Brazil is one of the world’s major producers of grains, corn, and soybeans, and much of these crops are grown in the center of the country. Today, it often travels by truck across distances of more than 1,000-2,000 kilometers before reaching export ports, creating major challenges with transportation costs and the long-term sustainability of this route.
With engineering firm TPF Engenharia leading the design, the Nova Ferroeste project is designed to transform freight transportation in Brazil through the creation of a more sustainable, 1,304-kilometer railroad connecting key agricultural production regions to the Port of Paranaguá.
To identify the best route even in mountainous regions, the TPF team used AI and multi-criteria analysis to evaluate a vast study area roughly the size of Spain. In just four months, they narrowed that area to the most favorable 5% across the Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná states.
The process began in Esri ArcGIS, where the team gathered stakeholder input, assigned weights to key variables, and developed heat maps showing favorable corridors to achieve the route goalsy. These scenarios helped stakeholders evaluate route options based on environmental, capital expenditure, logistical, and technical considerations. Once the preferred corridor was identified, it was exported into Autodesk Civil 3D where engineers could begin developing the railroad geometry and conceptual design.
Civil 3D played a central role in turning corridor analysis into an engineering-ready alignment. Within the Civil 3D environment, the team evaluated horizontal and vertical geometry, refined the railroad alignment, and connected planning decisions to design development. This helped reduce the complexity of working across a massive geographic area and gave engineers a more focused foundation for detailed study. To provide regional context for the route alignment, TPF conducted an aerial photogrammetric survey covering the Serra do Mar crossing. The Digital Terrain Model was processed in ReCap Pro and later refined in Civil 3D.
Autodesk InfraWorks was also critical for 3D visualization of engineering solutions and communication. One of the most challenging sections of the railroad passes through Brazil’s Serra do Mar mountain range, where there is an 800-meter elevation difference near Curitiba on the way to the Port of Paranaguá. By combining Civil 3D and InfraWorks, the team could model complex engineering solutions in 3D, communicate design intent clearly, and share not only visual concepts but also the attributes and properties of the infrastructure elements with stakeholders and the international community.
—Thiago Dantas, Infrastructure Project Manager, TPF Engenharia
