Causeway's PDS - BIM functionality for civil engineers

With its intelligent 3D modelling capabilities and powerful integration functionality, Causeway's Professional Design Suite (PDS) delivers all of the benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to the civil engineer.

PDS covers all aspects of earthworks design and quantification, development site infrastructure design and highway design - with modules for Digital Modelling, Alignment Design and Drainage Design. The latest generation also features a new Visual Reality module that generates fully functional walk-throughs and fly-throughs within just a few minutes of finishing a design.

The digital modelling BIM capabilities of PDS include borehole modelling, calculations from multiple models, automatic generation of formation models and quantities, storage pond modelling, dynamic cut and fill analysis and surface design tools. These are combined with horizontal and vertical route alignments, intelligent 3D junction design and dynamic integration with Micro Drainage.

When the design is complete the new Visual Reality module harnesses the latest gaming technologies to generate realistic visual designs in a fraction of the time required with traditional methods. Causeway has also made a free viewer available to help clients view the designs.

Throughout its modules PDS is highly intuitive and can be mastered with minimal training, with no requirement for specialist CAD skills. PDS users, who include the majority of the UK's top 100 consulting engineers, typically report time-savings of 50% compared to traditional methods

Paul Madeira, Causeway Divisional Director for Cost & Design products, commented: "BIM functionality has been available to civil engineers, through PDS, for many years. So it is very exciting that other disciplines are now adopting this methodology to achieve truly integrated designs of buildings and infrastructure. The ability to very quickly generate visual models also enables PDS users to add value to the service they deliver to their clients."

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From feasibility, through construction, to facilities management, Causeway’s software powers the complete life cycle of the built environment. Whatever the size…