Project Summary
4D Model (later renamed 12d Model) software is proving to be equally at home
on water as it is on land.
The Port of Brisbane Corporation is proving
the flexibility of 4D Model by using it for volume checking, contour checking
and road design on its development at the Fisherman Islands.
Fisherman
Islands is located at the mouth of the Brisbane River. The area was a group of
four islands which have been joined by reclamation. Over a 20-year period
Fisherman Islands has been developed into one of the most modern container and
bulk handling ports in the world.
The Challenge
The site has already out-grown its original land and future expansion has
been provided for with the recent reclamation of more than 70 hectares using
material dredged from the main access channels in Moreton Bay and the Brisbane
River.
This reclamation involved moving 2.6 million cubic metres of sand
using the Pearl River dredge which was contracted from Holland. The massive
amount of material was to be shifted in 10 weeks.
The Solution
4D Model was used to calculate pre- and post-dredge volumes. These volumes
are used to measure the amount of sand moved and provide the data for the $16
million payment to the dredging contractors.
4D Model is also used to
provide 3D views of the Brisbane River bed.
"4D Model provides us with
dynamic views of the river bed which permit the observer to clearly understand
its profile," said a Port of Brisbane Corporation draftsman.
The nature
of the work carried out by the Port of Brisbane Corporation highlights 4D’s use
as a general purpose civil engineering tool. The software can effortlessly
provide volume calculations for roading, dredging or landfills.
Engineering surveys are carried out by the Corporation's surveyors using Total
Station equipment. The surveyors process this data using Geocomp and send the
resulting information by modem to a network of Digital workstations which run
the Ultrix operating system and 4D Model.
"All that data is imported
into 4D for checking contours, terrain modelling and volume calculations,” the
draftsman said.
4D Model has also been used in the design of a service
road network, as well as a major access road and an open drain on the Moreton
Bay side of Fisherman Islands.
The Result
"The biggest benefit of 4D Model is its speed, accuracy and ease of use. It
is powerful and can be programmed to do what you want it to do. The other very
big factor is the local support; if you have a problem you can get it fixed very
quickly."
Port of Brisbane draftsmen said while 4D Model is not in use
every day, the five members of the CAD unit can turn to it as required and
quickly complete their work because of its easy-to-use graphical user interface.
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