An Automated Design Workflow for Piled Foundations in Hong Kong

Tom Bush

Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Ltd.30 May 2019

Outline

• Digital Transformation of Design

• Planning for Automation

• Pile Design: Automated

• Reflections

Digital Transformation of Design

How we design

We generate data sets …

… by carrying out processes

How we could work

Culture shift from designing artifacts

To designing logic

Planning for Automation

Automation Platform

3D CAD Package Visual Programming Plug-in for Rhino

BIM / Attribution Plug-in for

Grasshopper

How does visual programming work?

How does visual programming work?

Pile Design: Automated

Scalable Automation

Foundation Design

Scalable Automation

Foundation Design

Architectural Model

Structural Design

Façade Design

M&E Design

Construction

Benefit: Improved Quality

More time Checkable

∞

Repeatable

Reflections

Reflections

• Capturing logic is not easy – but once it is captured, it is captured forever.

• There is a distinction between scripts and tools.

• Our industry needs to upskill rapidly.

• Eliminating repetitive work allows more time for the interesting stuff.

Thank you!