Bentley Systems, the US-based software company that produces solutions for the design, construction and operation of infrastructure, has successfully responded to challenging situations faced by several companies in the Saudi capital in the recent past.

The company recalled that its interventions at Riyadh-headquartered Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), Henning Larsen and the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, better known as Ma’aden, led to more efficient and smoother operations, thereby enhancing productivity and cutting costs.

SEC, an iconic company tasked with the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power in the kingdom, approached Bentley for a solution to achieve consolidation of the infrastructure information of all merged organisations into a single electronic data management system (EDMS).

It was important that SEC got help as Saudi Arabia is a large country with vast expanses of desert, long coast lines and high, mountainous areas making access to physical data, especially during emergencies, often impossible.

“After extensive evaluation, SEC decided to standardise on ProjectWise. ProjectWise met SEC’s requirements for a high-end, enterprise class engineering content management solution that supported open standards and integration with other enterprise systems,” said a  Bentley spokesman.

“ProjectWise also provided web support and caching servers that enabled access to remote locations across the kingdom with poor connectivity.”

SEC has successfully established the EDMS across its transmission and generation sectors and achieved its strategic goal. All as-built data for all power plants, substations, transmission lines and underground cables are now in digital format and managed in an EDMS based on Bentley ProjectWise.

Currently, there are about 10 million as-built drawings and document images being managed in the EDMS. Users from different regions can easily access documents from other regions within minutes.

HENNING LARSEN

SEC generates, transmits and distributes electric power in the kingdom

Henning Larsen was appointed architect for Crystal Towers in Riyadh. It was tasked to design two towers, 18 and 26 storeys, located between the financial centre and a verdant pedestrian thoroughfare. 

Housing 93,000 sq m of office and retail space, the plan was to have the buildings oriented to create a visual link between the two elements, be connected by a dramatic skywalk, and offer shaded outdoor meeting areas. To optimise sustainability, accommodate site and environmental constraints, communicate among multiple disciplines worldwide, and deliver world-class structures on a tight schedule, Henning Larsen needed flexible, integrated information modeling software.

Bentley Architecture (now AECOsim Building Designer) and MicroStation enabled the project team to attribute sustainable requirements to building objects while maintaining high quality and consistency throughout every project stage, from original sketches to detailed designs. To meet the fast-track schedule, Henning Larsen used Bentley’s 3D design tools to communicate and collaborate with more than 200 professionals from multiple disciplines worldwide. 

“Bentley’s integrated software accelerated accurate information sharing throughout design and construction allowing Henning Larsen to design the towers to achieve LEED certification,” the spokesman commented. 

Using Bentley BIM software, Henning Larsen optimised design concepts, easily monitored building quality, costs, and materials, and enabled the team to quickly and effectively achieve sustainability goals. 

“The interoperability of Bentley products allowed the project team to share files from different software with multiple firms of varying disciplines, enhancing communication and collaboration, and ensuring timely delivery. The 3D BIM design models improved decision-making processes resulting in significant time savings,” Bentley observed. 

Henning Larsen relied on Bentley Architecture to support its commitment to sustainable urban development. The team used the software to design the tower’s recessed, scaled, crystalline apertures that optimise views of the plaza and landscaping, while shielding the interior from the intense sunlight. Bentley software enabled Henning Larsen to optimise building proportions to lower ambient air temperature around the towers by six to eight degrees Celsius.

MA’ADEN PROJECT

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company – Ma’aden – based in Riyadh, awarded RM Servicios Integrales de Ingeneiría the $20 million project to design transfer towers and a 240 m bulk conveyor belt in accordance with American design codes.

However, this had to be accomplished in a short period of time. To meet the engineering challenges of this tight schedule, RM Servicios Integrales de Ingeneiría required flexible, interoperable modeling tools to automate the design process and ensure compliance.

To comply with the technical requirements and quality standards, the company designed the towers and conveyor belt using Bentley STAAD.Pro. Bentley’s structural design and analysis software automated adherence to the required design codes and provided a comprehensive, structural solution.

“RM Servicios Integrales de Ingeneiría realised the benefits of Bentley STAAD.Pro early in the project. Bentley STAAD.Pro automated adherence to American design codes ensuring the structures met design standards and enabling the aggressive deadlines to be achieved,” Bentley recalled. 

“The interoperability of Bentley tools with other plan production software saved significant time and money. Using Bentley’s flexible, integrated software facilitated the successful design of this Saudi Arabian mining project, serving as an international reference in the industry for RM Servicios Integrales de Ingeneiría.”