AECOM has taken in charge of modeling biodome project at U.K’s Chester Zoo with the help of BIM

AECOM Technology Corporation is the well known professional, technical and management support services for government and commercial client of all over the world. With the help of Building Information Modeling they will create the biodome project of Chester Zoo of UK. This wonderful tool will be utilized to design and analyze the project. This Chester biodome will be modeled on the Heart of Africa Biodome.

In the biodome project there will be 112 foot tall canopy created by a diagonal grid structure known as a ‘gridshell’ – a framework of hollow steel sections arranges in a triangular grid pattern. A series of light weight, largely transparent ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) pillows will support the beams. According to the Anne Fuller, the director of building engineering at AECOM; “The arching effect of the gridshell is designed to convert the canopy’s vertical gravity loads and wind pressure into horizontal thrust at various support locations.”

Not only the modeling of the zoo but also the responsibilities of all engineering services like civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, fire, acoustics, thermal modeling, transportation studies, geotechnical and environmental studies are on AECOM. The sub contractor of this project is London based Proctor and Mathews Architects. And this vast event will not possible without the help of Building Information Modeling or BIM. The use of advance 3D technology within a BIM environment helps the professional of this project to successfully complete the project in a given time schedule. BIM helps in collaborating constantly with model sharing between the architect and the AECOM engineering team.

The biodome is the centerpiece of the expansion of the Chester Zoo, known as “Natural Vision,” designed to establish the zoo as Europe’s largest conservation attraction. The biodome will feature a managed ecosystem that re-creates the plants and wildlife found in a particular region of the Congo rain forest, including gorillas, chimpanzees, okapi, and hippos, among other animals. Visitors will view the plants and animals—which will not be in cages—from paths, treetop walkways and an interactive boat ride through the animal spaces.