Megaprojects are large, complex, and high-investment projects that are transforming the modern infrastructure. It can be a transcontinental transport corridor, a billion-dollar airport development, a national telecommunications grid, or an energy infrastructure project, and all of them require thousands of stakeholders, millions of documents, interdisciplinary processes, and multistage compliance requirements. Such project coordination on a digital basis has never been this well coordinated and has to be supported by engineering prowess to ensure completion in due time and within budget.

This is why Bentley ProjectWise is one of the most advanced project delivery and collaboration platforms in the world. ProjectWise is a special-purpose tool designed by construction owners, engineering and construction (AEC), and infrastructure firms to manage data, standardize workflow, provide governance, and deliver digital services on a scale.

This paper provides an in-depth look at the ProjectWise features, their use in supporting megaprojects, team collaboration, information governance, and making a digital ecosystem a reality.

Understanding Megaprojects: Why Digital Delivery Matters

These megaprojects are also characterized by huge scope, huge budgets, protracted durations, and high visibility. Most of them usually cover more than one area and involve smooth collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors, governing agencies, and service providers.

Key Challenges of Megaprojects:

• Information fragmentation across teams, offices, and systems
• Lack of version control, leading to errors and rework
• Compliance requirements across multiple stakeholders
• Tight deadlines and high cost of delays
• Need for collaborative design across BIM, CAD, GIS, and project management tools

Traditional document repositories or file-sharing systems cannot handle the complexity and scale of these projects. Megaprojects produce terabytes of information, models, drawings, specifications, schedules, RFIs, submittals, asset information, and so forth.

It is due to this reason that digital engineering and integrated project delivery platforms such as Bentley ProjectWise themselves have become critical infrastructure.

What is Bentley ProjectWise? A Platform Designed for Scale

ProjectWise is a common data environment (CDE) and project collaboration platform, deployed on large infrastructure projects worldwide. It incorporates design alignment, project management, information governance, access to secure data, and workflow automation in one platform.

It is built to support:

• Multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Distributed organizations
• Large-scale design and construction cycles
• Strict compliance and audit requirements
• Digital twins, asset information, and lifecycle data

ProjectWise is not only a file management tool. It provides an integrated ecosystem with connectivity, collaboration, compliance, and control throughout the whole life of the project or concept to digital twin handover.

Key Features of Bentley ProjectWise That Transform Megaproject Delivery

Let’s explore the features that make ProjectWise an essential tool for megaproject management.

Common Data Environment (CDE)

ProjectWise has a strong CDE at its core. It stores all project information at one location so that the whole team utilizes a single source of truth.

Megaprojects are victims of duplication of data and old files. CDE will avoid mistakes and redundancy since it upholds uniform, verified, and readily available project data.

Advanced Document and Model Management

ProjectWise provides intelligent file management for:

• CAD files (MicroStation, Revit, AutoCAD)
• BIM models
• 2D/3D engineering documents
• PDFs, specs, and construction documents

It manages intricate dependencies, references, links, and federated models to make sure the relationships between files are not lost between distributed teams.

This is essential when there are large BIM workflows and the file can be interlinked across several disciplines.

Workflow Automation and Approvals

Megaprojects must have clearly spelled out workflows in work reviews, approvals, submissions, and audits. These processes are automated by ProjectWise.

Automation includes:

• Review and approval workflows
• RFI and submittal processes
• Issue tracking and model validation
• Transmittals and controlled document exchanges

Automated workflows eliminate bottlenecks, reduce manual errors, and maintain accountability.

Version Control and Change Management

For projects with thousands of revisions, version control is non-negotiable. ProjectWise offers:

• Automatic versioning
• Change history tracking
• Audit logs
• Access restrictions for sensitive information

Teams can always trace who changed what, when, and why—preventing disputes and reducing rework.

Integration with Engineering Applications

One of ProjectWise’s strongest advantages is its seamless integration with Bentley’s engineering suite and third-party AEC tools.

Supported applications include:

• MicroStation
• OpenRoads/OpenRail
• OpenBuildings
• AutoCAD
• Revit
• Civil 3D
• ArcGIS integrations

This ensures smooth interoperability across all disciplines and data types.

Cloud and Hybrid Deployment

Megaprojects involve global teams working from multiple offices. ProjectWise supports:

• On-premise deployments
• Cloud deployments
• Hybrid environments

This flexibility ensures secure data access regardless of team size or location.

Security and Information Governance

Compliance is essential in government and infrastructure projects. ProjectWise offers:

• Granular access controls
• Industry-standard encryption
• Authentication and identity management
• Audit trails and reporting

This protects project data and ensures compliance with ISO standards such as ISO 19650.

Digital Twin and Lifecycle Support

A major advantage of the ProjectWise ecosystem is its integration with Bentley iTwin.

This enables:

• Model-based collaboration
• Real-time issue tracking
• Handover-ready asset information
• Digital twin preparation throughout design and construction

Instead of scrambling for asset data at project closeout, ProjectWise allows teams to build digital twin content from day one.

How Megaproject Teams Use ProjectWise in Real-World Scenarios

Massive Transportation Projects

Highways, rail networks, metro systems, and airports require multidisciplinary coordination. ProjectWise enables:

• Federated model management
• Civil design collaboration
• GIS and BIM integration
• Construction document control

It ensures that designers, contractors, and authorities always have the latest approved information.

Energy and Utilities Infrastructure

Power plants, dams, pipelines, and transmission networks rely heavily on accurate asset information. ProjectWise supports:

• Secure data sharing across partners
• Long-term asset information storage
• Engineering change control

This helps utility companies reduce downtime and improve safety.

Government and Public Works Projects

Public-sector megaprojects must comply with strict governance and transparency requirements. ProjectWise:

• Provides full auditability
• Manages transmittals and approvals
• Ensures standardized documentation

This reduces legal risk and improves public accountability.

Private Sector Megaprojects

Large industrial facilities, manufacturing campuses, and R&D centers use ProjectWise for:

• Cross-disciplinary coordination
• On-site/off-site collaboration
• Managing contractor data

ProjectWise ensures consistency from master planning to execution.

The Benefits of Using ProjectWise for Megaproject Management

Reduced Rework and Errors

One of the largest causes of delays is fragmented data. There is only one source of truth, and therefore, there is reduced rework.

Faster Project Delivery

Speedy decision-making is achieved through automated workflows, real-time collaboration, and better access to information.

Better Coordination Across Disciplines

This is a smooth environment between architects, engineers, GIS technicians, contractors, and project managers.

Enhanced Compliance and Governance

Audit-ready systems reduce risks, disputes, and regulatory delays.

Scalable for Any Team Size

Whether the project has 200 people or 20,000, ProjectWise scales effortlessly.

Seamless Digital Twin Handover

The owners of the project are presented with the full-scale digital twin package of the asset management systems.

Best Practices for Implementing ProjectWise on a Megaproject

Megaprojects can easily get out of control when organized incorrectly, given their thousands of documents, the numerous design disciplines, and the teams spread out across the world. This is because best practices are set up at the initial stage, which is to guarantee that there are no hitches concerning collaboration, uniform working processes, and data integrity in the project lifecycle.

Standardize Folder Structures Early

There must be a proper and steady folder sequence within a megaproject. Ensuring an ordered directory at the very beginning of an activity, teams saves confusion, duplication, and wastage of time in the process of locating a document. An organized system preconditions effective cooperation.

Define Workflows Before Project Kickoff

A system needs to be established in advance of the commencement of work with regard to approval processes, review cycles, transmittals, and routes of submission. Early Workflow Designation or configuration will make sure that each document in a system has a predictable flow that enhances accountability and expedites decision-making, as well as minimizes costly rework.

Train All Stakeholders

ProjectWise has strengths, which can only be successful when teams are aware of its use. Even the internal teams should be properly trained as well as the engineers, contractors, consultants, etc., to ensure uniform usage and minimize helping them with their day-to-day problems. Adequate onboarding increases confidence and adoption by users.

Maintain Regular Audits

Frequent audits are useful to confirm that documents are properly stored, the access rights are current, and the working processes are observed. Checks allow unauthorized access to be prevented, maintain compliance with project standards, and keep the system clean as the project moves forward.

Integrate with Design Tools Immediately

It is important to connect ProjectWise to design software (MicroStation, OpenRoads, Revit, and Civil 3D) early on to facilitate the flow of files and coordinate the sharing of models. This interconnection enhances collaboration at the level of the discipline and decelerates compatibility problems at the time of peak design.

Conclusion

The needs of today’s megaprojects in New York far exceed what traditional project management tools can deliver, as the massive scale, high complexity, distributed workforce, and overwhelming data involved in local infrastructure development demand a stronger digital delivery solution. ProjectWise enables teams to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively by supporting advanced design workflows, automation, governance, and digital twin readiness, while also reducing risk, limiting errors, improving compliance, and connecting every stage of a megaproject with accuracy and transparency. As New York continues to expand its infrastructure, ProjectWise has become an essential tool for achieving digital excellence, and organizations looking for expert guidance, workflow optimization, or implementation support can rely on STRAND Consulting, located at 490 Wheeler Rd, Suite 108, Hauppauge, NY 11788, USA, reachable at (631) 805-3179, with more details available at and its location.