The East Side Access Program, one of the largest rail projects ever undertaken in New York, extended Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service to the East Side of Manhattan, has shortened commutes for hundreds of thousands of daily riders. The new service terminates at Grand Central Madison, a 350,000-sf station underneath Grand Central Terminal. The new terminal houses eight LIRR tracks across four platforms, with connections to Metro-North Railroad and New York City Transit (NYCT) subway service.

EnTech has provided virtual design and construction (VDC) services for the new transportation facility’s construction. Working as part of the contractor team, the firm developed large-scale BIM for architectural and structural disciplines at the 400 level of development (LOD), based on 2D construction drawings and point cloud data. The 3D models encompass concourses, platforms, retail storefronts, and extensive vertical transportation systems. EnTech’s VDC structural specialists designed structural ceiling support systems.

The BIM was used throughout construction for clash detection; visualization; quantity take-offs; spatial coordination by mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEPF) contractors; structural steel design analysis; and extraction of shop drawing and as-built drawing backgrounds. EnTech’s BIM engineers collaborate extensively with contractors and design teams to develop and maintain consistent 3D models.