Barriers to the adoption of digital twin in the construction industry : a literature review

Digital twin (DT) has gained significant recognition among researchers due to its potential across industries. With the prime goal of solving numerous challenges confronting the construction industry (CI), DT in recent years has witnessed several applications in the CI. Hence, researchers have been advocating for DT adoption to tackle the challenges of the CI. Notwithstanding, a distinguishable set of barriers that oppose the adoption of DT in the CI has not been determined. Therefore, this paper identifies the barriers and incorporates them into a classified framework to enhance the roadmap for adopting DT in the CI. This research conducts an extensive review of the literature and analyses the barriers whilst integrating the science mapping technique. Using Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases, 154 related bibliographic records were identified and analysed using science mapping, while 40 carefully selected relevant publications were systematically reviewed. From the review, the top five barriers identified include low level of knowledge, low level of technology acceptance, lack of clear DT value propositions, project complexities, and static nature of building data. The results show that the UK, China, the USA, and Germany are the countries spearheading the DT adoption in the CI, while only a small number of institutions from Australia, the UK, Algeria, and Greece have established institutional collaborations for DT research. A conceptual framework was developed on the basis of 30 identified barriers to support the DT adoption roadmap. The main categories of the framework comprise stakeholder-oriented, industryrelated, construction-enterprise-related, and technology-related barriers. The identified barriers and the framework will guide and broaden the knowledge of DT, which is critical for successful adoption in the construction industry

Technological advancements in green and sustainable construction

This chapter examines the technological advancements in promoting green and sustainable practices in the construction industry. Green and sustainable construction practices have in recent times become topical issues among construction researchers and practitioners. These have become necessary due to the quest to provide responses to mitigate the numerous negative environmental effects of the construction industry. The global construction industry contributes to 5.7 billion tons of carbon emissions, equalling to 23% of global carbon emissions from economic activities. Several global agreements including the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) all entreat the uptake of measures in minimising environmental impacts resulting from industries. Advancements in technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Twin (DT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are aiding the promotion of green and sustainable practices. These technologies are used in the areas of carbon emissions reduction, energy consumption optimisation, carbon sequestration, construction waste management, whole life cycle costing, among others. Studying the utilisation of technologies relating to the advancement of green and sustainable construction practices provide interesting insights into the innovative processes implemented by researchers in minimising the construction industry’s environmental impacts. The findings of this chapter include the technologies in green and sustainable construction, carbon as a metric for judging sustainability, and state-of-the-art sustainable construction trends to resolve sustainability-related issues. Discussions on the implications of the findings on green and sustainable practices within the construction industry are presented with suggestions for future research

Digital twin application in the construction industry : a literature review

The construction industry is faced with numerous challenges including low productivity, lack of research and development, and poor technology advancements. Advances in digital technologies such as digital twin (DT) has seen enormous utilisations in digitally advanced industries including the manufacturing and automotive industries. It presents an opportunity for the integration of the physical world to the digital world. DT technology has the potential to transform the construction industry and provide responses to some of its challenges. As a result, the concept of DT has attracted much attention and is developing at a rapid pace. The overarching aim of this study was to analyse the current state of DT applications in the construction industry. This study comprehensively reviews and analyses DT concept, technologies, and application in the construction industry using a systematic review methodology while incorporating the science mapping method. After a complete search of several databases and careful selection in line with the proposed criteria, 22 academic publications about DT application in the construction industry were identified and classified accordingly. The research analysed in detail the status, evolution of the concept, key technologies, and six areas of application in the lifecycle phases of a project: building information modeling, structural system integrity, facilities management, monitoring, logistics processes, and energy simulation. This research shows that there is a high potential for DT to enable solutions to the numerous challenges in the construction industry. Thus, this study raises the level of awareness and need for the application of DT in the construction industry