Tyndall has partnered with ERDC to bring in Senior Science Engineering Director Lance Marrano to serve as science and technology advisor and help navigate technological innovations during the rebuild. Marrano is also the principal investigator for Facility of the Future, a Department of Defense initiative focused on sustainability, technology, and adaptability. After hearing Tyndall’s instructions, Marrano decided that a digital copy of the facility – a digital copy of physical assets, processes, people, and places – was needed.
When Hurricane Michael made landfall in 2018, 60% of the base was destroyed and leaders had to wonder what to do next. The decision was made to not simply rebuild, but to rebuild smarter and fully capable of facing the 21st century.
“In the most realistic and virtual world possible, digital twin technology is about recreating facilities, buildings, roads, rails, utilities and saying ‘now, this allows us to pay What questions?’” Marrano said.
Using digital twin technology, users can virtually step inside the base and experience the construction plan firsthand. The ability to “walk through” new construction areas gives users the opportunity to provide feedback and make changes before actual construction begins.
“Some people don’t know if their drawings are right for their task because they’re not used to looking at blueprints,” says Marrano. “Right now, we can walk through doors and go through rooms in existing buildings. We can walk them through their buildings and get instant feedback, saving them thousands of dollars on future modifications. »
“As we capture new designs from the architect, we can attach them to the construction schedule, allowing us to see what the facility will look like in six months, a year, and when.” reconstruction is complete,” he continued. “That’s an advantage in itself.”
Although it could take several years to complete Tyndall Air Force Base, Marrano and his team focused on a quick turnaround.
“Once an architect submits a building blueprint for review, we try to have a one-day window to enter that information into the digital copy,” says Marrano. “It’s about agility. We’ve built it so literally anyone can check in a file, press a button, and update a digital copy. Marrano said building a digital twin of Tyndall would not have been possible without a connection to the Defense Research and Engineering Network as well as the RDE Service, and he thanked the team and the experts. IT experts were always responding throughout the night.