BIM Case Study – Stockholm Bypass
A virtual reality (VR) model was set up early in this stage of the project showing the area prior to development and the results of the pre-study investigations. It then formed the base model and was regularly updated with the project’s developments.
The VR model contains all the information produced about the proposed road (and all the alternative solutions), including the geography of the surrounding areas, many thousands of constraints such as archaeological sites or trees with preservation orders, different scenarios on junction configuration, traffic noise, lighting and geotechnical data for tunnels. The data is extremely detailed; for example the geotechnical information includes the results of every borehole drilled to show the quality of the rock. Fifteen different technical disciplines contributed to the model, with information coming from a range of sources and programmes including Autocad, Microstation, Sketchup, ESRI and others.
The many different stakeholders involved in the design of the bypass all contributing to the same VR-model has proved extremely valuable in promoting collaboration and interoperability between the different design disciplines. The standard of visualisation also rendered the decision-making considerably more efficient, speeding up the review process in meetings often involving up to 50 people and helping the road authorities to become involved from the start through enhanced understanding of the designs.
The final model is a highly accurate, sophisticated 3D model of the design of the future bypass, even including details such as road signage, road lights and street furniture. All relevant documentation (drawings and pdfs) is attached to the model. This is an outstanding documentation for the next step in the final design phase of the project.