Randselva Bridge leads the BIM revolution

 

At 634 meters long, Randselva Bridge in Norway is the world’s longest bridge to be designed and built without a single 2D drawing. Instead of traditional plans and sections, Swedish engineering company Sweco developed a BIM model containing around 300,000 different components and all the necessary information to realize the mammoth project.

 

The bridge is currently nearing completion on the E16 Eggemoen- Åsbygda highway, close to the town of Hønefossn. It has a concrete box girder structure with six piers that range in height from five to 42 meters. The bridge has a main span of 200 meters and the bridge deck stands 55 meters above the ground at its highest point.

design without drawings? this is the world's longest bridge to be built solely from 3D models
images courtesy of Sweco

 

 

challenging the status quo

 

Not only is Randselva bridge smashing world records, but it’s also winning awards. The project saw off competition from 130 other entrants to take first prize in an international BIM project competition organized by software provider Tekla. The company praised Sweco for demonstrating ‘the benefits of adopting new technologies and challenging the status quo.’

 

Sweco says, ‘This project shows the efficiency that can be achieved through parametric modeling and interdisciplinary collaboration, together with the creativity and structural possibilities that modeling technology brings to incredibly complex and large projects. With Parametric design it is easy to make changes, you can reuse the design, it is easy to convey how the final result will be and it facilitates a better and closer collaboration between all actors involved.’

 

The bridge is being realized using a turnkey contract where PNC Norway is the client and executing contractor, Sweco Norway is responsible for modeling and design, and Armando Rito is responsible for the calculations. 

design without drawings? this is the world's longest bridge to be built solely from 3D models
the bridge has a concrete box girder structure

design without drawings? this is the world's longest bridge to be built solely from 3D models
the BIM model contains around 300,000 different components

design without drawings? this is the world's longest bridge to be built solely from 3D models
the bridge deck stands 55 meters above the ground at its highest point

design without drawings? this is the world's longest bridge to be built solely from 3D models
Randselva Bridge spans 634 meters long

 

 

project info:

 

name: Randselva Bridge

location: Oslo, Norway

client: PNC Norway

design: Sweco, Armando Rito