Digital twins: Repurposing 17th, 18th, or 19th-century infrastructure for the 21st century

On Thursday, October 10th, Autodesk Water, in collaboration with Smart Water Magazine, hosted the third instalment of a webinar series designed to bring together water industry experts, focusing on innovative strategies for improving water management. The series offers a unique perspective on evolving trends, challenges, and opportunities, highlighting the importance of cutting-edge methods like flood mitigation, network leakage resolution, and digital twin technology. These sessions aim to reshape how we interact with one of the world's most valuable resources, water.
The focus of the third webinar was on Digital Twin Innovation and its application in the Glasgow Smart Canal, showcasing how technology can revolutionize urban water management. The discussion centred around the transformation of a 230-year-old canal system into an advanced flood risk mitigation scheme through the use of Digital Twin technology.
If you missed the webinar, the webinar recording is now available for viewing.
The Glasgow Smart Canal exemplifies Autodesk’s commitment to proactive water management through digital twin technology
The webinar kicked off with the screening of a video titled Reflecting Transformation - Beneath the Surface, produced by Autodesk and BBC Storyworks. This film delved into the Glasgow Smart Canal project, providing insight into its impact on the local community and the broader implications for sustainable water management.
Rebecca Willey, Technical Solutions Engineer at Autodesk, followed the video with an introduction to Autodesk's Water Solutions. She highlighted the capabilities of technologies like InfoWorks ICM and ICMLive, which are instrumental in creating digital twin representations of water networks. Willey emphasized how these tools empower engineers to simulate and manage water systems efficiently, fostering a new era of proactive water management. Willey also demonstrated how Autodesk, renowned for its leadership in 3D design and engineering software, continues to innovate in the realm of infrastructure and environmental management.

The project addresses the challenges of urban flooding and climate change by utilizing the canal system to store water during extreme weather events
Willey also showcased Autodesk’s ongoing innovation in infrastructure and environmental management, particularly highlighting the company’s recent acquisition of Innovyze, a leading provider of water infrastructure software. This acquisition has significantly enhanced Autodesk’s ability to tackle key challenges such as stormwater control, flood mitigation, and water distribution. She further highlighted Autodesk’s integrated suite of tools, which allow engineers to design, model, and manage complex water systems, ensuring both efficiency and sustainability in urban water networks.
Peter Robinson, Lead Waterways & Coasts Engineer at AECOM, then guided attendees through a detailed presentation of the Glasgow Smart Canal project. He explained how real-time monitoring and predictive modeling are utilized to manage flood risks while repurposing historical infrastructure to create sustainable, community-focused solutions. The project addresses the challenges of urban flooding and climate change by utilizing the canal system to store water during extreme weather events, thus mitigating the risk of flooding while avoiding the need for costly infrastructure upgrades, such as tunnels or sewer expansions.
Rebecca Willey also presented several key highlights of Autodesk’s water innovation strategy. Integrated Water Management Solutions were at the forefront, with the company providing a suite of tools that enable engineers to design, model, and manage complex water systems. These solutions ensure that urban water networks are both efficient and sustainable. She also emphasized the importance of storm sewer and flood modelling through Autodesk’s InfoWorks ICM software. By integrating 1D and 2D modelling techniques, the software allows users to simulate both above- and below-ground systems, facilitating rapid responses to capacity challenges and emergency situations.

Next, Peter Robinson, Lead Waterways & Coasts Engineer at AECOM, led attendees through the details of the Glasgow Smart Canal project. He explained how real-time monitoring and predictive modelling are used to manage flood risks while repurposing historical infrastructure to create sustainable, community-driven solutions. Robinson's presentation shed light on the transformative potential of combining cutting-edge technology with traditional water management systems.
The Glasgow Smart Canal project was developed to address the challenges of urban flooding and climate change in North Glasgow. By utilizing the canal system to store water during extreme weather events, it mitigates the risk of flooding while avoiding the need for costly infrastructure upgrades such as tunnels or sewers.
Robinson explained that the Smart Canal uses a predictive system based on real-time data, weather forecasting, and runoff predictions. It automatically adjusts water levels through regulated sluices and gates, providing around 55,000 cubic metres of storage during forecasted storms. This strategy helps prevent overflows into the city’s drainage system.
He then went on to speak about the multiple benefits the project provides across several areas. The project achieved significant cost savings, reducing expenses by 75% compared to traditional flood management solutions like tunnel excavation or sewer upgrades. In terms of environmental impact, the system also prevents the emission of 35,000 tonnes of CO2 over its operational lifespan, with an annual reduction of 500 tonnes, contributing to Glasgow's sustainability goals. Additionally, the Smart Canal plays a crucial role in flood risk management by intelligently regulating the water levels in the canal. This proactive approach helps safeguard the city from flooding, especially during severe weather events, ensuring greater resilience in the face of climate change.

Finally, Robinson stated that the system is part of a broader digital transformation in water management, progressing through stages of digital maturity. As the system evolves, it will incorporate predictive analytics, AI, and machine learning to improve decision-making and operational efficiency.
The Glasgow Smart Canal exemplifies Autodesk’s commitment to proactive operational management through digital twin technology. By creating a digital representation of the physical network, urban planners were able to make data-driven decisions to enhance resilience and reduce environmental risks. With live field data integrated into the system, engineers can predict and prevent operational issues before they arise, protecting both the infrastructure and public safety.
With live field data integrated into the system, engineers can predict and prevent operational issues before they arise, protecting both the infrastructure and public safety
At the end of the presentations, a 15-minute Q&A session provided attendees with the opportunity to engage directly with Willey and Robinson, addressing any lingering questions. Among the highlighted queries was, "What is the difference between digital twins and traditional modelling?" Willey explained that the concept of a digital twin varies depending on its application, noting that it can mean different things to different people based on their specific needs and use cases. Another key question asked whether the success of the Glasgow Smart Canal would lead to the approach being applied to other Scottish or UK canals. Robinson responded that, while there are no immediate plans to replicate the Glasgow Smart Canal in the same way elsewhere, the project has opened up new possibilities. He revealed that they are currently exploring the introduction of a hydroelectric power scheme within the Glasgow Smart Canal, capitalizing on the infrastructure’s ability to be remotely monitored and operated. Robinson added, “I am constantly hunting for the next opportunity that takes this approach.” He emphasized that the key is finding projects that replicate the underlying philosophy: "How do we repurpose 17th, 18th, or 19th-century infrastructure for the 21st century?"
With Autodesk’s water management tools already in use by over 6,500 clients across more than 60 countries, the firm is poised to play a pivotal role in addressing the growing pressures on cities caused by climate change. The Glasgow Smart Canal project is a prime example of the company’s ability to create resilient urban environments that can effectively manage water resources, mitigate risks, and promote sustainability.
You may now watch the webinar on-demand.