AEGEA Saneamento, Infra Inteligente Program
AEGEA used Bentley’s collaboration and digital twin technology to create its Infra Inteligente Program, expanding and improving Brazil’s water and sewerage infrastructure while reducing costs.
Year in Infrastructure 2020 Award Finalist; Going Digital: Advancements in Project Delivery
Improving Sewage Coverage and Clean Water Access
As the largest private water utility company in Brazil, AEGEA Saneamento provides water and sewage services to over 7 million people across 57 municipalities. However, the current sewage infrastructure only serves about 50% of the country’s population, meaning that about half the population does not have proper sewage coverage. In addition, 17% of the country still does not have access to clean water. With the urban population expected to rise in the next 10 years and water demand to also increase, Brazil’s government began looking to invest USD 100 billion through 2033 in its water and sewage infrastructure. AEGEA was tasked with finding a way to responsibly manage all asset information, as well as expand and improve the quality of services.
Coordinating Information across a Dispersed Team
AEGEA realized that they needed a collaborative, sustainable digital platform and workflows to meet these project goals. Brazil covers over 8.5 million square kilometers and has various climates and geographies. Managing and maintaining assets across this large country, as well as coordinating information among 4,300 employees and thousands of outside experts, would be impossible using traditional 2D workflows. Additionally, they also had to ensure that handover from the public to the private sector was seamless, as the previous handover method was unstructured and led to numerous operational and maintenance challenges for operators and investors.
Using Digital Twins for Improved Visualization and Information Sharing
After researching various solutions, AEGEA used Bentley applications to create the BRL 20 million Infra Inteligente Program in 2018, which combines BIM workflows and asset management. The digital twin solution transforms water asset lifecycle data into understandable 3D models, containing specifications and providing real-time access to asset operations. They began by using ContextCapture to produce reality models from images captured from unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Bentley’s open applications to model all aspects of the water and sewage utilities. ProjectWise and iTwin Design Review allowed for the easy sharing of information, providing a more collaborative environment. Various teams and experts provided feedback directly in the model, creating a single source of truth for all project information in a highly visual environment.
Providing Better Utilities for the People of Brazil
AEGEA established a digital twin that meets all the complex social and environmental challenges by combining BIM and asset management throughout the full asset lifecycle. The reality model provides better context and improves visualization, allowing the design team to propose reliable scenarios and alternatives to improve the water and sewage networks. These models saved time by making it easier for everyone to understand the proposed designs. AEGEA also created walk-through models for virtual reality glasses, bringing together experts from hundreds of kilometers away in a highly visual, collaborative environment based on the latest information and meeting the highest international standards. The Infra Inteligente Program has reduced design errors and omissions by 30% and has improved handover by cutting the time needed for the commission phase by 50%. By switching from reactive to proactive maintenance, AEGEA expects to save 23%, or about BRL 100 million, in maintenance costs while extending the life of their assets.
Project Playbook: ContextCapture, ContextCapture Insights, iTwin Services, LumenRT, MicroStation, OpenBuildings, OpenCities Map, OpenFlows, OpenFlows HAMMER, OpenFlows SewerGEMS, OpenFlows WaterGEMS, OpenPlant, OpenRoads, OpenRoads ConceptStation, OpenSite, OpenUtilities, Pointools, ProjectWise, SYNCHRO 4D
Outcomes/Facts:
- AEGEA realized that they needed a collaborative, sustainable digital platform to provide better utility service to over 7 million customers throughout 57 municipalities in Brazil.
- After researching various solutions, AEGEA used Bentley applications to create the BRL 20 million Infra Inteligente Program.
- By switching from reactive to proactive maintenance, AEGEA expects to save 23%, or about BRL 100 million, in maintenance costs while extending the life of their assets.
Quote: “Bentley’s digital twin solutions inspired us to break our silos and work in a more collaborative way with stakeholders. Thus, results have been an increase in asset management performance, such as improving the project deliverables, reducing the operating and maintenance costs, and the extension of the asset’s lifespan.” — Wagner Oliveira de Carvalho, Leader of Infra Inteligente Program, AEGEA Saneamento
Author: James Kelly, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Project Delivery, Bentley Systems (Link to Teams headshot/bio)
