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Bentley systems help put metro on track

01 March 2016

Architects, engineers, contractors and owner-operators working on key infrastructure projects in the Gulf region are using Bentley Systems’ software solutions to accelerate project delivery and improve asset performance.

In Qatar, for instance, Bentley products and solutions are being used on the Doha Metro and some key sports facilities among a host of projects.

Commenting on the company’s involvement with these projects, Malcolm Walter, COO Bentley Systems, tells Gulf Construction: “Bentley Systems is helping seven of the eight joint ventures working on the various Doha Metro packages achieve common data environment (CDE) while adopting an optimal BS1192 methodology.

“Since these are multi-team global project engagements, increased productivity, reduced costs and fast access to the most up-to-date information is a must. This is being achieved by using Bentley’s ProjectWise, as the single integrated collaboration platform for all project participants, while supporting their key software.”

Walter says this enables team members and project stakeholders to share all work-in-progress and collaborate in real-time regardless of their physical location across the globe. It also provides the ability to track who has modified, reviewed, and approved what. This applies to all project information; not only documents and drawings, but building information modelling (BIM) models, all within user defined controlled access, to ensure proper security of project data.

Other renowned projects where the US software specialist’s solutions are in use include Riyadh Metro and the Midfield Terminal Building at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, which Abu Dhabi Airports CEO Tony Douglas has dubbed as the single largest building information modelling (BIM) model in the world.

Two of the largest consortiums (of a total of three) on Riyadh Metro have also elected to standardise on Bentley’s ProjectWise as an efficient and optimal BS1192-compliant software, while attaining a CDE, in addition to using several of Bentley’s design and modelling software solutions, according to Walter.

Updated version

Last spring, Bentley Systems introduced the Connect Edition of its software, which provides users a common environment for comprehensive project delivery that enables them to productively integrate modelling and documentation workflows across disciplines for projects of any size and complexity.

“With the Connect Edition, our users can easily access, share, and manage all their data throughout the project and asset lifecycle. They can make better decisions with immediate feedback and clear insight, made possible through complete visibility into design and project performance,” explains Walter.

“As we roll out the Connect Edition of all of our products, we have thus far made available the ProjectWise Connect Edition, MicroStation Connect Edition, and Navigator Connect Edition in general access, and users are starting to take full advantage of these advancements.”

The ProjectWise Connect Edition is Bentley’s workhorse for comprehensive work sharing that advances the project from design integration to collaboration, adding hybrid cloud services for deliverables management, issues resolution, and engineering content management.

The MicroStation Connect Edition advances Bentley’s common modelling environment for unified support of design modelling, analytical modelling, construction modelling and reality modelling. Meanwhile, the Navigator Connect Edition is an application that extends the common, connected experience for users from the office to site or the field.

“Its advances are highlighted by model-based visual reporting and, with the addition of ProjectWise, issue resolution,” says Walter.

Key benefits

“Our Connect Edition products are natively enabled with always-on cloud service that enables construction management teams to create a common data and project performance environment to integrate isolated project data, connect distributed project teams, and plan for skilled resources. We built it as a hybrid project environment to provide these cloud services to pre-existing technology such as on-premise servers that can be cloud provisioned, desktop applications, and mobile devices,” says Walter.

He continues: “Construction project teams face challenges every day. Projects are ambitious and complex, the teams are more distributed and project completion schedules are tighter. With our solutions, users can streamline construction workflows, optimise resources, and manage the lifecycle of their projects from planning through handover. Our users have visibility into the path of construction using industry-standard project delivery methodologies. Whether in the office or in the field, our solutions provide construction project teams with instant access to the right information at the right time to make better-informed decisions and keep the project moving forward.”

Walter says Bentley solutions include multi-discipline design and analysis, construction modelling, project collaboration, deliverables management, WorkFace Planning, work packaging, and construction management. The company addresses any type of infrastructure including buildings, industrial plants, offshore structures, utility and communications networks, railways, highways, bridges, and more.

“Our products empower construction teams to manage each project effectively and gain insight and consistency across projects. These products include ProjectWise, ConstructSim, Bentley Navigator, and Eadoc,” he adds.

In the GCC, most of the company’s product users are large contractors and large consultants. Bentley also caters to most major municipalities in the region (like Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah), as well as water and electric authorities such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa), Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa), Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), and Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal).

Other major customers include Saudi Aramco, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), Sadara, Adco, Zadco, EGA (Emal and Dubal), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Doha Metro, Petrofac, Parsons, Worley Parsons, Bechtel, Aecom, Arcadis, CH2M, Technip, Siemens, DAR, Khatib and Alami, Consolidated Contractors Compan (CCC), China State and Arabtec.