International Student Week in Abu Dhabi, a feast for every BIM professional

From 15th to 20th of September, 2019, the students of Master’s in Global BIM Management for Infrastructure Projects gathered in the capital of UAE to learn more about BIM implementation in the construction of the Midfield Terminal Building of the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The International Student Week in Abu Dhabi, organized in collaboration with CCC, focused on the Midfield Terminal Building of the Abu Dhabi Airport, a landmark megaproject in UAE developed entirely in BIM. During five days, the participants of 7 different nationalities participated in BIM showcase sessions, on-site visits and networking outings.

About Midfield Terminal Building of the Abu Dhabi International Airport

As we witnessed last week in situ, the construction site of the Midfield Terminal Building of the Abu Dhabi Airport is nothing short of impressive. The success of the project is the result of the collective effort of 900 engineers and 2000 construction workers. The five-day program was tailor-made for the students of BIM infrastructure projects to give them infights about the functionings of a project of such magnitude. Set to be completed in March 2020, it was a real privilege to see the final phases of the construction from up close.

About the Daily Activities

The showcase sessions took place in the i-Room - also known as the BIM Theatre - of the project. This space, located in the site office, is a unique facility designed and equipped specially for the engineers who work the project to enhance the collaborative processes. As we can observe in the calendar below, the showcase sessions covered different aspects of BIM construction providing information on BEP and EDI, document management and collaboration solutions, BIM QA/QC system and workflows, project scope management and QS (Quantity Surveying), change management and variations, and Project Controls and Systems Integration. Given that all the speakers and lecturers were engineers of different areas involved in the project, the students had the chance to discuss and ask questions about the practical side of the execution of such a big scale project, for example, about the challenges the professionals had to solve along the way. For the master students, it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience first hand how everything is managed from documentation to project coordination.  Another highlight of the week was obviously touring the actual site and being able to see the future arrival and departure areas, as well as the conveyor belt room and the different air conditioning control rooms.  In addition to the academic activities, cultural and dinner events were also programmed to offer a less formal environment and a chance to strengthen personal relationships. The students coming from Europe, North America, South Asia and the Middle East, who have carried out course projects together in a collaborative working environment, had finally a chance to meet each other in person. Professors of the master, members of the Zigurat team and CCC, the top construction company in the Middle East, also took part in networking activities. The eventful week was concluded with a sightseeing trip to Dubai.