Early one morning, Ao Qingguo, Chief Engineer of the Kunshan North Sewage Treatment Plant Project at China Railway Shanghai Bureau, logged into the BIM software only to notice a red dot on the model. Where had the issue occurred this time? Clicking on the red dot, he carefully investigated and discovered that the vertical formwork for the concrete pouring preparation of the side panel in Zone C had malfunctioned. Fortunately, the on-site technical team had already addressed and corrected the problem.
BIM technology is a data-driven model built on 3D digital technology that integrates various engineering information. It is widely applied in engineering design, construction, and management. By consolidating and organizing diverse project data, BIM enables real-time information sharing and communication. This empowers technical teams to gain accurate insights and respond efficiently to challenges arising during building construction, project planning, and operation and maintenance phases. As a result, BIM effectively reduces engineering costs while enhancing productivity and quality.
The Kunshan North District Sewage Treatment Plant Project, managed by China Railway Shanghai Bureau, is a semi-buried facility confined to a compact site measuring roughly 233 meters by 112 meters. Construction is particularly challenging due to a deep foundation pit reaching a maximum depth of 8.87 meters. After completion, the main structure will be located underground, demanding elevated standards of engineering quality. At the same time, the project team faces significant schedule pressures, making it critical to maintain construction quality during this fast-paced process.
In this context, the exploration and adoption of BIM technology have proven to be invaluable tools for ensuring and enhancing construction quality control. The project team uses hazard analysis on BIM model components to provide quality design recommendations. Throughout construction, visual simulations powered by 3D digital technology enable precise calculations of quality variations and project data volumes. Additionally, BIM automates inspections of construction progress and evaluates quality compliance for each unit, which significantly improves overall project quality management.
Moreover, the project department has introduced innovative quality control measures by leveraging the natural tendency of younger workers to use smartphones for photography. Combining this with BIM’s seven-dimensional visual capabilities, workers photograph quality issues as they arise and upload these images directly to the BIM model via a specialized BIM app. This approach enables transparent oversight and timely follow-up on engineering quality rectifications.
“When quality problems arise onsite, phone calls are often inefficient for communication,” explains Ao Qingguo. “Uploading photos taken on-site to the BIM model clearly highlights the location, nature, and details of the issue. This data-driven approach allows us to analyze problems quickly and notify technical personnel for timely resolution, greatly improving work efficiency. It’s truly remarkable.” Having spent his entire career in engineering, Mr. Ao cannot hide his enthusiasm when discussing the benefits of BIM technology.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up