Proposal for the Integration of the Assessment and Management of Electrical Risk from Overhead Power Lines in BIM for Road Projects

Abstract

Electrical risk has a particular impact within the construction sector. This leads to the development of regulations to mitigate it, but correct application of regulations is impossible with a traditional 2D analysis. The construction sector is using technologies from the industrial sector (Construction 4.0), with BIM as the main enabling technology. Thus, the objective of this article is the evaluation of the risk produced by Overhead Power Lines (OPL) through BIM integration. The OPL, its risk zones, the affected road, and the envelope resulting from the geometry of the necessary machines to build it were digitized, converging in a single model to perform a 4D risk analysis. The risks of the execution of the embankment and road surface of a road section passing through an OPL were analyzed by means of the collision of the envelope with its risk zones, resulting in an integration of their evaluation, to which was added the introduction of preventive measures and their re-evaluation. The parametric 3D modelling allowed a better definition of the risk zones and the BIM management minimized errors, providing traceability of decisions from the design phase, complying with health and safety regulations and applying the principle of Prevention through Design (PtD).

Building Information Modeling Uses and Complementary Technologies in Road Projects: A Systematic Review

“…The BIM Use 4D construction process impact analysis (U 31 ) uses the gathered information to assess the impact of schedule variations on project objectives, supporting more informed and flexible management [98]. Overall, the synergy between these BIM Uses underscores the importance of taking an integrated approach to road project management, where cost clarity, schedule coordination, and conflict anticipation come together to sharpen project performance and budget efficiency [99].…”

“…This approach ensures that the beauty of road infrastructure projects goes hand in hand with their strength, safety, and durability [8]. Road safety analysis (U 17 ) is directly intertwined with this approach, as the proper design of roadside facilities is crucial to protect road users and reduce accidents [99,102]. The design evaluation of roadside facilities aligns closely with the environmental impact in road infrastructure planning [103,104].…”

Identifying Emerging Technologies and Skills Required for Construction 4.0

“…The top five most cited technologies and processes are BIM, cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and robotics/industrial robots. Additionally, the five technologies and processes with the most publications and specific studies are BIM [43,44,[95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108], digital twins [21,92,[109][110][111][112][113][114], automation [19,20,76,[115][116][117][118], robotics [118][119][120][121][122][123][124], cybersecurity [41,42,[125][126][127][128], and Internet of Things (IoT) [75,[129][130]…”

“…The digitalization of design, construction, and management processes is already a consolidated reality through the use of Building Information Management (BIM) [95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108]. The integration of BIM with other technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) means an advance in the visual representation and simulation of construction processes, allowing everything from improvements in business strategies (sales and contacts with potential customers) to the prediction of risk situations for workers [26][27][28][29][30][31][32].…”