In a corner of Tianjin Port, cruise ships set sail across the sparkling sea, their sirens echoing in the air. Behind them stands a magnificent and modern artistic cruise terminal — the Tianjin Port International Cruise Terminal, the largest cruise terminal in Asia, built by the China Construction Second Engineering Bureau General Contracting Company. Recently, this project received the highest honor in Chinese civil engineering — the prestigious “Zhan Tianyou Award.” Behind this achievement lies the dedication and ingenuity of the Second Bureau’s general contractor, who has been committed to technological innovation with BIM playing an indispensable role.
The General Contracting Company of China Construction Second Engineering Bureau took charge of procuring and installing equipment for the Tianjin Port International Cruise Terminal Passenger Terminal. Throughout construction, the technical team, led by the company’s technical department, repeatedly discussed layout plans and applied the full BIM design process to the project. Liu Zhiguo, head of the Ministry of Science and Technology, remarked: “BIM technology is at the core of enhancing construction enterprises’ management capabilities. We successfully integrated this technology into the cruise terminal’s construction, significantly improving the project’s quality.”
The cruise terminal’s main steel structure is a uniquely shaped steel construction, stretching 380 meters east to west. The outer eaves feature ultra-long, ultra-thin special-shaped decorative panels and insulated glass curtain walls, measuring only 18 millimeters thick. Using traditional construction methods would have caused repeated rework, wasted materials, and delayed the schedule. Instead, the project team used BIM software for detailed design, meticulously refining every component. They precisely mapped the spacing between each large steel component and the exterior decorative surface region by region, layer by layer, and point by point. This approach met strict construction control requirements and achieved the goal of “zero” rework.
During the cruise terminal’s construction, BIM technology was applied to all aspects, including architectural design, structural design, steel structure detailing, and construction management. The project team used BIM to deepen 12,880 drawings, prepare 208 plans, and conduct nine expert discussions. This process effectively resolved technical challenges such as complex building shapes, special roof structures, intricate mechanical and electrical systems, and the difficulty of comprehensive layout for a large seaside public building — ensuring the project’s optimal execution.
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