## Designing a sustainable future

Stefan Schoenmakers, design leader Civil Realisation Substructure of the Theemsweg route at Wagemaker explains that the Calandbrug will have reached its technical lifespan in 10 years. It was built around 1970 and provides road and freight traffic. By removing freight traffic, the lifespan is extended and at the same time the with new rail viaduct, the train traffic does not experience interference of opening and closing the bridge for shipping. The new route is designed for the next 100 years. “We have to look and think far ahead, because mobility issues may change over this period of time. This makes it a very interesting project”.

## Many parts to a mega project

Wagemaker designs almost all the foundations for this project. Wagemaker is part of SaVe, a construction consortium consisting of Besix, Dura Vermeer and Mobilis that is responsible for the design and realisation. “We work with a design team of 12 people at Wagemaker, where my job as design manager is to ensure that our product, drawings and calculations are finished on time and distributed within the organisation of SaVe. We look at implementation, manufacturability, optimisations, alignments with the road design team, with provisions for lighting, making certain parts prefab, and much more. Our constructors and modellers work on all these things simultaneously”, says Schoenmakers. A mega project.

## Complexity and diversity

Not only the size is a challenge; the route is 4 km in length, but also the complexity. “You come across different types of soil situations. In some places the foundation is in water, in other places you have to build across an existing lock, or you have to deal with a very poor soil structure, or a soil structure in which inserting piles is a challenge. It is very diverse.”, says Schoenmakers. In addition, we are dealing with the fact that almost every location is very specific regarding the number of cables and pipes in the ground. Wagemaker looked for an effective way of analysing the foundation supports. “In principle we have 100 support points, some of which are identical, but the situation is different due to the soil composition. Initially, we wanted to make a certain design choice based on a comparison between support points that are similar and then calculate only one”, which is not optimal. Due to previous collaboration on another project, they ended up at VIKTOR. “We worked on the TenneT project, of Heijmans. You were involved in that project as well, and we then saw what was possible and we also want to stimulate development. So we said right away, we are going to do it together with VIKTOR!”.

## The role of the VIKTOR platform

With VIKTOR, the substructure of the route has been parametrically designed and calculated. This was done, among other things, by means of integrations with geotechnical and structural calculation software such as the finite element program SCIA. Schoenmakers: “By using your tool, we were able to generate parametric models with corresponding load cases for all supports and foundations. This made it easy to analyse internal force distributions, pile reactions and other calculation results. We ultimately opted for 5 to 6 basic foundations. They were all defined in the database of the tool and we could attach foundation characteristics, such as soil properties. Actually, this is in reverse order to the normal process, enabling us to much better determine where optimisations are present”.

Using the tool resulted in making the design process and reporting more efficient. The VIKTOR platform has been very valuable not only in the field of calculations, but also towards the client and testing authorities: “This has enabled us to demonstrate that we have been able to design and analyse all support points properly,” says Schoenmakers.

## Wagemaker focuses on digitisation

Wagemaker clearly focuses on the digitisation of engineering; A few years ago, a Virtual Design department was established to keep up with the developments. Of the 8 people there are 2 dedicated programmers employed. “If we can save time on projects by doing things [smarter](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/40/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning-engineering-construction), we have more time for complex projects where we cannot automate or parametrise anything. You became an engineer for the complex thinking involved, thereby empowering people. You don’t want to do the same thing 10 times. It may be nice the first time, and second time as well, but then it stops. It is very time consuming and if you have to do the same thing 10 times over, the chance of errors will also increase”. VIKTOR has provided a clear solution for this. Wagemaker recently participated in a few technical sessions at VIKTOR, in which three engineers are now learning to develop their own tool in the VIKTOR platform. Not participating in this development is not an option for Wagemaker. “We try to stay ahead, because the moment you can do something that someone else cannot do, it strengthens our market position.”

Infrastructure & Construction

Engineering & Design

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Parametric models to design the structure of the Theemsweg route

1. What is parametric design, and how is it evolving
2. Collaborative parametric design: working together for better results
3. How to make tools available to others
4. Active collaboration on parametric design tools
5. Parametric design in a billion-euro project
6. What collaborative parametric design means for you



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Parametric design is a design approach that uses flexible models that can be adjusted and solved quickly. The goal is to see the effect of specific choices on your design by just changing the input variables. 

The benefits are:

- **Flexibility:** Parametric design allows you to react quickly to changes at a low cost. Always generate the best solution for your project no matter the time pressure.

- **Better decisions:** Automatically calculate thousands of different solutions, get deep insight, and mitigate risks. Make better decisions and provide more added value to clients.

- **Digital Assets:** Create models and data that are reusable in new projects. Improve them over time, building up digital capital

This white paper is for engineers, architects, project leaders, and innovation and business managers. You will learn how collaborative parametric design in the cloud helps organizations get better results with real study cases such as a billion-euro infrastructure project.
 
Additionally, we talk about how you can transform Python, Dynamo and Grasshopper scripts into user-friendly web apps and significantly impact your organization performance. 

Learn how collaborative parametric design models allow you to work together for better solutions.

Download the white paper and get INSPIRED

This white paper is for engineers, project leaders, and innovation and business managers that want to learn more about what collaborative parametric design can mean for them. Discover more about this new way of working in which stakeholders collaborate to find the best solution for a project.

The Future of Parametric Design is COLLABORATION

## Looking for similarities

By looking closely at the similarities between the companies, the collective came up with an application that automates the basic knowledge. Paulus Eckhardt, Director Design & Engineering, of Ballast Nedam: “We mainly work on the fundamental levels of the process, that is not competitive. This is where the Product Owners of the companies meet. ” The application makes it possible to quickly calculate a large number of cross sections for soil bodies by automating settlement calculations (D-Settlement). “With this we can realize a shorter design time, we can implement changes faster and do better calculations. In this way we reduce the risk of errors and we ensure lower failure costs”, says Jos van Rijen, Manager Design Operations, BAM.

## Using the knowledge
The role of people in projects is also changing. “The changes in the labour market require knowledge and experience to be safeguarded, while the challenges in terms of integrality and sustainability are growing,” says Eckhardt. He is referring to the slow dissappearance of very experienced engineers with a lot of knowledge. The VIKTOR platform offers a solution because it is precisely this knowledge that is bundled and further developed. This application is the first of three applications to be developed with the Digital Engineering Community (DEC), which offers builders the opportunity to automate their engineering together with the help of programming engineers from VIKTOR. Costs are shared by investing in the application and its development together. Coen Sanderink, Heijmans Business Developer Digital Infra says: “The market is being automated, and this is therefore a good way to develop faster and cheaper. We can then use our budget more effectively and work faster.” As a result, the cooperating contractors can continue to distinguish themselves in other areas.

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Unique collaboration between BAM, Ballast Nedam and Heijmans in Digital Engineering

## Get the white paper

**INDEX**

1. Construction companies and digital transformation
2. Technology trends for a different approach
3. Technology trends in the construction industry
4. A new technology trend for the construction industry
5. Low code for the construction industry
6. The VIKTOR platform
7. What does it cost?
8. How to start
9. What's next?

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What are the current trends in digital transformation and how do they affect the engineering and construction industry? 

This white paper is for every engineer, manager, director, or anyone else that wants to learn more about (new) technology trends that help boost digital transformation in engineering and construction, such as BIM, parametric or generative design, and low-code and no-code. 

Discover how web applications can help you find the best solution fast, get the best insights, capture knowledge into assets, and make work more joyful! 






Learn about trends in digital transformation and how they affect the engineering and construction industry.

Download the White Paper and get INSPIRED

This white paper is for every engineer, manager, director, or anyone else that wants to learn more about (new) technology trends that help boost digital transformation in engineering and construction, such as BIM, parametric or generative design, and low-code and no-code. 

Digital Transformation: Engineering and Construction Industry

## The old method: expensive and unideal 

The current process is often still based on experience and reasoning. Solutions that have proven themselves in previous projects are often chosen; the solutions for the critical sections are extrapolated. That makes sense. Calculating a section takes a lot of time. However, this method lacks a numerical substantiation for the chosen solution. Real insight into the ideal design is lacking and that can cost a lot of money. The gross extrapolation can result in surplus work and material costs, as well as lead to incorrect assumptions and increasing failure costs.

### Cost optimization through parameterization

It is therefore better to find an optimum with global parameters, such as costs. To determine the approach of solving the problem, an application is needed that can vary parameters on an interdisciplinary level, based on pile types, number of piles, pile lengths versus applied reinforcement, floor thickness, and so on. By linking the structural and geotechnical models to the cost model and combining all these parameters, the cost optimum can be found. A user can then determine the domains within which the application can independently vary these parameters and on the basis of which outcome optima must be found (think of costs, planning or risks). Because there are often several options close to each other, a user can also generate multiple optimized versions and weigh them up.

## Creating an application for parameterization

### Application development

The tuning of parameters and the definition of the process were the starting point for the engineers of Lievense and developers of MOCS. Lievense is involved as an expert and user, while MOCS makes the web-based parametric model and ensures that the process is automated to the right level. Three areas of expertise have been brought together from Lievense: structural, geotechnical and cost-technical. In this way, a multidisciplinary optimization can be performed.

### Application workflow

Within the online application, the user specifies per project the pile types available with the different unit prices. The projects can then be designed within a project. For a design section, a user can upload the GEF files associated with the probes created within a section (GEF is a standardized exchange format for the storage and transfer of geotechnical data). The applications provides a suggestion for a soil layout interpretation, which a geotechnical consultant can adapt.

### Modelling

The modeling of a section starts with a global SCIA model without piles. This prevents manual input of data that is already fixed and that is already available in another source. This SCIA file is uploaded by the user via drag & drop. In VIKTOR, the user can design a pile plan in two ways. “Simple”: the user gives a desired number of posts in the x and y directions. “Detailed”: the user can add rows / columns of piles, centre-to-centre distance from the previous row / column. Other parameters that the structural engineer can manage include reinforcement covers, concrete strength classes, and other design choices.

### Multidisciplinary calculations

It is possible to calculate the specified situation automatically in its entirety with a click of a button. All programs (in this case SCIA, D-Foundations and multiple Excel sheets) are run in the background and no human actions are required to perform the entire multidisciplinary calculation. The load capacity of the pile configuration follows from D-foundations and the required load capacity from SCIA. The section forces are also read from SCIA by the VIKTOR application. Via a linked Excel sheet, VIKTOR can convert this into a required amount of reinforcement. All calculated properties together determine the cost of a design. The results of all calculations are displayed in VIKTOR.

## The results are clear!

Since this part of the process is now fully automated, VIKTOR can also generate and calculate a large number of different pile plans. Because all parameters influence each other, it is not always clear which choice is ultimately the cheapest. Lievense is mainly interested in the mutual connections. These are plotted in VIKTOR in an overview. This allows the manufacturer to make solid choices with the help of his knowledge and expertise. As a control functionality and to keep a good overview of the generated designs, Lievense can download files from created D-foundations and SCIA analyses and view them “locally”.

## The final outcome

Only two sprints were needed to develop the full application. Primarily, the result is insight into the influence of the different parameters, the sensitivity of the parameters to each other and an “optimal” solution direction. It is possible to consider more variants in a shorter period of time compared to before, which provides the numerical substantiation of the chosen “optimal” solution. This can bring a lot of value. Initially in money, but with other models this could also be in terms of risks, construction time, feasibility or other KPIs

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Optimal and quick underpass design thanks to parameterization of processes

It all began with a pilot for a possible first application, on the VIKTOR platform, back in 2021 for underwater concrete floors. This application turned out to be the first of many more to come. Soon, other tools for designing submersible tunnels, noise barriers, underpasses, and more followed. Without comprehensive programming experience, people at Arcadis started developing tools for themselves and their colleagues. Because Arcadis is an international company that works in many countries the aim is to use tooling on platforms all over the world. The VIKTOR platform is one way to realize this.

In this article, we will discuss the first developed tool which by now has been used on several projects. One of those cases is a large underpass and aqueduct in the N247 highway in Broek en Waterland, commissioned by Province of North-Holland. 


![Blog_Arcadis_Rotonde](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Blog_Arcadis_Rotonde_3d11885327.png)

*© Arcadis Architecten (Tom Kramer) commissioned by Province of North-Holland.*



## Semi to total automation

Why realizing this tool on the VIKTOR platform? For the design of underwater concrete floors, Arcadis always used to work with validated Excel sheets and off-shelf programs to perform calculations. To gather all necessary data to fill such a sheet, a lot of coordination between different divisions is required. This takes up quite a lot of time and is ultimately only good for the calculation of a specific design in one specific situation. That's why Arcadis started looking for a better way to automate this, by adding an extra dimension to the calculations that allowed them to quickly play around with parameters in search for the (cost) optimal design which fulfills the requirements and is cost effective. 

## From under water concrete to construction pit

So, that's what they did by building a VIKTOR application around the validated Excel sheet. Now they were able to try different input parameters and swiftly asses how these parameters affect their design. To take it a step further, they also decided to link other processes into the application. Through an integration with Deltares’ D-Sheetpiling and D-Foundations, it became possible to automatically calculate tensile piles and sheet piles as part of the design. Additionally, a module was built to upload CPTs, enabling automated analysis of soil layers. Gradually, their tool for under water concrete floors got transformed into an application to calculate the entire construction pit. The application was finalized by adding a cost estimate based upon the generated design.

> “The tool was first created for under water concrete calculations but in the end, it became a total construction pit design-tool. We can now fully calculate the underwater concrete, the pile foundations, and the sheet piles of the construction pit itself.” – Mark van Esseveld, Project Manager at Arcadis

By extracting information from D-Sheetpiling to an Excel file, the tool can read all interaction forces that are transferred from one object to another. The pile reactions are extracted from Excel and sent to D-Foundations, where they're processed and returned as graphical visualizations in the tool's results section. Following the brute force tactic, this process is repeated numerous of times to generate many different design options. 

> “As an engineer, you use a lot of programs; for concrete constructions, sheet pile constructions, and geotechnical constructions. These often need to interact with each other. It’s great if you are somehow able to automate this. VIKTOR is a great way to enable these programs to communicate with each other and take out a lot of error-prone parts.” – Peter Konijnenbelt, Senior Designer at Arcadis

![App1.jpg](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/App1_7180d95812.jpg)

*Excavation results from D-Sheetpiling*



![App2.jpg](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/App2_94ab4f1d34.jpg)

*Optimal pile tip levels from D-Foundations*



## Optimal design based on costs

Usually, costs are determined based on the calculated construction. For this tool, however, a cost component was added; the construction is automatically calculated but at the same time also optimized based on cost parameters, like the amount of steel and installation costs. In the end, each design gets matched with a price tag based on the input parameters. Then, either Arcadis or a client can choose a design based on price per square meter construction pit, as can be seen in the image below.


![App4.jpg](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/App4_61703132b4.jpg)

*Presentation of the optimization results via a parallel coordinates plot*



![App5.jpg](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/App5_b83d2e2694.jpg)

*Alternative representation of the optimization results via a contour plot*



> “We can basically say: “We can provide the client a full and transparent insight in a valid design spectrum given a preset range for several parameters”. Based upon this insight, a preferred design (e.g. cost/preferred dimensions) can be selected. Thus, the basis for the design of a construction pit can be determined for any given № of cross sections” – Mark van Esseveld, Project Manager at Arcadis 

## The most significant benefit

Regarding the question about the most significant benefit of their tool, Arcadis agrees on the improved work-efficiency. Mark: “… and with that we can offer good work for a good price, which is a big advantage for our client. We can consider the design spectrum in higher detail in less time, which means we can do more at the same cost whilst the design is being optimized simultaneously”.

Where Arcadis first needed two colleagues – a designer and geotechnical engineer – to work on a project, it's now possible for one colleague to calculate the entire construction pit in much less time. Only some basic Geotechnical and structural knowledge is required here. Of course, specialists are involved to check the calculated results, but less time is needed because steps are automated. All steps of the process are integrated in one system with multiple colleagues, meaning all in- and output is programmed and runs smoothly. Intermediate steps are taken out of the equation (i.e. transfer of data), saving time and reducing chance of errors.

> “The user-friendliness in the design process through which the designer or geotechnical engineer is guided makes it a lot easier for them to do their job.” – Mark van Esseveld, Project Manager at Arcadis

## Tools for non-experts

With a broad range of features, the construction pit tool is widely used within Arcadis. For example, by both the Construction and Geotechnics divisions, who use the tool to specify project details. And when it comes to pricing, the Costs division gets involved too. Thanks to the user-friendly and intuitive interface, using the tool is no problem for non-experts.

> “The VIKTOR platform is very user-friendly for colleagues who are less committed to programming, scripting, coding, all that stuff. They simply use the tools and are assisted in an intuitive manner. This characterizes itself through a good process flow that guides users through the design steps. Another big benefit is the calculation output being depicted and visualized very clear and efficiently. The calculations speed also rises significantly, the quality increases, and generation of calculation reports becomes easier.” – Mark van Esseveld, Project Manager at Arcadis

## Organization-wide development

Besides the divisions that already worked with the tool, other parts of the organization are affected by it as well. For example, a lot of code is currently available from all the projects colleagues at Arcadis have been working on, which can be reutilized to build new applications in the future. 

> “We are composing a beautiful code library that makes it more profitable to create apps for specific projects later on.” – Peter Konijnenbelt, Senior Designer at Arcadis

An example of such a spin-off application is the construction pit tool used in the Buildings and Water division, inspired by the construction pit tool from this article. Where the original tool was created for tunnels and underpasses, this one is used for buildings. All by simply altering some parts of the code!

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Arcadis builds user-friendly web apps with VIKTOR to automate and optimize engineering processes.

Arcadis accelerates digital transformation with VIKTOR

Customer cases

Arcadis accelerates digital transformation with VIKTOR

Parametric models to design the structure of the Theemsweg route

Unique collaboration between BAM, Ballast Nedam and Heijmans in Digital Engineering

Optimal and quick underpass design thanks to parameterization of processes

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