By: David Jenkins
Infrastructure Asset managers on both sides of the Tasman are turning to digital twinning technologies as they plan for future infrastructure.
In Queensland, Australia’s most advanced digital twin to date has been created to model the design and planning of the Cross River Rail project in the capital of Brisbane.
The twin modelled 300 square kilometres of the city as a key tool in planning one of the largest pieces of public transport infrastructure ever built in Queensland.
In New Zealand, the labyrinth of underground pipes and cables beneath the national capital of Wellington will soon exist in digital form as decades of legacy paper records are transferred and aggregated in a digital twin.
In Auckland, a coalition of experts is developing a business case for a digital twin pilot.
The project will cost an estimated NZ$1 million, but its proponents say it will deliver huge value through greater coordination between infrastructure players and can help avoid duplication in services.
As these examples show, there is no doubt that digital twins are a useful tool for asset custodians.
The ability to model changes and trial new ideas without committing funds or disrupting a real service or asset is a welcome development, saving resources and speeding up the development process.
While embracing digital twins, asset managers need to be careful not to rely too heavily on the technology as a panacea and solution to future planning.
We should remember that the discipline of asset management has developed over a long period.
What has evolved is a rigorous and reliable approach to infrastructure planning, factoring in economic, environmental and social sustainability imperatives.
The fundamental starting point for asset management is having a plan – ideally over a ten-year horizon – which takes a holistic approach to budgeting, maintenance, sustainability and stewardship.
Asset management plans balance trade-offs on performance, cost and risk. They are the basis for informed discussions about future infrastructure and services.
In using digital twins, asset managers should recognise that there are also some challenges in staying updated and relevant. This requires real-time monitoring and might also necessitate investment in IoT devices, sensors and connectivity tools.
In doing this, asset managers need to apply their proven methodology and make sure they use the digital twin technology as a tool that serves their planning rather than dictates to it.
