US-based Bentley Systems chief Greg Bentley has underscored the crucial role digital twins will play in the planning, design, delivery and operation of capital projects including roads, railways, utilities, industrial and construction.

Project digital twins is a concept where alignment and change synchronisation across the project supply chain is fully automated, enabling continuous and comprehensive status reviews.

“Of all the announcements we’re making today, this is my favourite,” Bentley said in a keynote address during his firm’s annual Year In Infrastructure conference, referring to a new cloud-based solution called iTwin Services, which Bentley Systems aims to roll out early next year.

The solution can be provisioned within Bentley’s Connected Data Environment for users of its two flagship products ProjectWise and AssetWise, the company said in a statement.

The firm said its digital twins solution is a direct response to asset owners’ demand for the application of analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in simulations and decision support throughout the lifecycle of design, construction and operations.

“Representation of assets need obviously to be digital, but to be reliable... there must be practical solutions for their synchronisation to changing actual conditions in the real-world,” Bentley said in a statement.

MEED understands several multinational firms including Netherlands-based energy giant Shell have been piloting digital twins for selected assets.

A comprehensive technology stack could include AI, analytics, big data, machine learning and unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAV). Those, combined with modelling and visualisation software such as those provided by Bentley and its competitors, work together to enable digital twins for physical assets that gather and utilise constantly changing data. Thereby increasing operational safety and efficiency.

John Armitt, chairman of UK’s National Infrastructure Commission and a key speaker at the conference, affirmed the future role of digital twins in delivering and maintaining the country’s road, railway and flood control infrastructure. “A digital twin would be inevitable,” he said.

Industrial technology giants including GE and Siemens have each promoted digital twins for the more efficient delivery and operations of new and existing plants - particularly in the utilities sector.