
In this article, we will dive deeper into the specifics of two of the latest Cloud-based applications that VolkerWessels developed on the [VIKTOR platform](https://www.viktor.ai/platform), used for road surfacing and sheet pile construction.

## The Road Pavement application

The Road Pavement application is developed for the design of asphalt constructions. The application uses input form the CROW, an umbrella organization for multiple market parties, who developed a web tool called OIA (OntwerpInstrumentarium Asfaltverhardingen) with a database that provides all information that is necessary for the calculation of asphalt constructions. 

### Road pavement engineering

Even though this information is very sufficient, running through all calculations that are needed to create a design took road pavement engineers at VolkerWessels KWS@vise a lot of time and manual work. Therefore, they used the VIKTOR platform to develop a Cloud-based Python application that uses [parametric design](https://www.viktor.ai/parametric-design-software) methods to automate and optimize these calculations. 

### Batch calculations 

With the [parametric design](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/46/parametric-design-cloud-engineering-construction) application, they can import data from OIA to create batches of information that are used to automatically calculate designs at the push of a button. It is easy to optimize the designs since height and amount of asphalt can quickly be adjusted. Additionally, results can be found in a clear and visual overview of each road section. This takes a lot of manual labour from the road pavement engineers and leaves more time to analyse and optimise.

See how the application works in this video: 

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/664657264?h=ad5a774a5a&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Road pavement app demo - VolkerWessels (short version)"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

## The Sheet Pile application

Because many underground construction projects keep getting more complex, a lot of data needs to be processed and calculations performed in order to generate the designs. Currently, all of this data is manually put into the system. Calculations are performed manually as well. These processes are both time consuming and prone to error. Therefore, VolkerWessels build the Sheet Pile application for automation and optimization.

### Geotechnical engineering

Like many other VIKTOR applications, the Sheet Pile application is used to easily import and read GEF files of CPTs so geotechnical data is centralized in one place and can be used for adjustments. Furthermore, within the web application, geotechnical engineers can easily enter a sheet pile structure and define the phases of construction, such as excavation, load, and groundwater level, on a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

### PLAXIS integration

For these calculations, the high-end finite element program [PLAXIS](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/34/integration-plaxis-python-parametricdesign) is used through an integration with Python and the VIKTOR interface. The input for the PLAXIS calculations can be sent in the background and the result is returned automatically in Excel tables and PLAXIS graphical pictures. This can be done in batch as well. From here, you can see whether there are any adjustments needed. If so, all calculations can be run again (in batch) at the push of a button.

See how the application works in this video:

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/664659594?h=02cd1bd6ec&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Sheet Pile App Demo - VolkerWessels (short version)"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

## Future aspirations

VolkerWessels is far from done developing their own Python applications and is working hard on proving people the potential they have, for example by adding new features on demand to their existing tools and developing entirely new ones.

### Digital transformation

According to Guido Bongers, Lead Developer parametric design at VolkerWessels, their applications have a big potential. Currently, adoption is the biggest challenge. Not all intended users are fully convinced of the benefits and prefer to stick to their familiar and traditional ways of working. Therefore, the next step is to start with a professional plan to promote their web applications and train potential users so they can truly be adopted.

> “What I keep noticing is that building an awesome application works out every time. The technical side of the story is all fine. However, what we are really investing in right now is the adoption of these technicalities. We want people to start using the product we made. That is the truely difficult part.” – Guido Bongers, Lead Developer parametric design at VolkerWessels.

### New features

Regarding the Road Pavement application, there is a future version 2.0 in sight which will facilitate the collaboration between more disciplines. When it comes to the Sheet Pile application, VolkerWessels has some new features in mind as well. However, incorporating more disciplines is not one of them. p

> “The Sheet Pile application is for one discipline only: The Geotechnical engineer. This is done to ensure user-friendliness. Sometimes, it can be beneficial to build a large application that brings multiple disciplines together and sometimes it is more beneficial to keep it small and focused. That is the choice the Lead Developer needs to make, keeping the end-user in mind at all times.” – Guido Bongers, Lead Developer parametric design at VolkerWessels

VolkerWessels still has a backlog with all kinds of functions and features that users would like to add to their applications. For the Sheet Pile application, one of these features is for example the addition of the underwater concrete floor. Guido: “That is why it is so great to have your own team to develop your own application. This allows you full freedom to add whatever you want to your app!”  

### Upcoming projects

Besides the previous projects, VolkerWessels is currently working on three other Cloud-based applications as well. And they have more projects on the way. 

> “These are all medium sized projects that last about 3 to 6 months to complete. After that, they can be used constantly. That is 3 to 6 months work from which you can reap the benefits for years!” – Guido Bongers, Lead Developer parametric design at VolkerWessels. 










Civil

Geotechnical

PLAXIS

Excel

Road pavement sheet piling parametric desing apps

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Engineers at VolkerWessels build two parametric design apps for the automation and optimization of processes. Learn more on VIKTOR.ai

Optimize structural design processes with Cloud app | VIKTOR.ai

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VolkerWessels Builds Parametric Design Apps for Sustainable Society with PLAXIS in VIKTOR

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

## Dike design tool Wilma: a new, digital way of designing

The Wilma dike design tool, created on the VIKTOR platform, is a renewed design environment for the geotechnical consultant. The tool was developed by the Graaf Reinaldalliantie to be used on the Gorinchem-Waardenburg (GoWa) dike reinforcement project.

The innovation consists of the combination of cleverness and insights of the designer and the infinite computing power of the computer on the VIKTOR platform. For the Wilma tool, design software for the various design mechanisms (D-series and PLAXIS) is integrally linked and data is centrally managed in accordance with the BIM philosophy. Because of this, changes in starting points or other information can be made transparant very quickly, allowing the design to adapt quickly as well. This provides a certain flexibility in the design process that has proven itself to be very beneficial within this project. 

## A challenging reinforcement

The Graaf Reinaldalliantie was established to strengthen the river dike between Gorinchem and Waardenburg. The alliance consists of the Water Board Rivierland and the contractor consortium ‘Waalensemble’ consisting of Heijmans, GMB and de Vries & van de Wiel. Royal HaskoningDHV is associated with the alliance as an advisory party as well. 

This dike improvement project is approximately 23 kilometers long and is particularly complex in terms of tasks related to reinforcement. Not least because of the highly heterogeneous soil structure, which was created in the past on the north side of the Waal by the many old river channels and fillings, the diversity of soil layers and the filling in at the site of old dike breaches. The dike body itself also varies in structure due to the construction of the dike over the centuries and the reinforcements and relocations of the past decades. In order for this dike section to meet current safety standards, several improvement measures are needed that, together with the built environment, the soil conditions, and the transition to undrained modeling, make it a very challenging project.

## Taking initiative

In the tendering phase of the Gorinchem-Waardenburg dike reinforcement project, Waalensemble took the initiative to perform the design calculations in a smarter, more efficient way, based on the positive experiences from previous Heijmans projects (Wilhelminakanaal, Wintrack) where repetitive design issues in particular were efficiently automated. In these examples, design software (D-Series, SCIA, Excel) is linked by means of assumptions and existing equations, resulting in an automated process. This principle has been adopted by the Gorinchem-Waardenburg dike improvement project, further elaborated and further professionalised through the availability of the VIKTOR platform, among other things. The Viktor platform makes it possible to link design software in a much easier way and with extra functionality than was previously possible in the aforementioned Heijmans projects. During the project, the functionality of the dike design tool was expanded in various versions with settlement and failure mechanisms such as macro stability, piping and overtopping, which can be calculated simultaneously per cross section, for both embankments and dike relocations. An example of a schematic of a profile is shown in the picture below.

![An example of a cross section schematized by Wilma with a crown displacement and inward embankment in a D-GeoStability calculation.](/uploads/Cross_section_schematized_by_Wilma_8ed53a86da.png)

*An example of a cross section schematized by Wilma with a crown displacement and inward embankment in a D-GeoStability calculation.*

### The first development

The first development motif arises from the request to support the designer in achieving a higher quality of the stability calculations. The application of the undrained CSSM model requires a schematisation with boundary tensions and a course of the effective tension due to changed water levels and previous loads. Within the functionality of the then available D-GeoStability version 18, this required a far-reaching division of the soil layers with additional stress calculations by the designer. The first version of Wilma has been developed to achieve an accurate calculation of the stresses and to develop an efficient method to include these results in the D-GeoStability model.

### The second development

After a successful application of the first version, the second development started almost immediately. The functionality has been extended to centrally manage the input and output of the various design software. This is in line with the BIM method for quality assurance and version management. In a design analysis, the geotechnical properties per soil layer and the derived parameters that are determined by means of a calculation method, always originate from Wilma and are independent of other design calculations. The old and the new process diagram, where the [parametric design tool](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/46/parametric-design-cloud-engineering-construction) is central, is shown here:

![Traditional vs Parametric vs Generative designwilma design process (1).svg](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Traditional_vs_Parametric_vs_Generative_designwilma_design_process_1_dcdd3d64a0.svg)

*Traditional design process versus new design process with Wilma.*

From this central position, Wilma compiles the input files and sends them to the existing design software, such as the D-series or Plaxis. The results from the design software are then collected and presented via the [parametric design tool](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/46/parametric-design-cloud-engineering-construction). By automating the data flow in the design process, the effort for the designer has shifted from drawing up calculation files to supervising the quality assurance of the calculations and assessing the results.

[![CTA_start_using_PD](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/solutions_page_banner_4_f474c9c318.svg)](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/46/parametric-design-cloud-engineering-construction)


## A new design methodology
The greatest gains, however, come from a different design method. The traditional design method is based on the manual input of cross sections by a consultant, which forces planning to make choices about how many cross sections can be calculated. In a complex project such as this dike improvement, this quickly means that major simplifications are needed to realise a design within time and money. One calculation that is normative for hundreds of meters of dike is common. As a result, the design is over-dimensioned, which in principle is not wrong from a safety point of view, but does lead to strict and heavy measures that affect the environment and are therefore not always desirable from stakeholders.

### An automated way
A new automated way of calculating means that it will be possible to calculate a very large number of cross sections, instead of one standard profile. In theory, a transverse profile can be calculated with possible variants for each dike stretch where a different situation arises. This is shown schematically in figure 3, where each block represents a new situation.

![The schematic choice for a standard profile (red) or several representative profiles (yellow)](/uploads/the_schematic_choice_for_a_standard_profile_red_or_several_representative_profiles_yellow_1acc3b2033.png)

*The schematic choice for a standard profile (red) or several representative profiles (yellow)*

The ability to design a large number of profiles provides the following benefits:

1. The consultant needs considerably less time to calculate cross sections, which means more time for interpreting and analysing results and translating them into the design. This leads to great efficiency.
2. There is the possibility to perform sensitivity analyses in a simple manner with all kinds of starting points, so that a better insight is obtained which parameter influences the calculation result. This makes it possible to conduct targeted additional research quickly.
3. The calculations were adapted and carried out very quickly. While changes in the traditional design process can have major consequences for the interfaces of the design, this is no longer a problem due to all the connections built up in Wilma. Adjustments to the design or starting points can now be directly calculated for the entire route.

### Qualitatively better design
All this results in a qualitatively better design, whereby freedom is created in choosing a design solution based on the calculation results. It is therefore no longer necessary to funnel the output data in advance to compose a benchmark profile, because making the assessment is more extensive than designing an additional profile. In addition, the thinking for weighing up the various possible normative aspects is retained in the result of an additional design profile. The figure below shows this as an example through sketches and illustrations, in which the dike sections are the product of a normative cross section and the white line represents a possible design profile that, as is to be expected, more closely follows the soil structure found. Because the design profile of the white line has actually been calculated, it is possible to choose a more average design profile that fits better in the landscape. The robustness of the design is known at that time.

![The division into dike sections with a schematic representation of the design assignment.png](/uploads/The_division_into_dike_sections_with_a_schematic_representation_of_the_design_assignment_7ac20fa4a5.png)

*The division into dike sections with a schematic representation of the design assignment*

### Inclusion of additional soil research
An additional positive effect is that carrying out additional soil research now pays off because it can be processed more easily in the built-up subsurface model. With the traditional design method, additional soil investigation is often intended as a risk mitigation to verify the subsurface model. This advantage remains, however, with the design method with Wilma, the additional research is immediately included in the calculations and the design is adjusted.

## Quality assurance

### Processing results
Quality assurance of the design calculations is not formally included in Wilma. The role of the parametric design tool is to compile and start the calculations and to process the results. These design calculations are always performed with the original (and therefore validated) design software. For example, a stability calculation is performed in D-GeoStability, after which the files are also available, in such a way that it looks like a colleague has supplied the calculations. Each calculation is delivered separately from the tool and manually checked by the designer. This workflow of the calculation files also makes it possible to deliver and view the design without having Wilma.

### Centralized storage
The quality assurance of the design calculations has deliberately been left with the designer. However, the parametric design tool makes it easier for the designer to perform the checks. Firstly, because the process of illustrating through schematics, calculating and checking is almost continuous because the lead time for a design calculation is next to nothing. In addition, Wilma can compile overviews of the required control points. All basic principles and relationships important for the design can be checked because the results are stored centrally and are available to everyone.

An example of a simple check is a graphical representation of the stresses in the soil layers or the assignment of the rise height to soil layers. Such a control screen is shown in figure 5. The calculated values ​​are presented for each black-marked point in the design profile. The applied calculation values ​​can be checked at a glance because the assumptions and equations have been consistently and unambiguously applied by Wilma on the basis of the predefined protocol. There are no quality differences due to the preparation of cross sections by several consultants.

![Customer_case_calculations_with_cloud_computing_5](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/A_control_screen_in_Wilma_for_the_determination_of_the_boundary_voltages_7a07277148.png)


### Background testing
In order to properly verify Wilma’s work processes, various tests have been built into the Viktor platform during the development of the tool. This checks in the background whether the routines carried out by Wilma always run in accordance with the geotechnical specification. These tests roughly consist of three categories:

1. Rules of thumb; the obvious design rules are checked. Because Wilma applies standard rules, contradictions can arise, as a result of which the schematization steps are correct in accordance with the “design rules”, but the schematization as a whole is geotechnically incorrect. An example of such a test is the descending height to the hinterland.
2. Realistic modeling with fully elaborated schematics of calculations and links. When going through these tests, the routines must always give the same results.
3. Edge cases with exceptional cases to test the routines of the schematisation. During these tests, unrealistic situations are presented from a geotechnical and hydraulic engineering point of view. This ensures that the routines and rules of thumb are robust and that new exceptions are noticed.

By continuously testing with both realistic modeling that is expected within the project, and with edge cases, the behavior of the tool becomes predictable, so that the quality control focuses on exceptions. These exceptions in turn complement the design routines. The systematic elaboration of these exceptions in a design rule results in a more substantiated design methodology and the percentage of exceptional cases is further reduced. This continuous development of the parametric design tool with the insertion of exceptional cases has resulted in the design capacity increasing quadratically. This increase is based on the difference between the number of design profiles per consultant in the exploration phase and the plan elaboration phase.

## The next step
The tool is currently being further developed for more geotechnical functionalities and applications throughout the design process. The possible future expansion of the functionality of the tool can be sought in expanding the tool in the field of computing in the cloud, but also in adding IoT data from sensor technology in dikes. Both seem far away for now, but will sooner or later enrich the world of the civil industry.

See how you can [develop your own parametric design tools](https://www.viktor.ai/parametric-design-software).

[![CTA_start_building_PD_apps](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Group_1_32a326f910.svg)](https://www.viktor.ai/blog/46/parametric-design-cloud-engineering-construction)


Structural

SCIA

D-Sheet

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Heijmans: “The luxury of having a tool that takes over 80% of the work, quickly becomes your standard”

Dike design automation tool leads to better solutions

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Heijmans Automates 80% of Dike Design Work using PLAXIS, SCIA and D-Sheet in VIKTOR

Mechanical

Environmental

Hydraulic

Electrical

Energy

Sustainability

Process

Offshore

Data Science

[Arup](https://www.arup.com/)'s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Dai David, led the technical vision behind the rollout, working with Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO) Rob Greig and Arup's digital engineering teams. Together with VIKTOR's CEO Peter Madlener and co-founder Wouter Riedijk, Business Development Director Wichert Kooloos, Customer Success Lead Leonard Bonnet, and Janez Mikec from VIKTOR's Professional Services team, they have explored how to make advanced AI and automation accessible across Arup while maintaining the quality, governance and accountability that engineering work demands.  

![Arup and VIKTOR celebrate signing of global contract at Autodesk University 2026](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Arup_VIKTOR_global_collaboration_ecdf67622f.png)

*[Left image] Arup CDIO Rob Greig and VIKTOR CEO Peter Madlener sign the agreement at the VIKTOR booth, Autodesk University, Las Vegas.*
*[Right image] The Arup and VIKTOR teams after the signing. From left to right: Arup CDIO Rob Greig, Arup CTO Dai David, VIKTOR CEO Peter Madlener, VIKTOR Business Development Director Wichert Kooloos, VIKTOR Customer Success Lead Leonard Bonnet and VIKTOR co-founder Wouter Riedijk.*

## From pilot to global rollout 

The relationship between Arup and VIKTOR goes back further than a single pilot. Arup had already developed significant internal automation capabilities and after considering how best to scale and build on these efforts, chose to partner with VIKTOR.  

Over the past year, Arup's digital engineering teams across Europe, the Americas and APAC worked side by side with VIKTOR's Professional Services team to identify, develop and validate real-world use cases, turning existing workflows into reusable apps tested in real project environments. These applications already span multiple engineering disciplines, from ground engineering and structures to acoustics and data centres, with many more use cases in development. 

## Scaling AI with governance built in 

In this area, Arup and VIKTOR share their vision. VIKTOR provides an enterprise framework that allows organisations to govern workflows, tools and knowledge sources while maintaining oversight and traceability. For Arup, this is a key foundation for scaling AI responsibly across the firm. 

## Flexible workflows with interactive AI agents 

Arup was a priority beta customer for VIKTOR AI Agents, which execute complex, multi-step engineering workflows end to end. Arup's engineering teams were among the first to evaluate the capability and shape how it works today. 

## Bringing trusted company knowledge into the AI layer 

The next phase will explore how Arup's standards, best practices and engineering knowledge can be integrated into AI-powered workflows through the VIKTOR Knowledge Base. This is an area Arup and VIKTOR will continue to develop as the rollout evolves. 

## What's next: organization-wide rollout 

The agreement starts with a structured rollout of the VIKTOR AI platform across Arup. 

This will follow a structured, phased approach supported by a dedicated change programme, helping engineers across Arup adopt and scale trusted digital solutions. Through a Champions Network, tailored learning pathways and proven approaches can be shared more widely, enabling a global community of engineers who create, share and apply digital solutions across disciplines and regions. 

## Thank you to the teams behind the rollout 

Arup's internal team drove the implementation from day one.  

Special thanks go to Ingrid Jongman, Benedetta Ravicchio, Ed Eastwood, and the engineers, digital champions and change leads across Europe, Asia and the Americas who supported the rollout. On the VIKTOR side, Janez Mikec, from the Professional Services team worked closely with Arup teams throughout the programme.  

The next phase builds on your work. Thank you. 

## Arup and VIKTOR: Scaling AI with engineers in control 

Arup is a multidisciplinary design and engineering consultancy operating globally, ranked 19th in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) 2026 Top 150 Global Design Firms. 

The next phase of AI in engineering depends on combining technological capability with engineering expertise, governance and trust. Arup and VIKTOR are working together to create that foundation, helping engineers apply AI responsibly and at scale.

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Arup signs a long-term agreement to roll out the VIKTOR AI platform globally, giving engineers AI-powered apps and workflows with governance built in.

Arup Rolls Out the VIKTOR AI Platform Globally | VIKTOR

Arup rolls out the VIKTOR AI platform across its global organisation

Customer cases

Arup rolls out the VIKTOR AI platform across its global organisation

VolkerWessels Builds Parametric Design Apps for Sustainable Society with PLAXIS in VIKTOR

Heijmans Automates 80% of Dike Design Work using PLAXIS, SCIA and D-Sheet in VIKTOR

Customer cases

Arup rolls out the VIKTOR AI platform across its global organisation

VolkerWessels Builds Parametric Design Apps for Sustainable Society with PLAXIS in VIKTOR

Heijmans Automates 80% of Dike Design Work using PLAXIS, SCIA and D-Sheet in VIKTOR

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