We look forward to welcoming back University of Cambridge Civil Engineering alum, Dr Weiwei Chen, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction (BSSC), University College London. Weiwei will be speaking on Digital Transformation in Heritage Buildings and Hydropower Plants.
Digital transformation is revolutionizing heritage buildings and hydropower plants by integrating advanced technologies to enhance sustainability, efficiency, and preservation. In heritage buildings, digital tools such as BIM, IoT sensors, and AR/VR facilitate structural monitoring, redesign and renovation, energy optimisation, and predictive maintenance while ensuring historical integrity. Similarly, in hydropower plants, digitalization improves asset management, predictive analytics, and operational efficiency through automation, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making. This presentation explores the intersection of digital transformation in these two domains by showing two research projects, highlighting challenges, opportunities, and best practices for leveraging digital solutions to achieve digitalisation and sustainability of heritage and hydropower infrastructure in an era of rapid technological advancement. The study underscores the role of digital innovation in prolonging the lifespan, functionality, and sustainability of infrastructures.
Dr Weiwei Chen is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction (BSSC), University College London. Dr Chen's research encompasses key areas including BIM, Digital Twins, the Internet of Things, 3D Reconstruction, Information Interoperability, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), and Facility Management. She currently serves as Deputy Director of Research at BSSC and contributes to the MSc Digital Engineering Program as Deputy Program Leader. As Principal Investigator, Dr Chen has been managing four projects funded by Horizon Europe, UKRI, British Council and UCL. Additionally, Dr Chen is a dedicated reviewer for leading international journals and an active committee member of ASCE, EC3 and ARCOM. With her expertise, Dr Chen is committed to advancing research and education in sustainable construction and digital transformation within construction engineering.