University of Augsburg
Institute for Theoretical Medicine
Augsburg, Germany
To see is to understand.
During the construction of a research and teaching building in Augsburg, 3D visualisation in BIM is also being used to master the complex construction processes.
The Institute of Theoretical Medicine is currently the second building block of the University of Augsburg's Faculty of Medicine. The new building impresses architecturally above all with its "inner values", including a fully enclosed atrium with a large seating staircase on the ground floor. With the help of virtual planning by Doka, the team from Burger Bau GmbH succeeded in developing technically precise formwork solutions and ensuring efficient construction processes.
Building type
Research and teaching building
Challenge
Complex building statics and construction processes required a high-precision approach in terms of support and formwork
High demands on concrete surfaces
Solution
3D visualisation in BIM with DokaCAD for Revit
Pre-assembled formwork elements from the Doka prefabrication service
The more complex the project, the more important clear planning is
A picture is worth a thousand words - it sounds trivial, but it's true. Graphic representations can be used to make difficult issues understandable at a glance. This also applies on the construction site: no building project without a construction plan. And the more complex the requirements, the more important it is to have not only technically precise but also clear planning. According to the principle "Seeing is understanding." that's why Burger Bau GmbH relied on Doka's virtual formwork planning for the ITM Augsburg project, in order to keep a constant eye on the challenges of the concrete structures and find the best possible solutions.
Planning at a high level
Complex geometries and the associated need to transfer loads with pinpoint accuracy literally demanded "high-level" planning, especially for the slabs and stairs. The ground floor around the atrium extended over two storeys, so that the slab formwork had to be supported at over 8 metres, and the staircases at over 7 metres. Staxo 100 towers were used for the shoring. Massive on-site steel girders, which were necessary to transfer the enormous loads of the upper storeys into the foundations, were connected to the Staxo 100 towers using scaffolding tubes to secure and align the position. In addition, some of the Staxo towers had to remain in place as emergency supports, as the cantilevered part of the ground floor slab could only support itself once the third upper floor slab had been completed.
All in all, it was not an easy situation - but with the help of virtual planning by Doka (cooperation between Deutsche Doka and the Corporate Engineering team), it was no problem. Thanks to digital 3D visualisation with BIM ("Building Information Modelling"), carried out with the planning software DokaCAD for Revit, the construction team had a highly precise, realistic model of the substructure in front of them at all times. And this made a decisive contribution to better understanding the architectural features of the structure, identifying and avoiding faults at an early stage and constructing the substructure in line with the tight schedule. In addition, the platform decks integrated into the system could be optimally planned in Revit, thus reliably ensuring the necessary work safety at a height of 8 metres.
The Doka contact partners provided the Burger Bau GmbH team with advice and assistance throughout the project and also supported them on site with their expertise. And this collaborative partnership contributed significantly to the success of the project. Seeing each other here also meant understanding each other.
Optics and statics in harmony
Teamwork was also crucial for the walls and seating stairs, which had to be produced in exposed concrete quality SB3. Close collaboration with the work preparation team was necessary to achieve the desired anchor and joint pattern. At the same time, the statics required the concreting sections to be separated at clearly defined points, as some walls had to be designed as wall-like beams. It was therefore necessary to develop a formwork concept that optimally harmonised appearance and statics. The project was realised using pre-assembled girder formwork from the Doka prefabrication service. To save material, the formwork elements were used several times. To do this, they had to be rebuilt on site. And here too - and this brings us full circle - the principle of "seeing is understanding" made a major contribution to success. Doka foreman Nicola Müller supported the Burger Bau team in coordinating the conversion of the formwork elements directly on site in a time- and resource-efficient manner.
The formwork work on the ITM Augsburg has now been completed, and the Doka engineers are not the only ones to draw a positive conclusion ("We love it when a virtual plan works."). Martin Pal, Head of Work Preparation at the construction company, also sees great potential in virtual formwork planning with BIM for future projects.
"The 3D visualisation in Revit was extremely helpful for the construction of the substructure."
Martin Pal | Head of Work Preparation | Burger Bau GmbH
Project data
Year
2023
Country
Germany
Postcode
86156
City
Augsburg
Company carrying out the construction
Burger Bau GmbH
Client
Augsburg State Building Authority
Architecture
BHBVT Company of Architects mbH
Shell surface wall
approx. 5,000 m2
(total wall area approx. 18,000 m2)
Shell surface ceiling
approx. 300 m2
(total ceiling area approx. 20,000 m2)
Height underneath
up to 8 m
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