Trimble Quadri and Trimble Connect streamline construction work on the Highway 25 project in Sweden

Read this story in Swedish here

East of the city of Växjö in the South of Sweden, two major highways, Highway 25 and Highway 27 intersect. Today, these two roads converge at a large roundabout that also connects a number of local streets. This road system has been causing issues for a long time, including congestion and poor accessibility. Therefore, the Swedish Transport Administration, in collaboration with the Växjö municipality, decided to construct an interchange allowing both Highway 25 and Highway 27 to bypass and be separated from local streets and pedestrian and bicycle traffic. 

WSP is one of the world's leading consulting and engineering companies and its Jönköping office has been working on the reconstruction of Highway 25 in Växjö for many years. Throughout the entire project, the work has been model-based, using Trimble Novapoint software and Trimble Quadri collaboration platform along with other software tools. 

"WSP has been involved in this project in various capacities since the road planning stage in 2014," says Axel Erixon, group leader at WSP's office in Jönköping and a seasoned designer and BIM coordinator on Swedish Transport Administration projects. "Right from the beginning, we have been working with a model-based approach. The client, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), set BIM requirements from day one. As for tools, we have been using Trimble Novapoint and Quadri consistently, gradually updating the models without losing data, which I consider a strong endorsement of the software."

"One of the strengths of the Quadri model [of the road design] is that all design data has been preserved throughout the years and serves as the foundation for our delivery products. We’ve been developing on the basis of the same data at the core," Carl Pettersson, road designer on the project, points out.

One of the key requirements from The Swedish Transport Administration was to produce consistently high-quality presentation material. The reconstruction of Highway 25 affects a large natural area that had requirements for preservation and effective presentations have been crucial for gaining and maintaining support from various stakeholders, including the municipality, and for informing the general public. Initially WSP used custom-developed software for visualization, but when it was time to produce tender documents for the turnkey contract in 2019, the team decided to exclusively use Quadri to enable working with a shared model.

Constructible model with a high level of detail
"Initially, the plan was to deliver tender documents for a turnkey contract, but due to various circumstances, the requirements were changed to tender documents for an execution contract," Axel explains. "This change led to an increase in the level of detail in the model, but since we had a continuously updated model, we were able to swiftly continue our work to deliver a different end product." 

Carl Pettersson continues, "During the development of the tender documents, we worked with various software programs. Novapoint for road and traffic, Civil 3D for utilities and landscape design, and Trimble’s Tekla for bridges and other structure design. We have used connectors for everything, which has made collaboration very smooth."

Trimble has truly succeeded in providing an open solution where we can collaborate effectively across all technical domains," emphasizes Axel Erixon. "As an example: the noise barriers were all designed in Revit. They would have been incredibly challenging to incorporate into the model without a connector." 

Meeting customer requirements 
Trafikverket requested deliveries in model formats, BIM, and specific levels of detail from the beginning of the project. Throughout the various phases of the project, WSP and the client  evaluated together what is reasonable to deliver based on specified requirements, keeping in mind what is needed to keep the project moving forward, but without stifling progress due to too high a level of requirement details.

"The client truly understands that the data in our 'presentation model' is also actionable data and should be and can be used effectively later in the construction process," Axel emphasizes.

Trimble Connect opens more avenues for communication
With the commencement of work on the tender documents, WSP and the client used Trimble Connect to share and collaborate on the project based. With functionality such as the measurement tools, views, and collaboration features, as well as the ability to share files and models with individual stakeholders who do not own licenses, both WSP and the client were always up to date with all files and model updates.

By using Quadri and Trimble Connect, project members were able to access information based on their specific needs and roles. Quadri is used for modeling and object based data management in a software-agnostic platform, and Trimble Connect is used for file management and file based model sharing. Together Quadri and Trimble Connects make up a complete CDE-platform, and an open environment enabling seamless integration with a variety of modeling tools. 

"Now that the tender documents are finished, there is an open link to the models on Trimble Connect so that those who are bidding can get an idea of the type of model data available in the project," Carl explains.

"The presence of the models also provides a sense of security for the bidding contractor, knowing that there is indeed valuable model data for the construction phase available. This way of working is highly appreciated by the technical support at Trafikverket. We can see that the contractors bidding on the project really take advantage of this opportunity and use the models."

Overall, using a model-based workflow during the whole project, has made for a smooth transition between the initial phases. Thanks to both WSP and the owner Trafikverket embracing this approach, the road is now paved for another smooth transition into the construction phase. 

The connection between Trimble Connect and Trimble Quadri

The connection between Trimble Connect and Trimble Quadri allows for seamless integration and data exchange between these two software platforms, enhancing collaboration and project management in construction and infrastructure projects. Here's how the connection typically works:

Data Import and Export: Trimble Quadri is primarily used for creating and managing object-based BIM (Building Information Modeling) models. Trimble Connect, on the other hand, serves as a platform for sharing, collaborating, and managing project files. Data, including BIM models, can be imported into and exported from Quadri and Connect using the built-in connector.

Collaboration: Trimble Connect facilitates communication and collaboration within construction projects. It allows various stakeholders to upload, share, and collaborate on different types of files, including BIM models. This feature streamlines information exchange, reduces the risk of errors, and improves collaboration among project team members.

Integrated Issue Management: Trimble Connect and Trimble Quadri can be integrated for issue management using BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) topics. This means that project teams can raise, track, and resolve issues directly within the Trimble environment, making it easier to manage project-related tasks and communicate effectively.

Interoperability: Trimble Quadri is known for its ability to work with a variety of modeling and design tools, making it easy to integrate data from different sources into the BIM model. Trimble Connect acts as a central platform where stakeholders can access and interact with these integrated BIM models and other project files.

In summary, Trimble Connect and Trimble Quadri are complementary tools that cater to different aspects of construction and infrastructure projects. Connect focuses on communication, collaboration, and document management, while Quadri specializes in BIM modeling and data management. The connector between them facilitates the seamless flow of data and information, enhancing overall project efficiency and effectiveness.

If you would like to learn more about Trimble Quadri, Trimble Connect, and how to effectively use them as platforms for your project, you can contact Trimble at contact.scandinavia@trimble.com.