Achieving an improved construction process with minimum clashes and failure costs. That was the goal of implementing BIM at the New Atrium in Amsterdam, a drastic renovation and new development project.
The project involved the phased renovation and extension of the existing Atrium building (anno 1976), incorporating a northern and southern tower measuring 10.000 and 16.500 m² GFS respectively, an underground, double-layered parking garage measuring15,000 m² GFS and 5,000 m² GFS commercial space. Transparency, flexibility and sustainability are key to the design and construction, whereby the installations play an important role.
Detailing in BIM
Bouwcombinatie Dura-De Nijs has subcontracted all mechanical engineering work, including the LED lighting in the new development and the RWD (rainwater discharge) and DWF (dry weather flow) systems throughout the entire complex to Installatie Techniek Raalte (ITR) Projecten BV. Roy Schulten, Managing Director of the ITR Group explains: 'Due to the complexity of the project, Bouwcombinatie Dura-De Nijs opted to work out the details in the preliminary phase in a Building Information Model (BIM), in which all subcontractors have to participate. The ultimate goal being to achieve an improved construction process with minimum clashes and failure costs, lead time reduction, cost price reduction and maximum quality and added value for the commissioning party. As a mechanical engineering contractor, we are pleased to participate in this.’
Models were very frequently exchanged via IFC, tells colleague and BIM modeler Roy Jonkman from ITR Projects BV. ‘The contractors consortium performed all clash inspections, after which any clashes and reports were shared via Docstream. We optimized a number of matters through this, including, for example, the electrotechinical engineering contractor, concrete supplier, lift supplier and facade supplier. We did this until one balanced and final design existed, which also served as the blueprint for the implementation.
Smooth transition
ITR Projecten BV uses the Stabicad for Revit BIM software. Hardly surprising, according to Jonkman. ‘As we have been working very satisfactorily with Stabicad for AutoCAD for some years now, we decided to use Stabicad for Revit as well. The interfaces between both software packages are in fact large, which makes the transition to change over significantly easy. This software combination therefore offers the unique possibility to exchange models via Stabicad Exchange. For example, I use this when I have difficulty in keeping up with technical drawing aspects. Then I simply draw the design in Stabicad for AutoCAD and then add all information into to the BIM model via Stabicad Exchange, which results in a complete design. Now that our BIM experience is growing – The New Atrium is our fourth BIM project – this option is becoming less and less necessary, but it was virtually indispensable for a smooth start-up.
During the design phase, ITR Projects availed of all mechanical engineering modules in Stabicad for Revit, tells Jonkman. ‘This included the modules for Sanitary & Sewerage, Air and Technical Space, as well as part of the Sprinkler module, which we were able to use to help out our subcontractor. Schulten: ‘To facilitate a smooth implementation, we retrieved 3D views of walls and corresponding installations from the system to give our engineers maximum insight into the building. This resulted in an extremely smooth implementation.’
