Developing a conceptual framework for the application of digital twin technologies to revamp building operation and maintenance processes

Abstract

Globally, the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry has seen a rise in the adoption of digital twin (DT) technologies due to their potential to enhance collaboration and information communication throughout the project lifecycle from the design to operation and maintenance (O&M) phase. However, empirical evidence on such adoption is fragmented, particularly for facility management (FM) activities during the O&M phase. Considering this gap, an illustrative case study approach is performed to analyze and compare the traditional practices of FM with DT-driven FM during the O&M phase using four geospatially representative cases. The findings show that DT technologies enable efficient and responsive planning and control of FM activities by providing real-time status of the building assets. However, barriers such as the misalignment of the data integration and data standards hamper their future implementation. To address this, a bottom-up conceptual framework is proposed to facilitate a wider implementation of DT technologies and support FM during the O&M phase of buildings. As such, this paper’s contribution is twofold: (1) it provides an aggregate landscape of DT application to manage facilities during the O&M phase, and (2) it develops an evidence-induced conceptual framework for stakeholders who are grappling with their FM decision-making processes.