As the challenges of formwork and falsework increase and architects innovate with the design of modern structures, there is an increasing need to take a three dimensional view of projects, in order to truly understand how to design practical solutions and systems that are both safe, cost effective and capable of withstanding the forces acting upon them.
It is for these reasons that RMD Kwikform’s engineering and product development teams are increasingly moving to 3D design to support customers needs. When you talk about 3D design there is a great deal involved in the process, it is not simply interpreting commonly used 2D design and adding the further dimension, it is fundamentally a totally new procedure altogether.
To find out more about how 3D is changing the way RMD Kwikform solutions are designed, Formula caught up with RMD Kwikform Middle East’s CAD development manager, Mike Muir and his team in the
Middle East that has been instrumental in pioneering the use of 3D design throughout the company.
Mike, “In layman’s terms what we have is a dual approach to 3D design and delivery. The first is the use of 3D design to develop new products and special components, a process we have now being doing for some time. However it is the second, what we would call the customer facing approach, which involves the use of our 3D cad automated software with inbuilt equipment specifications, that is ultimately allowing us to challenge the design of modern formwork and falsework solutions.
Initially we have used the application of our specially adapted 3D software to support the swift design of simple formwork solutions like soffit support. This is what I would call the bread and butter work that RMD Kwikform customers rely on us for every day.
For example for a soffit support job the software allows our design team to simply input the ground level and soffit height, select the equipment to be used and the programme makes up the required height from the systems like Alshor Plus. This would define what leg sizes would be used, the jack requirements and the other components like crowns or U heads.
Once the programme has done this, the designer would then simply define the spacing required for the legs and the system would then include the relevant frames.
The advantage of taking this approach is that it is much quicker and easier to do a project plan layout on 3D than it would be to do the same process using the traditional 2D design methods. The additional benefits are that you also get your section or side views and full and accurate quantities of equipment automatically that then only have to be checked by one engineer.
By comparing this to the traditional process of design, which would involve the drawing of a plan layout using 2D software with information gathered from the customer, we are able to see just what difference 3D makes.
For example from this initial 2D design our designer would have to manually produce the sections in order to complete the design and be able to work out what equipment would be needed to achieve the relevant height and positions on the design. It is only once this type of design is completed that the process of taking accurate quantities of equipment can begin.
At this stage the 2D approach has already taken considerably more time than the 3D equivalent. The equipment calculation process is also quite laborious, not to mention the fact that due to our quality standards, our design engineer would have to then get this information double checked by a colleague.
So you can see that with our 3D design system automatically doing this work for us and the visual customer images that we deliver showing the sections in a much more aesthetically pleasing way, as a business we have been able to make considerable advances in our design processes.
Not only does this give time savings to the customer, from initial brief to solution development, it more importantly ensures they receive and understand the exact amount of equipment required for the task, therefore eliminating the potential for human error.
So from a customer perspective what they see is a design service that provides them with a standardised format, with an increased visual quality standard, that ultimately helps them to understand how we are able to bring their project to life, using our systems and equipment.
The real reason that we have had such a success here in the Middle East using this new 3D approach is the significant reduction in the time it takes to design systems for both formwork and falsework projects, enabling us to get quotes and drawings to customers in a fraction of the time previously required.
With the Middle East probably being the most time sensitive region of the world when it comes to project programme times and the speed of construction. Showing a customer that by using RMD Kwikform they are able to work faster, with better quality of delivery and equipment is certainly beneficial.
What 3D also allows us to do is make subtle changes to the overall system design if the client requires. This is often the case for more complex projects, where we are dealing with programme and design changes on a daily basis.
From a regional point of view we are also seeing 3D design becoming an essential tool for the more complex structures. A prime example of this has been the work we have carried out on the Yas Island Marina Hotel development. Here the architects designed a shroud consisting of a large number of ladders that needed to be fitted together. In all we had to provide 911 supporting nodes for these ladder to rest on whilst they were being attached to the adjacent ladder to form the overall shroud.
Without 3D the design of the support system required for this project would not have been possible. Here the 3D and project management team at our Sharjah head office, which then became site based, took the 3D design concept from the customer and interpreted it relating to our product groups to come up with a number of possible solutions to the challenge.
Being to date one of the most complex projects of its nature ever designed by RMD Kwikform, it was 3D modeling that made it possible. The biggest part of the design was what we call the ‘clash detection’ process. Basically the project itself involved the modeling of a Megashor and Rapidshor solution with R700 girders and Superslim A frames.
Through the use of our 3D system we were able to focus on how these components connected together and how the interaction of parts would take place, redesigning components to make sure they did not clash.
The end design also had to be flexible and constantly monitored to enable adjustments to be made depending at what stage and position the equipment was being erected. This process also concentrated on avoiding any unwanted contact between fixed parts. (see image above)
With an extremely tight programme time with the structure having to be completed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix without the use of 3D we would not have been able to fulfill the customers needs.
Moving away from system design, what the customers don’t see on an everyday basis is how we are using 3D design to develop new products and specials for specific jobs.
This is particularly important with specials and our ongoing product design and development. We have been using 3D design and modeling in this area for some time. In a similar way to system design its use speeds up the overall process, enabling drawings to be rapidly updated and specifications given for the manufacture of parts. It also eliminates the need to fabricate numerous prototypes a process that ultimately requires more time. So with 3D we can now bring to life specials and new products swiftly and effectively as we can see from the software that the design works and is able to cope with the relevant loadings.
Again the Yas island Marina Hotel project shroud is good example of this process in action as the design of our support systems involved the creation of a number of specials including the Node support components that were used to create a direct linkage between the ladders and the A frames. This steel fabrication was designed and produced locally within a very short period of time and therefore prevented any delays onsite.
In conclusion there is still a lot more that we are looking to do with 3D within RMD Kwikform but for our customers the benefits to be gained are already proving to be extremely successful. With our engineering skills, systems and equipment all pulled together by the use of 3D almost anything is possible!
