Opening Up New Horizons with 3DEXPERIENCE

In an industry where 80% of projects experience tremendous cost overruns and schedule delays, owners/operators and EPCs (Engineering Procurement Construction companies) are more focused than ever in finding a better way to manage construction costs and schedule. Whether the construction is for a new site or for upgrading an existing facility with on-going operations, interconnected activities must be carefully planned to ensure the safest work environment for the workers, while securing minimum downtime.

As part of the Dassault Systèmes (DS)’ comprehensive Plant Lifecycle Management solutions, the Construction Planning & Simulation solution enables companies in the Energy and Process industries to implement a “Design for Construction” approach. EPCs and owners/operators rely on DS' fully integrated PLM system in order that both design and construction processes can be optimized concurrently and in ways that would best utilize available resources. Early and throughout the design process, plant construction planning, scheduling, and sequencing can be virtually defined and simulated to reduce the occurrence of construction-delaying problems that typically arise when the structural systems and large equipment are ready to be placed.

The Construction Planning & Simulation solution includes scheduling integration with tools such as Primavera and MS Project, equipment placement, and human simulations including aspects of vision, display and motion as well as feasibility studies of remotely operated devices. In addition, material handing and flow to the site or storage and spending curve analysis on material and resources can be studied ahead of time to minimize project risks. As all components are included in the planning, initial requirements, costs, and construction time can be estimated quite accurately prior to capital orders.

Dassault Systèmes' PLM system maintains the relationships between design data and construction data. This helps users track late changes, identify parts that may be impacted by design changes, and study the impact of the changes on construction. The Construction Planning and Simulation solution gives EPCs and plant owners/operators the information they need to predict the cost of changes in dollars and time so that they can decide whether or not to renegotiate the terms of the contract or make necessary adjustments to the scope of the project.