Learn about trends in digital transformation and how they affect the engineering and construction industry.
When Alexandre’s team at VINCI Construction set out to automate crane foundation design calculations, they faced a major challenge: the process required handling vast amounts of data across multiple third-party software like Excel, PDF, Rhino/Grasshopper, AutoCAD, and Autodesk Robot. Managing these tools separately made the process inefficient and repetitive.
In their search for a streamlined solution, they discovered VIKTOR, which provided the perfect platform to connect everything seamlessly, requiring only basic Python skills. As Alexandre explains, “VIKTOR is the only product we know of that allows us to do exactly that.”
VINCI engineers design up to 225 crane foundations annually, a task well-suited for automation due to its repetitive nature. By automating roughly 70% of the designs, VINCI saves 300 days of work each year. The other 30% are more unique cases because of, for example, their location or the characteristics of the soil.
“By automating 200 crane foundations per year, we avoid roughly 300 days of work.” – Alexandre Cousin, Head of Generative design at VINCI Construction in France.
3D view of a crane foundation geometry in VIKTOR
The goal is for all VINCI teams in France to adopt the application, saving time for more technical challenges. “Although essential, crane foundations are not the most exciting part of an engineer’s job. Our app shows how automating a small process ultimately makes a specific task much easier and more efficient," adds Alexandre.
3D view of final crane foundation reinforcement design in VIKTOR
And the accompanying formwork plan
“Automation doesn’t replace engineers—it enables them to work smarter,” Alexandre explains. As engineers embrace tools like VIKTOR and Python, the focus shifts from tedious tasks to more complex, rewarding projects. “In the future, every engineer will know Python, automating what can be automated so there is more time to engineer the awesome!".
Even though crane foundation design is a well-mastered process, it is time-intensive due to safety checks. “VIKTOR is the only product that allows us to process large amounts of data through multiple software integrations instantly, ensuring safety,” says Alexandre.
“Technologies like VIKTOR are the future for engineering teams. We can develop anything we can imagine on the platform.” - Alexandre Cousin, Head of Generative Desing at VINCI Construction in France