A recent study published in the journal Engineering delves into the potential of digital twin (DT) technology in revolutionizing road engineering and its lifecycle applications. As road infrastructure worldwide faces the challenge of digitalization, DT has emerged as a promising solution.

The research, conducted by a team of scholars from Tongji University and Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), systematically reviews DT-enabling technologies, including model creation, condition sensing, data processing, and interaction. The development of DT in road engineering has been rapid, but it still has a long way to go. Current research mainly focuses on data perception and virtual model creation, while real-time data processing and the interaction between physical and virtual models need more exploration.

DT in road engineering has found applications across all lifecycle phases, from planning and design to demolition and reconstruction. In the planning and design stage, DT can integrate engineering data with environmental conditions, optimizing route selection and pavement design. For example, an urban road planning method based on the DT-MCDM-GIS framework (MCDM refers to multi-criterial decision making, and GIS refers to geographic information system) has been successfully applied in Bromley, UK. During construction, DT technology helps with resource allocation, quality control, and progress monitoring. In operation and maintenance, it plays a crucial role in monitoring pavement health, managing road assets, and making maintenance decisions. However, DT applications in the demolition and reconstruction phase are currently limited.

Despite its potential, DT technology in road engineering faces several challenges. There is a lack of a unified understanding and standard in the industry. Different studies interpret DT differently, and there are no specific standards for building DT systems in road engineering. Additionally, the enabling technologies need further innovation. For instance, the tools for digital pavement modeling lack diversity, and more efforts are required to integrate surface and internal models. Data acquisition and interaction technologies also need improvement, such as better data fusion and real-time interoperability.

The researchers propose that future efforts should be directed towards establishing uniform standards, developing innovative perception and data interaction techniques, optimizing development costs, and expanding the scope of lifecycle applications. With these efforts, DT technology is expected to bring more benefits to road engineering, improving its efficiency, safety, and sustainability. This research provides a comprehensive overview of DT technology in road engineering, offering valuable insights for future research and development in this field.

The paper “Digital Twin Enabling Technologies for Advancing Road Engineering and Lifecycle Applications,” authored by Yu Yan, Lei Ni, Lijun Sun, Ying Wang, Jianing Zhou. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.12.017. For more information about the Engineering, follow us on X (https://twitter.com/EngineeringJrnl) & like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringJrnl).