Digital twins for road infrastructure

Abstract

The concept of a digital twin has become a popular research topic over the past ten years and has been identified as a top potential emerging technology for infrastructure projects. Digital twins are commonly associated with projects that have origins in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and are considered to represent the ultimate state of the asset information systems that are produced as part of the design and construction process in the built environment. Less attention has been paid to horizontal infrastructure than to buildings, in particular to roads. The digital twin enables integrated management and use of dynamic quantitative, geometric, spatial and documentation information, supporting better road asset management decision making. This paper (a) proposes a conceptual framework for digital twins to support better decision making in the operation of road infrastructure, and (b) discusses how digital twins support and integrate the information and processes required in road management standards. The proposed conceptual framework for digital twins identifies and contextualises the various core components of a digital twin, linking them into a concise system of asset-centric information management processes. The conceptual framework serves as a reference for the authors of projectspecific implementation plans to create digital twins of road infrastructure.