Arup Advances Infrastructure Innovation Through AI, Digital Twins and Emerging Technologies

“Artificial Intelligence and digital twins are transforming the way we plan, design and operate infrastructure,” Lindsay explains. “They improve the quality and efficiency of infrastructure management across the lifecycle.”

Digital Twins: A Turning Point for Complex Projects

As infrastructure projects grow more complicated — involving multiple contractors, concurrent schedules and high public expectations — decision-making has become more challenging. Digital twins are helping change that.

“A digital twin is a digital replica of something physical,” Lindsay says. “Unlike a static model, it creates a continuous feedback loop between the asset and the digital environment.”

Digital twins allow teams to track real-time behaviour, model scenarios and identify risks long before they emerge on site. Lindsay emphasizes they work best when tailored. “A digital twin should be customized to meet project goals and the needs of key stakeholders.”

In Toronto, Arup used a construction-phase digital twin on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. The model brought together designs, property information, site photos, reports and schedules into a unified 4D environment.

“That approach helped identify construction risks years in advance,” Lindsay notes, pointing to the value of proactive insight on a project with so many moving parts.

A Digital Toolkit Across the Infrastructure Lifecycle

Arup’s digital practice supports every phase of infrastructure delivery and asset management.

• Planning: Machine learning is used to analyze urban landscapes and guide nature-based solutions, including Arup’s Sponge Cities work that assesses Toronto’s natural ability to absorb rising rainfall.
• Design: AI-supported generative design tools help evaluate design options based on cost, carbon and other performance indicators. Large language models help teams search vast project documents in seconds rather than hours. “We use generative AI to quickly find information that would otherwise take an extraordinary amount of time to locate,” Lindsay explains.
• Construction: Construction-phase digital twins integrate designs, schedules, field data and photo documentation. “This reduces misalignment and helps teams identify risks early enough to avoid rework,” she says.
• Operations and Maintenance:  Arup’s Loupe 360 platform combines robotics and AI to assess tunnel conditions using computer vision. “Loupe 360 provides meaningful, trackable insights that help asset owners make better decisions,” Lindsay notes. “It reduces the need for labour-intensive, high-risk inspections and supports safer, more efficient operations.”

Across these stages, she sees a consistent theme. “These tools help break down organizational silos,” she says. “They foster collaboration, accelerate innovation and deliver long-term value. They are not experiments. They are becoming part of normal business operations.”

Toronto as a Natural Test-bed for Innovation

Toronto’s scale and pace of capital investment make it a powerful environment for digital adoption. Transit expansion, grid modernization and waterfront redevelopment all demand stronger insight and more adaptive processes.

“Toronto’s major capital projects and diverse stakeholder landscape create opportunities for ambitious and pragmatic digital use cases,” Lindsay explains.

Arup is applying these concepts across sectors, including in the energy industry where digital twins support grid modelling. Virtual replicas allow utilities to simulate demand spikes, equipment failures and climate stressors, enabling more resilient and net-zero-aligned systems.

“That level of transformation requires deep organizational understanding,” Lindsay says. “Arup takes a holistic approach, creating frameworks for standards, governance and technology roadmaps so organizations have trust and clarity in their digital transformation journey.”

Data: The Foundation of Every Digital Breakthrough

Even the most powerful tools depend on quality data. “These solutions rely on a foundation of quality, trusted data,” Lindsay notes. “We take a whole-lifecycle, systems-thinking approach from the outset to ensure the data needed to manage assets for decades or centuries is available.”

Industry adoption is accelerating rapidly. Arup’s global survey of 5,000 Architecture, Engineering and Construction professionals revealed that 36 percent already use AI daily. “A quarter see AI as a way to accelerate timelines, and another quarter see it as a way to keep projects under budget,” she says.

What Leaders Should Focus on Next

For organizations beginning their digital transition, Lindsay encourages a grounded and deliberate approach.

“Start with the problem you want to solve, not the technology,” she explains. “Build strong data foundations, invest in your people and create space for thoughtful experimentation.”

She also emphasizes that culture is as important as tools. “Digital transformation is not just technical. It is cultural,” she says. “It depends on leadership development and data-enabled mindsets that help teams adapt to rapid change.”

As the Toronto region prepares for the next generation of infrastructure, Arup’s integrated approachexemplifies the firm’s vision for shaping a better world. Rather than simply responding to change, Arup is driving it by combining deep technical expertise with advanced digital intelligence and applying both with purpose. This approach positions Arup as a trusted partner for organizations seeking sustainable, resilient solutions that meet the demands of today while anticipating the challenges of tomorrow.