Spatial modelling for bridge construction environment towards geospatial digital twin

Geospatial digital twin (GDT) presents an opportunity to map the physical geographic environment into the virtual geographic environment, offering a new perspective towards intelligent construction. However, the application of GDT in engineering construction is still in its infancy. There is a gap from the concept idea to system implementation and primary application, particularly in bridge construction. Following the connotation of GDT, this article proposes a spatial modelling approach for bridge environments aimed at supporting intelligent bridge construction. The logic model, numerical simulation, spatial modelling, and visual representation involved in bridge digital construction are discussed in detail. Finally, we developed a WebGL-based prototype system and selected a mega suspension bridge under construction as the case for experimental analysis. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively support the generation of 3D scenes of the bridge environment and the visual simulation of the bridge construction. Specifically, numerical simulation of multi-field coupling and spatial modelling of the bridge environment are beneficial for pre-discovering hidden risks in construction, and the visual simulation of bridge construction could serve as a digital window to assist in upgrading intelligence in construction. The proposed method aligns with the concept of GDT and offers a tailored solution for modelling virtual geographic environments in the context of GDT.