Application of 3D Collaborative Design in Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering Design
Chen Yajun, He Wenbo, Wang Haomin
(Heilongjiang Provincial Water Resources and Hydropower Survey and Design Institute, Harbin 150080)
Abstract: Engineering survey and design play a crucial role as the foundation in constructing water conservancy and hydropower projects. Design methods have evolved through three distinct eras: manual drawing, computer-aided drawing, and now, 3D collaborative design. Currently, 3D design is the leading trend in engineering design technology due to its numerous advantages over traditional 2D methods. This article explores the significant benefits of 3D collaborative design compared to 2D design and demonstrates its application in practical hydraulic and hydropower engineering projects.
Keywords: 3D collaborative design; Water conservancy and hydropower; Bentley
Chinese Library Classification Number: Document identification code: A Article Number:
1 Introduction
With rapid advancements in computer and information technology, 3D technology has been widely adopted across industries such as machinery, electronics, aviation, aerospace, and construction. However, its application in water conservancy and hydropower remains limited. To enhance the quality, efficiency, and overall level of water conservancy and hydropower engineering design, optimize design workflows, improve information sharing and reuse, and meet the growing demand for visual and intuitive design results, the Heilongjiang Water Conservancy and Hydropower Survey and Design Institute introduced the internationally advanced Bentley 3D design software platform. By assimilating and adapting this technology to the unique needs of water conservancy and hydropower projects, they have conducted in-depth research on 3D design methods and workflows, mastering its application in engineering design and accumulating valuable experience.
Advantages of 3D Collaborative Design
3D collaborative design has rapidly become the mainstream in CAD technologies because it offers many advantages beyond what traditional 2D design can provide. Its primary function is to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination among various disciplines involved in a project. This approach minimizes issues caused by poor coordination during the design process, significantly improving team efficiency and design quality.
Table 1 highlights a comparison between 2D and 3D design across various factors including performance and efficiency. 3D design excels in delivering realistic, accurate, and comprehensive structural representations, overcoming the limitations of 2D designs, which often rely on imagination rather than visibility. The progression towards 3D design is a natural evolution in technology, positioning it as the ultimate design approach.
Table 1: Comparison Between 2D Design and 3D Design
Project Aspect
Two-Dimensional Design
3D Design
Concept
Thought Process
Involves a dual thought process of 3D to 2D, then back from 2D to 3D.
Directly engages the three-dimensional design and production process, simplifying drawing and interpretation, thereby reducing production costs.
CAD/CAE/CAM Integration
Unable to implement integrated CAD/CAE/CAM workflows.
Facilitates seamless integration of CAD, CAE, and CAM processes.
Design Efficiency
Cannot guarantee consistent production cycles.
Enables rapid capture of design intent, quick problem-solving, and accelerates product design.
Production Process
Limited ability to perform effective error checking.
Reduces design errors, omissions, and collisions through thorough error detection.
Design Modification
Difficult to modify designs, hindering revisions.
Facilitates design changes and enhances overall design quality.
Design Process (Collaborative Effect)
The design process is linear and serial; changes by one department can affect others, and the final design is completed only after all departments submit their revisions.
The design process is interactive and parallel; changes in one department automatically update the final results. Data and design outputs are shared and updated in real-time, making the process highly efficient and fast.
Visual Representation
Flat and indirect; uses planar views and projections to reflect building shapes and structures.
Three-dimensional and direct; uses realistic 3D modeling to represent building shapes and structures—what you see is what you get.
Drawing
Cannot directly obtain 3D axonometric or excavation drawings.
Provides better 3D visibility and allows direct extraction of 2D drawings from 3D models.
Other Considerations
Cost
2D software is generally cheaper and more economical.
3D software tends to be more expensive and requires higher hardware specifications.
Added Value
Limited in 2D design.
3D solid models enable deep-level development, facilitating digital transfer and providing extended services for engineering operations, management, and maintenance.
Talent Development Speed
2D requires extensive engineering experience and a longer development cycle.
3D design allows for quicker mastery of professional skills through 3D solid modeling, shortening the learning curve.
Professional Skills and Project Insight
2D design offers a limited overall project perspective and weak integration of theory and practice.
3D simulation enhances project understanding and strengthens the connection between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
(4) Enhancing Design Quality
3D design offers greater precision by creating information-rich, unique, and reusable 3D models. It allows for accurate engineering quantity statistics, improves design rationality, optimizes designs, and reduces errors, omissions, and collisions through collision detection and model verification.
(5) Enabling Visual Review
Visual review significantly decreases review time, enhances efficiency, and reduces workload by automating annotation tracking and management. It also improves the handling of review feedback, minimizing errors and omissions.
3 Design Implementation Plan
Effective collaboration depends on standardization, especially in complex multi-disciplinary 3D environments. Standardization resolves issues related to data interfaces and reuse across disciplines. Utilizing Bentley’s standardized deployment of 3D collaborative design solutions is straightforward. Based on 3D design technology standards, a standard resource package is established, including seed files, fonts, layers, line types, configuration files, templates, and model partitions. Additionally, ProjectWise is used to create a standardized 3D environment encompassing organizational structure and personnel permissions within the workspace.
Before initiating a design project, a unified coordinate system and project standard library are established within the standard working environment. Relevant disciplines are informed of these standards.
Simultaneously, task decomposition is carried out within this environment, assigning responsibilities to professionals or individuals. When necessary, file naming follows ProjectWise rules, where corresponding design files are pre-established. Designers simply open these files without needing to create them. ProjectWise’s unique display technology ensures designers see familiar, readable file names while maintaining compliance with coding standards behind the scenes.
Each discipline performs professional 3D collaborative design within the standardized environment and accesses relevant materials based on permissions. Upon completion or reaching design milestones, the final assembly and comprehensive model inspection occur. Any issues identified are reported back for corrections, followed by repeated inspections until the model is error-free. The finalized comprehensive model serves as the basis for extracting 2D drawings and calculating project quantities. The workflow is illustrated in the following figure.
4 Practical Applications
At the end of 2011, the Longjiang Institute successfully applied 3D collaborative design methods to a practical engineering project. Using Bentley software as a platform, the Fendou Reservoir project in Muling City marked a significant breakthrough in design methodology.
The Fendou Reservoir is a key project in Heilongjiang Province’s 12th Five Year Plan. Its primary functions include urban water supply, flood control, irrigation, and power generation, making it a critical undertaking in the province’s new and renewable energy sector.
The Longjiang Institute’s Fendou Reservoir design team leveraged Bentley products to integrate engineering models within a PW collaborative, controlled 3D environment.
Table 2 details the software modules used across major disciplines involved in the Fendou Reservoir engineering design.
Table 2: Key Disciplines and Corresponding Software Modules for Engineering Design
Serial Number
Discipline
Application Software
Effect
1
Surveying
GEOPAK
Creates a digital watershed model.
2
Geology
GeoEngine
Processes and analyzes geological data, which can be directly imported into GEOPAK for further use.
3
Hydraulic Engineering
MicroStation
Bentley Architecture
Constructs a complete 3D model of the reservoir area, including solid models and excavation analyses for various dam types, spillways, tunnels, surge shafts, gates, hoist rooms, spillway tunnels, holes, channels, and steel pipes.
Bentley Navigator allows attachment of hydraulic attribute information for real-time querying and model navigation.
4
Factory Building
MicroStation
Bentley Architecture
Bentley Structural
Bentley’s architecture series facilitates easy creation of various factory models.
Bentley Architecture – Architecture-specific design module.
Bentley Structure – Building structure design module.
5
Electrical
Promise-E
Bentley Substation
Models electrical equipment and their primary and secondary connections and assemblies.
6
Hydraulic Machinery
Bentley Piping
MicroStation
Creates models for main and auxiliary hydraulic machinery equipment.
7
Metal Structure
MicroStation
UG
Develops various metal structure models.
8
Plumbing and Drainage
Hammer
Conducts water hammer analysis.
9
Co-Design
ProjectWise
Provides a collaborative environment enabling multi-disciplinary teamwork.
10
Roaming, Rendering, and Animation
MicroStation
Navigator
Rendering and animation production is achievable through MicroStation, while Navigator supports model exploration and attribute queries.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up