Project description
A smart approach to pipeline safety
Buried pipelines form the backbone of modern infrastructure, transporting water, gas, and energy while minimising environmental risks and surface disruption. However, maintenance is a challenge. The solution uses digital twin technology to monitor pipelines in real time and detect structural weaknesses before failures happen. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the M-Twin4US project aims to combine ground-penetrating radar and cameras with multi-task transformer models to analyse soil-pipe interactions. Using modelling and real-scale tests, the project predicts pipeline conditions, while its AI toolkit helps stakeholders act early, scheduling repairs instead of costly excavation.
Objective
As buried pipelines face increasing maintenance challenges due to ageing, climate change, and infrastructure deterioration, failures can lead to severe economic losses and public safety risks. The M-Twin4US project aims to develop a novel, maintenance-oriented Digital Twin (DT) platform tailored for buried pipelines, with the flexibility to expand to other underground infrastructure. M-Twin4US will integrate advanced sensing technologies, Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and closed-circuit television (CCTV), with state-of-the-art machine learning methods like Multi-task Transformers and Segment Anything Models (SAM). The project will address critical challenges in soil-pipe interaction analysis, GPR response prediction, and condition assessment by coupling digital modelling, machine learning, numerical modelling (hydro-mechanical and electromagnetic modelling) and real-scale testing. The project will develop a customisable surrogate model to predict future pipeline performance and offer an AI-aided toolkit for stakeholders to prioritise actions such as rehabilitation, excavation, or new construction. The project will be implemented in collaboration with key industry partners and will contribute to transforming underground infrastructure maintenance from a reactive to a proactive paradigm, supporting sustainability, safety, and resilience goals.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
DH1 3LE DURHAM
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.