- Road E20, one of the major roads connecting the west and east of Sweden, is being renovated on the portion that passes across Vastergotland.
- Between the cities of Goteborg as well as Skara, There are a variety of ongoing projects where Trimble Quadri is used as an open data environment along with Trimble Novapoint as a design tool.
- Designers and contractors employ Trimble products. One of the companies using both Quadri Novapoint and Novapoint is Veidekke.
The team at Trimble has been watching their work with Veidekke and their designer consultant, Markera, and the way they use Quadri. We wanted to learn more about their experience with the use of a shared model for the actual construction project. When all was said and done, it was an icy December day with snow falling on the ground. We met with the chief surveyor, Nils Tegerot from Veidekke, as well as road designer Claes Davidsson of Markera at the site of construction in Vargarda. To find out more, we also spoke with Henrik Sjoman, BIM manager at Veidekke.
The project
The Vargarda-Ribbingsberg project is a new road project, but it also expands the existing road. The road is a four lane road with a speed maximum of 100 km/h. The length total is 7,9 kilometers, and the project includes one product, several bridges, as well as a bike underpass as well as access ramps. Furthermore, emergency pockets, as well as service vehicle turnarounds and several small animal underpasses, have been constructed.
E20 Vargarda The E20 area, also known as Vargarda Ribbingsberg, is the first portion of the green area on this map. (Photo: Trafikverket, Swedish Transport Administration)
A contractor was involved in the beginning of the construction.
The project is managed under an ECI Contract, which is an unusual type of contract in Sweden and, where Veidekke is responsible for managing the project starting from the initial design phase until the road is complete. Veidekke has appointed Markera as their primary Design consultant. Nils Tegerot explains to us.
All three, Henrik, Nils, and Claes, acknowledge that there are numerous advantages of working within the shared model of an environment like this. Claes Davidsson of Markera says that a shared model is the perfect fit for this kind of contract because all stakeholders are working differently than in the traditional design-bid-build model. Claes continues to inform us that the initial design phase, in the beginning, is like a standard task for Trafikverket or the Swedish Transport Administration, which is the project’s owner. The fact that the contractor is, in the beginning, extremely beneficial since we receive an abundance of construction input during the phase of design, such as concerning temporary roads or diversions.
Nils Tegerot states that it’s really beneficial that the contractor is involved in the early stages of the planning process, as they will gain a greater comprehension of the planning process and the issues that can arise in the process. Therefore, both believe that this kind of contract is very beneficial.
Nils Tegerot Veidekke along with Claes Davidsson. Markera is standing in front of one of the largest rock cutouts in the project. (Photo: Trimble)
Constructible model
From the perspective of a BIM manager, Henrik Sjoman describes the method of achieving the appropriate degree of detail in every stage of the project. The overall process is that we, as contractors, create deliverables with help from our designers, Markera and that Trafikverket, the proprietor Trafikverket, is responsible for a thorough quality test.
The designers and I agreed on the appropriate amount of detail prior to the project, which then serves as the basis for the designing budget as well as the timing schedule, Henrik continues. We strive to come up with a feasible level so that every designer can understand the objects they are creating and the degree of detail they will need to deliver. In this case, we’ve eliminated all requirements of programming in the model since we are unable to discern the benefits of this. However, we are putting a lot of pressure on all intersection designs so that all ditches and surfaces can be constructed using information directly derived through this Quadri model. This is a great example of adapting the requirements to an actual use of data, and not much other than that, Henrik tells us.
The model shared is the central piece and not a separate procedure.
With a high level of demand, designers are required to provide more details in the designs than they would in other projects. The process of designing a detailed plan involves time. Therefore, it is essential to establish the proper amount of requirements in the appropriate stage of the project so that you don’t waste a lot of time on design revisions if there are changes to be made. The requirements are too specific and complex in the early stages, and they can lead to difficult and time-consuming modifications. In the field, we need to be able to identify the most cost-effective and efficient degree of detail and maintain the quality of data that is beneficial to those involved in the project. Henrik believes that project owners typically require a detailed level at a too-early stage of the project, and this results in excessive work and re-design.
Suppose you use an open model such as Quadri. In that case, everyone can know what’s going to be constructed in 3D, and all realize the advantages of having a reliable model right from the beginning of the project. The model shouldn’t be considered a separate component of the project, but it should be at the heart of the project in which all the relevant information is kept. If everyone can access the model, it can be an excellent basis for discussing and an excellent basis for making decisions.
A productive collaboration between field and office
Nils Tegerot is continuing to explain the importance of communication between the designer and the contractor. We hold regular meetings during which the designer shows the model and then explains the changes and any known mistakes. As a contractor, we then inform the designer of the status of the construction, the areas we are currently working on, and what sort of information is crucial to us over the next time. Henrik Sjoman adds that these meetings are essential because they allow us to direct the correct question to the appropriate resource. There are some issues that designers are most suited to address, such as questions regarding pavement design or pavement dimensioning, and our surveyors could perform some tasks directly on the site.
Claes acknowledges that this process is easier for all the stakeholders. The designer will learn the most crucial aspects while, at the same time, the designer knows the way in which the model is constructed and which information is available for use when and where.
The brand-new E20 is gaining ground.
The use of Quadri to serve as our data platform simplifies communication, Nils explains. Since everyone has access to the same information, in addition, the model can be constantly updated with the most current data; there’s no doubt about the most current version of any information. We also conduct surveys to document as-built, and we look over the area frequently and conduct surveys of all pipes as they become ready. We can then add all this information to the model che,ck against the design, and get an excellent basis for the drawings as-built that we present at the conclusion phase.
One common data environment
The owner’s control engineer makes use of his Quadri model. He typically exports road bed surface data to check the design and the actual construction information. This is extremely effective as compared to that time when we shipped the complete model and sent it in an image to the owner every once a week. Nils proceeds.
Markera and Veidekke were part of another project some time back, in which they also employed Quadri, Claes explains. We gained a lot of knowledge during the process, and we carried that knowledge to this one. Both companies have used each of Quadri along with Novapoint for quite a while. Markera, for instance, started using Quadri at the beginning of 2014 and has been using Novapoint since the inception of the business.
One thing we have learned was the necessity of making breaks within the model between various stages in the process. Please create a copy of the model and save it as documentation, and then clear the model of unnecessary data prior to moving on. At the beginning of the project, prior to when we enter the construction phase, there is a lot of data generated, which we will not need later on in the process. When we are in the construction phase, the main focus is on the buildability and the volume that determines the type of data needed to be included within the model, Claes emphasizes.
Trimble invites all Quadri users to take breaks within the model in between phases for new ideas and to clear off any irrelevant information. This is also a useful technique prior to delivering the Quadri model under a traditional design-bid-build contract. The model will only contain the data required to build the project.
The source from which truth is derived.
It is crucial to be a distinct structure in the Quadri model, Henrik says. This helps anyone involved to search for accurate details. This is how you can build extremely beneficial Collections.
Nils Tegerot, the founder of the company, explains that they utilize Collections within the Quadri model. This means that all users have access to the most accurate and up-to-date information in the models. For instance, they have collections that contain up-to-date break lines from road models, meaning that surveyors will always have data that they can use in the field without a doubt.
Collections within the Quadri model is a feature that lets a user make a list of data available to other users. This means that they don’t have to look through the entire model to find pertinent information.
The contractor operates a diverse fleet of machines as well as a mixture of various control systems for engines. There is a lot of conversion of files to transfer data between the multiple machineries, Nils explains. Every chief surveyor would be content if the industry could reach a higher degree of standardization, he states. In terms of instruments and software for surveying, Veidekke is a frequent user of Leica equipment. The connection between Quadri and Our SBG geo surveying program is well, Nils explains.