2012 Excellence in Infrastructure Awards - Autodesk Excellence in ...

2012 Excellence in Infrastructure
15
Freese and Nichols
Elm Fork Athletic Complex
Dallas, Texas
The City of Dallas is redeveloping a capped municipal landfill to create a new
recreational facility. The 160-acre Elm Fork Athletic Complex features championship-caliber
soccer fields and also includes picnic areas, playgrounds, trails, and
re-established natural vegetation. The city contracted Freese and Nichols to create
the master plan for the complex, which incorporates sustainable design concepts
such as stormwater quality, rainwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, and the
use of recycled material for construction.
Freese and Nichols used AutoCAD ® and
Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® software to create
near-photorealistic renderings of this large,
complicated facility—helping its client visualize
the complex prior to construction and
supporting public outreach efforts. The
firm created a terrain model of most of
the site using AutoCAD software.
The team then used 3ds Max—in
combination with other rendering
and image design tools—to produce
lifelike images of the model from
various vantage points around
the park.
Golder Associates
M1 Managed Motorways
United Kingdom
England’s Highways Agency is implementing a Managed Motorway Program for
sections of very congested roads, including the M1 motorway. The program uses
active traffic management to improve traffic flows—introducing reduced speed
limits and hard shoulder running at busy times. Golder Associates was commissioned
to develop an accurate 3D model and an animated visualization to illustrate
and communicate upgrades to a section of the M1. The proposed plan included the
addition of CCTV poles, emergency pull-outs, and overhead gantries with traffic
flow signs.
Golder used AutoCAD ® , AutoCAD ® Civil
3D ® , and Autodesk ® 3ds Max ® Design to
create the model and a cinematic-quality
animation from the model data, helping the
team more accurately assess and suggest
improvements to the proposed motorway
upgrades. The firm combined survey data
of existing structures, design data for the
proposed overhead gantries and CCTV
poles, and 3D road data to develop the
project model. The team also modeled
approximately 30 existing bridge
structures, as well as nearby buildings
that affected visibility. The model was
also used to predict that the driver’s
sign sight lines were unobstructed
and that each of the CCTV poles had
adequate views of the road.
2012 Excellence in Infrastructure
Infrastructure
16