Digital Twins

BIM and GIS for land management and project development in Singapore

The large-scale development of buildings and infrastructure both in the city and underground in Singapore makes it difficult to organize the territory and prevents 2D maps from being able to relay the necessary and accurate GIS information. SLA, the Singapore Land Authority, is the organization in charge of managing the use of this land in order to continue taking advantage of development opportunities. However, GPS Land Singapore proposed a solution to SLA that was to create a Digital Twin platform to be able to gather 3D geospatial data on a single platform. In order to be able to flow at the same pace as the projects and therefore fully reproduce the terrain and infrastructure, it is necessary to pull innovation and leave aside the inefficiency of three-dimensional topology.
 
In short, the Digital Twin is a virtual representation of an infrastructure, an object, a physical and real element or even a process or service. This technology makes it possible to collect information about operations and obtain a highly accurate copy that is very similar to the real system. Its purpose is to know in depth what is being represented virtually from a deeper perspective and through data analysis.
 
In the case of Singapore, Digital Twin was the implemented solution. The mapping work teams used aircraft with laser scanning capabilities to capture digital data of the terrain and surface. These scans complemented the aerial images with street-level data in order to complement and enhance the existing map and include more detailed elements. In addition, this data was combined into a single platform, Bentley’s Orbit 3DM Content Manager, so users could view and verify the information.
 
Orbit 3DM Content was used to collect point cloud data and panoramic images on the Singapore Digital Twin platform. This allowed the team to verify the data and detect and resolve any mismatches. Also, reports could be created and information shared with government stakeholders to assist in asset management and decision making including the management of green spaces. Finally, the 3D map data could be integrated into existing 2D GIS data.
 
The result for Singapore Digital Twin was that I can show all parts of the nation in much more detailed 3D representations. And not only elements relating to buildings or the terrain but also smaller elements such as trees, light posts and even manholes. The integration of these highly detailed elements allowed the mapping team to verify the GIS data without having to collect additional data. 

image                                                                                                        Image Source: SLA

Kaushik Chakrabort, Vice President -Southeast Asia and India, said for SLA Singapore Land Authority, “Bentley systems is pleased and proud to join Singapore Land Authority’s 3D Singapore Sandbox initiative, to collaborate with the infrastructure ecosystem partners in delivering value to the citizens. As a forward-thinking nation, Singapore has always pushed the boundaries in terms of setting up best-in-class infrastructure across transportation, utilities, housing, etc., to improve the quality of life for its citizens and residents. With our global experience in working with users that design, build, and operate infrastructure, we are looking forward to actively contribute to this initiative.

 
 
As discussed in SLA, the open, federated workflows provided by Bentley Systems allowed them to integrate data sources from different agencies and maintain them in native file format. In addition, spatial databases, reality grids, CAD data, Geodatabases, and point clouds can also be added.

Image Source: SLA, Singapore Land Autorithy

Source: SLA, Singapore Land Autorithy I Bentley