Integrating Solibri QA/QC Issues with Common Data Environments for Infrastructure Projects
- Loyiso Toyi BSc Eng (Civl)
- Oct 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 19
In today’s data-driven project environments, design quality assurance is no longer about simply detecting errors — it’s about transforming insight into action across the full digital ecosystem. As BIM for infrastructure matures, the connection between Solibri’s advanced model checking capabilities and Common Data Environment (CDE) issue management environment is redefining how project teams manage quality, compliance, and accountability.
This article explores how infrastructure teams can export, manage, and synchronize QA/QC issues identified in Solibri directly into CDE, ensuring a unified and traceable feedback loop from design validation to resolution.
Why This Integration Matters
Infrastructure models — roads, bridges, rail, tunnels, and utilities — require complex rule-based validation to ensure compliance with geometric, regulatory, and performance standards. Solibri’s rule-based checking excels at identifying:
Inconsistent slope gradients
Clearance violations
Missing property data
Drainage misalignments
Object misclassifications
However, while Solibri provides powerful analytical insight, project teams often face a disconnection between model checking results and the issue tracking systems used during delivery. This gap can cause delays, duplicated work, or lost accountability.
By connecting Solibri with the Common Data Environment (CDE), all detected issues become actionable tasks — tracked, assigned, and resolved within the same Common Data Environment (CDE) that hosts the design models.
The Workflow: From Solibri to CDE
Run Infrastructure QA/QC in Solibri
The process begins in Solibri with discipline-specific rule sets, such as:
Slope Gradient Checks (using the Distance & Angle Measurement rule)
Pavement Layer Thickness Validation
Pipe Gradient Consistency Checks
Clearance Envelope Compliance
Classification and Property Validation
Each failed check generates an Issue within Solibri’s Issue Manager, complete with location, description, severity, viewpoint, and rule reference.
Export Solibri Issues via BCF
Once the review is complete:
Export issues using the BIM Collaboration Format (BCF 2.1 or 3.0).
Each issue is packaged with viewpoint images, component GUIDs, and comments.
This ensures that geometric and contextual data remain attached to each finding.
Import Issues into Common Data Environment (CDE)
Connect Solibri directly to CDE through BCF Connectors, enabling automated synchronization of QA/QC results without intermediate software.
Manage and Resolve in CDE
Once imported, Solibri’s QA/QC findings appear in the Issues module within CDE.
Here, teams can:
Assign issues to specific designers or disciplines.
Add comments, markups, or attachments.
Track issue progress and closure.
Visualize issue trends across project phases.
Because every issue is tied to an IFC component GUID, updates remain traceable even after model revisions.
Visualizing QA/QC Insights
By connecting CDE Issues to Power BI, BIM managers can visualize quality performance across the project lifecycle:
Issue distribution by discipline or type
Open vs. resolved issues over time
Recurrent non-compliance trends
Performance of subcontractors or design teams
This transforms raw QA findings into strategic intelligence for continuous improvement.
Governance Through Property Set Standards
To enable Solibri’s intelligent checking, model authors must embed correct Property Sets (Psets).
Standardized data ensures that rules — such as slope limits, layer thickness, or clearance parameters — can be automatically validated by Solibri.
Typical property sets include:
Pset_AlignmentCommon (Slope, Gradient, Chainage)
Pset_PavementLayerCommon (Thickness, Material, DesignSlope)
Pset_PipeSegmentCommon (Diameter, PipeSlope)
Pset_ClearanceCommon (MinClearance, ClearanceHeight)
These properties are mapped to Model objects and exported with the IFC 4.3 model, guaranteeing data consistency across all downstream QA/QC processes.
Benefits of Integrating Solibri and CDE
Benefit | Impact on Projects |
Centralized Quality Tracking | All model check results are visible within the same CDE used by designers and contractors. |
Improved Accountability | Each issue has a responsible party, due date, and audit trail. |
Data Consistency | Shared property definitions ensure accurate rule validation. |
Reduced Rework | Early detection and structured issue management minimize field changes. |
Analytics and Reporting | Integrate with Power BI for high-level performance dashboards. |
The Future of Infrastructure QA/QC
The integration of Solibri and CDE signals a shift from file-based coordination to data-driven collaboration.
In this connected ecosystem, model validation is no longer a siloed exercise — it’s an embedded process where every stakeholder sees, understands, and resolves issues within one unified platform.
For BIM managers, this means moving beyond static reports toward live, governed QA/QC workflows that reinforce both compliance and constructability from concept to as-built handover.
Conclusion
The most powerful aspect of this workflow lies in its simplicity:
Solibri identifies and classifies the issue.
BCF carries the intelligence.
Common Data Environment (CDE) enables action and resolution.
Together, they form a closed feedback loop where model quality, responsibility, and accountability coexist seamlessly — ensuring infrastructure projects are not only designed correctly, but built right the first time.
📥 Next Step: Get Our Free Solibri Infrastructure QA/QC Rule Set Checklist
We’ve created a downloadable checklist that ensures your infrastructure BIM models are clash-free, compliant, and information-rich for design, construction, and asset management.
Use it to standardize your workflows and accelerate onboarding of new team members.
🎁 Free Download — Get your copy below:
Comments