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The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) - Nashwan Attaa'ee:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently unleashed the Building Information Modeling project; one of the vital projects rolled out by the RTA with the aim ofnurturing an engineering information environment that deals with assets information in a comprehensive manner starting from the design stage and until these assets are written off.
"This project offers a kind of platform for broadening the scope of modeling the information of RTA's facilities to cover all construction projects relating to RTA's infrastructure such as service stations, operational offices, road networks and rail systems," said Abdullah Ali Al Madani, CEO of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector at the RTA.
"The Building Information Modeling project is considering one of the leading projects across the region, or possibly the world over, as it covers all types of infrastructural projects owned by the RTA and combines them under one platform. Thus it reflects that responsible parties in the RTA are keen on adopting and implementing the best international practices in this regard.
"Building information modeling solutions is an effective tool for the management, mobility and sharing of engineering information between the owner, architects, engineers, developers, contractors, manufacturers and maintenance officials in an environment customized to ensure the reduction of power wastage. Such an objective can be achieved through establishingan effective and smooth communication between these parties in a way that provides them access to the most accurate details of the final design," added Al Madani.
"The building information modeling project comprises a series of processes aimed at creating, saving, and following changes as well as retrieving information about a construction project during the project's lifecycle starting from the concept till the scrapping or demolition all under a single platform for all engineering specialties of relevance to the project. The project is therefore developed electronically through a single platform starting from the developer and including the consultant and the contractor until it is delivered and managed by the concerned personnel at the Asset Management Department who would complement the project till the end of its lifespan," explained the CEO of RTA Corporate Technical Support Services.
The Platform comprises all computer-aided programs used in building, managing, and maintaining the project. The platform captures information & engineering requirements from all specialties in the shape of layouts where each element is defined comprehensively. This covers merging the requisites of supply & maintenance to set up a 3D integrated virtual model of the facility before starting the actual construction. This model is characterized by integrated and interrelated engineering properties including minimizing costly variations during the construction phase as a result of overlapping systems. It also enables the production of all projections and information required for production and construction (Stop Drawing), while eliminating frequent errors which might crop up in coordination between different specialties during the construction phase, besides registering all information about the origin in a single place for managing assets after taking over the project.
Each line in the 3D Model comprises integrated information (such as the blocks line encompassing information describing the type & thickness of block, type & thickness of plaster, type of painting, and the ability to cut openings for windows and doors. Accordingly it will be possible to establish the fourth dimension i.e. the time chart (4D) and follow-up the progress of works during construction through the 3D, and produce the Bills of Quantities (5D) accurately in a time shorter than the time taken in conventional projects. It also streamlines the computing of the facility's lifespan and runs a comparison between different options. Thus it will be possible to add information about the cost, lifespan of each element of the project in comparison with all elements, besides enabling the tracking of maintenance processes, managing the facility, and carrying out necessary changes &modifications in a smooth and semi-virtual manner.
This Model has been applied to buildings in a number of advanced countries such as Singapore, Australia and Germany, and it proved effective in saving the time as a result of avoiding the overlapping engineering requirements which are otherwise detected only during the construction phase; which would have an impact on the progress of works. The Model has proved effective in reducing the waste of building materials as a result of reducing errors resulting from coordination and the ability of the developer to visualize the project practically before commencing construction works. It also enables the project parties to cooperate well as the model is built on the same platform in a cumulative manner starting from the developer, consultant, contractor, suppliers of materials & equipment, and up to the maintenance; which requires accuracy and verification of information. The Model is currently being applied with the same success achieved in the infrastructure projects for various public transport means. Through implementing the model, the RTA is seeking to benefit from previous characteristics in leading the implementation; and it is anticipated that this will be the way to go in the engineering development field.
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© Press Release 2015
