Weatherproof Infrastructure: Reinforcing the Largest Dike in the Netherlands with BIM

The complex nature of the Afsluitdijk project called for the right technology to solve these challenges. To develop an ecosystem that supports multi-disciplinary teams, Levvel deployed Autodesk Construction Cloud, the cornerstone of which has been BIM 360 and Assemble. The team uses the tools together for integrated 3D modeling to create a single source of truth for greater efficiency, collaboration, and improved communication.

With the design team comprised of +/- 300 people, collaborating in a single environment was essential. Designers would upload models directly from Civil 3D and Revit into BIM 360 for design collaboration and coordination. Planners also used Dynamo and advanced scripting to speed up the design process, citing the tools' ability to increase collaboration and automated publishes, interactivity, and the ability to work simultaneously. This emerging technology already saves a lot of time on the project. By providing the ability to create computational design, designers can produce concepts that iterate faster and earlier.

Besides saving time, the intuitive workflow for reviewing models improves quality and insight. The digital model allowed designers to work on the project at the same time through iterative review rounds with issues and mark-ups. Prior to this workflow, traditional rounds of review could take up to five days. With BIM 360, reviews are closed in one day, which is an 80% reduction in time for design coordination.

BIM 360 Model Coordination also helps facilitate model coordination during the design phase. Nearly 200 members of the design staff and 30 modelers were able to effectively collaborate during the Afsluitdijk project, avoiding the potential for costly rework. The entire team was able to benefit from automated clash detection, enhanced insight into the number of clashes, and receive instant feedback on the state of the model and major clash groups through automatic grouping. “BIM 360 has become the beating heart of the design process within our organization,” says Huizinga.

Assemble is another key solution used by the team to condition, query, and connect BIM data to key workflows, using the tool’s ability to provide up-to-date visualization of the total project status. Through Assemble, various project stakeholders can gain access to the model, saving half of the time with every update of quantity take-off compared to the traditional workflow.

The grand scale of the Afsluitdijk reinforcement is unique for the Netherlands. It represents the latest developments in dealing with rising sea levels, water safety, ecology, and sustainability, while building a safe and secure dam using state-of-the-art design and building software.

The Autodesk aided design and analysis delivers 40,000 tonnes less CO2 emissions, a reduction of no less than 56% compared to alternative solutions. Each level-block of the dam receives a chip and is therefore easy to trace for maintenance. The blocks are transported via water and quickly assembled onsite with minimal footprint.

By exploring automation possibilities early in the project, the team was able to understand where to improve based on process and repetitive manual workflows, resulting in time savings, efficient collaborative methods, and measurable results – all hallmarks of this project. The team was able to connect the phases of construction, producing a high-quality model during design that aided in deploying the right tools during preconstruction to mitigate errors downstream.

By using the most state-of-the-art risk management, sustainable construction methods as well as proven Autodesk technologies, it is expected that the dam will withstand a once-in-every-ten-thousand-year storm.

Fittingly, it was named one of the finalists in the AEC Excellence Awards 2019 in Infrastructure Design.