Starting on April 1, and for a period of two years, Diogo Ribeiro, a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering (DEC) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP) and Director of iBuilt – Centre for Innovation in Digital Construction, will coordinate a working group (TG 5.7) in the field of digital twins for existing bridges, in collaboration with the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), one of the most prestigious international organizations dedicated to structural and bridge engineering. The working group brings together 27 experts from 17 countries, all with recognized experience and expertise in bridge engineering digital twins.

Recent scientific and technological advances in sensing, data analysis, and digital modelling have enabled the development of digital twins for existing bridges. These advanced digital models allow for continuous monitoring of structural performance, early damage detection, and data-driven decision-making to improve bridge maintenance and resilience. This approach is especially important at a time when climate change and extreme events are becoming increasingly frequent and severe.

As part of the group’s activities, a methodological strategy for the development of bridge digital twins will be established. This strategy is based on the multi-sensor integration of data (inspection and monitoring), the application of artificial intelligence algorithms for automatic anomaly detection, the updating of models to support predictive maintenance, and the definition of interoperability protocols and large-scale data management procedures. The strategy will also be implemented and demonstrated through case studies involving road and railway bridges under different environmental and operational conditions, across different continents.

ISEP will also be represented in the group by researcher Rafael Cabral, who will participate as a member.

You can consult the objectives and mission of the working group here.