Digital twins for condition assessment of Brunel's rail tunnels and future applications

Overview

The presentation will discuss the innovative condition assessment methods that Bedi Consulting and industry partners have been developing since 2019 for managing ageing brick arch railway tunnels, designed by Brunel in the 1840s. This talk will also also discuss the other ‘digital tunnelling’ tools.

Note: This is an in-person event and advance registration is not required.

‘Digital twin’ and ‘Digital Engineering’ appear to be the new buzz words around construction, but are they actually useful in tunnel applications?

The presentation will discuss the innovative condition assessment methods that Bedi Consulting and industry partners have been developing since 2019 for managing ageing brick arch railway tunnels, designed by Brunel in the 1840s. Based on the analysis of accurate 3D surveys of the structures, colourised point-clouds, and photogrammetric drone surveys from areas of reduced access, these methods build on manual visual processes currently in use, and are capable of identifying a wide range of defects, accurately recording and visualising their severity and extent on objective and spatially determinate drawings.

This talk will also discuss the other ‘digital tunnelling’ tools that Bedi Consulting has been, and is continuing develop with academic and industry partners, which could be applied over the whole of the tunnelling life-cycle from geological mapping, excavation and SCL profile control, through to asset monitoring, maintenance and renewal. 

Note 1: This is an in-person lecture and will also be streamed live at 
https://youtu.be/78edsNsEuRU
Note 2: The event will start with Bob Ibell’s James Clark Medal awarding ceremony.
Note 3: Post-lecture drinks will be held at Westminster Arms, instead of the ICE Bar