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BIM

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

The BIM methodology has come to Spain and the civil industry, be it architecture, engineering or construction, to stay. The new times, increasingly technological, drag us inexorably to continuous change. It is time for companies to face the transition from CAD to BIM as they have already done in the industrial sector.

But what is the BIM methodology?

Let’s start by explaining that BIM is an acronym for Building Information Modeling. The BIM methodology is a way of working collaboratively between all the agents involved in a project, integrating the design, construction and maintenance processes. The creation and management of the information is done through 3D models with graphic and non-graphic information according to the project phase.

This methodology makes all the information for the project in a single environment and makes it easier for everyone to access the information they need when they need it. The information is stored in a Common Data Environment CDE which structure and hierarchy is previously established. Different roles and permissions are assigned, allowing control and monitoring of the project’s evolution.

Three-dimensional models are created with graphical and non-graphical information. The lod level of detail and the loi level of information have different degrees depending on the project phase. The level of development LOD of the model is the combination of the lod and the loi. An example of a model would be a pole for the support of a catenary in a railway electrification project. The graphic information of the model would be the geometry of the post. The non-graphic information of the model would be data such as, the designation, the kilometric point, type of material or the maximum load capacity.

Model sharing makes it easy to identify interferences or construction problems at an early stage, which saves costs, time and makes design and construction more effective.

The BIM methodology extends beyond the design phase and goes into the construction phase, 4D Planning, 5D Costs, 6D Sustainability and 7D Follow-up / Maintenance.

The services we offer in the field of BIM methodology are:

LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is an optical remote-sensing technique which take samples of the surface of the earth, obtaining accurate x,y,z dimensions. All data collected from LiDAR compounds the Point Clouds. Point Clouds are vectors based structure – each point has its XYZ coordinates and attributes called components which represent time, flight line, intensity, colour, etc. Point cloud data can be managed, visualized, analysed and shared using different CAD software.

SDEA_Engineering Solutions team works merging point clouds with design models to create a 3D model which enable efficient design review, effective team collaboration and meets BIM criteria included in BS 1192.This integrated model allows the creation of 4D schedules showing each construction phase, supports project review, signal sighting, enables clash detection and is even used in trainings for new drivers. 4D technology directly links the 3D model and the construction plan and allows planners to schedule and coordinate the tasks which can be visualized as a “virtual construction model”.

The main mission of an OLE designer is to ensure compatibility and correct performance of these two main parts to achieve project requirements. OLE design implies to cover very long distances of railway where power needs to be supplied to the vehicle. A designer must be able not to just provide solutions for open routes, but for specific points of the infrastructure that need high accuracy and detail to comply with all safety and design standards.

We produce OLE Layouts plans with all the require design information as position of OLE structures, wire run heights and staggers and position of other lineside equipment. We develop Cross-sections of each structure showing all the relevant information for its construction including Bill of Materials.

Our team has works with several basic design ranges, NR Series 1, NR Series 2, NR GEFF, OLEMI and others including conductor beam and tram wire. These systems span between 25kV AC supply to 750V DC and maximum operating speeds of 225km/h.

Designs are developed from onsite survey data as for example Point Cloud technology which provides a virtual accurate perspective of the site. Please refer to our BIM modelling section to find out more about this technology.