ABSTRACT
Early adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) helps steer large infrastructure projects in the right direction from the outset. This is demonstrated on the 24-kilometre long Sydney Metro West project, and specifically on the Eastern Tunnelling Package (ETP) which forms part of the wider project. The ETP portion of the project extends from The Bays to the Sydney CBD and involves 3.5 kilometres of tunnelling and large-span cavern excavation beneath Sydney’s heavily urbanised environment. Consequently, the alignment is adjacent to numerous assets such as high-rise building basements, key utilities, heritage buildings, and other critical infrastructure. A mature Building Information Model (BIM) was rapidly developed throughout the Concept Design phase and delivered at the commencement of the ‘Request for Tender’ process. This paper presents the substantial benefits of early BIM implementation while also providing detailed insight into the numerous challenges that impede early BIM adoption in dynamic and dense urban environments.
