Afzal, M.; Li, R.Y.M.; Shoaib, M.; Ayyub, M.F.; Tagliabue, L.C.; Bilal, M.; Ghafoor, H.; Manta, O. Delving into the Digital Twin Developments and Applications in the Construction Industry: A PRISMA Approach. Sustainability2023, 15, 16436.
Afzal, M.; Li, R.Y.M.; Shoaib, M.; Ayyub, M.F.; Tagliabue, L.C.; Bilal, M.; Ghafoor, H.; Manta, O. Delving into the Digital Twin Developments and Applications in the Construction Industry: A PRISMA Approach. Sustainability 2023, 15, 16436.
Afzal, M.; Li, R.Y.M.; Shoaib, M.; Ayyub, M.F.; Tagliabue, L.C.; Bilal, M.; Ghafoor, H.; Manta, O. Delving into the Digital Twin Developments and Applications in the Construction Industry: A PRISMA Approach. Sustainability2023, 15, 16436.
Afzal, M.; Li, R.Y.M.; Shoaib, M.; Ayyub, M.F.; Tagliabue, L.C.; Bilal, M.; Ghafoor, H.; Manta, O. Delving into the Digital Twin Developments and Applications in the Construction Industry: A PRISMA Approach. Sustainability 2023, 15, 16436.
Abstract
Construction 4.0 is witnessing exponential growth in Digital Twin (DT) technology developments and applications, revolutionizing the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other emerging technologies used throughout the lifecycle of the built environment. BIM provides technologies, procedures, and data schemas representing building components and systems. At the same time, DT enhances this with real-time data for cyber-physical integration, enabling live asset monitoring and better decision-making. Despite being in the early stages of development, DT applications have rapidly progressed in the AEC sector, resulting in a diverse literature landscape due to the various technologies and parameters involved in fully developing the DT technology. The intricate complexities inherent in digital twin advancements have confused professionals and researchers. This confusion arises from the nuanced distinctions between the two technologies, i.e., BIM and DT, causing a convergence that hinders realizing their potential. To address this confusion and lead to a swift development of DT technology, this study presents a holistic review of the existing research focusing on the critical components responsible for developing DT applications in the construction industry. The study identifies five crucial elements: technologies, maturity levels, data layers, enablers, and functionalities. Additionally, it identifies research gaps and proposes future avenues for streamlined DT developments and applications in the AEC sector. Future researchers and practitioners can target data integrity, integration and transmission, bi-directional interoperability, nontechnical factors, and data security to achieve mature digital twin applications for AEC practices. This study highlights the growing significance of DTs in construction and provides a foundation for further advancements in this field to harness its potential to transform built environment practices.
Keywords
Bi-directional Interoperability; Building Information Modelling (BIM); Construction 4.0; Digital Transformation; Digital Twin (DT); DT Advancements; DT Technologies; Holistic Review
Subject
Engineering, Architecture, Building and Construction
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.