Digital Twinning the Panama Canal Copy

The smart, flexible workplace

Technology, generational preference, and an embrace of change will define the office today and tomorrow.

BY HELEN REED AND ANGIE LEE

Almost a hundred years ago, the world of work was shifting radically as Americans became city dwellers, automobile owners, and office workers. Today, we’re amid anther dramatic upheaval in work. A new generation of workers who have grown up with digital technology—using computers online for their entire adult lives—are stepping into the working world, and a new set of expectations and preferences is emerging and reshaping the office. Technology is pushing innovation in the workplace. But its consequences are still emerging—making it worthwhile to periodically evaluate the trends shaping the new office.

Flexibility for a workplace that’s always evolving Designing a future-ready and flexible facility is more important than ever in this time of change. The office must be designed to be flexible so that it can change for daily and weekly needs with built-in adaptability over the long-term. Increasingly, we need to be aware that things change in unpredictable ways and the influence of technology, for example, doesn’t resolve as it first presents. For example, not long ago it seemed that desktops and monitors were going away, but now massive monitors are emerging as the preference. Despite the availability of small portable technology, big screens are in.

Culture and data-driven design There have been many articles published over the past couple of years on the pros and cons of open workspace. The only point of clarity from that raging debate is that open office isn’t for everyone. It’s important to understand what organizations do, how their employees like to work, and what makes them happy doing it. More than ever, observation and research of the workplace on site must inform our design innovations so that the workplace ultimately reflects the client’s culture and supports its business strategy. Design must strike a delicate balance between incorporating existing culture while embracing new ways of working. Furthermore, how we educate our clients to best use their spaces (otherwise known as change management) is critical in matching culture and new workplace.

The one constant in the workplace is

change

Branding Branding throughout the office, not just the entryway and lobby, is emerging as a key aspect of office design. That’s because the audience for branding can be both internal or external today. Every client has a past, present, and future, as well as heritage, culture and values. As design professionals they look to us to help create a space and brand that reflects their narrative best. In our tech-enabled era, experiencing the brand itself takes an increasingly important role in reflecting culture, mission and morale, giving people reasons to want to come into the office every day and to connect their individual work to a greater purpose.

Homelike and hospitality-inspired options The tech industry and its open, collaborative offices changed the way we look at offices. But it’s the emergence of the homelike and hospitality-inspired elements of workplace that are defining design today. A big part of this shift relates to offering a variety of options in seating and work style ranging from formal and informal collaborative to focused and heads-down and private meeting space.

Smart buildings, smart office The smart office and building. Smart spaces will connect to users through seamless tech and apps—everything from room reservations to audio-video conferencing, desk and room reservations, climate control and lighting, elevator access and security will be intelligent and personalized for the user. But smart building benefits go beyond the individual employee. On the owner and employer side, detailed data on building and room use allows for better decision making about investment and office design going forward. And that means continuous evolution and improvement in design and operation. And when design automation connects into smart building infrastructure, the possibilities for the future of workplace are unlimited. Now that makes for an interesting future.

BPX Energy Denver, Colorado

Smart buildings technology is here to stay. One of the most tangible benefits of smart technology is reduced energy use (or production) with sensor data informing operators and users about building efficiency and use. But smart buildings can do more. They can also foster connections with people in the workplace to provide a better user-experience. Picture this: You enter the building after parking your bike or car in a space reserved prior to arrival. The building senses your presence via an app on your smart device. At the elevator lobby, an elevator is waiting to take you to the location of your morning meeting. In the meeting room, the blinds are drawn, the room temperature is set to your preference, and the audio-visual and video conferencing set up is enabled and your clients in New York, London or Beijing are ready to greet you and start the meeting. After your meeting you return to an office or a workstation, whether it’s assigned or unassigned, and your personalized desk height, lighting and thermal comfort settings are pre-set. This technology-enabled exper-ience can also be programmed for clients and guests on their next visit. The office of the future. Seamless. Personalized. Smart.

Bulfinch Needham, Massachusetts

What’s next?

MORE WORKPLACE DESIGN Interior Designer Helen Reed, based in San Francisco, is passionate about applying influences from the digital realm to designing spaces that meet today’s corporate workplace needs. Chicago-based Angie Lee applies three decades of experience in leading teams on workplace strategy and headquarters design solutions to her role with the Stantec's Commercial Workplace Sector.

Digital Twinning the Panama Canal

A model to enhance project delivery and performance

By Gabriel Llort and Joseph Huang

A digital twin enables teams to simulate future scenarios before, during and after construction, resulting in improved design, constructability and O&M.

In 2009 the Panama Canal Third Set of Locks project was in early development phases. The expansion would make it possible for the canal to accommodate today’s larger ships, referred to as “Post-Panamax” ships. The Third Set of Locks project includes two massive lock facilities - one on the Atlantic side and the other on the Pacific side. Each facility has three lock chambers raising and lowering ships more than 85feet while using less water than the existing smaller locks.

What is digital twinning? Digital twinning combines sensors, data, and visualization software to create a digital copy of a physical entity. Once created it seamlessly transmits that data across the physical and virtual world. The virtual entity then exists simultaneously with the physical entity. The user is essentially creating an avatar of a complex system or mechanism before it is built or tested in a real-world environment. The power industry has been using similar technologies for years. In the late 1980’s, Stantec commissioned a computerized powerplant simulator replicating the hydroelectric plant’s operation. It was designed to train operators, evaluate contingencies, develop code and test software. The stumbling block, however, was the limited computer and data storage capabilities. The technology available at the time could not process the copious amounts of data imported from on-line systems. Now this data is gathered in real-time from the physical world. This is because of greater and more cost effective computer and storage capabilities, together with a new generation of network connected sensors. It is used to create a virtual copy which offers insight into how a mechanism or system is operating in real time and will operate over time.

A digital twin seamlessly transmits data across the physical and virtual world.

The genius of digital twinning is the ability to not only design and test complex systems but to manage them by manipulating time and looking into the future.

What are the costs associated with new technology? The initial investment in new technology is often costly. There is typically a cost for installing and operating new hardware and software as well as the cost of new human resources needed to learn, run, and maintain those systems. The next big step for digital twinning could eliminate part of that cost. The answer is a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) option. The digital twin then exists virtually. It’s value and cost-effectiveness is due to the advantages brought about by simplified licensing and the elimination of the time and expense of near-constant updates and upgrades needed with traditional software and hardware. SaaS has additional benefits as well. It allows for the seamless integration into any clients’ operations. It also provides a platform for geographically and technically diverse teams of experts to work closely together, eliminating the need for costly travel. The Panama Canal Authority overcame the high initial cost hurdle by being one of the first adopters in this kind of project scale. They made BIM process and deliverables a part of their requirements.

What are the applications of digital twinning? The applications for these powerful tools are endless. They are use in wind and gas turbines, power, hydro, and the mining industry. We need to take advantage of the higher quality and faster processing of high volumes of information and apply our valuable knowledge of powerplant processes and equipment. The next big application for digital twinning is smart cities. Designing and managing smart cities will be the ultimate combination of every industry coming together in a grand, urban setting. Since there’s no way to create a 1:1 scale of an entire city, digital twinning with Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will allow people to understand the building types, traffic patterns, public spaces, and future development of a physical city.

The genius of digital twinning is the ability to not only design and test complex systems but to manage them by manipulating time and looking into the future.

DIGITAL TWINNING IS A UNIQUELY POWERFUL TOOL THAT DELIVERS COST SAVINGS, LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT, AND ENDLESS APPLICATIONS.

A digital twin of the Panama Canal Expansion project allowed the team to seamlessly hand off operation from the design team to the local operators.

How can this technology help the life cycle of the project? Once the digital twin system is put into place, it must be used and managed correctly. A successful life cycle management of any project is dependent on it. The monumental task of analysis and interpretation of the complex data generated by digital twinning is a critical component. And although digital twinning could include a certain degree of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it still requires interaction from a highly trained operator to make critical, real-time decisions regarding life cycle management. During our work on the Panama Canal, engineers were able to turn over the operation of the Third Set of Locks to the Panamanian Canal Authority so that every aspect of its operation could be managed efficiently by the local operators. They are now able to extensively replicate mechanical and electrical systems and run numerous scenarios. Now they can fully understand how each system would perform under many different conditions including normal operations, maintenance, and even emergency situations. The ability to also test the performance of software updates and foresee issues of functionality and safety is critical for this major international transportation link. With better information and better sensors, operators can make faster, more intelligent decisions.

The future is now. It’s true that the future is now. Today, in all industries, every function of a project can be duplicated and monitored in real time. We can play with time and look ahead to see what, if any, set of conditions would cause an unsafe situation for the system and correct for it now. As we branch out into the vast, exciting possibilities of digital twinning, industry professionals must be diligent to clearly understand and define the scope.

The engineers, consultants, and owners working on the project knew they were a part of one of the modern marvels of the engineering world. The $5.25 billion dollar project would use the most advanced technology available.

The team brought together a global team of experts to implement a Building Information Modeling (BIM) process. This team would ensure the design could meet the various performance requirements and operating scenarios. The process advanced the state-of-practice on many components on the project including the state of the tools used in the process. This BIM process was used to develop a digital twin of the Panama Canal. Throughout the design, construction, and now three years of operation, this digital twin has enabled the team to improve quality of design, increase productivity, and facilitate communication with the client, builder, and operator.

A digital twin of the Panama Canal Expansion project allowed the team to seamlessly hand off operation from the design team to the local operators.