Digital methods in design, construction and operation for infrastructure facilities
Due to the high level of complexity and the long project and life cycles, digitalization offers excellent approaches for efficient design, implementation and operating processes in the construction industry and especially in the area of infrastructure. This is a key component for expanding infrastructure in a way that is fit for the future and meets the ever-increasing demands for mobility. To this purpose, infrastructure projects are to be planned holistically for the entire life cycle. Established process chains should not only be digitalized, but also redesigned from an overall perspective and taking into account the digital possibilities. The focus is on aspects such as information management via common data environments (single source of truth solutions), digital collaboration, automation and predictive data analysis, which are the particular focus of research activities at ICoM.
In addition to considering conditions specific to the mode of transport, interdependencies of different transport systems in the network are investigated. Here, new assessment procedures and artificial intelligence methods offer the possibility of making data-based decisions to maintain performance in the case of failure of transport nodes of an infrastructure system.
Design
Infrastructure projects in particular are communication-intensive, as many stakeholders are involved and engineers from many different disciplines contribute design packages. This requires new ways of collaborating on digital platforms such as the CDE and offers new opportunities, for example in public relations with virtual reality.
Realization
In order to successfully realize infrastructure projects, information management and flexibility are more important than ever in order to be able to react quickly to changing conditions and to meet implementation deadlines. Single source of truth solutions ensure that all information is up to date, available across trades and lifecycles, and provides a sound basis for decision-making.
Operation
As the longest phase in the life cycle of an infrastructure structure, it is essential to consider the operating period from the outset. The use of monitoring systems makes it possible to provide data centrally for maintenance. In this way, maintenance processes can be extended in terms of personnel, and damage leading to cost-intensive maintenance measures can be detected early and averted economically.