Introduction
Digital twin technology is a buzzword in the construction industry these days. Gharpedia, through this article, shares some insights on Digital twining in construction. Moreover, digital twining enhances house owners’ experiences by creating virtual replicas of the whole construction project, including surrounding traffic patterns and whatnot. This can help them know the characteristics of the neighbourhood they want to live in the future. The application of digital twinning in construction aids in building smart homes can give an overview of energy consumption, optimise heating and cooling systems, and result in cost savings on various automated tasks. Continue reading to find out more about this amazing technology.
The digital twin is rapidly evolving and recognised as a tool for construction projects.
In the construction industry, which is trying to keep pace with the demands for new structures and layouts following COVID-19, Digital Twins offers a significant facilitator. Utilising this technology, which offers digital representations of real-world components and systems like digital twin buildings, is crucial for an industry that has been behind other industries in adopting digital technology.
What Is A Digital Twin?
A digital twin, often referred to as a data twin, is the digital (virtual) representation of an actual object called a digital twin model. The definition of a digital twin, as given in the book ‘Digital Twin Technology’ (2022), is that it is a digital representation of any real world product, system or process. It replicates the original product, system or process in digital form.
One of the first digital twins was created in 1970, during NASA’s Apollo 13 mission. The oxygen tanks burst during the initial phase of the task, threatening the lives of astronauts and the mission; it was a data twin that could help mission control diagnose, and solve the issue of leaking tanks, which were located 200,000 miles away.
The meaning of a digital twining in construction is a digital representation of a project in construction or an asset such as a construction site or group of structures, a bridge, a highway, a city block, or the whole city.
The data twin of construction is the next-generation drawings of as-built. The above image shows a data twin.
How Are Digital Twins For Construction Created?
One can construct digital twins by combining and gathering real-world data about the building/structure or even city using techniques like 3-D laser scanners, drone cameras, sensors, and other IoT (Internet of Things)-related gadgets. If supported through IoT and AI, digital twin cities are capable of learning from various sources and then automatically updating themselves to reflect any changes made to their real-world counterparts. According to the book Digital Twin Technology (2022), digital twin does not remain static in nature. It changes in accordance to the changes in the real object it is replicating. The input of the real-time data it can receive from the original object, that particular change will occur in the digital twin model as well.
Digital twin cities provide details about the components’ properties and conditions. This information may be based on physical orientation (such as shape, motion, position, gesture, or motion) in addition to insights into another state of affairs, updates, and interactions, for instance, stress load from wind, traffic, or leaky pipes. Now this could be of great help in warning people in advance and making necessary modifications according to the situations about to come.
Key Benefits of Digital Twinning In Construction Field
Provides Quality Assessments
Image processing algorithms in digital twin software allow you to examine the condition of concrete using an image or video. Additionally, you can look for cracks in columns or any material displacement on the construction site without even visiting there. This could trigger further inspections and help spot potential issues early. You can use reconstruction to aid concrete crack evaluations by checking out a digital twin model that illustrates how 2D images are made using a 3D scene.
Enhances Collaboration
Digital twin technology allows the transfer of information directly from field data to the digital twin model and vice versa, creating a powerful collaboration tool for all participants in the project, including home owners/buyers. You can eliminate unnecessary field visits since real-time details are readily available for decision-making and all teams stay together. The top management can also make swift decisions since all the facts are with them. This means that the likelihood of a successful project is substantially improved. The book Impact of Digital Twins in Smart Cities Development affirms, construction companies with the help of DTs find it easier to understand the real-time performance of building infrastructure.
Improves Safety
The construction industry is one of the world’s top hazardous industries. It is essential to ensure workers’ safety throughout so that you do not have to carry the guilt of lost lives during your project and can live in your house guilt-free. Digital twin software allows real-time monitoring of workers who work in areas of risk to prevent them from using dangerous procedures or materials. It is also possible to utilise sensors in a crucial area, such as scaffolding exposed to heavy loads, to track the stress when construction is underway and stop the scaffolding platforms from breaking.
Makes Planning Easier
Data from operations collected by digital twins can inform longer-term investment decisions. Digital twins can generate real-time simulations for updates. It can also forecast failures and the need for planning. With this, you can ensure the safety as well as the longevity of your house or project.
Future Of The Digital Twins
A fundamental shift in operating models is taking place. Digital reinvention is taking place in industries with high-value assets that are altering operating models radically, which requires an integrated physical and digital overview of assets, equipment, and facilities, as well as processes. Digital twins are an essential component of this realignment.
The potential of the digital twins’ future is endless because ever-growing amounts of cognitive power are always dedicated to their usage. Therefore, digital twins are constantly developing new capabilities and skills, which means they will keep generating the knowledge required to improve products and processes.
Conclusion
The digital twin of a structure is a digital model that collects real-world information with drones, sensors, robots, and other technological advances. Digital twins form an interface between the physical and digital models, which are continually updated. The information gathered in the virtual model creates valuable visuals of the project’s performance. Utilising digital twining in construction will give you access to models that are under construction in real time. This allows you to compare construction progress against the 4D BIM model and make quick choices to ensure that the project stays on the right track. Digital twins can be a major factor in increasing the efficiency of construction. It is a huge application for construction projects of all kinds. Use of this technology in the construction industry can improve profit margins as well as safety.
Curious to find out more about the impact of technology on future construction? Check out the link below:
What Shall be the Smart Homes Like in the Next 100 Years?
Author Bio
Harsh Ved – I am a civil engineer, working as a site engineer and a freelance content writer. I hold a Master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management. My keen interest lies in writing and research work. I have also written a research paper on “Building Integrated Photovoltaics” that is published in IRJET Journal.