Karst limestone and NATM
The conditions of penetration and the chosen construction method determined the constructive solutions with which the engineering routes had to be coordinated.
Case Ziggurat · Israel
Gilon Railway Tunnels — BIM coordination of railway tunnels
Ziggurat performed BIM coordination for the Gilon tunnel complex on the Akko-Karmiel railway line in Northern Israel.
Two parallel tunnel pipes, evacuation passages and distributed engineering systems required coordination of ventilation, electricity, drainage and fire protection in a single space.
Location
Northern Israel
Object
2 railway tunnels
Scale
≈ 4.6–4.7 km each pipe
Ziggurat work
BIM system coordination
The project in detail
Coordination of tunnels in the model and on the object
The gallery combines coordination drawings, BIM models and photos of the construction of the Gilon tunnels. Click on the image to open it full screen.
Briefly about the project
Two tunnels - one coordinated system
Gilon Railway Tunnels are two parallel railway tunnels on the Acre-Carmiel line. The Ziggurat coordinated engineering disciplines in a confined underground space.
2
parallel tunnels
18
evacuation crossings
- Project
- Gilon Railway Tunnels Acre-Carmiel railway
- Location
- Northern Israel
- Type
- Two single-track railway tunnels
- Railway line
- ≈ 23 km
- Each tunnel pipe
- ≈ 4.6–4.7 km
- Total length of tunnels
- ≈ 9.2 km
- Approximate diameter
- ≈ 8.5 m
- Evacuation transitions
- 18 · approximately after 250 m
- Railway track
- Track on a concrete base (Slab Track)
- Ziggurat work
- BIM coordination · management of BIM models
- The main disciplines of coordination
- Tunnel ventilation · electricity · water supply and drainage · fire protection
Challenges of coordination
Engineering coordination inside railway tunnels
Two parallel tunnels, cross escapes and long linear routes require engineering systems to be coordinated with structures, track and service access. A local change of the route may affect adjacent areas and operational safety.
- Ventilation and smoke extraction in two tunnel pipes
- Transitions between tunnels and evacuation routes
- Routes of electricity, communication and automation
- Drainage and fire networks along the track
- Service access without conflicts with structures
Engineering context
Scale, design and security systems
Gilon is part of the Akko-Karmiel railway line. These characteristics describe the complexity of the entire infrastructure project; they are not a quantitative report on the individual Ziggurat works.
≈ 160 m
the greatest depth of occurrence
≈ 740 thousand m³
volume of developed rock
64
jet fans
≈ 12 thousand
control and monitoring points
18 transverse transitions
Escape connections between tunnels require special attention to passages, doors, equipment and continuity of routes.
Slab Track and drainage
The concrete-based track, slopes and drainage form constraints for the placement of pipelines and other engineering.
Ventilation, power and protection
Systems of smoke removal, power supply, automation and fire protection should work as an interconnected complex.
Scope of work
That was coordinated by Ziggurat team
The team worked with BIM models of tunnel engineering systems: checking their spatial interaction, routes, equipment and joints with structures.
Tunnel ventilation
Position of ventilation equipment and channels relative to structures and adjacent networks.
Electricity and cable routes
Coordination of power, lighting, shields and cable infrastructure routes.
Water and drainage
Pipelines, slopes and water drainage within the tunnel profile.
Fire protection
Routes of fire networks, connection points and space for maintenance.
Technical equipment
Dimensions, access, opening and dismantling of components in confined areas.
Walks and transitions
Inspection of crossings with structures and nodes of transverse evacuation passages.
The Ziggurat approach
From individual models — to the agreed solution
Ziggurat compiled current models of engineering disciplines, checked for collisions on long linear sections and in saturated nodes, agreed on technically correct changes and re-checked solutions.
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Compilation of models Unified coordinates and current versions of disciplines
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Spatial check Tracks, equipment, structures and service areas
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Coordination of decisions Fix conflicts with responsible teams
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Repeat control Verification of changes in the updated coordination model
The result of the project
Agreed model tunnel engineering
The result of Ziggurat is coordinated engineering solutions in a BIM model that help the team see the mutual influence of systems before installation.
- Coordinated routes of ventilation, electricity, water and fire systems
- Constructive limits of tunnels and access to equipment are taken into account
- Updated models can be retested in the coordination cycle
Ziggurat examination
Services and industry of this project
01 / Service
Systems Coordination
Identification and technically correct elimination of spatial conflicts between disciplines.
View the service 02 / ServiceBIM Management
Control of the structure, relevance, versions and interaction of models in a single process.
View the service 03 / IndustryInfrastructure BIM
Coordination of railway, tunnel and other transport infrastructure facilities.
View industrySimilar projects
Other transport projects in the Ziggurat portfolio
Your project
Are you planning a railway or tunnel project?
Submit existing models and project materials to the Ziggurat team. We will assess the tasks of interdisciplinary BIM coordination, complex nodes and the required model management process for your infrastructure facility.