Use cases defined for DigitalTWIN

Use Case 3: Assembly will be supported by the comparison with the digital model.

After the official inaugural meeting in June 2018 with all participants, the market conditions, technologies and standards were analysed and experiences of the different disciplines exchanged in further workshops. Based on these results, the consortium developed three Use Cases that address relevant issues and the interfaces between planning, production and building operation:

The research fields refer to the following areas:
Use case 1  Monitoring during building operation and maintenance support based on the example of supervised façade
Use case 2  Quality assurance based on the example of welding work and a virtual welding inspection on the shop floor
Use case 3  Assembly support with AR technology at the construction site using the example of a grid shell puzzle

In the upcoming years, technologies, services and applications will be developed based on these use cases and shown at the demo building and at trade fairs.

Use Case 1 addresses the easy availability and visualisation of live measured data at the building through the digital twin using edge cloud and cluster computing technologies. An innovative, multi-layered façade system ensures long-term, low-maintenance use. To offer the customer a maintenance service that is optimised and target-oriented, the conditions of the glass elements are continuously monitored. The acquisition of temperature, humidity and air pressure values also enables weather data to be recorded in detail for facility management. The shared use of measurement data by users, operators, product manufacturers and consultants is a typical use case for the development and management of a collaborative digital twin. This use case allows the development of the fundamental platform features (hardware connectivity, rights management, data safety and security), the integration of specific algorithmic analysis and the implementation of AR technologies (visualisation using a 3D model, remote access for maintenance support). The hardware infrastructure required will be implemented based on existing technologies.

Use Case 2 includes a virtual welding inspection plus all documentation on the shop floor and the construction site in order to reduce the time during which inspectors must be present and achieve a continuous and effective workflow during the production and inspection of welded steel components. Inspections will be in the form remote inspections of the welding seams using a precise digital twin. All information relating to planned and actual geometry, base material, tools and machines used, settings as well as measurement and scan data are provided for better inspection and complete documentation. This Use Case also investigates the capabilities of new computer vision technologies for applications under difficult operating conditions performing demanding quality assurance tasks.

Use Case 3 addresses the issue of more effective and efficient installation using the digital tools as well as flexible and safe use in harsh site environments. The use of AR technology in safety goggles will enable users to find their way around the construction site. It will also provide additional information that is currently documented and communicated on drawings. A gridshell construction will be used to demonstrate a process chain from assembly planning and logistics to assembly support. Assembly personnel will be able to see installation sequences and identify and localise correct parts and tools. Furthermore, they can document various work steps, such as verifying the correct component position or correct tightening torques of bolts.


DigitalTWIN at BAU 2019
DigitalTWIN and the Construction and Employment Cluster of the Smart Service World II funding programme will be present at the se commerce stand (Hall C5.130). Anyone interested can take a look at Use Case 3 using AR technology and a real node exhibit to find out more about the research project. The exhibitor is consortium leader se commerce GmbH.