NewsletterSpring2013
...engineering
your
future
Full steam ahead with BIM
HOUSING FRAMEWORK
Work is now underway on the construction of the new Network Rail maintenance depot HQ at Derby. The accommodation is being built for the team required to support the electrification of the Midland Main Line, and will bring together up to 400 maintenance staff from existing offices and sub-depots across the East Midlands. That team will also be joined by around 50 new electrification maintenance specialists. BSP is using Building Information Modelling (BIM) in its role as structural engineer for the £6 million project being built by Miller Construction.
BSP Consulting has been appointed to its sixth housing framework after winning a place on the Bromford Group Consultants Framework. The group is planning to build more than 1,500 homes over the next three years. “Being selected for this framework is a significant appointment,” said BSP Consulting business development director Jef Todd. “The team at BSP has extensive expertise and experience in designing housing projects, both in the private and public sector, and we are looking forward to supporting the Bromford Group in its plans to build muchneeded new homes.” Bromford business assurance manager Jayne Forrester believes the fifteen businesses successful during the procurement process will help Bromford create a new vision for affordable housing. “BSP submitted a fantastic application offering value for money on their services, something incredibly important for a social business which is publicly funded. We look forward to utilising BSP’s expertise over the next few years, pushing some innovative housing projects forward,” she said. Bromford will work with BSP on a number of its own developments. The procurement framework also allows other affordable housing providers to access the framework through Bromford.
BSP has adopted Revit Structures software and has been using BIM on a range of projects, including the landmark Friar Gate Square offices in Agard Street, Derby, and the new medical centre planned for Wilford Lane, West Bridgford, near Nottingham. BIM uses software to generate and manage digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of a building or piece of infrastructure. The model created reacts to change in
the way that the real building would. It is designed to make an integrated and collaborative approach to construction possible, with knowledge shared between clients, construction teams and facility managers. It creates an intelligent system which supports construction and maintenance throughout a building’s life, and it can include data on costs, carbon and maintenance schedules.
“The government and industry have embarked on a programme to modernise the construction sector, and it will be mandatory for governmentbacked projects in 2016 to have collaborative 3D BIM models,” said BSP BIM manager Luke Jones. “It’s also expected that many private projects will also be undertaken in BIM by then. BSP has put in place a roll-out programme to ensure that as a company we can continue to develop the BIM services we offer to our clients.” Ryder Architecture is the architect for the Network Rail scheme, which features a depot consisting of a threestorey building containing offices and welfare and storage facilities. BSP is both civil and structural engineer for the project, which is due to be complete by Spring 2014.
Stop press… BSP celebrates as Carlton Fire Station wins BREEAM Award