The ELT Telescope: Designing on a Grand Scale
ELT, Cerro Armazones, Chile
At over 3,000 metres high, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is being constructed, a structure destined to become the largest optical telescope in the world.
Cimolai SpA, the company that won the contract for the construction, has tasked DVA with the design of the civil and architectural works for the telescope's base, as well as the maintenance walkways inside the dome, which, once completed, will be taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa
In this context, DVA developed the final design review, a project at an intermediate level between the executive and the construction phases, which required an in-depth study of local materials and construction techniques, to meet the needs of the client, ESO, and to address the specific characteristics of the site.
The use of the BIM methodology also allowed for precise control of the design process and the final outcome, ensuring regulatory and functional compliance and resolving any interferences between the dome, the systems, and the structures.
Today, DVA continues to support Cimolai SpA in the development of the construction design of the ELT, addressing the technical and logistical challenges related to the complexity of the work and the strict requirements of the ESO (European Southern Observatory).
3.400
TELESCOPE WEIGHT
[t]
150
FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK
[M €]
50.000
MODELLED BIM ELEMENTS
100+
COORDINATED MODELS
“When Cimolai requires support with geometric analysis, architecture, or BIM design, DVA is the first partner of choice.”
