TREND
Infrastructure resilience
In 2024, climate urgency and aging assets made infrastructure resilience a defining priority. Digital engineering turned resilience into an engine of sustainability and community safety.
From floodwalls to electrified rail: Digital innovation driving infrastructure resilience in 2024
In 2024, climate urgency and aging assets made infrastructure resilience a defining priority. Digital engineering turned resilience into an engine of sustainability and community safety. Projects like Brooklyn Bridge–Montgomery coastal resilience safeguarded thousands of New Yorkers with flood walls and flip-up barriers designed through SYNCHRO’s 4D simulations, blending safety with urban accessibility. Similarly, the advanced analysis and design of flood protection structures project by Arcadis cut modeling time by 95%, turning once-manual flood defense planning into scalable digital automation—critical as the United Nations reports climate disasters are now five times more frequent than in the 1970s.
In the United Kingdom, the Midland Mainline electrification project by SPL Powerlines modernized a major transport corridor with a digital twin approach, reducing site visits by 94% and avoiding emissions equal to 500 New York–Paris flights. And in the United States, the Bridging Kentucky program accelerated repairs of over 1,000 deficient bridges, saving USD 350 million while restoring lifelines for rural communities battered by floods.
Together, these projects show how resilience is not just about withstanding shocks, but about building back smarter—using data, automation, and electrification to reduce risks, costs, and carbon.
