Automated engineering strategies for immersed tunnels

Synopsis:

Immersed tunnels require an integrated engineering approach for roads, structures, technical installations, and the immersed construction method. New software such as dynamo civil connection offers the engineer the opportunity to push the road design to the structural design. This approach makes the engineering process adaptive and allows changes without having a completely revised model.

Learning Objectives:

1. The construction process and details for immersed tunnelling as an outline for the engineering and modelling process
2. Managing the immersed tunnel modelling workflow with Autodesk Civil 3D, Dynamo, Civil connection package and Revit
3. Managing the immersed tunnel data model for Autodesk Civil 3D, Dynamo, Civil connection package and Revit

Body:

Immersed tunnelling is a construction methodology to build a tunnel underneath a waterway composed by precast tunnel elements. The elements are prefabricated in a dry dock, floated to the tunnel site to be sunk into place and then linked together. The design process of an immersed tunnel starts with the road alignment and then continues with the structural design of the tunnel. An immersed tunnel requires an integrated coordinated engineering for roads structures and production methods. Therefore, the tunnel model should be adaptive. The road design can change but the structural discipline shouldn’t lose their information.
New software such as dynamo civil connection provides the engineer a tool to process the road design in the structural model without losing the details. This course demonstrates several modelling approaches for immersed tunnels with the required data structure. A modelling comparison demonstrates the advantages for each methodology. The introduction of civil connection provides new possibilities to transfer the geometry of the road design in civil 3D to the structural model in Revit.

This coarse will focus on:
1.Workflow linear structures, comparison cut & cover tunnel versus Immersed tunnel;
2.Tunnel profile definition in Autodesk civil 3D with the subassembly composer;
3.Tunnel Alignments and corridors in Autodesk civil 3D;
4.Dynamo and civil connection script from alignment to structure;
5.Revit nested family structures for Immersed tunnels;
6.Tunnel element detailing with focus on the immersed tunnelling approach;
7.Dynamo tunnel element movement script for dry dock design;
8.Scope definition Civil 3D versus Revit;
9.Revit & civil 3D Model output for engineering.

The Dynamo Civil Connection package might increase the integrated design in Civil 3D and Revit. Furthermore, Civil Connection supports the existing engineering responsibilities and makes the design traceable. The proposed methodology is also useful for bridges and other linear structure. The element production in a dry doc requires more handling in comparison to other linear infrastructure.