Quadri Connector for Civil 3D - connections made easier
Read this story in Swedish here
Working on projects where different stakeholders use different software solutions is commonplace for most people involved in design work. Coordinating data from various software programs is not always easy — especially if one of the project requirements is to work in a common coordination model that is updated in real time. In this article, Daniel Alderholm at Civilscon AB talks about the advantages of using Quadri in combination with Civil 3D.
Quadri Connectors are designed to facilitate the work that Trimble customers do. Someone who has greatly realized what benefits can be derived from using Quadri Connectors, especially the one for Civil 3D, is Daniel Alderholm at Swedish civil engineering consultancy Civilscon.
Daniel has extensive experience with design, project management, and construction coordination. He has been working at Civilscon since September 2023 and is responsible for the office in the city of Örebro. Civilscon AB offers services in infrastructure design, project management, and investigations, with a team of 15 employees in offices in Falun, Gävle, Luleå, and Örebro.
Introduction to Quadri and the Connector for Civil 3D
“I have worked with Civil 3D for years, coordinating it with NavisWorks,” Daniel explains. “On projects where different software brands are involved, things tend to get a bit complicated. Trimble came in and showed us how to work with Quadri in combination with Civil 3D - and it was a well-timed visit since we were about to start a turnkey project on the E18 Köping-Västjädra highway.”
Early on in the project, Civilscon had a meeting with the client, Entry AB, to discuss the way of working and the ideal pathway to the desired result. It became clear that the contractor highly valued working as easily and seamlessly as possible. “In a case like this, it is perfect that they can go in and fetch data directly from Quadri, instead of asking us designers to send over DWG or LandXML files,” Daniel explains. “Moreover, in those cases, you often end up sending over too much information just to be on the safe side, which makes the contractor unsure about what they have actually received.”
Quadri Connector for Civil 3D helps integrate design tools, BIM platform, and coordination model efficiently and smoothly. (Image, Civilson AB)
Getting to know Quadri Connectors
A Quadri Connector is a plugin that allows different software solutions to be directly connected to Quadri, enabling design work from Civil 3D to be transferred into Quadri at the push of a button, or data from Quadri to be imported as a basis in Civil 3D.
“What I find so great about the Connector for Civil 3D is that it's so easy to use. You just draw in Civil 3D and then press ’send to Quadri,’ and it's done. And with that, an entire corridor, all breaklines, surfaces, and more are in the Quadri model, ready to be used further,” Daniel explains.
In a project where both Civil 3D and Novapoint are used as design tools, the workflow involves storing all base data such as terrain models, rock models, and existing pipelines in Quadri. This data is then used as a calculation basis in both Novapoint and Civil 3D. (Image: Trimble)
Quadri and Quadri Connectors applications
“Since I've become somewhat specialized in working on turnkey projects, it is primarily on this type of project that we have used Quadri and the Quadri Connectors,” says Daniel. The projects he is mainly referring to are the E18 Köping-Västjädra and Road 55 Dunker-Björndammen. On both projects, Civilscon acts as a subcontractor to Entry AB, which carries out the projects for the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket).
The setup of how the civil engineering consultancy works on these projects and which software they use varies. For the E18 project, the engineers only used Civil 3D for all the design work, while for Road 55, they used a mix of Civil 3D and Novapoint. “One could argue that for Road 55, the strengths of Quadri Connectors are even more evident because we design roads with Civil 3D, other roads with Novapoint, and drainage with Civil 3D. Regardless of the origin, all results are saved in Quadri - and there's no difference in the outcomes because Quadri is an object-based database.”
The Road 55 Dunker-Björndammen project is in full swing with earthworks. The contractor retrieves their machine control data directly from Quadri. (Image, Entry AB)
Trimble Connect for coordination
“One thing that both projects have in common is that we use Trimble Connect to share the coordination model so that everyone on the project can keep up with what is happening. It is significantly easier to open the coordination model in Trimble Connect than for everyone in the project to open Quadri. Since there is version control in Trimble Connect, we can also revert back to earlier versions of the coordination model if necessary,” Daniel explains.
“The contractor has been very positive about working this way throughout the project. Naturally, a brief training was needed, and they had their requirements for which types of objects were to be extracted. However, since the Quadri model is built with a clear object structure, selecting the right objects for export is not difficult.
Future improvements
In conclusion, Daniel states: “It's the simplicity that makes the connector so good. There are few button presses, and the content you want in Quadri ends up in there without any problems. After that, you can adjust conversion rules and other items to bring even more information. In most cases however, it's best to keep everything as simple as possible.”
“There is only one area where I could see possible improvements for Quadri and Quadri Connectors. This is in the handling of the corridor from Civil 3D. Some manual adjustments in Civil 3D are required to achieve a result in Quadri that is optimal for the contractor. If this could be simplified, the work would become even smoother.”
“Working with Quadri, the Connector to Civil 3D, and Trimble Connect gives us what we need in terms of models and coordination. The contractor can access setting out data and quantities as required, and the client — the Swedish Transport Administration — can easily share the coordination model via Trimble Connect. It's a very smooth solution that works exceptionally well on our projects!”
The interviewee
Daniel Alderholm
Project Manager and BIM Coordinator, Civilscon Mälardalen AB.
Worked at Civilscon from 2023, previously at Loxia Group and WSP.
Background as a road designer with Civil 3D as the main tool.
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Örebro University
Civilscon
The company is located in Falun, Gävle, Örebro, and Luleå. In total, there are 15 employees offering services in design, construction management, geotechnics, and investigations.
About the projects
E18 Köping - Västjädra
https://www.trafikverket.se/vara-projekt/projekt-i-vastmanlands-lan/e18-koping---vastjadra/
https://entrygroup.se/pagaende/e18-koping-vastjadra/
Väg 55 Dunker - Björndammen
https://www.trafikverket.se/vara-projekt/projekt-i-sodermanlands-lan/vag-55-dunker--bjorndammen-motesfri-vag/
https://entrygroup.se/pagaende/vag-55-dunker-bjorndammen/
Quadri Connectors
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Quadri Connectors enable efficient data exchange and collaboration between different software and systems within infrastructure projects.
- They act as bridges to transfer and synchronize data between Quadri and various design and coordination tools.
- Included in the Quadri Business Premium license.
- Available for Revit, Civil 3D, Open Roads Designer, Novapoint, Tekla, Grasshopper, ProjectWise, Trimble Connect, Trimble Business Center, among others.
- Facilitate seamless sharing and management of project information in real-time.
- Enhance collaboration, efficiency, and accuracy throughout the project.
More information about Quadri Connectors: https://quadrihelp.trimble.com/Quadri-Connectors