Digital Infrastructure Design
To address global population growth and associated infrastructural challenges, governments worldwide have introduced digital mandates and initiatives to improve and create infrastructure over the coming years and decades.
Using an intelligent 3D project model, one can rapidly produce conceptual designs for any infrastructure project and evaluate different options in the planning and preliminary design phases. The software has embedded tools that enable a rich contextual setting, allowing one to explore various design options and perform analysis and simulations with vivid visualisations. This will result in an improved delivery of project design objectives and outcomes. Not only will it benefit the project deliverables, but it will mitigate the risks of cost and schedule overruns during construction.
Academic and industry experts have designed the Digital Infrastructure Design competition to evaluate the knowledge and skills of competitors using Autodesk Civil 3D and industry best practices to create, manipulate and analyse data associated with linear infrastructure projects. Across three days of competition, participants will be evaluated on topics like volume analysis, road design, pipe networks and much more.
This competition offers a unique opportunity for participants to enhance their digital infrastructure expertise while demonstrating their capabilities in a highly competitive setting. By tackling real-world challenges, competitors will acquire practical, in-demand skills sought after by leading employers in the field.
Technical Description Document
You can view the Word Skills Ireland Technical Description Document PDF.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team behind the Digital Infrastructure Design competition.
Tommy Coyne
Chief Examiner
Tommy is a full-time lecturer in the Building and Civil Engineering Department at ATU Galway City. Tommy specialises in sustainable construction using integrated civil engineering technologies through the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM). His proficiency in modelling software forms a key part in both initial design and final visualisation stages. Tommy has a strong understanding of the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) Publications design standards and the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB). He teaches linear infrastructure modules to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
In 2015, Tommy received the Academic Achievement Award and the SIAC Award for his studies, and he was honored to deliver the valedictorian speech at the engineering graduation ceremony. Prior to his academic career, Tommy worked as a Senior Project Engineer for RPS, where he contributed to various projects in the transportation, environmental, and water sectors.
Since its inception in 2021, Tommy has also served as the chief examiner for the Digital Infrastructure Design Competition.
David Bourke
Examiner
Since September 2020, David has been a full-time lecturer in Building Information Modeling (BIM) at ATU Galway, following a period of part-time lecturing.
David holds an honours degree in Civil Engineering Management and a Master's in BIM and Digital Leadership, having graduated from LIT, GMIT, and ATU.
With nearly two decades of industry experience as a CAD/BIM technician, David has contributed to various civil, structural, and telecom projects both in Ireland and internationally. During his industry tenure, he was actively involved in numerous CAD standards committees and BIM steering teams.
Since 2023 david has acted as an examiner on the Digital Infrastructure Design competition as part of the WorldSkills Ireland event.
Gerard Nicholson
Examiner
Since joining ATU in 2015, Gerard has been a lecturer and Programme Coordinator in Architectural Technology, bringing extensive industry and academic expertise in Building Information Modelling (BIM), project management, and construction technology.
Gerard holds a BSc (Honours) in Architectural Technology and a Master’s by Research in BIM & Project Management. He is a Certified Passive House Designer (2022) and an Associate member of CIAT (ACIAT) since 2018. He has also completed the BIM IM certification (BRE Academy, 2015) and an Autodesk expert course in Germany.
With a background as a BIM Manager and Design Engineer, Gerard has worked on large-scale infrastructure and building projects, overseeing BIM coordination, workflow development, and the implementation of digital construction standards.
Gerard has delivered lectures on BIM and 3D Modelling at ATU and academic institutions abroad. His expertise spans BIM processes, project management, and information management, with proficiency in a wide range of industry software, including AutoCAD, Revit, Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, Navisworks, and 3D Max Design.
His contributions to education have been recognized with several awards, including:
-
Excellence in Education and Training Award – Building and Architect of the Year Awards (2021)
-
Third Level – Postgraduate, Special Purpose or Distance Learning Award – ICE (2018)
-
Winner of five additional awards and shortlisted for four others
Since 2021 Gerard has acted as an examiner on the Digital Infrastructure Design competition as part of the WorldSkills Ireland event.
Mark Costello
Industry Representative
Mark is Digital Director in RPS (a Tetra Tech Company) Consulting UK & Ireland . He has over thirty years’ experience of large infrastructural projects at all stages. He is an industry leader in Digital Design & Information Management and has given many lectures and seminars in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the USA on BIM processes. Mark is currently managing Digital delivery of major roads, rail, water, pharmaceutical, healthcare and education projects.
Mark is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Building and Civil Engineering at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and a member of the Academic Programme Boards for the Higher Diploma in Engineering in BIM and the Master of Science in BIM/Digital Leadership. He is a Fellow Member of the BRE Academy and is director responsible for achieving BIM Business Systems Certification for RPS from BRE in 2015 and the new ISO 19650 Certification in 2019. Mark is co-author of several academic papers published in peer reviewed international journals, including in a new book published in May 2021 – The Handbook of Research on Driving Transformational Change in the Digital Built Environment. He has recently completed a Masters in Teaching & Learning at ATU.
Mark is an examiner at WorldSkills Ireland for a new Digital Infrastructure Design (DID) Competition - The WorldSkills event/s raise the skills profile of young people, develop global skills standards, undertake shared research, exchange best practices, and promote the value of skills for economic growth and personal success. The Digital Infrastructure Design competition was developed in collaboration with academia (ATU), industry (RPS) and enterprise (Autodesk). This unique competition has been delivered in a national capacity before advancing to an international level with many different countries competing in the coming years. The DID competition concentrates on six modules using Civil 3D: importing data, terrain/surface creation, alignments and profiles, assemblies and corridors, volumes, and printing.
