Digital Twins

In hydraulic and maritime engineering, planners and designers face major challenges, especially where strict environmental protection regulations apply. Such work requires not only the soil and water but also biodiversity, human health and cultural heritage to be taken into account. Projects in this field often take many years to be approved because numerous concerns must be addressed – especially relating to protection of nature and the environment. This is where digital twins come into play, with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) helping to show and understand the complex effects of a project, clearly and transparently, before the actual construction work begins. The integration of digital twins in projects not only helps visualise the work digitally, but also enables important environmental and socio-demographic data to be effectively incorporated into the planning and design process. This results in transparent communication with all involved parties – and constant consideration of environmental issues and the concerns of affected communities.

A new approach

Inros Lackner has changed the way its hydraulic/maritime engineering projects are planned and designed by subscribing to Esri Germany’s AEC Project Delivery solution. This innovative platform enables our team to work seamlessly across departments and with project partners and authorities, creating a dedicated space for extensive GIS and BIM data which are linked together and presented in a spatial context. Decoupling this system from our company’s own ArcGIS Online access ensures that only authorised persons can download, view and edit specific data. This enhances security, increases efficiency and reduces data loss. By visually portraying the project status using ArcGIS Online tools, and involving the public in subsequent planning phases via web apps, we strengthen collaboration and create more transparency in the various project phases. Digital twins created with ArcGIS capture and visually present the key contextual factors of a project. In hydraulic and marine engineering, a digital twin not only represents an asset’s physical and functional properties, but also integrates dynamic data from its operational phase. This enables planners and designers to monitor the asset’s current state and simulate future developments.

“Similar to how Google Maps and similar applications have revolutionised the way we explore and visualise the world, BIM and Web GIS are fundamentally changing how structures and infrastructure are planned, designed, constructed and maintained. The success of this depends on the functionality of the systems used and their user-friendliness.” (Torsten Retzlaff, Company Director)

ArcGIS as a communication platform

Together, BIM and GIS also act as an effective communication tool. The visual representation of a project in its environment significantly improves daily collaboration with all stakeholders. This enables even complex issues to be presented in a way that all project participants can understand. This collaborative approach helps project proposals to be more readily accepted and approved, while also making it easier to look at projects from different perspectives and to respond to particular requirements. BIM focuses on the construction project itself, while GIS provides the necessary context. This is especially important with respect to changes that arise during the project and to ensuring approvability. The integration of both systems enables everyone involved to always remain fully informed. This process saves time because it is easy to replicate. Data processing, data collection on site, visualisation, the integration of BIM and CAD data and the sharing of project content, even in an information-critical context, is much easier than was possible using the open-source predecessor.

ArcGIS supports more efficient planning and design by making it easier to properly consider crucial environmental and approval issues at an early stage. This can significantly shorten planning/design, construction and approval times. Inros Lackner uses ArcGIS not only as a planning and design tool, but above all as a platform to facilitate communication between project participants and the approval authorities.

Conclusion

Digital twins are a game changer – not only in the field of hydraulic and maritime engineering, but for the entire infrastructure sector. They enable projects to be planned and implemented more efficiently, while also helping to make the operation and maintenance of structures more sustainable. Considering today’s global challenges, the importance of this technology seems certain to grow in the coming years.