Bias Identification Approaches for Model Updating of Simulation-based Digital Twins of Bridges

. Simulation-based digital twins of bridges have the potential not only to serve as monitoring devices of the current state of the structure but also to generate new knowledge through physical predictions that allow for better-informed decisionmaking. For an accurate representation of the bridge, the underlying models must be tuned to reproduce the real system. Nevertheless, the necessary assumptions and simplifications in these models irremediably introduce discrepancies between measurements and model response. We will show that quantifying the extent of the uncertainties introduced through the models that lead to such discrepancies provides a better understanding of the real system, enhances the model updating process, and creates more robust and trustworthy digital twins. The inclusion of an explicit bias term will be applied to a representative demonstrator case based on the thermal response of the Nibelungenbrücke of Worms. The findings from this work are englobed in the initiative SPP 100+, whose main aim is the extension of the service life of structures, especially through the implementation of digital twins.