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Bentley > Case Studies > Skanska Costain STRABAG JV's BIM Processes for Civil Works on Europe’s Largest Railway Project
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Skanska Costain STRABAG JV's BIM Processes for Civil Works on Europe’s Largest Railway Project

Technology Category
  • Automation & Control - Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA)
  • Sensors - Temperature Sensors
Applicable Industries
  • Construction & Infrastructure
  • Railway & Metro
Applicable Functions
  • Maintenance
  • Product Research & Development
Use Cases
  • Construction Management
  • Smart Campus
Services
  • System Integration
The Challenge
The High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project, the largest construction contract in Europe, was a complex and challenging initiative for the United Kingdom. The project aimed to triple the country's transport network capacity by carrying more than 30,000 passengers per day. Skanska Costain STRABAG JV (SCS) was contracted to perform civil works for the first phase of HS2, which involved a line running 230 kilometers between London and Birmingham. The contract required early contractor involvement with the designers to formulate and approve a conceptual design scheme for 26 kilometers of high-speed railway within 14 months. The project, estimated at GBP 1.5 million, presented engineering and coordination challenges to optimize efficiency and meet the client’s digital BIM demands. SCS needed interoperable technology to implement a comprehensive, collaborative BIM strategy to accommodate the existing British railway systems and approximately 6,000 utility assets, and to coordinate a geographically-dispersed, multidiscipline team.
About The Customer
Skanska Costain STRABAG JV (SCS) is a joint venture that was contracted to perform civil works for the first phase of the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project in the United Kingdom. The project was one of the most complex and challenging railway initiatives that the United Kingdom has ever undertaken. The HS2 project aimed to triple the country's transport network capacity by carrying more than 30,000 passengers per day. SCS was tasked with saving the government GBP 500 million in digital efficiencies, and was committed to applying global best practices in design and construction, setting strict data and modeling requirements in accordance with PAS 1192 BIM standards.
The Solution
SCS developed a BIM execution strategy that engaged the entire team, with modeling guidelines and procedures ranging from 4D construction management through logistics and operations. The team began by generating a content plan that defined the model breakdown and structure, starting with the asset to be added to the model, and then the elements to be incorporated. The contractors and designers created a library of components shared within ProjectWise through OpenBuildings Designer as the principal modeling application. Establishing a data library in one location enabled more effective workflows for all involved team members. This custom component library ensures that all elements are identical and that model data is based on predefined criteria, certifying consistency and accuracy for estimates, planning, constructability, and safety. SCS used ProjectWise and AssetWise to establish a connected data environment, providing the project team real-time access to trusted information wherever and whenever it is needed through Bentley’s integrated modeling applications.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of a robust BIM system transformed SCS's written collaborative plan into an integrated, robust BIM system that ensures consistency, accuracy, and efficiency with Bentley’s interoperable BIM applications. The connected data environment facilitated early contractor involvement and streamlined digital workflows, increasing productivity and design assurance among the multiple disciplines involved. The structured digital data improved 5D estimates, ensuring consistency and transparency. The successful collaborative engagement between designers and contractors during the early contractor involvement phase can be used as an industry example. The use of Bentley applications to implement a collaborative BIM strategy underpinned by standard digital workflows improved data quality from 40% on previous projects to 98% on this HS2 project.
Quantitative Benefit
  • A connected data environment streamlined workflows and allowed for early detection of errors to save GBP 1 million.
  • Leveraging iModel technology shortened design review time by 20%, saving GBP 500,000.
  • The connected data environment saved more than 50% of time previously spent searching for disparate information.

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