A BrIM solution the industry has been requesting is now a reality!

Simultaneous control of your Analytical and Bridge Information models.

Are you frustrated at having two separate models during the design stages of your bridge? Imagine having one single point of control to manage your Analytical Model and Bridge Information Model (BrIM).

Now it is possible for any type of bridge – simple or complex, steel, concrete or even timber. There is no more need to keep updating the two models. FEM and BIM are connected at last. Now there is an out of the box workflow available for any type of bridge.

This happens by connecting the data flow from Analytical and BrIM software through Grasshopper which creates a common single point of control for both models. Grasshopper is an algorithmic scripting tool and runs as a Rhino plugin.

Many of our customers using Tekla for Bridge Design are already using our live link with Grasshopper. The newly released SOFiSTiK has Grasshopper component which enables the integration of the Analytical model with Tekla Structures model – creating a full end-to-end bridge design workflow with one single point of control.

Real-time efficient changes and avoided errors

Any change made in SOFiSTiK or Grasshopper level will automatically reflect the newly updated Tekla Structures model. The Grasshopper script starts with common attributes and when necessary it divides into two branches; one that feeds the Analytical Model and the other that feeds the Bridge Information Model.

The drawings, bill of quantities and bar bending schedules can be extracted from the Tekla model which is always up to date and are true representations of the actual model. When in demand, the design can reach even LOD 350-400 (Level of Detail) where every object, every bolt, weld and rebar is modelled. A true constructible model that supports construction on-site, fabrication and asset management.

This advanced bridge design workflow will transform the way our industry works.

It helps bridge designers to gain control of both models simultaneously, becoming more efficient by not having to model the same bridge twice and avoiding errors since the changes are updated to both models at the same time. Now the designer can view the Bridge Information Modelling (BrIM) in real-time, adjust while running the Finite Element Analysis (FEM) and have a quick way to have a draft version of the bridge for potential clash check, preliminary quantities take-off or simply to present the intent to the client.

Find out more about Tekla Structures, the most comprehensive BrIM solution (Bridge Information Modeling) for bridges and other civil structures.

Source: Tekla Blog