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Driving Eco-Friendly Infrastructure and City Accessibility
Alfred Street Bridge is a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Parramatta River in Parramatta, 24 kilometers west of Central Sydney. The AUD 19 million project is part of the revitalization of the area and is a key element in planned transport infrastructure improvements. The aim is to deliver an accessible connection over the river to the Parramatta Light Rail and to popular city locations, as well as around the waterfront area. The investment supports creating an eco-friendly, urban gateway.
This diagonal arch bridge will feature an 80-meter-long and 30-meter-high steel arch, which crosses the river at an oblique angle and supports a composite steel-concrete deck. Abergeldie Contractors, a civil engineering contractor based in Regents Park, New South Wales, bid for the work on this complicated project. To assist with their tender submission, Abergeldie chose construction planning consultant Solid Support to demonstrate the sequence of work in the clearest, cleanest way by creating a digital presentation that would clearly depict how the tender company would construct the bridge. The goal was to provide an accurate visual insight into the construction methodology. The animation was done to assist the tendering company in demonstrating their methodology, highlighting site establishment, crane locations, temporary works, and management of the general public.
Site, Structural, and Schedule Challenges
Building this iconic bridge presented numerous site and structural challenges, requiring an innovative and precise construction methodology. Located along the riverfront, the team at Solid Support also needed to consider sedimentation and tree protection. They had to test different construction scenarios and mitigation strategies to minimize the impact on the environment and residents. Therefore, the contractors sought to build temporary pedestrian crossings and fabricate the arch and deck off site. Both sides of the river feature high-rise residential buildings, and the team could only deliver works during the day to minimize impacts on local roads and noise levels for residents.
To help their client present their tender submission and win the contract, Solid Support wanted to produce a 4D animation that would clearly define the bridge construction process from start to finish. The animation would help sequence equipment logistics and movement, showing what materials had to be moved to specific spots at specific times. They wanted to innovate traditional tender methods, using 4D modeling to create an accurate, visual plan for the construction team. However, they had to meet a very short delivery time frame.
Leveraging SYNCHRO to Demonstrate Construction Methodology
With time being of the essence, Solid Support selected Bentley’s SYNCHRO 4D to deliver a digital visualization of the tender company’s construction methodology, aware that the application was a leader in the industry. The software’s reliability and ease of use were big factors in using the software from the very beginning.
Using SYNCHRO, they linked the 3D model with the tender program of works to create a 4D simulation video. Solid Support relied on the software’s 3D path feature to create detailed animations of the installation of the main bridge arch and crane, accurately showing how Abergeldie intended to install the bridge on site. Integrating Bentley’s interoperable construction simulation technology with third-party rendering technology elevated the basic views into a realistic representation of how the job will look before actual construction.
Upon completion of the video animation, the tender company could see potential clashes and what needed to be changed in their construction methodology. Solid Support then collaborated with Abergeldie to make the appropriate changes in the video and create multiple versions. The software provided complete freedom for animating equipment, crane movement, and lifting strategy.
4D Simulation Transforms Construction Tendering
Using SYNCHRO 4D, Solid Support got the job done with assurance of the deliverables. Rather than demonstrating how to construct the project with a paper tender submission or multiple drawings, the video was a perfect environmentally friendly way to timely and accurately present the project. Bentley’s application saved 50 percent of time creating the digital animation and enabled Abergeldie to win the contract. Working with Solid Support and SYNCHRO, the construction company quickly submitted the digital tender, demonstrating their advanced technical abilities on such a unique project. By using SYNCHRO, Solid Support hopes to improve the way construction companies can communicate with their potential clients and win more work.