CONDITION MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE
WHAT IS A DIGITAL TWIN? by Imogen Hartmann, Journalist, Infrastructure magazine
The last few years have seen digital twins explode in popularity due to the significant benefits around cost-effectiveness and accuracy, and the ability to identify problems before they occur. They are allowing for more informed decision-making, which keeps project costs from soaring and avoids unnecessary delays – issues infrastructure professionals are constantly facing, especially now with the industry’s key role in the post-COVID economic recovery. Here, Infrastructure explores the technology and its impact on construction operations and maintenance.
T
he concept of a digital twin refers to a digital model of a physical object, process or system. In order to make the model identical, or a “twin” to the reallife subject, the digital model utilises historical and real-time sensor data. The originators of the term, Dr Michael Grieves and John Vickers, said that a digital twin is “based on the idea that a digital informational construct about a virtual or a physical system could be created as an entity on its own. This digital information would be a 'twin' of the information that was embedded within the virtual or physical system itself and be linked with that system through the entire lifecycle of the system”. The ability for a digital twin to be able to mirror the developments and changes
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March 2021 // Issue 18
in an asset is an important function for the infrastructure industry, as it allows for the use of the technology throughout all phases of an asset’s development, including the planning, construction, operation and maintenance stages. By replicating the physical world in the virtual world, data can be analysed and systems can be monitored to prevent problems before they occur. This allows for infrastructure companies to potentially save costs by using the twin to troubleshoot any issues before the asset is built, and avoid wasting resources, labour and time that would have otherwise been spent fixing a problem.
OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS Digital twins offer several benefits, such as the ability to provide a safe
virtual environment where users can simulate and test the impact of changes to assets, products, systems and processes based on real-time data. Benefits to the infrastructure industry include: ♦ Monitoring of an asset in real time ♦ Virtual scenario modelling and testing ♦ Supporting informed planning decisions, detecting and troubleshooting issues ♦ Providing more accurate predictions of potential problems ♦ Measuring performance and efficiencies of assets and equipment ♦ Information sharing with citizens and businesses
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