São Paulo Metro Line 6: Resuming Largest Infrastructure Project in Latin America

PEDRO REY ANTON: Hello, everyone. Welcome to our class about Line 6, Sao Paulo metro project in Brazil, resuming the largest infrastructure project in LATAM. I am Pedro. I am the BIM manager on Line 6 of Sao Paulo metro project, which is that I'm going to talk about to you.

I joined ACCIONA seven years ago. And at that time, I was part of the construction BIM group in Madrid. Then BIM coordinator in Route 2020, Dubai metro station. And after I was being lived in Barcelona area before joining the Line 6 of Sao Paulo metro project.

MARIA SEDO: And hi, everyone. I am Maria Sedo. I'm a technical solutions executive in Autodesk. I've been in Autodesk for almost four years now. And a couple of them collaborating with Pedro and ACCIONA. Before my time in Autodesk, I was a lead BIM manager in some hotel renovations. And before that, my background is in architecture. Happy to meet you all.

PEDRO REY ANTON: Just into this our project, it is important to keep in mind some facts about, that is a contract of 15,000 million Brazilian reals, which means that it is the largest urban mobility project in Latin America. It is also the largest public private partnership contract in Brazil of all times and biggest contract of Sao Paulo government ever. Moreover, it is the biggest ACCIONA contract in its history.

The project consists of more than 15 kilometers of tunnels, 15 underground stations, 18 ventilation shaft and emergency exit points, and a big train yard. In addition, for example, more than three million cubic meters of earth are excavated.

Or another example is that we have the deepest station in South America ever, in a police station, which is 69 meters deep. Just to understand, it is as if we introduced in size twice Rio de Janeiro Christ.

In addition, nowadays in technical office we have 11 designers which are currently being joined by more as well as more subcontractors. And many, many, many documents, submittals, and geotechnical studies that are really important due to the characteristics of the project.

When Line 6 will be finished, it's expected that it will be used by 633,000 people per day. To do the work, obviously we have a big number of workers and huge used area. As an example, all the workers together could be occupy half of the northern sector of the mythical Maracana Stadium.

It is important to highlight that the Line 6 challenges are the integration with the complex city of Sao Paulo as well as the development of needed regions and community to what it crosses.

Well, our project has a particular timeline. The contract was signed in 2013 by a group of companies in which ACCIONA was not included. Work started a year later. And it was a topic in September 2016 with less than 10% of the work done. In October 2020, ACCIONA takes up the project again. And it is expected to be finished by the end of 2025.

As you all know and have lived through in these four years, many things have happened. For example, the consolidation of BIM methodology in AEC industry, collaboration improvements, advances in capital reality, COVID-19, and with it advances in remote work. Development of BIM standards, Autodesk had created Autodesk Docs solution. And as I explained, ACCIONA join the project with new ideas.

In these two pictures you can get an idea of the situation of the project when ACCIONA takes it up again. Quite abandoned, as you can see. So the question was, after four years, how do we start again? Well, those were kind of builder that are of course betting on the BIM methodology and in collaboration.

And this case is what we are going to show in our presentation. Next Maria and I will explain a bit more about ACCIONA company, show you how we use reality capture before starting our project, display how we have created BIM models from these reality capture, how we have been implementing collaboration through Autodesk Docs, and at the end how we close the loop through a mix of point clouds and BIM models.

Well, ACCIONA, just a brief about ACCIONA. It is an international company present in more than 40 countries, which provides solutions in infrastructure, energy, water, cities. In our portfolio, we have multiple infrastructure projects all over the world.

And most of them are the below build with BIM methodology, which ACCIONA fully implements as can be seen in the example of the Sydney light rail, Dubai metro, in which it take part, metro airport, or E6 roads in Norway.

So we're going to explain how we face the challenge of resuming the projects. For this purpose, it was decided to generate point clouds of the stopped project. And from then, we have created BIM models. Then with them, we have continued the project design and construction. Besides from that, many improvements and bioengineerings were introduced.

Here you can see the example of Morro Grande train yard, which has been an old stone quarry, as you may be able to identify. On the left, you have the photo of how it was. And on the right the design BIM model that we create.

Another example is the Thiete ventilation shaft, which was one of the most advanced sites when we resume. On the right, you can see how it was. And on the left, you have the federated design model and the utilities model too.

And here you can see point clouds model and BIM models together in the same example. [INAUDIBLE]. I really like, because the picture shows perfectly how reality captures much our design to it. Given the magnitude and complexity of our project, we have need to introduce multiple BIM uses so far. These BIM uses are being updated according to the needs that the works demand.

In such a large project, it is important to analyze and develop the necessary BIM uses at each site and in each case depending of the necessities of the construction units, different disciplines, works methodologies, et cetera. Next, we will see some examples about.

Here we have Morro Grande train yard again, where thanks to the BIM models, we have been able to carry out a great task of coordination and class detection of the multiple disciplines as well as the important task of extraction of quantities, otherwise really difficult given the complexity of it.

In these three images we can see the difficulty of coordination between multiple and complex disciplines as well as with the environment. In the case of Santa Marina Station, BIM methodology is helping a lot in the discipline's coordination as well as in its visualization by all the teams. Here we can see the station in reality. And in Autodesk Docs.

In the Freguesia Station, given the geo-technical complexity linked to the fact that the main body of the station was already started in the previous contract, BIM models are being used to coordinate with existing conditions and to coordinate and customize the work that is being executed with the station design.

The magnitude of Higienopolis Station, the deepest in LATAM, as well as the environment in which it is developed has created the need for using models for manage and coordinate the complexity of the station's elements.

Here we are with San Joaquim Station. The models are being used with our model for their use for integration with the existing line, the Line 1, as well as with your run environment as you can appreciate in the pictures.

So as I already mentioned, and as you may have understood, such a large project together with many BIM uses means that we need many, many models for each construction unit and fast for the interpret.

As can be seen in our model three-- well, to be honest, you might not be able to-- there is a big amount of models, 700 design authoring models, to be exact, which we are now adding models from subcontractors, buying clouds, et cetera. And to this, we might add the large number of 2D documents that we also manage.

Summarizing, we have complexity models-- complexity model scale, many models, many teams, and many formats. It means that we cannot go for traditional documentation solutions. And for this reason, after lots and lots of talks between ACCIONA and Autodesk-- well, to be honest, between Maria and me, we opt for Autodesk-- and sorry, for Autodesk Docs, as our solution. She will explain a bit more the reasons why. Over to you, Maria.

MARIA SEDO: So here's where I come in. Pedro and I, as he just said, we have been working together for a couple of years now. So when he had the opportunity to get involved in this project, we discussed what could be the best way to ensure collaboration through a CD that was actually construction focused.

So of course, we started looking at the challenges that they had. Let me recap some of the points that Pedro already made in four points. So the first one is pretty clear. This project is massive. It's huge in scale, in number of drawings, models, and it's extremely complex.

Because of it, we literally have thousands of stakeholders all around the world. So not only all of them need access to the right information, but they need to access it any time, anywhere, and in their language.

We also have many disciplines involved. Which at the end of the day means many file types and different collaboration workflows that need to find a common ground. And last but not least, the complex versioning and different strategies of each team, when you have so many stakeholders and disciplines involved in such huge project, you need a simple and easy way to understand the changes that are going on.

So after understanding their challenges and priorities, the answer was pretty simple. And that was Autodesk Construction Cloud. It was actually great timing, because we had just launched this new platform. And within Autodesk Construction Cloud, we chose Autodesk Docs to become the project CD.

So let me tell you a little bit more about CD. Here is we can see a simplified view of how team members typically exchange information on a project. This might be familiar to some of you today. It certainly is familiar to me when I was in the industry.

With Autodesk Docs as a CD, the information actually flows through a central repository. So what we actually love to call a single source of truth, a pool of information, where it's easier to control the flow of information. And we can guarantee that everyone's always up to date.

What ACCIONA has actually achieved is an information flow so that construction documents and other information such as markups and issues are available to the right stakeholders anytime and anywhere.

So let's have a look to our challenge number one here. This project is huge and heavy. You've seen it. Thanks to Autodesk Construction Cloud, every stakeholders can access the right information within seconds, even if we are talking about huge and complex models.

Here you have an example of the Santa Marina station. How easy, how simple, and how quick it is to navigate through a pretty complex model and a pretty heavy one. What that means for them is that they don't have to come to the office to look at the drawings or models. They no need a super powered computer to spin a model around. They can actually see it, view it, spin it on their tablets, smartphones and even offline when they're on site.

Let's have a look to the challenge number two here. So we literally have thousands of stakeholders involved in the project. How can we ensure that everyone has access to the right information? How can we control that access? How can we promote or ensure accountability in such a large and big project?

Well, basically, with Autodesk Construction Cloud we achieve what we like to call the single source of truth that I keep talking about. Everyone knows where to find the information. And thanks to the different permission levels we can have a rigorous control of who can access what in this project, who can upload files, for example, who can download them. Et cetera.

That also helps them reduce the noise to their subcontractors, for example, different stakeholders that will only see what is relevant to them. That is also how they improve quality. We'll talk about the version control in a second. But thanks to the document review workflows and permissions together, they can easily set up things for everyone, like for example, that everyone on site only has access to approved recommendation and cannot see work in progress.

So let's continue with challenge number three. This amazing project has many disciplines involved, which at the end of the day, that means many file types and different collaboration workflows. We can see here Navisworks files, Revit, Excel documents. We're seeing many documents in 3D right now. But the same is available in 2D.

They needed a platform that can make information available for everyone, so regardless of the product used to build the models, drawings, or documents. Some of us here may have access to Revit. Some maybe to AutoCAD, ReCap, Navisworks, InfraWorks, you name it. But how many of us actually have access to all of those platforms and know how to use them?

Autodesk Docs can view over 80 different file types. And I'm not only talking about Autodesk products. But most of those file types are actually come from third party tools. So basically, ACCIONA has been able to provide every stakeholder of their project with the correct data even when they don't have the knowledge of how to use the desktop product.

And last but not least, version control. So as you can see, versioning is automatic in Autodesk Construction Cloud. They just need to update a file with the same name for the Autodesk Docs to create a new version of it.

The beauty here is that it will keep all the previous versions. And they will always be available to understand the context of the model, of that drawing, et cetera. Again, we're showing you in 3D, but it's also available in 2D.

ACCIONA with this can guarantee that everyone in their project is working with the latest version of a document. As you can see, you get a flashy yellow sign when you don't. But it's important to be able to also visualize previous versions to get some context. On top of that, they can ensure the model's quality with the model comparison tool.

So when a subcontractor or anyone in their projects makes a new version of a document, ACCIONA can easily track its changes with the comparison tool. So here we can see an example with two versions of the same model that overlapped to understand the difference between them.

Not only this, but we are also able to identify the objects ID and understand why was the change made. They can also filter those changes to reduce noise and to get a better understanding of what has changed in the models. Here you can see a few examples of what was the changes between these two different versions of that model.

Then we can also use this side by side comparison here, which gives actually a different point of view that can be very, very useful when the models are complex. To finish, those changes can also be exported to be able to track them.

And with this, I will pass it over to Pedro again. I've showed you how we can face these challenges with Autodesk Docs as a CD. But he will tell us a little bit more about what that meant for them on site.

PEDRO REY ANTON: Thanks, Maria. Let me explain another surprising facet as is the case of the use of Autodesk models by engineering people to solve and discuss in coordination meetings. Here, we can see a quite normal coordination meeting on teams without Autodesk Docs models on.

As I say, these models are displayed for visualization. They are measuring, consulting properties, classes are seen by anyone who has access to the platform beyond the BIM coordinators. We assume that we really need to visualize in the cloud.

With so many heavy models, we cannot upload and download all the time or constantly. We have ensured that information is democratized and the return of information too.

Also, we have many statistics cases about people from construction site that are accessing just because of Autodesk Docs. We have several cases of people that at the beginning we really insist them that they have to see the models, and they only saw them because we really insisted. Then they began to call us to go to the construction site, to sell the models to them and their teams.

Here in this picture, you can see them at the normal construction meeting with BIM models. Later they asked us to provide access to Autodesk Docs. And then they just call us for some specific meetings and some little doubts.

And now, nowadays, they are the ones who enter, measure, compare versions, and the scales on the top of the models. And they, to be honest, they no longer call us at all. And the last thing is that they even see the models in the site itself with the tablets and the Autodesk Docs app, of course.

Just I'm going to expose some metrics that occur in our project. 11,000 documents have been built in the last month. In the last month too, almost 100 different users have accessed from 22 different companies. For all, we need four times more access of those plans when we started the project. Well, depending on how you look at it and whom, it might be a good or a bad new.

To finish the presentation, in this last topic, I am going to show you the integration of the point clouds with the models and with the construction itself. That's why I call it closing the loop, design, build, and design.

What progress is the survey team make several points clouds of the works. These points clouds are federated with the BIM models to analyze possible divergences. As the design is ongoing, mitigation, adaptation, and improvements are studied and implemented. In this way, it forms a process of design, construction, and design again. At this stage of the project, we are currently at that stage.

And this is what you see in this image of Sao Paulo Station. As you can see perfectly, the interaction between the BIM models and the excavation made of granite stone and the reality. Below, I will show several examples about in this last part of the presentation. They are extremely graphic.

This is the case of Santa Marina Station with the structure models, both clouds, and architectural models. Hwarangdae Station, it can be seen the coordination of the executed structure with the MEP models and how we are looking for alternatives.

These images also show so perfectly the dialectic between design and construction. At the Sao Paulo Station, you can see the divergences between the excavated cover and the necessary structural design need. With them, we measure the difference with almost no error.

And the last but not the least, San Joaquim Station, where we are currently working on its integration with the system Line 1, the complex urban environment, the different disciplines of the station itself. and since the core spaces are very small, we are coordinating the temporary construction too.

And finally, currently, our social team is using all the models shown to the important task of explain to the surrounding communities how the project impacts them with great success.

And that's all for today. Thank you everyone. Gracias. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] We hope that you enjoy this class.

MARIA SEDO: Thank you, everyone. It was a pleasure being with you here today. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate in getting in touch. We will be more than happy to tell you more about the project. Thank you.