31
may 2014
international
construction
CONCRETE
Early involvement
>
A
s pressuremounts on contractors towork efficiently and
cost-effectively, concrete equipment manufacturers and
other suppliers are upping their game tohelpmeet these
demands.
This can start at the design stage and could include anything
from models of the exact amounts of concrete that will be
needed andwhere, to co-ordinating just-in-time jobsite delivery
of equipment, and automatic calculations of concrete setting
times.
US-based concrete contractor Adjustable Forms, for instance,
tackles large-scale cast in-situ concreteprojects using technology
such as 3D modelling and building information modelling
(BIM). The company uses Tekla Structures Design BIM
software to help streamline many of its business operations,
frompreparingbids, todesign and co-ordinatingworkflowonce
the project starts.
Working from 2D CAD drawings, a PDF or a 3D model
supplied by the design engineer, the company creates a
preconstruction 3D model in the BIM software and extracts
material quantity information. Adjustable Forms project
managerEricLindquist said the technologyhelped the company
to producemore accurate bids.
“We do all of our quantity takeoff/extraction from the
preconstructionmodel to ensure the scope is correct,” he said.
“We extract the quantities and import them into an estimating
tool, which allows us to develop accurate estimates for bidding
jobs, minimising the risk of blowing an estimate based on
miscalculated quantities.
The company also used a preconstructionmodel for drawing
co-ordination. This helps them identify issues with the design
and bring it to the attention of the owner, general contractor
and design team.
Concrete equipmentmanufacturers
are increasingly getting involved in the
planning stages of projects to ensure jobs
run smoothly.
HelenWright
reports.
Early involvement
US-based concrete contractor Adjustable Forms tackles
large-scale cast in-situ concrete projects BIM technology
from Tekla.
During construction, the technology canbe used to establish a
workflow for different processes – from drawing co-ordination,
schedule loading, pour management, rebar detailing, shoring
and formwork layouts, as well asmodelling safety systems.
3Dmodelling
Meanwhile, 3Dmodellingwas central toNorwegian contractor
Hæhre’s design for the twin-deck Labbdalen Bridge. This will
be a key new structure in the country’s 3,140 km E6Highway
improvement programme – the main north-south road linking
Norway to Sweden.
Falsework & formwork specialist RMD Kwikform worked
together with Hæhre’s to supply formwork and shoring to
support construction of the 73 m East Labbdalen Bridge and
78mWest LabbdalenBridge.
Pilosio said
70% of the
formwork
it supplied
to support
construction
of amotorway
junction north
Durban, South
Africa, was
tailor-made
for the job.
