KALYON INSAAT | CUSTOMER CASE STUDY

A Project that Uses End-to-End BIM Processes

With its history spanning a period of close to a half-century, Kalyon Insaat has grown in parallel to Turkey’s development, creating a brand that provides services in construction and engineering, and achieving the actualization of complex infrastructure and superstructure megaprojects. The company’s long-standing achievements, its incomparable accumulation of know-how and human resources, as well as its use of the latest technologies are important elements of Kalyon Insaat’s globally recognized success.

Ziraat Towers BIM Life Cycle. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

BIM Team Established the Infrastructure

Ziraat Towers, built by Kalyon Insaat at the Istanbul International Finance Center, are reaching for the sky as proof of the company’s successful record in building complex projects and its striking expertise in the field of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Kalyon Insaat's skill in the use of BIM has allowed the company to provide an optimal response to not only meeting customer expectations but also achieving high productivity by economizing on labor and time.

Kalyon Insaat headquarters makes use of Autodesk AEC BIM applications in their projects. All of their worksites have a BIM team that set up BIM processes and ensure their continuity, meanwhile assuming the responsibility of passing on know-how to other projects.

Use of BIM at the Construction Phase

Aiming to meet customer expectations and reach the targeted productivity, Kalyon Insaat Ziraat Towers project team utilizes the Autodesk Build solution to set up an Autodesk AEC Collection platform that incorporates the tools of integrated BIM software, Autodesk Docs for achieving document management and a common data environment, a cloud-based Autodesk BIM Collaboration Pro design platform, as well as the tools to facilitate field operations and project management.

Kalyon Insaat BIM Manager Belgin Kafali Caliskan says that the company has achieved a major milestone in Ziraat Towers project in terms of setting a good example for the use of end-to-end BIM processes: “BIM projects are in general successfully modeled in the office environment. It is not easy to continue the BIM approach at the worksite phase. However, because of the steady development of BIM applications and the accumulation of this know-how in the sector, this is now changing. Ziraat Towers project has become an exemplary success in the use of BIM in the manufacturing stage and we have witnessed its effect on productivity in the various stages of construction, its complementary role in contributing to the construction life cycle.”

A Challenging Prestige Project

Ziraat Towers project is known as one of the most challenging and detailed undertakings in the Istanbul Finance Center. It occupies a very important place in Kalyon Insaat’s portfolio of superstructure projects.

Design and Project Coordination Manager Burak Tolga calls attention to how important it is to set up a team for such a detailed project, to integrate all the disciplines to design a portfolio of 6000 drawings, racing against time, and to channel the needed know-how, expertise, and technological infrastructure into the project. He adds, “Altogether, producing the shop drawings for Ziraat Towers project so far used up about 1,500,000 man/hours, 11,500 drawings were created, and together with revisions, 25,000 presentations were made to receive the approval of the project owner.”

Model Strategy at Construction Phase. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

A Worksite Team was Formed for the BIM Experience

Kalyon Insaat BIM team first formed a sub-team of architects and engineers who use BIM tools to work in the design office at the worksite. All the shop drawings encompassing all the disciplines were produced on Autodesk AEC. With the cooperate efforts of all the stakeholders, the infrastructure system was worked on using the document management system Autodesk Docs and the cloud-based Autodesk BIM Collaboration Pro, which provided the opportunity to work together remotely.

Design and Project Coordination Manager, Architect Burak Tolga commented that as the towers were being built on the field, the project’s digital twin was being constructed simultaneously. He added, “A transparent environment was created where all the project stakeholders could see and monitor the development of each aspect of the construction.” This was how problems with manufacture and management could be identified at the project stage so that manufacturing errors were prevented. For example, the Dynamo codes permitted horizontal details of points on the facade to be applied to the entire facade of the building.

Architecture. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

Some Time-Consuming Dynamo Codes for Shop Drawings were Produced Automatically

To match its amorphous design, each panel of the Ziraat Towers facades is almost a separate structure. Project’s BIM Manager Belgin Kafali Caliskan says, “The Dynamo codes make our lives easier, especially in amorphous structures such as this, and not only in the design stage but in actual manufacture.”

Design and Project Coordination Manager Architect Burak Tolga adds this information: “The production of 9,420 panels and 18,840 frames of glass of different measurements was only made possible through the meticulous detailing of modeling. With Autodesk Docs, the project could be transmitted to all the stakeholders simultaneously so that everyone could immediately access the correct data. This way, we were able to prevent the kinds of information and document pollution that could arise from such a big project. The projects of all the disciplines were transmitted from the 3D Revit model, including to sub-contractors, and turned into ShopDrawings that could not be interfered with on CAD. Because of the form of the building and the interior details, it was necessary to re-enter all the parametric data according to the manufacturing data. This is why the Dynamo codes were written and the manufacturing models were re-created, including those of the facades.”

Vertical Circulation. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

Reconstruction Work Was Minimized

BIM Manager Belgin Kafalı Caliskan commented, “The worksite is very stressful in projects like Ziraat Towers, where you’re racing against the clock, working in 24-hour shifts and there is no tolerance for errors.” Caliskan added, “Our worksite teams were able to access all the Navisworks models on their mobile devices. These models are updated on a weekly basis for all disciplines on the Autodesk Docs document-sharing platform. The interdisciplinary interaction was monitored easily in this way and conflicts were resolved quickly after approvals were obtained. We were also able to apply measurements we took entering the tender on the model, allowing us to achieve robust cost management.”

Facade. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

Virtual Reality Technology Provides an Advantage in Decision-Making

Belgin Kafali Caliskan points out that the company places great importance on using the advantages of virtual reality (VR) in every project. “We like using VR or virtual reality at every stage of every project we undertake. Roaming around the project with our VR headsets speeds up the decision-making process for both our employers and for all the stakeholders of the project.” Caliskan emphasizes that this feature was used in the Ziraat Towers project as well and that they benefited from it immensely.

Preparations for the Management Stage

Belgin Kafali Caliskan says that the company also works with what is called the 6th dimension of the project life cycle in BIM methodology, engaging in facility management. In this context, model outlines have been created for launching and maintaining the management process. Technical rooms and devices, elevators for vertical circulation, escalators and other similar components have been modeled, complete with details and complete data content for this process.

Facade. Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

BIM Standards at Kalyon Insaat

Kalyon Insaat has been using the Autodesk BIM application since 2015. The company approaches its projects under two categories–“Contracting Business” and “Real Estate Business.” Among the infrastructure and superstructure projects Kalyon Insaat works on within the scope of contracting, those that require BIM are developed on the Autodesk BIM platform.

Belgin Kafali Caliskan explains the level Kalyon Insaat has achieved in adopting BIM as a standard: “As Kalyon Insaat began to experience the benefits of BIM on the field, the company adopted BIM as a working methodology, deciding to continue to apply BIM in the phases of construction. Additionally, we have started to utilize the BIM infrastructure in working in the management dimension of Kalyon Holding-owned projects. We are now introducing BIM specifications to project designers in projects where we act as subcontractors and employers. This permits us to speak the same language as our project stakeholders and enables us to obtain more high-quality models.

Image courtesy of Kalyon Insaat.

BIM Expertise Provides an Edge Over the Competition

Belgin Kafalı Caliskan says, “In many projects now, especially in large-scale, international tenders, BIM is being made a requirement. Corporations like Kalyon Insaat that have a BIM infrastructure ready, have gathered experience in managing BIM projects and work with experienced BIM specialists are able to take a priority role in these types of projects.”

Design and Project Coordination Manager Burak Tolga emphasizes that the capability of working with BIM methodology is very valuable for a construction company, adding, “These days, introducing a BIM approach to the corporate culture is the explicit sign of a company that targets growth and development. It is very important to develop know-how in managing projects using BIM processes if a company is to take part in international projects.”

Ziraat Towers Rise with the BIM Expertise of Kalyon Insaat