SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 22, 2019—Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today Tekla Bridge Creator, a new extension for Tekla Structures Building Information Model (BIM) software that integrates the complete bridge design workflow from design geometry to constructible modeling and detailing. This new solution expands upon Trimble’s Constructible Process, an innovative approach for enabling the digital transformation of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) workflows.

The new software extension for bridge designers provides a solution to common problems: importing a road alignment directly from road design software; creating one or more key sections that define the bridge deck or even abutments, and then modeling and detailing the reinforcing bars easily and efficiently.

By adding the Bridge Creator extension, Tekla Structures can create and utilize Bridge Information Models (BrIM) from conceptual design Level of Development (LOD 100) to truly accurate, fabrication-ready (LOD 400) and as-built constructible models (LOD 500). The LOD specification is a reference that enables practitioners in the AEC industry to specify and articulate with a high level of clarity the content and reliability of BIM at various stages in the design and construction process.

As part of a user feedback program, WSP Finland participated in testing Bridge Creator. WSP Finland is part of WSP Group headquartered in Montreal, Canada and is a global engineering professional services consulting firm with more than 550 offices across 40 countries. “Bridge Creator is intelligent and certainly the most efficient tool for the whole bridge design workflow, which no other software provider has to offer. It automatically imports the road alignment and helps create bridge geometry easily. Even when facing complex deck geometries, the extension creates the deck with impressive accuracy,” said Hannu Suojanen, project engineer for Bridges, WSP Finland.  

“Tekla Structures is already a sound choice for bridge detailing. Adding the new Bridge Creator extension with the existing Concrete Bridge Reinforcement tool for complex geometries make Trimble’s Tekla solution the most advanced on the market. Trimble is creating value for the overall bridge design, construction, and operations workflow, increasing the efficiency and quality in bridge design,” adds Suojanen.

A Solution to Common Bridge Design Challenges

Several issues are common in bridge design and construction that can be eliminated with a purpose-built bridge design workflow. During the early design phase, changes to road alignment frequently cause avoidable delays. Later, construction teams often discover issues due to designs that do not include constructible models.  

“The solution produces a model for construction to work efficiently and to prevent errors on site to avoid unnecessary claims, thus decreasing costs. It allows reading the road alignment to produce complex deck geometries of varying width, depth or even super-elevation. Difficulties in modeling double-curve bridge decks are now a thing of the past. The new Bridge Creator does the modeling for designers,” said Päivi Puntila, business development director, Trimble’s Structures Division.

Availability

The Bridge Creator extension version 1.0 can be downloaded from the Tekla Warehouse in March. The extension is available for Tekla Structures customers with a software maintenance agreement. For more information on the Bridge Information Modeling, visit Tekla BrIM.