3D sketch directly from Trimble Connect showing the Flemingsberg tunnel from the south side.
The BIM coordinator lays the foundation for collaboration on complex projects. Digital models and control of data and documentation at early stages make it easier to get it right, creating benefits throughout the project lifecycle.
Oskar Holmqvist Platell, BIM and data coordinator in the Flemingsberg tunnel, talks about how Novapoint, Quadri, Tekla Structures and Trimble Connect are used for modeling, coordination and communication in the Flemingsberg tunnel.
For the past four years, WSP has been working on the design of the Flemingsberg tunnel, part of the Södertörn link. The tunnel is almost four kilometers long, and together with a completely new road will relieve car traffic from Stockholm south.
A large number of actors collaborate in an infrastructure project of this scale. Within WSP alone, designers, architects, data coordinators, landscape architects, actors in construction, rock, plumbing, measurement, geotechnics, water and sewage, fire protection, environment, risk, road and electricity collaborate with each other as well as with the client, the Swedish Transport Administration.
Oskar Holmqvist Platell works as a BIM and data coordinator at WSP. He believes that one of the foundations of successful design is that BIM coordinators set up a clear and easy-to-understand structure from the start.
- Our job is to look at the whole process and make sure that the work is organized in a way that makes it smooth for all parties involved. If the structure is set up correctly, it can solve many problems in the future and facilitate cooperation," he explains.
Cyclical approach
One of Oskar Holmqvist Platell's most important tasks is to manage all BIM, 2D and 3D models and create a coordination model, as well as ensuring that all documents are correct and updated before they are delivered to the Swedish Transport Administration. He describes how the work process takes place in a circle, where models and documents are continuously sent to the Swedish Transport Administration and then on to the project management before being reviewed again by the BIM coordination.
Four software products from Trimble
The Flemingsbergstunneln project uses four Trimble software packages developed for the civil engineering sector. All are BIM-based and focus on open formats and have model-based work processes that help the user to collect, organize and make available the amount of information. The software packages are:
Tekla Structures for BIM modeling of the tunnel and associated buildings.
Novapoint for design in land, road and water.
Quadri for BIM modeling of infrastructure and platform for the initial collaboration in the project.
Trimble Connect, model-based collaboration platform for review and communication between project partners.
Oskar explains that the flow of information can be likened to a three-stage rocket: from modeling in Tekla Structures and Novapoint through Quadri to Trimble Connect. This means, among other things, that designers do not have to export models manually, as Quadri, Novapoint and Tekla Structures are linked. This approach has made management easier even for those who do not have in-depth knowledge of all software.
- The integration between model, tools and platforms means that everyone always has access to the latest information. This differs from earlier, more traditional construction projects, where people usually work more in isolation. Here, it is instead about facilitating close collaboration, where everyone contributes to the whole in real time," says Oskar Holmqvist Platell.
Tekla Structures modeling and parametric design
The tunnel and the other parts classified as structures in the project were modeled in Tekla Structures in combination with Rhino/Grasshopper. Other parts of infrastructural nature such as road and bridge were modeled in Quadri.
Rhino/Grasshopper enables parametric design, which means that you can create and manipulate complex shapes and geometries by adjusting parameters. By linking this with Tekla Structures, parametric models can be transferred to a buildable 3D model in Tekla Structures.
- In multidisciplinary projects like this, where there is a mix of infrastructure and construction/buildings, there are great benefits to coordinating Tekla Structures with Quadri. Quadri can then serve as a common base for the underlying data in the form of terrain models, etc., and you get around the problems that usually arise around units and coordinate systems, Oskar explains.
Advantages of detailed model
Arkadiusz Zalewski is a BIM coordinator at WSP in Poland and has been involved in the project focusing on modeling the 3D model. He sees Tekla Structures' high level of detail as something very positive.
- The buildable 3D model initially helped to visualize the entire tunnel structure and all related structures. During the course of the project, as the model grew and was filled with more information, we could easily identify problematic parts and flaws that we wouldn't be able to see on 2D drawings," Arkadiusz explains.
He says that the Tekla Structures model was also an excellent tool for detecting collisions and other inaccuracies.
- In Tekla Structures, you can turn different layers on and off. This makes it easy to identify both hard junctions between parts and softer ones, such as insufficient space between objects, which was a great advantage. The other advantage of a detailed Tekla Structures model is the quick access to all the quantities we needed - concrete volume, cover area, amount of reinforcement or amount of precast walls. It is much easier and more accurate to get such information directly from the model than to calculate it manually from 2D drawings," says Arkadiusz.
Coordination platform makes work easier
Initially, Quadri was used as a coordination model in the Flemingsberg Tunnel project. The Swedish Transport Administration required an open system at the top of the information structure to enable coordination between different software, which Quadri fully supports.
- The Flemingsberg Tunnel is the biggest project we have done so far with Quadri, which we see as a coordination tool with great advantages. We initially used it as a central platform for the project to create a clear structure for the placement and management of models. In addition, Quadri has unique features for setting drawing rules and displaying the 3D model in a customized way, which is much appreciated, says Oskar.
Software works together
During the course of the work, it was discovered that Trimble Connect could further improve and simplify coordination. The combination of Tekla Structures, Quadri and Trimble Connect proved to be optimal for work and information sharing in the project.
At meetings, they could quickly pinpoint exact locations and points of concern, easily measure things, and be sure they had the latest models from each branch.
- Trimble Connect has become very popular in the project because it is simple and easy to use, even for those who are not used to working with BIM models. It serves as a common space where all stakeholders could access and review the models in real time, helping to avoid conflicts and collisions, Oskar explains, and continues:
- Quadri has a lot of extra tools and is more detailed and technical. The tools are "mirrored" so you can do the same thing in them. We continued to use Quadri to convert models and handle transitions between different file formats. In addition, it was used to visually set up drawing rules, as well as to create bills of quantities and bills of materials," says Oskar.
He is joined by Arkadiusz:
- One point of Quadri is the transparency - as with Tekla Structures, you can look through the model and click on an object to get a clearer view. It also works in Trimble Connect, where two simple button presses make it possible to manage transparency. This makes it easier for designers to review tunnels and other details with ease.
- Another advantage was that, as a BIM/Tekla modeler, I could link only the necessary external models to my Tekla Structures model and make the whole model easier and smoother to work with. This is because I could check the whole situation in Trimble Connect and see which models I really needed to use as a reference for my tasks," concludes Arkadiusz Zalewski.
Quadri combines information with geometry and visualization. Everything you see in the model is fully buildable, and objects with linked information. A true BIM model.
