Sensat, the leading visualisation and collaboration software company for civil infrastructure, is delighted to announce its double shortlisting for the upcoming 

. The company's innovative collaborations with esteemed partners 

, as well as the Mace Dragados joint venture for the 

, have earned finalist positions in two prominent categories: "Best Use of Technology: Smart Data Collection for Asset Management" and "Best Use of Technology: Smart Data Collection in Construction" respectively. 

The partnerships have been instrumental in developing and managing some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects. Leveraging Sensat's cutting-edge platform, teams on the M25 and HS2 Euston Station projects have created site visualisations that transform decision-making in the industry.

James Dean, Sensat CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the recognition, stating, "Our partnerships with Octavius, Connect Plus, and Mace Dragados joint venture are pushing the boundaries of technological innovation in the infrastructure sector. The ability to capture, visualise, and make decisions from vast amounts of data has empowered project teams to make informed decisions and drive efficiencies. It's gratifying to witness the impact of our technology across these monumental projects."

Together the partnerships in both the M25 and HS2 Euston Station projects have exemplified an exceptional commitment to innovation and efficiency, setting new standards for the industry. By harnessing the power of the Sensat platform, teams have been able to minimise risks, reduce site visits, and optimise asset management strategies. This not only enhances safety but also elevates project performance.

The TechFest Awards organised by NCE and sister publication Construction News, celebrate achievements in effective use of technology in engineering and infrastructure. Sensat's dual shortlisting is a testament to its dedication to shaping the future of infrastructure through smart data collection and analysis.

Sensat looks forward to the TechFest Awards ceremony in November where winners will be unveiled in London.

Sensat Shortlisted for Two TechFest Awards: Recognising Groundbreaking Innovation in Infrastructure

New integration combines project information from Oracle Aconex with real-world context to help teams make informed, proactive decisions.

 Sensat, the leading visualisation and collaboration software company for civil infrastructure, today announced its integration with 

, construction management software that connects teams and processes across the entire project lifecycle. Through the integration, Sensat visualises information from Oracle’s common data environment (CDE) inSensat’s 

 (CVE) to create one holistic project view. The integration enables teams to easily sync files from Aconex into Sensat so users can seamlessly understand key construction drawings and designs using real-world context in their visualisation environment.

The partnership between Oracle® and Sensat enables teams to unlock a better understanding of their data and empower more confident decision-making for project stakeholders. By augmenting Oracle’s Smart Construction Platform with Sensat’s industry-leading visualisation platform, customers can evaluate plans from all angles and identify hazards and constraints before they cause delays and added costs.

Common data environments are a valuable resource for large-scale infrastructure projects, but the data they contain is not always easily accessible or comprehensible to technical and non-technical stakeholders. This increases the risk of errors accidentally being embedded into plans, resulting in delays and additional costs down the line. Empowering users with easy-to-access and digestible programme information from the start offers a substantial opportunity to improve overall time, cost, quality, and safety outcomes on large-scale civil infrastructure projects.

Sensat’s latest integration with Oracle Aconex expands on the existing support for 

 and enables teams to benefit from the CDE’s single source of truth for drawings, schedules, cost data, CAD models, and more. By embedding all project information into a digestible visual scene, Sensat’s integration helps both technical and non-technical stakeholders better understand their data in a real-world context and collaborate with confidence to improve project outcomes.

The integration is now available, with Sensat working directly with customers to make the connection between their Oracle systems and Sensat’s SaaS platform a smooth experience.

“Over the last few years, we’ve learnt that the magic happens when we can see our project data within its real-world context. It is a very 'human' way of interpreting data. Sensat brings together design-engineering data from Aconex, schedules from Primavera P6 and, crucially, the real world. Our online application connects with existing digital engineering software and enhances the value of your data by providing a place that teams can rely on for the most up-to-date visualisation of their project.”—James Dean, CEO and Co-Founder at Sensat.

Sensat partners with Oracle to supercharge infrastructure planning with real-world context

Today the energy industry is under pressure as we stride towards net zero targets and expand our grid connections. As a part of the UK Government's 

acceleration of homegrown power in Britain

, there is an immense amount of planning and grid expansions on the horizon across the UK. However, the industry’s pace isn’t as fast as we’d hoped.

There are many complexities around upgrading grid connections and various areas that can gain efficiencies through technology. This blog explores the importance of precise and accurate measurements during the planning stage for energy transmission projects and how teams can use a visualisation platform to take measurements from their desktop.

Editor’s Note: This post has been adapted from the original post ‘

The importance of precise measurements’ 

in May 2022 to be focused on Energy Transmission.

Across the Energy sector, there are many reasons we need to streamline processes, arguably the most pressing being our Net Zero commitments by 2030 in the UK. Sensat CEO, James Dean comments:

“We're facing an extraordinary storm in the energy sector. A combination of increasing demand, ageing transmission infrastructure and the need for a rapid shift towards renewables, require additional infrastructure to support this. The clock is ticking.”

Chris Glover, director of the Energy Transition team at Buro Happold recently cited in the 

, “The pace at which change is happening is not sufficient if we want to ensure a fit-for-purpose UK electricity network.” And rightly so; we need to pick up the pace.

Today, teams are only just starting to leverage new delivery methods due to the immense pressure on the industry. And, anyway that can save time and improve productivity should be welcomed, be it more efficient cabling upgrades, to leveraging smarter planning methods. It will take a joint effort from every element involved.

During the planning phase of an Energy project, the ability to make the best decisions from your data can be the difference between projects which obtain approval and those that don't. Proposal inaccuracies, especially on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), can delay months of preparation, sending teams back to the drawing board.

As we upgrade and expand our grid, we have a lot of planning to do. And while having planning meetings based on outdated Google Earth data and pdfs is commonplace today, basing decisions on legacy data does affect confidence in decision-making.

Traditionally, these measurements have been collected through physical site visits. However, in-person visits can require lengthy land access permissions and increase safety risks to staff. Additionally, these costs are further exacerbated when sites are dispersed across the UK all factors slowing team decision-making.

Amongst the hundreds of innovations popping up across the Energy industry, leveraging visualisation platforms to undertake remote site measurements is one clear route to improving efficiencies.

to combine many data sets over a backdrop of the real world to plan, expand and operate electricity transmission cable routes, stations and substations. Using these platforms, teams can take accurate measurements between the different data sets and check the viability of options, a task previously impossible without site visits.

For example, by layering your 3D point cloud, design options and topographic CAD models, you can take a single height measurement to view how your proposed electricity transmission designs interact with the real world. Using the combined view of proposed plans against the real world, teams can get even more insight than what would be available if you were to take measurements on-site.

5 reasons you should be using remote desktop measurements to bolster options selection:

1. Ensuring regulatory compliance with the existing environment and infrastructure.

Infrastructure projects are subject to various regulations, permits, and zoning requirements. Precise measurements ensure that the project designs adhere to these regulations and avoid legal complications. For instance, setback distances from property lines, environmental protection zones, or height restrictions can all be accurately determined from your desktop, enabling compliance with local building codes and land-use regulations.

Teams can better evaluate the various design options by measuring designs against the surrounding environment and other data sets, such as protected areas. Using accurate measurements, teams can compare the measured data against specific criteria or requirements, enabling a more objective and data-driven decision-making process.

2. Earlier hazard and constraint detection

When planning new infrastructure, it is crucial to consider the surrounding environment and any existing infrastructure. Precise measurements allow for better integration and coordination with existing structures, utilities, road networks, and other facilities. Accurate data sets will also help identify potential hazards and constraints, enabling the selection of the best design option more quickly.

3. Cost Estimation and Resource Allocation

Using a visualisation platform, your team can evaluate the changes in topology to identify constraints that might have otherwise been overlooked. For example, by combining a DEFRA topology layer with designs, you can visually assess how different options interact with the terrain. Using remote measurement tools you can measure the earthworks which would be required to estimate costs associated with options.

Sites can be dangerous and difficult to access in person, ranging from conducting cliff inspections to accessing the land surrounding electricity substations. Using desktop measurements, teams can minimise risk and eliminate the risk of going on-site. If remote measurements are not possible, you can still enable proactive risk identification using the digital environment. This allows teams to be well-educated about the conditions before physically visiting the site.

5. Minimise site visits and the need for land access approvals

Instead of sending your team back and forth, sometimes across the UK or beyond, for site measurements, you can now take measurements anytime, from any internet-connected device. This will significantly reduce wasted travel time and eliminate the need to obtain additional land access permissions, which can take weeks. Instead, you and your team can quickly approve or eliminate designs without having to wait for measurement results.

The ability to take precise and accurate measurements during the planning phase is crucial for the success of a project. By leveraging visualisation platforms and taking remote measurements from your desktop, project teams can streamline access to accurate data sets and avoid the challenges associated with traditional site visits.

To learn more about what you can achieve using Sensat, check out

how Lightrock Power accelerated 8 solar farms’ development processes.

The importance of planning with precise measurements on Energy projects

Visualising data from your CDE in a seamless digital environment

We rely on several fundamental applications to deliver critical infrastructure. However today we often struggle to bring this information together in a way that teams can gain real value from.

, explores the landscape of today's Common Data Environments (CDEs), used to centralise information, and how data visualisation fits into the bigger picture of today's ecosystems.

Today, different teams rely on a range of software and applications to deliver their part of a programme of works, generating a huge volume of digital information in a variety of file formats. In the last few decades, the CDE has been introduced to help consolidate all of this project information into a single source of truth, provide version control, and associated approval workflows.

Despite this clear step forwards,  providing a holistic view of a project’s state and plans to all stakeholders still poses a challenge. Whilst information held in CDEs can be comprehensive to technical users, getting relevant project information into the hands of decision-makers and non-technichal stakeholders in a way that is quick, simple and intuitive is difficult. Ultimately, if the right people can't access the right data in a manner that is actionable for them, it causes unnecessary errors, delays and increased costs.

At our core, Sensat is focused on enhancing context, communication, and collaboration to enable more effective decision-making for critical infrastructure projects. The project information held within CDEs is a key foundation but bringing it together in a more natural setting with real-world context yields significantly greater value across all project teams and stakeholders.

At Sensat we believe CDEs are an important piece of the puzzle but not the whole solution. Sensat complements CDEs by combining diverse and complex information into a single easy-to-use visual space. We call this the Common Visualisation Environment (CVE) - you can read our 

complete guide to the Common Visualisation Environment here.

Over the first half of 2023, we have made some huge announcements with the launch of automated integrations with

 Previously files had to be uploaded manually into Sensat, but now files from CDEs can be synced hourly and visualised in Sensat. This means teams can view their latest project data within the context of the real world without any extra effort.

Arguably one of the most human ways to digest information is visual. Some CDEs offer the ability to preview drawings and models, or stream them to dedicated design software. However, this doesn’t realise the full value of the data. Combining multiple datasets with accurate up-to-date scans of large-scale infrastructure sites enables a more holistic perspective. In turn this benefits a wider range of stakeholders and empowers decision-makers to improve programme outcomes. In our eyes here are some of the most important benefits of visualising CDE data in Sensat’s CVE:

Civil infrastructure projects often involve multiple stakeholders, each using different software tools and formats to store and manage their data. Whilst a CDE helps teams to share information from a central location it does not mean everyone can open the files, let alone gain actionable insights from them.

By bringing diverse data types together into one visual setting using a CVE, teams can overlay information from different disciplines together with scans of the real world. This is dramatically improving the utility of technical drawings and geospatial data for project managers and broader stakeholders. The holistic view spanning all disciplines enables plans and progress to be better understood, reducing the time to identify issues & risks and the costs associated with addressing them.

Collaboration and communication in context

Coordinating information sharing across diverse teams, including architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors, can be complex and time-consuming. In CDEs, and specialised design tools, teams often have to flick back and forth between different files to piece together a full picture. Discussions around options, construction plans, issues and risks can be stored in some CDEs but are typically difficult to see in context.

Using Sensat’s CVE, project teams can collaborate on their project data naturally. Team members can use shared views to ensure everyone is on the same page. Tools to mark up areas of interest combined with the ability to send geolocated messages also ensure project stakeholders have a natural way to work together. Visualising project data from a CDE along with context-aware collaboration features enables stakeholders to plan and problem-solve like never before with the assurance they are seeing the complete picture.

Align with approval workflows and version control

On large-scale civil infrastructure projects multiple parties contribute to the project over an extended period. Managing different versions of documents, designs, and plans becomes challenging without the proper controls and processes. CDEs include version control and approval workflow features that allow projects to conform to ISO 19650 guidelines, however when sharing across multiple stakeholders and organisations we need to be sure everyone is working with the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Sensat’s CVE automatically syncs hourly with your CDE so that all stakeholders are looking at the most recent approved revisions. This removes the overheads and risks associated with manual workflows and gives all team members confidence they are being presented with an up-to-date holistic view of their project. Overall this leads to a reduction in communication errors and allows teams to focus on project outcomes rather than shuttling data around.

Sharing information across civil infrastructure projects requires careful consideration of data governance and security. Confidential or sensitive data must be protected to prevent unauthorised access or data breaches. Establishing robust data governance policies, access controls, and encryption mechanisms is crucial to ensure data integrity and protect stakeholders' interests.

By integrating your CDE with Sensat’s CVE, information managers can control which data will be synced to the visual environment, leveraging workflow processes and file organisation that already exists. Recognising the CDE as the source of truth, synced files and metadata cannot be edited within Sensat’s CVE, only viewed. Sensat’s platform is also certified to

, ensuring your critical project data is safeguarded at all times.

Producing a consolidated visualisation of the information held within Common Data Environments is crucial for infrastructure projects. It brings data to life, providing real-world context and enabling teams to make informed decisions. By addressing challenges related to data compatibility, interoperability, governance, security, collaboration, and scalability, a well-designed Common Visualization Environment empowers stakeholders to quickly derive actionable insights – reducing errors and delays and improving overall project outcomes. As technology continues to shape the industry, embracing the power of visualisation is essential for unlocking the full potential of infrastructure data.

Boosting the value of your CDE using real-world context

Locating underground utilities is vital. Accidental damage to utilities during works can have severe consequences, from network outages to property damage and even loss of life. However, the challenge lies in accurately locating and understanding underground utilities within the real-world context.

, we gathered a lot of interest around our buried utility visualisation. For those of you who have missed us or want to know more about how teams are visualising their buried utilities, this snapshot blog reveals why and how our clients are taking steps to understand what is below the surface.

Understanding the risks of uncertain utility location

Locating underground utilities can be easier said than done and is a task which often requires significant time allocation when project planning. Over time, existing records and maps documenting utility locations can become outdated or incomplete, making them unreliable. Moreover, the complex web of gas pipelines, water mains, electrical cables, and telecommunication lines can make it difficult to determine their exact positions.

Today, teams identify underground utilities through physical inspections, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) or electromagnetic locating devices. Teams need to use this data alongside the wider environment to understand it. Without real-world context, project teams cannot confidently make decisions which leads to costly delays, unexpected damage, and service disruptions.

Layering buried utilities over the real-world environment

After collecting underground utility data, technology visualisation platforms like Sensat’s 

, are helping teams to layer buried utility data over the real-world environment. This is helping to:

1. Enhance visual understanding and situational awareness

Visualising platforms offer virtual representations of buried utilities, allowing project managers to inspect their exact locations, depths, and spatial relationships with the surrounding environment. This empowers project managers to make informed decisions and plan infrastructure works more effectively.

2. Detect clashes before they impact works

By overlaying existing utility records, survey data, and other relevant information onto 3D models, teams comprehensively understand the underground infrastructure network. This enables them to identify potential conflicts, clashes with the real world, or congestion areas before construction begins, leading to more efficient design processes and reducing the risk of costly errors or rework.

By embracing visualisation technology, project managers can enhance safety and mitigate risks. They can simulate different scenarios and assess the potential impact of proposed infrastructure works on existing underground utilities. This proactive approach helps identify high-risk areas, implement appropriate safety measures, and minimise the likelihood of accidents or service disruptions during construction.

Leveraging reality in underground utility mapping

 and Sensat have partnered to layer highly detailed data into the backdrop of reality. Using this teams are unlocking powerful data collection using the context of reality to enhance project planning and increase decision certainty. To learn more about this partnership 

: Video showing Catsurvey data imported into Sensat to be viewed within the context of reality.

Embracing utility visualisation technology for enhanced project planning

Visualising buried utilities within a digital environment revolutionises project management in the utility industry. Creating accurate 3D models allows teams to fully understand the underground infrastructure, which was previously challenging to visualise in the real world.

By using 3D modelling within the real-world context, project teams can make more informed decisions, prevent accidents, and improve safety. With the power to unlock a deep understanding of below-ground utilities, project managers can confidently navigate construction projects, ensuring successful outcomes and a safer working environment. Embracing visualisation technology is not just a step in the right direction but a giant leap toward transforming how underground utilities are located, managed, and protected in the modern era.


To learn more about different methods of data capture, check out our guide: 

Unlocking the power of data: Accessing the right survey data faster

Beyond the Surface: Visualising buried utilities 

New integration helps unlock project information from Bentley’s CDE into its real-world context to help teams make informed decisions.

®, infrastructure delivery software that helps construction teams manage digital design content. Through the integration, Sensat brings together Bentley’s common data environment (CDE) and Sensat’s 

 (CVE). The integration enables teams to easily sync files from ProjectWise into Sensat, so users can visualise key construction drawings and designs within their Sensat digital twin environment, enabling more confident decision-making.

There is a huge opportunity to improve outcomes on large-scale civil infrastructure projects by making better use of the ever-increasing amount of digital information they generate. Common data environments are the de-facto library of programme information, including drawings, schedules, cost data and CAD models for the local environment, existing infrastructure, and proposed works. While they provide robust tooling for file management and approval workflows, the data is not always easily accessible or comprehensible to everyone that would benefit from it. This all-too-common scenario means project stakeholders run the risk of accidentally embedding errors into plans, resulting in delays and additional costs down the line.

Sensat’s integration with Bentley ProjectWise enables teams to benefit from the CDE’s single source of truth and information management. By aggregating information, including drawings, models and other documents, and translating it into a digestible visual scene, Sensat’s integration helps both technical and non-technical stakeholders better understand their data in a real-world context and collaborate with confidence to improve project outcomes. Sensat has been working with customers to demonstrate quantifiable programme benefits across cost, safety, sustainability and certainty.

The integration is now available, with Sensat working directly with customers to make the connection between their Bentley® systems and Sensat’s SaaS platform a smooth experience - taking into consideration any differences between each customer’s workflows, security, and IT infrastructure.

"ProjectWise is great if you’re a designer, but this is more real world. You can actually talk to it and use it without being an expert," said Jack Brookes, Senior Agent, BAM Nuttall. "The Bentley tools are not fit for purpose for the broad range of users who require easy access to our project data. With Sensat we can now easily make that information available to everyone that needs it, whilst keeping all the correct folder organisation, versioning and file properties from the CDE."

“Over the last few years, we’ve learnt that the magic happens when we can see our project data within its real-world context. It is a very 'human' way of interpreting data. Sensat’s integration with Bentley ProjectWise will provide an online visual application that teams can rely on for the most up-to-date project view. As we continue to develop our integrations with a range of CDEs we recognise it has to work no matter how customers have set things up. We work closely with our customers to ensure that happens quickly and effectively.”—James Dean, CEO and Co-Founder at Sensat.

Sensat’s ProjectWise integration is a free upgrade that offers hourly syncs to visualise project data together online

The appeal of garden communities has only increased following the pandemic where more people are embracing remote or flexible working lifestyles and heading for greener spaces. However, building garden communities comes with its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to public consultation.

Public consultation is a critical part of the process, and it is necessary to ensure that the community's views and ideas are taken into consideration. In this blog, we will discuss the challenges faced by the sector and how teams are overcoming them using visualisation software.

Paul Meadows, Head of Real Estate at Sensat, explores how a digital twin platform can help teams to streamline the public consultation process.

Challenges faced in the public consultation process

The garden community development process involves a series of consultations, discussions, and meetings with various stakeholders, including the public, local authorities, planning departments, environmental organisations and committees. The challenge is to ensure that all parties have a say in the decision-making process and that their views are taken into account. However, creating a totally transparent approach is far from simple. Plans and information are complex and can be difficult to convey in an understandable format which also exposes plans to be misunderstood. This can be detrimental to the approval process.

In many cases, local communities are not effectively engaged in the development process, leading to opposition, mistrust, and, ultimately, delays in the project and planning approvals which ultimately costs (lots) of money. One of the most significant hurdles with public consultations is that it can be challenging to visualise the final outcome of the project. Visualisation is critical to understand the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding area, including the environment, infrastructure, and social aspects.

It could be argued that in simple terms people just notice head the headline proposal of ‘ten thousand homes are being built where there is currently nature and fields’. However, the ability to show the true vision along with contextual visualisations of the green space elements of the proposed plans, the scenic habitats and the environmental considerations all help to reassure people with a view to reducing objections.

The consultation process can also be time-consuming and expensive. It will take many months and even years to engage with all the stakeholders, and this can lead to delays and rising costs. Today teams are leveraging new tools to engage a wide range of stakeholders.

Visualisation has always been an important part of the public consultation process. Complex plans, held in specialist software needs to be translated into a format which is accessible and understandable.

Traditionally this has relied on plans being drawn up as viewpoints, modelled as scaled physical sites, poster board mock-up on easels or futuristic CGI-rendered videos to be created. These are all extremely time-consuming methods of visualising plans, and if plans change, models need to be rebuilt and plans re-drawn.

5 ways visualisation software can support public consultation

Visualisation software has emerged as a powerful tool for building garden communities. It enables teams to create 3D models of the proposed development and provide a more tangible, contextual representation of the final outcome. Visualisation software can help stakeholders to;

Understand the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding area, including the environment, infrastructure, and social aspects. Viewing the site from their own perspective can help to dispel any misconceptions about the project.

Can create virtual tours of the proposed development, allowing stakeholders to experience the proposed development as if it already exists. These can be interactive so that teams can navigate the future sites on their own accord, helping to engage stakeholders.

By creating a visual representation of the proposed development, all stakeholders can provide feedback based on the same information. This makes it easier to identify areas of agreement and disagreement

When there might be multiple options being considered, software can provide multiple options that stakeholders can explore to ensure a wider range of ideas and opinions (which option is the most environmental, the most cost-effective, and the most supported by local communities).

The use of visualisation software can also reduce the time and cost of the consultation process. Teams can create virtual models quickly, and stakeholders can provide feedback remotely. It is no longer necessary to hold multiple physical meetings to gather feedback, which can save time and resources.

Building garden communities can be a challenge, especially when it comes to public consultation. The use of visualisation software has emerged as a powerful tool for overcoming these challenges. It can help stakeholders to understand the impact of a proposed development on the surrounding area, overcome the challenge of vocal minorities, and reduce the time and cost of the consultation process. Visualisation software can help to create a more transparent, collaborative, and inclusive development process that takes into account the views of all stakeholders.

Learn how Sensat’s Common Visualisation Software is being used on the 

Otterpool Park Garden Community project in the latest press release

5 ways a visualisation software can support public consultation in garden community planning 

, the master developer leading the delivery of a new garden town in Kent, has announced a new partnership with the leading digital visualisation platform Sensat.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council resolved to approve outline planning permission for the new community of up to 8,500 homes near Folkestone was granted in April. The transformative development will deliver homes, jobs and community facilities in a vibrant, sustainable new community, set around the historic Westenhanger Castle and characterised by its large amounts of green space.

Sensat’s software, previously applied to significant infrastructure projects including 

, HS2 and Heathrow Airport, will support Otterpool Park as it enters the delivery phase. The software will create a ‘digital twin’ of the project, visualising complex plans and connecting information from different teams in one place. The digital platform makes accurate project information accessible to everyone working on the project, supporting communication and collaboration and identifying potential risks and opportunities.

Andy Jarrett, Managing Director at Otterpool Park LLP, said, “We are committed to creating an exemplar garden town at Otterpool Park. The process for planning a project of this scale is huge and involves multiple teams and experts working in tandem. Sensat enables us to develop and share 3-dimensional data within our extended team and selected external partners. It ensures everyone is working with the same current information presenting it in a way that is easy to read and preventing inconsistencies in design. We are delighted that they will be supporting Otterpool Park by providing intelligent software to inform and connect the project through its next phase.”

James Dean, Sensat CEO, added, “On garden community projects, it can be challenging to bring information from different tools together and communicate plans to a range of stakeholders. Sensat is helping Otterpool Park to bring their information together in a visual format so that everyone can gain a better understanding of the project."

“Ultimately, seeing information is a more human way to digest information. We are excited to be supporting the forward-thinking Otterpool Park team with our innovative technology to ensure a successful project for generations to come.”

Above: Sensat's software visualising the build of a garden town development

Otterpool Park announces partnership with Sensat to digitise delivery of new garden town

In rail, digital twin technology has the potential to be a game-changing solution for managing and optimising complex infrastructure systems. But more than being just a buzzword with ambiguous meaning here is where digital twins could have the largest impact in revolutionising the sector over the coming months and years.

Digital twins are up-to-date virtual replicas of physical assets, and often they can enable monitoring, analysis, and simulation of performance data. We are already seeing this technology transform various industries, including manufacturing, and healthcare and today it is Civil Infrastructure’s turn. In the rail industry, digital twins are revolutionising civil engineering by providing engineers with valuable insights helping teams to monitor rail infrastructure performance and better plan works. Most importantly they are fuelling teams with information in an understandable format unlocking better, data-driven decision-making.

Rail’s top 3 use cases for digital twins

1. Optimise maintenance and repair schedules

One of the main benefits of digital twins in rail infrastructure is that they can help engineers to optimise maintenance and repair schedules. By continuously monitoring performance data, digital twins are getting better at identifying patterns and trends that indicate potential issues with rail infrastructure. For example, if a section of a track is experiencing increased wear and tear, the digital twin can alert engineers to the need for maintenance before the issue becomes more severe.

2. Simulate the impact of different scenarios

Engineers can use digital twins to simulate the impact of different scenarios on performance. For instance, if a new train line is planned, engineers can use a digital twin to model the impact of increased traffic on rail infrastructure. By doing so, they can identify potential issues and plan for necessary upgrades to prevent disruptions to service.

3. Reduce the cost and time required for inspections

Digital twins can also help to reduce the cost and time required for inspections. Traditional inspections often require sending engineers to walk the track and physically inspect the rail infrastructure, which is both time-consuming and costly. With digital twins, engineers can access the physical asset virtually to undertake site inspections from their desktops to identify issues more quickly and accurately. This reduces the need for physical inspections, minimises disruption to the wider public, and allows teams to streamline their efforts towards finding solutions.

The challenges of implementing digital twins in Rail

In Civil Infrastructure we are creating more information than ever before. Sensors and drones can capture vast amounts of data, and processing this data into usable insights can be a significant challenge. Teams need to translate complex insights into an understandable format to make better use of the information collected.

This is where data visualisation comes in. By using data visualisation tools, engineers can quickly and easily interpret performance data and identify patterns and trends that might not be apparent otherwise. For example, Sensat's platform includes advanced data visualisation capabilities that enable engineers to view their site data in 2D and 3D within the context of the real-world environment. By using data visualisation tools, engineers can identify these issues more quickly and accurately, allowing them to address them before they become more significant problems.

In addition to making the sheer quantity of information understandable, teams need to ensure that the data being used is accurate and up-to-date. This requires a regular intake of real-world information from sensors and drones to ensure that the data being used for decision-making is up-to-date and reflective of the real world. For example on a rapidly changing site at the peak of construction, teams might require bi-weekly updates whereas a site in the optioneering phase might need bi-monthly updates.

The future of what digital twins could mean for Rail’s future

Looking to the near future, digital twins have the potential to transform the rail industry even further. As technology continues to evolve, we will likely see even more sophisticated digital twins that incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. This could enable digital twins to identify patterns and trends that are not immediately apparent to human engineers and even suggest solutions based on their analysis.

Although for some, the idea of implementing new technology can be a daunting prospect, those not using and embracing digital twin technology may soon fall behind in efficiency, savings and safety.

In conclusion, digital twins are revolutionising civil engineering in the rail industry by providing engineers with valuable insights into rail infrastructure. This technology has the potential to transform rail infrastructure management by optimising planning, maintenance and repair schedules, reducing inspection costs and time, and enabling engineers to simulate the impact of different scenarios on performance. By using data visualisation tools, civil infrastructure teams can unlock more from the data they already have and identify issues more quickly and accurately.

If you want to explore how teams are using data visualisation platforms, check out 

how teams at LM JV transformed HS2 working practices using Sensat

How digital twins are revolutionising rail infrastructure

For any asset owner with highway assets, finding ways to improve efficiency whilst minimising risk and cost is at the forefront of everyone's mind. However, capturing an asset's condition has previously required sending workers onto live highways entailing lane closure and disruption to the public, both of which come at a significant cost.

In this blog we're sharing how you can capture information and track your asset remotely using mobile mapping.

The challenge of capturing highway survey data

Surveying a highway asset can be a disruptive process for the public and costly for the asset owner. Usually, a survey will require the closure or partial closure of the asset to secure the safety of workers. However, despite extensive training and safety measures, putting boots onto live highways will always carry risk.

In addition to public disruption and health and safety risks, surveying a highway asset can be expensive for you as the asset owner. On top of hiring surveyors and equipment, having lanes closed for longer than expected may entail additional financial penalties.

The cost and disruption associated with surveying highway assets highlight the importance of effective asset management strategies to minimise impact.

With industry-leading data capture technology, things are changing. Today teams are expediting their digital data capture process using the state-of-the-art 

. The Leica Pegasus TRK is a mobile mapping unit which can be attached to a car and driven along an asset to capture high-quality survey data. This means there :

No need for disruption through lane closures

No need to expose workers to live highways on foot

Reduced cost associated with conducting a survey

The survey can all be accomplished from the safety of a vehicle allowing your asset to run more efficiently.

6 ways a mobile mapping unit can support your highways project

1. Accurate data capture without additional ground control

With 11mm absolute accuracy, the Pegasus TRK can capture highly precise data of your highway asset project without requiring additional ground control. This can save you time and resources in the data capture process.

The Leica TRK comes with a brand new AI algorithm that blurs all vehicles and people onboard before human interaction, ensuring that the system is fully GDPR compliant as soon as the image is taken.

All data captured by the Pegasus TRK system is encrypted and won’t leave the system, ensuring that your data is safe and secure from the start.

The Pegasus TRK system comes equipped with a SmartFusion ‘butterfly’ camera system that provides up to 120MP integral view. With additional front, side, and rear pavement cameras, the resolution is multiplied, creating data-rich imagery for your project.

The Pegasus TRK system features enhanced calibration that delivers true colour imagery according to the CIEDE2000 colour-difference formula. This ensures that your scans can be visualised with best-in-class colour truth to bring your highway site to life as it is in reality.

6. Improved georeferencing in challenging environments

The sophisticated integration of IMU and SLAM technology in the Pegasus TRK’s sensor architecture enables georeferencing in challenging GNSS-denied environments. Precision RTK positioning gives location accuracy down to the centimetre, in real-time. Optical DMI accessories installed on the back of the vehicle can measure the travel distance in GNSS challenging conditions accurately, avoiding the traditional slip error of wheel-based DMI. This allows for improved trajectory and data accuracy even in challenging environments.

Once you have captured your highway, your data is as good as nothing if it sits there without being used. You need to make your data accessible and understandable so that teams can use the data for decision-making. One way teams are doing this is using visualisation platforms, like 

Sensat’s Common Visualisation Environment (CVE)

®, where you can bring in survey data and overlay plans and designs to enable in context decision-making. For example, Connect Plus, the team responsible for managing 

 are using a digital twin of their asset using autonomous data capture to layer traffic management layouts over for better planning and execution of plans. 

Conclusion: improving the efficiency of your asset management

By leveraging the power of mobile mapping and digital data capture, highway asset owners can improve the efficiency of their asset management processes. This includes reducing disruption through lane closures, exposing workers to less risk on live highways, and optimising maintenance budgets.

Interested in learning more about digital data capture? Why not read how Connect Plus and Osborne digitally mapped the UK’s busiest motorway?

Efficient highway management: How mobile mapping supports surveys

See your project with hourly syncs to Autodesk Construction Cloud, so you can boost certainty and solve anything, together.

Sensat releases integration with Autodesk to help teams working on infrastructure delivery automate information management and maximise decision confidence.

Over the last two years, Sensat has been used to drive effective decision-making across project teams on over $250bn of complex Infrastructure delivery. By unlocking the programme information that matters and putting it into the hands of those that need it, Sensat is helping to create a new experience within Infrastructure delivery where teams can align around constraints, increase engagement, be more confident around decisions, gain more clarity on plans and ultimately make fewer mistakes and with less rework.

Throughout our journey, we are continually striving to make it more straightforward to bring information from different tools together. Today we can finally lift the lid on the next stage of our strategy, starting with our integration with 

. Teams can now directly connect their common data environments to Sensat's 

 to automatically access files, so they can be visualised together, seamlessly with all your other project data. The ACC-Sensat integration enables you to benefit from the CDE’s single source of truth, information management and version control to unlock that information - in context - for everybody that needs it. Working with our customers, this has been shown to deliver significant measured programme benefits across cost, safety, sustainability and certainty.

Aligned teams, working together, is the cornerstone of successful project delivery.

On large-scale Infrastructure projects, a common data environment (CDE) is the de-facto library of programme information including large numbers of drawings and CAD models for the local environment, existing infrastructure, and proposed works. While they provide great tooling for approval workflows and version control, the data can be split amongst multiple project repositories and is not easily accessible to everyone that may need it. When information remains hidden from teams it is not being used to its full potential.

Sensat's Common Visualisation Environment® (CVE) 

combines all of your project's important information so you can see your data together in the context of the real world. This is providing teams with a seamless interactive view of their Infrastructure projects like never before, enabling teams to gain deeper insights and bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders. However, when teams are relying on manual processes to transfer data between systems, inefficiencies and additional risks are introduced.

During a project's life cycle designs and plans change numerous times as new information comes to light, issues are managed, and risks are mitigated. It is vital that project teams keep on top of all changes to ensure they are working with the latest information at all times, maintaining a single source of truth, otherwise they run the risk of costly mistakes.

As multiple disciplines are involved across a project, issues can often present themselves at the interfaces between each area. Having access to complete site information provides the opportunity to spot these issues early, and at best avoid certain classes of risk entirely.

Furthermore, it's not enough to just enable access to the data. Team members need to be confident they are using the latest versions, be able to understand what they’re looking at in context, and must have visibility of pertinent metadata such as the Status, Issuing Organisation, Discipline, Reason For Issue, and so forth. Maintaining visibility of these additional properties as files are made available across different tools enables your project to maximise the benefit of implementing ISO 19650 guidelines, ensuring team members can act without unnecessary delay.

Latest News

Sensat Shortlisted for Two TechFest Awards: Recognising Groundbreaking Innovation in Infrastructure

Sensat partners with Oracle to supercharge infrastructure planning with real-world context

The importance of planning with precise measurements on Energy projects

Boosting the value of your CDE using real-world context

Beyond the Surface: Visualising buried utilities

Sensat’s ProjectWise integration is a free upgrade that offers hourly syncs to visualise project data together online

5 ways a visualisation software can support public consultation in garden community planning

Otterpool Park announces partnership with Sensat to digitise delivery of new garden town

How digital twins are revolutionising rail infrastructure

Efficient highway management: How mobile mapping supports surveys

Elevate teamwork with the Autodesk integration for Sensat

Sensat integrates with Autodesk Construction Cloud to bolster infrastructure decision-making

Mobile Mapping: A game-changing solution for quick and accurate survey data collection

Celebrating women in tech

Sensat renews ISO 27001 certification for safeguarding data that informs our infrastructure

2022: A record-breaking year for Sensat

Recent Case Studies

National Grid’s key to deciding and presenting the best options

The secret to Barking Riverside Extension’s optimised works delivery using Sensat

Lightrock Power accelerates 8 solar farms’ development processes using Sensat

Recent Papers + eBooks

Unlocking the power of data: Get more from the data you already have

Unlocking the power of data: Accessing the right survey data faster

3 ways to improve the construction planning phase

The best decisions are made together