Boosting Productivity and Reputation with Autodesk Civil 3D: Kabe Consulting Engineers Results

Overview

Design Challenge

Kabe Consulting was recently commissioned to design an 8-kilometer stretch of road from gravel to a surfaced road. The project was awarded in November 2021 and commenced in 2022.  After a few delays, Kabe was finally able to kick off and within 3 months, completed the feasibility, concept, and detailed design phase. A noteworthy timeline to have tackled this scale of work.

One of the major challenges faced during the design phase was the mountainous terrain of the area. The road had to be designed to accommodate the cut and fill required to balance out the terrain, while also trying to minimize the cost of importing materials. Another challenge was the existing infrastructure, specifically the collapsed culverts from the stormwater coming through the channels.

Budgetary constraints contributed to the complexity of the project, with the improvements needed exceeding the initial budget allocated for the project. Kabe Consulting looked at how to optimise the costs by retrieving materials needed for the cut-and-fill process, from the closest borrow pit to reduce the materials needed to be imported.

These technical design challenges were compounded by the growing pressure from the client and community to get the project underway.

Kabe Consulting Engineers CEO – Kabefa Moloisane shares “It isn’t just the pressure of our client and the community that drives us to want to complete the project accurately in the shortest time, it’s also the fact that we are in a competitive environment with many companies competing for the same work.  You are only as good as your last project and if you fail to deliver quality projects fast, it could not only affect your reputation with your existing client but hinder future business prospects.”

Project Goals

The project goals on this 8-kilometer stretch of road over mountainous terrain were simple… Deliver the best quality work, assessing all the variable factors, available data, and design options, in the shortest space of time.

Design Solutions

Kabe Consulting adopted Autodesk Civil 3D in 2013, however, Kabefa indicates the vast developments that have taken place in the programme since then have propelled Kabe to new heights.

Autodesk Civil 3D was utilised on this particular project, to help resolve the challenges posed by the mountainous terrain. The program’s Earthworks Volume Tool was used to balance out the cut and fill required and the program’s ability to create long sections and cross sections helped the team to visualise the vertical profile and make the necessary adjustments. Civil 3D helped to streamline the design process and allowed the team to efficiently navigate the challenges posed by the project’s unique site conditions.

Civil 3D gave the Kabe Team the ability to visualise the road in 3D. This helped to analyse the design solution and ensure that it will work in the real world and have an idea of how the completed project would look. 

The easy integration of critical geotechnical data optimised the analysis of whether materials would be re-used or imported, and the team was able to plot the positions from the investigation directly onto the road and see how far they would need to travel to get the materials from the borrow pit.

Over the years Kabe Consulting has leaned on Baker Baynes to advise on how they can continue to improve their efficiencies.  The integration of third-party software – iDAS, was an outcome of one such consult. 

iDAS has allowed Kabe to align with the South African Co-ordination system as well as automate repetitive tasks.  This advice given by the Baker Baynes team resulted in massive time-saving and productivity efficiencies for Kabe.

“If I have to compare where I started as an engineer on a drawing board, to what we are doing now, the efficiency gain is 1000%”.

Business Benefits

Using Autodesk Civil 3D has brought numerous benefits to Kabe Consulting. One of the key benefits is the time-saving feature. The software has allowed for quicker production of designs and projects, enabling the company to achieve goals faster and more efficiently. This is a significant advantage in today’s competitive market, where time is of the essence and clients expect fast results.

Another important benefit is the quality of work produced. The software allows for accurate and detailed designs, ensuring that the final product meets the client’s expectations and standards. This is crucial in maintaining a positive reputation in the industry and attracting new clients. Civil 3D also allows for easy modification and changes to be made to designs during the implementation process. This is essential in avoiding delays and extra costs, as well as ensuring that the final product meets the client’s needs and requirements. Additionally, the software has allowed Kabe to easily integrate new designs and modifications into existing ones.