Imagine having to seamlessly share information in 10,000 documents across 30 disciplines with 22 consultants, 15 contractors and a general consultant.

That is the task Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has managed in the 38-km Nagpur Metro Rail Project — the $1.29-billion project is halfway through — in which 5.5 km is under trial run since last month and will start commercial operations in December.

Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, MMRC, is confident the project will be extended by 6 km every 6 months and be completed by December 2019. His confidence is based on the digitisation of information flow and processes in the project.

Digital project management has delivered benefits at every stage from planning and design to implementation, he says. For instance, while most metro rail projects in India use a 10.5 metre viaduct, Nagpur Metro opted for 8.5 metre viaduct as design reviews showed there is adequate margin even with a smaller viaduct. They managed to save 8.5 per cent, about $18 million, on the DPR of the project cost; about $60,000 was saved on Metro Bhavan, the HQ; and $15 million on sheds and repair bays by avoiding delays through BIM mode planning, he said addressing the Year in Infrastructure 2017, an international conference organised by Bentley Systems, a provider of software solutions for infrastructure sector.

From the design board to onsite implementation and billing information is shared seamlessly through a modern Building Information Management system that integrates accounting and budgetary allocations. This allows integration of time and cost dimensions to the 3D modelling of BIM. So, when a work is done, measurements are checked using 3D modelling, accounts are automatically upgraded and bills passed in the common data environment.

Asset Information Management Systems are also being developed for Operation and Maintenance, Dixit said.

These learnings would also benefit the 31-km Pune Metro which the Corporation is handling. It is important that the digital systems are in place from day one, he asserted.

Earlier, at the event, Keith Bentley, Chief Technology Officer, Bentley Systems, introduced the company’s “iModel 2.0” cloud platform and iModelHub, on Microsoft Azure Cloud service, to accelerate digitalisation for users of its ProjectWise Design Integration services without changes to existing BIM applications.

(The writer is in Singapore at the invitation of Bentley Systems)

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