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The use of BIM for infrastructure projects is on the rise, with 52 percent of horizontal construction companies surveyed reporting that they used the technology on more than half of their projects, according to a SmartMarket report from Dodge Data & Analytics.

That figure is a big jump from the mark two years ago, when only 20 percent of infrastructure companies said they used BIM on a majority of projects. Proponents of the technology say its capabilities go beyond modeling, as it encourages collaboration among project stakeholders and can aid in all steps of the construction process, from planning to maintenance. 

Governments also are playing a role in the proliferation of BIM. The study—which surveyed engineers, contractors and owners in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France—found that 87 percent of respondents saw a positive return on investment from BIM. While the technology is relatively new in Germany and France, those countries still saw positive ROI from BIM.