In the previous article we discussed the importance of infrastructure towards any country’s growth and development as well its significant contribution towards a country’s employment. Furthermore, UK’s investment in infrastructure was discussed with the focus on HS2 railway project and how BIM Services for railways could be essential for its construction and management. In part two, we will looking at two other projects that are being planned as a part of the UK government’s initiative to change the nation with infrastructure.
Connecting South West: A303 Stonehenge (Amesbury to Berwick Down)
The plan has been proposed to create a A303 (road and tunnel) past Stonehenge between Amesbury and Berwick which will be done by creating a new dual carriageway with a tunnel. The case for the construction of a tunnel stems from the fact that typically this road faces a lot of traffic congestion perhaps as everyone slows to look at the landmark. The new tunnel would run below the prehistoric site significantly reducing the traffic. It will also bring down the air, light and noise pollution outside the world heritage site.
However, the project is fraught with legal battles as concerns rise whether the project could cause irreparable damage to the landscape. The issue here is that single carriageway currently is unable to deal with the current traffic causing almost an hour to cut through Stonehenge. Once the tunnel is constructed it will take a fraction of that time. Moreover the tunnel is going to be built away from the stones. The process will include a specialist tunnel that will be dug below the ground creating two separate tunnels – one for each carriage way. Once completed the project aims to restore the free flow of traffic as well as reduce the environmental pollution that is caused around the area.
There will always be a lot of concerns when it comes to construction on such an important site. Planning and precision become crucial. BIM based Tunnel Information Modelling could help address some of the issues as well as reduce the uncertainties and risks arising due to unforeseen circumstances. With laser scanning it is possible to gain exact information about the site conditions and a Detailed Terrain Model can be created. The DTM model can be crucial for construction of the tunnel. Similarly, simulations can be carried out which would increase accuracy of the tunnel construction. All the advantages that are offered by BIM Services for Infrastructure can be leveraged in the entire project cycle of tunnel design like common data environment, extraction of 2D documentation necessary for prefabrication of components, detection of clashes between the existing infrastructure facilities and the new proposed design etc.
Constructing a $5.5BN super-sewer below London
Along with the above two projects another notable project that is in the pipeline involves a $5.5BN super-sewer construction below the capital. The current Victorian systems is not equipped to adequately deal with heavy rains. Whenever there are rains the current systems overflow and the raw sewage spills into the Thames. Thus, the aim is to construct a 15-mile long underwater tunnel so that when the current system surfeits the polluting sewage will be rerouted to the new tunnel.
Point Cloud to BIM Services can be used to create an underground BIM model that showcase the existing underground utilities like piping, electric cables, telecom lines etc. The model provides all details like topographic data, location, coordinates or existing utilities making it possible to run clash detection so that the new tunnel design doesn’t clash with any existing utilities. Similarly, BIM serves an intuitive and powerful tool for data management, collaboration between involved stakeholders, provides control over time and cost and allows to carry out future risk analysis and assessments enabling a seamless construction of the new drainage facility. Finally, the as-built model cannot just be used for operations but it also acts as a reference point for aspects of local planning and future urban designs.
The government’s push for a digital revolution
Along with these projects another important challenge that the UK government has undertaken has been to digitize the construction industry. The AEC sector has been notoriously resistant to change in the past and only in the past few decades it has become more accepting of the digital technology. The first step towards digitization was however taken in April 2016 when BIM was mandated across all government funded projects. It reinforced the fact that Building Information Modelling was the future and essential for smooth construction. The second push came with the pandemic and social distancing norms wherein the construction professionals had to go digital in order to effectively complete their projects. If the UK government plans to take on projects of above stated magnitude which could often take decades to complete then digital engineering is essential. In absence of Building Information Modelling there would be a lot of site visits, handover, contracts and paperwork. Along with it there will be communication and collaboration errors as there are so many stakeholders involved. Finally, along with BIM other digital technological advancements like prefabrication and 3D printing, virtual reality and augmented reality, robotics, drones etc. can all be useful for different purpose.
To conclude, building infrastructure is not an easy task. It involves billions of dollars, decades of planning followed by years of construction and finally effective maintenance. However, when done right it provides large gains in terms of economic and social advancement of the people. The task undertaken by the UK government is indeed ambitious, but the construction industry has all the tools at hand to convert it into reality.
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