Teixeira Brasil, Jose Artur (2025) A digital twin framework for monitoring, modeling, and forecasting the performance of permeable pavement systems. PhD thesis, The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA.
Abstract
This dissertation presents a comprehensive Digital Twin framework for monitoring, modeling, and forecasting permeable pavement performance in urban stormwater management. The research integrates field evaluation, thermal modeling, real-time monitoring infrastructure, and probabilistic forecasting with data assimilation to transform passive permeable pavement systems into actively managed, data-driven infrastructure. Field evaluation of four permeable pavement types (permeable interlocking concrete pavers, plastic grid filled with gravel, permeable asphalt, and permeable concrete) compared with conventional asphalt pavement demonstrated peak flow reductions and significant pollutant removal across 11 monitored rainfall events. A one-dimensional energy balance model successfully predicted surface and infiltrated water temperatures, highlighting material-dependent thermal performance and identifying trade-offs between surface cooling and effluent warming under climate scenarios. A low-cost, open-source real-time monitoring framework was developed using ESP32 microcontrollers, enabling continuous data collection, transmission, and storage. The integration of automated pavement usage detection indicates that conventional pavements exhibit a significant correlation between parking occupancy and suspended solids. In contrast, permeable pavements showed no significant correlation, demonstrating pollutant retention regardless of pavement usage. The Digital Twin framework, integrating a onedimensional hydrologic model with Particle-Filter data assimilation, reduced forecast errors relative to baseline predictions. This framework establishes a foundation for adaptive management of decentralized low-impact development infrastructure through continuous monitoring and data assimilation to enhance performance prediction.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Hofheinz Giacomoni, Marcio |
| Index terms: | dissertation, modelling, monitoring, performance prediction, plastic, low-impact development, forecasting, retention, permeable pavement, digital twin, pollutant, thermal performance, stormwater, integration, thermal modelling, asphalt pavement, rainfall |
| Subjects: | health safety and environment, climate science, materials science, digital engineering, research dissemination and communication, analytical methods, water management, performance management, management, environmental engineering, environmental health, infrastructure and transport systems, organizational analysis, control systems, prediction and forecasting, energy systems, modelling and simulation |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Health and Safety, Quality Management, Research Practice, Site Management, Organizational Design, Human Resources, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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