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Roadbuilding can be a challenging process, and bridges for road projects can pose some of the most complex formwork and shoring challenges. The built environment has been going through a period of radical change, particularly when it comes to digital construction. Many see the future of bridge design and engineering being built on the use of digital technologies, enhancing the entire process from start to finish.
The construction industry has traditionally lagged behind other industries in terms of its adoption of new technology and its capabilities. This contrasts with sectors such as finance, transport, and education, which have more quickly embraced digital developments. Yet because of the global pandemic, which has acted as something of a catalyst for change, those that are faster to take advantage of new digital developments will reap the rewards.
Through the adoption of new practices, enhanced by new technologies, the construction industry can find new ways to move forward. A recent study by the NBS found that most professionals within construction have been on a ‘digital transformation journey’ for some time, with 17% well on the way to completion. However, only 2% said they believed they had fully completed their journey towards digitalisation.
Streamlining processes
Workflows within bridge construction can be challenging, with many different parties involved. Digital tools can help streamline these processes, delivering improved collaboration and greater efficiencies. For instance, one of the key benefits of using digital engineering tools is that they can help all stakeholders view, interrogate, communicate information, and raise questions about a project.
In the temporary works sector, for example, digital technology allows high-quality and realistic 3D visualisations of a proposed system on a bridge project. This helps resolve any communication barriers that might have previously been an issue, achieving a new-found transparency across the entire project.
BIM allows the introduction of time as a fourth dimension within the planning space. Digital tools help ensure there are fewer risks associated with projects, as issues can be quickly raised and remedied by contractors before the build has even started.
One example is clash detection. Hard clashes – such as a concrete column running through a wall – can have a huge impact upon the costs and time frame of a build, especially if they are only spotted once on-site. BIM software can also pick up soft clashes, which are defined by the NBS as occurring when ‘an element isn’t given the spatial or geometric tolerances it requires, or its buffer zone is breached’.
From this, it’s possible to measure the required spaces for equipment or appliances. Working on one collaborative, coordinated building model means that contactors can save time and money avoiding on clashes, and make the entire process more efficient for everyone involved.
Equipment design and innovation
Temporary works products are designed to be as economical as possible; both in the physical cost of hire and in reducing overall carbon footprint. Through innovative digital engineering techniques, the required temporary works structure is designed, prioritising the use of the least equipment possible, without compromising on structural integrity during the project. This means Altrad RMDK can schedule fewer deliveries to site, requiring less transportation and delivering a lower overall carbon footprint, alongside reduced haulage costs.
For example, Altrad RMDK’s Rapidshor product range, a heavy duty, galvanized modular steel system uses a third less equipment than equivalent options on the market, to achieve the same strength-to-weight ratio. The result is a significant reduction is assembly times, less site equipment and labour costs, resulting in faster project turnaround times.
Bridge construction equipment is also designed to help improve site speed and labour times. For example, completing projects in a faster timescale enables further environmental improvements; in short, less time on site, means less requirement for ancillary equipment such as diesel-burning generators or plant machinery, helping lower costs further.
Paraslim Safetie is a flexible modular cantilever formwork system designed to facilitate the construction of deck edge projections, parapets and string courses for composite bridge decks constructed with steel girders or precast concrete beams, making it ideal for road bridges.
It can be lifted in on beams, so on an overnight road possession, the bridge structure can be constructed, and the road opened fully the next morning to ease the flow of traffic. In most instances this can be completed in one night, in comparison to closing the road for as much as a month.
Virtual & Augmented Reality
The use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) also allows for greater visualisation and planning, helping to avert problems down the line. Almost a decade ago, we began to develop tools to support VR and AR. This led to the creation of LocusEye, which offers high quality interactive 3D models of temporary work schemes.
The advanced 3D visualisation software allows digital tools to drive a new and innovative way of working with clients, by mixing technology with product delivery. This creates a design for customers in real-time, placing them into a simulation before anything is even built, and making it easier to resolve problems within the design ecosystem, rather than on-site.
Digital construction
Construction software is also enabling more sustainable operations. LocusEye, Altrad RMDK’s 3D visualisation software, offers high quality interactive 3D models of temporary work schemes. This provides a vital means of viewing and interrogating a temporary works solution during the pre-tender or build phases of a project, and reducing on-site risks, as any potential issues can be seen quickly. It also streamlines work processes, as the overall system and individual products can be viewed in an accessible and user-friendly format.
Before the emergence of construction software, bridge design engineers would previously have to count every single component part – sometimes in their thousands. Software can now generate a list, with the press a button.
This enables engineering teams to move onto more value-added tasks, far quicker, and there is no need to supply extra equipment or extra components to account for human error. Altrad RMDK can work accurate picking lists and follow the precise schedule as generated by the engineering team There is less wastage, and additional cost savings from shipping less kit – all adding up to previously unseen time savings, process efficiencies and cost reductions.
Legislation & Compliance
Another benefit to digital tools is that they enable workers to look at legislation and compliance documents on the go, instead of having to spend lengthy periods sat at a desk and away from site. Mobile apps can now be used rather than traditional paperwork, with customers’ signatures and live data handling now being processed via digital services.
The benefits of digital construction are numerous, including allowing more efficient workflows within projects, reducing and mitigating risks before on-site construction work has even begun, and enabling greater collaboration throughout the supply chain. These advancements, if picked up on by those in the industry, can deliver greater efficiency and productivity levels within construction, something that should be a key objective for construction companies in 2022 and beyond, as they look to evolve and grow.
Project example: Romazas Bridge, Chile
Digital tools were able to help a project in Chile, in collaboration with SACYR, which required raising of abutments and strains for the Romazas Bridge, which is part of the Camino Nogales Puchuncaví Concession project. Digital tools were used in the design of the project through our 3D LocusEye software, which was found to be incredibly useful to assess variations in pier heights due to undulating terrain conditions.
*This article was originally created for and appeared in Bridge Design & Engineering magazine