MEP process in Dutch Delta excelled with BIM

A spectacular hydraulic engineering project will soon be starting in the Zeeland Delta in the Netherlands: Brouwerseiland. Some 360 residences will be built on a number of islands, which are planned for completion in 18 months. BIM is the key in this, explain Mark-Jan Koldijk managing director and Aart-Jan Stroober work planner at DWT Groep.

DWT Group has been commissioned to realise the mechanical engineering (W) installations in this challenging residential construction project. The defining characteristics of this project are the logistical complications, the diverse types of houses and the focus on ecological construction. In order to realise this project within the turnaround time, DWT Group has opted for BIM and prefab.

40 types of houses

DWT Group will have to complete 360 houses within 18 months. Five houses per week, in 40 different types with sustainable installations. Revit will be critical in this for DWT Group: “We will soon have very many different types of houses. By drawing with Revit we can make everything clear for the other parties and so prevent any sticking points,” says Koldijk.

Logistics prepared with prefab

The greatest challenge in this project is logistics. The holiday homes are located on the coast on islands with many dirt roads, making access for trucks troublesome. Prefab offers a solution for this: by preparing elements as much as possible in a clean workshop, traffic around the construction site is kept to a minimum, thereby reducing any problems caused by sand and the weather.

In order to be able to work efficiently with prefab, DWT Groep will probably use prefab functionality in Stabicad for Revit. “The developments of Stabiplan fit in well with DWT's views regarding BIM,” says Koldijk. Thanks to the manufacturer-specific content of MEPcontent, prefab sets that correspond to reality can be easily made. The generated prefab drawings and cut lists can then be used for assembly at the workshop, which saves a great deal of time.

Revit is the future

DWT Groep therefore clearly shows that it is not afraid of change in response to new technologies. “Revit is the future” is the motto. Thanks to a better collaboration in the BIM project and reduced working hours at the construction site through prefab, DWT expects to achieve improved results in the long term. Revit therefore offers DWT some clear benefits, also in the area of residential construction. Stroober: “Revit does not need to cost more time but does provide a great deal of insight and possibilities, also with a view to prefab.”

Discover just like DWT Group the benefits of prefab in a BIM project.