Halff Partners with Carnegie Mellon University on Asset Digital Twin Field Demonstrations in DFW

J.P. Robotics’ innovative pipe inspection crawler (left) and Halff’s 3D textured mesh scan of a storm sewer manhole.

Halff was excited to team up with the J.P. Robotics Group (JPR) from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in October 2024 to test new techniques for digital twin development of gravity systems.

The field demonstrations helped advance digital twin creation for three DFW area stormwater clients (City of Fort Worth, Town of Addison and City of Richardson), using an advanced pipe inspection crawler applying unique multi-sensor scanning using radial laser scanning, point cloud light detection and ranging (lidar), and inertial sensors to achieve highly accurate horizontal alignment mapping.

With aging infrastructure, it is crucial for public entities to adopt smarter, more innovative solutions and technologies.

These three DFW area stormwater utilities welcomed the JPR team to conduct several one-day demonstrations that helped support digital twin creation, 3D mapping, high-resolution video and images, and as-built pipe alignment updates.

The result is a highly accurate, digital 3D model that provides relevant details of the pipe as-constructed, such as size, defect locations, and true alignment in the X, Y and Z planes.

Halff conducted additional digital twin scanning of vertical assets (e.g. MHs, inlets) using in-house, digital survey tools during the field demonstrations.

Vertical asset scans enable Halff to generate 3D textured meshes that support desktop verification of asset dimensions, system connectivity and defect review.

The as-constructed mapping dimensions, volume and defect scale enable engineers and utility owners to make more informed and cost-effective decisions about asset renewal.

The JPR team is sharing follow-up results of the demonstrations with Halff and the three utilities in the next few weeks. Goals achieved by the field demonstrations included:

• • • Deploying and testing JPR’s advanced sensor platform/service in Texas gravity pipe systems
    • Comparing 3D digital twin data deliverables against standard CCTV deliverables
    • Evaluating opportunities for enhanced decision-support provided by emerging digital twin technologies like the JPR platform/service

The City of Fort Worth’s Public Works and Transportation department assisted the CMU team with a test inspection of storm drains in the West Polytechnic mapshed near downtown Fort Worth.

Data collected in the field is post-processed to generate actionable datasets for decision-making support.

Utilities like the City of Fort Worth, Town of Addison and City of Richardson can greatly benefit from these technology advances to enhance safety, level of service to customers, and decision support for smart infrastructure operation and maintenance.

Halff is proud to partner with J.P. Robotics Group/Carnegie Mellon University and our Texas municipal clients to support new technology services and data deliverables that will drive better decisions to improve the live and communities where we live and work!