1) A Swedish BIM application called IMPACT is helping precast concrete companies compete internationally by making design and production more efficient. 2) The application allows visualization of how precast elements fit together and access to a database of project information. 3) A Swedish company called StruSoft developed the application and has also started a subsidiary called StruEngineers to provide engineering design services using the application to further help customers.

1. PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS
Strusoft, 21774 Malmö, Sweden
Swedish BIM application mitigates the effects
of international competition
Competition in the building trade is fierce, nationally as well as internationally. In order to make the production of precast units and flow of
information more efficient and to save time, the Swedish design application IMPACT is now used in an increasing number of companies.
Designer, Mr. Ruben Gianolio is totally con-
vinced: “We would never have made it with-
out Impact”
Together with his colleagues at Prekon build-
ing consultants, he has just finished project
Ideon Gateway in Lund in the south of
Sweden. Ideon Gateway is an impressive
building structure consisting of two main
bodies of 19 and 14 floors united at the
10th floor. When finished, the building will
contain a hotel and office premises. In
order to manufacture precast units for this
project, Mr. Gianolio designed them in the
application Impact.
“When it comes to constructing precast ele-
ments, no program on the market can beat
Impact”, Mr. Gianolio states. “Other pro-
grams simply do not have the same func-
tions, above all the information technology. Bird´s eye view of Gateway
I have access to a database with all the
information needed to plan the production,
the assembly and to order everything I need, for example material and reinforce- precast elements so that they do not collide
ments. Several customers already use the and we can rest assured that the precast
program, which makes it unnecessary for us units fit together on location.”
to convert formats.”
He also stresses the advantages of being Swedish application
able to visualize how different units are put
together in the 3D model of the application. Impact is a Swedish application developed
“This simplifies putting together the different by building engineers. A need for an appli-
FEM Calculation of Ideon Gateway in Gateway model view
Lund in the south of Sweden
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2. PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS
cation that could fill the everyday needs of plicated geometry, presented great chal- StruEngineers is a glob
global
bal
the building engineer or designer and effi- lenges to the constructors. engineering company focused
y
cient production of precast units had emer- Tyréns building consultant is responsible for
on the construction and building
and g
ged to match the demands of the market. designing the shopping centre, and to them,
The thoughts of these new demands started Emporia is their biggest project ever. Over industry
industry offering local engineering
l
a creative process in the eighties. An impor- a period of three years, an average of services world-wide w its
services with
tant step in this process was to study the three persons have been working full time innovative software products and
products
work flow in the factories that manufactures on the project creating 2,300 unique
skilled engineers to re
reduce the
educe
the concrete elements. The developer of the designs that form the basis for 5,500 units
application sought to improve communication with a total of 73,000 square meters of cost and improve the business
between designer and manufacturer to floor elements. efficiency for you.
meet information needs and to adjust them
in order to meet the demands of the manu- “The advantage of the application is that all
facturers. Step by step, Impact was develop- parts are coherent, from design to model”, Precast Planning
Planning
ed and in 2002, Structural Design Soft- says Mr. Pär Ekström at Tyréns. “The infor-
ware in Europe AB or StruSoft was found- mation is there all the time and you don’t
ed. Today, the company has 35 people have to enter data more than once, as we
employed with business in Sweden as well used to. Other applications are not specifi-
as internationally. The company has also cally developed for concrete units in the
developed applications for analysis of industry.”
design and energy for the building industry.
The information was flowing from design to
The biggest shopping centre in northern production and the construction plan was
Europe distributed to Strängbetong, manufacturer
of the concrete units.
Impact has also been successfully put into General arrangement, erection
,
practice when designing Emporia, just out- Saving time in the Middle East and shop drawings an bill of
nd
and
side Malmö, Sweden. When completed, materials.
this will be the biggest shopping centre in StruSoft’s application is not only used in
northern Europe, where most of its gigantic Europe. The Concrete Technology LCC
precast frameworks have been developed group plays a key role in the U.A.E. precast Structural Engineering
Eng
gineering
with StruSoft’s design application. The industry development as a leading precast
area, which equals twenty-two football company that employ 10,000 people and
grounds, containing shopping areas, and has a head office in Dubai and branches in
offices, whose spectacular design and com- Bahrain and Jordan.
Structural analysis and design in
d
concrete and steel, RC and steel
C
drawings, bar bending schedules
g
and bill of materials.
d f t i l
Architecture
Architecture
3D-modelling and arc
architecture
chitecture
Emporia shopping centre drawings.
www.struengine
www.struengineers.com
eers.com
www.cpi-worldwide.com CPI – Concrete Plant International – 6 | 2011
Sweden | United Kingdom | Hun y | U.A.E. | India
Hungary
ngar

3. PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS
The basic idea is to make the engineer inde-
pendent of time and space in his or her
work via Internet based cloud computing
when providing these services. Communi-
cation between engineers will take place in
a global collaboration with the purpose of
providing manufacturers with correct infor-
mation for designing. The application is
given a new dimension when put into prac-
tice in everyday life of the international build-
ing trade which will mitigate the pressure of
tough competition.
Emporia model view
The company manufactures a wide range Subsidiary company will relief pressure
of products, from simple units to complicat-
ed pre-stressed constructions and larger StruSoft recently founded a subsidiary com-
buildings. Two years ago, the company pany StruEngineers in order to support and
invested in Impact and after a short time of simplify the process of designing precast
training and implementation the engineers units. “We want to relief pressure on the
were successfully able to master and use companies so that they don’t face a stand-
the application in existing precast projects still at designer stage”, says Mr. Paul Rehn,
and managed to reduce drawing production CEO of StruSoft.
time.
We want to help them to fully live up to their
“Before, I always felt a time pressure from commitments to their customers. Stru-
our structural engineers waiting for the shop Engineers will, with the help of their engi-
drawings”, says engineer Mr. Louie Abdulla. neers stationed in India, be able to render
“But after the implementation of Impact, I the flow of projects more effective to meet
am able to finish in such good time that I the various requirements of the customers. FURTHER INFORMATION
wait for new assignments.”
“They will make it possible to save up to 60
The company thereby saves time and percent of the construction cost”, says Mr.
resources, of course highly in demand in Manoj Kalwadia, President of Stru-Engineers.
times of tough competition. In 2010, “One of the reasons for this is that we have
StruSoft
Mr. Abdel Rehman, head of designers, been able to cut costs for personnel, premi- Structural Design Software in Europe AB
establi-shed that the next two years it will be ses and programs. We also support our Fridhemsvägen 22 · 21774 Malmö, Sweden
a tough time for all precast factories in the customers’ design processes to achieve just T +46 40 530117
world. the right quality for the elements.” lars.bergqvist@strusoft.com · www.strusoft.com
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