The World’s Largest Steel Plant Relocation

In China’s Leting Economic Development Zone in Tangshan City, a brand-new USD 6 billion plant will aim to be an advanced, green, and intelligent modern factory. Covering 534 hectares with 42 plants and a 26-kilometer roadway, the large-scale construction manufacturing facility has an extremely complicated processing system. MCC Capital Engineering & Research Incorporation undertook overall design, procurement, and construction of the enormous, multidiscipline project. However, they faced technical, engineering, and coordination challenges, compounded by site constraints and strict timelines, that conventional design methods could not accommodate.  

Digitalizing Design Processes and Assets

With more than a dozen disciplines spread across various locations, MCC needed a collaborative BIM methodology in a connected data environment to establish a digital twin for lifecycle asset management. They wanted to build a digital factory, synchronizing design, construction, delivery, and operation of the digitalized plant with the physical plant to deliver an intelligent steel and iron manufacturing facility. However, the project required comprehensive, integrated modeling and analysis applications to generate digital models of all the plant infrastructure, reconstruct the models with all components to create the digital assets, and incorporate artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to maximize data potential for smart, energy-efficient operations.

Bentley Applications Provide Integrated Solution

MCC selected ProjectWise to coordinate the multidiscipline, geographically dispersed team, improving communication efficiency among four design units and 13 construction units. They also used ContextCapture to process oblique photography and generate a reality mesh of the entire site, while SYNCHRO 4D was used to conduct construction simulation for precise layout and installation within a limited space. Using AssetWise ALIM, MCC developed an engineering database integrating all asset information, design, procurement, manufacturing, construction, and installation data that laid the foundation for a digital factory deliverable. Working in Bentley’s connected data environment, they established a digital twin to perform real-time monitoring and simulation analysis, as well as achieve intelligent manufacturing production.

Intelligent Processes Yield Savings 

Using Bentley’s integrated applications, MCC implemented 3D collaborative BIM processes that streamlined workflows and reduced errors and design collisions, shortening the design cycle by 35 days. The interoperability of OpenPlant improved design efficiency of external pipelines by more than four times. The ability to generate accurate material lists directly from the models avoided material waste to save USD 6 million. By establishing a digital twin and combining design, construction, production, and operational information, MCC achieved multidimensional visual data integration and transparent management of assets, improving operation efficiency by 50% and optimizing equipment maintenance to reduce spare parts quantities by 40%. The intelligent digital processes that they implemented throughout this project serve as a benchmark for future digital deliveries for metallurgical plants.

Project Playbook: AssetWise, AutoPIPE, Bentley Raceway and Cable Management, ContextCapture, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBuildings Designer, OpenPlant, OpenRoads, OpenUtilities Substation, ProjectWise, ProSteel, ProStructures, SYNCHRO 4D