Case Study: Navisworks (customer) achieves streamlined signaling approvals and safer Ulriken Tunnel design with Autodesk (solution provider)

Infrastructure Innovators Use VR Games to Streamline Scandinavian Tunnel Design

Navisworks faced a high-risk infrastructure challenge on the Ulriken Tunnel rail project: validate signal placement and secure regulatory approval early to avoid costly construction delays and unsafe sightlines during the first TBM-driven tunnel upgrade in Norway. To tackle this, the customer worked with vendor Autodesk and used Autodesk tools—Navisworks together with Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, ReCap, and 3ds Max—to build coordinated BIM models and VR-ready assets.

Autodesk enabled a gamified VR solution that put train operators in a simulated cockpit to “drive” the future track, test signal visibility, and flag problems before construction. The Autodesk-powered workflow streamlined regulatory review (cutting years off typical approval time), reduced costly rework, boosted stakeholder buy-in, and won third place in Autodesk’s 2017 AEC Excellence Awards—helping keep the project on track toward its planned completion.

Navisworks

Thomas Angeltveit

Civil Engineer and BIM Coordinator