collaborative design makes a big impact for nuclear advanced … · 2012-05-25 · namrc design,...

CASE STUDY | Collaborative Design makes a big impact for Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

Collaborative Design makes a big impact for Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

Environmental concerns have established that the only

viable solution to replace the country’s aging Magnox

reactors – and the only effective means of keeping

lights burning from the 2020s – are a new generation

of Nuclear Power Stations, using the most up-to-date

nuclear technology. However once the site of such

a facility has been chosen a significant proportion of

the time available until it has to come on line is spent

on further research and consultations – in-depth site

surveys, issuing tender documents to prospective

construction partners, creating infrastructure links for

construction traffic and workers and other construction

processes. In addition significant time and effort also

has to be devoted to listening to, acting upon, and

sometimes having to overcome local community

recommendations and objections.

Understandably, decisions are delayed, additional consultations are requested and costs re-evaluated - and the time left to actually build the power station and install the electricity generating equipment is shorter than the contractors would ideally like.

Fortunately, manufacturing skills in the nuclear industry are being honed and the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC), has been constructed on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Rotherham. Following on from the success of earlier research centres constructed on the site, this sophisticated facility will front research for both the UK and Global nuclear industries. Designed by Bond Bryan Architects in Sheffield, the NAMRC combines both large scale workshop areas with heavy lifting cranes, smaller research laboratories and state-of-the-art office accommodation.

To maximise the potential of the workshop area, the scheme comprised a universal structural slab, with a 50 ton crane capacity and a 10m hook height. The building also provides a technical working environment, with temperature control of 20 degrees C (+ or – 2 degrees C), supported by a daylight factor of 6.5% across the workshop and 4.4% in the offices.

Besides hosting ample space for the construction of physical prototypes, the Research Centre also has two virtual reality suites – the ‘CAVE’ which provides real-time 3D virtual environments. These are interactive zones where physicists and nuclear design engineers can interact with 3D models, assisted by multiple co-ordinated projectors, and using the latest interactive 3D visual technology.

The Research Centre is also designed to achieve an ‘outstanding’ BREEAM accreditation of 91%, using renewable resources for its construction and for carbon neutrality. A separate planning application was submitted and approved for a 100 metre, 1MW wind turbine for local power generation.

Bond Bryan Architects worked with Buro Happold, Structural Engineers, on the project. As is common with such multi-disciplinary collaborations, one of the first requirements was to work out the process and protocols for the sharing of building model (BIM) data. Bond Bryan Architects used GRAPHISOFT® ArchiCAD® for the NAMRC design, and Buro Happold’s structural engineers used Autodesk® Revit® Structures for the design and


“ With the increased complexity of projects, where multiple construction disciplines use applications from different software vendors, it is imperative that more consistent standards of design and construction are adhered to. At Bond Bryan we adopted standards set out in BS1192:2007 and Uniclass classification systems for structuring the data and are firm believers in an Open BIM approach”

Rob Jackson, BIM Manager, Bond Bryan Architects


“IFC is the best way to share data between consultants, but it does have some minor issues that need to be addressed. The only way to resolve these, however, is to embrace the standard and work with others to improve it”

Rob Jackson, BIM Manager, Bond Bryan Architects

analysis of the building’s foundations, floors and steel frame.

Rob Jackson, Bond Bryan’s BIM Manager explained the process. “The NAMRC Building Information Model was shared with Buro Happold as an IFC file which they opened in Revit Structures. IFC is an ISO standard used across the world for the creation and exchange of data between different BIM softwares”. IFC (Industry Foundation Class) are object based files, containing software independent building model information, designed to facilitate the sharing of model data across the construction industry – the most basic requirement for successful collaborative BIM. To validate that only the required data was being exchanged, and that this was correctly structured, either Solibri Model Viewer (SMV) or Tekla® BIMSight - widely used free IFC/ BIM viewers - were used.

The columns, beams and other main structural details were exported, without any connection details, from the Revit Structures model. This optimised IFC file was then downloaded by Bond

Bryan and imported and opened in ArchiCAD. Jackson explains further, “IFC files allow different users to share only that information they need for their own purposes. There are also different ways of using model information. Two floors, for instance, that might be shown separately in the structural model could be shown as one floor in the architectural model, or columns could extend over multiple floors. The imported IFC file is used to re-order the model”.

Jackson also emphasises the importance of protocols to successful collaborative BIM. He comments “With the increased complexity of projects, where multiple construction disciplines use applications from different software vendors, it is imperative that more consistent standards of design and construction are adhered to. At Bond Bryan we adopted standards set out in BS1192:2007 and Uniclass classification systems for structuring the data and are firm believers in an Open BIM approach”.

With regard to the use of the IFC file

format for exchanging data, Jackson affirmed his company’s commitment to the standard, but was realistic about its current effectiveness. “IFC is the best way to share data between consultants, but it does have some minor issues that need to be addressed. The only way to resolve these, however, is to embrace the standard and work with others to improve it”.

Bond Bryan Architects has seen significant benefits from the collaborative processes used in the design of the NAMRC. The architectural design was prepared as an ArchiCAD BIM model and the structural model was developed in Revit Structures by Buro Happold. Sharing models, via IFC, ensured that design development and co-ordination was both quick and accurate, especially compared to previous methods. This proven process for collaborative design enabled Bond Bryan Architects to deliver the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre design phase three months ahead of schedule.


For more information, please contact:

GRAPHISOFT UK Ltd. 21-25 Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6DJ Tel: +44 (0)1483 263 150 Email: [email protected] www.graphisoft.com

About GRAPHISOFT

GRAPHISOFT® ignited the BIM revolution with ArchiCAD®, the industry first BIM software

for architects. GRAPHISOFT continues to lead the industry with innovative solutions such

as the revolutionary GRAPHISOFT BIM Server™, the world’s first real-time BIM collaboration

environment, and the GRAPHISOFT EcoDesigner™, the world’s first fully integrated building

energy modeling application. GRAPHISOFT’s innovative solutions have fundamentally

changed the way architects around the world design and collaborate.

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For more information, on this project:

http://www.bondbryan.com

collaborative design makes a big impact for nuclear advanced … · 2012-05-25 · namrc design,...

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