Bentley Case Studies SAIDEL Engineering's Innovative Geotechnical Solution for Residential Building over Subway Tunnels

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	SAIDEL Engineering's Innovative Geotechnical Solution for Residential Building over Subway Tunnels Bentley

SAIDEL Engineering's Innovative Geotechnical Solution for Residential Building over Subway Tunnels

Bentley

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application Sensors - Vibration Sensors
Applicable Industries	Cement Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Building Automation & Control Public Transportation Management
Challenge	In West Bucharest, Romania, a land developer initiated a EUR 2.5 million project to construct the city’s first residential building over the subway tunnels. The structure was initially planned as a 10-story building with a basement for parking. As a pioneer project located in the tunnel protection zone, it presented an irregular footprint and required approval from the subway operator, needing to demonstrate minimal displacing of the tunnels and effect on the structural forces. SAIDEL Engineering was tasked with providing structural and geotechnical design, with the goal of reducing the overall effect of the building on the tunnel lining by providing a safe and cost-efficient foundation. The project was complex, requiring SAIDEL Engineering to modify the shape of the footprint to reduce the irregularity of the building, while still complying with its functional and architectural needs, compounded by the mandate to obtain the conservative subway operator’s approval. Having previously been rejected, it subsequently lingered for two years before SAIDEL Engineering’s involvement. Read More
About Customer	SAIDEL Engineering is a Romanian engineering firm that specializes in geotechnical and structural design. They have been using Bentley's PLAXIS software for almost a decade, which has helped them in delivering complex projects with high accuracy and efficiency. In this project, they were tasked with the challenge of designing a safe and cost-efficient foundation for a residential building to be constructed over the subway tunnels in West Bucharest. The project was a pioneer in the city, and it required approval from the subway operator, Metrorex. The firm's expertise in geotechnical engineering and their proficiency in using advanced software like PLAXIS played a crucial role in overcoming the challenges and delivering a successful solution. Read More
Solution	SAIDEL Engineering initially performed 2D geotechnical analysis to determine and present feasible solutions for both the excavation and foundation that complied with the displacement and structural requirements. However, they wanted to increase the safety of the conceptual foundation design through 3D geotechnical modeling and analysis. While they received approval for the excavation, SAIDEL Engineering sought to develop 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization for the geotechnical design to be approved as well. They faced numerous obstacles when modeling the piles and pier loads, as well as challenges given the size of the model, which features more than 1.1 million elements and 1.5 million nodes. They needed an advanced geotechnical engineering application to provide the subway operator with accurate, quality design and documentation, proving that the structural foundation and 10-story residential building atop of it would have minimal influence on the tunnel lining. Using PLAXIS, they performed plane strain analysis and developed 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization, comparing the 3D analysis with the original 2D models to provide further confidence in the project’s foundation. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application

Sensors - Vibration Sensors

Applicable Industries

Cement

Construction & Infrastructure

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control

Public Transportation Management

Challenge

In West Bucharest, Romania, a land developer initiated a EUR 2.5 million project to construct the city’s first residential building over the subway tunnels. The structure was initially planned as a 10-story building with a basement for parking. As a pioneer project located in the tunnel protection zone, it presented an irregular footprint and required approval from the subway operator, needing to demonstrate minimal displacing of the tunnels and effect on the structural forces. SAIDEL Engineering was tasked with providing structural and geotechnical design, with the goal of reducing the overall effect of the building on the tunnel lining by providing a safe and cost-efficient foundation. The project was complex, requiring SAIDEL Engineering to modify the shape of the footprint to reduce the irregularity of the building, while still complying with its functional and architectural needs, compounded by the mandate to obtain the conservative subway operator’s approval. Having previously been rejected, it subsequently lingered for two years before SAIDEL Engineering’s involvement.

About Customer

SAIDEL Engineering is a Romanian engineering firm that specializes in geotechnical and structural design. They have been using Bentley's PLAXIS software for almost a decade, which has helped them in delivering complex projects with high accuracy and efficiency. In this project, they were tasked with the challenge of designing a safe and cost-efficient foundation for a residential building to be constructed over the subway tunnels in West Bucharest. The project was a pioneer in the city, and it required approval from the subway operator, Metrorex. The firm's expertise in geotechnical engineering and their proficiency in using advanced software like PLAXIS played a crucial role in overcoming the challenges and delivering a successful solution.

Solution

SAIDEL Engineering initially performed 2D geotechnical analysis to determine and present feasible solutions for both the excavation and foundation that complied with the displacement and structural requirements. However, they wanted to increase the safety of the conceptual foundation design through 3D geotechnical modeling and analysis. While they received approval for the excavation, SAIDEL Engineering sought to develop 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization for the geotechnical design to be approved as well. They faced numerous obstacles when modeling the piles and pier loads, as well as challenges given the size of the model, which features more than 1.1 million elements and 1.5 million nodes. They needed an advanced geotechnical engineering application to provide the subway operator with accurate, quality design and documentation, proving that the structural foundation and 10-story residential building atop of it would have minimal influence on the tunnel lining. Using PLAXIS, they performed plane strain analysis and developed 3D models for improved accuracy and optimization, comparing the 3D analysis with the original 2D models to provide further confidence in the project’s foundation.

Impact #1	The use of PLAXIS facilitated highly accurate modeling and analysis that enabled SAIDEL Engineering to achieve approval of the project and get it back on track in just three months, after a lingering two-year hiatus. The software’s highly advanced soil models and dynamic construction simulation provided a fast, user-friendly, and reliable engineering environment that accelerated precise finite element modeling, improving overall geotechnical and structural iterations. As a pioneer residential project for the city, it unlocks the potential for future development over the Bucharest subway tunnels. Through their successful 3D geotechnical modeling solutions supported by PLAXIS, SAIDEL Engineering increased their visibility as an organization, driving emulation of their methods and geotechnical competition. The project provides a model for future endeavors to follow.

Impact #1

The use of PLAXIS facilitated highly accurate modeling and analysis that enabled SAIDEL Engineering to achieve approval of the project and get it back on track in just three months, after a lingering two-year hiatus. The software’s highly advanced soil models and dynamic construction simulation provided a fast, user-friendly, and reliable engineering environment that accelerated precise finite element modeling, improving overall geotechnical and structural iterations. As a pioneer residential project for the city, it unlocks the potential for future development over the Bucharest subway tunnels. Through their successful 3D geotechnical modeling solutions supported by PLAXIS, SAIDEL Engineering increased their visibility as an organization, driving emulation of their methods and geotechnical competition. The project provides a model for future endeavors to follow.

Benefit #1	SAIDEL Engineering delivered a design solution that achieved the subway operator’s approval within three months.
Benefit #2	The firm's 3D calculation showed that this design resulted in just over approximately 6 millimeters of uplift during excavation and settlement during building service, minimally impacting the subway tunnels.
Benefit #3	With their design solution, SAIDEL Engineering reduced the influence on the tunnel lining by 50% in terms of displacements and structural forces.

Benefit #1

SAIDEL Engineering delivered a design solution that achieved the subway operator’s approval within three months.

Benefit #2

The firm's 3D calculation showed that this design resulted in just over approximately 6 millimeters of uplift during excavation and settlement during building service, minimally impacting the subway tunnels.

Benefit #3

With their design solution, SAIDEL Engineering reduced the influence on the tunnel lining by 50% in terms of displacements and structural forces.

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Overview

SAIDEL Engineering's Innovative Geotechnical Solution for Residential Building over Subway Tunnels

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit