Year In Infrastructure 2005

NEW TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Developing Bridge
Product Model System
CDI Corporation

Steel bridges are complex 3D structures. Representing designs in the traditional 2D plan/profile drawing format causes difficulties in visualization, fabrication, and construction. These difficulties often lead to errors and additional costs. To overcome these problems, five major Japanese bridge design and manufacturing companies collaborated to develop Symphony, a 3D component-based bridge design and production system developed and run on MicroStation.

Designing a steel bridge by assembling solid components in Symphony’s 3D display is just like constructing a real bridge with real steel parts. Symphony creates a 3D product model from which information can be easily shared for analysis, design, production, measuring, and construction. In addition, plant facilities

such as welding robots can be utilized efficiently. Simulations can also be used for interference checks, quality control, and construction planning. ;

NEW TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

Merging 3D Laser
Scanning with
Conventional Survey
LJB Inc.

LJB designed measures to improve safety on one of the most dangerous roads in Ohio, a 3.2-mile section of a seven-lane highway near Columbus.

The result: clear, data-rich files that eliminated the need for a single “go-back” for missing data.

Thanks to a highly precise model of existing
pavement, pavement quantities were calcu-
lated with greater accuracy, and most of the
existing pavement was salvaged. New curbs
and gutters were designed with confidence
that positive drainage could be attained with-
out profile grade adjustments. The rehabilita-
tion project cost was a mere one-third of the
cost of a complete roadway reconstruction.

LJB was able to not only save time, money, and materials, but also maintain a safe work environment for employees. Placing conventional survey crews in the middle of a dangerous highway was a risk LJB didn’t want to take—and didn’t need to, thanks to laser scanning and Cloud Worx. ;

Designers used a 3D site map created with Bentley CloudWorx, which processes millions of survey points collected in 3D laser scanning. This scanning uses a laser firing device mounted on a mobile lift, which shoots laser beams at minute intervals to collect “point clouds” of data. Laser scanning collects much more precise data in a fraction of the time taken by conventional methods.