An Engineer’s guide to Digital Twin Technology

Digital Twin Technology, technology,

October 20, 2023

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Digital Twin Technology is the virtual representation of physical systems or infrastructure which enables monitoring, analysis, and optimisation of engineering projects.

Digital twin technology combines software, data, and hardware to visually represent a physical asset or infrastructure. It leverages information from LiDAR scans, sensors, drones, and other sources to construct a detailed digital model to help analyse and predict behaviour under different conditions.

What is Digital Twin Technology?

Digital twin technology is an advanced field changing how Civil Engineers and Construction professionals manage infrastructure projects. It is a virtual replica of a physical asset that siimulates its behaviour and performance in real time using data collected from numerous sources. Physical assets may include bridges, buildings, or road networks.

The technology can simulate various scenarios, including weather conditions, structural loads, and energy consumption, to improve overall efficiency, safety, and sustainability. This allows Engineers to test different scenarios, identify potential problems, and optimise the model before making any physical changes.

It also facilitates stakeholder communication, enables predictive maintenance, and reduces errors, thus saving time and resources.

A digital twin provides valuable insights and accurate data to inform operational strategies and future maintenance and expansions in civil engineering and construction projects.

Types of Digital Twin Technology

There are numerous types of digital twins, with each one tailored to specific civil engineering and construction applications.

Product Twins

A product twin represents a physical product that mirrors its design, behaviour, and performance throughout various life cycle stages. Some examples of these physical representations could be complex infrastructure systems or industrial machines and equipment. Product twins are created by integrating data from sensors, CAD models, and other sources for real-time updates.

A product twin streamlines development by enabling simulations and testing without physical prototypes, which leads to cost-effective innovation. Engineers, Architects and Designers use a product twin model to facilitate in-depth analysis, test different design configurations, and evaluate product performance. Moreover, they support predictive maintenance by monitoring physical products, improving overall reliability and customer satisfaction. 

The Melbourne Metro tunnel project used the product twin technology to optimise the design and construction of the tunnel. This helped Engineers to identify potential issues, reduce material waste, and optimise the construction process.

Production Plant Twins

Production Plant Twins is a type of digital twin that significantly enhances the efficiency of manufacturing and industrial processes for infrastructure projects.

Real-time data is collected from automated systems, sensors, and other sources within a manufacturing facility. This data includes equipment status, material flow, energy consumption and production rates. The collected data is integrated into a virtual model of the production plant and then used to simulate, analyse, and optimise the manufacturing processes.

This type of digital twin technology is valuable when producing construction materials or fabricated components. By adjusting production schedules, optimising resource allocation, or refining manufacturing processes, Civil Engineers and Construction professionals can achieve higher production efficiency and quality in projects.

Overall, it helps with cost savings, energy consumption, and sustainable practices for infrastructure projects.

Brisbane’s Cross River Rail is the biggest project in Australia that has implemented digital twin technology to design and plan public transport infrastructure. It modelled approximately 300 square kilometres of Brisbane City to support the largest transport project in Queensland ever built.

Infrastructure Twins

Infrastructure twins provide a dynamic digital replica of physical infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, buildings, and utility networks. It is a comprehensive model that encompasses the entire lifecycle of infrastructure assets.

The primary goal of infrastructure twins is to provide civil engineers with an accurate representation of their infrastructure assets throughout their entire lifecycle. They are created by collecting data from sensors, drones, satellite imagery, and manual inspections. This data is then integrated into a digital model, which allows construction professionals to visualise, analyse, and monitor the physical infrastructure in real time.

These twins enable a better understanding of how infrastructure behaves, responds to environmental factors, and maintenance requirements. They support proactive maintenance by detecting potential issues and structural deterioration. Moreover, infrastructure twins aid in efficient project planning and design by providing accurate, up-to-date information on existing infrastructure.

The West Gate Tunnel project in Melbourne has used infrastructure models for the existing road network and simulated the impact of the new tunnel and road extensions on traffic flow. This allowed for better design and construction planning to enhance safety and reduce structural deterioration.

Brisbane’s Cross River Rail project has also used infrastructure twins to plan and optimise the rail line alignment, assess the impact of existing infrastructure, and monitor current activities for quality and safety.

Supply Twins

Supply twins are digital twins used to create virtual representations of utility infrastructure, complex supply chains, and logistics networks.

Also known as network twins, supply twins are built by gathering real-time data from sources such as GPS and sensors to model the network or supply chain. Supply twins enable Engineers and Logistics professionals to simulate various aspects, such as modelling the flow of goods and optimising transportation routes. Also, assessing demand and supply fluctuations and identifying potential inefficiencies in construction projects.

These twins enable Engineers and Construction professionals to monitor and optimise the movement of resources, which results in efficient resource allocation and timely deliveries of construction materials.

The adoption of supply twins is driven by the need for Engineering companies to better manage and optimise supply chains for an infrastructure project. By leveraging this type of supply twin, companies will achieve more cost-effective operations and sustainable practices.

Westconnex is a 33km motorway project in Sydney and is Australia’s largest road infrastructure project. So far, they have utilised supply twins to manage the transportation and distribution of construction materials.

Australia’s biggest public transport project, Sydney Metro, streamlined the complex logistics of delivering construction and equipment across the urban network using supply twin technology.

Overall, the various types of digital twin technology are emerging as a leading tool to elevate Australia’s engineering industry by fostering more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable practices. They enable predictive maintenance and optimise resource allocation, enhancing Australia’s engineering capabilities.

Benefits of Digital Twin Technology

Digital twin technology has created numerous benefits to Australia’s civil engineering and construction industry.

As digital twin technology allows the creation of virtual representations of physical assets such as roads, bridges, and buildings, Engineers can identify potential problems and optimise designs. Moreover, it enables more effective research as the large quantity of data creates better performance outcomes. This will reduce the risk of errors and help Engineers make refinements during the design stage.

Billions of dollars are spent on monitoring, inspecting, and maintaining infrastructure around Australia. Between 2020 and 2024, an estimated AUD 46 billion was spent on renewal costs for local roads across the country. With digital twin technology rolling out, the process will be more cost-effective in the long term than traditional labour-intensive practices. According to RMIT University (2023), it is expected to produce cost savings of 20% to 30% when a digital twin is used for an infrastructure project.

Digital twins also open new opportunities for innovation as the system allows for testing new materials, systems, and technologies. For example, integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and design tools creates complex structures that would be impossible to build with traditional methods. The virtual model can constantly update real-time information using sensors and data analytics, enabling professionals to monitor and predict structural health, energy consumption, and other maintenance requirements.

Other significant advantages of digital twin technology include collaboration among stakeholders, greater efficiency, addressing potential issues such as equipment failures and maintenance, and improved decision-making.

From optimising designs and improving collaboration to enhancing operational efficiencies and fostering innovation, digital twins offer a powerful toolset that can revolutionise how infrastructure is designed, built, and managed for projects.

Challenges of applying Digital Twin Technology

Though digital twin technology presents a range of benefits, there are a few challenges when implementing them for infrastructure projects.

As digital twin technology can record large amounts of data for Engineers, it must be processed and utilised correctly to become efficient and valuable. All data must be accurate and consistent to avoid errors in the digital twin model. Companies must also have the appropriate data privacy and cyber security for twin models. With the tremendous amount of data that requires protection, it can be a risk for the company to store all data in one platform.

Building a digital replica of a physical asset requires significant financial resources, including hardware, software, and personnel costs. Moreover, implementing digital twin technology may require additional training for employees to ensure they have the necessary skills. This up-front investment can be a barrier for some organisations, particularly small and medium-sized engineering companies.

Integrating digital twin technology with existing workflows and processes can also be challenging, as the systems can be complex and may require customised solutions. It leads to higher costs and adds complexity to the implementation of testing the virtual model.

Practices to implement Digital Twin Technology in Civil Engineering

Implementing digital twin technology in Australia’s civil engineering industry creates a robust data strategy from data quality and integrity obtained from sources. Companies should implement comprehensive training and upskilling programs so Engineers can effectively work with this technology. Cybersecurity measures must be maintained continuously to safeguard sensitive data. Furthermore, understanding the industry standards will foster results for data exchange and lead to a smoother implementation process.

By adhering to these best practices, the Australian civil engineering and construction sector can harness the full potential of digital twin technology to optimise infrastructure projects.

Digital twins are becoming a prominent instrument for providing a more comprehensive perspective on Australia’s engineering sector. It provides valuable insights and accurate data to inform operational strategies and maintenance for civil engineering projects. This evolving technology effectively integrates geospatial, transport, infrastructure, and other data in real-time to support efficient development and planning for Australia’s growing nation.

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