Next-level digitisation with Cadac and Autodesk
Together with partner Cadac, Boskalis Nederland switched to Autodesk Construction Cloud last year. 'A platform that allows us to digitise further and remain competitive', says Marco Lampert, Head of Coordination & Management of the Geographic Design Cluster. 'The data flows are getting bigger and bigger. In order to manage it properly, further digitisation is essential. That's why we switched to Autodesk's Construction Cloud last year. A platform that makes us future-proof.'
Meandering Meuse
'A public contract from a few years ago after we had won the tender. An intensive job with which we started with the implementation design after a final design. The intention is to give the river more space over a length of about 18 kilometres and to strengthen 26 kilometres of dykes. Whereas in the past the emphasis was on waterways that were as straight as possible in order to give ships free rein, after the serious flooding in the 1990s, the storage of water is a priority. That means more bends in the Meuse, more space for excess water, without threatening homes and agricultural land.'
Digital design is the new norm, also in infrastructure. The international market, onshore and offshore, requires speed and efficiency. With the Meandering Meuse case, we can once again serve as a Best Practice for the whole of Boskalis.
Marco Lampert
Head of Coordination and Management of the Geographic Design Cluster
Big job for Boskalis: transforming the Meuse region
That doesn't sound so difficult: reinforcing the dyke from Ravenstein to Lith, giving the Meuse more space on the Gelderland and Brabant sides and making the area more beautiful and economically stronger. It's a matter of digging and building dykes. Egbert Tigelaar, Model Coordinator at Boskalis, smiles. From his laptop, he opens the viewer of the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform, which was put into use last year. 'There's a lot involved,' Egbert explains. 'Strengthening dykes, constructing and relocating roads, adjusting or removing pipework. Finding out what the consequences are for flora and fauna, what the effect is on the landscape and nuisance reduction for the environment. It's very complex.'
Sustainability in practice
'And what about the impact on the environment during the implementation', Marco Lampert adds. 'Boskalis is good at digging, but that has to be done in accordance with the laws and regulations. Not only do we design a piece of new Meuse area, we also find out how many cubic metres of soil, sand, gravel and other materials need to be moved. For example, whether these materials are suitable for reinforcing the (new) dykes. If we know how many truck trips are needed, the CO2 emissions can also be calculated. Sustainability is an essential part of every project. We have to deal with a lot of parties and stakeholders. With laws and regulations. When, in a few years' time, this part of the Meuse area has been redesigned, the general public will have no idea that it was so complicated. Then it seems simple, yes.'
Construction Cloud: Revolutionary Design Software from Autodesk
A complexity that can only be handled with the most advanced design software. 'We've been working with Autodesk design software for years,' says Thomas Kuipers. Fine, but we were actually looking for a platform on which we could process data even better at the same time. Data and drawings from our engineers as well as existing geodata of, for example, underground pipes, vegetation, buildings, works of art, and so on. Through our regular partner Cadac, we ended up with the Construction Cloud, the successor to BIM 360.'
Step into digitalisation with the help of the Autodesk Construction Cloud Best Practice
It's an Autodesk platform, says Ben Spreen, senior account manager at Cadac, who has been a sparring partner at various divisions of Boskalis for about six years. "We have previously implemented Construction Cloud at a number of clients and based on that we have designed a Best Practice that complies with the ISO 19650 standard. We were able to introduce this fairly quickly at Boskalis Nederland last year. However, it is not a simple "program". It is an essential step in digitisation that demands quite a lot from the engineers and modellers. It's a different way of working, purely data-driven. That's why our specialists are almost always called in for guidance and adaptation.'
Gradual transition to Autodesk Construction Cloud
Egbert Tigelaar nods. 'We are gradually switching to Construction Cloud with the focus on one project for the time being, Meandering Maas. Since last autumn, our modellers have been slowly filling the database and we have seen the design grow. The final design is ready and we have now started with the implementation design. We can already see that the program is extremely suitable for presenting the design to the various stakeholders. In this way, we can show the existing situation and the future situation with just a few mouse clicks. Visualization is very important for many stakeholders, understandably. The data also forms the raw material for the final specifications and the working methods of the contractors and contractors. The excavators outside are even controlled with this data.
Insightful geo and design data
Thomas Kuipers, like his colleagues, is enthusiastic about the new platform. 'Definitely. Changes in geodata or design data are directly translated into the integrated model in Construction Cloud. That means we never have to deal with different versions. You can also immediately see if something is not right. If, for example, the planned dyke crosses a road. Construction Cloud makes everything very transparent. It is also handy that you can always see what has been changed. I do expect that we will continue with this. In the meantime, we have also started the design of the widening of the A2 motorway in Limburg. That project lends itself perfectly to this approach.'
Digital design is the new standard for Boskalis
Marco Lampert sees the new Autodesk application as an essential step in the digitisation of Boskalis. 'And necessary. The future is digital, especially when we look at the developments in the Netherlands. Governments are taking the step towards digital design with geodata, also driven by the new Environment and Planning Act. Digital design is the new norm, also in infrastructure. We are now also receiving more and more questions from other Boskalis divisions that are curious. As modellers and designers, we work Boskalis-wide. The international market, onshore and offshore, also requires speed and efficiency. With the Meandering Meuse case, we can once again serve as a Best Practice for the whole of Boskalis.'