Facilitating maintenance of existing bridges through digital twins

Purpose and goal

Aim: investigate the status of Digital Twins in the construction industry and propose a methodology for a Digital Twin for asset management of structures. (i) Establish the current practice with digital twins, in both construction and other industries, and what are the gaps for asset management of structures through a literature review. (ii) Develop a pilot experimental program that yields data to a potential digital twin prototype. (iii) Define a methodology for a digital twin for asset management of structures which fills the identified gaps.

Expected results and effects

Main results: State-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice report Creation of a digital model based on aerial photogrammetry including feeding with in-depth information based on non-destructive testing. Design of two experimental programs: one pilot program of an RC beam and one extensive program with two real scale trough bridges. Development of a methodology for a digital twin Development of a common data environment in Autodesk Forge, that supports the connection between a BIM model and data from sensors instrumented in a structure.

Planned approach and implementation

Genomförande: Resultaten från granskningen har delats i vetenskapssamhället genom en tidskriftsartikel och tre konferensartiklar samt inom ett flertal kurser för civilingenjörs- och doktorander. Gemensam datamiljö kan publiceras online via molnbaserade tjänsteplattformar. Information från alla testade sensorer och tekniker samlas ihop genom den gemensamma datamiljön Metodik kommer att användas för en mer realistisk miljö med det andra experimentella programmet: två trågbroar i verklig skala testade i laboratoriet 2023 - därmed uppnå TRL 7