Interviews: Questions for Senior Vice President Cyndee Hoagland at Trimble
Trimble, an industrial technology company, is making waves in the highway improvement sector with its innovative digital twin technology. This technology bridges the gap between design, construction, and operations, allowing project stakeholders to collaborate in real-time using a centralised, up-to-date 3D model [1].
Accurate Data Collection and Digital Twin Creation
Trimble's mobile mapping platform, the MX60, mounted on vehicles, collects real-time laser and photogrammetric data on road depth, conditions, and composition. This data forms a detailed digital twin of the road environment, serving as a reliable, timestamped baseline instead of relying on outdated paper files [2]. This digital twin supports multiple stakeholders such as Departments of Transportation (DOTs), surveyors, and contractors across planning, construction, and billing processes.
Progress Tracking and Billing Automation
The digital twin enables real-time tracking of construction progress and supports invoicing based on precise measurements. This streamlines managing large and geographically dispersed roadwork projects, providing data-driven insights for future bids and lessons learned [2].
Stakeholder Communication and Issue Management
In complex terrain projects, like installing large solar panel tables on steep mountainsides, a comprehensive digital twin stored in Trimble Connect served as the single source of truth. It enabled transparent sharing of design and survey data among all stakeholders, including utility companies, planners, and environmental groups, fostering mutual understanding and smoother project approval [1].
Augmented Reality (AR) Visualization
Using Trimble SiteVision, project models can be loaded onto tablets and overlaid on real terrain via AR. This allows stakeholders like landowners and community members to visualise proposed highway improvements or related infrastructure in real time at the actual site, helping gain local support and reduce conflicts [1].
Integration with Cloud-Based GNSS Correction Services
Trimble Access software with Internet Base Station Service (IBSS) streams RTK corrections via the internet, improving accuracy and efficiency in highway surveying by eliminating the need for cumbersome radio setups. This enhances the precision of digital twin data capturing in challenging environments [3].
The Impact of BIL and Trimble's Digital Twin Solutions
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) includes funding for advanced digital construction management systems and related technologies. Trimble's digital twin solutions in highway projects enable comprehensive, up-to-date 3D models and datasets that improve accuracy, transparency, collaboration, and project management from design through construction and maintenance [1][2][3].
Despite the potential benefits of digital tools and processes, they often result in siloed data. However, Trimble enables owners to drive efficiencies by better connecting valuable yet siloed data throughout the design, build, operation, and maintenance of the asset lifecycle.
Cyndee Hoagland, SVP at Trimble, discussed the benefits of digital as-built technology and how it helped improve a highway improvement project in Minnesota [4]. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) initiated a $158 million project to improve Highway 169 in Elk River, Minnesota, using a 3D digital, paperless model. Leveraging digital data helped identify an estimated $10 million in savings during the planning phase before construction even started for the Highway 169 project [5].
Trimble is a leading player in the construction, agriculture, transportation, and geospatial industries, with domain expertise in capturing and processing geospatial, construction, project management, and asset maintenance data [6]. The company continues to advocate for the adoption of digital project delivery tools, as does the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) [7].
With 60% of owners reporting having digital workflows for at least half of their project data within their organisation, the future of digital delivery technology in highway improvement projects looks promising [8].
- Leveraging technology such as Trimble's mobile mapping platform, MX60, real-time data on road conditions is collected for the creation of a detailed digital twin, providing a reliable, updated baseline for highway improvements, thereby replacing outdated paper files.
- Trimble's digital twin technology supports various stakeholders in highway projects by enabling real-time tracking of construction progress, automated billing based on precise measurements, and better collaboration among Departments of Transportation (DOTs), surveyors, contractors, and other stakeholders.
- In addition, the use of Trimble's digital twin technology in complex terrain projects, including solar panel installation on steep mountainsides, fosters mutual understanding and smoother project approval among utility companies, planners, and environmental groups via transparent data sharing.
