upon completion, it will enable the annual transport of 17 million tons of goods, reducing road traffic, expected to save more than 50 million tons of carbon emissions over 40 years. EGIS is the principal contractor and faced technical and coordination challenges delivering the project.

Leveraging Bentley ProjectWise and modeling applications, EGIS established a common data environment and 3D BIM model to manage 1.2 terabytes of data across 370 users. The collaborative BIM model serves as a single reference for the multidiscipline team, enabling them to visualize the project in real time, streamlining workflows, avoiding rework, and improving decision-making. Working in a connected digital platform reduced model generation time by more than 60% and increased overall productivity by more than 40%. The model provides an as-built record of the canal for long term asset management.