Digital twins provide construction professionals the precise data they need to aid in project planning, execution, and ongoing maintenance, and eliminate the need for site visits, expedite decision making, and increase efficiency.
Experts in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry believe that digital twins will drive sustainability opportunities in the future – if we can solve the longstanding problem of data standardization.
A recent article in Architect Magazine posited that utilization of comprehensive digital twins – accurate virtual models of physical assets, structures, and systems – will enable architects to deliver on sustainability goals.
“By using digital twins,” the article continues, “designers can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings by up to 50% and reap cost savings of up to 35%, according to an Ernst and Young study.”
“Design firms are really starting to utilize the idea of a digital twin,” added Brent Trenga, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America’s Director of Sustainability. “They’re starting to see the value-add down the road. Construction industries are served by cost and profit, and it’s once you make the connection that there’s a profit to be gained and a cost savings of time and money – in terms of construction management, change orders, and conflicts – that's when the tools get adopted.”
Sustainable construction has become a topic of much interest and debate amongst world leaders and industry stakeholders alike.
The construction industry contributes 36% of the world’s energy usage, and accounts for 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions, according to ProEst.com. Here in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that buildings are responsible for 30% of all our country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Digital twins and other 3D models are essential to the process of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), where AEC firms can address sustainability concerns and solve other problems digitally before a single shovel is put in the ground.
In an article published on Engineering.com, Eryn Devola, Vice President of Sustainability at Siemens Digital Industries, writes that the digital twin approach to sustainable design “allows for confident decision making for the more-interconnected optimizations of resources, waste and CO2 emissions.”
The problem, however, is that the digital twin must be accurate to be a reliable planning tool.
The article featured on Architect Magazine notes that “creating a nimble and reliable digital twin system among AEC firms requires consistent dynamic data inputs, widespread adoption, and standardization,” but goes on to admit that “these traits are far from realized.”
The Solution to Your Data Problems
At GPRS, we are experts in helping you Intelligently Visualize The Built World® through our subsurface damage prevention, existing condition documentation, and construction & facilities project management services.
That process starts with how we standardize the collection of data on your site – both above and below ground.
All GPRS Project Managers are certified in SIM, or Subsurface Investigation Methodology, the industry-leading process for conducting utility locates, precision concrete scanning and imaging, video (CCTV) pipe inspections, and leak detection.
The SIM standard specifies that a professional utility locating contractor must utilize multiple technologies to create redundancy and repeatability in the results of their subsurface investigations.
To become SIM certified, GPRS Project Managers complete a minimum of 320 hours of field training and 80 hours of classroom training. During this training program, the PMs encounter and learn to solve the real-world problems that they will have to tackle in the field.
It’s our adherence to SIM that has allowed GPRS to achieve and maintain a 99.8%+ rate of accuracy on the over 500,000 utility locating and concrete scanning jobs we’ve completed to date. And in addition to achieving SIM certification, GPRS Project Managers complete 40 hours of training specific to 3D laser scanning, to ensure they are prepared to capture every detail of your facility – including utility locating and concrete scanning markings – with 2-4mm accuracy.
When conducting 3D laser scans, GPRS uses industry-leading Leica laser scanners to collect up to 2 million data points per second at a range of up to 270 meters for each scan taken. That data is then handed over to our in-house Mapping & Modeling Department, who use it to construct a digital twin or BIM model in a variety of software files depending on the client’s needs, including Revit, AutoCAD, ReCap, Navisworks, Civil 3D or BIM 360.
A digital twin of your building or facility created by GPRS’ Mapping & Modeling team is backed by the 2-4mm accurate 3D laser scans, and 99.8% accurate utility locates and concrete imaging collected on site by our SIM-certified Project Managers. This ensures you have the precise data you need to collaborate on design planning, sequencing, and cost estimation of a project before beginning construction.
To ensure the data we collect and model for you is at your fingertips 24/7, GPRS created SiteMap® (patent pending), a cloud-based infrastructure mapping software solution where you can view, store, and securely share your data with your team at any time, from your computer, tablet, or mobile device.
SiteMap® is a single source of truth for the data you and your team need to plan, manage, design, dig, and build better. From digital twins to as-builts and beyond, it’s all there whenever you need it, wherever you need it.
For the construction industry, digital twins offer a real-time, in-depth view of the existing conditions of a facility or campus that’s accessible anytime, anywhere, enabling for remote monitoring of systems, maintenance, renovations, and more. GPRS Project Managers are specially trained to capture every detail of your site with the highest level of accuracy, and we have an unmatched ability to model that information to suit your needs, including through the creation of digital twins.
With an accurate digital twin created by GPRS’ Mapping & Modeling Department and backed by the data collected by our SIM-certified Project Managers and securely stored yet easily accessible in SiteMap®, you can address sustainability goals before a single shovel goes in the ground.
GPRS SiteMap® team members are currently scheduling live, personal demos so you can see what SiteMap® can bring to your next project. Click below to schedule your live demo today!
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize? Click the links below to schedule a service or request a quote today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is as-built documentation?
As-built 3D documentation is an accurate set of drawings for a project that reflect all changes made during the construction process and show the exact dimensions, geometry, and location of all elements of the work.
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a highly complex virtual model that is an exact counterpart (or twin) of a physical object. GPRS uses 3D laser scanners to collect real-time data for a facility and create a digital duplicate. Data can be easily visualized, measured and analyzed. Digital twins can be used to improve efficiencies, optimize workflows, and detect problems before they occur.
What do I get when GPRS conducts 3D laser scanning at my site?
We can provide 3D modeling in many formats, such as:
- Point cloud data (raw data)
- 2D CAD drawings
- 3D non-intelligent models
- 3D BIM models
- JetStream Viewer
Customizable deliverables upon request include:
- Aerial photogrammetry
- Comparative analysis
- Deformation analysis
- Digital drawings of GPR markings
- Floor flatness analysis/contour mapping
- New construction accuracy analysis/comparative analysis
- Point cloud modeling training webinars
- Reconciliation of client’s 2D design drawings
- Reconciliation of client’s 3D design model
- Structural steel shape probability analysis
- Template modeling
- Volume calculations
- Wall plumb analysis