Digital twin tracks with real-time construction

One by one, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working to build a digital twin universe. The institution’s growing catalog of virtual representations includes entire facilities, systems, pieces of equipment and other valuable infrastructure. One of the latest projects being added to its digital twin library is the Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.) replacement hospital scheduled for completion in 2024. 

Once a month, Jonathan Boone, research civil engineer at the Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s information technology laboratory, inputs data collected from the ongoing construction of the new 235,400-square-foot hospital. A 4D building information model is one of the tools used to create this virtual structure. However, Boone’s updates also include timelines, construction schedules, supply chain information and recent permitting approvals to provide a thorough building history within the digital twin. 

Once the replacement facility is online, USACE says that integration of advanced sensor technology will provide a wealth of insights for efficient operation and analysis of critical systems all in one location. 

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a prototype is worth a thousand meetings, and we are saving that time and increasing stakeholder awareness,” Boone says. “We are increasing knowledge transfer, so that everyone is on the same page.”