Best Use of Technology: Smart Data Collection for Asset Management

AtkinsRéalis

Digital Image Correlation

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is a revolution in the ability of engineers to see and understand how structures are performing in service and make informed decisions on timely interventions without the cost, time and disruption traditional methods usually require.

AtkinsRéalis’ cutting-edge DIC photogrammetry technique uses a range of cameras to record and interpret measurement deflections and strains in steel, concrete and timber to generate insights and enable asset owners to make more informed decisions. Provided the camera has a line of sight, it can be positioned 100+ metres from the asset, eliminating the need for surface contact and rail / road possessions.

AtkinsRéalis has enhanced and scaled up its DIC capability with the introduction of a mobile app, developed in collaboration with high-tech startup Digital Engineering Solutions, which captures data using an ordinary smartphone. Application of DIC on numerous transport projects has resulted in significant savings for our clients.

AtkinsRéalis

Seeing the unseen: Powderham Banks characterisation survey

This project leverages non-intrusive, digital technologies to holistically assess the condition of a deteriorating flood defence. By combining multiple drone (imagery, tpographic, multi-spectral, thermal) and geophysical (3D resistivity, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetics) datasets as well as sporadic historical information, a priority list of 20 ‘at-risk’ locations was determined from multiple lines of evidence interpreted from the surveys.

Upon visual inspection, 16 of the 20 (80%) of the ‘at-risk’ locations showed visible damage to the embankment (e.g., exposure of clay core, voiding, rotation of wave return wall). Of the remaining four locations designated ‘at-risk’, one location went on to experience significant damage from Storm Pierrick in April 2024, exposing the clay core.

This project underscores the value of implementing rapid, non-intrusive and cost-effective investigation methods to enable data-driven decision-making regarding repair schedules and future monitoring and management of the asset.

Jacobs Solutions in partnership with The Environment Agency

Monitoring asset performance for maintenance

The Environment Agency, supported by Jacobs, has piloted a condition-based maintenance system (CBMS) at two flood and coastal risk management pumping stations on the southern Kent coast. The operational context of these pumping stations is challenging because they may remain inactive for months but are relied upon to operate on demand.

With the number of flood events expected to increase, this leads to greater runtime for stations and increases risks associated with unplanned asset downtime. The CBMS provides an innovative solution that integrates modern sensor capabilities with a cloud-based digital framework, to support flexible and efficient responses to faults before they result in failures.

After two years, onsite presence is minimal and maintenance costs have decreased by 50%, demonstrating CBMS’s effectiveness. The project aims to expand this approach across the EA’s stations, potentially saving £6,000-£9,000 annually over 30 years, and offering a payback period of less than eight years.

Morgan Sindall Infrastructure

Achieving time savings with our dynamic asset data management

Our innovative approach to asset data management, system integration and flexible data structures has set a new standard in project delivery.

To improve the efficiency of the collection and exchange of key project information, we developed an asset database integration tool.

Assets, such as gullies, are dynamically linked between quality control systems and programme software, ensuring a single data entry into the quality control system automatically updates the programme. This provides seamless integration of information into the programme and streamlines data collection.

To provide qualitative and quantitative visualisation of data, we incorporated geospatial technologies. This enables issues to be addressed promptly and improves progress monitoring with project context.

Our system integration tool provides real-time insights, enhances transparency and eliminates manual tracking. We have saved 520 person hours of work to date on the M27, with a further 5,440 person hours of work expected to be saved in the project duration.

Mott MacDonald

Eurotunnel Folkestone terminal

The current asset management strategy at the Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal involves transitioning from post-construction verification to a more established phase, incorporating new technology while maintaining the historical continuity.

Technologies like 3D LiDAR laser scanning of Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE) walls offers an upgrade from manual survey of magnetic prisms, enhancing data coverage by monitoring more locations. Renewal of original narrow standpipe piezometers, facilitated by advances in technology, has improved data resilience and reduced costs.

A focus on climate change challenges has led to innovations in assessment of rainfall, infiltration, groundwater levels, drainage, and slope stability. Future developments potentially include automated groundwater instrumentation, flow meters, Shape-Accel Array (SAA) inclinometers and InSar to aid decision-making and reduce health and safety risks.

Mott MacDonald Bentley

Moata Inspect

The use of Moata Inspect at Esholt STW emphasises the shift from conventional recording of data to a digital format, that facilitates geotagging and mapping of utilities, ensuring data is easily accessible through a mobile application.

This technological leap has resulted in immediate data capture, efficient data integration, and the prospect of improving safety while reducing future site rework. The submission highlights the significance of making asset information transparent, thereby enhancing visibility and accessibility for all involved parties.

Optimise-ai

Optimised energy and carbon emission management in buildings

Optimise-AI's patented technology tackles key operational decarbonisation challenges, such as the lack of comprehensive data and the limitations of conventional Building Management Systems (BMSs).

At Bristol Temple Meads Station, Optimise-AI created a digital twin to monitor and optimise energy and carbon emissions, leading to significant reductions. Using the limited data available at the station and advanced AI models, they developed energy-saving scenarios that improved lighting, heating, and cooling controls, achieving over 90% accuracy in predictive modelling.

The tool will provide automated notifications for significant deviations, offer suggestions for potential causes, and leverage an LLM for guidance.

SmartViz

A data centric approach to achieving better buildings and happier occupants!

SmartViz is a trailblazing startup helping building owners and operators address the urgent challenges of building (in)efficiency, to deliver better outcomes for people, place and planet. The team deployed its innovative solution ‘digital-twin-in-a-box’, a suite of low cost sensors with an AI-powered digital twin, across Cardiff Met University.

It integrated data from these sensors with timetabling and BMS to show space use, energy efficiency, air quality and its impact on the learning environment. It took the team a couple of days to install ‘peel and stick’ IoT sensors across the campus, and they started to stream live data and actionable insights to optimise buildings. Besides savings the university over £5.1m the solution has provided planning data for space needs versus perceived shortages, environmental and behaviour data to help boost student retention and campus stickiness, and steered the masterplan to boost usage of existing buildings in favour of building new.

TEAM2100

Asset Defect Analysis

To guard against climate change and flooding from the River Thames, TEAM2100, on behalf of the Environment Agency, is optimising the asset management of 370km of floodwalls, embankments and barriers in the Tidal Thames Estuary. To enable this, we developed the Defect Analysis methodology, which starts with asset defect data collection and outputs the optimal intervention period for each asset, along with a wealth of geospatial data and intelligence to support other aspects of asset management planning. Smart, location-enabled data collection has guided the approach from the beginning.

From the careful development of the geodatabase structure, to data collection (asset inspections) and visualisation, everything has optimisation at its heart. Data is collected by foot, drones and boat surveys, and the data serves multiple purposes: from maintenance to repair planning, including updating deterioration curves and future use of data to feed machine learning and AI in future asset management activities.