A scientometric analysis and critical review of digital twin applications in project operation and maintenance

Abstract

PURPOSE: Recent emerging information technologies like digital twin (DT) provide new concepts and transform information management processes in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Although numerous articles are pertinent to DT applications, existing research areas and potential future directions related to the state-of-the-art DT in project operation and maintenance (O&M) are yet to be studied. Therefore, this paper aims to review the state-of-the-art research on DT applications in project O&M. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The current review adopted four methodological steps, including literature search, literature selection, science mapping analysis and qualitative discussion to gain a deeper understanding of DT in project O&M. The impact and contribution of keywords and documents were examined from a total of 444 journal articles retrieved from the Scopus database. FINDINGS: Five mainstream research topics were identified, including (1) DT-based artificial intelligence technology for project O&M, (2) DT-enabled smart city and sustainability, (3) DT applications for project asset management, (4) Blockchain-integrated DT for project O&M and (5) DT for advanced project management. Subsequently, research gaps and future research directions were proposed. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study intends to raise awareness of future research by summarizing the current DT development phases and their impact on DT implementation in project O&M among researchers and practitioners.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ecam-03-2024-0304
Divisions: College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering > Civil Engineering
Additional Information: Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. This author's accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact permissions@emerald.com
Uncontrolled Keywords: Construction,Construction Safety,Engineering,Technology,Information systems
Publication ISSN: 0969-9988
Last Modified: 06 Dec 2024 08:32
Date Deposited: 23 Aug 2024 13:46
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: https://www.eme ... -0304/full/html (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Review article
Published Date: 2024-08-15
Published Online Date: 2024-08-15
Accepted Date: 2024-07-28
Authors: Lu, Meiqi
Antwi-Afari, Maxwell Fordjour (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-6812-7839)

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