Ensuring BIM data quality in railway infrastructure projects remains a challenge due to manual checks, inconsistent requirements, and lack of standardization. This session will present a real-world workflow using Civil 3D software for railway design, integrated with Autodesk Forma (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud), to automate IFC model validation using IDS. Starting from structured tabular requirements, we'll demonstrate how to generate IDS files using Python and apply automated validation workflows. We'll also compare this approach with commercial solutions and highlight trade-offs in scalability, control, and collaboration. Attendees will learn how to reduce manual effort, improve data consistency, and implement a scalable openBIM validation process for infrastructure projects.

Railway systems have complex rules to follow during the design phase, and their automation is highly required due to the massive and systematic work that needs to be done, and the very detailed list of materials necessary. The catenary system is one of the most complex systems in railway. Using Civil 3D, Revit, and Dynamo software, we can automate the design process and create the best workflow—which we'll demonstrate in this session, including complex parametric families, and automatic section views for each mast with dimensions. We'll also demonstrate some other systems' design automation, like CCTV and the automatic creation of camera field-of-vision 3D views for the train driver and metro station platform cameras to achieve the best installation criteria and avoid rework during construction phase. Plus, we'll explore how to convert all of these scripts to plug-in buttons with pyRevit.

Railway projects include many disciplines: rail superstructure, civil works, tunnels, viaducts, road bridges, culverts, systems, and so on. In large-scale international projects, many parties are involved in the design and construction process. And the integration of all information in Autodesk Forma coming from different tools—such as InfraWorks, Civil 3D, Revit, Navisworks Manage, and Twinmotion—enables the full BIM methodology implementation on a railway project. Autodesk tools also allow stakeholders to manage the project in the real geographical context, and to facilitate the production of photorealistic videos and virtual reality (VR) experiences for stakeholder engagement.

Since 2015, engineering companies have been developing their abilities to use Autodesk technologies in the automation of the modeling of linear civil infrastructures such as bridges and tunnels. But what about all the other railway linear infrastructures disciplines—such as fencing, hydraulic structures, track, catenary, and tunnel MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) elements—that need to be fully integrated in the design? In this class, we’ll review how we can enhance intelligent modeling automation workflows in Revit software and Civil 3D software for these disciplines. We’ll use the example of the Etihad Rail project where SYSTRA has developed a large-scale automation strategy using the in-house solution BIMinOneClick. This class is subject to our customer agreement, “Etihad Rail.”

Discover how Deutsche Bahn Engineering and Consulting (DB E&C) uses connected BIM (Building Information Modeling) in railway projects in Germany to find the best design option on the basis of high-quality data to optimize the steps of “The Fantastic Four”: data aggregation, data visualization, communication, and collaboration. Come and see how DB E&C uses InfraWorks software to set up a data-rich environment and how the new Autodesk Connector for ArcGIS is used to bridge the gap between BIM and a geographic information system (GIS). Learn how DB E&C was empowered to take better, data-driven decisions on preliminary rail-design tasks, and get inspired by the way that the intelligent models are used for visualization and design reviews, communicating alternatives, and collaborating with key project stakeholders.

From 2020 onwards, the German government will be obliged to apply the BIM (Building Information Modeling) method for all public sector infrastructure projects. This makes it necessary to create 3D models in the discipline of railway signaling as well. Up until now, plan documents for railway signaling have been created exclusively in 2D. This class will show the workflow involved in creating highly parameterized families out of profoundly structured Inventor components. We will demonstrate placing the families nearly automated in a Revit model with the help of Dynamo, based on data from the primary planning software. Find out which additional benefits the discipline of railway signaling can get in the future from applying the BIM method by using 3D models in a Navisworks clash detection for necessary sight distance checks. Finally, discover the advantage for railway signaling by using defined attributes to transfer data consistent to a 3D model to make it useful for civil infrastructure owners for operating.

Do you spend days or weeks determining a corridor path for your roads and highways projects? Do you spend hours refining your roadway profiles to minimize costs and satisfy sophisticated constraints? Do you spend tons of money on software to help you design your roadways? No more. This class reveals the easy-to-use and cost-saving Corridor Optimization and Profile Optimization features available with Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 software. We will present the enhancements included in our latest release and explain how to use them to achieve the most effective results for your roads and highways design projects. We'll also teach you tricks for configuring the services to work for mining, roadways, and railway design projects.

The session will focus on dynamic railway engineering using AutoCAD Civil 3D software. You will find out how you can use AutoCAD Civil 3D to complete a railway project from engineering solutions to detailed drawings. The session will reveal the possibilities of AutoCAD Civil 3D software in the creation of dynamic Building Information Modeling (BIM) infrastructure models, such as railways, roads, pipelines, and so on. We will show how Vault software facilitates the efforts of the entire Project Team, ensures smoother transfer of information, and increases the efficiency of AutoCAD Civil 3D software data shortcuts. We will provide practical examples on how Vault software helps to ensure higher quality for the project and avoid possible human error.

Railway projects have a lot of regulations, diverse technical fields, and project members coming from many different backgrounds. These factors and many more all come together during the design process and need to be managed to make the project a success. This class will show how connecting and using design data in Civil 3D software, AutoCAD software, and Dynamo can help us meet this challenge. Attendees will see examples of how to make regulations interactive and more easily accessible, and how to transform design data depending on the required technical field or output. We’ll also demonstrate tools to assist the designers so they can better analyze their creations, and in doing so, motivate them to start interacting and designing in a new way.

The Norwegian National Railway Administration has set a new standard for model-based project delivery. The Administration now requires that all subject disciplines deliver models—at all levels of detail—and that all construction will be done using these models. In this class the Building Information Modeling (BIM) manager for Norway’s InterCity Project will discuss the benefits and lessons learned, and will provide a demonstration of this concept using InterCity as the example. The InterCity Project is a complex 250-kilometer alignment of high-speed double-track railway through 22 towns and cities. Adding to the complexity, the project was split into sections and awarded to different consultants, which required keen coordination and collaboration under the direction of the Railway Administration. An agnostic approach to software and model creation is used—because it is only the resulting model that matters most to the Administration. AIA Approved

Building information modeling (BIM) is part of a broader dynamic of digital transformation of railway systems operation. Therefore, BIM implementation goes further than intelligent modeling. Railway systems requirements are shaping BIM goals. Railway systems are made of multiples subsystems, managed using various technologies. Information flows between different tools, and their traceability and validation are critical for railway systems integration. SNCF set up a different initiative. The Minerve project is funded by French authorities, and launched with the main French railway players. Its aim is to enable BIM requirements for railway subdomains. SNCF participates in the IFC Rail project for interoperability between subdomain for systems integration. SNCF is working on overall railway systems architecture to specify required railway’s function and information flow for systems integration both in its geometric and functional dimension.

Expand your understanding of Autodesk’s Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection for urban subway design. Learn how to use customized content in both AutoCAD Civil 3D software and Revit software to streamline coordination between design teams of architects, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) specialists, and civil engineers. This dynamic presentation will teach you how to push the boundaries of the design software into the areas of expanded functionality through simple customization of common content tailored to support urban subway design projects. This session will feature AutoCAD Civil 3D, Navisworks Manage software, and Revit.

Expand your understanding of Infrastructure Design Suite for Urban Subway design. Learn how to use customized content in both AutoCAD Civil 3D software and Revit software to streamline coordination between design teams of architects, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), and civil engineers. This dynamic presentation will teach you how to push the boundaries of the design software into the areas of expanded functionality through simple customization of common content, tailored to support urban subway design projects. This session features AutoCAD Civil 3D, Navisworks Manage, and Revit. AIA Approved

Due to their nature, rail infrastructure projects greatly benefit from the adoption of workflows based on intelligent models and point clouds to allow off-site analyses without the need of the physical presence on the field. FSTechnology, a division of the Italian Railways, set up this workflow based on an integration of Autodesk software—including Autodesk Forma, Revit software, and Civil 3D software—with Esri ArcGIS GeoBIM. We combined CAD, building information modeling (BIM), point clouds, and orthophotos with geographic information system (GIS) and game engine technologies and added the construction program in a browser-based 4D solution with issue tracking. This is not only intended to monitor the progress of the physical works being executed, but also to achieve better control during the maintenance phase of the railways. All these combined and advanced technologies help us to monitor the most-critical infrastructures like viaducts and bridges, and factors of environmental interest and relevance, supported by artificial intelligence.

In this class, FSTechnology will showcase how to achieve up to 40% in overall time reduction for some site supervision activities by automating the estimation of the site’s physical progress and of cut-and-fill volumes. This class will illustrate two workflows that you can apply to both building information modeling (BIM) projects and traditional project drawings. The first fully automated workflow calculates the progress of the construction works, starting from the exchange on Autodesk Forma of all point cloud data coming from drone surveys. The main steps are the production of simplified railways track path models in Revit software, the performance of a bespoke clash detection in Navisworks software to assess the works’ progress, and the interpretation of the XML output with .NET scripts to feed a Microsoft Power BI dashboard. The second workflow generates DEM (digital elevation model) surfaces from point clouds via a Python script to then calculate cut-and-fill volumes with Dynamo in Civil 3D. The results are also exported as a structured data source for a Microsoft Power BI dashboard.

In this case study, we will show how we used Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler software to visualize a 450–500 kilometer double-track railway in Norway. We will show how we were able to use the data that we already had to quickly bring up a model of southern Norway and then add the 450–500 kilometers of railway routes. We will also show how we further used the model to create a movie in AVI format of the railway line. We modeled some of the 180 bridges in more detail. We will show how we easily exported the parts of the Infrastructure Modeler model over to Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software and a third-party application for more detailed visualization.

What are the benefits of the integration between BIM (Building Information Modeling) and geographic information system (GIS) in infrastructure facility management? This class will demonstrate how combined usage of Esri GIS data and tools and the as-built intelligent models enables your organization to do the following: monitor the entire railway or road integrating the intelligent model into the environment. The use of GIS data like geological surveys, interferometric data, and historical data regarding hydrogeological risks can let us prevent infrastructure damages; plan preventive and corrective maintenance merging data from intelligent models and GIS information, for example, choosing the optimal route to reach the point of interest; choose optimal solutions that respect the environment by exploiting the functionality of specific tools (for example, solar exposure and irradiation); and communicate effectively with the team distributed throughout the territory.

In this class, we’ll show how to solve a critical situation that might cause a waste of money and time in the maintenance operation of underground utilities of 630 railway stations. Lack of data causes major issues. To retrieve the correct information about the underground, we’ve established, for each station, an innovative workflow that starts from an AutoCAD file containing an old design of the utilities, mainly water system and sewerage. The first step of this workflow is the topographic and geophysics surveys, followed by a post-processing data and 3D rendering of the underground. Inside Civil 3D software, the 3D model of the underground utilities can be used to optimize the design of the sewerage and water system, and link them to information and documentation useful for maintenance operation.

Contemporary rail projects are vastly complex due to an intersection of several key factors. The deliverables and support that agencies and contractors ask for are scaling with new technology. These technologies are relatively new to the rail design space, and there are currently no precedents for implementing them. On two similar rail projects, tailored workflows and custom automation tools were developed in order to deliver the required standard documentation, visualization, clash detection, and asset management deliverables. The synergy between automation, connected BIM, and creative project workflow were essential to the execution of these projects. In this session, we’ll examine the project needs, collaboration between BIM 360 software and ProjectWise, and automation with the Subassembly Composer, Dynamo, Forge, and LISP.