BIM application in London Crossrail

Let us present you London Crossrail, a world-class railway where innovation goals are targeted as everyone’s responsibility and collaboration is used to create a legacy that moves London forward.

The route, to be known as the Elizabeth line will be launched in autumn 2019 is one of the most complex and challenging infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK. It is also Europe’s biggest infrastructure project that counts with a 100km-plus rail line, passes through 40 stations from Heathrow and Reading in the west, to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east, via 42km of new tunnels under central London. Elizabeth line is intended to increase London rail capacity by 10% -the largest increase since World War Two- and halve the time it takes to travel from Heathrow airport to Canary Wharf business district.   An estimated 200m passengers will use the new underground line annually and it will also add an estimated £42bn to the UK's economy.  

Physical and Digital Railway

London Crossrail is a project that puts in evidence the potential of digital engineering. The construction began in 2009 and throughout its 10 year completion process it has always been a bit ahead of its time when it copmes to digital solutions. So that in 2011 when British government’s new construction strategy, which demanded that all projects delivered after 2016 were to be in accordance with BIM level 2, came out, even already half way through the project it didn’t affect its course or delivery.      

BIM’s meaning for the Crossrail

BIM’s implementation in Crossrail project had many considerable advantages for the project:

• Guarantees creation of virtual assets, which helps to build the physical and digital railway at the same time.
• Integrates data for all stages of the life-cycle.
• Offers a collaborative management of all types of data.
• Becomes single source of truth that is easy to consult.

The direct benefits that BIM helped to deliver:

• Reduced wastage (minimising clashes)
• Improved efficiencies (faster collaborative approvals)
• Reduced information loss (using only the most recent document/drawings)
• Improved safety (model visualisations leading to better awareness)
• Reduced programme risk (through 4D analysis)
• Improved performance (linking models into GIS mapping)
• Collaborative model transfer from designer to contractor
• Innovative asset management (linking models directly to our asset database)

  If you are interested in learning more about London Crossrail project, we invite you to check out the recording of our Masterclass on the subject that covers the real case study.    Images: www.crossrail.co.uk