Sector 04 / 18

BIM for tunnels and underground works

Road and rail tunnels, excavations and ventilation, lighting and safety systems in a single model.

At a glance

B1P Group models and checks road and rail tunnels, excavations and underground works: alignment and cross-sections in Civil 3D, linings, niches and cross-passages in Revit, tunnel systems (ventilation, lighting, fire protection, safety) coordinated in the federated model. For designers and contractors we provide modelling, coordination and model checking before handover; for clients we support the RUP (sole project manager) on the exchange information requirements.

The sector

What do we do in a tunnel?

A tunnel is a linear structure whose cross-section changes: the Civil 3D corridor carries the alignment and the typical cross-sections, while Revit models the lining, niches, cross-passages, service tunnels and portal structures. Tunnel systems are the densest part: fans, lighting, cables, hydrants, signage and control systems are coordinated in the federated model before they reach the site.

On existing structures we start from the point cloud of the laser scan survey: it describes the actual cross-section stretch by stretch, and the model we derive from it becomes the basis for the upgrade design and for maintenance.

Typical projects

Single-bore and twin-bore road and motorway tunnels
Railway and metro tunnels
Excavations, shafts and service tunnels
Tunnel systems and safety
Works on existing tunnels

Rules and formats

What do the people who check a tunnel ask for?

In road tunnels, safety is governed by Legislative Decree 264/2006 for tunnels on the trans-European network and by the operators' own rules; the model helps demonstrate distances, exits and safety equipment. In public contracts, the exchange information requirements call for checks on geometry, data, clashes and rules: we turn them into written, repeatable checks.

For formats, IFC 4.3 covers the alignment and civil works; classes dedicated to tunnels arrive with IFC 4.4, which is under development, and in the meantime generic objects and coding agreed in the plan are used.

Typical deliverables

What do we deliver?

Deliverables vary with the stage and the information requirements; these are the most common.

Phase	Handover	Who it is for
Design	Alignment and cross-sections in Civil 3D, lining and systems models, federated model, IFC	Designers
Verification	Checking reports before every delivery, clash detection and rule-based checking on the systems	Designers and contractors
Construction	Construction-level models, quantities by section and by lining segment, as-built model	Contractors
Existing assets	BIM modelling from laser scan surveys, model of the actual cross-section, basis for upgrading and maintenance	Asset operators

References

Why are there no project names here?

Projects in this sector belong to the clients: we do not publish names, locations or images of the assets. In our offers we list projects of the same type and, with the client's consent, someone who can confirm our work.

Why we do not publish our projects

Related services

Which services do we provide in this sector?

Frequently asked questions

The questions we are asked in this sector

Do you model tunnel systems?

Yes, they are where coordination pays off most: ventilation, lighting, fire protection, cables and control systems go into the federated model and clashes are closed out before construction.

Do you carry out model checking on behalf of the contracting authority?

No. Checking deliveries remains with the contracting authority, and the RUP approves it in a formal record. We support the RUP in drafting the information requirements and the checking rules and train the people who carry out the checks; for designers and contractors we check models before handover.

How do you deal with an existing tunnel without reliable drawings?

We start from the laser scan survey of the appointed surveyor and support the client in BIM modelling from survey data: the point cloud describes the actual cross-section stretch by stretch, and the model we derive from it is used for the upgrade design and for operation.

Contact

Do you have a tunnel to model or check?

Tell us about the structure and the information requirements: we will tell you what we would check and with which rules.

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