Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

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Journal of Building Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jobe

Digital twin application in the construction industry: A literature review

De-Graft Joe Opoku a, *, Srinath Perera a, Robert Osei-Kyei a, Maria Rashidi b
a
Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC), School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith Campus, Australia
b
Centre for Infrastructure Engineering (CIE), School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith Campus, Australia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The construction industry is faced with numerous challenges including low productivity, lack of research and
Digital twin development, and poor technology advancements. Advances in digital technologies such as digital twin (DT) has
Construction industry seen enormous utilisations in digitally advanced industries including the manufacturing and automotive in­
Project lifecycle
dustries. It presents an opportunity for the integration of the physical world to the digital world. DT technology
Literature review
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 compre­
hensively 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, logis­
tics 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.

1. Introduction Information Modeling (BIM) presented some evidence of change within

the construction industry. The global BIM adoption has been slow due to
Globally, the construction industry contributes about 8–10% on an the perceived risks and challenges associated with its development [45].
average to the economies of different countries, promotes growth, pro­ Furthermore, individuals and organisations have misconceptions about
vides employment to the masses, and acts as a link between other in­ the potentials of BIM in tackling challenges of the industry and this has
dustries and the economy [32]. The industry is the engine of growth and resulted in its abandonment and lack of knowledge and understanding of
creates a flow of services and goods with other sectors [7]. In 2017, the the technology [148].
global construction industry’s output was more than USD 10 trillion A significant challenge in the modernisation of the construction in­
[12]. In Australia, the construction industry contributed 8.1% to the dustry is its inability to embrace advancement in technologies compared
national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 9% to employment in 2017 to other industries like the manufacturing and automotive industries
[91]. In the UK and China, the industry contributed 6.5% [36] and 5.7% [92,100]. Digital twin (DT) technology, a simulation-based planning
[128] respectively to national GDP. Notwithstanding, poor productivity and optimisation concept [133] has the potential to transform the
is cited as a vital aspect of failure in the construction industry [41]. [93] construction industry just like other industries including the
reported that the productivity gap within the construction industry can manufacturing industry. DT was first introduced by Michael Grieves at
be tackled through performance improvement in the industry. The in­ the University of Michigan as a “digital equivalent to a physical product”
dustry is perceived and listed as being part of the least digitalised in­ in 2003 [49]. [58] introduced the “product avatar” in 2006 which was
dustries and also slow to innovation especially in its adoption of digital similar to the digital twin. Several industries like the manufacturing
technologies [1,70]. The adoption of technologies like Building industry have adopted the concept in their digital manufacturing and

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: d.opoku@westernsydney.edu.au (D.-G.J. Opoku), srinath.perera@westernsydney.edu.au (S. Perera), r.osei-kyei@westernsydney.edu.au
(R. Osei-Kyei), m.rashidi@westernsydney.edu.au (M. Rashidi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102726
Received 3 February 2021; Received in revised form 23 April 2021; Accepted 11 May 2021
Available online 18 May 2021
2352-7102/Crown Copyright © 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

this has presented an opportunity for the integration of the physical potential of digital twin in solving problems of industry, little has been
world to the digital world. realised in the construction industry [64,114]. [64] found out that there
To ensure the viability and acceptance of technological advance­ is no extensive use of the Internet of Things (IoT)- enabled sensor net­
ments in the construction industry, they must address the key issues works in developing a DT of a smart building. [114] also found out that
affecting it through effective resolution of the underlying causes. Some there is no consensus among researchers and practitioners regarding
of the challenges of the industry include low productivity, poor industry how DT can support design and construction of buildings and civil
image, low predictability, structural fragmentation, lack of R&D and infrastructure. Based on a comprehensive and systematic literature re­
investment in innovation [41]. The investment in DT has the potential to view, this paper discusses the concept of digital twin in the construction
increase productivity through predictive analytics and minimize the industry context. The overarching aim of this research is to provide a
numerous challenges facing the construction industry [68]. Apart from holistic view of the current state of DT application in the construction
the presentation of the concept by Grieves, seven reviews [37,56,67,77, industry to support a roadmap for its adoption in the construction in­
78,98,132] have been conducted on DT technology. dustry. Three objectives were formulated to aid in achieving the stated
[78] reviewed 240 publications. The review results provided an aim:
overview of the origin, evolution of the concept, key enabling technol­
ogies and industrial applications of digital twins. The authors found out • To explore the origin, concept and technologies for applying digital
that in the design phase, DT is used for redesigning existing physical twin.
object or evaluating performances of the designed objects. In the • To ascertain the status of digital twin application in the construction
manufacturing phase, it is used for real-time monitoring, production industry from 2010 to 2020.
control and production planning whilst in the service phase, it is used for • To examine the application of digital twin in respective lifecycle
predictive maintenance, fault detection and state monitoring. The au­ phases of a construction project.
thors also identified that there is a lack of full-life cycle information flow
in literature. [37] reviewed the application of digital twin across in­ The uniqueness of this paper lies in the specific application of digital
dustries and proposed a classification scheme with six dimensions; twin in the construction industry as against that of both the
namely, industrial sectors, purpose, physical reference object, manufacturing and automotive industry. Greater level of knowledge of
completeness, creation time, and connection, to describe the applica­ the concept, technology and status will enhance its understanding in the
tions. It was identified that the difference between the Internet of Things construction industries. The remainder of the paper is structured as
and other new technologies is that a physical object connected to a follows: Section 2 presents the methodology adopted for this study.
virtual space exists. [77] compared and analysed the digital twin models Section 3 addresses the origin, concept and technologies for applying
in scientific literature. The authors retraced digital twin models from the digital twin. The status of digital twin application in the construction
initial one to the model in the most current literature to identify digital industry is discussed in section 4. Section 5 addresses the applications of
twin model principles. Authors found out that current research on DT digital twin in the lifecycle phases of construction projects. Section 6
still focuses on model implementation, thus use DT methods for specific introduces the bibliometric analysis of digital twin application in con­
projects. [133] thoroughly reviewed the state-of-the-art of digital twin struction related research. Finally, the paper is concluded with impli­
research. They focused on the key components, current development, cations for practice and suggestions for further research in section 7.
and major applications of digital twins in industry. It was found out that
the current development of DT involved modeling, data fusion, inter­ 2. Research methodology
action and collaboration, and service. The major applications of DT in
industry included product design, production, prognostics, and health A systematic review, as an essential feature of research, was imple­
management. [67] conducted a comprehensive literature review into mented in this study [38]. This presents a summary of previous studies
digital twin in manufacturing and also classified existing literature in in a specific field of study and also identifies knowledge gaps in the
line with their level of integration. They established a distinction be­ published papers [146]. This method follows specific principles which
tween digital model, digital shadow, and digital twin. Authors identified include a systematically conducted review or presentation of a trans­
the key enabling technologies for DT to include simulation methods (e.g. parent method, replicability and updatability, and summarization and
Discrete Event Simulation, and Continuous Simulation), communication synthetization of the main subject of the research [19].
protocols (e.g. OPC-UA, and MQTT) and Industry 4.0 core technologies To assess and examine the extensive literature within the established
(e.g. IoT, Cloud Computing, and Big Data). [98] reviewed to answer how scope, this study adapted the methods used by Refs. [13,78,81]. This
scientific literature defines the digital twin and the role it plays in In­ involves a preliminary literature search using different databases, a
dustry 4.0 within the manufacturing context. This was done to shape the filtration of process and a content analysis. Thus, a three-stage selection
role of digital twin and also identify its benefits to the manufacturing of academic journal papers, selection of publications that were closely
industry, in order to enhance its application in the manufacturing related and a systematic content analysis was carried out. This research
domain since it was originally born in the aerospace sector. The authors process is illustrated in Fig. 1.
presented three possible uses of digital twin to include analyses of health
conditions and to plan maintenance activities, management of the whole 2.1. Step 1: Literature search
lifecycle of the physical object, and improvement in decision-making
through engineering and numerical analysis. [56] analysed 38 articles. Scopus was used for the initial search for literature since it has a
Authors presented results on the overview of established concepts, broader coverage of scientific publications [105,151]. Furthermore, the
classification of the existing body of literature, lifecycle perspective on Scopus search engine is recognised to perform better than other search
applications, and suggested further research directions. The authors engines like Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar [40]. [95]
found out that life cycle-oriented applications of DT included function stated that the Scopus database includes conference papers, has a faster
modeling at the product conceptualization stage, domain-specific process of indexing and availability of more recent publications
modeling and simulation at the product definition stage, continuous compared to other databases. A comprehensive search was conducted
adaption to unexpected events disturbances at the product realization under the “article title/abstract/keyword” field of Scopus with the
stage, linking products with services at the product usage stage, and search string consisting of two parts. The first part comprised keywords
continuous monitoring operations support at the product service and related to “digital twin” or “digital twins” or “virtual counterpart” or
maintenance stage. “digital replica” or “virtual twin”. The second part comprised “con­
Despite the significant efforts by researchers to ascertain the struction” or “construction industry” or “construction engineering” or

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

Fig. 1. An overview of the literature review and research process adapted from Ref. [4].

“construction management” or “construction engineering and manage­

Table 1
ment”. Other digital technologies like BIM and Blockchain were not
Number of citations of selected articles.
included in the keywords since the study mainly focused on digital twin
application in the construction industry. Other studies [4,6,73] have Item Reference Paper Type No. of citations in No. of citations in
Scopus Google Scholar
mostly carried out reviews on BIM and Blockchain in the construction
industry and their inclusion will only be a repetition. Since the appli­ 1 [61] Article 25 34
2 [63] Article 25 30
cation of digital twin is at its nascent stage in the construction industry,
3 [79] Article 23 40
the date range was set from 2010 to 2020. Also, the document type was 4 [80] Article 23 29
set to “article” or “review” as they present the most reputable and 5 [62] Article 21 30
influential sources of knowledge [115]. A prior search with generic 6 [122] Article 10 13
terms influenced the terminologies specified in the literature search. 7 [83] Article 10 13
8 [84] Article 7 12
A total of 90 publications were retrieved from this search query. 9 [116] Article 7 13
Considering the limited number of publications retrieved from Scopus, 10 [3] Article 7 6
ScienceDirect and Web of Science were included for a further search 11 [86] Article 6 13
which resulted in 140 publications. This was to ensure that an adequate 12 [103] Article 6 11
13 [47] Article 5 8
number of research outputs on the application of digital twin in the
14 [75] Article 4 6
construction industry were retrieved and reviewed. After removing 15 [101] Article 1 1
duplicates, a total of 96 publications including journal and conference 16 [5] Article 4 5
papers were retrieved. A preliminary screening was done to remove 17 [14] Article 36 57
publications whose subject of interest were not related to the con­ 18 [37] Article 13 22
19 [44] Article
struction industry or just happened to contain some of the keywords in
– –
20 [56] Conference – 24
their “article title/abstract/keyword” fields. This exercise revealed that Paper
Automation in Construction, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of 21 [67] Article 250 403
Management in Engineering, Energy and Buildings, Sustainability, In­ 22 [78] Article 14 25
23 [76] Conference 1 1
ternational Journal of Safety and Security Engineering and Frontiers in
Paper
Built Environment have at least one paper each. The total number of 24 [83] Article 11 16
papers after this stage was 31 from 26 journals and conference pro­ 25 [87] Article 42 56
ceedings. The number of citations of the 31 papers at the literature 26 [98] Article 305 485
search stage is presented in Table 1. This provides a measure of the 27 [121] Article 9 15
28 [125] Article 13 16
impact and influence of the selected papers. Since DT is an emerging
29 [133] Article 208 319
technology in the construction industry, majority of the highly cited 30 [135] Article 9 12
papers were review papers from the manufacturing and automotive 31 [152] Article 1 –
industries.

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

2.2. Step 2: Literature selection lifecycle phases as given by Refs. [66,78,137] are adapted for this
research. The design phase comprises the design and engineering phase
In step 2, a more critical and comprehensive examination was con­ of the object. The manufacturing phase is the construction phase of the
ducted on the 31 publications after completing step 1. This was to object and the service phase is the operation and maintenance phase of
identify those publications that were relevant to the identified research the object. The retire phase is the demolition and recovery phase of the
topic. An in-depth reading of the 31 papers was done to retrieve the object. Also, other attributes used for the literature classification include
relevant papers. By doing that, 22 relevant papers were found to be content and time of literature.
pertinent for this study. The reason for eliminating certain publications
was to ensure that only papers on digital twin applications in the con­ 3. Origin, concept and technologies for applying digital twin
struction industry were included in the study. The small number of
papers (22 papers) compares favourably with previous similar review Over the last decade, the digital manufacturing industry has pre­
studies in construction management. For example, with 17 papers, [35] sented a revolution that is transforming operations in other sectors of the
conducted a review of the cost premium of green buildings. [4] used 19 economy. The digital manufacturing industry builds models and simu­
papers to present a review on the breadth of green building evaluation lates development processes and products through a virtual represen­
matrixes achievable with BIM. More importantly, the small number of tation of factories [23]. This virtual representation is possible through
papers for this review could be attributed to the limited number of the use of computer-aided technologies like computer-aided design
studies on digital twin application in the construction industry. Thus, 22 (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided
papers are capable of providing adequate information on the application manufacturing (CAM), finite element analysis (FEA), product data
of digital twin in the construction industry. The number of selected management (PDM), etc. Rapid developments in advanced technologies
publications and key papers are provided in Table2. including the internet of things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence
(AI), cloud computing, edge computing, wireless sensor networks, radio
frequency identification (RFID), the fifth-generation cellular network
2.3. Step 3: Content analysis of selected publications (5G), etc. are providing promising breakthroughs in various sections of
industries [29,130]. In addressing the numerous challenges and com­
In this step, a content analysis was conducted to ascertain the origin, plexities of industries and also meeting the growing market demands,
concept and technologies for digital twins, the status of digital twin these advanced technologies help in integrating the physical world to
application in the construction industry, as well as it’s practical appli­ the digital world. This results in the development of digital twins.
cation in the lifecycle stages of a construction project as contemplated in The term ‘Digital Twin (DT)’ was first employed in the public domain
each article. by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s inte­
The classification criterion for the literature in this research is based grated technology roadmap under Technology Area 11: Modelling,
on the different lifecycle phases of the objects. The object as being Simulation, Information Technology and Processing [123]. NASA’s
referred to here is the digital twin’s counterpart in the physical world Apollo program introduced the concept of “twins” where two identical
also known as the physical twin. The descriptions for the different space vehicles were built to allow mirroring the conditions of the space
vehicle during the mission [17]. The vehicle that remained on earth was
Table 2 the twin of that which was on a mission in space [17]. The first use of DT
Overview of selected publications relevant to the study. in scientific research was by Ref. [53]. However, in 2003, Michael
Journal Name No. of selected No. of key papers Grieves at University of Michigan introduced the “digital equivalent to a
publications for in-depth physical product” which is widely accepted as the first introduction of
analysis the term digital twin [46]. In 2006 [58], introduced the “product avatar”
Automation in Construction 5 5 which was used for developing the information management architec­
Journal of Cleaner Production 1 1 ture to support a product-centric bidirectional information flow.
Journal of Management in Engineering 2 2 Michael Grieves in 2014, published a white paper to further explain the
Energy and Buildings 1 1
concept of digital twins.
Buildings 1 0
Sustainability 1 1 The definition of DT has been based on its application independent of
International Journal of Safety and 1 1 industry-specific fields. However, DT reflects the behaviour rule of the
Security Engineering physical entity and keeps updating throughout its lifecycle. [16]
Frontiers in Built Environment 1 1 described DT as a connected and synchronised digital replica of physical
Computers and Structures 1 1
Computers in Industry 1 1
assets which represents both the elements and the dynamics of how
Journal of Manufacturing Systems 1 0 systems and devices operate within their environment and live
ZWF Zeitschrift fuer Wirtschaftlichen 1 1 throughout their lifecycle. [118] defined DT as virtual substitutes of
Fabrikbetrieb real-world objects that consist of virtual representations and commu­
WasserWirtschaft 1 1
nication capabilities that make up smart objects which act as intelligent
Structure and Infrastructure Engineering 2 1
Applied Sciences 2 2 nodes inside the internet of things and services. [21] also defined DT as a
Computers Integrated Manufacturing 1 1 digital representation of a real-world object with a focus on the actual
Systems, CIMS object. Also, [43] described DT as the simulation of the physical object
Proceedings of the 18th International 1 0 itself to predict the future states of the system. The data that connects the
Conference on Industrial Engineering
(IJIE)
physical and the digital world together with the bidirectional dynamic
International Federation of Automation 2 1 interaction of the physical objects and virtual models are the key ele­
Control (IFAC)-PapersONLine ments of digital twins [134]. Further, the level of data integration dis­
AIP Conference Proceedings 1 0 tinguishes different categories of digital twins [15]. These include
Procedia Manufacturing 1 0
digital models where there is no self-driven data interaction between the
IEEE Transactions on Industrial 1 0
Informatics physical object and the digital object; digital shadows where there is a
Procedia CIRP 1 1 self-driven unidirectional data flow between the physical and digital
Proceedings of the 25th American 1 0 objects; and digital twins where a fully integrated bi-directional data
Conference on Information Systems integration between the existing physical object and the digital object
Total 31 22
[67]. Several researchers have defined DT independent of specific fields

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

within the global industries and thus, makes DT quite general and Table 3
ambiguous. DT can be implemented using different technologies since it Definitions of digital twin in literature.
is not a particular technology. There is, therefore, a need to provide a No. References Year Definition of digital twin Application
clearer and industry-specific definition for digital twins. A list of some
1 [123] 2010 Digital twin is an NASA’s integrated
definitions identified in literature have been ordered and presented in and integrated multi-physics, simulations
Table 3 to indicate digital twin concept development. 2012 multi-scale, probabilistic
Several technologies which are data-related, high-fidelity modeling, simulation of a vehicle or
or model-based simulation are employed in digital twin applications. system that uses the best
available physical models,
For data-related technologies, data, the basis of digital twin, is produced sensor updates, fleet
using sensors, RFID tags, gauges, readers, scanners, cameras, etc. These history, etc., to mirror the
devices continuously generate huge volumes of data that is unstruc­ life of its flying twin.
tured, semi-structured or structured in nature. It is difficult and very 2 [139] 2012 Digital twin is a cradle-to- Airframes
grave model of an aircraft
expensive to transmit these data to the digital twin in the cloud server
structure’s ability to meet
and for that matter, edge computing is adopted to pre-process the data mission requirements,
collected. To eliminate the possibility of data leakage and ensure the including sub-models of the
real-time transmission of data, 5G technology is employed [78]. Data electronics, the flight
fusion and data-mapping are also utilised to give meaning to the data controls, the propulsion
system, and other
which is collected. [52] surveyed the industrial applications of IoT and subsystems.
signal processing algorithms and techniques for collecting real-time data 3 [90] 2013 Digital twin stands for a Structural
from different sources in digital twins. They could automatically structural model which will performance
monitor and comprehensively simulate the factory throughout its include quantitative data of
material level
lifecycle.
characteristics with high
Model development in digital twin is very significant considering the sensitivity.
application of high-fidelity modeling technologies. Digital twin models 4 [68] 2013 A digital twin represents a Predictive
can be either semantic data models or physical models [78]. Semantic coupled model of the real manufacturing
data models are trained by known inputs and outputs using AI methods machine that operates in
the cloud platform and
whereas physical models need a comprehensive understanding of their
simulates the health
physical properties and the existing interactions between them. condition with an
High-fidelity modeling of digital twin requires a multi-physics approach integrated knowledge from
[78]. [99] developed simulation modules to replicate specific behav­ both data-driven analytical
algorithms and other
iours of the manufacturing equipment. The main simulation model
available physical
interacted with the modules using standard interfaces and supported knowledge.
simulation throughout the whole lifecycle of the production system. DT 5 [55] 2014 A life management and Structural health
can, therefore, be built considering the different levels of modeling. certification paradigm management
In the application of model-based simulation technologies, simula­ whereby models and
simulations consist of as-
tion becomes an inevitable aspect of digital twins. Simulation of the DT
built vehicle state, as-
helps the virtual model to interact bi-directionally in real-time with the experienced loads and
physical entity. To be able to ascertain the bi-directional interaction environments, and other
with the physical twin, [120] proposed the use of Automation Markup vehicle-specific history to
enable high-fidelity
Language (automationML) to model attributes related to the digital
modelling of individual
twin. The model was efficient in exchanging data between different aerospace vehicles
systems connected to the DT. Notwithstanding the progressive adoption throughout their service
of DT in the manufacturing industry, the contextualisation of the lives.
concept in other domains like the construction industry is still at its 6 [110] 2015 Digital twin is a product Aircrafts
digital counterpart of a
infancy [98]. Thus, significant efforts should be geared towards the
physical product.
adoption of DT in the construction sector to tackle the complex chal­ 7 [112] 2015 Digital twins represent very Industrial
lenges faced in the industry. To clearly understand the development of realistic models of the manufacturing
significant technologies relating to DT, Table 4 presents a chronological current state of the process
and their behaviours in
order of these developments. The order is based on the time of accep­
interaction with their
tance of papers to illustrate DT technologies development. environments in their real
Currently, some of the complex challenges in the construction in­ world.
dustry are being addressed using emerging technologies. These include: 8 [21] 2016 Digital twin is a digital Industrial IoT
blockchain and BIM for trust and collaboration [54,148]; traditional representation of a real- lifecycle
world object with focus on management
contracts requiring complex human inputs and control being automated
the object itself.
as smart contracts [24]; BIM and sensors like Ultra-Wideband technol­ 9 [120] 2016 A digital twin is a virtual Product service
ogy for construction health and safety [72]; work progress, IoT and BIM representation of a real systems
for constraints and productivity [30]; Geographic Information System product in the context of
(GIS) integrated with energy management solutions for energy con­ Cyber-Physical Systems.
10 [43] 2016 Simulation of the physical System design
sumption [65]; BIM and Building Management System (BMS) data for object itself to predict
building operation and maintenance [106]; sensors, BIM and Virtual future states of the system.
Reality (VR) for on-site environmental monitoring [104]; Remotely 11 [117] 2016 Digital twins are virtual eRobotics
Piloted Aircrafts (RPAs) for health monitoring of bridges [108]; and substitutes of real-world
objects consisting of virtual
Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) for modern bridge monitoring [109].
representations and
DT has the potential to impact most of the technologies employed in communication
the industry. For example, the ‘as-built’ BIM models for facilities man­ (continued on next page)
agement [136] which are intended to provide information regarding the

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

Table 3 (continued ) Table 3 (continued )

No. References Year Definition of digital twin Application No. References Year Definition of digital twin Application

capabilities making up of how systems and devices

smart objects acting as operate within their
intelligent nodes inside the environment and live
internet of things and throughout their lifecycle.
services. 23 [76] 2019 Virtual object or a set of –
12 [9] 2016 A unified system model Systems virtual things defined in the
that can coordinate engineering digital virtual space, which
architecture, mechanical, has a mapping relationship
electrical, software, with real things in the
verification, and other physical space.
discipline-specific models 24 [42] 2020 Digital copy of a physical Work environment
across the system lifecycle, asset, collecting real-time safety
federating models in data from the asset and
multiple vendor tools and deriving information not
configuration-controlled being measured directly in
repositories. the hardware.
13 [18] 2017 Digital copy of a real Shopfloor 25 [78] 2020 Digital entity that reflects –
factory, machine, worker, management physical entity’s behaviour
etc., that is created and can rule and keeps updating
be independently through the whole
expanded, automatically lifecycle.
updated together with
being globally available in
real-time. status of buildings when commissioned, lack the ability to continuously
14 [48] 2017 A set of virtual information Product lifecycle provide an updated representation of the current state of the building.
constructs that fully management
describes a potential or
DT can aid in bridging this gap. Also, for construction monitoring,
actual physical various data acquisition technologies such as Global Positioning System
manufactured product (GPS), Computer vison, Tag identification systems, Smart sensor net­
from the micro atomic level works, Communication networks, etc., produce information which are
to the macro geometrical
general utilised in isolation. There are very few applications where cases
level.
15 [119] 2018 One-to-one virtual replica eRobotics use more than one technology. The challenge is ensuring a cohesive and
of a “technical asset” (e.g., integrated approach where multiple monitoring systems can inform a
machine, component, and project database to support several management functions. DT can
part of the environment). present a holistic and integrated utilisation of these technologies to
16 [62] 2018 Building Information Maintenance of
Model (BIM) is a digital railway station
ensure an effective mode of construction monitoring and control.
twin. building
17 [85] 2018 Multi-domain and Smart 4. Status of digital twin application in the construction industry
ultrahigh fidelity digital manufacturing
model integrating different
The annual publications within a particular field of study determine
subjects such as
mechanical, electrical, the level of attraction gain in that field. Figs. 2 and 3 establish the trend
hydraulic, and control of development in digital twin application in the construction industry.
subjects. It is worth noting that the application of digital twins within the con­
18 [144] 2018 Essentially unique living Machinery fault struction industry had been rather slow until 2018. The number of
model of the physical diagnosis
system with the support of
publications increased from 2 papers in 2018 to 10 papers in 2019. It is
enabling technologies understandable since the concept of digital twins in the manufacturing
including multi-physics industry was at its infancy and was now being contextualised in other
simulation, machine domains like the construction industry [98]. However, there was a
learning, AR/VR as well as
steady growth of 10 papers in 2020 since the concept began to move
cloud service, etc.
19 [20] 2018 Digital Twins represents a Health care from its contextualisation stage to an infant stage in the construction
specific engineering management industry. Researchers have started exploring the real applications of the
paradigm, where concept of digital twins within the construction industry. Within the
individual physical digitally advanced industries including the manufacturing, automotive
artifacts are paired with
digital model that
and aerospace industries, DT has been applied in areas like industrial
dynamically reflects the manufacturing, predictive maintenance, structural health management,
status of those artifacts. airframes, aircrafts, product service systems, systems engineering,
20 [61,63] 2019 Building Information Lifecycle shopfloor management, product life cycle management, machinery fault
Model (BIM) is a digital management of
diagnosis, control of smart workshops, etc. Considering the number of
twin. railway turnout
systems reviewed academic publications used in this research, all the 22 papers
21 [69] 2019 An exact and real-time Control of smart were explicit about the digital twin object. Fig. 3 establishes the distri­
cyber copy of a physical workshop butions of the level of integration and lifecycle phases of the digital twin
manufacturing system that objects. The digital twin applications and case studies in the construc­
truly represents all of its
functionalities.
tion industry resulted in the 22 papers. Some of the papers involved
22 [16] 2019 Digital twin is a connected Architecture for more than a single phase of the lifecycle and thus, were counted
and synchronised digital Cyber physical repeatedly in the different phases. From Fig. 3, it can be seen that most of
replica of physical assets systems the digital twin applications in the construction industry focused on a
which represent both the
single lifecycle phase. Researchers were concerned about the design and
elements and the dynamics
engineering phase while neglecting the application of digital twin

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

Table 4 5.1. Applications in the design and engineering phase

DT technological advancements in literature.
No. References Year Data related High-fidelity Model-based Digital twins help to bring together the information model and
technologies modeling simulation product physical model, thereby ensuring an iterative optimisation of
technologies technologies both models. The iterative optimisation of the models reduces the
1 [89] 2017 Sensors Reduced order ANSYS overall design process and also minimises the possibility of incurring
models, Simplorer additional cost during rework [73]. A construction project is developed
Modelica by a sequence of phases [50]. The design and engineering stage en­
models,
2 [145] 2017 3D scanning Big data Finite
compasses inception, brief, design and engineering [33].
modeling Element Building information modeling (BIM), a process for creating and
Analysis managing a model containing digital information about a specific asset
software has aided the adoption of digital twins at the design and engineering
3 [143] 2018 AutomationML Modelica –
phase of a project. A digital BIM model draws on information collabo­
multiphysics
modeling ratively assembled and updated at key stages of the project. BIM pulls
4 [27] 2018 MTConnect – – the information from stakeholders together at the design and engi­
5 [85] 2018 OPC UA Machine MWorks neering phase and shares it to improve the overall outcome of the project
learning, [61]. BIM models assist in solving problems among different construc­
Modelica
models
tion stakeholders by allowing data to be added, modified and verified
6 [10] 2018 AutomationML Model-based – against real-life scenarios. This reduces disputes among different project
definition stakeholders [111]. The adoption of BIM has witnessed massive pro­
7 [39] 2018 OPC UA, Discrete event Siemens gression involving the level of maturity across areas of technology,
Kepware simulation plant
process and policy [129]. [51], however, indicated that BIM requires not
model, Unity simulation
3D model only the application of 3D models but also significant changes in
8 [127] 2019 OPC UA, – – workflow and project delivery processes. BIM technology can provide
ZigBee, XML visual 3-dimensional communication for digital twins. A combination of
9 [22] 2019 – Principal – BIM and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) establishes a real-time active
component
model which serves as an application of digital twins within the con­
analysis
Computer struction industry [75]. This provides designers with efficient informa­
vision tion during the design of the project. Thus, designers can have a
algorithm, complete digital footprint of the project through digital twins to make
10 [124] 2019 Parametric
– –
informed decisions [134]. Data collected using DT can be saved in a
Modeling,
Reverse database and then used by designers during future projects [107]. This
engineering, can help in decision-making regarding material selection, energy man­
Image agement, procurement, supplier selection and the like. Also, early design
processing decisions relating to feasibility of project, energy analysis, sustainability
11 [46] 2019 Markov chain Monte Carlo
issues and the like could be informed utilising BIM and serve as
–
simulation
12 [77] 2019 OPC UA, – – pre-construction guides [59]. The main stakeholders of the project could
MTConnect clarify their intentions, ensure effective planning, better understand the
13 [131] 2019 – Non-rigid ANSYS project, and be made aware of what needs to be done at each stage of the
variation
project life cycle. Further, effective communication and collaboration
modeling,
Genetic
through BIM enable stakeholders to establish trust and foster empathy
algorithm among themselves [34].
14 [26] 2019 – Deep extreme – Due to the prowess of BIM, the majority of studies regarding digital
learning twin application in the construction industry has been centred around
machine
BIM especially at the design and engineering stage. However, [64] noted
15 [153] 2019 3D scanning Hybrid particle –
swarm that though BIM and DT have similarities, there are differences in their
optimisation, purpose, technology, end-users, as well as the facility life stage. The
Hertz contact authors further mentioned that BIM works with static but not real-time
theory
data. Currently, the available technologies supporting the utilisation of
DT in the construction industry include BIM, WSN, Data Analytics, and
concept at the demolition and recovery phase of the project. Machine Learning [150].
[62] investigated the adoption of BIM in a railway station building
5. Digital twin applications in lifecycle phases of construction project and established the positive potential of this technology to the
projects design and engineering phase of a project. They conducted a modeling
simulation of King’s Cross station in the UK and found out that the
This section provides an in-depth analysis and summary of the insulation of cavity walls with installation of fire barriers incurs the
emerging applications of digital twin in the construction industry lowest carbon emission rate among other options. Authors established
focusing on the lifecycle phases identified. These include eleven appli­ that BIM can help construction participants to adequately plan and
cations in the design and engineering phase, three applications in the design projects considering their economic and environmental effi­
construction phase, and eight applications in the operation and main­ ciency. [75] proposed advanced monitoring and control systems using
tenance phase. This is illustrated below in Table 5. Currently, no BIM and WSN technologies for underground garage environment man­
research has been conducted on the demolition and recovery phase of agement. They employed WSN in monitoring and recording the physical
the object in the existing literature. The following subsections analyse conditions and found out that their proposed system was a visually
the applications in the lifecycle phases of the object. effective monitoring system for environmental monitoring manage­
ment. [83] discussed how semi-automatic geometric digital twinning
based on images and CAD drawings can be used for existing buildings.

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

Fig. 2. Annual trend of digital twin application in construction industry.

Fig. 3. Lifecycle phases of digital twin objects.

thermal system integrated into a lightweight roof structure. Authors

Table 5
utilised high-resolution models for the initial product development and
Lifecycle phases application of digital twin in the construction industry.
the exploration of different design strategies. They established that
Phases Applications No. of References digital twins can facilitate planning relating to digital fabrications.
papers

Design and Building information 11 [61,62,75,80,82,86,

engineering phase modeling (BIM) 101,116,122,135, 5.2. Applications in the construction phase
152]
Construction phase Structural system 3 [3,44,122] The construction phase, while covered briefly in the literature con­
integrity
cerning the application of digital twin technologies, is very significant
Operation and Facilities 8 [5,47,63,79,83,84,
maintenance Management 87,103] since it is the phase that brings into being the construction project. The
phase Monitoring construction phase which is also viewed as the manufacturing phase,
Logistics processes actually produces the finished product. Majority of studies applying
Energy simulation digital twin technology to the construction phase of a project, has been
focused on assessing the structural systems integrity of the object. Ac­
They employed a case study using part of an office building and found cording to Ref. [3], the concept of digital twin is used to study the
out that DT-assisted operations and maintenance is an effective structural system integrity in historical masonry buildings. Authors
approach in the operations phase of the building. The gap between developed a simulation model for DT applications for a historic masonry
geometric digital twinning and existing buildings was also discussed. building. The study revealed that structural actions in different con­
[80] delivered a slicing-based object fitting method that can generate struction stages can be clearly understood using digital twin technology.
the geometric digital twin of an existing reinforced concrete bridge from Furthermore, the authors concluded that digital twin models can be
four types of labelled point clusters. They conducted experiments on ten continuously updated using the knowledge acquired particularly in
bridge point cloud datasets and found out that their method attained an complex parts of the masonry building. The structural systems of the
average modeling distance of 7.05 cm compared to the manual method object ensure that the object does not fail when forces are applied to the
of 7.69 cm. [86] presented simulation methods for the design of a building. For instance, in the Milan Cathedral, considerable damage was
documented over the last century necessitating key restoration works

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

[96]. [44] considered the transfer of digital twin concepts to the pro­ by establishing digital twins for bulk silos. They designed and imple­
duction of precast concrete parts in the construction industry. The study mented a decision support system for silo dispatch and replenishment
established that real-time networking of products, processes, and sys­ activity. Authors found out that structural and visual presentation of
tems which are based on consistent data was necessary for innovative insights is a key component of a strong decision support system. The
adaptive modular construction activities. Authors presented an study argued that silos can function as transport units as well as tem­
error-tolerable quick production of modules which were made of pre­ porary storage spaces thereby allowing materials to be conveyed to
fabricated freely malleable high-performance concrete components major urban areas at no cost. [61] presented a world’s first 6D BIM for
utilising digital twin concepts. These developments are relevant to the life cycle management of a railway turnout system. They modelled a 3D
construction industry and in particular, to the construction phase of the model of a railway turnout system using Revit-2018 software and found
object. DT is also relevant for the preparation of as-built drawings when out that the 6D focuses on carbon foot-print over the whole life cycle.
the design drawings are not available [87]. As- built models are some­ The study concluded that digital twins can be utilised in visualising as
times needed for finite element analysis of existing structures. well as prioritising maintenance options. The National Building Speci­
Generally, as-built models are compiled reactively after execution to fication (NBS) defined “6D BIM” as a dimension that includes informa­
provide project stakeholders such as owners with models for the oper­ tion to support the facility management and operational activities [94].
ation and maintenance phase of the project. DT can help with consid­ A semi-automatic approach is developed by [83] that establishes a
erable amount of data to reduce construction cost, improve quality and systematic, accurate and convenient digital twinning system based on
enhance effective stakeholder management by providing stakeholders images and CAD drawings. Authors developed a system of geometric
with ample information about the project. In the construction phase, DT digital twinning and found out that their system was time-efficient and
can also assist in various management activities including resource low-cost. [82] developed a digital twin-enabled anomaly detection
management, materials management, schedule management, quality system using a set of monitoring data that carries diagnostic information
management as well as sequence management. Currently, various on the operational condition of assets. The study indicated that the
technologies like GPS for locating and measuring work done together digital twin-enabled anomaly detection system has the potential of
with tracking production progress, tag identification systems for providing a continuous condition monitoring of building assets. Thus,
tracking materials and worker locations, and smart sensors and sensor digital twin application supports varieties of decisions at the different
networks for monitoring construction quality are being used. However, lifecycle phases of the project [87].
there is lack of integration of these technologies to support various
management functions with few exceptions [114]. Most of the use cases 5.4. Application in the demolition and recovery phase
applied reactive controls which result in deviations between the actual
and planned performances, and also the neglect of feeding flows of The retire phase is normally ignored as a real phase by researchers
materials, labour, and equipment information. DT can therefore be [78]. Within the construction industry, the demolition and recovery
utilised to provide proactive and accurate status information. phase which is synonymous to the retire phase has also been ignored in
terms of the application of digital twin technology to the construction
5.3. Applications in the operation and maintenance phase industry. At the demolition and recovery phase of an object, knowledge
on the behaviour of the object is normally lost. [48] argued that the
In the operation and maintenance phase, the project is normally out knowledge regarding the predecessor of the next generation of the ob­
of the control of the constructor. For this reason, it becomes difficult to ject could be used to solve similar problems that would be encountered
manage and gain access to the data of the object. The virtual model since the objects could share similar characteristics. [78] mentioned that
could be the exact representation of the object, however, it has no link to a minimal cost in the virtual space could be maintained since the de­
the constructed project [2]. The users of the project are concerned about molition and recovery phase possesses information regarding the entire
its reliability as well as convenience at this phase of the project. The lifecycle phases. One significant application of DT is for conservation
project experiences operations by several stakeholders and this prevents and preservation of heritage assets that might have to get demolished in
the integration of data between different phases and stakeholders. DT the near future. Available researches have utilised Historic Building
can enhance information flow among the different stakeholders. At the Information Modeling (HBIM) to enhance collaborative information
operation and maintenance phase of the project, digital twin technology management relating to existing buildings. [11] presented a procedure
is applied in facilities management, maintenance management, moni­ for developing detailed HBIM using augmented reality (AR) and virtual
toring, logistics processes, and energy simulation of the project. DT can reality (VR) to enhance user community interest in cultural tourism. An
provide facility managers the opportunity to make critical decisions integrated DT and HBIM processes can enhance efficient data manage­
regarding building operation and maintenance, building performance ment. The use of DT and HBIM processes integration can also help
management, and building energy consumption optimisation. It im­ building managers to identify potential hazards, technical solutions,
proves the project’s operational efficiency through the collection of possible actions to be undertaken together with their actual execution
real-time data which aids predictive maintenance and ensures regarding the conservation of their assets [60]. Regarding the review for
well-informed decision making [64]. For instance, the DT of a building this study, no paper was identified to have applied digital twin tech­
can allow facilities managers to perform the “what-if” analysis and nology to the demolition and recovery phase of a construction project.
subsequently improve occupants’ comfort as well as energy consump­
tion and utilisation in the building [64]. [5] established that both 5.5. Summary of findings on digital twin application in various lifecycle
real-time data and historical data concerning building occupancy pre­ phases
sents great value for building management. They also have the potential
to optimise maintenance as well as services in the building. Authors used The different lifecycle phases of the object as presented in this review
Image Recognition in a case study to detect users’ movement in an office have demonstrated the significant impact digital twins can have on the
building, providing real time occupancy data. They found out that construction industry. Digital twins present the opportunity to proac­
real-time data about flow of people passing through a monitored area tively address challenges before they occur. At the design and engi­
are useful in defining smart contracts. However, the authors did not neering phase of the object, most of the literature regarding digital twin
identify any issues in connecting real-life data gathered using image application is about the use of BIM models. This is the phase where much
sensors with the BIM model. Also, the authors did not test their proposed work has been conducted regarding digital twin in the construction in­
approach in several case studies to enhance their application in facilities dustry. Although digital twins have been applied severally in the
management. [47] explored opportunities for construction site logistics manufacturing industry, little impact has been observed in the

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

construction industry. The use of digital twins at the design and engi­ cycle stages of a machine to ensure an efficient data management can be
neering stage can help to decide on which components and information enhanced through the application of DT. Furthermore, DT enhances the
can be inherited or discarded during a redesign and re-engineering of the planning of layouts by presenting an automatic data acquisition and
object. Future works require detailed research into the application of variation system [140]. Finally, DT helps to identify equipment faults
digital twins at the design and engineering phase of a construction and troubleshoot this equipment remotely to provide solutions. By uti­
project. lising simulation-based modeling and data analytics, DT can help
In the construction phase, a significant amount of data is experienced quantify margins and uncertainties in cost and performance of systems
throughout the actual construction process. When creating the digital [88].
twin, a considerable amount of data should be incorporated to assist the
operation and maintenance phase of the object. The role of digital twin 6. Bibliometric indicators of publications
in the construction phase is to reduce construction cost in an efficient
and effective manner and also improve quality which the traditional The scientific influence within the international community is very
method will not provide. Some existing literature has mainly focused on crucial when assessing the performance of particular research. For a
the structural system integrity of the object during the construction qualitative analysis of research, the key focus should be through peer
phase. Further research in stakeholder management, quality manage­ review while bibliometric indicators are significant for quantitative
ment, budget management, as well as value management is required at assessment of the research [142]. [97] stated that bibliometric in­
the construction phase of the project. In the operation and maintenance dicators should be accurate, sophisticated, current and intertwined with
phase, projects experience operations by several stakeholders. These expert knowledge, and utilised with care. The bibliometric analysis
operations prevent the integration of data between the different lifecycle presents information on the research focus of a particular country and
phases and the different stakeholders. There is a difficulty in connecting compares to the international research communities [102]. This paper
the physical object to the digital twin. Thus, existing works are focused utilises the science mapping method to analyse the literature on digital
on massive infrastructure projects. There is insufficient data on the twin application in the construction industry.
infrastructure projects since some data are not measurable in the actual Science mapping is a generic process of analysing and visualising a
situation. Significant research efforts can be employed to make the use scientific domain’s intellectual structure [71,138]. Science mapping
of digital twin an avenue for extending the range of measurements. In helps to visualise critical patterns as well as trends in bibliographic data
the demolition and recovery phase, no study was identified relating to and large bodies of literature [25]. There are different science mapping
digital twin application in the construction industry. Future works are tools which present several strengths, capabilities and weaknesses.
required in this phase of a construction project. Throughout the life cycle These science mapping tools include VOSviewer, Gephi, CitNetExplorer,
of the project, DT will present not just an abundance of dynamic data to BibExcel, CiteSpace and VantagePoint. The VOSviewer® software tool
be managed, but also provide meaning and constant knowledge devel­ was adopted based on its capability of producing, visualising as well as
opment about the physical world. In the long term, construction project utilising bibliometric networks [8,141]. The bibliometric analysis of this
stakeholders will benefit from the application of DT from a smart and study focused on the active countries, collaboration network of in­
lean construction processes towards a smart project life cycle stitutions, and keyword co-occurrence networks in the application of
management. digital twin in the construction industry research.

5.6. Cost implications on the application of Digital twin 6.1. Active countries in digital twin application in the construction
industry research
Cost is always a key consideration when deciding to apply DT
technology to different scales of a construction project [147]. The scope To identify the countries which are very active in digital twin
and purpose of the project are essential in providing an adequate cost application in the construction industry research, the type of analysis
estimate for the application of DT. DT requires higher initial investments was “co-authorship”, the unit of analysis was “countries”, and the
when applied to a project, however, its inclusion provides a potentially counting method “fractional counting”. Fractional counting was
significant return on investment throughout the life cycle of the project selected to ensure that “highly cited publications play a less important
[88]. The cost of applying DT technology can vary depending on the role in the construction of the bibliographic coupling network” and also
level of sophistication, efforts and time utilised in developing the DT. reduce the impact of publications with many authors [141]. The “min­
The level of knowledge required to develop the DT can affect cost and imum number of documents of a country” and the “minimum number of
therefore, designing the DT for reuse can have a significant reduction on citations of a country” were both set to 1 to ensure that an optimum
cost. Generally, DT has the potential of presenting a reduction in cost network is achieved [29]. Out of the 12 countries identified, 12 met the
over the entire project’s life cycle notwithstanding its high initial threshold and were included in the resultant network. In Fig. 4, the
investments. network indicates that the United Kingdom, China, United States,
Luxembourg, and Pakistan were the major contributors to digital twin
5.7. Benefits of DT applications in other industries application in construction industry research. In terms of the number of
publications, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Australia were
The application of DT in most digitally advanced industries like the the major contributors. Table 6 presents the variation of publications on
manufacturing and automotive industry has yielded several benefits. For DT application in the construction industry among the countries. Given
instance, in the manufacturing industry, DT presents an opportunity to the infancy of digital twin and the slow uptake of new technologies in
simulate and optimise production-related systems [67]. This includes the construction industry, majority of the papers were published
production logistics and the visualisation of the processes of recently. There is lack of collaboration between countries in digital twin
manufacturing. DT enhanced production planning and control, and application in construction industry research. There is, therefore, the
provided detailed diagnosis to improve decision support systems. It also need for stronger collaborations among countries to promote global
results in automatic planning as well as the execution of production exchange and transfer of knowledge.
units’ orders [112]. DT aids in the identification of the impacts resulting
from state changes in the production system. Further, the identification 6.2. Collaboration network of institutions in digital twin application in the
and evaluation of anticipatory measures relating to predictive mainte­ construction industry research
nance are possible through the application of DT [28]. The integration,
management and analysis of machinery data during the different life Discovering the collaboration network of institutions that have high

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

Fig. 4. Key contributing countries in digital twin in construction industry research.

As shown in Fig. 5, only a few institutions from the UK, USA, and
Table 6 Italy have built collaborative relationships in digital twin in construction
Variation of publications among countries.
industry research. Notwithstanding, most of these collaborations are
Country Documents Citations Total link strength currently not very strong as seen in the thickness of the lines connecting
United Kingdom 8 49 4.00 the institutions. [57] argued that collaborative relationships should be
Australia 2 18 1.00 built across the entire network to have strong institutional-level
China 1 20 1.00 collaboration. This can help achieve higher standards of scholarship
Luxembourg 1 9 1.00
Pakistan 1 4 1.00
and debate on digital twin application in the construction industry. It is
United States 1 1 1.00 worth noting to identify the inclusion of Lloyds register foundation in
Germany 3 1 0.00 the network. This presents a typical example of the contribution of
Italy 3 10 0.00 purely research institutes to digital twin application in construction
South Korea 1 4 0.00
industry-related research.
Switzerland 1 2 0.00

investment and research interest in digital twin application in the con­ 6.3. Keywords co-occurrence network of institutions in digital twin
struction industry is important in assisting policy-making and research application in the construction industry research
partnership [31]. The type of analysis was ‘co-authorship’, unit of
analysis was ‘organisations’, and counting method was ‘fractional Keywords co-occurrence networks were also developed for the sci­
counting’. The “minimum number of documents of an organisation” and entometric study. Keywords reflect the theme for a particular research
the “minimum number of citations of an organisation” were both set to article and also help in indexing the article. The mapping of all keywords
1, to help achieve an optimum network. 33 out of 37 identified orga­ provides a general overview of the specific knowledge in a particular
nisations met the threshold and were therefore included in the resulting domain [149]. Also, a network of keywords presents a good picture of
network. the knowledge domain and the intellectual connection between them
[151]. In creating the keyword co-occurrence network, the author

Fig. 5. Collaborative network of institutions in the literature on digital twin in construction industry.

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

keywords were selected instead of all keywords. Several science map­ researchers have begun the application of digital twin in construction,
ping studies [29,57,126] have also used the author keywords despite its much focus has been geared towards the design and engineering phase
dependence on the experience and knowledge of the author in identi­ while neglecting the demolition and recovery phase. The application of
fying the relevant keywords. The resultant network comprised of 6 digital twin has shown much prominence and vitality in other industries
nodes and 13 links as indicated in Fig. 6. Some keywords such as digital and has the potential to transform the construction industry. As a result,
twins and digital twin, and building information modeling and BIM were the industry must open to change and embrace the opportunities that
merged since they referred to the same thing. The concept of BIM is come with digital twin applications and other digital technologies. This
evolving very rapidly with the use of various technological advance­ is the only way the construction industry may keep pace with other
ments making it equivalent to prepare DT. However, BIM represents a industries. Through in-depth analysis, a conclusion can be drawn that at
static model of the structure/building whereas DT is an attempt to its present state, digital twin is synonymous to a BIM model within the
present a dynamic and responsive model. There is the need to ensure construction industry. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of
that the model results in a self-reliant, self-updatable, and self-learning the application of digital twin in the construction industry and paves
DT to help in harnessing the full benefits of DT. It is the epitome of cyber way for future research in this field.
physical integration digitally representing the changes in the physical
object. Based on the number of occurrences and total link strength, the
7.1. Implications for practice and future research
top 6 frequently used keywords are shown in Fig. 6. The awareness of
these keywords should guide researchers in selecting the appropriate
Digital twin presents the opportunity to integrate the physical world
keywords to use in their articles.
and digital world, which helps immensely in addressing the challenges
of industries. This is evident mostly in digitalised industries like the
7. Conclusions
manufacturing and automotive industries. Consequently, over the past
years, researchers have been applying digital twin in solving industry
This paper analysed the status of digital twin application in the
problems including those of the construction industry. This paper pre­
construction industry and reviewed the state-of-the-art of digital twin
sents a comprehensive review of the previous studies on the application
considering the concepts and key technologies. There is currently no
of digital twin in the construction industry. The current study can aid
common definition for digital twin and the concept is also quite
practitioners with readily available point of reference that captures the
ambiguous. The application of digital twin in different industries pre­
state-of-the art of research on the application of digital twin in the
sents different perspectives. The concept of digital twin needs more
construction industry, through which the concept and technologies are
clarity since it is focused on various areas in different disciplines. The
presented. This presents practitioners with the opportunity to assess
technologies for digital twin were reviewed and analysed to include data
their maturity in adopting digital twin in the construction industry.
related technologies, high-fidelity modeling technologies, and model-
There is some evidence to show that the construction industry is slow in
based simulation technologies. Digital twin application in the con­
advancing innovation especially in its adoption of digital technology [1,
struction industry was considered throughout the lifecycle phases of a
70]. Therefore, future research should assess the readiness of the con­
project. Bibliometric analysis of digital twin application in the con­
struction industry in adopting digital twin fully in its operations. This
struction industry was also presented in this study.
will better improve the understanding of practitioners on the concept of
Some applications of digital twin have been made in the different
digital twin.
phases of the lifecycle of a construction project. It was observed that its
Although digital twin applications have aided in addressing most of
application in the various lifecycle phases tackled a specified problem.
the challenges of digitalised industries, little in terms of its application
This study identifies key applications of digital twin application in the
has been witnessed in the construction industry. Future research should
construction industry through the review highlighting six applications
explore the critical success factors and barriers to the successful imple­
in the various lifecycle phases to include building information modeling,
mentation of digital twins in the construction industry. This will
structural system integrity, facilities management, monitoring, logistics
improve the desire to apply digital twin in solving the challenges con­
processes, and energy simulation. These have been analysed and pre­
fronting the construction industry. Further, this study has examined the
sented in detail in this research. The literature review shows that whilst
application of digital twin in respective lifecycle phases of a construction
the development of digital twin is gradually improving in other in­
project. This can aid practitioners in understanding and embracing the
dustries like the manufacturing and automotive industries, its develop­
concept of digital twin. However, further research is needed to explore
ment within the construction industry is still at its infancy. Although
additional applications of digital twins since majority of studies focused

Fig. 6. Keywords co-occurrence network.

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D.-G.J. Opoku et al. Journal of Building Engineering 40 (2021) 102726

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31.
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