The Spanish Society of Rock Mechanics held its XXI “Annual Technical Conference” in May at the headquarters of CEDEX, with this year´s theme of ‘BIM Methodology in Rock Engineering’.
A diverse panel of experts in the field was present, including our colleague Alejandro Cantarero, who shared the successful experience of the Stockholm Metro Blue Line Extension Project in Sweden. The conference was held in person, with recordings available to SEMR members on its official YouTube channel.
Organised in two main sections, the first focused on establishing the applicable regulatory framework of reference, featuring presentations from public bodies, and the second section, which included representatives of private companies, shared case studies and practical experience. In this second part, Alejandro gave a presentation on “Civil Works Design of tunnels based on models using BIM Methodolody”. Case Study: “Stockholm Metro Blue Line Extension”.
Of note was the consensus among the speakers when drawing conclusions, which were later discussed in the Q&A session. Undoubtedly, there is still a long way to go to achieve an adequate and efficient integration of BIM methodology in tunnels and underground civil works. The feeling is that current tools have significant limitations. Furthermore, there is a notable gap between the essentially geometrical models and the geological models, which makes coordination difficult and reduces the efficiency of the design process. Likewise, the ideal workflow, to directly connect the calculation models with the geometrical and geological models, remains underdeveloped, ultimately requiring meticulous preprocessing to ensure a suitable calculation mesh.
Finally, it is worth highlighting a software which stood out at this conference, which is none other than the Leapfrog, developed by Seequent, now a part of Bentley. This programme develops geological models by efficiently managing geological and geotechnical information through a GIS-like environment, combining data with a very powerful interpolation engine, allowing contact calculations and other geological and geotechnical elements. Despite its complexity, the tool is rapidly gaining market share, requiring experience and a geological background to verify and validate results. A significant advantage is its excellent interoperability with other software, mainly Bentley´s.
