LAS VEGAS - Autodesk, Inc. unveiled the next generation of infrastructure design and construction technology. Autodesk Project Mercury encompasses a range of desktop, cloud and mobile technology that will accelerate the adoption of BIM for infrastructure and help civil engineers, designers and other infrastructure professionals more efficiently design, build and manage projects.

"Funding, designing, building, renovating and managing our planet’s infrastructure is becoming an increasingly complex challenge, requiring a new approach to infrastructure design and construction," said Amar Hanspal, Autodesk senior vice president for information modeling products. "Project Mercury is powered by industry-leading mobile and cloud-based technology for design and engineering. It is a significant generational step forward compared to legacy competitive solutions, and with its ability to manage large datasets and aggregate a broad range of formats, it will open the entire process to a broader set of stakeholders."

At Autodesk University, Autodesk previewed a beta version of a cloud-based road optimization service for Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler software. The new road optimization service, the first in a series of cloud-based services the company plans to deliver as part of Project Mercury, will help civil engineers and designers create more cost-effective and efficient road and highway designs by optimizing and automating engineering calculations and designs, helping to speed project delivery and reducing costs. The road optimization service and other Project Mercury solutions will be available in 2013, and will include new technology and Autodesk’s existing infrastructure solutions including the Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite.