The role of a load test in creating a bridge digital twin

The paper discusses the concept of bridge digital twins, which have the potential to be implemented from other industries into bridge engineering. According to the authors, a critical moment in their creation is the bridge load test, which can be treated as the birth of the digital twin. This is because it is the only opportunity to perform reliable and effective updates of BIM and FE models. These models can then be effectively used in the subsequent stages of the bridge’s life cycle, particularly during its operational phase. The concept is illustrated using an example of modeling and testing a real post-tensioned concrete bridge.