If you have been following along for this summer blog series, then you know last week we dug deep into the topic of BIM (building information modeling) and set the stage for today’s discussion about digital twins.
Last week we very briefly defined BIM and digital twin. At its core, BIM is a process that enables data exchange between the different areas of a project and the different stakeholders. Meanwhile, a digital twin is the technology that enables virtual interaction with an asset. Today, let’s dig a bit deeper into digital twin.
At its core, the digital twin is a digital replica of a living or non-living physical entity. This replica could be an actual physical asset that exists in the real world today—or it could be a potential asset that could exist in the future.
In construction, this asset could include engineering, construction, and operations information that can do analytics and provide all the information in one central location. Additionally, the digital twin is often an immersive 3D visualization. With an open data environment, the digital twin can support various processes such as inspection, construction monitoring, and more.
This can fill a very real need in the construction industry today, as it will make project teams more efficient, give insights for future projects, run analytics, and do machine learning before a project is even built. In addition to all of this, the technology can also reduce production costs, provide realtime project monitoring, predictive maintenance, help with training, and extend the life of equipment and assets. With a labor shortage and tight margins, the opportunities for digital twin in construction are huge.
Growth is imminent too. GlobalData suggests the digital twin market size was valued at $17.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 36.3% through 2030. With this, the research company suggests increasing adoption will be enabled by AI (artificial intelligence), the IoT (Internet of Things), AR (augmented reality), and VR (virtual reality) in both the manufacturing and construction sector.
This will partly be driven by government initiatives to develop smart urban infrastructure and create a more sustainable environment for all. As just one instance from September 2022, Energy Queensland, a Queensland government-owned unlisted public company, partnered with a technology company to develop a 3D digital twin for its above and below-ground infrastructure. And, of course, this is simply one example. The digital twin is becoming more prevalent all across the globe.
Looking to the future, the construction industry can expect the digital twin will become more popular in the years ahead. Quite simply, the opportunities that the digital twin offers to the construction industry are too hard to pass up.
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