Like many highway projects around the world, it has been engineered to span great distances and stand strong—feats that have become so normal they’re expected as the status quo. But unlike most large-scale building projects, this bridge has been designed and constructed without any drawings. — Fast Company
Called the Randselva Bridge, the structure stretches 2,080 feet and stands 180 feet above ground at its highest point. It’s located near the city of Hønefoss, about 31 miles northwest of Oslo. When it opens to traffic next month, it will be the longest bridge ever constructed without 2D drawings. Instead of using traditional construction blueprints, engineering company Sweco opted to employ a BIM model that would be used and adjusted throughout every step of the bridge’s construction. The company used technology company Trimble's Tekla modeling software. Oystein Ulvestad, a BIM developer for Sweco, led the design of the project.
As part of the BIM model, each section of the structure is constructed and scanned, allowing any changes to the project to be immediately reflected in the model. This makes it easier to execute adjustments to the plan, saving both time and money. Workers would follow the updated plans using tablets and augmented reality. According to Fast Company, Ulvestad says that this approach has resulted in cost savings of about 10% compared to conventional construction. This is due to reducing expensive changes to drawings during construction and the extra material orders they require. He also highlights BIM’s ability to make collaboration easier as it’s more universally interpreted compared to drawings. Ulvestad even goes as far to say that the wider adoption of BIM models will lead to largely automated construction projects.
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