BIM-to-FEM: Incorporating Numerical Simulations into BIM Concepts with Application to Real Tunneling Projects

Abstract: Finite element (FE) simulations are an integral element of the planning and design process for mechanized tunneling projects. The models needed for these simulations are typically manually generated using 2D-CAD drawings, which is a laborious and time-consuming process. Recent trends incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) concepts offer opportunities to simplify this process by using geometrical BIM sub-models as a basis for performing structural calculations. This paper presents a novel “BIM-to-FEM” technology, that automatically extracts the relevant information (geology, alignment, lining, material and process parameters), needed for a FEsimulation from BIM sub-models and subsequently performs an FE-analysis of the tunnel drive.