There three impressive entries each for both the roads and highways and bridges categories.
For roads and highways these finalists were for BIM applications for the Meitan-Shiqian Expressway in China, the JiHe Expressway in China and the University Road in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Both Chinese expressway projects were enormous in scale and scope, incorporating impressive design features. However, after much deliberation from the judges it was the macro project for the Cedar Falls road improvement that just squeezed past to take first place. Key winning factors included working with the local community, tackling numerous clash detection issues with utilities and using the design model for stringless control of the concrete paver to generate a complex form.
Competition was no less tough in the bridges category, with BIM design in the rapid transformation of the 4th ring road and Dahe Road in Zhengzhou, China, the new viaduct over the Polcevera in Genoa, Italy and the design and build of the Harbour Road 2 project in Jakarta, Indonesia. Again these were all first class projects featuring key innovations in design, engineering and construction. However it was the design and build of the Harbour Road 2 project in Jakarta that won favour, both for its scale and complexity. The judges were impressed with the way BIM had been used to optimise construction, allow the structure to cope with earthquakes measuring up to 9 on the Richter Scale, while also meeting tough environmental requirements.
While the Polcevera Bridge replacement project in Italy did not win in the bridge category itself, it was a winner of a special achievement award. Key factors in this special award included the fact that the bridge’s electrical surveys are powered by solar panels. The project has been fast-tracked through design and construction and the bridge should be in use just two years after the disastrous collapse of the previous structure.
