More precise construction through better structural engineering

Smart design software minimizes design time, mistakes in plans, and problems at the site

At the moment, ACE Arheget is responsible for the structural engineering of a housing area in Oslo, Norway. They are designing nine residential buildings, each 3,500m² (37,000ft²), all of which will have a concrete load-bearing structure and the facade material is wood. The structure and design of the roof is exceptionally demanding according to the General Manager. He explains further: “Because wood and concrete have a very different accuracy, it is extremely important that the joints are designed carefully, taking into account how big of an accuracy difference there can be within these two materials (concrete even 20mm, and in wood 2mm).”

“In 80% of the cases, now that we are using Vertex BD, there are no issues at the site due to incorrect, deficient engineering or incoherent plans,” explains Mr. Milutinovic, and continues: “Five centimeters is a problem at the site, but if it can be anticipated beforehand, it is rarely a problem at the designing table. Therefore, designing with Vertex BD and getting a Building Information Model (BIM) out before the construction work starts is very important. With BIM, we can check how all the different building plans work together in advance.”

 “We have been able to shorten the structural design time significantly by adopting Vertex BD at our company. At the end of this year, we will have six engineers using Vertex BD,” explains the General Manager. While listening to him further, it becomes clear that savings in time and/or in money is not the most important factor. It is the quality of customer service that will increase customer satisfaction through having fewer problems at the site and being able to offer more precise end results to the customer.

With the Vertex BD software, ACE Arheget engineers have been able to reduce human error in structural design and also problems at the site. “Accurate BIM and 3D models help us to understand the risks and pinpoint the potential problem areas of a construction site before starting the construction. Earlier in these situations, the problems were solved at the site with big and heavy tools, resulting in not-so-precise and happy endings; but nowadays, they can be handled on the computer utilizing 3D-design models beforehand,” sums up Mr. Milutinovic.

Another important feature is also mentioned by the General Manager. If the client wants to see the design details beforehand, it is now easier with Vertex BD. The designer can bring the customers project ideas to reality by using the Vertex 3D Model. “This ensures the customer knows what to expect and any necessary changes to the design can be made early, avoiding any expensive changes at the building site”. The accurate plans also reduce unclear issues between the construction company and the end customer,” comments the General Manager.

Vertex BD is not only very useful software, but according to Mr. Milutinovic, the customer service of Vertex is quick and very helpful overall.