INGECID participated in the presentation of this success story, involving the use of BIM methodology for Bilbao's South Metropolitan Bypass (VSM). The company gave a presentation in one of the prestigious “Aula Potencia” lectures, which are given in different Universities and Training Centers throughout Spain.

Alongside most of the partners and participants in the design and construction of the Bypass, INGECID highlighted how BIM and VIRCORE serve as an empowering and collaborative methodology to improve workflow, team efficiency and decision-making, while remaining transparent and encouraging participation.

These properties, especially its transparency and universality, make BIM practically a new philosophy when it comes to construction. It was created for building projects, but its proven efficacy has allowed it to be adapted to infrastructure works such as Bilbao’s VSM, the first project of this type to use this methodology.

Aula Potencia on the application of BIM methodology

The event was coordinated by Francisco Ballester Muñoz, Emeritus Professor of Construction Engineering at the University of Cantabria. All those involved in the project commented on their experience, the challenges faced and the benefits of using the methodology for this infrastructure.

Jesús de Paz, Director of INGECID’s Design Engineering and BIM Department and BIM Manager of this project, spoke on behalf of INGECID. He highlighted how the BIM methodology affects people, processes, technologies and tools.

He briefly presented the features of Vircore, the Common Data Environment (CDE) used in the project, explaining that it presents a single interface for all its operations (2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, 7D) and that it is accessible from anywhere by all participants. It also allows multi-project management while maintaining the integrity of information between different sections of the project and the companies involved. He also highlighted the innovative management of the integrating model that not only allows for collaborative document management but also includes bi-directional links to the elements in the model. This model has evolved from its initial incarnation, based on a 2-dimensional project, to a modified model for 'As-Built’ monitoring.

Finally, Jesús explained the different uses of each of the BIM models that have been developed, highlighting their usefulness for other companies and different contracts, thanks to the Vircore platform’s ability to facilitate access and true collaboration, one of the key aims of BIM.

The talks by Miguel Gil and Pedro Rivas (Interbiak) were particularly interesting, as they shared their experience of the site management of each section.

Eduardo Casado, also from Interbiak, highlighted how enormously useful the 3D model, with more than 45,000 integrated documents, was for carrying out the works.

Alberto Alonso (IDOM) emphasized the importance and flexibility of the VIRCORE software and the traceability it allowed, as he was able to manage the different permissions for each user of the documentation. He also highlighted the software’s ability to monitor different versions without losing any information.

José Manuel Baraibar (Viuda de Sainz) pointed out that the VIRCORE CDE allowed users to easily access the information in each document, streamlining their work.

Video of the complete session AULA POTENCIA | BIM VSM, A SUCCESS STORY

INGECID and the BIM methodology in VSM

INGECID's extensive experience in civil engineering projects using BIM methodology has made it possible to apply this methodology in the construction of sections 9A and 9B of Phase I of the VSM. All the attendees emphasized the key role of BIM in the coordination of the various disciplines and sections and the VIRCORE platform’s contribution to good communication between all parties.

They also commented that 3D BIM modeling tasks and 4D time planning initiatives were vital when it came to analyzing options.

The VIRCORE comprehensive project management platform, played a decisive role as the basis for the entire CDE collaborative environment, facilitating fast, flexible access to all the project information, consisting of 40,000 documents and a total volume of around 200 GB.

About VSM

Work on project Phase Ib of Bilbao’s Southern Metropolitan Bypass began in 2019 at a cost of €200 million. Based on the original project on paper, the BIM methodology was applied to create a 3D model to be used in the construction phase. Following the “As-Built” model, joint work has been carried out for the superstructure project (the installations), and the foundations for the operation and maintenance phases have been laid.

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