Understanding dynamic data interaction between civil integrated management technologies: A review of use cases and enabling techniques

Civil integrated management (CIM) has emerged as an advanced paradigm to transform transportation project delivery and asset management from a paper-based to a digital data-based approach. CIM is associated with the use of computerized technologies (e.g. three-dimensional models, geographical information systems, and light detection and ranging) for data collection, organization, and utilization in across project stages from design, construction, to operation and maintenance. This change results in an increasing amount of digital data exchange between relevant tools. CIM is a new concept, and a comprehensive understanding of the data flow among CIM tools is still lacking. This article aims to investigate the data interaction between CIM technologies through an in-depth review of recently published academic articles. A critical review was conducted focusing on identifying use cases of data interaction and existing methods enabling the data communication between CIM technologies. The study found nine pairs of tools that have a strong data relationship. The study also revealed a shortcoming of efficient data extraction and integration techniques to support seamless data workflows. The research is original, being the first examination of the data interaction between CIM technologies. The findings from this research are expected to enhance awareness among researchers and professionals about the value of the data generated by each CIM technology and the state-of-the-art on supporting methods for connecting proprietary tools.