Bentley Software Slashes Design Time for Major Philadelphia Park Project

• Sommana Yan
• 13 May 2026
• Construction Focus
• 698 Views

Engineering firm Pennoni is transforming Philadelphia’s waterfront by building an 11.5-acre elevated park over the I-95 highway, successfully reconnecting the downtown area to the Delaware River.

Faced with complex terrain and the coordination of 21 subconsultants, the team turned to Bentley Systems software to streamline the massive undertaking.

The impact of the software suite was immediate and significant. By using OpenBridge Modeler, engineers automated the calculation of vertical clearances and complex geometries, cutting design hours for bridge landscaping and utility routing by 50%.

The firm also utilized RAM Elements for specialized structural analysis, which accelerated the design of a complex domed breezeway by 300% and completely eliminated manual calculation time for the project’s café and transfer platforms.

Beyond speed, the digital modeling tools improved cost estimate accuracy by 25% and supported the creation of a sustainable, LEED Platinum-targeted space. The finished project will feature Philadelphia’s first mass timber public structure and convert six acres into pervious surfaces with over 56,000 new plants.

In total, the efficiency gained through Bentley’s applications saved the project 45,000 labor hours, proving that advanced digital workflows are essential for modern, sustainable urban engineering.

• Bentley
• Bentley Systems
• OpenBridge
• RAM Elements