A new way in bridge design by dynamo BIM Enjoy ! BIM coordinator: stefan.verhoeven@arcadis.com

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Theunis bridge
Antwerp - Belgium

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The client The engineering offices The architects

3. Albert Canal
PROJECT INTRODUCTION:
In the context of removing the capacity limits for the Albert canal it has been issued
that all bridges must beredesigned in order to have a minimum vertical clearance of 9,10m.
In the beginning of 2014, 28 bridges of 61 were already executed, 33 other bridges were
in progress of design.The ambition is to finish the bridges by 2020.
“Theunis” bridge was built around 1960 and is located on the N129 route.It is situated northeast of the cityof Antwerp, in the district
“Merksem” and it represents the link between Antwerp-North and Deurne.
This urban bridgeis surrounded by industrial and residential areas.
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION:
The Albert canal is the main canal in Belgium.
Each year, there are more then 40 million tons of
goods transported. The canal connects the port of
Antwerp with the industrial area of Liège.

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The surrounding bridges

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Architectural context
Connection with the district Merksem
Transformation of the urban environment
Connection with the district Deurne north
Connection with the highway and city centre
Renewal quay walls Albert canal
Connection with the existing bicycle routes
Relocation ofthe Theunis bridge
Integration existing industrial environment

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Bridge design
Functional program:
- Tramway with connection to the subway.
- Road design 2x2 lanes, speed: 50km/h.
- 2 Bicycle - and pedestrian lanes.
Dimensions:
- Canal widening until approx. 90m.
- Bridge span of +/-110 meters.
- Bridge width of 50 meters.
- Multiple bridges easier to build in phases.

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Environment
Impression under the bridge:
Transform the old bridge area into
an urban social environment.
Impression near the bridge:
Create an experience for traffic and residents.

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VISUAL PROGRAMMING
Theunis Bridge
Visual Programming For Bridges
After analyzing the complexity of the model and the software tools possibilities, Dynamo and Grasshopper (as a
visual programming tools) were chosen in order to generate the bridge in a parametric manner.
A collaborative design process was set in place that would ease the process and increase the efficiency

9. Interdisciplinary
2016
01 The Architect. Cinema4D / Civil 3D
03 The visual programmers.
02 The Engineers.Nemetscheck SCIA
Engineering
04 The 3d Modellers
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Top View
{ Concept}
The bridges are curved in
longitudinal projection, having
also different elevations on
bridge ends
Longitudinal
{ Concept }
Bridge Architecture Design – Concept Stage
The bridges are curved in horizontal
projection, the paths of the transversal
beams follow a radial distribution
between axis 12 and 14, and a parallel
distribution towards the ends
Sections
{ Concept}
Middle Bridge - Tram Bridge
Typical section
East And West Bridges
Typical Section
Sections
{ Concept }

11. Structural Design
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Structuralanalysis hasbeen performedby the mixBelgian-Romanianteam andthe design software of choicewas SCIA.The physical
structures and their componentshavebeendesignedto withstand allnecessaryloadsto ensuresafety, reliabilityand integrity.
SCIAcross-section files haverepresentedalsoan entry pointfor the Dynamo generationalgorithm. Cross-section outlineshavebeen made
by injectingSCIAcross-sectionfibers valuesdirectly intoDynamo,
SCIACrossSection
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12. Civil3D
ROAD ENGINEERING
Bridge architecture was made in Cinema4D and Civil3D. The provided 3d model was accurate in terms of road outline
and bridge main design shape. From Civil 3d we extracted 3d-polylines that were exported as a set of points in CSV.
We injected these points in Dynamo to have our main guidelines.
CIVIL3DGuideLines
Dynamo – XYZ Values
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13. Severalstage wereidentifiedat the beginningof the designprocess anda logicaldesignschema was setin place.
The design was intendedto bea multi-disciplinary,multi-user developmentprocess.
01
STEP
02
STEP
03
STEP
05
STEP
04
STEP
Externaldata has been read from CSV /
EXCEL / TEXT FILES.
Generic definitionshave been adapted or
newly created to meetparticular conditions
Generic definitionshave been placed to
adapt to allbridges as a general rule
READING INPUT
LONGITUDINAL BEAMS
AND AXIS
CONFIGURING EACH BRIDGE
EXPORTING TO REVIT / SAT
QUANTITIES
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06
STEP
DRAWINGS

14. APPO 3.0 Powerpoint Template.14
VPL – HOW?

15. APPO 3.0 Powerpoint Template.
Project Structure
[Civil exports]
[Dyn]
[PlatingGeometry]
[SciaSectionExport]
[xmlgeometry]
A python script was written to read the section files (the scope is to fast adopt it to other
projects)
Cross-Section Dimensions - SCIA
READING INPUT
All existing data were read and not
remade. This kept up certainty with input
values
Small configuration data and
implementing the script in Dynamo and
we have the local coordinates of our
cross-section.
The data for Longitudinal Beams and
diagonals were read using these files.
Data for Transversal Beams were
manually written in the definition
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Plating Geometry - Thicknesses
Civil 3d - Coordinates

16. ADDING GENERIC FEATURES
Longitudinal Beams and Axis
Project Structure
[Civil exports]
[Dyn]
[PlatingGeometry]
[SciaSectionExport]
[xmlgeometry]
A. Skeleton– Creating the longitudinalbeamslayoutof the bridge and preparing the basisfor the next features.
Dyn
A. Skeleton
B. Diagonals
C. Diagonal and Beams Surfaces (With Fillets)
D. Transversal Beams
E. Bicycle Lane
F. Stiffeners
Using geometric formulasto reach the accuracyrequired (example – using vector
cross productto obtaina Z-invariantworking planefor cross-sections)
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a

17. ADDING GENERIC FEATURES
The Diagonals
B. Diagonals– Creating the longitudinal beamslayoutof the bridge and preparingthe basisfor the next features.
Optionto change the degree of diagonals,the height, the start / middle / end segment position
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b

18. ADDING GENERIC FEATURES
Plating and the fillets
C. Collecting– Getting datafor longitudinalbeams, diagonalsand fillets.Exportingto Revit
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c

19. ADDING GENERICFEATURES
Deck,transversalbeams.
D. Transversalbeams – Generating transversalbeams, concrete deck andconcrete between beams
Transversalbeam data:
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d

20. ADDING GENERIC FEATURES
Bicyclelane.
E. Bicycle Lane – Generating bicycle lane components (beams, concrete / steel deck plate, longitudinal U-shapestiffeners)
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e

21. ADDING GENERICFEATURES
Adding longitudinalstiffeners.
F. Stiffeners – Adding some longitudinalstiffeners– and testing several outcome possibilities
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f

22. Local libraryfiles – designed tobe used project independent.These functionsare made to be reused
CONFIGURINGEACH BRIDGE
Genericdefinitionshavebeen adaptedto particularsituations
Externalpythonscriptshave been made tobe used withoutstructure change
Using dynamicgeneric programming, dynamo fileshave been used for all3 bridges successfullyafter copying the files to
the right folders, changing the folder inputdata pathsand making some particularchanges for the bridges.
To change the entry datawe just change the pathto where the datais stored:
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23. EXPORTING TO REVIT
Bridge componentshave been exported from Dynamo to Revit andlinkedtogether withother components made in Revit
(foundationelements).
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24. APPO 3.0 Powerpoint Template.24
EXPORTING TO EXCEL
QUANTITY ESTIMATION
a
a) Export to excel, data is grouped according to plate position within the overall geometry
color coded for faster error check, visual understanding of the thickness distribution

25. APPO 3.0 Powerpoint Template.25
EXPORTING TO EXCEL
QUANTITY ESTIMATION
b
b) Rhino Grasshopper – area calculation and separation depending on plate thickness

26. APPO 3.0 Powerpoint Template.
EXPORTING TO AUTOCAD
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How is collaborating on this project:
Project Manager: Luc Huysmans BL infrastructure Belgium
Project leader: Bart van Zegbroeck & engineers BL infrastructure Belgium
BIM engineer & Dynamo specialist: Rami HamatiGEC Romania
Civilengineer: Bogdan Gentimir and his team GEC Romania
BIMcoordinator: Stefan Verhoeven BL infrastructure Belgium