NCE article on Quantm Desktop
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Trimble Quantm Alignment Planning solutions support road and rail planners and engineers through the complex process of selecting and generating 3D corridors and alignments. Its unique route optimization technology generates millions of alternative alignments and returns a range of 10-50 of the best options for review by various stakeholders. The Trimble Quantm solutions enable planners and engineers to reduce project planning time, substantially lower alignment construction costs, and deliver improved alignments that meet environmental, heritage, urban constraints, and design standards set by each project. The Trimble Quantm system enables a holistic approach that integrates design standards, terrain, geological, and hydrological data, environmental areas, property ownership, and cost information in a simultaneous optimization process. This delivers a range of optimal alignment alternatives that can be analysed quickly to address project owner and stakeholder concerns and maintain the momentum of the project.
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- 1. 20 NEW CIVIL ENGINEER 18.11.10 | www.nce.co.ukPLANT: ROUTE
PLANNING EQUIPMENTSavings of up toXxxxxxxx xxxx:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx25% in the cost
ofxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxbuilding a new roadcan be
achieved bygetting the routeoptimisation right.Margo Cole reportson
positioningtechnology firmTrimbles latestoffering.Fixed link: The
Quantm system helps designers work out the optimum alignments for
roads or railway linesRoute plannerTrimble has launched a portation
during planning of its than enough for most bypass fixed you can
just do verticaldesktop version of itsI-69 corridor project. But,
whileand road improvement schemes optimisation.successful Quantm
align-the pricing scheme is viable for in the UK, according to
Trimble The software can also be usedment planning systemmassive
projects like these, itQuantm channel manager for during value
engineering on aafter two years of development. puts the system out
of reach ofEurope Bill Lazaris. road project, as the operator
canThe new tool on sale in the UKmany consultants, who tend to The
software just like itsadd construction criteria such asand Ireland
through surveying invest only if mandated by their more powerful
sibling allows the location of material sourcesequipment specialist
Korec is clients. the designer to enter the startalong the
alignment, or adjustaimed at consulting engineers. ItIt is this
market that Trimbleand end points of a new road the vertical
geometry to ensure acan be used to identify the bestnow hopes to
tap into with the and all the factors that might cut and fill
balance is achieved.horizontal and vertical align-desktop version,
which is sold asaffect the horizontal and verticalWhile the system
can tell youment for small road schemes.standalone software that
runsalignment, including groundthe cheapest option for any new The
original version enables on the users own PC. Unlike the
conditions, existing buildings,road, Lazaris is keen to empha-users
to find the optimum service version, the new softwareno-go areas
(eg SSSIs), powersise that Quantm should be seenvertical and
horizontal align-is only designed for road align- lines, rivers and
topography.as a decision-making tool notment for major road and
railments, and the firm is aiming at You can also choose the type
ofa replacement for engineeringschemes, or to compare
optionsconsultants who design small materials to be used in the
road judgement. The cheapest routeand identify which would be the
schemes such as bypasses.construction and the design of is not
necessarily the best, hecheapest to build. The processing power of
the the pavement, as well as yoursays. Design is an iterative It
has been used on projects average PC is not sufficient topreferred
construction methodprocess its not just aboutover 1,000km long.do
the massive computationsfor road, rail and river crossings.putting
a line on a map. Access to the complex algo-that enable 1,000km of
route to Costs can be entered for However, Quantms speedrithms that
compare thousands be analysed in just 10 minutes.all of these
parameters, and allows designers to reach a deci-of potential
alignments is sold Instead, the desktop version isQuantm then works
out thesion on which routes to focus onas a service, with users
buying able to look at a 20km x 20kmmost cost effective options
forfar earlier than they do at thea licence that enables them
toarea in any single study more the alignment and displays
moment.send their information to thethem all visually, with all the
Lazaris also envisages theQuantm server for computation. costs
broken down. Its purposesystem will have great potentialThe licence
price is calculated as is to catch everything in oneduring public
consultation,a function of the length of the Lazaris is keen to
system, says Lazaris. At the because designers and high-proposed
scheme.emphasise that moment designers can come up ways authorities
will be able to This has been immenselyQuantm should be with a
route, but the costs aredemonstrate the relative cost ofpopular
with owners andon a separate spreadsheet, so its each proposed
route, and alsopromoters of major infra- seen as a decision quite a
task to compare the cost show that they have consideredstructure
projects around the making tool, not of different routes.the
various stakeholder interestsworld, including the Portuguese It can
be used either to startin reaching their decision. Theygovernment,
which has beena replacementfrom scratch on a greenfield sitewould
also be able to respondusing it for route optimisa-for
engineeringor to compare different align- very quickly to any
stakeholderstion on the Lisbon-Madrid judgementments within a
pre-existingwho suggest an alternative routehigh speed rail
project, and the route corridor. Or, says Lazaris,during the
consultation or plan-Louisiana department of trans- if the
horizontal alignment isning stages.