Constructing and managing hydropower plants and dams is complex, challenging and interdisciplinary, involving large dimensions, a variety of construction systems, and the need for rigorous safety control. This is why the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is considered as ‘holding promise’ across all stages of a project’s lifecycle, providing a range of resources to support these processes. Integrating BIM is described as providing numerous substantial and quantifiable advantages for both clients and contractors. It assists in achieving accurate and ideal design assessments, ensuring a seamless construction process free from conflicts, and streamlining construction expenses for optimisation. The use of this methodology is said to be increasingly common and has demonstrated its versatility.
Recent research carried out by Rafael Chehab Canto Pereira et al has reviewed how BIM is used in the hydropower and dams industry. Researchers carried out a bibliometric analysis, quality assessment, and literature review of 29 relevant papers published between 2017 and 2023. Their aim was to identify how and where BIM has been used, the main software tools, limitations and lessons learned, and how BIM can support safety issues in these structures.
As the authors explain, the benefits of using BIM for hydropower and dams were observed from project conception to the management and maintenance of these structures. Employing BIM for project conception provided the following advantages:
- The identification and resolution of conflicts among structural, electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic disciplines.
- Structural and hydraulic simulations to optimise design and reduce costs.
- Integration with construction planning to simulate the construction process and predict building site logistics.
- Improved information management and document control, as key information is linked to the model.
Afte dams and hydropower structures are built, BIM models gained new functionalities, such as finite element simulations to predict structural forces and settlements, performance assessments of the systems within the building to enhance operational efficiency, flood area simulations to anticipate accidents and control reservoir levels, among others. These simulations facilitate the operation of these structures and contribute to decision-making. Some studies also explored the use of digital twins, integrating sensor data or equipment with BIM models.
Furthermore, the use of BIM for existing structures enabled the creation of ‘as-is’ models that can be employed for operation and maintenance. Such models can also be employed to assess the safety of hydropower and dam projects constructed a long time ago and determine whether their current condition aligns with current safety standards or if they require reinforcement.
Widely used BIM applications
Looking at the most widely used software applications in this study, out of the 31 software tools utilised, Autodesk was responsible for the development of nine, with particular emphasis on Revit and Navisworks. Bentley’s Power Civil and Project Wise software were featured in two articles. Both Revit and Power Civil are 3D modelling software, however, the authors say a market leadership trend is noticeable for Revit, as it was employed in 18 articles, while Power Civil was used in only one.
Since the use of BIM for infrastructure still presents some challenges and limitations, there is significant potential for growth and improvement of these tools. Given that seven articles proposed the development of new software tools, the authors claim it can be inferred there is still a need for the maturation or creation of software to cater to this sector
The uses of BIM addressed in the articles were identified and classified, encompassing new projects, as-is modelling, software development, digital twin, and simulation. These applications, for the most part, were tested on existing structures and demonstrated significant gains.
However, the Brazilian research team weren’t able to find papers addressing case studies in Brazil. This, they say, reflects the scarcity of research on the subject in the country, highlighting the need for further study because BIM has the potential to assist with Brazilian engineering in managing hydropower and dam structures, the authors add.
REFERENCE:
Rafael Chehab Canto Pereira, Pedro Nogueira de Resende, João Rodolfo Côrtes Pires & Ana Regina Mizrahy Cuperschmid (2025) BIM-enabled strategies for dams and hydroelectric structures: a comprehensive analysis of applications from design to operation, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 21:3, 491-512, DOI: 10.1080/17452007.2024.2386128
