Architect: Van den Berg Architecten
Construction: NEY+Partners
Techniques: SDHeedfeld Riemst
interior: Ariar, interieurarchitectuur, Brecht, Ann Roelands
The new building of the technical school for VTI Bruges, which has a total surface area of 17,500 m², provides space for workshops and classrooms for the department’s mechanics, electricity, garage, bodywork, theoretical technical courses, and the corresponding 1st grade, a refectory, and a sports hall.Â
All this is housed over four floors that will accommodate 800 students. It also houses the boarding school for 65 borders and provides adult education. The playground and parking space in the area cover 13,290 m².
The building is situated between the industrial site of Bombardier and the city center. The new facility is within walking distance of the station and is characterized by a strong learning and living environment. There will be lots of light and air in the classrooms and large open spaces in the building, which is built for modern pedagogical concepts. The building is aligned on a grid of 7.2mx7.2m. It is an adaptable building focused on the future, with a simple column structure, sometimes double-height, which makes it very easy to create or remove spaces.
Challenge
Create coherence between the concrete structure and the steel structure. The concrete structure was developed by us (Vuylsteke-Eiffage – Meulebeke Belgium) and the steel structure by a subcontractor (De Wandeler-Torhout Belgium).
An exceptional feature of the structure is the presence of steel wind braces (type: Detan tension bars) combined with concrete columns along with the necessary anchors for the force transfer.
We started working on the foundation at the end of March 2020. BIM was necessary to coordinate everything smoothly between the parties, minimize delays on site, and construct the entire structural work (concrete and steel structure) in nine months. Together with the lean planning, we hope to be able to make the fully finished and furnished school available in November 2021.
Collaborations within Tekla Structures
The concrete structure and the steel structure were modeled with Tekla Structures and  Tekla Model Sharing was used for internal collaboration between colleagues.
We encouraged our subcontractors to model in 3D as much as possible and to make their produced models available in IFC format. We used this, among other things, for precast double walls, steel deck, siding, steel stairs, techniques, etc.Â
Collaboration and exchange using Trimble Connect
We have been using Trimble Connect internally for several years now. Our project management and site management team working on the construction site itself makes good use of Trimble Connect for reviewing and/ or clarifying the various construction elements. We do this by importing our own Tekla models and those of our subcontractors.
3D models and up-to-date 2D floor plans such as architecture and stability plans are implemented in Trimble Connect to give our people working onsite and our subcontractors a clear overall picture of execution.Â
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