Comprehensive Professional BIM Implementation in Wuxiang Tenth Railway Project

Overview

The new Wuxiang Tenth Railway project, stretching from Xiaogan East to Shiyan North, spans a total length of 395.121 km. This includes 159 large and medium bridges, which account for 51.7% of the railway’s total length; 22 tunnels, making up 14.3%; and 134.453 km of roadbed, comprising 34.0% of the track length. The BIM test section focuses on the exit area of the Wudang Shanxi Wangjiazhuang Tunnel, covering a mainline length of 8.3 km. This section features a complex geological structure, including 10 bridges totaling approximately 3.5 km, 6 tunnels covering about 2.3 km, 13 roadbed construction sites spanning roughly 2.3 km, and one intermediate station, Wudang Shanxi Station.

Software and Design Process

The comprehensive BIM design covers 20 specialties, including pre-station and post-station disciplines, utilizing a wide range of software such as Autodesk Revit, Civil3D, Inventor; Dassault Catia; and several proprietary tools developed in-house.

Full Professional BIM Design Process

The aviation inspection team employs a laser LIDAR system to capture orthophoto remote sensing images of the test section, using Infraworks for ground modeling. The geology team builds a 3D geological model based on geophysical data. Route planning is performed in Skyline, utilizing orthophoto images and geological data for 3D route selection. Roadbed design is done in Civil3D, while bridge models are created using Catia. Tunnel design is handled with Inventor and subjected to dynamic and static analysis through Simulation software. Track design, including turnouts, is completed with Inventor. Other specialties such as machinery, contact network, and environmental protection are also designed with Inventor, while remaining disciplines use Revit. All models are finally integrated using Navisworks and Infraworks 360.

Achievements

Aviation Inspection Specialty

The aviation survey team leverages airborne LIDAR data to produce high-precision digital terrain models. Combined with point cloud data and high-resolution remote sensing images, they generate orthophoto images that directly support construction drawing design.

Positive Orthophoto Image of Wuxiang Tenth Test Section

Geology Specialty

Using Civil3D, multiple cross-sections containing terrain information are generated through dense sampling along the route based on terrain surfaces and 3D route models.

Next, a 3D stratification model is created considering the complex relationships between horizontal and vertical layers. Through secondary development, batch processing of cross-sectional stratification and mapping is achieved.

Utilizing a plugin developed by the China Railway Fourth Institute, all cross-sections with geological information are merged to form a complete 3D geological surface.

Finally, Civil3D’s solid modeling tools are used to construct the 3D geological solid model.

3D Geological Solid Model

Route Specialty

Route design is conducted in Infraworks using 3D orthophoto remote sensing images, followed by detailed horizontal and vertical section design in Civil3D. This provides essential data for other disciplines.

Three-Dimensional Route Selection

Bridge Engineering

Design for 10 bridges within the test section was completed using Catia software. These include a special continuous curved beam structure (40m+72m+40m), a 6 × 32m turnout continuous beam, and the complex Wudang Shanxi No.1 multi-line bridge (covering mainline, arrival and departure lines, and platform beams), totaling about 3.5 km.

Bridge Design Model

Tunnel Specialty

A comprehensive library of over 20,000 tunnel standards was established. Using iLogic, parameter-driven models for tunnel openings, reinforcement bars, and other components were generated. Inventor plugins developed for secondary design enabled rapid tunnel assembly following design and assembly standards. Six tunnels totaling approximately 2.5 km were designed in the test section.

Tunnel Design Model

Roadbed Specialty

Roadbed components were created using Civil3D’s component editor and visual programming techniques. Parameterized “standard” roadbed structures were assembled in a modular fashion based on different cross-section types. The final assembly adaptively generated the roadbed model along the 3D route according to terrain data. This resulted in the completion of 13 roadbed construction sites and a 2.3 km roadbed model near the Wudang Shanxi Wangjiazhuang Tunnel exit, including 7 road cuts, 5 embankments, and 1 station roadbed.

Roadbed Design Model

Station Building Design

Architectural, structural, and HVAC teams collaborated in Revit to design the station building, canopy, overpass architecture, and HVAC systems for Wudangshan Station, achieving detailed construction drawings. Mechanical engineering used Inventor to model escalators within the station buildings.

Station Building Design Model

Four Electrical Disciplines Behind the Station

The information technology team completed the modeling and layout of automatic ticket vending machines, gates, and entry/exit stations within the station building. The contact network group modeled and arranged the subgrade, bridges, tunnels, and contact networks inside the station. The signaling team handled the layout of signal towers and signals, while the electrical power team designed lighting for the interior of the station and tunnels. The power supply and transformation specialty modeled and arranged power supply and transformer stations.

Design Model for Four Electrical Disciplines

Water Supply and Drainage Engineering

Using Revit, the team modeled and arranged sewage treatment stations, fire pressure stations, and water supply pressure stations. Collision checks were performed to effectively minimize conflicts between outdoor water supply and drainage pipelines and other station facilities.

Design Model for Water Supply and Drainage Specialty

Environmental Protection Specialty

Sound barriers were designed based on roadbed and bridge layouts and arranged along the railway route to mitigate noise pollution.

Environmental Sound Barrier Model

Model Integration

Given the involvement of multiple software platforms and disciplines, Navisworks and Infraworks 360 were used to integrate the various professional models. During integration, challenges such as coordinate inconsistencies, large models exceeding import limits, data loss, and inter-disciplinary collisions arose. Solutions included unifying coordinate systems, adopting lightweight models, exporting data via alternative methods or secondary development, and applying different strategies to resolve conflicts.

Within a single discipline, collisions were resolved by directly modifying the identified conflict points. Between disciplines, feedback was communicated to multiple teams for coordinated adjustments. Following model integration, specialized research activities such as animation walkthroughs and construction simulations were conducted.

Integrated Sectional View of Wudang Shanxi Station

Integrated Models in Navisworks and Infraworks

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