Autodesk, a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment creation software, is set to showcase its building, information, modeling (BIM) solutions for railways at the upcoming Middle East Rail conference in Dubai, UAE.

To run from March 17 to 18 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), the Middle East Rail is the region's largest rail exhibition and conference.

During the event, Autodesk, a pioneer of BIM solutions, will explain how adopting 3D Design technologies and implementing BIM standards would help the Middle East region to deliver sustainable and safer rail infrastructure within project estimates.

With over $50 billion worth of rail expansion projects in the Middle East planned or under way, the adoption of BIM solutions for railways will help deliver sustainable, safer assets in a shorter time, said a senior official.

"The Middle East and North African (Mena) region is a dynamic region for rail projects as governments are committed to build a world class transport infrastructure in the region," remarked Louay Dahmash, the head of Autodesk Middle East.

"Autodesk pioneered the concept of BIM and our participation at this year’s conference will highlight how BIM solutions can contribute towards the development and design of new railway projects," said Dahmash.

"The 3D Design solutions will help the Middle East rail industry reduce risk and deliver more successful and profitable projects, thereby strengthening and positioning the region as one of the world’s leading innovation hubs for sustainable transport infrastructure," he added.

The conference, which is organised under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy prime minister, minister of presidential affairs and Dr Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Public Works and chairman of the Federal Transport Authority - Land & Maritime, is being held under the theme 'Railway development strategy and technology for government, rail operators and contractors.'

The key speakers from Autodesk at the summit include:
•Peter Gertler, the director, Infrastructure Strategy, Global Consulting Services, who will highlight how the use of 3D Design technologies and BIM solutions can transform the way railways are planned, designed, built and managed

•Marek Suchocki, the infrastructure business development executive (EMEA), who will speak on the trends in BIM adoption globally

In addition, two hands on workshops will be conducted by Autodesk technical specialists on BIM and BIM360, which is a cloud enabled solution from Autodesk.

According to Dahmash, Autodesk’s railway solutions help users in station design; railway project planning; rail track design; platform design and station placement.

Utilising BIM will allow key advantages like visualising the entire project, improved construction co-ordination and clash detection. Users can access, integrate, and analyze information to generate preliminary layouts of railway system corridors and railway project visualizations, he explained.

The solution further enables owners, operators and consultants to meet BIM objectives required on rail and infrastructure projects, enabling the sharing of information across multiple disciplines, stated Dahmash.

"For example, Autodesk’s consulting team has been supporting Qatar Rail on the implementation of BIM technologies and practices to help decrease the overall time and costs of projects by minimizing rework and miscommunication, providing more actionable insight into projects, and helping accelerate decision-making earlier into the project lifecycle," he added.-TradeArabia News Service