Infrastructure BIM model

I've finished up working at DoT and haven't really had time to blog / document about the work flows from the project. The project was a business case for a tack slab through the heart of a CDB. My involvement was looking at the cost impact of existing services and infrastructure. This was done by traditional feature survey and laser scanning of the 22km (500gb of point cloud data) alignment to create a BIM model of existing services, using AS5488 (SUE) classification of subsurface utility information as a base line. Majority of the existing in-ground services where modelled to class C with a couple of major services to class B. The model consisted not only of the existing infrastructure but the proposed light rail infrastructure which was created with multiple software's. 

The simple definition of the BIM process to create the model would be similar to a carpenters set of tools, with each piece of software having its own key use. Similar to how a carpenter uses specific tools to construct a house. 

The exchange process between different platforms was done via landxml. 
A simple list of the software's used and their function. 

• Bentley Rail used for the rail design
• 12d used for the road design
• Civil 3d for the existing surface and existing utilities 

The large data set of the point cloud was processed using Recap which reduced the file size of the point cloud data from about 500gb down to 150gb. Which had the point cloud data set usable on a 22km alignment. 

All of the above was placed into navisworks to run multiple rules to determine the impact of the light rail on the existing infrastructure with the results exported to excel to be processed and costed. 

This Video below and what has been described above is only a snippet of what was done. On the bottom of the screen each service is colour coded.

Some of workflows I've blogged about already and have many more work flows to come.



Navisworks - Negate Layers

Navisworks has the function to create search set to query your graphical data bases. I've been using Navisworks to perform clashes detection of services vs. a proposed light rail track slab.  The pipe layers have be predefined with the pipe orientation to the track slab . Therefore there would be 3 predefined possibility of  crossing the track slab, parallel to the track slab with in a predefined criteria offset and the third that it falls outside of Crossing or Parallel. Example of such a search would be to find all drainage pipes that are Crossing the track slab.

The search would look like the image below, for drainage find all pipes that are crossing the track slab.

Another search would be a pipe parallel to the track slab with in a predefined criteria offset.  The first two search are simple query because your able to search for  a key  string(Crossing or Parallel)  in the search set.  The third query would be search for every thing that is not Crossing and Parallel. Well this is where there is not a predefined condition of "does not contains"  Crossing and Parallel.

To create a does not contain query you first have to find the elements that you want to filter  out.

Find Item Layer Contains "Crossing"

Find Item Layer Contains "Parallel"

The above to lines need to be Negate Conditions.

Next you still need Navisworks to search for the remaining  items.

• Find Item  Layer defined

The end result is you now have a does not query.

Western Australia Data request for Infraworks

Creating an Infraworks model in Western Australia, data can be obtain from Landgate.

Example of such data available are:

• Cultural features - buildings, general facility (eg library), industrial (eg pipeline), mine, place (eg town), tower (eg communications tower)
• Ground surface data – elevation (eg contours, spot heights), fuzzy land (eg gully, dune), morphology (eg embankment, crater)
• Hydrography - coastal flat, framework (eg coastline, marine construction), fuzzy water (eg swamp, lagoon), inland flat, inland water
• Transport – bridge, tunnel, general transport (eg cycleway, wharf), rail segment, road, transport facility (eg airport, bus stop)

Below is an Example request form for obtaining data from landgate. Form can be found here 

Below is an example of data received from landgate after a request. There is plenty of data available to create a Infraworks model.

Below is an example of data from landgate in Infraworks

Creating DWF from Infraworks

Infraworks does not have a simple export to DWF. I came across this workflow because at the last minute some needed a model in a file format that was small and simple to use. A presentation with a 3d model  of the proposed building works vs 50 slides, I know which one I rather see. 

The short video below is a work flow that I've used to export Infraworks to DWF, with the help of 3ds MAX.

Key workflow points

• Exporting is done by sending the model to 3ds MAX by the send to 3ds function. (3ds need to be installed on the PC for the function to be available)
• 3ds MAX now has the selected region of the model and exporting dwf is as simple as export to dwf. 

Exporting Infraworks to Navisworks

Navisworks has never had a simple work flow of adding surface imagery without the use of 3ds Max. Infraworks add a easy. 

The short video below is a work flow that I've used to export Infraworks (before R4, in R4 the DDS texture mapping has been resolved) to Navisworks, with the help of a image convert like xnconvert

Key workflow points

• Exporting is done by FBX as there is no direct export from Infraworks to Navisworks.
• The FBX file when appended to Navisworks create a folder with all the associated images
• The associated images need to be converted from .DDS to .JPEG and remapped when appending the .nwc.

Navisworks need to have the follwing setting set for the images to be processed.

• Ensure that the Convert Textures is checked.

  
Another setting is to have the on which general Navisworks will prompt you to turn on. Is Presenter (OpenGL).