Digital Twins for Smart Pavement Management in Highway Infrastructure in India
Abstract
Abstract India's highway sector is experiencing a significant digital transformation driven by rapid infrastructure expansion, increasing freight movement and the need for sustainable asset management.¹ Traditional pavement management practices, based on periodic inspections and fragmented engineering records, are no longer adequate for managing complex highway networks efficiently.² The integration of Digital Twins with Building Information Modelling (BIM), intelligent design platforms, advanced pavement evaluation technologies and asset management systems offers a comprehensive framework for data-driven lifecycle management.³⁻⁵ This article examines the evolution of Digital Twin technology for smart pavement management in India. It discusses the integration of BIM, Bentley OpenRoads Designer, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), LiDAR, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support predictive maintenance and optimise lifecycle performance.⁴⁻⁹ The paper also reviews implementation challenges, institutional collaboration, international best practices and future opportunities for adopting Digital Twin technology within Indian highway infrastructure. The proposed framework demonstrates how digital engineering can improve pavement performance, reduce lifecycle costs and contribute to resilient and sustainable transportation networks¹⁰.