CC1705

Construction 

Computing 

WWW.CONSTRUCTION-COMPUTING.COM 

MAY/JUNE 2017 

VOL 13 NO 03 

Building with numbers 

Using maths to reduce waste and 

efficiency in construction 

Shaping the future 

3D Repo demonstrates the latest 

trends in visualisation 

Motion control 

Oasys MassMotion gives more 

powers to its agents 

COBie or not COBie? 

Answering the big questions at the 

CAD User Seminar on COBie 

Solibri Model Checker 

Validating 3D models for 

the asset manager 

@CCMagAndAwards

CONTENTS 

MAY/JUNE 

CONTENTS 

KEEP CALM AND COBIE ON 10 

David Chadwick expands on some of the 

issues covered during the CAD User Seminar 

on COBie, held at the London Transport 

Museum in May in association with Vectorworks 

SHAPING THE FUTURE 14 

Instead of leveraging the tools of the past, 

information modelling should be planning for the 

future and taking advantage of the latest trends 

in 3D, virtual reality modelling and the cloud 

BUILDING WITH NUMBERS 20 

Andrew Watts, CEO of international building 

engineers Newtecnic, explains how the 

construction industry is reducing cost, risk and 

waste with maths 

MOTION CONTROL 26 

Version 9.0 of MassMotion from Oasys 

introduces direct support for SketchUp along 

with the Software Development Kit, for advanced 

behaviour scripting 

I NEWS................................................INDUSTRY NEWS....................................................................................................6 

• TRANSFORMING TEMPORARY WORKS DESIGN 

• ALLPLAN OPENS NEW UK OFFICE 

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................SOLIBRI MODEL CHECKER............................................................................16 

• IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO VALIDATE A MODEL BEFORE YOU CREATE YOUR COBIE DATA DROPS 

CASE STUDY...................................SOLID FOUNDATIONS........................................................................................18 

• HIGH QUALITY PRECAST CONCRETE SOLUTIONS FROM TEKLA KEEP O’REILLY CONCRETE AHEAD OF THE GAME 

SOFTWARE REVIEW........................PREDICTING YOUR NEXT STEP........................................................................24 

• PREDICTIVE DESIGN TECHNOLOGY LIES BEHIND ARCHICAD 21'S ENHANCED STAIR AND RAILING DESIGN 

CASE STUDY...................................TUNNEL VISION.................................................................................................28 

• HOLEBASE SI AND AUTOCAD CIVIL 3D HELP ATKINS DESIGN A NEW TUNNEL UNDER THE THAMES 

TRAINING MAP................................AUTODESK TRAINING.........................................................................................32 

• YOUR GUIDE TO AUTODESK TRAINING 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS....................BIM WITH DMFA.................................................................................................34 

• USHA B TRIVEDI EXPLAINS WHY DFMA IS A NATURAL ALLY FOR BIM 

May/Jiune 2017 3

COMMENT 

Editor: 

David Chadwick 

(cad.user@btc.co.uk) 

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Comment 

Capable COBie 

by David Chadwick 

The CAD User seminar on COBie, held 

in May at the London Transport 

Museum in association with 

Vectorworks, has certainly given us plenty of 

food for thought - so much so that, 

alongside an overview of the event itself, I felt 

that some of the issues raised warranted 

further exploration in this issue of the 

magazine. Hence the article on 3D Repo 

and its ability to handle asset management, 

and the use of Solibri to evaluate the validity 

of information being provided by COBie files. 

The 3D virtual models provided by 3D Repo 

are assembled from data objects held in a 

NoSQL database. As an OpenSource 

application this allows geometric and 

associated data to be held independently of 

the dedicated file structures of an SQL 

database, providing a degree of flexibility 

that allows unlimited access to, and use of, 

the cloud based data. Asset management is 

just one example, but pertinent in that it can 

be used as an alternative to COBIe, and the 

article looks at how the asset information is 

shared, modified and kept up to date. 

One of the issues that arose during the 

seminar discussions was the potentially 

huge size of COBie submissions that could 

be supplied to asset managers - thousands 

of tabulated pages on information on a large 

project. Not having the wherewithal 

(software) or ability to verify the accuracy of 

the information supplied, the COBie tables 

are tending to end up being filed as 'for 

reference purposes only'. Solibri was 

suggested as the ideal tool to guarantee the 

accuracy of the information in COBie, and 

we look at how this can be achieved in the 

article on page 16. 

Solibri, of course, is also well engrained in 

Graphisoft's Open BIM collaborative 

approach to architectural design, as 

evidenced in the latest edition of ARCHICAD, 

Version 21. This is facilitated by Graphisoft's 

cloud-based collaboration application 

Teamwork, which allows project members 

worldwide to work concurrently on the same 

building model. Graphisoft are a leading 

proponent of BIM, and as such we also take 

a look at the latest version of ARCHICAD in 

this issue, highlighting the new features and 

the way that they enhance the design 

process, and facilitate collaboration. 

The COBie seminar proved to be a great 

success, with attendees coming from all 

sectors of the industry, from beginners to 

experienced practitioners. Read the article 

on page 10 of this issue for more. 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

I was going to base this comment piece 

around artificial intelligence, and the driving 

demands of the construction industry that 

highlight the growing need for information 

rich environments and Smart Cities. 'Driving 

demands' is pretty apt, as the trend towards 

autonomous public transport relies quite 

heavily on the vehicles 'learning' how to get 

from A to B and being able to integrate 

within a whole city full of autonomous 

vehicles. 

A pointer to the way this can be achieved is 

provided by Oasys and its MassMotion 

application, which gives simulated 

pedestrian agents in a crowded concourse 

the same degree of flexibility to react with 

other agents to achieve their aim of getting 

from A to B, according to their own particular 

requirements and idiosyncrasies. 

I recently discussed the development of AI 

with my undergraduate grandson, and we 

wondered whether Artificial Intelligence was 

just that - artificial. In spite of the immense 

capabilities of AI software, processing 

capabilities and feedback routines to 

enhance cognitive abilities, it currently 

seems unable to transcend beyond the 

capabilities of self-generated and externally 

applied algorithms. In short, at what stage 

does it escape from its origins and become 

'sentient'? More, potentially fascinating 

research is required. 

4 May/June 2017

LINDE AG Engineering 

embraces HP PageWide XL 

Thomas Riedl, 

Reprographic Department Manager at Linde AG 

The installation of a HP PageWide 

XL 8000 Printer plus online folder 

marks the end of a time consuming 

and costly printing process 

at Linde AG Engineering. With HP 

PageWide XL the overall costs for 

printing large format documents 

could be reduced by 40%. 

Prior to installing the HP Page- 

Wide XL 8000 MFP plus online 

folder back in October 2015, the 

company was using three large 

format printers to manage their 

print volume which in peak times 

could reach up to 10.000m² per 

month. One black & white LED 

printer was used for printing pages 

and two additional color printers 

based on waxed toner pearls were 

needed to print an ever increasing 

number of coloured pages. “In the 

past technical drawings used to 

be printed only in black and white 

but lately we have seen a significant 

increase of colour pages,” 

says Thomas Riedl, Reprographic 

Department Manager at the Linde 

Headquarter in Pullach, Germany. 

The value of color 

“Already five years ago we were 

dreaming of a large format printer 

who could produce black and white 

and colour pages in one go. However 

the available solutions back 

then didn’t meet our expectations 

in terms of cost and quality”, remembers 

Mr. Riedl. 

It has been proven that color documents 

are more easily understood 

and the information is retained at 

higher rates versus monochrome 

documents - it can decrease human 

error rates 1) . 

Significant cost savings from 

day one 

The consolidation of the previous 

printers into one HP PageWide XL 

8000 plus online folder has paid off 

rapidly: the internal reprographic 

department could cut their overall 

large format printing costs by 

40%. In addition Linde AG is very 

satisfied that there is no minimum 

purchase commitment anymore. 

“The price per square meter is very 

competitive and we have gained 

a lot of flexibility”. Another positive 

side-effect is the low energy 

consumption compared to LED 

technology. “We are very conscious 

about our environmental impact 

including energy consumption, resources 

and materials,” confirms 

Mr. Riedl. 

Seamless integration with existing 

output management system 

Another argument in favor of the 

HP solution was the seamless integration 

into Linde’s corporate 

output management system called 

Plossys Netdome. The System 

now meets Linde’s requirements 

for enterprise-wide print and distribution 

of documents and information. 

The HP PageWide XL 8000 printer 

offers the fastest large-format 

printing available in color 

and black-and-white with speeds 

up to 30 D/A1-size prints per 

minute, as well as two 775 milliliter 

ink cartridges per color 2) . 

HP PageWide Technology consists 

of more than 200,000 nozzles on a 

stationary print bar and spans the 

width of the page, enabling breakthrough 

printing speeds. Extended 

time between service station cycles 

also enables outstanding sustained 

productivity capacity. 

More information: www.linde.com • www.hp.com/go/pagewidexl 

HP 841 PageWide XL Print head 

1) 

According to “Why Color Matters,” by Jill Morton, 2010. 2) Printing at up to 30 D/A1 pages/minute and up to 1500 D/A1 pages/hour, the HP PageWide XL 8000 Printer is faster than alternatives for large-format printing of 

technical documents, GIS maps, and point-of-sale (POS) posters under $200,000 USD as of March, 2015 including 36-inch wide LED printers (printing up 22 D/A1 pages/minute) and wide-format printers based on Memjet 

technology (printing up to 800 D/A1 pages/hour). Based on internal HP testing of the HP PageWide XL 8000 Printer in line drawing print mode on uncoated bond paper printing in D/A1 landscape.

INDUSTRY news 

TRANSFORMING TEMPORARY WORKS DESIGN 

Swanton Consulting has 

transformed the design of 

temporary works - such as 

façade and basement retention 

- using a software innovation 

that creates instant 3D models 

from laser scanner data. Processing 

of the millions of individual 

3D laser scan measurements, 

known collectively as 

point clouds, used to take 

Swanton up to two weeks. 

However, since introducing 

Pointfuse V2 point cloud processing 

software, Swanton can 

now produce highly accurate 

vector models, suitable for 

immediate use by design engineers, 

in less than a day. 

Swanton Consulting specialises 

in the design of temporary 

works, deep basements, 

façade retentions, retaining 

walls, specialist structural elements 

and contractor delegated 

design elements. Working 

alongside design teams and 

contractors, Swanton is one of 

the leading providers of façade 

retention engineering solutions 

in London. 

"One of the first projects we 

tested Pointfuse on was the 

design of steel structure to support 

the façade of two Grade II 

listed structures in London's 

prestigious Mayfair," commented 

Pearse McMahon, Senior 

Technician at Swanton Consulting. 

"The façade scheme was 

developed and coordinated 

with the permanent works, with 

the layout driven heavily by the 

use of 3D modeling from point 

cloud surveys." 

Data to support the design of 

the façade steel work was collected 

by Swanton's Testing and 

Monitoring division using a 

Leica ScanStation laser scanner. 

Originally, the vast point 

cloud was imported into the 3D 

construction modeling software 

using Tekla Structures, produced 

by Trimble. The 1.5 Gb 

DXF CAD file, comprising more 

the six million cross hair points, 

then took the best part of two 

weeks to process into a usable 

model onto which the steel 

structure framework could be 

positioned. 

Following the acquisition of 

Pointfuse V2 software, the original 

point cloud was 

reprocessed to create a 3D 

model of the façade in the open 

IFC format for onward use in a 

variety of software packages, 

including Trimble's Tekla and 

AutoCAD Revit. However, rather 

than taking two weeks to create 

usable models, the Pointfuse 

output was ready for use by the 

designers in under a day. 

www.pointfuse.com 

SAGE PARTNERS WITH AUTODESK, ETAKEOFF 

Sage has launched a new 

integrated BIM, takeoff, 

and estimating solution 

developed through a collaboration 

with Autodesk and 

eTakeoff. This BIM solution is 

a unique best-of-breed 

approach to automating the 

time-consuming, manual 

process estimators face when 

trying to produce detail cost 

estimates from 3D models 

and 2D digital plans. It also 

paves the way for integration 

with cloud based solutions 

used in field project collaboration, 

on mobile devices and 

in today’s digital plan rooms. 

The amount of estimatingrelated 

information included 

in a model can vary greatly. 

As a result, estimators have 

to refer to 2D drawings to get 

details, such as floor coverings, 

that are often missing 

from the model. 

The new model-based cost 

estimating solution integrates 

eTakeoff software and 

Autodesk Navisworks with 

Sage Estimating. It provides 

an easier way to do detailed 

takeoff simultaneously from 

ALLPLAN OPENS NEW UK OFFICE 

BIM solutions provider 

ALLPLAN has expanded its 

team with the opening of a new 

office in the UK in order support 

its growth in the European market 

and further help influence 

BIM for engineering. The new 

office will cover the UK and 

North European markets, supported 

by a strong, industryexperienced 

team. 

Richard Brotherton, Managing 

Director at ALLPLAN GmbH 

commented: “The new UK 

office is part of ALLPLAN‘s international 

growth strategy. The UK 

and North European markets 

have a strong potential and this 

both 3D models and 2D 

drawings. With this new integration 

estimators can: 

• Drag and drop objects from 

a BIM model onto selected 

estimating assemblies, eliminating 

the time-consuming 

task of transferring quantities 

and measurements. 

• Obtain information missing 

in the BIM model directly 

from 2D drawings, all in the 

same integration tool. 

• Drill down from the estimate 

spreadsheet all the way 

back to the 3D model to 

review the original takeoff 

source and any changes that 

have been introduced. 

"We’re providing a way for 

construction firms to integrate 

these best-in-class 

solutions to effortlessly move 

between 2D and 3D content 

for production-level estimating," 

said Curtis Peltz, CEO 

of eTakeoff. "It’s all part of 

our efforts to provide the 

most innovative and practical 

BIM takeoff and estimating 

solution available today." 

www.sage.com 

opening furthermore demonstrates 

our vision and investment 

to strengthen client acquisition 

and marketing activities.” 

Leading the team is Business 

Development Director, Kevin 

Lea, who said “It is an exciting 

time to join ALLPLAN and to be 

part of its international expansion. 

I am impressed with 

ALLPLAN’s innovative BIM solutions 

and how they improve the 

design process for engineers. 

We have an experienced team 

in place and we are looking forward 

to bringing the benefits of 

Allplan to the UK market”. 

www.allplan.com 

6 

May/June 2017

60 

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YOU SEE 

THE WORLD 

DIFFERENTLY. 

ST 17H 

TRANSFORM IT. 

DESIGN WITH VECTORWORKS 2017. 

VECTORWORKS.NET/EXPLORE2017 

Our intuitive software enhances your design process, 

enabling you to collaborate from inspiration to execution 

and explore the possibilities of BIM and beyond. 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

INDUSTRY news 

EARTH PYRAMID GETS ARUP BACKING 

It's almost six years since 

Leeds-based engineer Mark 

Steele took a call from Steve 

Ward, the pioneering force 

behind a bid to construct a 

giant pyramid dedicated to 

peace and the environment. 

The rest, as they say, is history 

in a very real sense. 

Mark, an engineering specialist 

at the global construction 

consultancy Arup, commented: 

"In late 2011, Steve was seeking 

guidance on how to construct 

the pyramid and he was 

put in touch with me. Since 

then I have been supporting 

Steve on a pro bono basis, providing 

design & construction 

related technical advice to help 

realise his vision." 

The Earth Pyramid Project 

started 8 years ago when 

Steve's young daughter asked 

him ‘what about our future?' 

after watching the Copenhagen 

climate talks break down. "As a 

result," explained Steve. "We 

decided to come up with a project 

that would allow people to 

record their emotions about our 

planet and its direction of travel 

within thousands of time capsules 

incorporated within a 

giant pyramid, the biggest built 

since the time of the Egyptian 

Pharaohs and the largest time 

capsule in the world!" 

Steve has already pulled 

together a core team of people, 

including Mark, with the key 

skills to advise on the different 

aspects of the project and is 

currently working hard to 

secure land and seed funding 

for a Yorkshire-based pyramid, 

which will give him the opportunity 

to make a start on a more 

manageable scale and will no 

doubt provide valuable experience 

for the full scale Pyramid. 

Mark is advising Steve on all 

matters related to the design 

and construction of the Pyramid 

and the infrastructure and facilities 

required to support it. He 

continued, "Because it is unique 

in so many respects, there are 

many challenges which will test 

modern construction. For 

example the materials will need 

to have as low an environmental 

impact as possible and 

remain stable for over 1000 

years. The form of construction 

is essentially a huge 3D jigsaw 

puzzle, which will test our modeling 

skills and we want to test 

theories on the construction of 

the great Pyramids in Egypt." 

Steve summed up the project. 

"There will be four chambers 

within the pyramid dedicated to 

children, digital preservation, 

government and indigenous 

peoples and founders with 

each containing records and 

testimonials from millions of 

people. It's a legacy for future 

generations about our time on 

this planet." 

www.earthpyramid.org 

VIEWPOINT ENTERPRISE CLOUD LAUNCHED 

Viewpoint has launched the 

next evolution of its hosted 

services with Viewpoint Enterprise 

Cloud (VEC). "It's widely 

acknowledged that intelligent 

technology can make the critical 

difference in increasing profitability 

and managing risk in 

the construction industry," says 

senior vice president of product 

management, Matt Harris. "With 

Viewpoint Enterprise Cloud, our 

customers get all the benefits of 

an integrated construction platform 

without the hassle of having 

to host their software solutions, 

freeing them up to focus 

on what matters most to their 

business: managing risk, controlling 

cost and delivering 

exceptional projects," 

VEC provides an integrated 

solution suite that serves their 

needs across all areas of the 

business: 

• Viewpoint OFFICE solutions 

for data-intensive jobs like 

accounting and payroll. 

• Viewpoint TEAM solutions 

offer collaborative project management 

capabilities for functions 

like submittals and RFI's. 

• Viewpoint FIELD solutions 

provide the ability to collect 

data such as field observations, 

time and productivity. 

VEC's construction platform 

ensures users have access to a 

single source of data, while 

maintaining the ability to work in 

the user interface most appropriate 

for the job at hand. 

"It was important to us to 

make sure that customers didn't 

lose any of the flexibility they 

need in their solutions, while at 

the same time simplifying how 

they manage their IT. VEC offers 

higher performance than onpremises 

solutions. We manage 

software updates and data 

back-ups, so users have 

access to the most up-to-date 

technology and data in an 

always on mobile ready platform," 

says product manager, 

Eric Vasbinder. 

3D REPO GETS NAVISWORKS, BCF SUPPORT 

3D Repo has launched a new 

version of its cloud based 

BIM collaboration platform that 

offers additional support for 

some of the leading software 

packages used within the AEC 

sector, such as Autodesk Navisworks. 

The latest release also 

provides enhanced support for 

large 3D models typical of infrastructure 

projects, as well as 

integrated VR functionality for 

applications such as training, 

safety and project consultation. 

"We want to make project 

information as accessible and 

usable as possible, which is 

why we engage with as many 

open source and proprietary 

formats as we can, allowing 

users to share 3D models, 

issues and ultimately knowledge 

with the wider project 

team, in the cloud, but still in the 

context of the original model," 

said Dr Jozef Dobos, CEO of 

3D Repo. 

The latest versions of 3D 

Repo's Open Source, Starter, 

Professional and Enterprise 

packages include advanced 

integration with Autodesk Navisworks 

project review software, 

along with support for the BCF 

file format, allowing 

import/export of collaboration 

and mark up data for issues 

tracking to software such as 

Solibri quality assurance solutions, 

Trimble's Tekla product 

family and Graphisoft's ARCH- 

CAD. For more on 3D Repo 

read our feature on page 14. 

www.3drepo.com 

8 

May/June 2017

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EVENTfocus 

COBie or not COBie? 

David Chadwick looks at some of the issues covered during the CAD User Seminar on COBie, held at 

the London Transport Museum in May in association with Vectorworks 

When the idea of running a 

question and answer session on 

Information Modelling was first 

mooted, my immediate reaction was one 

of very mild panic! Having attended 

many, many conferences as a journalist I 

am acutely aware of the fine balancing 

act involved in making a subject as 

complex as COBie an engaging and 

rewarding one for an audience whose 

knowledge of the subject will naturally 

range from novices genuinely seeking 

answers to a couple of confusing or 

contradictory points, to experts on the 

subject who have highly technical 

questions to put to the panel. It's a skill 

that, in my experience, few conferences 

have mastered. 

Well I’m happy to report that the CAD 

User Seminar on COBie, held in 

association with Vectorworks at the 

London Transport Museum in May, was 

deemed a success by attendees and 

speakers alike. The aim was to highlight 

the importance of the information created 

using 3D building modelling, and where 

and how it should be used. Our 

attendees were able to take advantage of 

the subject being thoroughly aired, with 

its pros and its cons, by experts on all 

sides of BIM. These ranged from creators 

of the Information Model, software 

experts who demonstrated a number of 

alternative methods of presenting that 

information, and even a representative of 

the eventual users of the model - a rare 

beast on BIM panels - along with a 

consultant with years of experience in 

watching both developers and users 

getting to grips with the problem. 

The aim of the seminar was certainly 

achieved - namely to widen the discourse 

surrounding BIM and the way it should 

be delivered. The salient issues 

stemming from both COBie and the use 

of a Federated Model to deliver BIM were 

not wholly resolved, but our informed and 

well-briefed audience were provided with 

sufficient information to make their own 

decisions as to what would best suit their 

particular requirements, or to encourage 

them to research the subject more 

thoroughly. We were, after all, debating a 

subject that will fundamentally change a 

company's working practices going into 

the future. 

GENERATING INFORMATION FROM 

A 3D MODEL 

With a lot of ground to cover, and a range 

of expectations within the audience, we 

worked through a logical sequence of 

presentations, starting with an 

introduction which looked at designing 

buildings in 3D and the way in which this 

automatically generated building 

information, and how it’s used and 

supplemented on even small projects. 

This was given by Jonathan Reeves of 

Jonathan Reeves Architects (JRA) and 

the author of an invaluable guide on 

'Innovative Vectorworks BIM'. This was 

followed by an exploration of COBie, the 

UK Government's BIM Level 2 delivery 

mechanisms and Soft Landings concepts 

by Martyn Horne of Vectorworks. 

Next on the agenda was a presentation 

from Andrew Norrie at 3D Repo, offering 

an alternative method of providing 

building information using the latest 

digital technologies - the federated 

building model. This combined building 

information in a single 3D model and 

used the latest visual and virtual reality 

techniques to display the information, 

provide access to it within the model, and 

maintain it within a cloud-based 

environment as a single source of truth, 

totally up to date and accessible to all. 

With two alternative methods of 

delivering building information to the 

building operators - who are, after all, the 

prime reason for embarking on COBie in 

the first place - we decided that it would 

be salutary to listen to an asset manager 

to find out whether promised deliverables 

were supplied, correct and used. We 

were fortunate therefore to have Andy 

Stanton of Transport for London talk 

about his own experiences and those of 

his team during the extensive works 

being undertaken on London 

Underground and a number of stations - 

comprehensive projects that involved a 

great deal of collaboration between 

10 

May/June 2017

EVENTfocus 

building contractors, civil engineers, 

electrical engineers and all other 

disciplines involved in underground work. 

The final presentation before we started 

the Q and A session was given by 

Stephen Holmes of Cadventure advising 

on the implementation and working 

processes of large-scale BIM projects. 

AN INTRODUCTION TO COBIE 

COBie (Construction Operation Building 

information exchange) is, of course, the 

UK Government's mandated scheme for 

delivering BIM data. As we were 

reminded on a couple of occasions 

throughout the morning by Martyn Horne, 

who presented the overview alongside 

Jonathan Reeves, COBie is not a 

spreadsheet, although it may look like 

one, but a database. It is a convenient 

method of presenting all of the 

information in a 3D model of a building in 

a common data format that can be read 

by anyone - whether they have the 

authoring tool available or not, and is 

accessible to those with no CAD training 

or background. 

To show where that information came 

from Jonathan Reeves took us through a 

number of his projects, explaining his 

philosophy as an architect, and how the 

acquisition of building information is a 

natural asset, rather than a conscious 

burden. "Architects want to use their 

software as a design tool, and not as a 

sketch pad," said Jonathan. "It is easier to 

design roof frame members in 3D than to 

draw them in 2D." Each element or object 

included in a 3D model comes with its 

own IFC tag, whether the object is 

created locally or imported from an 

object library such as BIM Object, which 

would bring with it a wealth of 

manufacturer's object information. 

In design mode, Jonathan explained, 

you aren't particularly concerned about 

the amount of information you have with 

each object because when you wish to 

start sharing your model with others, you 

can go into the Resource Manager in 

Vectorworks at any time and add 

whatever information you wish. 

Even on the smallest projects, Jonathan 

explained, there are advantages to being 

able to access the information you are 

building up in a model. The ability to 

create component schedules and 

organise the design process, for example 

creating a structure with different design 

layers - walls/floors, doors and windows, 

MEP, lighting systems and so on - is 

particularly useful, and while not 

absolutely necessary for smaller projects, 

they provide great practice for when the 

requirement becomes mandatory. 

THE VIEW FROM THE FRONTLINE 

Stephen Holmes of Cadventure was 

given the opportunity to point out a few 

home truths. With 25 year’s experience in 

the industry, covering all aspects of 

project delivery, his first statement set the 

tone for the conference. "The reality of 

BIM depends on who you are talking to. It 

all starts with the client, and they differ so 

widely it is unbelievable," he said. 

Having worked on projects worldwide, 

including three airports, stadiums, 

hospitals and residential projects, Steve 

said that they all have had widely 

different ideas about what information 

there is available and what they need. At 

one end of the scale you have the "Worst 

case clients who don't care about 

information and wouldn't know COBie if it 

bit them." These are typically developers 

who want to sell on the building as soon 

as it is built. And at the other end, he 

said, is the client who asks for everything 

- and who copy and paste it all, so that it 

looks as if their aim is merely to force 

penalty payments! 

The perfect client, though incredibly rare 

(less than 1%), understands the value of 

data, knows what they want, and can 

explain it to you in clear, plain language. 

The challenge in the industry, therefore, is 

educating owner-operators to ask for the 

right information at the right time. 

There are, of course, clients at all levels 

between these extremes, and you can 

help them get data in pretty much 

whatever format they like. But that raises 

the next challenge - Bad Data in equals 

Bad Data out. Stephen explained that 

ensuring consistency comes down to 

how individuals model, and even on the 

same project people can use three or 

four different ways of modelling skirting 

boards, resulting in garbage when you 

try to extract the data in a single format. 

DON'T OVERPROVIDE DATA 

"Don't overprovide data and learn how 

to map data properly," Stephen advised. 

When delivering COBie data drops for 

Level 2 it is important to know exactly 

what needs to be delivered, to know not 

to overprovide as well as underprovide. 

Download just what you need and 

validate it. Do you want liability for all of 

the objects you are putting in a model if 

it is not your ultimate responsibility? 

"Furthermore, is the data clean? if not, 

don't put it in the model." 

Know how to map data, Stephen added, 

so that if there is a problem with the data it 

May/June 2017 11

EVENTfocus 

Stephen Holmes 

is not down to the mapping, but to the 

source data. That way you can go back 

to source, identify it and correct it. 

Mapping is essential because of the 

different ways in which technologies work 

and export data, but you need to sort that 

out up front. Don't forget that the COBie 

dataset has been separated from the live 

model, so ensure that you validate and 

verify wherever possible - and don't sign 

your name against something with a big 

price tag on it. 

Five years ago exporting COBie and IFC 

was a bit of a black art. Now, software 

vendors have set up their software to 

help people deliver COBie - but if you 

start going 'off-piste' or custom design 

then you are left to own devices. 

DATA DELIVERY 

"COBie," Stephen said, "Gives structure to 

data - consistency - as long as everybody 

is working to the same rules. Who actually 

reads it, though?" On one large BIM 

project, he explained, the management 

company defining deliverables etc. asked 

contractors to deliver COBie at concept, 

and thirty companies had no option but to 

send the minimal info available - the 

name of the project and not much more. 

Nobody opened the files received in the 

first six months. 

Furthermore, when you do receive 

completed COBie data, how do you 

check 100,000 lines of data with 50 

columns? Everything has to be filled in, 

but it doesn't tell you if anything is 

missing - and the recipients don't have 

the right expertise to properly validate the 

information they've getting either. 

It is better to check it at source using tools 

like Solibri (see the article on page 16 of 

this issue) where it can be validated 

properly. COBie has its place, Stephen 

said, but needs to be used properly. It's 

also useful to know who doesn't need 

COBie. Design teams for example have no 

advantage having COBie and need to work 

at native file-level. It's only when the project 

starts getting complex that the consistency 

of COBie comes into its own, and it begins 

to serve as originally intended. 

Design collaboration works better if you 

share the model. If the data is exported 

via IFCs it becomes static and can't be 

progressed or built on until the 

parametric elements needed to modify 

the model have been reinserted. That 

raises the pertinent question of whether 

the only reason you are issuing COBie 

data is for the BIM Consultant - patently 

not the right reason. 

Do all projects evolve beyond 

recognition once they have been started? 

It almost appears so from Stephen's 

presentation. He argued against putting 

in too much information - detailed MEP 

equipment, rather than basic 

performance requirements - because, as 

likely as not, the detailed equipment is 

likely to change when it all goes out to 

tender, with the supplier substituted for a 

cheaper one. Data moves, and so does 

accountability. It's better to understand 

the lifecycle of your data and what is 

likely to happen to it. 

Finally, the virtual building. How do we 

plan for that? The software we're using 

now may not be the same as that we'll be 

using in five year's time. COBie data is 

structured, but it will continually have to 

adapt to include things like IoT, the ability 

to feed lifecycle data back into the 

model, the use of Smart Geometry, Big 

Data Analytics and so on, without losing 

sight of the basic requirement: "I've got 

100 air filters to replace, what is the 

optimum path for engineers to take to go 

round and replace them?" You can't do 

that with a flat data structure. 

KEEP CALM AND COBIE ON 

Stephen's talk gave us all quite a lot of 

food for thought. In the next issue of the 

magazine we'll look at the issues raised 

in the seminar from a user's perspective, 

and then focus on the Question and 

Answer session that concluded the 

event. For now we will conclude with this 

wise piece of advice, again from Stephen 

Holmes: "Start by understanding where 

you want to go to as a business and 

understand the client's needs before you 

start pushing from your end." 

www.caduser.com/seminars 

12 

May/June 2017

From design 

to reality 

Louis Vuitton Foundation (France) 

Tekla Structures is intelligent 3D modelling software at the heart of the digital 

construction process. From concept drawing to reality, collaboration between 

people and across technologies becomes more efficient and rewarding. 

Together we are shaping a smarter future for construction. 

www.tekla.com/uk/solutions 

TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

EVENTfocus 

Looking Ahead, not Back 

Instead of leveraging the tools of the past, information modelling should be planning for the future and 

taking advantage of the latest trends in 3D, virtual reality modelling and the cloud 

Iam sure you will be familiar with 

Moore's Law, which states that the 

number of transistors on a chip will 

double every year. That has held since 

the 1970s, and despite a bit of a 

slowdown we are now into nano-sized 

transistors, and in more recent 

developments IBM has announced its 

ability to place 30 billion 5nm transistors 

on a chip the size of a fingernail. But you 

don't need such incredible stats to tell 

you that the pace of change in 

computing is still as blindingly fast, 

because the evidence is, literally, right 

before your eyes. 

Andrew Norrie of 3D Repo highlighted 

this at the recent CAD User seminar on 

COBie, pointing out that the 

development of handheld computing 

devices and high-performance gaming 

devices, supported by ultra-realistic 

videogames, virtual reality software and 

3D visualisations, have conditioned both 

children and adults to become 

completely au fait with new technologies. 

This is even more pronounced in the 

new generation entering the design 

industry who, besides being completely 

proficient in traditional CAD/BIM 

platforms, are now happy to play around 

with advanced computational design 

packages like Grasshopper and 

Dynamo, and are fluent in programming 

languages like Python and JavaScript. 

It makes sense, therefore, as Andrew 

pointed out, to create and manage data 

in a format that we are now familiar with, 

rather than a manufactured format from a 

few short years ago when BIM was first 

mandated. To really harness the power of 

that data, though, 3D Repo realised it 

would be better to treat it as individual 

objects, rather than in the file format that 

we see within COBie. 

Instead of holding the data in the 

model, the elements are broken down 

and stored at object level in a NoSQL 

database, where additional information 

can be attached to support many 

different functions. NoSQL means exactly 

that - an SQL database accumulates 

data in formal rows and columns, rather 

like COBie in fact. 

NoSQL databases avoid rigid table 

structures and can be optimised for large 

read/write operations. This allows easy 

access to associated objects, to track 

semantic relationships and individual 

revisions done in 3D Repo, and to create 

associations with other data or objects. 

3D Repo then recreates the 3D model in 

a web browser, giving access to any data 

associated with each object. 

A CENTRAL BIM HUB 

As 3D Repo is able to take files in 

multiple formats - currently most open 

standards, but also native formats - it is 

able to incorporate objects from all 

disciplines working on a project, break 

them down into small component parts, 

and store them in the NoSQL database. 

Deployed in either public or private 

clouds, or even hosted locally on servers 

then recreated, models can be viewed 

and analysed by all members of a project 

team, providing a single source of truth at 

all stages of the project. Because the 

data is held as individual objects, models 

can be put together in any configuration - 

architectural and structural, MEP, or 

infrastructure, etc. This enables project 

members to share data on the project at 

any stage of its design and construction 

using BCF standard within authoring 

tools. It also acts as a version control 

system, ensuring that data from whatever 

source is always up to date, or, 

alternatively, able to be rolled back to 

previous versions. 3D Repo's pending 3D 

Diff technology also visualises changes 

between any two revisions in real time 

regardless of which modelling package 

they came from. 

VIEWING THE DATA 

Building the model from the data 

objects is then quite straightforward, 

and with it comes all of the tools you 

would expect from a visual navigation 

tool. These include sections, slicing, 

different model views, adding object 

time and cost information to conduct 4D 

and 5D simulations, and the ability to 

add comments, ask questions, raise 

14 

May/June 2017

EVENT focus 

3D Repo - a montage of London’s skyline 

3D Repo - the Navisworks plug-in 

issues and to interact with other project 

members. 

Although there is considerable freedom 

in the way the model is accumulated, 

when members are engaged in project 

review processes, a system of 

administration and authority levels can be 

established for designated roles, 

ensuring only concluded actions can be 

closed by those with the correct authority. 

Issues created can be tracked and 

measured in order to give insight into 

how the project is performing and what 

risks may be ahead. 

ASSET MANAGEMENT 

Storing data in the NoSQL database 

means that multiple models can be 

uploaded and enriched with data from 

other sources such as asset registers or 

ERP systems as required. Storing data in 

this way and optimising the models 

means 3D Repo can federate models on 

a large scale in the web browser for easy 

collaboration, with no need to install 

expensive software packages. 

In the case of asset management, the 

amount of information that can be 

uploaded can be substantial, ranging 

from equipment and maintenance 

manuals, supplier information, and even 

operation videos and training material. 

Whilst not provided as an integrated 

asset management application, any 

company wishing to use the data stored 

in the cloud for such purposes will be 

assisted by 3D Repo to set up the 

required links and processes, using the 

company's App manager. 

MAINTAINING ASSETS IN 3D REPO 

One of the biggest issues discussed at 

the COBie seminar was the need to 

maintain all of the data assets in a large 

3D visualisation model when they come 

from many different sources, and from 

authors with different skills and tools, 

whilst retaining consistency of the 

model. In the largest projects, it is also 

inevitable that a number of people will 

be working concurrently on the same 

part of a 3D scene. 

Faced with this issue Dr Jozef Dobos, 

founder and CEO of 3D Repo, described 

in a whitepaper how the company 

developed a unified and integrated 

framework that supports collaborative 

editing and the distribution of 3D assets, 

and which tracks multiple revisions of 3D 

assets for integration at a later date. As it 

is based around the NoSQL database, it 

also avoids the constraints of a filebased 

system. 

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING 

3D Repo can be used in the performance 

monitoring of structures, either during 

construction or in operation. This can 

involve the installation of cameras on 

building sites to provide sequential 

records of construction, and 

environmental or pressure sensors to 

record any external conditions that affect 

the integrity of comfort in the building. 

This is possible due to the structure of 3D 

Repo, making it a perfect tool to receive 

real time data and act as an integration 

point and visualisation engine for any 

type of IoT device needing a big data 

repository for all project information. 

Once data is stored in the system, it 

becomes accessible to various querying 

opportunities for analysis. The simplest of 

these is an easy to use command line 

utility to query projects and allow for 

model checking and data validation. 

KEEPING IT SIMPLE 

Despite the somewhat complex sounding 

technology behind the 3D Repo solution, 

Andrew Norrie was keen to emphasise 

the simplicity of use. The support of 

formats familiar to the user, made 

accessible through the platform, reduces 

the need to learn new software or 

techniques. The use of common 

browsers to view data makes it 

accessible regardless of discipline or 

location, and the inclusion of version 

control, system administration and 

authority levels allow for management 

and retrospective reporting. 

Finally, the integration with advancing 

technologies such as VR, AR and gaming 

make it instantly engaging and 

accessible while enabling information to 

be shared with a wider audience. 

www.3drepo.org 

May/June 2017 15

SOFTWARE review 

Solibri Model Checker 

It makes a lot of sense to validate a model using Solibri Model Checker before you create your 

COBie data drops. Leaving it to the asset manager to verify the data is an impossible 'ask', says 

David Chadwick 

Solibri Model Checker - Spaces 

An interesting point was raised at 

the CAD User Seminar on COBie 

in May which I felt deserved a 

more thorough response than just being 

mentioned in passing. When asked how 

a recipient of a COBie document could 

verify the accuracy of its content, it was 

casually asserted that the model would, 

of course, already have been checked 

by the Solibri Model Checker. 

With COBie submissions running to 

potentially thousands of pages, it would 

be quite understandable if the average 

asset manager, faced with the 

metaphorical thud as it lands in their intray, 

would quail at the task of actually 

opening the thing and starting to use it 

to plan an asset maintenance schedule. 

How would one even begin to go about 

verifying the accuracy of the volumes of 

tables, links, documents and other 

information contained within? 

Does its impenetrability lead one to 

suggest that its purpose is not to assist 

the asset manager in their role, but 

rather that it is more of an administration 

tool that only comes into its own 

following a dispute on the construction 

site, its value being that of a legally 

binding document of a set of 

deliverables? Before we attempt to 

answer such vexatious and controversial 

questions, we need to take a closer look 

at Solibri and how it lends itself to 

facilitating asset management. 

SOLIBRI 

Solibri was ahead of its time, having 

been around as a model checker 

before most of the software application 

vendors got round to talking about 

BIM. It is totally vendor neutral, working 

with IFCs and any AEC system on the 

market - Revit, Graphisoft, 

Vectorworks, Tekla and so on. It is sold 

as a tool for checking and assuring 

BIM output, rather than input, and it 

supports an Open BIM platform. It is 

big process based, supporting open 

protocols, and works by combining 

numbers of models, coordinating and 

interrogating them. 

THE FOUR ROLES OF SOLIBRI 

Solibri works on four principles. The first 

ensures that everybody is working 

together. IFC models from different 

vendors have minor differences, 

principally because they handle the 

design geometry in small but 

significantly different ways - how walls 

meet floor plans, for instance, and how 

columns are inserted. Solibri's job here 

is to ensure that such minor 

discrepancies are ironed out, validating 

the model import in the process. 

The second role of Solibri is to 

coordinate the models with each other - 

MEP with the structural model and both 

with the architectural. Solibri 

interrogates the model, using tools like 

clash detection, or load management, 

to weed out inconsistencies. 

The third role is where the majority of 

work is done. All of the different 

elements of the model are assigned 

sets of rules and building codes, such 

as minimum heights in rooms. Solibri 

sets up all of the analysis rules that 

enable the building to meet inspection 

standards. 

Solibri is a quality assurance tool, with 

a flexibility that enables rules to be 

defined to cover any construction and 

usage eventuality. Egress analysis, 

anybody? Simple - set up rules that 

govern the maximum occupancy of 

rooms and the rate at which they can all 

leave the room, and then set up a 

network of egress routes and the 

maximum flowthrough. That way a 

designer can satisfy himself that his 

building works under prescribed 

conditions. This is where the information 

required for asset management can be 

checked, and the rules establlshed to 

quantify that information. 

This brings us to Solibri's fourth role - 

information take-off. Simple 

16 

May/June 2017

SOFTWAREreview 

Solibri Model Checker - doors and windows 

Solibri Model Checker - Infroview issues 

interrogation of the data under the rules 

that have been set up provides an 

unlimited amount of report possibilities, 

with every contractor and project 

member being enabled to define 

exactly what is needed to be checked. 

It should therefore be theoretically 

possible to check those parts of the 

model that are critical for asset 

management, knowing that the quality 

of the model geometry and data (once 

issues are addressed) is assured. 

RULESETS 

Solibri does a lot of the work for you, 

and this is where the real value of the 

software lies. On first running Solibri 

each user's role has to be defined - 

admin, architect, owner, etc. Each user 

type also has a number of roles they 

need to perform. The architect, for 

instance, needs to validate the model, 

perform space and object checks and 

inititate construction analysis. 

Additional rulesets can be established 

to refine the roles, perhaps to meet the 

needs of individual countries that differ 

in the standards applicable in each - 

with Solibri used as the 'de facto' 

application in Norway, the USA and 

other countries, each with their own 

particular Solibri rulesets. 

Solibri uses a classification system 

that allows the software to identify 

components in a model. Standard 

classification systems include things 

like doors and windows, and can be 

extended to probe the model further, 

adding finer levels of detail and 

performance characteristics. 

SOLIBRI IN ACTION 

Unless it is integrated within the core 

application (ARCHICAD), all that one 

needs to do to start using Solibri is to 

import those elements of the model 

that need to be checked - not the 

complete model - and to start model 

validation, whereupon it looks at the 

structures, components, spaces and 

data property sets, and draws out the 

deficiencies, producing a list of 

graded results. 

A critical area here is the intersection 

between domains - architectural, 

structural and building services - where 

intersection walls, structural members 

and MEP may need particular attention. 

Critical deficiencies would, for 

example, show a room with no doors, 

whilst deficiencies of a less critical 

nature, but still notable, would take the 

form of, say, a small room with a surfeit 

of doors. The final report colour codes 

problems, which can be visually 

checked against the validation rulesets 

and, if necessary, displayed in the 

model. The information compiled has to 

be communicated back to the design 

team. Solibri does this by allowing the 

checker to paste in comments, 

measurements and text annotations - 

sharing the location, pictures and any 

other pertinent information and sending 

it back to the project members 

responsible for correcting the 

information. 

Reports can be provided in simple 

PDF format or Excel spreadsheets or 

via the growing usage of BCF (BIM 

Collaboration Format), allowing the 

authors and checkers to view exactly 

the same location and issues and 

accompanying notes. This advanced 

BIM workflow allows originators to add 

thier own comments, which are then 

sent back into the Solibri Model 

checker to be marked as resolved. 

COMPLIANCE CHECKING 

Architects typically spend half their 

time compliance checking - either 

local building codes or access/egress 

problems (particularly for disabled 

access) even down to details like stair 

riser heights. Architects can’t check 

every riser in a building, or whethera 

wheelchair user has space to turn 

around in a toilet. Solibri takes all of 

the repetitious, mind-numbing work 

out of the process, as long as rulesets 

and classification systems are 

correctly defined. 

Besides providing complete quality 

control and a validated model, I believe 

that some of Solibri outputs could also 

be geared toward asset management. 

Would that come at the expense of 

adding another huge file of 

information, though? 

www.solibri.com 

May/June 2017 17

CASEstudy 

Solid Foundations 

High quality precast concrete solutions from Tekla keep O’Reilly Concrete ahead of the industry 

O'Reilly Concrete, Ireland's 

leading precast concrete 

manufacturer, moved from 2D 

design to 3D design over ten years ago, 

by incorporating Tekla software from 

Trimble into its business - and has been 

saving an impressive amount of time 

and money ever since. 

With an unrivalled track record in design 

and build construction projects, along with 

its complete range of precast concrete 

solutions, O'Reilly Concrete is one of the 

largest, and leading, precast 

manufacturers in Ireland and the UK. 

Established in the early 1930s, the 

manufacturer provides precast concrete 

solutions to all sectors of the Irish 

construction industry, including education, 

healthcare, industrial and infrastructure. 

Like most manufacturers in the past, 

O’Reilly Concrete produced all of its 

designs and fabrication drawings using 2D 

CAD software. However, with the company 

dedicated to researching new products to 

increase its range, it knew it had to 

upgrade its software. In 2005 the company 

moved to 3D design by adopting Tekla 

Structures in its drawing office to develop 

improved precast solutions, a key 

differentiator for O’Reilly Concrete, with 3D 

design allowing them to deliver projects to 

clients more efficiently. 

WHY CHANGE FROM 2D TO 3D? 

Richard Kowalski, Technical Director at 

O’Reilly Concrete, said: "Prior to 

incorporating Tekla software within the 

business, we employed traditional 2D 

design methods; these were slow and time 

consuming. We used 2D CAD software for 

fabrication drawings with no link between 

GA drawings and individual cast unit 

drawings. Alterations made in the general 

design had to be changed manually on the 

production drawings - and any late 

changes made to a design from the 

architects or engineers resulted in 

mistakes and time delays. 

"After a lot of market research, we 

implemented Tekla Structures as our 

main design package - a very clever 

piece of software, as you can view the 

future development in a 3D model and 

identify and correct all design clashes. It 

also highlights sections where the design 

could be improved - not possible in 2D - 

as well as helping to split a building into 

precast elements, create accurate 

drawings, and to manage transport, the 

erection of the building and all 

associated design processes." 

Richard continued: "At first we only 

purchased two licenses for Tekla 

Structures, as we weren't completely aware 

of what the benefits of using 3D tools were. 

However, after quickly realising the many 

benefits, we purchased four extra licenses. 

Looking back, I wish we had started with 

more licenses to make the transition from 

2D to 3D quicker. 

"When we purchased Tekla Structures, we 

received training on the software, which 

was quite intensive and at the time, we 

thought it was a lot to absorb in a short 

period. Nevertheless, when we started 

using the software we realised how easy 

and self-explanatory it was to use - you 

learn as you go, so in all honesty the 

learning process was quite fast. At first we 

didn't use all of the automated tools that 

Tekla Structures offers, but it was brilliant to 

see exactly how a building was going to be 

built, how our connections featured in the 

design and to show our installers the 

sequence of the erection." 

NEW WAY OF WORKING REDUCES 

THE PROGRAMME TIME 

O’Reilly Concrete baptised the software on 

one of the biggest residential 

developments in Dublin: Adamstown. 

Richard said: "Using the software on this 

project was a completely new way of 

working for our drawing office, but it came 

with a lot of benefits and time-savings. In 

fact, we managed to reduce the 

programme of Adamstown from 20 weeks 

to 16 weeks and reduced design errors by 

80 per cent. These savings were made 

mainly in the design and detailing phase; if 

the 3D model was correct then the 

production drawings generated directly 

from the model, were accurate too. 

"The 3D model also allowed for any late 

changes to be accommodated easily and 

update all of the drawings. With a model 

based process we avoided a lot of drilling 

and coring on site - quite common when 

18 

May/June 2017

CASEstudy 

we were working in 2D." 

When O’Reilly Concrete started using 

Tekla, it already had company specific 

standard connections and details created 

for precast production. The functionality 

within Tekla Structures enabled these to 

be accurately replicated. Richard 

continued: "It is always beneficial to create 

any custom components and macros that 

are used repeatedly as it really helps with 

time savings." 

COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY 

ACROSS PROJECT TEAMS 

In addition to its constructible Building 

Information Modelling software, Trimble 

also offers a free viewing product, Tekla 

BIMsight, which allows everyone on the 

project to look at the building and check 

the designs. O’Reilly Concrete quickly 

recognised the potential of using this 

software as a project and production 

management tool. 

"The 3D model, which all project 

stakeholders can easily view on Tekla 

BIMsight, is a graphical representation of 

the huge database of information, which 

sits behind the model in Tekla Structures," 

says Richard. "With Tekla Structures we can 

easily create visual reports that tells us 

when each particular element was 

designed, manufactured, delivered to site 

and then finally erected. We originally used 

Tekla BIMsight as a production-tracking tool 

and a few years ago we also introduced the 

software into our offices for people who are 

not strictly in design. Now our project, 

quality control and transport managers, as 

well as our fitting crews can all view the 

model before they go to site. 

"It's a very useful piece of software that 

allows everyone on the project to keep 

track of the design and production, using 

colour coding to show the progression of a 

project to the client. Tekla software has 

indeed become a centre point of project 

organisation for our company." 

The software has also acted as a sales 

tool, helping the company to win projects. 

One example is the Waterford project, 

which originally had no precast within the 

building at all. O’Reilly Concrete helped the 

design team to prepare a completely new, 

precast proposal, which led them to 

successfully win the job. 

BENEFICIAL COLLABORATION 

Although O’Reilly Concrete has been using 

3D software to design and manage 

projects for many years, the company 

completed its first BIM project in 2014, 

where information was exchanged using 

3D IFC models. This was when the industry 

was still learning about the new ways of 

digital construction. 

"All design parties were using different 

software, but sent IFC models to the main 

contractor's BIM coordinator, who 

combined the models to check for clashes 

and create reports. We did experience a 

few data exchange problems at the 

beginning, but it was a learning curve for 

everyone involved and in the end, the 

project was a real success." 

On this project, O’Reilly Concrete 

managed to save a lot of time - instead of 

producing hundreds of 2D drawings, the 

IFC model was exported to check against 

other design elements. What's more, 

exchanging information with IFC was a 

huge step forward for coordination 

between M&E, precast and structural 

design and detailing teams. 

Another example is an 11-storey 

residential building in Dublin, which O’Reilly 

Concrete worked on in 2015. For this 

project, it supplied complete structural 

precast frames for the building and worked 

alongside another precast manufacturer 

that was supplying architectural cladding 

panels for the project. Both companies 

used Tekla Structures to design the building 

- particularly beneficial as they could 

coordinate all of the connections between 

the architectural and structural precast, 

plan the erection process and deliver and 

exchange information easily. A combined 

precast model was then sent as an IFC 

model to the engineer and the architect for 

review and approval. 

Richard concludes: "At O’Reilly Concrete, 

we don't only just use Tekla Structures and 

Tekla BIMsight, we also use Tekla Structural 

Designer and Tekla Tedds, and our future 

plan is to integrate Tekla software more into 

our production planning and management 

process. We are currently researching 

suitable ERP packages to create a robust, 

bidirectional link between Tekla software 

and the ERP software to transfer data 

directly from model into production. 

"If you have already invested in a package 

like Tekla Structures, it would be a waste of 

potential and a waste of investment not to 

use it to its full extent. From my point of 

view, the only way is to keep driving 

forward; always be ahead of the game in 

terms of solutions efficiency and 

technology. The technology has not been 

designed to replace people, it has been 

designed to make companies work quicker 

and importantly, more efficiently." 

www.tekla.com/uk/solutions 

May/June 2017 19

TECHNOLOGY focus 

Building with numbers 

Andrew Watts, CEO of international building engineers Newtecnic, explains how the construction 

industry is reducing cost, risk and waste with maths, and looks at how new research and practices 

are delivering construction industry innovation from concept to fabrication and operation 

Because industry players perceive it 

as increasing risk, the construction 

industry is notoriously resistant to 

change through technology adoption. The 

idea of following tried and tested solutions 

is almost universal because 'if it worked 

before it will work again'. 

This attitude has restricted industry 

progress producing waste of up to 50% on 

many projects. And, negative 

environmental impacts, caused by easily 

correctable inefficiencies persist as long as 

the building stands. 

RISKIER BUSINESS? 

Industry players and stakeholders are 

mistaken in the belief that new methods 

and technologies present increased risk. In 

fact, the opposite is true because by using 

technology it is possible to reduce risk 

while creating more imaginatively 

conceived buildings at lower cost that use 

less energy, are more durable, look better 

and are interesting to inhabit. They also 

take less time to make and on completion 

appear effortless. This seemingly 

impossible list of advantages has been 

proven across the world where, in 

partnerships with developers, architects 

and engineers, collaboration over data 

reveals absolute truths about buildings. 

Much of this technology was developed to 

facilitate the highly complex structures of 

Zaha Hadid Architects and others who 

bravely defy convention. Such audacious 

geometry comprising curves and sweeping 

planes cannot be built using traditional 

methods. And by engineering these 

structures, new technology and practices 

have been devised that have revolutionised 

the construction of many buildings. 

In practice, architects and developers use 

their local knowledge to imagine culturally 

appropriate buildings. The universal truth of 

mathematics is then applied to minutely 

examine myriad building details, as a lack 

of understanding of them adds cost and 

complexity at every stage of construction 

and operation. 

JOIST DIVISION 

Traditionally rigid steel joists (RSJs) are 

used to support structures. They often 

dominate the building even though they are 

inevitably concealed behind panels. They 

make their presence felt at the design 

stage because the design must be worked 

around them. This restricts designers to 

using straight lines when curves could 

deliver a better realisation of the original 

intention. In finished buildings joists take up 

space, adding bulk, weight and as their 

name implies, inflexibility. This becomes 

problematic when other elements of the 

structure are more flexible. 

At a technical level the junctions between 

components must be understood to ensure 

predicable building performance. The 

physical properties and capabilities of 

structural components is well documented 

but often building designers overspecify "to 

reduce risk". Technology and methods now 

exist to precisely simulate not just the 

performance of these components 

themselves but also the interfaces between 

them and other components. This spells 

the end of considerable waste of materials, 

resources, and space design options when 

20 

May/June 2017

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TECHNOLOGYfocus 

components are over specified. 

Arcs in curved buildings are inherently 

strong. Their flexibly can, when properly 

understood, bring many advantages to 

structures and the commercial ecosystem 

that produces them. Arcs can be made 

from thin, light material that enhances 

structural integrity and sparks creativity 

from the endless possibilities that their 

profiles offer. That means completely new 

shapes can be developed and their 

behaviours precisely known before they 

have been physically made. The whole 

building can then be optimised to accord 

with any other functional parameters. 

When design is freed from traditional 

industry practices shapes and 

components can be based on the 

interpretation of physics and mathematics. 

And, they can be 'generatively' created. In 

other words, rather than being designed 

by a person geometry is created 

automatically based purely on its function. 

In many cases the shapes have never 

been seen before yet they are perfectly 

suited to purpose. Generative designs are 

often the starting point for human 

designers to adapt these shapes and to 

be inspired to develop new types of façade 

and detailing. 

SAFETY IN NUMBERS 

Many landmark commercial and cultural 

buildings represent the aspirations and 

dreams of developers, architects, 

governments and owners. They want to 

build ideal structures with the confidence 

that projects will deliver in terms of design, 

performance and cost. They also want to 

fully understand risk. It is therefore crucial 

to find explore and solve potential 

problems at the earliest stage. This is 

achieved when newly developed 

algorithms and methods are deployed. 

Based on sound engineering principles 

these examine the physics of components 

and junctions allowing a realistic 

examination of potential problems, their 

resolutions and outcomes. 

One example of this is the analysis of the 

relationship between concrete and steel 

building components. Because these 

behave differently under load and stress, 

and it is often at the junctions of these two 

materials that problems such as leaking or 

fractures arise, mathematical methods 

have been devised to understand the 

real-life consequences of different design 

options. Using algorithms removes guess 

work from the construction of complex 

buildings. These risk reducing solutions 

have a parallel with financial analysis 

models which find the 'gaps' inside data 

to solve problems and create new 

solutions to problems that have not yet 

been fully defined. 

In a building, the forces of compression, 

tension, sheer and buckling must be 

understood and controlled. And it is by 

solving these interrelated energies that 

unexpectedly elegant solutions arise. 

When these aspects of the building are 

explained to architects, developers, clients 

and city partners, creative possibilities 

expand and risks reduce because there 

will be no surprises. Also, because these 

revelations are made available to all 

stakeholders, including building 

component manufactures, they more fully 

understand their role and the levels of risk 

that they are undertaking. This increases 

confidence throughout the supply chain by 

removing the uncertainly that so often 

leads to disputes between stakeholders. It 

also has the positive advantage of 

showing regulators, planners and the 

public exactly how the building will perform 

far in to the future. This is possible by 

simulating, wind load, weather events and 

energy consumption for decades ahead. 

SEEING THE LIGHT 

Around 40% of the world's energy is 

consumed by buildings. It is therefore 

important to understand how to reduce 

consumption. This can be done by 

modeling climate in relation to the building 

and analysing the structure's thermal 

conductivity, weather tightness and airflow. 

Glazing is also a significant factor in 

controlling the inside temperature. By 

taking these considerations into account a 

balance can be achieved that reduces 

energy consumption and makes the 

building a better place to be. 

While it may be thought that more glass 

equals more light, it is possible to reduce 

the amount of glazing without affecting 

interior light levels to create interesting 

illumination, shadow and consequent 

cooling effects as a result. 

In the hot climate construction projects 

that we work on, airflow and cooling are 

key priorities. In many cities, urban 

pollution levels mean that windows cannot 

be opened so the 'standard solution' is 

often to install air-conditioning with all its 

inherent commissioning, maintenance and 

long term operating costs. However, 

buildings can and do successfully operate 

as their own cooling systems by allowing 

filtered air to naturally circulate throughout 

the interior. This possibility stems from 

designing the building and its façade to 

maximize airflow. When algorithms 

automatically generate designs based on 

air-flow the outcomes are genuinely unique 

and often very beautiful as well as being 

literally cool. 

AN APPEALING FUTURE 

It might be imagined that this way of 

conceiving, designing, making and 

operating buildings is exotic and therefore 

more expensive. It has been proven on 

many of our partnerships that the opposite 

is the case. A significant contributing factor 

to cost reduction is that quality assured 

and validated building components can be 

made in factories for onsite assembly. 

It has been said that the worst place to 

make a building is on a building site 

because the human, financial and waste 

costs of this way of working, often in 

hazardous conditions, is high. Quality 

suffers and previously unseen problems 

are revealed during - or worse, after the 

construction phase. Rethinking the 

construction process along industrial lines 

so that as much of the building as 

possible is fabricated under controlled 

conditions is the surest way to guarantee 

a successful outcome. 

The global construction industry is 

growing fast and we are proud to be 

contributing to Britain's export success in 

this sector. Some truly innovative buildings 

have been constructed in recent years and 

cities are clamouring for more. In this time 

of huge opportunity, it the responsibility of 

the construction industry to examine first 

principles and consider how today's 

buildings, developers and owners, may be 

judged a century from now. 

www.newtecnic.com 

22 

May/June 2017

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October 10 – 12, 2017 I Marina Bay Sands 

Join Us in Singapore and Experience the Infrastructure Event of the Year 

Join infrastructure leaders and executives to explore best practices 

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hear keynotes and technology updates, participate in industry 

forums and more. 

See presentations on each Be Inspired nominated project and join us 

at the Awards gala ceremony to see who is recognized among the 

outstanding projects for 2017. Network with your peers and take 

home best practices and innovative ideas in design, engineering, 

construction, and operations. Learn what Bentley and others are 

doing to help the industry in its journey of going digital. 

Conference Highlights: 

• Network with the best and brightest who 

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• Hear industry speakers and learn about 

the benefits of going digital 

• Learn from technology demonstrations 

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the Alliance Partner Pavilion: Bureau Veritas, 

Microsoft, Siemens, and Topcon 

• See first hand the Be Inspired Awards finalists 

projects, and meet the people behind them 

Make plans now to join us at the world-class Sands Expo and Convention Centre 

at Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore’s most iconic buildings. 

To learn more and to register, visit: www.bentley.com/YII2017


Predicting your next step 

Predictive Design Technology lies behind ARCHICAD 21's enhanced stair and railing design 

Graphisoft has chosen to focus on 

patent pending Predictive Design 

Technology in its latest release of 

ARCHICAD, Version 21, highlighting it as a 

part of the new stair and railing tools, which 

are designed to take much of the hard 

work out of the problem. It's along the lines 

of another recent addition to ARCHICAD, 

Predictive Background Processing, which 

tries to work out what you are trying to do 

with your designs, and prepares the next 

processing steps in the background using 

your computer's spare capacity. Here 

though the Predictive Design Technology 

compares what the architect is trying to 

achieve, based on the position of the stairs 

within the model and defined by its polyline 

outline, with thousands of alternative 

design options, using the software's Stair 

Tool algorithms. 

This is all carried out in real time. The 

software throws up a selection of optimal 

designs that may satisfy the architect's 

creative aspirations - and which will, of 

course, conform to local building codes. 

The intention is to give architects as many 

opportunities as possible to exercise their 

creative juices, instead of having to worry 

about design details. Once the stairs have 

been established the design can be 

tweaked using ARCHICAD’s intuitive 

design tools and finished off with other 

structural elements, materials and finishes. 

Adding railings to match the design is 

another complex task that is accomplished 

just as easily with 'one click' using the 

Railing Tool, and coming up with a 

selection of railing types to add to the 

stairs and associated features. 

ARCHICAD's customising capabilities 

can then be brought into play using the 

Railing Pattern Editor to fine-tune the 

patterns and add material finishes to 

posts, panels and other stair features. And, 

much like Stairs, Railings are constrained 

predefined rules and standards. 

In fact the Railing Tool can handle more 

than just railing design, as it can be used 

to do a similar job with trees, lamp posts 

and railings on a site plan, or even roof 

eave and guttering details - anything with a 

linear repetition of elements. 

It's an interesting choice on which to hang 

the latest release, but I am reminded here 

of the complex issues that sometimes 

bedevil stair layout, compared to all other 

elements of a building, having sweated 

over a bespoke piece of stair design 

myself. Working here in my barn 

conversion, I spat on my thumb and 

carved out a hole roughly eight foot by 

eight foot in an old pine floor, and then set 

about fitting in a two-turn staircase with two 

mini-landings - only to discover that the 

outer wall was not true but cut back by 5%. 

I spent a couple of days minutely 

calculating angles, risers, stringers and so 

on before we cut the first piece of oak. 

This exercise would have been shortened 

to minutes, had I used Graphisoft's Stair 

Tool, and I would have probably had half a 

dozen alternative style options at my 

disposal. It would also have rejected an 

earlier design that failed to provide more 

than a 5 foot head height on the final 

two steps. 

ARCHICAD 21 FEATURES 

I wonder if that last statement comes under 

the heading of Collision Detection - now 

one of ARCHICAD's standard features, 

instead of previously being available within 

BIM collaboration tools? Groups of 

elements can be compared through userdefined 

criteria sets - Element Types, 

Classification values, Property values and 

attributes like Layer Names and Building 

materials. Detected collisions can be 

identified, highlighted and even edited 

using ARCHICAD's Mark-up Palette and 

shared using BCF file formats. 

ARCHICAD 21 also includes a new 

flexible way of classifying elements and 

spaces, enabling architects to support 

national standards - Uniclass, Omniclass 

and UniFormat. These classifications, 

together with their properties, can be 

displayed with any output, allowing for 

better distribution of element related BIM 

data. Examples of this are Labels and 

Zone stamps, where they can be used as 

criteria for searching and scheduling, or as 

Fields in Element Schedules, or they can 

be just mapped as IFC data for IFC model 

exchange. This is designed to simplify 

classification and allow it to be coordinated 

centrally using the new Classification 

Manager function. 

24 

May/June 2017


ARCHICAD 21 - The Stair Tool uses the new Predictive 

Design Technology to simplify the creation 

of complex stair designs 

Collision Detection, and its ability to use Hotlinks, is now an integral 

part of ARCHICAD 21 

Speaking of which, you can place 

externally created IFC model Hotlinks 

inside ARCHICAD 21 projects - as many 

as you need - using the Model Filter to 

keep the referenced IFC data, and file 

sizes, within acceptable limits. The Hotlinks 

remain linked to the model through 

subsequent updates and are easily 

updated, streamlining the model 

collaboration process quite considerably. 

COLLLISION DETECTION 

Collision Detection is a prime reason for 

using Hotlinked IFC models. Running 

Collision Detection between MEP elements 

and the Architectural model, for instance, 

can be done by displaying only the load 

bearing elements in the design model, and 

then introducing the Hotlink MEP model in 

the same context. The model view is set to 

Core Only display, ensuring only load 

bearing elements are displayed, and then 

the IFC file provided by the MEP engineers 

is Hotlinked to the model, setting all of the 

appropriate parameters in the Hotlink 

Dialogue box, and the Collision Detection 

analysis is initiated. 

To see the results in 3D, users switch 

back the layers of the 3D model and the 

Hotlink IFC file, to show not only the core 

of the load-bearing structure, but also the 

Hotlinked MEP systems in situ, as well. An 

additional Collision Detection dialogue box 

allows users to set up the defining criteria 

for Collision Detection. This allows multiple 

collision criteria within a group to be set up, 

which can be used as a filter or saved for 

future reference. 

Collision Detection can also be used for 

other purposes, including one which, 

sadly, has become all too relevant in light 

of recent horrific events, namely ensuring 

escape zones within high-rise buildings 

meet relevant standards. Evaluating 

problems with public egress from a 

building is partly based on the fire-resistant 

status of doors. Selecting doors using the 

Property Manager with greater than 60 

minute fire-resistant status can be 

achieved more rapidly using Collision 

Detection to verify that doors in escape 

routes can withstand fire for at least sixty 

minutes - information which is provided in 

classification and properties tabs. 

All doors can be checked in one step 

using Collision Detection, rather than 

going through the building design in 

piecemeal fashion. 

ENHANCEMENTS AND UPGRADES 

We have written before about ARCHICAD’s 

Rhino and Grasshopper connection that 

allows architects to create and manipulate 

a BIM model using Grasshopper's visual 

scripting interface. Users in this 

environment can leverage the Live 

Connection - an associative, bidirectional 

workflow that allows users to build 

complex and versatile workflows and use 

them for multiple design scenarios. 

Cinerender, based on Maxon's Cinema 

4D Release 18 rendering engine, provides 

high quality renders in a BIM context. It 

introduces Light Mapping and secondary 

GI methods for faster and more accurate 

rendering. Reflectance channel 

improvements enable designers to work 

on an unlimited number of layers with new 

Reflection types. Alternatively, architects 

can create special effects using uniform 

Surfaces by rendering their projects using 

a custom, single colour. 

A couple of other rendering tools allow 

designers to randomly vary surface colours 

and shaders across several elements, and 

a new Parallax shader effect inside the 

Bump channel works like Displacement 

but requires less render time. 

CURTAIN WALL UPDATES 

In ARCHICAD, any placed Curtain Wall 

instance is defined by Curtain Wall System 

Settings, but by using the Edit mode and 

its dedicated member-specific tools you 

can access and change the individual 

members of a selected Curtain Wall or add 

new custom members using the input, 

selection and editing methods in the 

ARCHICAD workspace. In Edit mode, 

each member (Scheme, Frame, Panel, 

Accessory, Junction) has its own Settings 

dialog box and its own tool, and you can 

use the edit mode to get deeper access to 

the member, but once you have done, it is 

no longer tied to the Curtain Wall System 

Settings, having become a custom item 

with locally defined parameters. 

Enhancements in the latest release 

enable users to remain in edit mode when 

switching between views, and to create, 

select and edit a number of elements, not 

just in 3D, but also in the floor plan, 

elevation or section modes. 

www.graphisoft.co.uk 

May/June 2017 25


Motion control 

Version 9.0 of MassMotion from Oasys introduces direct support for SketchUp along with the 

Software Development Kit, for advanced behaviour scripting 

Recent tragic events have brought 

home the value of pedestrian 

simulation or crowd analysis 

software. Used principally for assessing 

the behavior of large groups of people in 

population and transport hubs, such as 

train stations and airport terminals, the 

ability to customise the behaviour of 

individual agents (pedestrians) in a 

virtual environment, created as a 3D 

model, enables the software to be used 

to predict the behaviour of crowds at 

arena events subject to terrorist attack, 

fire or other catastrophes. Tools like 

MassMotion from Oasys can be used to 

dictate the optimum positions and sizes 

of exit points to facilitate the quickest of 

exits from any large public venue. 

We have written about it in the past, 

and alluded to its usefulness in planning 

escape routes in buildings for more 

traditional eventualities, but we must not 

overlook the primary purpose of the 

software, which is to analyse pedestrian 

traffic flows during the design phases of 

a building, so that the circulation of large 

numbers of pedestrians during the 

busiest of periods can be 

accommodated efficiently and safely. 

MassMotion has established itself as 

the most advanced pedestrian 

simulation and crowd analysis tool 

available anywhere, and with the latest 

release, Version 9.0, the software will 

only advance its lead. It is now easier 

and faster to build 3D models, and users 

have more control over agent behaviour, 

enabling them to test and validate a 

wider range of scenarios. 

Since its original development in 2003, 

the successful role that MassMotion has 

played in urban infrastructure and 

transport hub projects globally has been 

instrumental in establishing 3D pedestrian 

simulation as a necessary element of 

infrastructure projects of any size. 

NEW FEATURES 

The latest version introduces direct 

support for SketchUp and comes with a 

number of new features, including the 

ability to import assets from all the 

leading 3D and 2D CAD packages which 

can then be combined into a single BIMcompatible 

3D model, with object snap 

for even faster model building. This 

provides 'live' links between different 

levels and areas of complex structures, 

providing a window on the entire and 

continuous pedestrian experience. In a 

3D MassMotion model agents don't just 

disappear from one area and pop up in 

another - you can follow them up the 

stairs and escalators etc. where the 

risks of congestion or obstruction are 

just as high. 

MassMotion's intelligent agents can 

now respond dynamically to both 

personal agendas and user-defined 

external stimuli (triggers). This is 

particularly useful as pedestrian 

simulation is now routinely used in 

virtually every stage of major projects, 

not just for evacuation planning. 

Designers and engineers want to 

investigate a much wider range of 

scenarios and opportunities. 

Version 9.0 also introduces the 

Software Development Kit. The SDK 

tools have been developed in 

conjunction with the global pedestrian 

simulation research community, and 

enable advanced users to define a wider 

range of agent parameters if required, 

making it easier to factor in exceptional 

or unusual events or pedestrian 

behaviour such as for older people, who 

26 

May/June 2017


MassMotion’s scaleable analysis tools combined in a 

multi-format dashboard 

MassMotion calculation of agent traffic times through escalators 

and stairs, highlighting critical areas of congestion 

move more slowly, or children, who don't 

slow down on stairs and who defy the 

normal speed/density ratios. 

MassMotion is regarded as one of the 

most intuitive tools of its kind, but it is 

also the most accurate and certainly the 

fastest, putting intelligent agents in 3D 

models to give insight into how a 

building will perform, a logical extension 

to the design process for any project 

where efficient pedestrian flow is critical. 

It is also the most powerful tool available 

for evacuation planning, and licences 

ideally-tailored for dedicated egress use 

ae available. 

The software quickly reveals the way 

that crowds will move through a building 

as they encounter stairs, doors, ticket 

gates and each other. It highlights points 

of congestion and its 3D visualisations 

reveal opportunities for improvement. 

What's more it does all of this 

remarkably quickly - once the model is 

built, analyses can be run in minutes or 

hours with little or no additional 

programming. Designers and engineers 

have the information they need to move 

forward with a project. Testing alternative 

scenarios becomes easy, economical, 

and risk free. MassMotion saves time, 

money and manpower during planning, 

construction and operational phases of 

a building lifecycle. 

What makes MassMotion special is its 

ability to cater for the idiosyncrasies of 

large groups of people. It has been 

described as offering analyses that are 

as near to real life as is possible, a 

feature that has been developed further 

with V9.0. It does not determine what 

agents do: rather their behaviour is 

based on decades of academic 

research and social modelling. Each 

agent is given an individual agenda, to 

get from A to B, and shows users how 

they behave. 

With MassMotion Version 9.0 users 

now have tools to tailor the built-in 

algorithms and define venue-specific 

external trigger events such as crowd 

density, time of day, running out of 

seating space or even exceptional 

weather or events. Agents in a 

MassMotion model will then respond 

intelligently to these external triggers as 

well as the internal agendas they have 

been given. 

3D MODELLING 

Users can either build complete 3D 

models or use the software's modelling 

tools to import 3D and 2D assets from a 

range of different CAD programmes, 

with improved IFC import and automatic 

geometry mapping to save time and 

effort, combining them to create a 

single, BIM compliant MassMotion 3D 

model. This enhanced support for all the 

leading file interchange formats ensure 

that pedestrian simulation fits 

seamlessly with any project workflow. 

SCALABLE ANALYSIS 

Whilst it is tremendous fun watching the 

massed ranks of agents moving through 

models on their self-determined 

trajectories, there is a large amount of 

information that can be gleaned from the 

analysis tools that MassMotion supplies. 

These are industry leading tools that use 

a high performance database to store 

and retrieve simulation results which use 

a variety of built-in graphing, mapping 

and filtering tools. 

This methodology is highly scalable for 

very large crowds and for simulation 

scenarios that can cover multiple days. It 

enables users to develop custom 

analysis based on spatial, temporal, 

operational, and even the personal 

characteristics of people and their 

environment, their behaviour patterns 

having been transcribed to agents. It is 

also possible to combine multiple result 

sets at the same time and view as a 

single analysis. 

USER INTERFACE 

MassMotion's intuitive user interface 

streamlines the creation of actions, 

process chains, timetables and agent 

development, as well as offering quick 

access to enhanced analysis options. 

Native high quality real-time 3D 

graphics, direct image/video capture 

and straightforward data export give 

users the power and flexibility to create 

building diagrams, animations and 

presentations with ease. 

If you are interested in trying 

MassMotion out for yourself then it's 

worth noting that all Oasys software is 

available as a free 30 day trial. 

www.oasys-software.com 

May/June 2017 27

CASEstudy 

The Silvertown Tunnel under the River Thames in East London 

The Holobase SI extension to Civil 3D quickly combines, 

organises and manages geology data 

Tunnel vision 

Combining geological modelling and BIM for infrastructure, HoleBASE SI and AutoCAD Civil 3D helps 

Atkins design a new tunnel under the River Thames 

Transport for London (TfL) - the 

statutory authority responsible for 

most aspects of Greater London's 

transport system - is planning a new 

road tunnel under the River Thames in 

East London. The proposed Silvertown 

Tunnel between Silvertown and North 

Greenwich will ease the strain on the 

nearby Blackwall Tunnel and other 

existing crossings. Engineering and 

design consultancy Atkins developed 

the project's reference design. 

The principal challenge was running 

the south portal of the tunnel route 

through the site of a demolished 

gasworks. The soil in that area is 

contaminated and there are still 

remnants of the underground 

foundations of the plant. On the south 

and north banks, the proposed tunnel 

location comes close to the pylon 

foundations of the Emirates Air Line 

cable car. Additionally, the north bank 

tunnel portal is in the area of the nowfilled 

western entrance to the Royal 

Victoria Dock and some demolished 

warehouses. Like the gasworks on the 

south bank, there are still underground 

remnants of these features. 

"The tunnel on both sides of the river 

will need to thread through heavily 

industrialised areas of London, with a 

myriad of existing soil types, roads, 

foundations, and other subsurface 

structures, as well as subsurface 

remnants of demolished structures," 

explains Simon Miles, a principal 

geotechnical engineer with Atkins. "To 

reduce the overall project cost and 

risk, we needed ways to better see and 

understand subsurface soil conditions 

in the context of existing built 

conditions, and calculate earthwork 

quantities and areas that will be 

impacted by construction." 

The increased costs of treating 

contaminated materials makes 

accurate volume calculations vital for 

assessing cost implications. 

HOLEBASE SI AND AUTOCAD 

CIVIL 3D 

For many years, Atkins has been using 

AutoCAD Civil 3D from Autodesk for 

civil engineering design and 

documentation, and HoleBASE SI from 

Keynetix for geotechnical knowledge 

management. For its preliminary 

design of the Silvertown Tunnel, the 

firm used the HoleBASE SI Extension 

for AutoCAD Civil 3D to quickly 

visualise geotechnical data in the 

28 

May/June 2017

CASEstudy 

"The HoleBASE SI Extension for Civil 3D streamlined the flow of information from 

our site investigation and testing to drawing production and visualisation. As a 

result, we had more time to refine our design and were more responsive to 

changes from new geotechnical data." 

Jerome Chamfray BIM Manager Atkins 

model-based, multidisciplinary Civil 3D 

environment. 

"With the HoleBASE SI Extension for 

Civil 3D, we could quickly combine, 

organise, and manage geology data, 

and then see that data in the context of 

existing and proposed above and 

below-ground structures," says Jerome 

Chamfray, an Atkins BIM Manager. "This 

helped us visually understand and 

evaluate the design alignment, pinpoint 

potential construction obstructions, and 

determine what new site investigations 

were needed." Moreover, Atkins used 

Civil 3D to automatically generate 

earthworks quantities for project costing 

and risk assessment. 

GEOLOGICAL MODELLING 

Atkins planned its ground investigation 

by importing historical data (from 

previous Atkins projects in the same 

area and British Geological Survey 

data) into HoleBASE SI to determine 

requirements for new borehole data. 

"By reusing this historical data in 

HoleBASE SI, we significantly reduced 

the amount of exploratory holes that 

were required on-site, which translated 

into reduced project time and cost for 

our client," says Miles. After completing 

the on-site ground investigation, the 

data was merged with the historical 

information in HoleBASE SI for 

engineering interpretation and stratum 

identification. 

In parallel, the firm used Civil 3D to 

create an existing conditions model of 

the project area (both above and below 

the surface) based on a variety of data 

sources such as TfL's as-built data for 

the cable car foundations, and 

historical data for the demolished 

gasworks foundations, warehouses, and 

piers and foundations of the old dock 

entrance. Next, Atkins added the 

proposed tunnel alignment and other 

proposed structures relating to the tunnel. 

The firm then used the HoleBASE SI 

Extension for Civil 3D to automatically 

layer the geotechnical data into the 

Civil 3D model. This enabled Atkins 

engineers to visualise the geotechnical 

data in relation to the existing site and 

proposed design. "Having a live link 

between the HoleBASE SI database 

and Civil 3D dramatically improved our 

design process," says Chamfray. 

"Whenever the HoleBASE SI database 

was updated, those changes were 

automatically reflected in the Civil 3D 

model and we didn't have to waste time 

recreating or manually synchronising 

the geotechnical data in Civil 3D, which 

gave us more time to refine and 

improve our design." 

EXCAVATION AND EXTRACTION 

ISSUES 

Atkins also used Civil 3D to extract 

volumes for the different materials that 

will be excavated. "We were able to 

identify areas that will require specific 

treatment on-site during excavations, 

such as the treatment of hazardous 

material for example," says Miles. "This 

gave us a clearer picture as to what 

material could be reused for 

construction and helped us refine our 

cost estimate." 

Production of geological sections and 

other inter-disciplinary checks were 

also facilitated by having all the 

information in a common data 

environment. "The Civil 3D model 

helped us maximise efficiency and 

increase our level of design 

confidence," says Miles. "This 3D 

design environment allowed us to 

visualise the subsurface conditions in a 

new way - giving us a better 

understanding of the site for more 

informed decision making." 

For example, the original design for 

the road as it entered one of the portals 

placed the road's ground slab below the 

local water table level, which would 

have led to a continuous flow of ground 

water into the tunnel. "With the ground 

slab and the geological model in the 

same 3D environment, we could easily 

see and quickly make the necessary 

design changes," says Miles. Atkins 

also used the Civil 3D project model in 

Autodesk Navisworks for client and 

partner design reviews and 

walkthroughs, and in Autodesk 3ds Max 

to create high-end project renderings 

for TfL's public outreach efforts. 

THE RESULT 

"The HoleBASE SI Extension for Civil 

3D streamlined the flow of information 

from our site investigation and testing 

to drawing production and 

visualisation," says Chamfray. "As a 

result, we had more time to refine our 

design and were more responsive to 

changes from new geotechnical data." 

"The use of a fully integrated, 

multidisciplinary Civil 3D model, 

including subsurface geology, has 

been a real eye-opener for the team," 

says Miles. "By visualising ground 

conditions in a design context, we can 

reduce project risk and project costs 

during construction." 

www.autodesk.com/civil3D 

www.keynetix.com/holebase/civil3d 

May/June 2017 29

CASEstudy 

Building bridges 

The opportunity to compare the results of photogrammetry with laser scanning at the London Bridge 

Station redevelopment, using Bentley's ContextCapture, has provided some fascinating results 

of passengers who pass through the 

station every day," commented Andrew 

Wyllie, chief executive of Costain. 

The redevelopment of London Bridge 

Station will meet growing 

transportation needs by increasing 

passenger and rail capacity at the 

station by 40 percent, and upon 

completion in 2018, the reconstructed 

station will connect many regional 

destinations on either side of London 

for the first time. 

As part of its vision to improve the 

safety, reliability, and efficiency 

of railway travel within the city of 

London and throughout the UK, 

Network Rail undertook responsibility 

for the government-sponsored 

Thameslink project, a GBP 6.5 billion 

railway initiative that, upon completion 

in 2018, will transform UK rail travel, 

increasing passenger capacity and 

improving travel time. 

The project was initiated in 2009 with 

an expected completion in January 

2018, when new spacious trains will 

travel through central London at peak 

times every two to three minutes. The 

massive railway improvement scheme 

includes platform lengthening, station 

renovations, new railway infrastructure, 

and additional railway vehicles. It 

involves collaborative efforts among 

UK train companies, architects, 

engineering and design firms, and 

construction organisations - all 

managed by Network Rail. 

At the heart of the Thameslink 

initiative is the redevelopment of 

London Bridge Station, the UK's 

largest and fourth busiest station, 

handling over 56 million passengers 

each year. Plans for the London Bridge 

Station involve reconstructing its 

concourse to unify the station for the 

first time, allowing passengers access 

to all platforms in one place, as well as 

establishing new retail stores and 

station facilities. Upon completion, the 

new street-level concourse will be the 

largest in the country, exceeding the 

size of the pitch at the iconic Wembley 

Stadium. 

To manage the refurbishment, 

Network Rail awarded the GBP 400 

million contract for the redevelopment 

of the 180-year-old station to the 

Costain Group, one of the UK's leading 

provider of engineering solutions The 

contract includes the construction of 

the country's largest concourse, with 

Costain responsible for delivering 

detailed design and reconstruction 

plans. "Our focus is to design and 

deliver a world-class London Bridge 

Station that enhances the capital's 

infrastructure and improves the 

journeys of the hundreds of thousands 

CHALLENGES RECONSTRUCTING 

LONDON BRIDGE STATION 

The sheer scale of reconstructing 

London Bridge Station to include 

fifteen new platforms presented 

numerous demands, ranging from 

reconfiguring the station's tracks and 

the installation of new signaling, to 

demolishing existing platforms and 

removing the existing roof - all while 

keeping the station operational. 

In order to minimise passenger 

impact it was decided that the project 

would be completed in nine phases, 

and to implement its phased 

construction approach, Costain and 

the project team needed to obtain 

reliable data for the nearly 200-yearold 

site. 

Originally constructed between 1836 

and 1839, London Bridge Station 

housed a considerable amount of 

masonry arches that required 

surveying to determine the optimal 

approach for designing and 

constructing the new concourse. To 

obtain this information Costain needed 

cost-efficient survey techniques that 

could generate an accurate 3D 

representation of the aging structures, 

to understand the subsurface for 

reconstruction potential and enable 

stakeholders to make informed 

decisions on a tight deadline. 

30 

May/June 2017

CASEstudy 

Horizontal cut of the rebars showing accurate comparison 

of photogrammetry to terrestrial laser scanning (TLS): blue 

circles represent photogrammetry, and red circles represent 

TLS; maximum deviation is ~6-10 millimeters 

ContextCapture automatically processed images into 

accurate 3D mesh models, documenting existing conditions 

of London Bridge Station and facilitating decision 

making for redevelopment 

PHOTOGRAMMETRY VS. LASER 

SCANNING 

The project provided Costain with an 

opportunity to determine the most 

efficient, cost-effective method for 

surveying and documenting existing 

site conditions of the 180-year-old 

station, and to deliver accurate 3D 

data to accelerate and enhance 

decision making for optimal 

construction planning. 

For years laser scanners have been 

the preferred method of capturing 

digital data to survey and document 

site conditions with precise accuracy. 

Laser scanning provides the ability to 

capture a point cloud so dense that it's 

almost a 3D picture. Points in the scan 

are given 3D coordinates and this 

virtual geo-referenced representation 

can be shared among the design team. 

Costain has invested in this 

technology to successfully deliver 

numerous projects. However, given the 

age of the structures they had to 1) 

ensure they are clearly visible in the 

photos; 2) take pictures from varying 

angles and elevations surrounding the 

area; 3) survey the GCPs (at least three 

are needed to scale and geo-reference 

the model); and 4) process photos and 

GCPs together using ContextCapture to 

produce the final model in a range of 

deliverables. 

The first two steps can be implemented 

by anyone with five minutes training on 

determining the best method to mark 

GCPs and take the photos to ensure 

optimal deliverables. The final step uses 

Bentley's reality modeling software, 

ContextCapture and is completely 

automated, aside from the limited user 

time required for uploading the pictures 

and identifying the GCPs. While the 

overall processing time varies depending 

on the number of photos and GCPs, the 

entire workflow - from taking the photos, 

surveying the GCPs and processing - 

can be completed in under an hour. 

AUTOMATIC 3D RECONSTRUCTION 

Comparing the accuracy of 

photogrammetry to that of laser 

scanning on the project, Richard Bath, a 

graduate surveyor at Costain and user of 

ContextCapture, observed there was a 

difference of a few milimetres for many 

uses on site, such as excavations. And, 

while the accuracy of the final 3D reality 

mesh predominantly relies on the 

comprehensiveness of the photos 

acquired, it is not imperative to invest in 

an expensive camera. The entire 

process, from initial photography 

through to the 3D model is automated; 

and for the London Bridge Station 

reconstruction project, produced 

sufficiently accurate results that 

optimised costs and other project 

deliverables. 

Photogrammetry saved time for data 

collection and eliminated the bottleneck 

associated with sharing a scanner 

among two dozen surveyors. 

Furthermore, using a camera is much 

less expensive than the cost of a laser 

scanner. Photogrammetry and 

ContextCapture provided a safe, reliable 

non-contact survey technique that 

streamlined workflows and improved 

efficiency. Using Bentley software for the 

London Bridge Station reconstruction 

saved time and costs while reducing the 

chance of misinterpretation, enhancing 

reliability and decision making on this 

railway redevelopment initiative that, 

upon completion in 2018, will transform 

travel throughout London and the UK, 

expanding through-station passenger 

capacity to 90 million people annually. 

Concluding, Richard Bath said 

"ContextCapture is providing Bentley 

users like Costain a software 

environment that is progressing the use 

of reality 3D capture on a construction 

site. With just a smartphone, the entire 

workforce has the potential to document 

visually-rich 3D construction progress 

with a minimal amount of training. 

ContextCapture is changing data 

capture onsite." 

www.bentley.com 

May/June 2017 31

YOUR GUIDE TO 

4 

5 

6/10 

9 

7 

8 

1 

2 

12 

14 

15 

17 11/13 

35 

41 

40 

16 

18 

20 

33 

32 

29 

23/42 

21 

25 26 

24/27 

19/30 

22 28 

3 

31 

42 

*location guide 

not 100% accurate 

SCOTLAND 

GLASGOW 6 

CADASSIST 

Contact: 

Gordon McGlathery 

Tel: 0141 354 8993 

Fax: 0141 353 9315 

training@cadassist.co.uk 

www.cadassist.co.uk 

ACDEGHIJKLMNOPQTX 

FIFE 7 

GlenCo Development 

Solutions 

Contact: Jack Meldrum 

Tel: 01592 223300 

Fax: 01592 223301 

jackm@glenco.org 

www.glenco.org 

A C M K 

ABERDEENSHIRE 8 

Symetri 

Contact: Craig Snell 

Tel: 01467 629900 

training@symetri.co.uk 

www.symetri.co.uk 

A B D H I J K M N O P S X 

ABERDEEN 1 

TMS CADcentre 

Contact: Craig Hamilton 

Tel: 01224 224421 

info@thom-micro.com 

www.tmscadcentre.com 

A C E L H O 

LARBERT 9 

TMS CADcentre 

Contact: Craig Hamilton 

Tel: 01324-550760 

info@thom-micro.com 

www.tmscadcentre.com 

A C E L H O 

GLASGOW 10 

Excitech Ltd 

Contact: Alan Skipp 

Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 

info@excitech.co.uk 

www.excitech.co.uk/cut2015 

A B C D E H K L M N Q S X 

IRELAND 

DUBLIN 4 

Paradigm Technology Ltd 

Contact: Des McGrane 

Tel: +353-1-2960155 

Fax: +353-1-2960080 

dmcgrane@paradigm.ie 

www.paradigm.ie 

A C M G K L 

SOUTHWEST 

BRISTOL 2 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




NEWBURY 3 

RWTC Ltd 

Contact: Richard Willis 

Tel: 01488 689005 

Fax: 01635 32718 

richard@rwtc.co.uk 

www.rwtc.co.uk 

A M 

Bristol 12 

Micro Concepts Ltd 

Contact: Peter Hurst 

Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162 

training@microconcepts.co.uk 

www.microconcepts.co.uk 

A B D I J K M N O P S T X 

N.I 

BELFAST 5 

Pentagon Solutions Ltd 

Contact: Tony Dalton – Training 

Services Manager 

Tel: +44 (0) 2890 455 355 

Fax: +44 (0) 2890 456 355 

tony@pentagonsolutions.com 

www.pentagonsolutions.com 

A C D E G K L 

TRAINING COURSES OFFERED KEY: 

AUTOCAD AND LT : 

AUTOCAD P&ID TRAINING: 

AEC/BUILDING SOLUTIONS : 

3D MODELLING & ANIMATION: 

AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE: 

FM DESKTOP: 

GIS/MAPPING : 

REVIT: 

VAULT FUNDAMENTALS 

AUTODESK VAULT FOR INVENTOR USERS 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

G 

H 

I 

J 

VISUALISATION : 

AUTODESK CIVIL : 

INVENTOR SERIES/MECHANICAL : 

NAVISWORKS TRAINING : 

PRODUCT UPDATE COURSES 

INVENTOR PUBLISHER : 

GOOGLE SKETCHUP 

CHARACTER ANIMATION : 

AUTODESK SIMULATION : 

FACTORY DESIGN SUITE : 

AUTOCAD ELECTRICAL : 

K 

L 

M 

N 

O 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

X 

For further information about authorised CAD training or to advertise on these pages please contact: 

Josh Boulton on 01689 616 000 or email: josh.boulton@btc.co.uk

SOUTH/EAST 

GUILDFORD 22 

Blue Graphics Ltd 

Contact: Matt Allen 

Tel: 01483 467 200 

Fax: 01483 467 201 

matta@bluegfx.com 

www.bluegfx.com 

A D R K 

HERTFORDSHIRE 23 

Computer Aided 

Business Systems Ltd 

Contact: Gillian Haynes 

Tel: 01707 258 338 

Fax: 01707 258 339 

training@cabs-cad.com 

A C D E K H 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 42 

Causeway 

Technologies Ltd 

Contact: Sue Farnfield 

Tel: +44 (0)1628 552134 

Sue.Farnfield 

@causeway.com 

www.causeway.com 

A C D E K 

LONDON 24 

CADASSIST 

Contact: 


Tel: +44 (0)208 622 3027 

Fax: +44 (0)208 622 3200 




BERKSHIRE 26 

Cadpoint 

Contact: Clare Keston 

Tel: 01344 751300 

Fax: 01344 779700 

sales@cadpoint.co.uk 

www.cadpoint.co.uk 

A C D E K 

CENTRAL LONDON 27 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




SOUTHHAMPTON 42 

TRAINING 

NORTH LONDON 28 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




OXFORDSHIRE 25 

Man and Machine 

Contact: Robert Kenny 

Tel: 01844 263700 

Fax: 01844 216761 

training@manandmachine.co.uk 

www.manandmachine.co.uk 

A D I J M N O P Q X 

BERKSHIRE 30 

Mass Systems Ltd 

Contact: Luke Bolt 

Tel: 01344 304 000 

Fax: 01344 304 010 

info@mass-plc.com 

www.mass-plc.com 

A E F 

HAMPSHIRE 31 

Universal CAD Ltd 

Contact: Nick Lambden 

Tel: [44] 01256 352700 

Fax: [44] 01256 352927 

sales@universalcad.co.uk 

www.universalcad.co.uk 

A C M E K H 

MILTON KEYNES 21 

MicroCAD - Milton Keynes 

Contact: David Huke 

Tel: 01908 410026 

training@microcad.co.uk 

www.microcad.co.uk 

A B C D E G H I J K L M N O P Q S T X 

High Wycombe 19 


Contact: Kerrie Braybrook 

Tel: +44 (0) 8432 898162 




Cambridge 29 

THE NORTH 

MIDLANDS 

MANCHESTER 11 

CADASSIST 

Contact: 


Tel: 0161 440 8122 

Fax: 0161 439 9635 




MANCHESTER 13 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




NORTH EAST 14 

Symetri 


Tel: 0191 213 5555 




YORKSHIRE 15 

MicroCAD - Bradford 

Contact: Darren I’Anson 

Tel: 01274 532919 




NOTTINGHAM 33 

MicroCAD - Nottingham 

Contact: George Gubas 

Tel: 0115 969 1114 




NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 32 

AIT Spatial Ltd 

Contact: Philip Madeley 

Tel: 01933 303034 

Fax: 01933 303001 

training@aitspatial.co.uk 

www.aitspatial.co.uk 

A C D E F G K L 

BIRMINGHAM 35 

NORTH EAST 16 

MicroCAD - Durham 

Contact: Chris Swinhoe 

Tel: 0191 374 2020 




LANCASHIRE 17 

QUADRA SOLUTIONS 

Contact: Simon Dobson 

Tel: 01254 301 888 

Fax: 01254 301 323 

training@quadrasol.co.uk 

www.quadrasol.co.uk 

A C M K 

YORKSHIRE 18 

Symetri 


Tel: 01924 266262 




SOUTH YORKSHIRE 20 

THE JUICE GROUP LTD 

Contact: Sarah Thorpe 

Tel: 0800 018 1501 

Fax: 0114 275 5888 

training@thejuice.co.uk 

www.thejuicetraining.com 

A C D E K R 

CHESHIRE 41 

Excelat CAD Ltd 

Contact: Vaughn Markey 

Tel: 0161 926 3609 

Fax: 0870 051 1537 

Vaughn.markey@ExcelatCAD.com 

www.ExcelatCAD.com 

B N 

Excitech Ltd 


Tel: 01992 807500 

Fax: 01992 807574 




Head Office 

Riverside House 

Brunel Road 

Southampton 

Hants 

SO40 3WX 



Contact: Emily Howe 

Tel: +44 (0) 1223 716200 




Armada Autodesk 

Training Centre 

Contact: Steven Smith 

Tel: 01527 834783 

Fax: 01527 834785 

training@armadaonline.co.uk 

www.armadaonline.co.uk 

A D E M K H

TECHNOLOGYfocus 

BIM with DFMA 

Usha B Trivedi explains why 

DFMA is a natural ally for BIM, 

helping to change the way 

buildings will be put together in 

the future 

Design for Manufacturing and 

Assembly (DFMA) has already 

become prominent within the 

fabrication industry through optimising 

the design and cost output on the factory 

floor. Lately, however, its application has 

gained a significant momentum in the 

construction industry. This is because 

general contractors have started to 

incorporate prefabrication of construction 

elements, to speed up the construction 

time and minimise construction waste. 

But by combining DFMA with Building 

Information Modeling (BIM), it can add to 

the value of construction projects and 

also bring profitability to EPC firms and 

general contractors, and improve their 

coordination with building product 

manufacturers. 

DEVELOPING EFFICIENT 

STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE 

BIM and DFMA, together, facilitate 

greater onsite efficiency by completing a 

major chunk of construction offsite, 

leaving only the need to assemble the 

various building elements onsite. The 

biggest advantage of combining the two 

work processes, however, is that it 

doesn't compromise at all on quality, nor 

does it impede creative designs with 

limitations of assembly. 

And there is still more to be gained in 

sharing information between BIM and 

DFMA. When all the details pertaining to 

building elements are embedded in 3D 

as-built models, the relevance of hybrid 

structures and all the connections across 

the structure become transparent. It is 

therefore necessary to design and plan 

the construction with BIM to create and 

maintain the relationship between 

building elements and their assets. 

Adopting an offsite construction 

approach with BIM supported by DFMA, 

entails a simple rationalisation of designs 

and an optimisation of profits for 

contractors. Connecting BIM to DFMA 

benefits both manufacturing and 

construction teams because of the much 

lauded discipline inherent in BIM and its 

collaborative work approach, which is 

geared towards prefabrication. 

BIM's comprehensive handling of every 

aspect of 3D information modeling and 

its ability to promote early design 

coordination even facilitates the 

prefabrication of core structural elements. 

The final federated, BIM-ready, as-built 

model can be directly imported to 

fabrication software to generate 

fabrication drawings, which will 

dramatically reduce construction 

timescales. It also reduces the risks of 

design glitches or mismatches between 

BIM models and fabrication drawings of 

building products - the need to verify 

design information against fabrication 

drawings is essentially eliminated. 

Conception to fabrication and 

construction is thereby completed with 

significant reductions in time, risk and of 

course cost. 

TIMES OF NEED FOR BIM AND DFMA 

At a time when the AEC industry is facing 

a skills and labour shortage, taking the 

prefabrication approach is an efficient 

alternative. BIM with DFMA will essentially 

reduce the high level of skill required and 

eliminate resource problems onsite, as 

most onsite construction processes are 

avoided by the building elements being 

'assembled' rather than 'constructed'. 

Investment in BIM will fetch savings in 

the long term. There might be significant 

initial investment involved, but most EPC 

firms have seen positive and quick ROIs 

with BIM workflows. The combined use of 

BIM and DFMA will require fewer people 

on site, leading to minimised risk factors. 

In addition to BIM and DFMA, when 

contractors, architects, and engineers 

work together on tracts in the future they 

will have a plethora of opportunities to 

enhance construction processes and 

improve efficiency. 

A CHANGE OF MINDSET 

The DFMA plan demonstrates how 

design teams can collaborate with 

contractors and building product 

manufacturers to contribute efficiency to 

the construction process. Fundamentally, 

all that is needed for BIM and DFMA's 

collaborative implementation is a shift in 

the way of thinking about construction 

and designs. 

AEC industry professionals and building 

product manufacturers should embrace 

scenarios where building elements are 

assembled instead of constructed. This 

should not only maximise the profitability 

of contractors, but also open new 

avenues for building product 

manufacturers for efficient collaboration. 

About the Author: 

Usha B. Trivedi, is a Technical Writer at 

TrueCADD. She is a qualified engineer 

and contributes in-depth articles for 

building construction and infrastructure 

development. Her contributions are 

primarily focused on coordination 

between engineering design 

professionals, fabricators, and building 

contractors to accelerate designs and 

improve project efficiencies through BIM 

and CAD tools. 

34 

May/June 2017

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© 2016 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks 

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