Large-scale infrastructure projects, like highways and tunnels, are in a league of their own when it comes to volume of stakeholders and complexity of work.
The Perca Bypass, currently under construction in the Italian Alps, is critical infrastructure for the village and commune of Perca, a small community with a strong tourist trade. A joint venture between European construction leader Strabag and alpine region specialist Alpenbau, the 632-meter tunnel, together with supporting road infrastructure, will make for a better-connected region while improving safety for commuters.
Credit: Topcon
The three-year project, which broke ground in 2023, is an example of how large-scale projects of this kind can unlock new opportunities, relieving traffic in towns while introducing new routes for tourism and trade in areas where the landscape poses a challenge for construction. For Perca, the bypass will help alleviate the 26,000 vehicles that pass through the town a day during peak hours.
Getting multiple teams, dozens of pieces of machinery and numerous significant stakeholders all to pull in the same direction is no mean feat. Drawing on its long-term partnership with Topcon Positioning Systems, Alpenbau once again turned to the positioning technology provider for a solution. Using the Aptix Integration Platform by Topcon, Alpenbau and Strabag are able to manage and monitor progress across the jobsite, with site managers getting a detailed view of the worksite without having to leave the office.
Machinery management
The project managers in Perca have a huge number of machines working on site at any one time. Dozers, excavators, rollers, milling machines, pavers and more all need to work together to keep the project on time and on plan. When managing the construction of a 2,317-meter-long bypass, the complexity involved is exponential, with different operating systems and user interfaces preferred by different workers and stakeholders. Integration platforms are therefore key for ensuring fluent data flow across multiple pieces of machinery and varying third-party applications.
Acting with Aptix
“Aptix is a very convenient solution for us to manage our construction sites,” said Benjamin Niederkofler, CEO of Alpenbau. “One of the advantages of Aptix is that you can directly load 3D models onto machines that are equipped with machine control systems. This means that you always have the possibility to monitor the site from the office. This is a very important and fundamental tool for us to remotely monitor a construction site.”
It provides an up-to-date view of everything that’s happening on the project, amalgamating data from different contractors and machines to ensure a joined-up picture, no matter the job role or tech stack of teams on the ground. It also enables senior managers to access any data they need from across the project and make informed decisions in real time.
This is true at every stage of the build, from planning and design to machine management and construction. Automatic workflows help Alpenbau distribute designs to machines based on the project plan and collect progress information and telematic data without the need for manual input – ensuring no detail is lost between stakeholders and crew.
Alpenbau and Strabag also have the support of the Topcon team on a day-to-day basis, including initial installation and configuration of machines and data, alongside continued help for managers to get the best out of the software in the office.
Total transparency
Collaboration is non-negotiable on projects of this size, which are almost always joint ventures that require constant liaison with local authorities and policymakers. This range of varied stakeholders can make seamless cooperation a challenge, as different companies come with different ways of working, data formats and tech stacks.
That’s where the Aptix Integration Platform comes in. Project actuals like performance, daily work, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions can be collated and accessed by anyone who needs them. By bringing the different stakeholders out of their individual silos, project managers can make better informed decisions and collaborate actively with colleagues on and off site.
“Recently it has become increasingly important that we create transparency and co-operation on this construction site and share productivity daily with construction management or even with our customers,” said Niederkofler. “Having this transparency across the entire construction site is a decisive advantage.”
Andrea Marzi, technical director at Strabag Italy, added: “This unique platform allows all parties involved in the project to access all relevant construction information and data.”
Control, collaboration, clarity
The Perca Bypass will unlock important financial growth opportunities for a beautiful region, but it relies on a huge number of businesses, contractors, and stakeholders working in unison.
With the support of innovative digital workflows and data management tools, project leaders are able to have complete control over an enormous worksite and achieve a detailed view of individual jobs and the overall picture of how the build is progressing.
By bringing all this data together in one place, the platform has made seamless collaboration the status quo, enabling teams to deliver faster and with greater precision.
To find out more about Topcon, visit: https://www.topconpositioning.com/