Ineco has been entrusted with the management of the refurbishment works for the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Located in the centre of Madrid, it is an energy-efficient building with more than 50,000 m² of floor space, where more than 1,200 public employees will work. The building is highly flexible in its use of space and complies with EU energy efficiency directives and is BREEAM-certified for sustainability. All site information has been integrated into a Building Information Modelling (BIM), which has improved the quality of the project and optimised costs during construction and maintenance.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has contracted Ineco through a public tender to implement the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology in construction projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is the company’s second BIM contract in the region in recent months, following the recent contract to provide a training course for experts from another multilateral financial institution, CAF (see ITRANSPORTE 71).

The objective of the consultancy is to generate a methodology to measure the economic, performance and management impacts and results of BIM implementation in construction sector projects. The contract is for a period of five months and includes the implementation of three pilot projects.

Ineco continues to participate in the development and spreading of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology. At the end of January, the company gave an online training course on BIM for the staff at the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). The course focused on the management of BIM projects by public administrations, and provided insight into different experiences of implementing BIM in different countries in Latin America, Europe and the rest of the world.

In addition, the work group at the Railway Innovation Hub, an innovation-oriented conglomerate of Spanish businesses, has completed the drafting of the BIM classification for the rail sector. Ineco and Grant Thornton have led the group since 2019. For the first time, this new system will standardise and categorise all of the elements in the subsystems of the railway network, so that they can be incorporated into BIM models.

In order to contribute to innovation in the rail sector, the outcome of this collaboration has been placed in the public domain. In addition to Ineco and Grant Thornton, those taking part in the project include Abengoa-Inabensa, Actisa, Akka, Apogea, Ayesa, Azvi, Belgorail, Cemosa, Comsa, Dassault Systèmes, Enyse, FCC Construcción, Ferrovial, Ingeniería In Situ, Sdea Solutions, Sener, Siemens, Sistem, the Cetemet and Tecnalia technology centres, and the Madrid Association of Civil Engineers. Nearly 100 companies form part of the Railway Innovation Hub, which is dedicated to promoting innovation in rail services.

Ineco has been awarded the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems.

The award acknowledges the company’s ground-breaking work in Spain in the development of GIS (Geographic Information System) technology thanks to the integration of the BIM methodology into a GIS environment to develop a virtual 3D model of the future A-76 Ponferrada-Ourense Highway, for the Spanish General Directorate of Roads.

Every year, different projects around the world in different fields are recognised for demonstrating their capacity for innovation and good use of GIS in solving a variety of problems. (More information here).

Ineco has developed a manual for the correct implementation of the BIM methodology (Building Information Modelling) for the Basque railway manager Euskal Trenbide Sarea in its contracts. Published in April, it is the first BIM guide for the railway sector in Spain, in addition to others related to the ports or building sectors.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results. With our vocation for innovation and the solid capacity to adapt that we have demonstrated since the very beginning, the current situation has allowed us to consolidate the strengths that set us apart, design new services that respond to emerging needs, and offer the best from our primary asset, the team that makes up Ineco. In short, we are moving forward, growing together.

The role and talent of Spanish engineering has meant that, for the first time in the more than 50 years of our history, we are now operating on all five continents. We have made our entry into Australia as part of the technical team that is promoting the modernisation of Sydney’s commuter network, drawing on Ineco’s extensive experience in the railway sector. In addition to this project, which is a symbolic milestone for all of us, Ineco was also awarded contracts with Rail Baltica and the works for Vilnius airport, both in Europe, the sustainability study for Dammam airport and the integral management of the plan for the Kuwait international airport expansion, in Asia, and the project recently signed in Costa Rica, on the American continent.

In Spain, we continue to focus our work on continuing to grow together with our clients and shareholders, contributing to the maintenance of essential services that seek to guarantee sustainable development, such as the services provided in Spain for Aena related to its carbon footprint and the fight against climate change,the work for ENAIRE, which for the first time successfully tested remote operation of SACTA, and the works and installations for Adif that will enable it to improve the quality of the service and advance in the efforts to bring high-speed rail to Extremadura.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results

Ineco’s commitment to developing its talent has enabled it to continue to grow its position as a ground-breaking transport engineering and consultancy firm in the design of innovative and cutting-edge projects. One clear example of this is the international Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award given by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems, which recognises Ineco’s ground-breaking work in Spain using the BIM methodology in a GIS environment when designing a new stretch of highway. Accordingly, this edition includes an article on linear infrastructure projects in several countries where we are applying the BIM methodology. We also cover the Innova Award awarded to Ineco for the EOS project, a software product with unique features previously unavailable on the market.

Lastly, within the framework of our Agenda 2030 Plan, we highlight the importance of Ineco’s compliance programme, an example of our firm commitment to ethics that forms part of our Atenea Strategic Plan, guaranteeing respect for the law and trust amongst our stakeholders. Compliance is a culture that enables us to continue growing together to continuously improve our company, avoiding risks and producing legal security.

In companies, digitisation has been aimed at increasing productivity, which is also the goal of BIM implementation in Spain. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the focus to resilience and maintaining productivity in the face of adverse situations, in short, maintaining the business. This objective is clearly reflected in the pillars of the BIM methodology, which focuses on digital information management –with the reduction of paper-based processes, common data sources and process automation– and collaboration, i.e., the use of collaborative tools, digital exchanges, synchronised access and the use of cloud storage. The new scenarios generated by this pandemic, such as the promotion of remote work (teleworking), the reduction of contact between workers through the establishment of shifts and social distancing, require the increased digitisation of processes in order to ‘work digitally’.

Ineco’s experience in this field has enabled it to ensure the continuity of work and to fulfil its commitments during this period, although it is necessary to continue developing this methodology for its generalisation as a working standard. As part of this process, a body of documentation is being created to contribute to the success of this endeavour through specific manuals, guides, process automation tools, etc. These actions are complemented by the creation of a digital community of practices that will serve as a meeting point for all those interested in the application of the methodology within the company, people from different fields and with different visions that contribute to establishing and prioritising needs.

BIM observatory.

BIM in infrastructure projects

Although BIM, as a methodology or set of processes, does not distinguish
between areas, over the last year Ineco has developed various linear infrastructure projects with BIM as the work methodology. These are very different types of projects, ranging from metro or high-speed lines to roads, and applied to various stages of the life cycle, in line with a methodology that aims to address that whole life cycle. Significant progress has been made during this period in areas where the application of BIM methodology faced the greatest challenges:

• Modelling tools: digital models are generated by these tools, which are beginning to incorporate exchange formats designed for linear infrastructure.
• Standards: the publication of the EN-19650 standard establishes the definitions and information flows in BIM processes and makes it possible to move beyond the stage in which its absence led to the use of rules obtained from international standards.
• Interoperability: the publication of the IFC 4.3 open standards (alignment, bridges, road and rail) is an important step forward in establishing the open exchange standard for infrastructure, eliminating the need to resort to formats developed for construction.

BIM public tendering.

BIM sector distribution.

AWARD GIVEN FOR BIM-GIS INTEGRATION ON A HIGHWAY PROJECT

Some of the more important areas of innovation related to broadening the horizons of the application of this methodology are those involving integration with GIS, which recently received the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award given by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems. This work aims to integrate digital information from different sources and technologies into a common environment that encourages and maximises its use, is accessible to as many parties as possible and facilitates decision-making in project implementation.

The award acknowledges the company’s ground-breaking work in Spain in the development of GIS technology thanks to the integration of the BIM methodology into a GIS environment to develop a virtual 3D model of the future A-76 Ponferrada-Ourense Highway, on the Villamartín section of the Abadía-Requejo stretch for the General Directorate of Roads, part of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA).

BIM-GIS display of the A-76 highway.

The Special Achievement in GIS Awards are international awards given to organisations around the world that Esri Inc. uses to show its appreciation for the use of its technology in addressing some of the world’s most important challenges. Every year, different projects around the world in different fields are recognised for demonstrating their capacity for innovation and good use of GIS in solving new problems.

3 NOTABLE projects

A technical solution for a light metro. This is an international project designed as a technical solution for the building design of a light metro, just over 2 kilometres long, to be connected to an existing external line. The design comprises a 2 km tunnel with three access points, an evacuation tunnel and three underground stations, involving numerous infrastructure disciplines at the same time. The route has very demanding occupation requirements, which means that the coordination and implementation of the infrastructure is especially important.

Metro.

Six teams were involved in the design, generating models belonging to different companies and countries, which is why collaboration between them is also a key aspect, using two common data environments. The BIM uses that were applied included 3D coordination and generation of 2D documentation and quantity take-off.

Three-dimensional models for a highway in Costa Rica. Normally we think of the sequential development of the generation of BIM models in the design stage (project) and their use in subsequent construction and maintenance stages, but in certain cases and under certain circumstances, BIM can be applied in more advanced stages even if it has not been executed in initial stages. This involves digitising the project documentation and converting the drawings into three-dimensional models with all of the associated information. The objective is to use it to monitor the work, simulate construction, obtain quantities for certification and generate ‘as built’ information.

Roads.

This was the case for the San Gerardo-Barranca stretch of the Pan-American Highway in Costa Rica. The project was carried out in the ‘traditional’ way, obtaining the usual documents: design report, annexes, plans, specifications and the bill of quantities. Based on this documentation, Ineco generated the digital models that represent the entire section and all its disciplines: earthworks, pavement, structures, drainage, signs, etc. The digitisation of the project documentation allows the detection of inconsistencies between disciplines. The three-dimensional visualisation alone makes this detection possible. In addition, the linking of construction elements and budget quotes, a number of inconsistencies in quantities and the bill of quantities were detected. A filtering analysis by relevance was then carried out, determining the inconsistencies that were actually relevant for the work stage and which would need to be taken into account.

Currently, we are waiting for the beginning of the works in order to start the monitoring work to be connected with the actual construction plan.

A digital twin to manage a railway construction site. As in the previous case, a high-speed railway section at the access points to Extremadura has been modelled for use in the construction stage, in this case a track assembly site. The objectives are as follows:

• To study the application of the BIM methodology in track installation works.
• To contribute to the improvement of collaboration and communication between different parties.
• To generate a digital twin of the work in order to facilitate management of the work in later stages.
• To monitor the execution of the work in terms of costs and deadlines.

Railways.

The work includes the installation of 55.1 kilometres of double track on ballast, as well as some smaller sections of single track on ballast on a double track platform (around 400 metres) and slab track (around 3.7 kilometres). In this case, the complexity arises from the length of the section involved and the need to identify the basic objects to be introduced in the digital models. Before work began, the corresponding BIM Execution Plan was drawn up, which included the definition of the level of graphic information to be included in the models, taking into account the disciplines involved in a project of this nature (surface treatments, ballast, sleepers, rail, welding and track devices); specific tables were also included for the non-graphic information for each type of element. In the absence of a standardised classification system that includes these type of elements, an ad hoc system was created. The Execution Plan also defined the common data environment, which is essential for sharing information between the site office teams and the design office. Lastly, the quality control model was designed according to the arrangement shown bellow. In total, 38 route and track models were generated, taking into account the section divisions of the project.

Quality control model.

With its 30-year contract to manage six airports in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Aena Internacional has strengthened its leadership in the world and is helping to build new air bridges in a strategic sector vital to the development of the country’s tourism and economy, while at the same time strengthening relations between Spain and Brazil.

Ineco, which provided technical support to Aena Internacional during the entire concession process, will continue to collaborate on both the Operational Readiness and Transfer and subsequent stages, thus strengthening its long history as a technical consultant in Brazil, a country in which the company is carrying out other projects such as supervision of new trains for the São Paulo Commuter network, which is also covered in an article in this issue.

Also in the international sphere, our railway specialisation has taken us to different continents, as reported in the article about the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) carried out for the improvement of the Panama City Metro and safety studies conducted for the Makkah-Madinah high-speed line in Saudi Arabia.

In Spain, the works on the high-speed line to Galicia also involve building bridges – both figuratively, because of the crucial importance of improving connections with the Region of Galicia, and literally, because of the construction of the large viaducts and other special works that are required, including the ones described in a report in this issue on a section that presents enormous technical complexity.

We also dedicate space to innovation with the RONIN road safety tool and the implementation of a pilot project using the ground-breaking integration of BIM and GIS technology in Spain’s road sector.

Ineco’s commitment to building bridges between training and the exercise of the engineering profession, supporting the development and attraction of talent, has led us to organise, together with the Spanish Institute of Engineering, the first edition of the Awards for Excellence in Engineering Student Internships. These awards are based on performance during a series of theoretical and practical courses that will enhance the training of future engineers and enable them to contribute to increasing the prestige of Spanish engineering.

Similarly, and as part of our unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda, we will be building charitable bridges with volunteer projects that we carry out in our CSR section, in which we highlight three projects already underway in India, South Sudan and Haiti.

The A-76 highway is one of the first road projects in which the BIM (building information modelling) methodology has been applied, a field in which it is not yet very well developed. This has led to an evolution from two- to three-dimensional models with associated information, and working in a collaborative and digital environment that centralises all of project information and makes it possible to overcome existing constraints in terms of information exchange.

The virtual preconstruction of the first of the slip roads of the Villamartín de la Abadía-Requejo section, that of the future A-76 highway connecting to the A-6 highway, was chosen because it is a good representative case. It is a complex slip road in which the lanes of the A-76 separate to connect to the A-6, allowing all possible movements directly. Its design was determined by the topography of the land; additional carriageways connecting to the N-VI and LE-158/15 roads; and the configuration of the A-6 highway’s existing entries and exits. In terms of its most characteristic features, the project has a total length of over 10 kilometres, requires the construction of 11 structures and involves the channelling of the Arroyo de los Valtuilles.

A 3D model was created with geometric and non-geometric information, put together as a puzzle in which the models provided by the disciplines of layout, road surface, land, drainage, structures, affected services and signalling, signs and defences are added using interoperable formats that allow the integration of digital information from a broad ecosystem of tools with which the aforementioned disciplines work.

A ground-breaking project in Spain

In the A-76 project, the BIM world was connected to geographic information systems, for the first time in Spain and virtually the first time in Europe. What both worlds have in common is that they combine geometric elements associated with alphanumeric data (attributes) and, therefore speak a common language. BIM intrinsically focuses on the three-dimensional model of the infrastructure, and GIS, among other aspects, ensures that all other elements are correctly referenced to real coordinates. But the most important thing is that GIS allows the elements to be related to each other, enabling a multitude of analyses to be performed between the data, based on either spatial (spatial topology) and/or semantic relationships.

This provides BIM with an endless number of GIS variables (both 2D and 3D) that it did not have previously and which are essential in all phases. GIS has also contributed to facilitating the understanding of the project and its integration into the environment, without limitations of extension and on multiple scales, in the same three-dimensional scenario. This has been the common framework where all of the elements have fitted together: environmental data, results of hydraulic, noise, fauna, expropriation, land registry studies, etc. The scenario become progressively richer as more data has been integrated, all with spatial reference (coordinates), generating a live and virtual model that is being referred to as the ‘digital twin’.

The BIM methodology has been linked to geographic information systems, resulting in living 3D models that are connected to a physical environment, in what is coming to be referred to as geodesign

Accessible thanks to a 3D GIS viewer

All information is accessible through an online 3D GIS viewer. Customers, technicians, collaborators, contractors or interested users can intuitively consult all of the information of the project by scanning a QR code with a mobile phone, or using the URL and an internet connection via mobile, tablet or computer. The display provides easy and intuitive universal accessibility, making it a new tool for decision making, and also a very powerful communication instrument throughout the different phases of the project.

Through this viewer, BIM and GIS democratise and make the project more accessible in a simple, transparent way, and without the need for training or knowledge of the specific software, which will undoubtedly contribute to its implementation in other projects. This accessibility will result in economic and time savings in the transmission of information to the different parties interested in all phases of the design, as well as decision making.

Especially in public investment projects that are of general interest to the public, social consensus is vital from the early stages in order to streamline future administrative procedures. This new behaviour paradigm is consolidated thanks to technological advances, thus generating new mechanisms for public participation.

This report was made possible thanks to special contributions by Miriam Pinilla and Agustín Roldán, civil engineers; Mirela Vladovic, telecommunications engineer; Laura Martín, geographer y Raquel Veneros, technical architect.

The introduction of BIM is an essentially collaborative process

1 BIM is a revolution… Is it difficult to understand?

I prefer to talk about evolution, although it does have some truly revolutionary aspects.

2 What internal changes does it involve?

It is essentially a transformation based on a significant cultural change in which management of what has already been built plays a prominent role. Improvement in collaboration is fundamental. BIM is an essentially collaborative process.

3 What advantages would you highlight?

I would essentially highlight improvement in quality, transparency, traceability and reduction of risks and uncertainties throughout the life cycle.

4 Will having or not having BIM be a critical factor?

In the short term, it could be critical but, in the medium term, not having it will mean being excluded.

5 How is it being received by the Spanish construction sector?

It has met with a good deal of scepticism because cultural change is not easy for such a mature sector; that said though, the transformation starting to gain a certain amount of momentum.

6 What time scales are being applied for public tenders in Spain?

The time frame is short-term. Within a year, it will already be present in building processes; however, incorporation will be gradual to allow the whole sector to adapt.