Thomas Østgulen (on the right), BIM leader on the New Sotra Bridge project, received the award on behalf of Norconsult.
When completed and opened to traffic in the summer of 2027, the suspension bridge will span 902 meters, and its towers will soar 145 meters above sea level. The New Sotra Bridge is part of the 9.4-kilometer Highway 555 Sotrasambandet, which connects Sotra with Bergen.
Most innovative use
During the Autodesk Design & Make Awards event in San Diego, California, the New Sotra Bridge outshone several international contenders to win the "Most Innovative Use of Autodesk Platform Services" category.
Autodesk, a leading software provider for the engineering, architecture, and construction industries, awarded this honour.
Norway at the forefront
This accomplishment underscores Norway's leadership in implementing BIM and digital work processes in the transport industry, making it an attractive market for foreign contractors and showcasing Norwegian expertise globally.
Designing, building, and facilitating operation and maintenance based on a complete digital twin is a unique achievement for such a large construction. The New Sotra Bridge exemplifies what can be accomplished through effective collaboration, innovative technology, and ambitious client requirements.
"Using new technology is one of Staten vegvesen's top goals. We work with digital workflows and models at every stage to ensure the right information is available at the right time, in the right place, throughout the road's lifecycle through efficient use of technology. The future lies in digital models at every stage, from road standards to planning, construction, and operation and maintenance. In this project, we have had a clear goal of completing all phases digitally. We set ambitious requirements in the contract and are very pleased that Norconsult and Sotra Link are meeting these. The fact that this work is also rewarded with this prize is a bonus,” says Håkon Matre, project manager for Statens vegvesen.
Technology and people
According to Bård Hernes, Norconsult's EVP HQ and Norconsult Digital, "With good technology at the core, information flow is streamlined so that those who need the information always have the latest version available in an understandable format. Digital twins bridge linguistic and cultural differences, ensuring everyone comprehends the issues equally. Autodesk recognised this as well."
Hernes adds, " I am proud of the efforts that have been put into this project, which shows that Norconsult is at the forefront of digitalization on an international scale."
The New Sotra Bridge is not the only Norconsult project to gain recognition. Norconsult's subsidiary, Nordic Office of Architecture, together with Statsbygg also won the "Autodesk Design & Make Award" category for the Government Quarter (Nytt Regjeringskvartal) project in Oslo. The project received the award for its work on Building Information Models (BIM) and open standards.
About New Sotra Bridge
- The New Sotra Bridge is part of Rv 555 Sotrasambandet, a 9.4-kilometer highway that connects Sotra with Bergen, increasing capacity and reducing travel time by 20 minutes.
- This four-lane suspension bridge, which includes a pedestrian crossing, is designed and built entirely digitally with sustainable solutions.
- The bridge will have a main span of 608 meters and a total length of 902 meters. The bridge deck will be made of steel and will be 30 meters wide. The towers will be constructed of concrete and will stand 145 meters high, while the supporting cables will be made of prefabricated parallel wire strands (PPWS) and anchored in rock in the traditional manner.
- It is the largest bridge designed digitally, with around 1 million objects and 60 million data points. By combining engineering skills with software development, Norconsult, in collaboration with the client, has ensured the model has 100 percent data quality.
For further information, please contact:
Henrik Charlesen, Senior Communication Advisor, Henrik.Charlesen@norconsult.com, +4792636088
About Norconsult
Norconsult is a leading pan-Nordic interdisciplinary consulting firm combining engineering, architecture and digital expertise across projects of all sizes, for private and public customers in infrastructure, energy and industry, buildings and architecture. Headquartered in Sandvika, Norway, Norconsult’s delivery model is centred around knowledge hubs and local presence through approximately 6,300 employees across around 140 offices in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Poland and Finland.