By Edward Turowski
Senior Design Engineer
Natural Gas
Underground infrastructure is notoriously difficult to visualize and even harder to manage, especially when dealing with complex piping and confined corridors. By combining advanced data collection with immersive 3D visualization, Building Information Modeling (BIM) can transform how our team plans, coordinates, and maintains below-ground utilities, including those critical to the gas and oil industry.
A New Perspective for Underground Infrastructure
In the past, underground utilities were typically mapped using 2D drawings, which often left room for interpretation and increased the risk of issues in the field. By using BIM to create a dynamic 3D model, engineers, contractors, and operators can have a more intuitive understanding of how pipes, conduits, and valves interact below the surface. This is particularly beneficial for gas and oil facility operators, where even minor errors can pose significant safety and operational risks.
BIM capabilities can also significantly enhance transparency and comprehension for non-technical stakeholders by leveraging 3D visualizations. Unlike traditional displays, which can often be overwhelming, BIM’s three-dimensional representations provide an accessible view of complex subterranean infrastructure. This additional visual clarity enables teams without preexisting engineering backgrounds to engage in discussions, ask relevant questions, and navigate decision making processes aided with critical information.
With added clarity comes better planning, fewer surprises during construction, and less time and material wasted on redoing work. While it can take more upfront effort to implement, the long-term benefits, especially on complex or congested sites such as refineries, terminals, and gas compressor stations, make it a worthwhile investment.
From Field Data to Virtual Training
To create a model, KCI captures existing conditions using technologies like laser scanning and ground penetrating radar (GPR). However, these tools require thoughtful planning as a scan from one angle may miss pipes hidden behind others, making it essential to strategize multiple scan points. Prior to scanning in sensitive environments, our team also performs safety checks using measurement instruments to rule out potential leaks when working in oil tank farms or near pressurized gas lines.
Once processed, the captured data feeds into BIM software, which produces a full visual representation of the infrastructure, including pipe routes, valves, electrical lines, and environmental considerations. In one recent example at Notch Cliff, our team used BIM to model a complex gas piping system, helping operational staff understand legacy configurations and safely design new lines and valve placements within a sensitive energy site.
Because information from field operators can often be difficult to interpret in traditional formats, BIM also offers another critical advantage: immersive virtual walkthroughs. By pairing the model with VR goggles, teams can “walk through” their system, gain spatial awareness, and even use it for training on shutoffs, blow-off test points, or equipment servicing.
Managing Risk in Confined and Hazardous Spaces
This same model-driven approach doesn’t just enhance understanding; it also plays a critical role in improving safety and reducing risk. Once teams are equipped with a clear picture of existing conditions, they can begin proactively identifying and addressing the hazards that often accompany underground and high-pressure utility work.
When gas and electric lines are co-located, planning around National Electrical Code (NEC) classifications is vital. BIM helps teams account for Class 1 and Class 2 hazardous areas, ensuring there’s sufficient clearance, access, and real estate for maintenance activities. This can be especially important when utilities need to be taken out of service for testing or upgrades in refinery settings or gas metering stations.
Beyond advanced planning, our team also uses BIM to validate utility locations relative to other assets and natural features. This spatial awareness is critical for identifying potential conflicts early, ensuring regulatory compliance, and preserving natural or protected areas. By visualizing how utilities align with both manmade and natural elements, project teams can make more informed decisions, avoid costly surprises, and maintain the integrity of the surrounding environment throughout the project lifecycle. Through a combination of innovative solutions, BIM consolidates verified data into one shared, visual environment that helps project teams connect dots with greater clarity and confidence.
Our team supported the realization of complex projects planned in and around the Owings Mills, MD, Gate Station, a 60,000-foot natural gas preparation facility owned and operated by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE). KCI was contracted to develop a complete, 3-dimensional model of above ground and below ground onsite elements, including existing pipes, utilities, buildings, and site data by leveraging BIM technology. With the information presented in the output model, the project was able to progress without concern for undetected underlying elements.
Smarter Solutions, Safer Outcomes
KCI offers comprehensive BIM modeling services for clients seeking accurate, data-driven insight into subsurface conditions. Our in-house specialists combine utility investigation, scanning, and modeling into a single workflow, supporting everything from utility coordination and risk mitigation to long-term maintenance and safety planning.
For projects involving layered systems, critical infrastructure, or hazardous zones, BIM provides the situational awareness teams need to make confident, informed decisions before even breaking ground. To learn more about how our team supports underground utility owners, including those in the gas and oil sector, please visit our BIM, Gas/Oil, and Subsurface Utility Engineering service pages.