Project at World Trade Center Site Puts Advanced Design Tools to Test

摘要

The 1,776-foot-tall Freedom Tower being built on the World Trade Center site in New York is pushing the boundaries of architectural engineering because of its height and complex design. It's also a major test case for a new generation of design and online collaboration tools for the construction industry. The tower's designers are using desktop software from Autodesk Inc. in San Rafael, Calif., to render 3-D, animated images and to try to improve collaboration among some of the parties involved in the project. That isn't the mainstream way of doing things in the construction industry, which still often relies on printed copies of 2-D drawings.