Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application
- Sensors - Vibration Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Building Automation & Control
- Public Transportation Management
About The Customer
SAIDEL Engineering is a Romanian engineering firm that specializes in geotechnical and structural design. They have been using Bentley's PLAXIS software for almost a decade, which has helped them in delivering complex projects with high accuracy and efficiency. In this project, they were tasked with the challenge of designing a safe and cost-efficient foundation for a residential building to be constructed over the subway tunnels in West Bucharest. The project was a pioneer in the city, and it required approval from the subway operator, Metrorex. The firm's expertise in geotechnical engineering and their proficiency in using advanced software like PLAXIS played a crucial role in overcoming the challenges and delivering a successful solution.
The Challenge
In West Bucharest, Romania, a land developer initiated a EUR 2.5 million project to construct the city’s first residential building over the subway tunnels. The structure was initially planned as a 10-story building with a basement for parking. As a pioneer project located in the tunnel protection zone, it presented an irregular footprint and required approval from the subway operator, needing to demonstrate minimal displacing of the tunnels and effect on the structural forces. SAIDEL Engineering was tasked with providing structural and geotechnical design, with the goal of reducing the overall effect of the building on the tunnel lining by providing a safe and cost-efficient foundation. The project was complex, requiring SAIDEL Engineering to modify the shape of the footprint to reduce the irregularity of the building, while still complying with its functional and architectural needs, compounded by the mandate to obtain the conservative subway operator’s approval. Having previously been rejected, it subsequently lingered for two years before SAIDEL Engineering’s involvement.
The Solution
SAIDEL Engineering initially performed 2D geotechnical analysis to determine and present feasible solutions for both the excavation and foundation that complied with the displacement and structural requirements. However, they wanted to increase the safety of the conceptual foundation design through 3D geotechnical modeling and analysis. While they received approval for the excavation, SAIDEL Engineering sought to develop 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization for the geotechnical design to be approved as well. They faced numerous obstacles when modeling the piles and pier loads, as well as challenges given the size of the model, which features more than 1.1 million elements and 1.5 million nodes. They needed an advanced geotechnical engineering application to provide the subway operator with accurate, quality design and documentation, proving that the structural foundation and 10-story residential building atop of it would have minimal influence on the tunnel lining. Using PLAXIS, they performed plane strain analysis and developed 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization, comparing the 3D analysis with the original 2D models to provide further confidence in the project’s foundation.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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