Allplan Bimplus Supports the Construction of the World’s Largest Lock

Sassevaart, a joint venture consisting of DEME Infra Marine Contractors, Dredging International, BAM Infra, BAM Contractors, and Van Laere, relies on BIM and Allplan Bimplus as a data management platform for reinforcement in the planning of the new Terneuzen Lock in the Netherlands. Allplan Bimplus enables the use of information across all disciplines throughout the entire project lifecycle, ensuring smooth collaboration. (Munich; Terneuzen/NL) With a length of 427 meters, a width of 55 meters, and a depth of 16.4 meters, the new Terneuzen Lock will be one of the largest locks in the world upon its completion. Starting in 2023, it will accommodate larger ships and expand capacity on the shipping route between Paris and Rotterdam. The Rotterdam-Paris inland shipping route is one of the busiest canals and an important connection for the economy in Europe. The new lock is intended to facilitate smooth passage for inland vessels between the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, while also providing reliable passage for sea vessels.

Overcoming Challenges with BIM

The project presents several technical challenges, as many complex processes are carried out simultaneously. One of the biggest challenges is that the waterway must remain operational during construction. The middle lock will be operational for inland vessels for three years longer than originally planned. During this time, a temporary shipping channel will be used. To coordinate the multitude of parallel activities, BIM is employed as a working method for coordinating collaboration among the various project stakeholders in all construction phases.

Due to the high complexity of the project, there is little room for errors and rework. To enable this, Sassevaart implemented Allplan Bimplus for the reinforcement process from design to realization. This allows all planners to easily review reinforcement designs and provide feedback, as well as assign and track tasks for change management.

Time, Efficiency, and Accuracy

Silvy Santosa, BIM specialist at BAM Infraconsult, says: “We gain time, efficiency, and accuracy when we collaborate within a BIM model and collect, share, and avoid information loss on a single platform. Therefore, creating and managing information within our BIM model throughout the entire project lifecycle is key to the successful execution of this project. The digital platform from ALLPLAN, Allplan Bimplus, plays an important role in our 3D reinforcement process,” adds Silvy Santosa.

Allplan Bimplus enables all project participants to access a central BIM model and optimize their processes accordingly. This gives the entire team a better overview. It allows for the identification and early addressing of collisions in the reinforcement. Additionally, sequencing, logistics, as well as health and safety requirements can be better integrated into the planning. While the construction process is still ongoing, Allplan Bimplus has already proven to be an integral part of project management.

Photo: Van der Kloet Foto & Videoproducties DEME
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