Production • Processing • Handling
Bringing BIM offshore
Richard Fletcher outlines the advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the offshore industry.
BIM involves a detailed generation and management of a digital representation of the structural and functional aspects of any facility. Te model works as a shared repository of knowledge that enables and facilitates decision-making from concept through design and construction, as well as throughout its operational cycle. One company that has benefited from using BIM
T
is Iv-Groep, a multi-disciplinary Dutch engineering company, based in Papendrecht, the Netherlands. Te company has a large global network and often collaborates on complex projects, making it sometimes challenging to ensure all input is accounted for. For example, Groep’s subsidiary, Iv-Oil and Gas, designs offshore oil platforms. Once the designs are approved they get passed onto another subsidiary, Iv-Consult Sdn Bhd. Tis subsidiary, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then handles the detailing and produces the workshop drawings for the topsides of the oil platforms as well as their jackets (the tubular foundations piled into the seabed to anchor the platform). It’s crucial that all information is relayed and accounted for during the handover process and that errors are mitigated against. Using software such as Tekla Structures enables oil and gas companies to increase productivity and reduce errors during the design, fabrication and construction processes, all the while saving time and potential waste of materials. Robert Van Der Waal, the director of Iv-Consult
Sdn Bhd, comments: “Over the years, we have automated almost all beam-to-beam connection macros as well as polygon welds within Tekla Structures. Tis automation speeds up the designing of basic structures and thus allows the designers to focus on more challenging work. “We have extended the functionality of the user-defined properties so that we can generate a wide range of additional information about the parts. For example, in the past two years Iv-Consult has offered its clients the option of modelling all
oday industry experts tend to agree that Building Information Modelling (BIM) has the ability to reduce project delivery times, operational costs and waste over the lifecycle of a project.
the welds of the structure into the detailing model. Te properties of these welds include weld type, size, volume, number and length. As a result, an extended weld list of a particular area – or floor or even the whole structure – can be provided. Tis is highly appreciated by our clients’ fabrication planning officers as it is a big time saver.”
Creating new opportunities BIM creates new opportunities for the offshore construction industry. It provides an accurate, dynamic and data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, as well as concrete detailers and manufacturers. It can also handle larger and more complex projects. “I have a detailing background and started with the company as a detailer myself in 1992,” explains Van Der Waal. “Since that time, the productivity of an average draftsman has improved enormously with the help of this software. In the beginning, on average you spent 25 hours on one handmade A0 size drawing. Later, with 2D software, this decreased to an average of 15 hours for one A0. Today, we take about seven hours to produce one drawing, which includes modelling time.” He concludes: “Terefore it is reasonable to say that in moving from hand drawing to 2D, we saved about 40% of the time spent on an average project.” l
For more information ✔ at
www.engineerlive.com/io Richard Fletcher is business development manager at Tekla.
www.tekla.com www.engineerlive.com 81
Fig. 1. Iv-Consult offers its clients the option of modelling all the welds of the structure into the detailing model.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100