Material supplied by Bentley
Victoria’s level crossing removal project (LXRP) aims to remove 110 level crossings across Melbourne by 2030 and is one of the most significant rail infrastructure endeavours in the state’s history.
The LXRP will not only eliminate commuter risks and travel delays, but it will also offer unique opportunities to modernise train stations and create open spaces and shared-use walking and cycling paths, promoting sustainable transport and improving community connectivity. Southern Program Alliance (SPA) is one of four alliances established to deliver a portion of the program, including the Parkdale level crossing removal, which focuses on enhancing safety and accessibility for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists by providing sustainable infrastructure solutions.
The Parkdale project involved removing roads and rail level crossings, as well as constructing a viaduct and new station along the Frankston line. As an SPA partner and the project’s lead design consultant, WSP committed to exploring numerous innovative and cutting-edge design solutions to create community-centric spaces that were seamlessly linked to transport access, all while minimising environmental impact and material usage. “The removal of the level crossing will provide better access to local businesses and amenities, supporting the local economy and enhancing the community’s liveability. The project will also have environmental benefits by reducing emissions from idling cars and improving air quality in the local community,” said Jaimin Patel, senior structural technologist at WSP. It will facilitate faster journeys along the Frankston Line and ensure safer local roads, greatly impacting area residents’ daily lives, work, and travel.
Site Constraints, Data Management, and Coordination Challenges
The narrow rail corridor and nearby heritage sites presented site constraints, compounded by the need to coordinate the level crossing removals with the simultaneous construction of the new Parkdale station, pedestrian crossings, car parks, and open spaces, such as playgrounds, gathering spaces, and open-air gyms. Faced with these challenges, as well as managing vast amounts of project data among a multidiscipline team, WSP sought to adopt digital solutions to streamline data and workflows to enable smart, rapid decision-making. “Working on a multidiscipline project, such as a rail project, can be challenging as it involves multiple teams with varying expertise, each working on different aspects of the project,” said Patel.
Furthermore, as a community-based project of this magnitude where most of the design and structure focused on the local area and people, WSP realised that public engagement and messaging were key to avoiding negative impacts and ensuring stakeholder buy-in. WSP not only needed to digitalise and streamline design and construction works, but they also needed a visual, digital platform to accurately and seamlessly communicate design intent to the public. While WSP was aware of different software applications used for collaborative design, data management, and communication purposes, they realised that they lacked the advanced automation and processing features, connectivity, modelling accuracy, and visualisation required to efficiently deliver the project. “[Our] insight into these other solutions suggested that they typically involved either labor-intensive manual processes or heavy scripting, which posed a risk,” said Patel. WSP needed a versatile, dynamic, and integrated digital solution to handle design changes, streamline progress, and provide functional and clear planning and communication in a digitally visual environment.
Related stories:
- Bentley Systems’ new carbon analysis capabilities help reduce infrastructure’s carbon footprint
- Bentley Systems: A hand-in-hand solution
- Bentley Systems: Evolution, not revolution
Leveraging Integrated Web-based Technology
WSP’s digital engineering initiatives included developing a federated digital twin model for 3D coordination and clash detection, as well as utilising gaming controllers to provide stakeholders and the public a drive-through experience of new stations, accessibility, safety, and precinct connectivity. Leveraging Bentley’s open 3D and reality modelling applications along with ProjectWise, WSP established a digital twin, streamlining workflows to meet the project objectives. Using iTwin Capture Modeller to generate a reality mesh of the extensive project provided an accurate digital representation of the project site, while the advanced modelling capabilities of OpenBridge Modeller allowed WSP to create 3D models of various bridge arrangements and easily modify them to determine an optimal design solution. “The software’s ability to handle design changes and streamline progress was essential in meeting the project’s challenges,” said Patel. The integrated digital solution managed the vast amount of project data and facilitated coordinated modelling and collaboration, ensuring that all parties were on the same page.
Working with Bentley’s open modelling technology and using iTwin as a federated platform facilitated and accelerated data and model sharing. On a weekly basis, WSP synchronised the project models, creating a digital twin to ensure stakeholder access to up-to-date information and a single source of truth, enabling informed and timely decision making. The interoperability, advanced modelling features, and web-based accessibility of Bentley’s software fostered community engagement, critical to successful project delivery. Using LumenRT to generate realistic animations from the 3D models in an open platform allowed the public to better understand the design intent. “The biggest help when it came to engaging with the community was setting up the digital models to allow the team to show residents how the new infrastructure would look, and that there wouldn’t be any major effect on their houses or businesses,” said Patel.
Digital Collaboration and Visualisation Optimise Project Delivery
Using Bentley’s integrated digital technology, WSP accelerated project progress, ensured accuracy, and ultimately delivered a successful project. Working in a collaborative digital platform with OpenBridge Modeller minimised rework and improved efficiency by automatically capturing any subsequent changes to the alignment after setting up the initial model. “The use of OpenBridge Modeller increased the return on investment of the project by significantly reducing the time taken to create 3D models of the bridge,” said Patel. Using Bentley software improved workflows and productivity, reduced modelling time by 60%, and saved 15 hours in the design delivery process.
WSP also reduced the environmental impact of the project, using the digital modelling applications to explore various design options and determine an optimal and sustainable solution that saved a significant amount of material, including concrete and steel, which has a high carbon footprint. The team achieved a 7% reduction in bridge materials by optimising span lengths and the number of spans, as well as eliminating steel girders, reducing the project’s overall carbon footprint by 30%.
Lastly, establishing a web-based digital context provided a realistic visualisation of the project within its real-world context, reducing the need for physical site visits, facilitating informed decision-making, and achieving community buy-in with better public understanding of the project. WSP’s collaborative digital workflows ensured timely access to accurate information, minimising the risk of using outdated or incorrect data. The digital templates and model components created for the Parkdale project can be reused for future projects. “By choosing the right software solutions, the team was able to meet the project’s challenges effectively and deliver a high-quality project,” said Patel.
Author: Oana Crisan is a product marketing manager focused on civil design engineering solutions and applications at Bentley Systems. She is responsible for the development of go-to market strategies, creating consistent messaging and content, and enabling sales to achieve new business growth. She holds a BA in business information systems from Dublin Business School, Ireland, and a BA in international relations and European studies from Petru Maior University, Târgu Mureș, Romania. She can be reached at oana.crisan@bentley.com.